Post-processing device and image forming system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a post-processing device and an image forming system having a discharge tray that changes to an appropriate posture according to the number of copies of media to be post-processed. The post-processing device includes: a post-processing unit (27-29) that performs post-processing on media on which images are formed by an image forming device; a discharge unit (18-19) that discharges the media that have been post-processed by the post-processing unit (27-29); and a discharge tray (30) that supports the media discharged by the discharge unit (18-19). The discharge tray (30) includes a main tray (31) whose upper surface is inclined downward along the discharge direction of the media and a movable tray (32). The movable tray (32) is rotatably supported on the main tray (31) between a loading posture capable of loading media discharged by the discharge unit (18-19) and a discharge posture capable of discharging the media discharged by the discharge unit (18-19) along the upper surface of the main tray (31).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a post-processing device and an image forming system. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there are known post-processing devices that perform post-processing on paper sheets having images formed thereon by an image forming device. Examples of post-processing performed by a post-processing device include saddle stitching, which is a process of center-binding a bundle of multiple paper sheets (hereinafter referred to as a "bundle").

[0003] Such a post-processing device may continuously perform saddle stitching on a large number of paper bundles. Therefore, there is a post-processing device that tilts the discharge tray to drop the continuously discharged paper bundle from the discharge tray (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

[0004] However, as a post-processing device, sometimes a small amount of paper bundles are saddle-stitched and loaded onto a discharge tray. However, in the discharge tray configured as above, which is always tilted, the loading capacity is reduced when the post-processed paper bundles are loaded.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a post-processing apparatus having a discharge tray that can be changed to an appropriate posture according to the number of media to be post-processed.

[0006] [Patent Document 1] (Japanese) Patent Publication No. 2012-250844 Summary of the Invention

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one embodiment of the present invention relates to a post-processing device, which includes: a post-processing unit for performing post-processing on a medium on which an image is formed by an image forming device; a discharge unit for discharging the medium that has been post-processed by the post-processing unit, and a discharge tray for supporting the medium discharged by the discharge unit, the discharge tray including a main tray whose upper surface is inclined downward along the discharge direction of the medium and a movable tray, the movable tray being rotatably supported on the main tray between a loading posture for loading the medium discharged by the discharge unit and a discharge posture for discharging the medium discharged by the discharge unit along the upper surface of the main tray.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a post-processing apparatus having a discharge tray that can be changed to an appropriate posture according to the number of media to be post-processed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Figure 1 The figure shows the overall structure of the image forming system.

[0010] Figure 2Shown is a diagram of the internal structure of the post-processing device.

[0011] Figure 3 (A) and (B) are enlarged views of the discharge tray.

[0012] Figure 4 The figure shows the hardware structure of the post-processing device.

[0013] Figure 5 Shown is a flowchart of the binding process.

[0014] Figure 6 The figure shows a flowchart of saddle stitch binding and batch discharge processing.

[0015] Figure 7 The figure shows a flow chart of saddle stitch binding and progressive ejection processing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Hereinafter, an image forming system 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall structure of the image forming system 1. The image forming system 1 has the function of forming an image on a sheet of paper and performing post-processing on the sheet of paper on which the image is formed. Figure 1 As shown, the image forming system 1 is composed of an image forming apparatus 2 and a post-processing apparatus 3 .

[0017] The image forming device 2 forms an image on paper (medium) and discharges the image-formed paper to the post-processing device 3. The image forming device 2 primarily comprises a tray for storing paper, a conveyor unit for transporting the paper stored in the tray, and an image forming unit that forms an image on the paper transported by the conveyor unit. The image forming unit can employ either an inkjet method that uses ink to form an image or an electrophotographic method that uses toner to form an image. Since the structure of the image forming device 2 is well known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0018] Figure 2 The figure shows the internal structure of the post-processing device 3. The post-processing device 3 performs post-processing on paper sheets on which images have been formed by the image forming device 2. The post-processing involved in this embodiment is binding a bundle of multiple paper sheets (hereinafter referred to as "paper bundle Mb") having images formed thereon. More specifically, the post-processing device 3 can perform both end-stitching, which binds the ends of the paper bundle Mb, and saddle-stitching, which binds the center of the paper bundle Mb.

[0019] The post-processing device 3 includes conveyor roller pairs 10-19 and a switching claw 20. The conveyor roller pairs 10-19 convey paper supplied from the image forming device 2 within the post-processing device 3. More specifically, the conveyor roller pairs 10-13 convey paper along a first conveyance path Ph1. Furthermore, the conveyor roller pairs 14-15 convey paper along a second conveyance path Ph2. Furthermore, the conveyor roller pairs 16-19 convey paper along a third conveyance path Ph3.

[0020] The first conveyance path Ph1 is a path from the paper supply port of the image forming apparatus 2 to the discharge tray 21. The second conveyance path Ph2 branches off from the first conveyance path Ph1 between the conveyance roller pairs 11 and 14 in the conveyance direction, and reaches the discharge tray 26 via the internal tray 22. The third conveyance path Ph3 branches off from the first conveyance path Ph1 between the conveyance roller pairs 11 and 14 in the conveyance direction, and reaches the discharge tray 30.

[0021] The switching claw 20 is arranged at a branch position between the first conveying path Ph1 and the second conveying path Ph2. The switching claw 20 is configured to be able to switch between a first position for discharging the paper to the discharge tray 21 through the first conveying path Ph1 and a second position for guiding the paper conveyed in the first conveying path Ph1 to the second conveying path Ph2. In addition, when the rear end of the paper entering the second conveying path Ph2 passes through the conveying roller pair 11, the conveying roller pair 14 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the paper is guided to the third conveying path Ph3. In addition, the post-processing device 3 is equipped with a plurality of sensors (in the embodiment of FIG. 1 ) for detecting the position of the paper on each of the conveying paths Ph1, Ph2, and Ph3. Figure 2 Indicated by ▲).

[0022] The post-processing device 3 includes a discharge tray 21 . The discharge tray 21 supports the paper discharged through the first transport path Ph1 . Paper supplied from the image forming device 2 that has not undergone post-processing is discharged to the discharge tray 21 .

[0023] The post-processing device 3 also includes an internal tray 22, a bottom fence 23, side fences 24, a stapling unit 25, and an ejection tray 26. The internal tray 22, the bottom fence 23, the side fences 24, and the stapling unit 25 constitute an end stapling unit (post-processing unit) that performs end stapling on sheets conveyed along the second conveyance path Ph2. Sheets fed from the image forming device 2 that have undergone end stapling by the end stapling unit (sheet bundle Mb) are ejected onto the ejection tray 26.

[0024] The inner tray 22 temporarily supports multiple sheets of paper sequentially conveyed along the second conveyance path Ph2. The bottom end fence 23 aligns the position of the paper bundle Mb supported by the inner tray 22 in the conveyance direction. The side fences 24 align the position of the paper bundle Mb supported by the inner tray 22 in the width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. The stapling unit 25 staples the ends of the paper bundle Mb aligned by the bottom end fence 23 and side fences 24. The conveying roller pair 15 (discharge unit) then discharges the paper bundle Mb, end-stapled by the end stapling unit, onto the discharge tray 26.

[0025] Furthermore, the post-processing device 3 includes a bottom fence 27, a stapling unit 28, a folding plate 29, and a discharge tray 30. The bottom fence 27, the stapling unit 28, and the folding plate 29 constitute a saddle stitching unit (post-processing unit) that saddle-stitches the sheets conveyed along the third conveyance path Ph3. Sheets fed from the image forming device 2 that have been saddle-stitched by the saddle stitching unit (sheet bundle Mb) are discharged onto the discharge tray 30.

[0026] The bottom end fence 27 aligns the positions of the plurality of sheets of paper conveyed sequentially along the third conveying path Ph3 in the conveying direction. Furthermore, the bottom end fence 27 is configured to move the center of the paper bundle Mb to a binding position facing the binding processing unit 28 and a bending position facing the folding plate 29. The binding processing unit 28 binds the center of the paper bundle Mb aligned by the bottom end fence 27 at the binding position. The folding plate 29 folds the paper bundle Mb supported by the bottom end fence 27 at the bending position in half and clamps it between the conveying roller pair 18. The conveying roller pair 18 and 19 (discharge unit) discharges the paper bundle Mb, which has been saddle-stitched by the binding processing unit, onto the discharge tray 30.

[0027] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 3 , the detailed structure and operation of the discharge tray 30 are described. Figure 3 The figure shows an enlarged view of the discharge tray 30. The discharge tray 30 is configured to change to an appropriate position according to the number of sheets Mb discharged after saddle stitching (the number of sheets simultaneously loaded on the discharge tray 30). The discharge tray 30 primarily comprises a main tray 31, a movable tray 32, a front end stopper 33, and a load level sensor 34.

[0028] The main tray 31 is arranged at a position capable of supporting the paper bundle Mb discharged by the transport roller pair 19. More specifically, the main tray 31 is arranged below the transport roller pair 19 so as to protrude from the housing of the post-processing device 3. In addition, the upper surface of the main tray 31 faces the discharge direction ( Figure 2Furthermore, the main tray 31 supports the movable tray 32 and the front end fence 33.

[0029] The movable tray 32 is provided at the rear end side (upstream side in the discharge direction) of the main tray 31, and is supported to be rotatable relative to the main tray 31 via a support shaft 35. The support shaft 35 is extended along the width direction of the paper bundle Mb, which is perpendicular to the discharge direction and the up-down direction. In addition, the support shaft 35 is installed at the front end (the end on the downstream side in the discharge direction) of the movable tray 32. That is, the movable tray 32 can rotate with the end on the downstream side in the discharge direction as the bottom end of the rotation and with the end on the upstream side in the discharge direction as the front end of the rotation. In more detail, the movable tray 32 is Figure 3 The loading posture shown in (A) and Figure 3 Rotate between the discharge positions shown in (B).

[0030] The loading posture is the posture of the movable tray 32 when loading the paper bundle Mb discharged by the conveyor roller pair 19, and is a posture that maintains the state in which the paper bundle Mb does not slide due to the inclination of the main tray 31. Therefore, in the loading posture, the upper surface of the movable tray 32 is horizontal. The discharge posture refers to a posture that can discharge the paper bundle Mb discharged by the conveyor roller pair 19 along the inclination of the upper surface of the main tray 31. Therefore, in the discharge posture, the upper surface of the movable tray 32 is tilted downward along the upper surface of the main tray 31. More specifically, the movable tray 32 changes from the loading posture to the discharge posture by rotating in a manner such that the end portion on the downstream side of the discharge direction pops up. In addition, the inclination angle of the upper surface of the movable tray 32 in the discharge posture is set to be the same as or larger than the inclination angle of the upper surface of the main tray 31.

[0031] In addition, the movable tray 32 is supported in the main tray 31 in a manner that it can slide along the tilt direction of the main tray 31. In more detail, as Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 3A , a guide groove 36 extending along the tilting direction of the main tray 31 is formed on the side surface of the main tray 31 . The guide groove 36 supports the support shaft 35 so as to be rotatable and slidable along the tilting direction of the main tray 31 .

[0032] The movable tray 32 in the ejection position is as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown by arrow a in (B), by sliding to the bottom end side of the main tray 31, a gap is generated between the upper surface of the main tray 31 and the upper surface of the movable tray 32. As a result, the movable tray 32 can be rotated between the ejection posture and the loading posture. On the other hand, the movable tray 32 in the ejection posture is as shown in FIG. Figure 3As shown by arrow b in (B), by sliding to the front end side of the main tray 31, the upper surface of the main tray 31 and the upper surface of the movable tray 32 are connected (flattened). As a result, the gap between the upper surface of the main tray 31 and the upper surface of the movable tray 32 is eliminated.

[0033] The front end guard 33 is arranged on the downstream side of the ejection direction of the movable tray 32 (in other words, on the front end side of the main tray 31). The front end guard 33 is supported on the main tray 31 via a support shaft 37 so as to be rotatable. The support shaft 37 extends in the width direction of the paper bundle Mb (i.e., parallel to the support shaft 35) perpendicular to the ejection direction and the vertical direction. Then, the front end guard 33 is arranged on the downstream side of the movable tray 32 (in other words, on the front end side of the main tray 31). Figure 3 The protruding posture shown in (A) and Figure 3 (B) between the retreat postures shown.

[0034] The protruding posture is a posture in which the front end fence 33 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the main tray 31 to prevent the paper bundle Mb from being discharged from the main tray 31. Therefore, the protruding posture is a posture that prevents the paper bundle Mb from falling out of the main tray 31 when the paper bundle Mb moves along the upper surface of the main tray 31, in other words, when the paper bundle Mb slides on the inclined surface of the main tray 31. The retracted posture is a posture that allows the paper bundle Mb to be discharged along the upper surface of the main tray 31. In addition, the retracted posture is a posture in which the front end fence 33 retracts from the upper surface of the main tray 31, allowing the paper bundle Mb to be discharged from the main tray 31. More specifically, the retracted posture is a posture in which the front end fence 33 retracts downward from the upper surface of the main tray 31.

[0035] In addition, the front end guard 33 can also change its posture in conjunction with the movable tray 32. Figure 3 As shown in (A), the front end guard 33 and the movable tray 32 are in a loading position and are in a protruding position. Figure 3 As shown in (B), the front end guard 33 can be moved to the retracted position in conjunction with the movable tray 32 in the ejection position. In this case, the ejection tray 30 may also include a transmission mechanism (such as a gear, a belt, etc.) that transmits the rotation (posture change) of the movable tray 32 to the front end guard 33.

[0036] Therefore, if Figure 3 As shown in (A), when the movable tray 32 is in the loading position and the front end fence 33 is in the protruding position, the paper bundle Mb discharged by the conveying roller pair 19 is loaded on the movable tray 32. In addition, even if the paper bundle Mb slides down from the movable tray 32 to the main tray 31, the front end fence 33 prevents it from falling from the discharge tray 30.

[0037] On the other hand, Figure 3As shown in (B), when the movable tray 32 is in the discharge posture and the front end baffle 33 is in the retracted posture, the paper bundle Mb discharged by the conveying roller pair 19 or the paper bundle Mb loaded on the movable tray 32 in the loading posture slides along the upper surface of the inclined movable tray 32 and the upper surface of the main tray 31, and is discharged from the discharge tray 30.

[0038] The load sensor 34 detects the amount (number of copies) of the paper bundle Mb loaded on the movable tray 32 in the loading position. The load sensor 34 is supported on the frame of the post-processing device 3 via the support shaft 38 so as to be rotatable. In addition, the load sensor 34 abuts against the uppermost paper bundle Mb loaded on the movable tray 32. That is, the angle of the load sensor 34 changes according to the amount of the paper bundle Mb loaded on the movable tray 32. Then, the load sensor 34 outputs a load signal corresponding to the current angle to the controller 100 (refer to Figure 4 However, the specific structure of the load amount sensor 34 is not limited to the above example.

[0039] Figure 4 The figure shows the hardware structure of the post-processing device 3. Figure 4 As shown, the post-processing device 3 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101 , a RAM (Random Access Memory) 102 , a ROM (Read Only Memory) 103 , an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 104 , and an I / F 105 connected via a shared bus 109 .

[0040] The CPU 101 is a computing device that controls the overall operation of the post-processing device 3. The RAM 102 is a volatile storage medium capable of high-speed data read and write operations and serves as a work area for the CPU 101 when processing information. The ROM 103 is a read-only non-volatile storage medium that stores programs such as firmware. The HDD 104 is a non-volatile storage medium with a large data storage capacity capable of reading and writing information and stores the OS (operating system), various control programs, and application programs.

[0041] The post-processing device 3 uses the computing capabilities of the CPU 101 to process control programs stored in the ROM 103 and information processing programs (application programs) loaded from storage media such as the HDD 104 into the RAM 102. This processing forms a software control unit comprising various functional modules of the post-processing device 3. The combination of this software control unit and the hardware resources mounted on the post-processing device 3 forms the functional blocks that implement the functions of the post-processing device 3. Specifically, the CPU 101, RAM 102, ROM 103, and HDD 104 constitute the controller 100 that controls the operation of the post-processing device 3.

[0042] The I / F 105 connects the conveyor roller pairs 10 to 19, the switching claw 20, the stapling units 25 and 28, the bottom fence 27, the folding plate 29, the movable tray 32, the front end fence 33, the load level sensor 34, and the operation panel 110 to the shared bus 109. The controller 100 drives the motors through the I / F 105 to operate the conveyor roller pairs 10 to 19, the switching claw 20, the stapling units 25 and 28, the bottom fence 27, the folding plate 29, the movable tray 32, and the front end fence 33.

[0043] More specifically, the controller 100 performs post-processing on the paper bundle Mb on which an image has been formed by the image forming device 2 by controlling the operation of the transport roller pairs 10 to 19, the switching claw 20, the stapling units 25 and 28, the bottom fence 27, and the folding plate 29. Furthermore, the controller 100 controls the operation of the movable tray 32 and the front fence 33 based on a load level signal output from the load level sensor 34 to load the saddle-stitched paper bundle Mb onto or discharge it from the discharge tray 30.

[0044] Alternatively, the controller 100 may drive a motor to rotate the movable tray 32 and the front end guard 33. Alternatively, the discharge tray 30 may include an operating unit for manually changing the position of the movable tray 32 and the front end guard 33. The user may then operate the operating unit to rotate the movable tray 32 and the front end guard 33. In this case, a speed reduction mechanism may be provided between the operating unit and the movable tray 32 and the front end guard 33 to reduce the force exerted by the user when operating the operating unit.

[0045] The operation panel 110 includes an operation unit for accepting user operations and a display (notification unit) for notifying the user of information. The operation unit includes, for example, hard keys or a touch panel superimposed on the display. The operation panel 110 then obtains information from the user via the operation unit and provides information to the user via the display. Specific examples of the notification unit are not limited to a display; an LED light or a speaker may also be used.

[0046] Figure 5 FIG. 1 is a flowchart of the binding process. The controller 100 starts the binding process when, for example, an instruction to execute the binding process (hereinafter referred to as "binding instruction") is received from the image forming apparatus 2. Figure 5 The binding instruction includes, for example, the number of sheets constituting the paper bundle Mb (hereinafter referred to as "predetermined number of sheets") and the number of paper bundles Mb to be bound (hereinafter referred to as "required number of copies").

[0047] The post-processing device 3 is configured to enable selection of one of multiple binding modes. Binding modes include an end binding mode for performing end binding and a saddle stitch binding mode for performing saddle stitch binding. Furthermore, the post-processing device 3 is configured to enable selection of one of multiple discharge modes. Discharge modes include a collective discharge mode for discharging multiple paper bundles Mb loaded onto the movable tray 32 and discharged together, and a sequential discharge mode for discharging each paper bundle Mb discharged by the conveyor roller pair 19 one by one. The binding mode and discharge mode can be selected by the user via the operation panel 110 or included in the binding instruction.

[0048] First, the controller 100 determines which binding mode is selected (S501). If the controller 100 determines that the end binding mode is selected (S501: No), it executes the end binding process (S502). The end binding process causes the end binding processing unit to bind the ends of the paper bundle Mb. A detailed description of the end binding process is omitted.

[0049] On the other hand, if the controller 100 determines that the saddle stitch binding mode is selected (S501: Yes), it determines the selected discharge mode (S503). Then, if the controller 100 determines that the aggregate discharge mode is selected (S503: Yes), it executes Figure 6 The saddle stitch binding and collective discharge processing (S504) shown in FIG. Figure 7 The saddle stitch binding and sequential discharge processing (S505) is shown.

[0050] Figure 6 The flowchart shown is for the saddle stitch binding and collective discharge process. The saddle stitch binding and collective discharge process loads the paper bundle Mb bound by the saddle stitch binding unit onto the movable tray 32. When the number of paper bundles Mb loaded on the movable tray 32 reaches a threshold, the bundles are collected and discharged together. At the start of the saddle stitch binding and collective discharge process, the bottom fence 27 is in the binding position, the movable tray 32 is in the loading position, and the front fence 33 is in the extended position.

[0051] First, the controller 100 rotates the conveying roller pairs 10, 11, 14, 16, and 17 to accommodate the sheets of paper on which an image has been formed by the image forming device 2 in the bottom fence 27 (S601). Next, the controller 100 determines whether the number of sheets accommodated in the bottom fence 27 has reached the specified number of sheets indicated by the stapling instruction (S602).

[0052] Then, if the controller 100 determines that the number of sheets stored in the bottom end fence 27 has not reached the prescribed number of sheets (S602: No), the controller 100 executes the process of step S601 again. On the other hand, if the controller 100 determines that the number of sheets stored in the bottom end fence 27 has reached the prescribed number of sheets (S602: Yes), the controller 100 saddle-stitches the paper bundle Mb stored in the bottom end fence 27, folds the bundle in half, and discharges the bundle onto the movable tray 32 in the loading position (S603).

[0053] More specifically, the controller 100 causes the stapling unit 28 to staple the center of the paper bundle Mb stored in the bottom end fence 27 at the stapling position. The controller 100 then moves the bottom end fence 27 to the folding position. The controller 100 then folds the paper bundle Mb stored in the folded position in half using the folding plate 29 and clamps it between the conveyor roller pair 18. The controller 100 then rotates the conveyor roller pair 18 and 19 to discharge the paper bundle Mb onto the movable tray 32, which is in the loading position. Furthermore, the controller 100 returns the end fence 27 and folding plate 29 to their original positions.

[0054] Next, the controller 100 determines whether the movable tray 32 in the loading position is fully loaded with paper bundles Mb (hereinafter referred to as "fully loaded") based on the load signal output from the load sensor 34 (S604). In other words, the controller 100 determines whether the number of paper bundles Mb detected by the load sensor 34 has reached a threshold. If the controller 100 determines that the number of paper bundles Mb loaded on the movable tray 32 in the loading position is less than the threshold (S604: No), the controller 100 executes the processing from step S601 onwards again.

[0055] On the other hand, if the controller 100 determines that the number of paper bundles Mb loaded on the movable tray 32 in the loading position has reached the threshold value (S604: Yes), it changes the position of the movable tray 32 to the discharge position and changes the position of the front end fence 33 to the retracted position (S605). As a result, the paper bundle Mb fully loaded on the movable tray 32 is discharged from the discharge tray 30 along the upper surfaces of the movable tray 32 and the main tray 31.

[0056] However, the movable tray 32 may become caught on something and not change its position to the ejection position. Furthermore, even if the movable tray 32 changes its position to the ejection position, the paper bundle Mb may become caught on something and not slide off. Therefore, after executing step S605, the controller 100 determines whether the paper bundle Mb has been ejected from the movable tray 32 (i.e., whether the full-load state has been released) based on the load level signal output by the load level sensor 34 (S606).

[0057] Next, if the controller 100 determines that the movable tray 32 is not fully loaded (S606: No), it displays a notification message on the display urging the user to remove the paper bundle Mb from the movable tray 32 (S607). The controller 100 continues to display the notification message until the movable tray 32 is fully loaded. The notification method is not limited to displaying the notification message; it may also include illuminating an LED or outputting a guidance voice through a speaker. After receiving the notification, the user can either operate the operating unit to forcibly change the position of the movable tray 32 or manually remove the paper bundle Mb from the movable tray 32.

[0058] Next, if the controller 100 determines that the movable tray 32 is no longer fully loaded (S606: Yes), it changes the position of the movable tray 32 to the loaded position and changes the position of the front fence 33 to the protruding position (S608). Next, the controller 100 determines whether the number of discharged paper bundles Mb has reached the required number of copies indicated by the stapling instruction (S609). If the controller 100 determines that the required number of copies has not been reached (S609: No), it re-executes the processing from step S601 onwards. On the other hand, if the controller 100 determines that the required number of copies has been reached (S609: Yes), it terminates the saddle stitching and aggregate discharge processing.

[0059] Figure 7 The flowchart of the saddle stitch binding and sequential discharge process is shown. The saddle stitch binding and sequential discharge process is a process in which the paper bundle Mb bound by the saddle stitch binding process is not loaded onto the movable tray 32, but is discharged sequentially from the discharge tray 30. In addition, at the start of the saddle stitch binding and sequential discharge process, the bottom fence 27 is in the binding position, the movable tray 32 is in the loading position, and the front fence 33 is in the protruding position. In addition, detailed descriptions of the similarities with the saddle stitch binding and the batch discharge process are omitted, and the description focuses on the differences. The main difference between the saddle stitch binding and the batch discharge process and the saddle stitch binding and the sequential discharge process lies in the timing of changing the position of the movable tray 32 and the front fence 33.

[0060] First, the controller 100 changes the posture of the movable tray 32 to the ejection posture and changes the posture of the front end fence 33 to the retracted posture (S701). Figure 6 Next, the controller 100 saddle-stitches and folds the paper bundle Mb in half and discharges it onto the movable tray 32 (S702 to S704). The processing of steps S702 to S704 is the same as Figure 6 Steps S601 to S603 are common.

[0061] In step S704, the paper bundle Mb discharged onto the movable tray 32 slides onto the upper surfaces of the movable tray 32 and the main tray 31 in the discharge position and should be discharged from the discharge tray 30. However, the paper bundle Mb discharged from the transport roller pair 19 may be caught somewhere and not slide onto the movable tray 32.

[0062] Then, the controller 100 determines whether the movable tray 32 is fully loaded based on the load signal output from the load sensor 34 (S705). Then, if the controller 100 determines that the movable tray 32 is fully loaded (S705: Yes), it displays a notification message on the display urging the user to remove the paper bundle Mb on the movable tray 32 (S706). The processing of steps S705 to S706 is the same as that of the Figure 6 Next, when the controller 100 determines that the movable tray 32 is not fully loaded (S705: No), it determines whether the number of discharged paper bundles Mb has reached the required number of copies indicated by the stapling instruction (S707). The processing of step S707 is the same as Figure 6 Step S609 is common.

[0063] Next, if the controller 100 determines that the required number of copies has not been reached (S707: No), it executes the processing after step S702 again. On the other hand, if the controller 100 determines that the required number of copies has been reached (S707: Yes), it changes the posture of the movable tray 32 to the loading posture and changes the posture of the front end guard 33 to the protruding posture (S708). The processing of step S708 is the same as Figure 6 Step S608 is common.

[0064] According to the above-described embodiment, for example, the following effects are achieved.

[0065] According to the above embodiment, by configuring the movable tray 32 to be rotatable between the loading position and the discharge position, the paper bundle Mb can be discharged at an appropriate timing while ensuring the loading amount when the paper bundle Mb is to be loaded.

[0066] In addition, as in the above embodiment, by making the upper surface of the movable tray 32 horizontal in the loading position and tilted along the main tray 31 in the ejection position, the above function can be realized with a simple structure. However, the loading position and ejection position of the movable tray 32 are not limited as long as they can realize the above function. Figure 3 posture.

[0067] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the movable tray 32 and the front end fence 33 are changed in conjunction with each other, so that the paper bundle Mb can be discharged from the discharge tray 30 in a single process. However, the movable tray 32 and the front end fence 33 may be configured to be able to change their positions independently.

[0068] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, the movable tray 32 is configured to be slidable so that the upper surfaces of the movable tray 32 in the ejection position and the main tray 31 are continuous with each other. This prevents the paper bundle Mb from being caught in the gap between the movable tray 32 and the main tray 31 and not being ejected when the movable tray 32 is changed from the loading position to the ejection position.

[0069] Furthermore, as in the above-described embodiment, by providing an operating unit that allows the user to manually change the position of the movable tray 32, the position of the movable tray 32 can be changed with a simple configuration. However, the post-processing device 3 according to the above-described embodiment may have either only the function of changing the position of the movable tray 32 by the controller 100 or the function of manually changing the position of the movable tray 32 by the user, or both.

[0070] Furthermore, according to the saddle stitch binding and sorting discharge processing, by changing the position to the discharge position when the movable tray 32 becomes fully loaded, it is possible to ensure the loading capacity when the paper bundle Mb is to be loaded and to discharge the paper bundle Mb at an appropriate timing. However, as in the saddle stitch binding and sequential discharge processing, the paper bundle Mb discharged by the transport roller pair 19 may not be loaded onto the movable tray 32, but may be discharged sequentially.

[0071] In addition, the discharge tray 30 involved in the above embodiment supports the paper bundle Mb discharged from the saddle stitch binding processing unit. However, the discharge tray 30 can support not only the paper bundle Mb discharged from the end stitch binding processing unit, but also paper that has undergone other post-processing (for example, punching processing to form through holes in the paper).

[0072] Furthermore, the control method described above can also be implemented, for example, via a program. Specifically, the control method is a method executed by a computer using a program to coordinate the operation of a computing device, a storage device, an input device, an output device, and a control device. Alternatively, the program can be written to a storage device or storage medium and distributed, or distributed via a telecommunications line.

[0073] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments exemplified above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the technical spirit thereof. The technical matters included in the technical concepts described in the claims are all subject of the present invention. While the above embodiments are preferred examples, those skilled in the art can implement various modifications based on the disclosed content. Such modifications are also included within the technical scope described in the claims.

Claims

1. A post-processing device comprising: a post-processing unit that performs post-processing on the medium on which the image is formed by the image forming device; a discharge unit that discharges the medium that has been post-processed by the post-processing unit, and The discharge tray supports the medium discharged from the discharge unit. The discharge tray includes a main tray whose upper surface is inclined downward along the medium discharge direction, and a movable tray, wherein the movable tray is rotatably supported on the main tray between a loading posture capable of loading the medium discharged by the discharge unit and a discharge posture capable of discharging the medium discharged by the discharge unit along the upper surface of the main tray. The main tray has a guide groove that supports the support shaft of the movable tray so that the support shaft can rotate and slide along the tilt direction of the main tray. The movable tray in the ejection position slides toward the bottom end of the main tray, and can be rotated to the loading position and slide toward the front end of the main tray so that the upper surfaces of the main tray and the movable tray are continuous.

2. The post-processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The loading posture is a posture in which the upper surface of the movable tray is horizontal. The ejection posture is a posture in which the upper surface of the movable tray is tilted downward along the upper surface of the main tray.

3. The post-processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The discharge tray includes a front end guard that is rotatably supported on the main tray between a protruding posture in which the front end guard protrudes upward from the upper surface of the main tray to prevent the discharge of the medium and a retracted posture in which the front end guard retracts from the upper surface of the main tray to allow the discharge of the medium. The front end fence is configured to be in the protruding position in conjunction with the movable tray being in the loading position, and to be in the retracted position in conjunction with the movable tray being in the ejecting position.

4. The post-processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The discharge tray includes an operating portion for manually changing the posture of the movable tray.

5. The post-processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that include: a loading amount sensor for detecting an amount of media loaded on the movable tray in the loading posture, and The controller rotates the movable tray from the loading position to the ejection position in response to a situation in which the amount of media detected by the loading amount sensor reaches a threshold value.

6. The post-processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The post-processing is a saddle stitch binding process for binding the bundled plurality of paper sheets at the center.

7. An image forming system, characterized in that include: an image forming device for forming an image on a medium, and A post-processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 that performs the post-processing on a medium on which an image has been formed by the image forming device.

Images