JPH04173395A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the wastefulness of recording paper by mounting a control means permitting the alteration of a stapling mode only when a copy size is not altered at the time of the interruption of a copy and continuing job in the altered stapling mode when the copy is restarted. CONSTITUTION:When a stop key 305 is pushed at the time of a copy in a stapling mode, the copy is interrupted. When a mode clear key 303 is not pushed, it is judged whether there is a recording paper of the same size and, when the mode clear key 303 is pushed, the recording bundle stacked on a stapler S is discharged. In such a case that the selected recording paper is same or a selection key 306 is not pushed, a stapling mode selecting key 309 is re- inputted to judge stapling quantity striking, front striking or deep striking and a command is issued to a post-processing apparatus 500 so as to perform stapling in a selected mode. Thereafter, when a printing key 304 is pushed, the interruption of the copy is released and a predetermined number of recording papers are subjected to copy processing in such a state that a stapling position is altered.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus main body that forms an image of a document on recording paper, and an automatic document system that automatically conveys the document sheet by sheet to the image forming apparatus main body. Align the feeding device and the recording paper with the image formed on it,
An image forming apparatus comprising a recording paper post-processing device having a stapling section for stapling the edges of recording paper (
image forming system equipment).

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Various types of recording paper post-processing devices and image forming apparatuses equipped with this device have been proposed, which align and staple the end faces of a stack of recording sheets on which images have been recorded, which are discharged from an image forming apparatus main body, and perform bookbinding processing.

Among such apparatuses, one has already been proposed that has a function that allows the staple position of a stack of recording sheets to be selected by operating from an operation section of the main body of the image forming apparatus, depending on the layout and specifications of the document.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the device having the above-mentioned function,
If the operator mistakenly indicates an inappropriate stapling position, there is a risk that the recording paper during job execution will be wasted.

The present invention has been made based on such a background, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that does not waste recording paper during job execution even if there is an operation (instruction) error in the stapling position. With the goal.

[Means to solve the problem]

The above purpose is to align an image forming apparatus main body that forms an image of a document on recording paper, an automatic document feeder that automatically conveys the document sheet by sheet to the image forming apparatus main body, and a recording paper on which an image has been formed. In an image forming apparatus that is configured with a recording paper post-processing device that staples the edges of recording paper, can select the stapling position and number of staples, and has two or more stapling modes, when copying is interrupted, each Allows input of the mode key, ejects the paper stacked in the stapling section when the copy size is changed, and allows the stapling mode to be changed only when the copy size has not changed, and restarts copying. This is sometimes accomplished by providing a control means to continue the job in a modified stapling mode.

[Effect]

The control means allows key input for each mode when copying is interrupted, ejects the recording paper stacked in the stapling section when the copy size is changed, and switches to the staple mode only when the copy size is not changed. allow for changes in
When restarting copying, continue the job in the changed stapling mode.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

The finisher shown in FIG. 2 is installed on the side of an image forming apparatus (not shown), and the shift sorting section on the upper side is composed of a section I and the staple section 2 on the lower side.

First, in the shift sorting section I, a plurality of conveyance rollers and driven rollers that follow the conveyance rollers are arranged on the conveyance path. 1st
The rotation shaft of the transport roller 101 is connected to the rotation shaft of the transport drive motor M1 via a first timing bell (104), thereby obtaining driving force. The rotation axis of the first conveyance roller 101 is connected to the rotation axis of the other conveyance rollers, the rotation axis of the discharge roller 102, and the gathering fur brush 10 by a second timing belt (not shown).
It is also connected to the rotating shaft of No. 3 and drives them.

In addition, an entrance sensor SNI is provided immediately before the most upstream conveyance roller 101, and the discharge roller 102 is provided with an inlet sensor SNI.
A paper discharge sensor SN2 is provided immediately in front of the paper, and detects the leading and trailing edges of the paper being conveyed. A switching pawl 105 is disposed downstream of the first conveyance roller 101, and by the action of a driving solenoid 230 and a spring (not shown), the conveyance direction is determined in the stapling section (2) and shift sorting, which will be described later, in the section I tray section. It is also possible to change the direction by one shift.

As shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 4, and FIG.
Due to its rotation, the recording paper dropped onto the abutment plate 106
is brought in the direction of and abuts against the abutting plate 106,
This aligns the trailing edges of the recording sheets.

In the shift drive mechanism, as shown in FIG. 4, the abutment plate 106 and the discharge tray 107 are formed with unevenness, and are configured to mesh with each other. As a result, the output tray 107 can be freely moved in the vertical direction with respect to the abutment plate 106 (in the vertical direction on the paper in FIG. and move.

In FIGS. 5 and 6, the abutment plate 106 is supported by a shaft-shaped shift guide 112 via a bearing 111 on the side of the main body different from the discharge tray 107, and is configured to be freely movable in the front and rear direction. has been done. Also the 6th
As shown in the figure, the abutting plate 106 is eccentrically connected to the crank 113 via an arm rod 115. The rotating shaft of the crank 113 is arranged parallel to the central axis of the copying machine. A gear train 114 is disposed on a removable bracket 116 vertically protruding from the side plate 100, and the crank 11 is connected to the crank 11 via this gear train 114.
3 is connected to shift motor M2. By driving the shift motor M2, the crank 113 is driven, and the abutment plate 106 is reciprocated in the front and rear directions due to its eccentric rotation. Therefore, the discharge tray 107, which is restricted in the front-rear direction with respect to the abutting plate 106, also reciprocates in the front-rear direction accordingly.

Furthermore, the abutment plate 106 has two shift detection plates 11 arranged at an interval approximately equal to the amount of movement by the crank 113.
A shift detection sensor 117 facing the abutment plate 106 detects this shift detection plate 118, thereby detecting that one step of the abutment operation and the tray shift operation has been completed.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7, the presser roller 10 is
8 is supported so as to be vertically movable and rotatable, thereby pressing the upper surface of the discharge tray 107 and the stacked recording sheets with its own weight. The recording paper slips under the presser roller 108 by gravity and the conveying force of the paper gathering fur brush 103, and is abutted against the abutment plate 106. When the discharge tray 107 is shifted by the pressing force of the presser rollers 108, the recording paper is prevented from shifting.

A paper surface detection sensor SN3 is arranged on the main body side, facing the presser roller 108. When the position of the presser roller 108 rises due to the accumulation of recording paper, the paper surface detection sensor SN3 detects a part of the presser roller support bracket 108a, thereby indicating that the paper surface or the top surface of the output tray has reached a specified height. Know.

Further, in the vertical movement mechanism, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the discharge tray 107 is fixed to a tray support stand 110. The tray support stand 110 has a bearing 11
It is supported by the tray vertical movement table 109 through the tray 0a so as to be movable back and forth. For this reason, as mentioned above, the abutment plate 1
06 can be performed by the tray vertical movement table 109. As also shown in FIG. 2, the tray vertical movement table 109 is fixed to a third timing belt 120. As shown in FIG. The third timing belt 120 is provided integrally on the outside of the front and rear side plates 100, and each of the third timing belts 120 is hooked onto a vertical drive pulley 121 and a driven pulley 122. Vertical drive pulley 1
21 are both fixed to a vertical drive shaft 123 passing through between the side plates, and a gear 124 having a built-in one-way clutch is attached to this vertical drive shaft 123. The one-way clutch is configured to transmit force in the direction of lifting the discharge tray 107 to the vertical drive shaft 123. The gear 124 is connected to the vertical drive motor M3 via a gear train, a worm wheel 125, a worm 12-6, and the like. Further, a bearing 127 is attached to the side surface of the vertical movement support base 109, and when it comes into contact with the vertical guide rail 128 fixed to the side plate 100, the rotational moment due to the weight of the vertical movement guide and the discharge tray is generated. This prevents the output tray from falling over.

With the above-described configuration, the lowering of the discharge tray 107 is normally stopped by the holding force of the worm 126 and the locking of the one-way clutch. Further, when the vertical movement drive motor M3 is rotated in the direction in which the discharge tray 107 rises, the one-way clutch is locked and the pulleys 121 and 122 rotate, thereby causing the discharge tray 107 to rise. When the vertical drive motor M3 is rotated in the downward direction of the discharge tray 107, the one-way clutch becomes free, and thereby the discharge tray 107 moves downward due to its own weight.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, an upper limit sensor SN4 and a lower limit sensor SN5 are installed inside the timing belt 120 so as to face the discharge tray 107.
By respectively detecting the upper and lower detection plates 129, the upper and lower limits of the discharge tray 107 are detected. Ejection tray 1
07, the one-way clutch is in a free state, so the driving force of the vertical drive motor M3 is not transmitted to the ejection tray 107, and when the ejection tray 107 is lowered, the one-way clutch is in a free state.
Even if the vertical movement drive motor M3 is stopped by an external force, the vertical movement drive motor M3 idles, thereby preventing troubles such as motor overload and pinching of fingers.

When the copying operation is started, the shift motor M2 is driven and the crank 113 is rotated, so that the crank 11
3, the abutting plate 106 is moved in the front-back direction via the rod 115. Accordingly, the discharge tray 107, which is supported so as to be movable up and down and back and forth, engages with the unevenness of the abutment plate 106, and moves in the front and back direction, thereby starting a shift operation. When the shift sensor 117 detects the other shift detection plate 118 that is different from the one shift detection plate 118 detected before the start of the shift operation, the signal causes the shift motor M2 to stop, and the shift operation ends. After the shift operation is completed, the vertical movement drive motor M3 rotates in the tray raising direction to raise the discharge tray 107. After the vertical movement starts, when a part of the support bracket l08a of the holding roller 108 is detected by the paper surface detection sensor SN3, or when the upper limit sensor SN4 detects the vertical detection plate 129, the vertical movement drive motor M3 is stopped by the signal. Then, the ejection tray 107 finishes rising.

When the paper surface detection sensor SN3 detects the support bracket (108a), the vertical movement drive motor M3 rotates in the tray lowering direction, and the paper surface detection sensor SN3 detects the support bracket (108a).
When 8a is no longer detected, the vertical movement drive motor M3
stops.

The recording paper ejected from the main body is received by the conveying roller 101 at the same linear speed as the ejection speed from the main body.

When the recording paper is conveyed and the population sensor SNI detects the trailing edge of the recording paper, the linear velocity is amplified to a value greater than the recording paper main body ejection speed, and the trailing edge of the recording paper is detected by the entrance sensor SNI.
After a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the recording paper was detected, the linear velocity is returned to the main body discharge speed of the recording paper, and then the recording paper is discharged to the discharge tray 107. The recording paper discharged to the discharge tray 107 slips under the presser roller 108 by gravity and the conveyance force caused by the rotation of the fur brush 103, and is abutted against the abutment plate 106, thereby aligning the rear end.

At this time, when a specified number of copies have been ejected, the shift motor M2 rotates in response to the signal and starts a shift operation. - When the process shift is completed, shift motor M2 stops. This operation changes the stacking position of the recording sheets on the ejection tray 107, and the recording sheets are sorted. Then, when the series of copying operations is completed and the last sheet is ejected, the vertical movement drive motor M3 rotates in the downward direction in response to the signal, and the operation ends after the ejection tray 107 has descended by a specified amount. There is.

When a certain amount of recording paper is accumulated and the paper surface approaches the paper ejection port, a part of the presser support bracket 108a is detected by the paper surface detection sensor SN3, and the signal causes the vertical movement drive motor M3 to move in the tray lowering direction. Rotate to worm 1
The holding force of 26 and the lock of the one-way clutch are released, and the discharge tray 107 descends under its own weight.

As the output tray 107 descends, the paper surface lowers,
When a part of the presser roller support bracket 108a is no longer detected by the paper surface detection sensor SN3, the vertical movement drive motor M3 is stopped by the signal, and the holding force of the worm 126 and the locking of the one-way clutch are activated, and the ejection tray 107 is also stopped. .

As the ejection tray 107 descends, the vertical movement drive motor M3 is stopped by a signal when the upper/lower detection plate 129 is detected by the lower limit sensor SN5, and further ejection trays 1
07 is prevented from descending.

In the stapler moving mechanism in the stapling section (2), the stapler S is fixed to a stapler stand 31, as shown in FIGS. 2, 10, 12, and 13. The stapler stand 3 is inserted into the guide hole 30b of the stapler slider 30 via the guide pin
2 They are engaged so that they can move in the direction shown in FIG. Further, a shaft 44 is fixed to the back side of the stapler table 31, and the shaft 44 is
A guide roller 34 is rotatably attached to the roller 4. The upper part of the stapler slider 30 is connected to a guide rod 36 which is hooked between the side plates 41 and 42.
The stapler slider 30 is attached so as to be slidable in the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG.
A guide roller 33 attached to the lower part of the body is in rolling contact with the surface of the stay 43 on the main body side.
This locks the stapler slider 30 in the rotational direction. Further, a guide cam 35 is fixed to the stay 43, and the guide roller 34 is in rolling contact with a cam surface formed on the upper end side of the guide cam 35. This allows the stapler slider 30 to reciprocate in the direction shown in FIG.

At this time, the central portion of the guide cam 35 is formed to be recessed downward, and the stapler slider 3
0 can be moved.

A detection plate 30a is provided at the upper end of the stapler slider 30, and this detection plate 30a shields the detection part of the home position sensor 40 provided on the main body side.
) is now detected. A stamping motor 39 for moving the stapler is attached to the side plate 41, and the stapler slider 30 is fixed to a midway portion of a belt 38 driven by the stamping motor 39, and the stapler slider 30 is moved from side to side in FIG. It is possible to move back and forth in the direction.

In the moving mechanism of the jogger fence, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 14, a right slider 7 and a left slider 8 move back and forth on a jogger fence rod 9 that is hooked between both side plates 41 and 42. The right jogger fence 5 and the left jogger fence 6 are attached freely to the right slider 7 and left slider 8.
are each fixed. The right jogger fence 5 and the left jogger fence 6 have the function of aligning the paper stack during the stapling operation, and extend from the vicinity of the discharge roller 3 to the vicinity of the paper discharge tray 53 to keep the paper stack after being stapled. It functions as a guide member during discharge. At the lower ends of these right jigger fence 5 and left jogger fence 6, there is a rear end fence 6 that holds the lower edge of the paper bundle during stapling.
a +5a is provided.

The left slider 8 and right slider 7 are fixed to a midway portion of a belt 10 driven by a jogger fence drive motor 11. The left slider 8 and the right slider 7 are fixed to different sides of the belt 10, respectively, so that the left jogger fence 6 and the right jogger fence 5 reciprocate symmetrically in the left-right direction in FIG. 11. . A guide roller 15 is attached to the upper rear side of the left jogger fence 6 and right jogger fence 5, and this guide roller 15 is attached to the guide stay 1 which is hung on the upper part of both side plates 41 and 42.
6 in rolling contact. The left slider 8 has
A detection plate 8a is provided, and by shielding the detection part of the home position sensor 14 provided on the main body side, both jogger fences 6.5
The home position (HP) of is detected. As shown in FIG. 16, a curl presser 64 is provided at the lower end of the left jogger fence 6 and the right jigger fence 5, which suppresses buckling when the staple tray is loaded on the staple tray. .

The curl presser 64 is made of an elastic member such as a polyester film.

In the discharge belt mechanism, as shown in FIGS. 11, 14, and 15, a drive shaft 24 is attached to the upper end portions of both side plates 41 and 42 so as to extend over the drive shaft. A drive boo I is located approximately in the center of the shaft 24.
718 is fixed.

Further, a fixed pulley 19 is provided at the lower part of the drive pulley 18.
An endless discharge belt 17 is provided between these two pulleys 18 and 19. A midway portion of the discharge belt 17 is hung on an idle pulley 47, and is guided by a guide plate 25 disposed inside the belt to prevent bending and displacement.

Further, a belt drive motor 22 is fixed to the side plate 41, and a pulley 21 attached to the output shaft of the belt drive motor 22 and a boolean I720 attached to one end of the drive shaft 24 are provided. The belt 23 is passed over and the belt driving force is transmitted. Further, a protruding pawl 46 is provided in the middle of the back surface of the discharge belt 17 so as to grasp the paper stack from below. As shown in FIG. 2, a home position sensor 48 for detecting the position of the claw 46 is provided inside the discharge belt 17, and the home position (HP) of the claw 46 is determined by this home position sensor 48. Detected. The conveyance speed v2 of the discharge belt 17 is set to be slightly larger than the paper discharge linear velocity V of the paper discharge roller 3 (Vz≧V+). It is designed so that it is not ejected together with the bound paper bundle.

Each mechanism of such a stapler is configured to form one two-knit unit, with guide rails 51, 52
It is supported so that it can be pulled out to the front.

As shown in FIG. 2, the paper ejection tray mechanism has a base portion of a paper ejection tray 53 fixed on a tray stand 54. As shown in FIG. A guide roller 56 is rotatably attached to the tray stand 54, and when the guide roller 56 engages with a guide rail (not shown), the paper discharge tray 53 can be moved in the vertical direction together with the tray stand 54. It has become.

Further, the tray stand 54 is biased upward by a lift spring 55.

Driving force is transmitted to the conveyance rollers 60, 61, 62 from the conveyance motor 59 through a belt (not shown).
Furthermore, driving force is transmitted to the discharge roller 3 from the conveyance motor 59 by a belt (not shown). Furthermore, fur brushes 1a and 1b are attached to the rotating shaft 2 of the discharge roller 3.
is rotationally driven in synchronization with the discharge roller 3. The bristles of the above fur brushes la and lb have guide plates of 26° and 27°.
is in contact with. The guide plates 26 and 27 have protruding ribs 26a and 27 that hold the lower edge of the paper bundle after stapling.
a is provided, and protruding ribs 26b, 27
b is formed so as to protrude to the front side. Therefore, the recording paper includes the protruding ribs 26b, 27b and the fur brush la.

Due to the pressing force from the tip of the bristles 1b, it is bent toward the back side and deformed into a wavy shape, thereby giving the paper bundle a certain stiffness to prevent it from buckling.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 16 in particular, the amount of protrusion of the upper guide plate 67 of the paper ejection section from the center of rotation of the paper ejection roller 3 is set to be larger than the amount l of the paper that is being fed. Even if the recording paper does not fall below the fur brushes la, lb and falls between the upper guide plate 67 and the fur brushes Ia, lb, the rear end of the recording paper will be It is designed to be scraped downward.

The recording paper processing operation will be explained next. First, the stapling operation is selected using the staple key, the original (N sheets) is set on the document feed tray (RDH) (not shown), and the number of copies (K copies) is input using the 10 key, and then the copy button is pressed. When pressed, a copy size signal is received from the main body of the copying machine, and it is determined whether the size can be inserted into the staple section. If the size is such that it can be inserted into the staple portion, it is determined whether the claw 46 of the ejection belt 17 is at the home position (HP). If it is not at the home position, it is returned to the home position by the belt drive motor 22. Also, stapler S
It is detected whether or not the stapler is at the home position, and if the home position is detected, the stapler S moves to a predetermined location according to the size signal, and if the home position is not detected, the stapler S moves until the home position is detected. After detecting the home position, the stapler S is moved to a predetermined position based on the size signal.

Also, jogger fence 5.6 is at home position (HP
), and if the home position is detected, the jogger fence 5.6 moves to a predetermined position by the size signal, and if the home position is not detected, until the home position is detected. After the jogger fence 5.6 moves and detects the home position, the jogger fence 5.6 moves to a predetermined location based on a size signal. The moving location at this time is a position am away from the size width on one side and 2a1flI on both sides.

When the leading edge of the recording paper is detected by the entrance sensor SNI, the switching guide member 105 is switched to the staple tray by the switching solenoid 230 to perform guidance. The rear edge of the recording paper is the entrance sensor SNI
Once it passes through, it will be sent at high speed. After a predetermined time has elapsed after passing through the inlet sensor SNI, that is, after passing through the switching guide member 105, the switching solenoid 23
0 is turned off. The recording paper is discharged to the staple tray by the discharge roller 3, and when the recording paper is being discharged,
Static elimination brush 63 fixed to the paper discharge section upper guide plate 67
The charge on the recording paper is removed.

The paper discharge roller 3 is provided with a flange, which bends the recording paper into a wave shape and gives it stiffness. When the trailing edge of the recording paper passes through the discharge roller 3, the trailing edge of the recording paper is pushed down by the coaxial fur brushes la and lb, and the trailing edge fences 26a, 27a and jogger fence 5.
The rear end fence 5a provided at 6.

It is brought together so that it is butted against 6a. After a predetermined period of time has elapsed after passing through the lower paper discharge sensor 50, the forward and reverse rotation of the drive motor 11 for the jogger fences 5 and 6, which had been waiting until then, is repeated once or twice, thereby aligning the recording paper in the width direction. and after such alignment is performed, it is returned to the standby position. This paper alignment operation is repeated for each recording paper until a one-job end signal is issued from the copying machine main body.

Next, when a one-job end signal is issued and received from the copying machine main body, the above-described operation is performed again, and then the stack of recording sheets is held down in the width direction by the jigger fences 5 and 6. Then, the drive motor 223 in the stapler S starts driving, and the stack of recording sheets is stapled. In this binding operation, it is determined whether or not one-place binding is performed, and in the case of one-place binding, the jogger fences 5 and 6 are moved to a position slightly away from the paper bundle after the binding operation is completed. If two or more places are to be stapled, the stapler movement motor 39 moves the paper to a predetermined position and the stapling operation is performed again. After the stapling operation is performed, the jogger fence 5.6 moves to a position slightly away from the paper bundle. will be returned to.

At this time, the discharge belt 17 rotates in the direction shown in FIG. 14m, and the claw 46 pushes up the rear end of the recording paper bundle. Further, the drive motor 22 starts counting pulses from the home position of the claw 46, and stops after counting the set number of pulses. The stopping position of the pawl 46 is near the highest point of the drive pulley 18, which is the discharge point of the stack of recording sheets.

In this way, the stack of recording sheets is ejected to the ejection tray 53 by the inertial force caused by the uniform movement of the pawl 46, after which the ejection belt 17 rotates again in the same direction and stops when the pawl 46 detects the home position. stand by.

It is determined whether the last set number of copies (k copies) has been completed, and when the jigger fence 5゜6 and stapler S have finished moving to the home position, if the set number of copies has not yet been completed, the above-mentioned operation is executed again. It is now possible to do so.

In such a device, when the ejection tray 107 is moved up and down either when the power is turned on or at the beginning of the mode, the CPU first checks the output states of the upper limit sensor SN4, lower limit sensor SN5, and paper surface sensor SN3, and then moves the ejection tray 107 up and down. 107 is currently located. If the upper limit sensor SN4 and the paper surface sensor SN3 are in the on state, the vertical movement drive motor M3 is turned on and the discharge tray 107 is lowered to the point where the paper surface sensor SN3 is turned off. If only the upper limit sensor SN4 is on, nothing is done. Upper limit sensor SN4, lower limit sensor S
When N5 and paper surface sensor SN3 are all off, vertical movement drive motor M3 is turned on and upper limit sensor SN3 is turned on.
4 or the ejection tray 107 is raised to the point where the paper surface sensor SN3 is turned on. When the paper surface sensor SN3 is turned on, it is lowered until the paper surface sensor SN3 is turned off. When only the paper surface sensor SN3 is on, the vertical movement drive motor M3 is turned on and the discharge tray 107 is lowered until the paper surface sensor SN3 is turned off. When the lower limit sensor SN5 and the paper surface sensor SN3 are on, it is determined that the recording paper on the ejection tray 107 is less than the stacking capacity, and a signal indicating that the paper is full is sent to the copying machine main body. Then, the recording paper is removed, and after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the vertical movement drive motor M3 is turned on, and the ejection tray 107 is raised until the upper limit sensor SN4 or the paper surface sensor SN3 is turned on. When paper sensor SN3 turns on, paper sensor S
The output tray 107 is lowered until N3 is turned off.

When restarting in the same mode, press 'T! When in is turned on, the same operation as when mode is selected is performed in synchronization with the main body's copy start signal.

During copying and at the end of copying, when the paper surface sensor SN3 is turned on, the vertical movement drive motor M3 is turned on, and the ejection tray 107 is lowered until the paper surface sensor SN3 is turned off. When this operation is repeated and the lower limit sensor SN5 turns on, a signal indicating that the output tray 107 is full of recording paper is sent to the main body. If this operation overlaps with a tray shift operation, priority is given to the tray shift operation, and during the shift operation, the tray shift operation is in a standby state and is performed after the shift is completed. After the last sheet passes the main body sheet ejection sensor 215, a finisher stop signal is sent. When this signal is received, the vertical drive motor M3 is turned on after the last sheet is ejected to the ejection tray 107. The ejection tray 107 is lowered by a predetermined amount, making it easier to take copies.

Next, when the power is turned on, no shift operation is performed, and when the shift or blue mode is selected and a mode signal is received, the shift motor M2 is turned on and the discharge tray 107 is moved, and when the shift detection sensor 117 is turned on, the shift motor M2 is turned off. be done.

This operation sorts the paper remaining on the output tray 107 from the paper for a new job.

Such an operation is in a standby state while the tray is moving up and down, and is performed after the up and down movement is completed. By doing this, even if recording paper remains on the output tray 107, the presser roller 1
At 08, the recording paper is held down so that it does not shift during shifting.

During copying and at the end of copying, a shift signal is sent when the last sheet of the copy set passes through the main body sheet ejection sensor 215, and the finisher receives this signal and causes the trailing edge of the last sheet to pass over the sheet ejection sensor SN2. After a predetermined period of time has elapsed, shift motor M2 is turned on and a shift operation is started. When shift detection sensor 117 turns on, shift motor M
2 is turned off. The above operation has priority over the tray up and down movement, and during the shift operation, the tray up and down movement is in a standby state, and the up and down movement is performed after the shift is completed. This prevents paper from shifting due to shifting.

When a restart is performed in the same mode, no shift operation is performed at the start of copying, and during copying, the same operation as during copying is performed.

Next, the jogger fence operation will be explained. First, when the power is turned on and the mode is selected, the output status of the jogger home position sensor 14 and the tray paper presence/absence sensor 205 is CP.
It is checked by U and the following operations are executed. If only the jogger home position sensor 14 is on, nothing is done. If the tray paper presence/absence sensor 205 is on, a signal indicating that recording paper remains in the staple tray is sent to the main body. When the jogger home position sensor 14 and the tray paper presence/absence sensor 205 are off, the jogger drive motor 11 is turned on, the jigger fence 5°6 moves toward the home position, and the jogger home position sensor 14 is turned on. When turned on, the jogger drive motor 1 is turned off.

During copying, when copying ends, and when copying is restarted, if a paper size signal is received after the main unit starts copying, the jogger drive motor 11 is turned on and the jogger fences 5 and 6 move to move the jogger fences 5 and 6 by a predetermined amount than the paper width size. When the zero paper that is stopped at the front position and waits passes the paper ejection sensor 50 and a predetermined time elapses, the jigger drive motor 11 is turned on and the jogger fence 5.6 at the standby position moves to align the paper. and returns to the standby position. At this time, the jigger drive motor 11 repeats forward and reverse rotation once to several times, thereby causing the jogger fence 5.degree. 6 to align the paper in the width direction. Such an operation is performed every time recording paper is discharged onto the staple tray.

When the last paper of the copy cent passes through the main body paper ejection sensor 215, a staple signal is transmitted. Upon receiving this signal, the last paper is ejected to the staple tray. After the above-mentioned paper alignment operation is performed, the paper is aligned in the width direction. The jigger fence 5.6 moves to the pressing position and stops. When the stapling operation is completed, the jogger fences 5 and 6 move to a position slightly away from both ends of the paper in the width direction. The sheaf of recording paper is then discharged onto a paper discharge tray 53 by the discharge belt 17 .

By doing this, the sheets are prevented from shifting during stapling, and the jogger fence 5.6 is used as a guide in the width direction when discharging the stack of recording sheets.

The above operation is repeated for several copies, and when the final stack of recording sheets is ejected onto the paper ejection tray 53, the jogger drive motor 11 is turned on and the jogger fence 5.6 moves toward the home position. , when the jogger home position sensor 14 is turned on, the jogger drive motor 11 is turned off.

When the power is turned on and when a mode is selected for stapler operation, the CPU checks the output states of the one-rotation sensor 210, the staple presence/absence sensor 211, and the stapler home sensor 212, and the following operations are executed.

If the tray paper ejection presence/absence sensor 205 is on when the one-rotation sensor 210 is off, it is determined that the stapling is defective.
A stapler abnormality signal is sent to the main body.

When the needle presence/absence sensor 211 is in the off state,
A stapler out signal is sent to the main body. If stapler home sensor 40 is on, nothing is done. When the stapler home sensor 40 is off and the one-rotation sensor 210 is on, the stapler movement motor 39 is turned on and the stapler S moves toward the home position.

When the stapler home sensor 40 is turned on, the stapler moving motor 39 is turned off. If the one-rotation sensor 210 is off, it is determined that a stapling error or a jam has been processed, and the printer waits in that state.

When the one-rotation sensor 210 is turned on by human processing,
The stapler moving motor 39 is turned on, and after the stapler moves toward the home position and the stapler home sensor 40 is turned on, the stapler moving motor 39 is turned off.

During copying, at the end of copying, and at the time of restarting copying, when a paper size signal is received after the main body starts copying, the stapler movement motor 39 is turned on and the stapler S is moved by a predetermined amount to a position matching the paper size. Next, after the last sheet of the copy set passes the main body paper ejection sensor 215, a staple ON signal is transmitted from the main body, and when that signal is received, the last paper is ejected onto the staple tray, and the jigger fence 5.6 is activated. When both ends of the recording paper stack in the width direction are pressed, the staple motor 223 is turned on to perform a stapling operation, and when the one-rotation sensor 210 is turned on, the staple motor 223 is turned off. In the case of the two-position stapling mode, the stapler movement motor 39 is turned on to match the paper size, and when the stapler S has moved a predetermined amount, the stapler movement motor 39 is turned off and the second stapling operation is performed. When such a stapling operation is repeated for several copies and the final stack of recording sheets is stapled, the stapler movement motor 39 is turned on and the stapler S moves in the home position direction, and when the stapler home sensor 40 is turned on. , the stapler moving motor 39 is turned off.

Next, the operation of the discharge belt will be explained.

When the power is turned on and when a mode is selected, the CPU checks the output states of the belt home sensor 48, the tray discharge sensor 205, and the rotation sensor 210, and the next operation is performed. If the belt home sensor 48 is on and the tray discharge sensor 205 is off, nothing is done.

Belt home sensor 48, tray discharge sensor 205
If both are off, it is determined that the discharge belt 17 has not returned to the home position, and the belt drive motor 22 is turned on, the discharge belt 17 is operated, and when the belt home sensor 48 is turned on, the belt drive motor 22 is turned off. be done.

If the belt home sensor 48 is off and the tray ejection sensor 205 is on, it is determined that there is a failure in ejection, and a signal is sent to the copying machine main body to remove the stack of recording sheets on the staple tray. After the recording paper stack is removed, the belt drive motor 22 is turned on and the ejection belt 17 is operated, and when the belt home sensor 48 is turned on, the belt drive motor 2 is turned on.
2 is turned off.

During copying and at the end of copying, when the last sheet of the copy set is ejected onto the staple tray and the stapler S performs a binding operation on the stack of recording sheets, the one-rotation sensor 210 is turned on to indicate that the staple has been properly stapled. is confirmed. Thereafter, the belt drive motor 22 is turned on, the discharge belt 17 is activated, and the stapled stack of recording sheets is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 53, and the belt home sensor 48
When the belt drive motor 22 is turned on, the belt drive motor 22 is turned off. Such operations are repeated for each copy.

In the shift tray system of the conveyance system, a finisher start signal is sent when the copying machine starts copying, so when that signal is received, the conveyance motor 220 is turned on and the low speed operation is changed to the main body linear speed. done at the same speed. The recording paper is ejected from the main body, and the entrance sensor SN
When I is turned on, a timer is set, and it is monitored whether the recording paper passes the entrance sensor SNI within a predetermined time, and a jam is detected. When the trailing edge of the recording paper passes through the entrance sensor SNI and the entrance sensor SNI is turned off, the transport motor 220 is switched to high-speed operation and the transport speed is increased. Also, a timer is set, and jam detection is performed by monitoring whether the leading edge of the recording paper turns on the discharge sensor SN2 within a predetermined time. After passing through the entrance sensor SNI,
After a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the conveyance motor 220 is returned to low-speed operation to prepare for the next recording paper. Paper discharge sensor SN2
When detects paper and turns on, a timer is set and
Jam detection is performed by monitoring whether the recording paper passes within a predetermined time.

By repeating these operations, in the case of shift tray mode, a shift signal is received, and a shift (shift) OK signal is output after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the last sheet of the copy set passed the paper discharge sensor SN2. , the timing of performing the shift operation is measured.

When the final recording paper is ejected from the main body, a finisher stop signal is transmitted, so this signal is received, and the conveyance motor 220 is turned off after a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the final recording paper has passed the ejection sensor SN2. .

Next, in the staple tray system, when the main body of the copying machine starts copying, a finisher start signal is transmitted, so when that signal is received, the conveyance motor 22
0 is turned on and low speed operation is performed at the same speed as the main body linear speed. When the recording paper is ejected from the main body and the entrance sensor SNI is turned on, the switching solenoid 230 and the lower conveyance motor 226 are turned on at low speed, a timer is set, and it is checked whether the recording paper passes the entrance sensor SNI within a predetermined time. Monitoring is performed to detect jams. When the trailing edge of the recording paper passes through the entrance sensor SNI, the entrance sensor SN1 is turned off, and a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the lower transport motor 226 is switched to high-speed operation and the transport speed is increased. Jam detection is also performed by setting a timer and monitoring whether the leading edge of the recording paper turns on the lower paper discharge sensor 50 within a predetermined time.

When a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the trailing edge of the recording paper passes the population sensor SNI, the switching solenoid 230 is turned off. When the lower paper discharge sensor 50 detects recording paper and turns on, a timer is set, and a jam is detected by monitoring whether the recording paper passes within a predetermined time. When a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the recording paper passes the lower paper discharge sensor 50, the lower conveyance motor 226 is switched to low speed operation.

When such an operation is repeated and a stapling signal is received, the last sheet of copy cents passes the lower paper ejection sensor 50 and after a predetermined time elapses, the jogger fence performs a paper alignment operation, and then a stapling operation is performed. Timing is measured.

When the final recording paper is ejected from the main body, a finisher output signal is sent. When this signal is received, the final recording paper passes the ejection sensor 50, and after a predetermined period of time, the conveyance motor is activated. 220 and lower transport motor 226 are turned off.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG.
The PU and the CPU on the finisher side are connected by an optical fiber.

In the shift tray section of the finisher, the CPU 10
00, a transport motor 1002 is connected via a servo control circuit 1001, a vertical motor 1004 is connected via a forward/reverse driver circuit 1003, and a shift motor 1006 is connected via a forward/reverse driver circuit 1005. It is connected. Furthermore, the above CPU10
For 0O, various sensors and various switches 100
The signal from 7 is being input.

Furthermore, the CPU 100O has an interface (
Ilo) 1020 to the staple section. The stapling unit 1008 connects the servo control circuit 1 to the interface 1020.
009, the transport motor 1011, the servo control circuit 1012, the ejection motor 1013, and the stepping control motor control circuit 1014, the jogger motor 1.
015 are connected to a stapler moving motor 1017 via a stepping control motor control circuit 1016, respectively. Furthermore, signals from various sensors and various switches 1018 are input to the interface 1020.

FIG. 18 is a control block diagram relating to the main part of the present invention,
The image forming apparatus includes an image forming apparatus main body 300 equipped with a CPU 3 OL operation section 302, an automatic document feeder 400 equipped with a CPU 401, and a recording paper post-processing apparatus (finisher) 500 equipped with the CPU 100O. The CPUs are connected by optical fibers as described above.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram (plan view) of the operation unit 302, and FIG. 19(a) is an overall view, and FIG.

In the figure, 303 is a mode clear key, 304 is a print key, 305 is a stop key, 306 is a paper selection key, 307 is a behind cover, 308 is a post-processing device operation unit, and 309 is a staple mode selection key.

Description of the control operation according to one embodiment programmed into the CPU 301 based on the flowchart shown in FIG.
do.

When the stop key 305 is pressed during copying in the staple mode (Y in Sl), the copying is interrupted (S2). Next, if the mode clear key 303 is not pressed (N in S3), it is determined whether there is recording paper of the same size (S3).
4), if the mode clear key 303 is pressed (S3
If the selected recording sheets are the same or the selection key 306 is not pressed (S4), the stack of recording sheets stacked on the stapler S is ejected (S12).
(Y), re-enter the stapling mode selection key 309 (S5), determine whether to staple double-sided stapling, front stapling or back stapling 36-510), and instruct the post-processing device 500 to perform stapling in the selected mode. Send (Sll).

After that, press the print key 304 to cancel the copy interruption, and copy the predetermined number of copies with the staple position changed. At this time, press the paper selection key 306 to change the copy size or direction (A4 When inputting a change from vertical to A4 horizontal, etc., the belt drive motor 2
2 (FIG. 11), the ejection belt 17 rotates, and the recording paper stacked on the ejection tray 107 is ejected to the tray 53.

More specifically, in the above flowchart, in step S1, it is checked whether the stop key on the operation panel is turned on, and in step S2, the stop key is turned on.
The copying operation of the copying machine after N is stopped, and in step S3 it is checked whether the clear key on the operation panel has been turned on. Then, if it is not turned on, step S
Check the recording paper selection keys in step S4, and if the selected recording papers are not the same and if the mode clear key is turned on in step S3, the stapler units on the stapler S side of the post-processing device 500 are aligned. Ejects the copies stacked in the set.

When discharging the paper, a copy discharging signal is transmitted from the CPU 301 side of the image forming apparatus main body 300 to the CPU of the post-processing device 500.
Send to I OOO.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to interrupt the copying operation during copying in the staple mode and reset the staple mode, thereby eliminating waste of recording paper due to incorrect selection of the staple mode.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure related to the stapling operation of a copying machine in an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view showing the overall configuration of a finisher to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 3 is an ejection Fig. 4 is an explanatory plan view showing the tray fitting state in the tray shift swing mechanism, and Figs. 5 and 6 show the drive system of the tray shift swing mechanism. FIG. 7 is an external perspective view showing the paper ejection holding mechanism, FIGS. 8 and 9 are a side explanatory view and external perspective view of the paper ejection tray up and down mechanism, and FIG. 11 and 12 are front and bottom views showing the general structure of the stapling unit, and FIG. 13 shows the stapler mounting structure. 14 is an external perspective view of the ejecting device, FIG. 15 is a sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 11, FIG. 16 is an enlarged side explanatory view of the staple ejecting section, and FIG. FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing a control system for carrying out the present invention, FIG. 18 is a control block diagram relating to the main part of the present invention, and FIG. 19 is a configuration diagram of an operating section. 300... Image forming apparatus main body, 301... CPU,
302... Operation unit, 400... Automatic document circulation feeding device, 401... CPU, 500... Recording paper post-processing device, 1000... CPU. Figure 1 Figure 5 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Atsushi 8 Figure 9 R Figure 1O Figure 12 Figure 13 Figure 74 Figure 76

Claims (1)

[Claims] An image forming apparatus main body that forms an image of a document on recording paper, an automatic document feeder that automatically conveys the original document sheet by sheet to the image forming apparatus main body, and an automatic document feeder that aligns the recording paper on which the image has been formed and moves the edge of the recording paper. In an image forming apparatus that includes a paper post-processing device that staples copies, selects the staple position and number of staples, and has two or more stapling modes, when copying is interrupted, the keys for each mode are pressed. When the copy size is changed, the recording paper stacked in the stapling unit is ejected, and the stapling mode is allowed to be changed only when the copy size has not changed. An image forming apparatus comprising a control means for continuing a job in a stapling mode.