Medium processing device and image forming system

Abstract

The invention relates to a medium processing device and an image forming system, and provides a technology capable of preventing mixing of foreign matters. Comprises: a placement part on which a medium is placed; a liquid applying unit that applies a liquid to the at least one medium placed on the placement portion; a post-processing unit that performs predetermined processing on the plurality of media to which the liquid has been applied by the liquid applying unit; a discharge unit that discharges the plurality of media subjected to the predetermined processing by the post-processing unit; an opening / closing guide member that opens / closes a transport path of the medium from the placement portion to the discharge portion, and a control unit that controls the operation of the liquid applying unit, the post-processing unit, and the opening / closing guide member. The control unit performs control such that when the medium is placed on the placement portion, the opening amount of the transport path formed by the opening / closing guide member is set to a first opening amount, and when the liquid application unit applies the liquid to the medium, the opening amount of the transport path formed by the opening / closing guide member is set to a second opening amount smaller than the first opening amount.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a medium processing apparatus and an image forming system. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a medium processing apparatus including: a conveyance unit that conveys a sheet-like medium on which an image has been formed by an image forming apparatus; a loading tray that loads a plurality of media conveyed by the conveyance unit; a binding unit that binds the plurality of media loaded on the loading tray into a bundle; and a discharge tray that discharges the bundle of media bound by the binding unit.

[0003] In such a medium processing apparatus, in order to load a plurality of media on the loading tray, there is a technique of separating a pair of rollers constituting the conveyance unit and opening a conveyance path of the media from the loading tray to the discharge tray (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

[0004] However, in the configuration of Patent Document 1, foreign matter may enter the binding unit side through the opening of the conveyance path from the discharge tray side. As a result, the bundle of media cannot be properly bound, or components may be damaged.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a technique for preventing foreign matter from entering in a medium processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a plurality of media.

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 6942522 Summary of the Invention

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is characterized by including: a placement unit that places a medium; a liquid application unit that applies a liquid to at least one of the media placed on the placement unit; a post-processing unit that performs a predetermined process on the plurality of media to which the liquid has been applied by the liquid application unit; a discharge unit that discharges the plurality of media on which the predetermined process has been performed by the post-processing unit; an opening / closing guide member that opens and closes a conveyance path of the media from the placement unit to the discharge unit; and a control unit that controls operations of the liquid application unit, the post-processing unit, and the opening / closing guide member. The control performed by the control unit is such that when the medium is placed on the placement unit, an opening amount of the conveyance path formed by the opening / closing guide member is set to a first opening amount, and when the liquid application unit applies the liquid to the medium, the opening amount of the conveyance path formed by the opening / closing guide member is set to a second opening amount smaller than the first opening amount.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from entering in a medium processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a plurality of media. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009] Figure 1 Shown is an overall configuration diagram of an image forming system.

[0010] Figure 2 Shown is an internal structure diagram of a post-processing device according to an embodiment.

[0011] Figure 3 Shown is a schematic view of an end binding processing unit as seen from the upstream side in the conveying direction.

[0012] Figure 4 Shown is a schematic view of an end binding processing unit as seen from the liquid application unit side in the main scanning direction.

[0013] Figure 5 As shown in (A) and (B) thereof, is a schematic view of the configuration of a crimping portion.

[0014] Figure 6 A diagram of a modified example of the shown end binding processing unit.

[0015] Figure 7 As shown in (A)-(C) thereof, is a diagram of a liquid application crimping portion related to a modified example of the end binding processing unit.

[0016] Figure 8 As shown in (A)-(C) thereof, is Figure 7 A diagram of the liquid application operation and the crimping binding operation of the liquid application crimping portion of

[0017] Figure 9 Shown is a schematic view of a needle binding processing unit as seen from the upstream side in the conveying direction.

[0018] Figure 10 Shown is a schematic view of a modified example of a needle binding processing unit as seen from the upstream side in the conveying direction.

[0019] Figure 11 As shown in (A) and (B) thereof, is an enlarged view of the main part around the internal tray 22.

[0020] Figure 12 Shown is a hardware configuration diagram of a control module for controlling a post-processing device according to an embodiment.

[0021] Figure 13 Shown is a flowchart of the binding processing of the end binding processing unit.

[0022] Figure 14 As shown in (A)-(C) thereof, is a diagram of the positions of the liquid application unit and the crimping portion during the binding processing of the end binding processing unit.

[0023] Figure 15 Shown is a flowchart of the binding processing for preventing foreign matter from mixing in.

[0024] Figure 16 as shown in (A) and (B) of Figure 15 diagrams showing the states of the conveying roller pairs in steps S1501 and S1503 of Detailed implementation mode

[0025] Hereinafter, the image forming system 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 Shown is an overall configuration diagram of the image forming system 1. The image forming system 1 has a function of forming an image on a sheet P (sheet-like medium) and performing post-processing on the sheet P on which the image is formed. As Figure 1 shown, the image forming system 1 is composed of an image forming apparatus 2 and a post-processing apparatus 3 (medium processing apparatus) according to the present invention.

[0026] The image forming apparatus 2 forms an image on the sheet P and discharges the sheet P on which the image is formed to the post-processing apparatus 3. The image forming apparatus 2 includes a tray for accommodating the sheet P, a conveying unit for conveying the sheet P accommodated in the tray, and an image forming unit for forming an image on the sheet P conveyed by the conveying unit. The image forming unit may be an inkjet method using ink to form an image or an electrophotographic method using toner to form an image. Since the configuration of the image forming apparatus 2 is already known, a detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0027] [First Embodiment of Post-Processing Apparatus 3]

[0028] Figure 2 Shown is an internal configuration diagram of the post-processing apparatus 3 according to an embodiment. The post-processing apparatus 3 performs post-processing (prescribed processing) on the sheet P on which an image has been formed by the image forming apparatus 2. One of the post-processings according to this embodiment is a binding process called "press binding process" for binding a bundle of sheets P (sheet bundle) on which an image is formed without using a binding pin. Another post-processing according to this embodiment is a binding process called "stitching binding process" for binding a bundle of sheets P (sheet bundle) on which an image is formed using a binding pin. Hereinafter, a bundle of sheets P (medium bundle) will be referred to as "sheet bundle Pb".

[0029] Furthermore, in more detail, the "press binding process" according to this embodiment is a process of applying pressure to a binding position corresponding to a part of the sheet bundle Pb to deform (press and deform) the binding position for binding, which is a process called "press binding". In addition, the binding processes that can be performed in the post-processing apparatus 3 include an end binding process for binding the ends of the sheet bundle Pb and a saddle stitching binding process for binding the central part of the sheet bundle Pb.

[0030] The post-processing device 3 has conveying roller pairs 10 to 19 (conveying unit) and switching claws 20. The conveying roller pairs 10 to 19 convey the paper P supplied from the image forming device 2 inside the post-processing device 3. More specifically, the conveying roller pairs 10 to 13 convey the paper P along the first conveying path Ph1. In addition, the conveying roller pairs 14 to 15 convey the paper P along the second conveying path Ph2. Further, the conveying roller pairs 16 to 19 convey the paper P along the third conveying path Ph3.

[0031] The first conveying path Ph1 is a path from the paper P supply port of the image forming device 2 to the discharge tray 21. The second conveying path Ph2 is a path that branches from the first conveying path Ph1 between the conveying roller pairs 11 and 14 in the conveying direction and reaches the discharge tray 26 through the internal tray 22. The third conveying path Ph3 is a path that branches from the first conveying path Ph1 between the conveying roller pairs 11 and 14 in the conveying direction and reaches the discharge tray 30.

[0032] The switching claw 20 is disposed at the branching position of 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 where the paper P is discharged to the discharge tray 21 through the first conveying path Ph1, and a second position where the paper P conveyed on the first conveying path Ph1 is guided to the second conveying path Ph2. In addition, when the rear end of the paper P entering the second conveying path Ph2 passes the conveying roller pair 11, by rotating the conveying roller pair 14 in the reverse direction, the paper P is guided to the third conveying path Ph3. In addition, the post-processing device 3 includes a plurality of sensors (indicated by ▲ in Figure 2 for detecting the position of the paper P on each of the conveying paths Ph1, Ph2, and Ph3).

[0033] The post-processing device 3 includes a discharge tray 21. The paper P discharged through the first conveying path Ph1 is placed on the discharge tray 21. The paper P that has not been subjected to the binding process among the paper P supplied from the image forming device 2 is discharged to the discharge tray 21.

[0034] In addition, the post-processing device 3 has an internal tray 22 as a placement tray, a bottom baffle 23, side baffles 24L, 24R, an end binding processing unit 25, a stitch binding processing unit 155, a discharge tray 26, a tapping roller 91, and a return roller 92. The internal tray 22, the bottom baffle 23, the side baffles 24L, 24R, the end binding processing unit 25, the discharge tray 26, the tapping roller 91, and the return roller 92 perform end binding processing on the paper stack Pb composed of a plurality of sheets of paper P conveyed in the second conveying path Ph2. The paper bundle Pb that has been subjected to the end binding process among the paper P supplied from the image forming device 2 is discharged to the discharge tray 26.

[0035] The "end binding process" mentioned here includes "parallel binding process" of binding along one side of the paper bundle Pb parallel to the main scanning direction, "oblique binding process" of binding the corner of the paper bundle Pb, and "vertical binding process" of binding along one side of the paper bundle Pb parallel to the conveying direction.

[0036] Hereinafter, the direction from the conveying roller pair 15 toward the bottom baffle 23 is defined as the "conveying direction" of the paper P. That is, the "conveying direction" in this specification is equivalent to the direction in which the paper P discharged from the image forming apparatus 2 moves in the direction of the discharge tray 26 through the conveying roller pair 10 etc. and then from the conveying roller pair 15 toward the bottom baffle 23. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction and the conveying direction of the paper P is defined as the "main scanning direction (width direction of the paper P)".

[0037] The internal tray 22 is arranged on the downstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the conveying roller pair 15. A plurality of papers P successively conveyed through the second conveying path Ph2 are temporarily placed on the internal tray 22 serving as a placement tray. The internal tray 22 of this embodiment is inclined downward toward the downstream side in the conveying direction. The flapping roller 91 is above the internal tray 22 and is rotatably held at the front end of the rotating arm. The flapping roller 91 contacts or separates from the uppermost paper P placed on the internal tray 22 by the rotation of the rotating arm. The return roller 92 is on the downstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the flapping roller 91 and is arranged above the internal tray 22.

[0038] When the rotating arm rotates the flapping roller 91 in the direction away from the internal tray 22, the paper P conveyed in the conveying direction by the conveying roller pair 15 enters onto the internal tray 22. In this state, when the rotating arm rotates the flapping roller 91 in the direction approaching the internal tray 22, the flapping roller 91 abuts against the paper P conveyed to the internal tray 22 from above by the conveying roller pair 15. The paper P abutting against the flapping roller 91 detaches from the conveying roller pair 15 and is placed on the internal tray 22. The return roller 92 abuts against and rotates on the upper surface of the paper P placed on the internal tray 22, thereby guiding the paper P toward the bottom baffle 23.

[0039] The bottom baffle 23 is arranged on the downstream side in the conveying direction relative to the inner tray 22. Additionally, the bottom baffle 23 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction along the surface of the sheet P or the bundle of sheets Pb placed on the inner tray 22. Then, the bottom baffle 23 abuts against the downstream end portion of the sheet P or the bundle of sheets Pb placed on the inner tray 22 in the conveying direction, aligning the downstream end portions of the multiple sheets P that make up the bundle of sheets Pb. The side baffles 24L and 24R are arranged on both sides of the inner tray 22 in the main scanning direction. The side baffles 24L and 24R are configured to be movable in the main scanning direction. Then, the side baffles 24L and 24R abut against both ends of the sheet P or the bundle of sheets Pb placed on the inner tray 22 in the main scanning direction to align the end portions of the multiple sheets P that make up the bundle of sheets Pb in the main scanning direction.

[0040] The end binding processing unit 25 and the stitch binding processing unit 155 are arranged on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the inner tray 22. Additionally, the end binding processing unit 25 and the stitch binding processing unit 155 are configured to be independently movable in the main scanning direction along the surface of the sheet P or the bundle of sheets Pb placed on the inner tray 22. Then, end binding processing is performed on the end portions of the bundle of sheets Pb aligned by the bottom baffle 23 and the side baffles 24L and 24R. Further, the bundle of sheets Pb subjected to crimp binding is discharged to the discharge tray 26 through the conveying roller pair 15.

[0041] Furthermore, the post-processing device 3 further includes a bottom baffle 27, a saddle stitching processing unit 28, a folding board 29, and a discharge tray 30. The bottom baffle 27, the saddle stitching processing unit 28, and the folding board 29 perform saddle stitching processing on the bundle of sheets Pb composed of multiple sheets P conveyed through the third conveying path Ph3. The bundle of sheets Pb subjected to saddle stitching processing among the sheets P supplied from the image forming device 2 is discharged to the discharge tray 30.

[0042] The bottom baffle 27 aligns the positions in the conveying direction of the multiple sheets P sequentially conveyed in the third conveying path Ph3. Additionally, the bottom baffle 27 is configured to be able to move the center of the bundle of sheets Pb to the binding position facing the saddle stitching processing 28 and the bending position facing the folding board 29. The saddle stitching processing unit 28 binds the center of the bundle of sheets Pb aligned by the bottom baffle 27 at the binding position. The folding board 29 folds the bundle of sheets Pb placed on the bottom baffle 27 at the bending position and clamps it into the conveying roller pair 18. The conveying roller pairs 18 and 19 discharge the bundle of sheets Pb that has undergone saddle stitching processing to the discharge tray 30.

[0043] [Detailed description of the end binding processing unit 25]

[0044] Figure 3The figure shows a schematic view of the end binding processing unit 25 that performs liquid application and crimp binding processing as seen from the upstream side in the conveying direction. Figure 4 The figure shows a schematic view of the end binding processing unit 25 as seen from the liquid application unit 31 side in the main scanning direction. As Figure 3 and Figure 4 shown, the end binding processing unit 25 has a liquid application unit 31 that performs processing operations related to liquid application, and a crimping unit 32 that performs crimp binding processing as an example of a post-processing unit. The liquid application unit 31 and the crimping unit 32 are arranged adjacent to each other in the main scanning direction on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the inner tray 22.

[0045] The liquid application unit 31 applies the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 43 to the sheet P or the bundle of sheets Pb placed on the inner tray 22. Hereinafter, applying the liquid to the sheet P or the bundle of sheets Pb is referred to as "liquid application", and the processing for performing liquid application is referred to as "liquid application processing".

[0046] Here, the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 43 for liquid application, more specifically, is a liquid mainly composed of a liquid state of a compound of hydrogen and oxygen represented by the chemical formula "H 2 O". As long as it is in a liquid state, regardless of its temperature state, it can be warm water or hot water. In addition, it is not limited to pure water, and of course, it can also be purified water, and can also contain ionized salts. The metal ion content also ranges from so-called soft water to super hard water, regardless of the hardness.

[0047] In addition, additives can be added in addition to the main components. It can also contain residual chlorine used as tap water, and it is also preferable to add preservatives such as coloring agents, penetrants, pH regulators, phenoxyethanol, and anti-drying agents such as glycerin. Furthermore, since the ink liquid used in an inkjet printing device and the ink liquid used in a water-based pen also use water as a component, they can also be used as "liquid application".

[0048] Not limited to those specifically listed here, even a general "water" such as hypochlorous acid water or a diluted ethanol aqueous solution for disinfection also functions, but as long as it is used for the purpose of enhancing the binding strength after binding processing, tap water that is easily obtained and managed can be used. In addition, using the liquid mainly composed of water exemplified above as the liquid can enhance the binding strength of the bundle of sheets Pb compared to using a liquid not mainly composed of water.

[0049] [Configuration of Liquid Application Unit 31 and Crimping Unit 32]

[0050] The liquid applying section 31 and the pressure-bonding section 32 are both configured to be movable in the main scanning direction by the driving force transmitted from the end binding processing section moving motor 50. The position (liquid applying position) where the liquid is applied to the paper P or the paper bundle Pb by the liquid applying section 31 corresponds to the position (pressure-bonding position) where the pressure-bonding section 32 is scheduled to perform pressure-bonding. Therefore, in the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the liquid applying position and the pressure-bonding position.

[0051] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , the liquid applying section 31 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction together with the crimping section 32 by the driving force transmitted from the end binding processing section moving motor 50. The liquid applying section 31 includes a lower pressing plate 33 as a placing table for the paper P or the paper bundle Pb, an upper pressing plate 34, a liquid applying section moving mechanism 35, and a liquid applying mechanism 36. The components of the liquid applying section 31 (the lower pressing plate 33, the upper pressing plate 34, the liquid applying section moving mechanism 35, and the liquid applying mechanism 36) are held by the liquid applying frame 31a and the base member 48.

[0052] The lower push plate 33 and the upper push plate 34 are arranged on the downstream side of the conveying direction of the internal tray 22. The paper P or the paper bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22 is also placed on the lower push plate 33. The lower push plate 33 is provided on the lower push plate retaining body 331. The upper push plate 34 is configured to be able to move in the thickness direction of the paper P or the paper bundle Pb in a position facing the paper P or the paper bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22. That is, the lower push plate 33 and the upper push plate 34 are arranged to face each other in the thickness direction of the paper P or the paper bundle Pb in a space where they face each other so as to sandwich the paper P or the paper bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22. In addition, hereinafter, the thickness direction of the paper P or the paper bundle Pb is simply expressed as "thickness direction". Furthermore, a through hole 34 a penetrating in the thickness direction is formed in the upper pressing plate 34 at a position facing the front end portion of the liquid applying member 44 held via a joint 46 attached to the bottom plate 40 .

[0053] The liquid applying portion moving mechanism 35 moves the upper push plate 34, the bottom plate 40, and the liquid applying member 44 in the thickness direction of the paper P or the paper bundle Pb. The liquid applying portion moving unit 35 according to the present embodiment moves the upper push plate 34, the bottom plate 40, and the liquid applying member 44 in a linked manner by a single liquid applying portion moving motor 37. The liquid applying portion moving unit 35 includes, for example, a liquid applying portion moving motor 37, a trapezoidal screw 38, a nut 39, a bottom plate 40, columnar members 41a, 41b, and coil springs 42a, 42b.

[0054] The liquid application unit moving motor 37 generates a driving force for moving the upward pressing plate 34, the bottom plate 40, and the liquid application member 44. The trapezoidal screw 38 is disposed to extend in the thickness direction of the paper P or the paper bundle Pb, and is mounted on the liquid application frame 31a so as to be rotatable in both forward and reverse directions. Further, the trapezoidal screw 38 is connected to the output shaft of the liquid application unit moving motor 37 via a pulley or a belt. The nut 39 is threadedly engaged with the trapezoidal screw 38. Then, after the driving force of the liquid application unit moving motor 37 is transmitted, the nut 39 reciprocates on the trapezoidal screw 38 by the rotation of the trapezoidal screw 38 in both forward and reverse directions.

[0055] In addition, the bottom plate 40 is disposed at a position away from the upward pressing plate 34. Further, the bottom plate 40 holds the liquid application member 44 in a state where the front end portion of the liquid application member 44 protrudes from the bottom plate 40 toward the upward pressing plate 34. Further, the bottom plate 40 is connected to the trapezoidal screw 38 by the nut 39, and is configured to be able to reciprocate along the trapezoidal screw 38 by the rotation of the trapezoidal screw 38 in both forward and reverse directions. Then, the position of the bottom plate 40 in the thickness direction of the paper P or the paper bundle Pb is detected by the movement sensor 40a (see Figure 12 ).

[0056] The columnar members 41a, 41b protrude from the bottom plate 40 toward the upward pressing plate 34 around the front end portion of the liquid application member 44. Further, the columnar members 41a, 41b are configured to be relatively movable in the thickness direction with respect to the bottom plate 40. Further, the columnar members 41a, 41b hold the upward pressing plate 34 at the front end portion on the side of the downward pressing plate 33. In addition, at the front end portion of the columnar members 41a, 41b on the side opposite to the downward pressing plate 33, a detachment preventing member for preventing the columnar members 41a, 41b from detaching from the bottom plate 40 is provided. The coil springs 42a, 42b are externally inserted on the columnar members 41a, 41b between the bottom plate 40 and the upward pressing plate 34. Then, the coil springs 42a, 42b apply a force to the upward pressing plate 34 and the columnar members 41a, 41b toward the downward pressing plate 33 with respect to the bottom plate 40.

[0057] The liquid application unit 36 applies liquid to the paper P or the paper bundle Pb placed on the inner tray 22. More specifically, the liquid application unit 36 applies liquid to the paper P constituting at least one sheet of the paper bundle Pb by bringing the front end portion of the liquid application member 44 into contact with the paper P or the paper stack Pb. The liquid application mechanism 36 includes a liquid storage tank 43, a liquid application member 44, a liquid supply member 45, and a joint 46.

[0058] The liquid storage tank 43 stores the liquid to be supplied to the paper P or the paper bundle Pb. The amount of the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 43 is detected by the liquid level sensor 43a. The liquid application member 44 applies the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 43 to the paper P or the paper bundle Pb. The liquid application member 44 is mounted on the bottom plate 40 in such a manner that the front end faces upward toward the pressing plate 34 side. In addition, the liquid application member 44 is made of a porous material with a high liquid absorption rate, a fibrous material capable of sucking up the liquid by capillary action. The liquid application member 44 is a material having the property of being able to suck up and hold the liquid, and as long as it has the property of being deformed by the applied pressing force in the state of being in contact with the paper P, its type is not limited. For example, it may be a foam such as a sponge, or a fiber capable of sucking up the liquid by capillary action.

[0059] The liquid supply member 45 is a long member whose bottom end is immersed in the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 43 and whose front end is connected to the liquid application member 44. In addition, the liquid supply member 45 is made of a material with a high water absorption rate, for example, in the same manner as the liquid application member 44. Thus, the liquid absorbed from the bottom end of the liquid supply member 45 is supplied to the liquid application member 44 along the liquid supply member 45 by capillary action. In the above description, the case where the liquid application member 44 and the liquid supply member 45 are separately formed has been described, but the liquid application member 44 and the liquid supply member 45 may also be integrally formed of a material having the same properties. In this case, the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 43 can also be sucked up by capillary action in the same manner as the above description, and cost reduction can be achieved.

[0060] The protection member 45a is a long cylindrical body (for example, a tube) externally inserted on the liquid supply member 45. The protection member 45a is a member for preventing the liquid absorbed by the liquid supply member 45 from leaking or evaporating. In addition, the liquid supply member 45 and the protection member 45a are formed of a flexible material. The joint 46 is used to fix the liquid application member 44 to the bottom plate 40. Thus, even if the liquid application member 44 is moved by the liquid application unit moving mechanism 35, it is maintained in a state of protruding upward from the bottom plate 40 toward the pressing plate 34 side and having the front end facing downward.

[0061] In addition, the liquid imparting part 31 is fixed with the liquid imparting part rotating shaft 562 having the drive transmission gear 562a on its bottom surface by the liquid imparting part frame 31a of the component. The liquid imparting part rotating shaft 562 and the drive transmission gear 562a are maintained to be rotatable in the positive and negative directions on the base member 48 provided with the liquid imparting frame 31a. In addition, the drive transmission gear 562a meshes with the output gear 563a of the liquid imparting part rotating motor 563. Then, the liquid imparting part 31 is constituted to be, by transmitting the driving force of the liquid imparting part rotating motor 563 to the liquid imparting part rotating shaft 562 via the output gear 563a and the drive transmission gear 562a, it is possible to rotate in the positive and negative directions on the base member 48 with the liquid imparting part rotating shaft 562 as the center.

[0062] The crimping section 32 (post-processing section) binds the paper bundle Pb by clamping at least a portion of the paper bundle Pb to which the liquid is applied by the liquid application section 31 (i.e., the liquid application position) using the concave-convex upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b and applying pressure to deform the portion to bind the paper bundle Pb. Hereinafter, the process and action of binding by deforming at least a portion of the paper bundle Pb by clamping and applying pressure using the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b will be referred to as "crimping binding". That is, the crimping section 32 can bind the paper bundle Pb without using binding components such as binding needles. The components of the crimping section 32 (the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b) are provided on the crimping frame 32c.

[0063] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the crimping portion 32 is shown. Figure 5 As shown, the crimping portion 32 has a pair of binding teeth (upper crimping teeth 32a and lower crimping teeth 32b). The upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b are arranged to face each other in the thickness direction of the paper bundle Pb so as to be able to clamp the paper bundle Pb placed on the inner tray 22. The mutually opposing surfaces of the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b are formed into a concave-convex shape in which concave portions and convex portions are alternately formed. In addition, the concave portions and convex portions of the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b are formed in an offset manner in a manner that they mesh with each other. Then, the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b are connected by the contact / separation motor 32d (refer to Figure 12 ) driving force to abut and separate.

[0064] In the process where a plurality of sheets of paper P constituting the paper bundle Pb are fed to the inner tray 22, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown in (A), the upper pressing teeth 32a and the lower pressing teeth 32b are separated from each other. Then, when all the paper sheets P constituting the paper bundle are placed on the inner tray 22, as shown in FIG. Figure 5As shown in (B) of , the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b are engaged to apply pressure in the thickness direction and deform the stack of papers Pb. Thus, the stack of papers Pb placed on the inner tray 22 is crimped and bound. In addition, the stack of papers Pb that has been crimped and bound is discharged to the discharge tray 26 by the conveying roller pair 15.

[0065] In addition, as the configuration of the crimping portion 32, it is only necessary that the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b constituting the crimping mechanism are engaged. Therefore, it is not limited to the form of the embodiment described above. For example, it may be a link mechanism type crimping mechanism (for example, the crimping mechanism disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 6057167) that uses only a forward rotation or a forward and reverse rotation drive source and a link mechanism to perform the crimping and separating operations of the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b, or it may be a direct-acting type crimping mechanism that linearly performs the crimping (approaching) and separating operations of the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b by converting the rotational motion of the drive source in the forward and reverse directions into a reciprocating motion by a screw mechanism.

[0066] In addition, a crimping frame 32c that holds the components of the crimping portion 32 has a crimping portion rotating shaft 54 having a drive transmission gear 54a fixed to its bottom surface. The crimping portion rotating shaft 54 and the drive transmission gear 54a are held on the base member 48 provided with the crimping frame 32c so as to be rotatable in the forward and reverse directions. In addition, the drive transmission gear 54a meshes with the output gear 56a of the crimping portion rotation motor 56. Then, the configuration of the crimping portion 32 is such that the driving force of the crimping portion rotation motor 56 is transmitted to the crimping portion rotating shaft 54 via the output gear 56a and the drive transmission gear 54a, and it can rotate in the forward and reverse directions around the crimping portion rotating shaft 54 on the base member 48.

[0067] In addition, as shown in Figure 3 The end binding processing unit 25 has an end binding processing unit moving mechanism 47. The end binding processing unit moving mechanism 47 moves the binding processing unit 25 (that is, the liquid application unit 31 and the crimping portion 32) in the main scanning direction along the downstream side end of the conveying direction of the paper P placed on the inner tray 22. The end binding processing unit moving mechanism 47 has, for example, a base member 48, a guide shaft 49, an end binding processing unit moving motor 50, and a driving force transmission mechanism 551.

[0068] The liquid application unit 31 and the crimping unit 32 are mounted on the base member 48 in an adjacent state in the main scanning direction. The guide shaft 49 is disposed downstream of the inner tray 22 in the conveyance direction and extends in the main scanning direction. Further, the guide shaft 49 supports the base member 48 so as to be movable in the main scanning direction. The end binding processing unit moving motor 50 generates a driving force for moving the end binding processing unit 25. The driving force transmission mechanism 551 transmits the driving force of the end binding processing unit moving motor 50 to the base member 48 via the pulleys 551a, 551b and the timing belt 551c. Thereby, the liquid application unit 31 and the crimping unit 32 integrated with the base member 48 move in the main scanning direction along the guide shaft 49.

[0069] That is, as shown in (A) of Figure 14 , the standby position HP is a position deviated from the sheet P placed on the inner tray 22 in the width direction. Further, as shown in (B) of Figure 14 to (C) of Figure 14 , the liquid application unit 31 and the crimping unit 32 can move in the thickness direction of the sheet P along the guide shaft 49 to a position where they can face the stack of sheets Pb placed on the inner tray 22.

[0070] The end binding processing unit moving motor 50 according to the present embodiment is, for example, a servo motor, and this servo motor can stop the end binding processing unit 25 at a target position (binding position B1) without returning the end binding processing unit 25 to the origin position (for example, the standby position HP described later) every time it moves.

[0071] Further, the post-processing device 3 has an end binding standby position sensor 51 (for example, a light-shielding type optical sensor, refer to Figure 14 ) that detects that the end binding processing unit 25 has reached the standby position HP (refer to Figure 12 ) and an encoder sensor 541 (refer to Figure 12 ) mounted on the output shaft of the end binding processing unit moving motor 50. Then, the controller 100 described later detects that the end binding processing unit 25 has reached the standby position HP based on the detection result of the end binding standby position sensor 51. Further, the controller 100 grasps the current position of the end binding processing unit 25 that has moved from the standby position HP by counting the pulse signals output from the encoder sensor 541.

[0072] However, the specific method of stopping the end binding processing unit 25 at the target position without returning to the origin position is not limited to the above example. As another example, the post-processing device 3 may also include a sensor that detects that the end binding processing unit 25 has reached a predetermined target position.

[0073] [Modification Example of the End Binding Processing Unit 25]

[0074] Next, with reference to Figures 6 - 8 , an end binding processing unit 25' as a post-processing unit, which is a modification example of the end binding processing unit 25 included in the post-processing device 3, will be described. The difference from the already described end binding processing unit 25 is that the liquid application unit 31 and the crimping unit 32 are integrally formed. In addition, the same reference numerals are assigned to the constituent elements common to the already described end binding processing unit 25, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0075] Figure 6 The figure shows a schematic view of the end binding processing unit 25' as seen from the upstream side in the conveying direction. Figure 7 The (A) of Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the liquid application and crimping unit 310. Figure 7 The (B) of Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow A-A direction of the (A) of Figure 7 The (C) of Figure 8 shows a top view of the upper crimping teeth 32a of the (A) of

[0076] As shown in Figure 6 , the end binding processing unit 25' includes a liquid application and crimping unit 310 that integrally forms the liquid application unit 31 and the crimping unit 32 of the end binding processing unit 25 according to the first embodiment. The liquid application and crimping unit 310 is disposed on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the inner tray 22.

[0077] The liquid application crimping portion 310 applies the liquid LQ stored in the liquid storage tank 43 to the sheet P or the bundle of sheets Pb placed on the inner tray 22. The liquid application crimping portion 310 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction by transmitting the driving force of the end binding processing unit moving motor 50 to the base member 48 through the driving force transmission mechanism 551. The liquid application crimping portion 310 includes an upward pressing plate 34, an upper crimping tooth 32a, a lower crimping tooth 32b, a liquid application crimping portion moving mechanism 350, and a liquid supply mechanism 360. Each component part of the liquid application crimping portion 310 is held by the liquid application frame 31a and the base member 48. Further, a liquid application crimping portion rotating shaft 54' having a driving transmission gear 54a' is fixed to the bottom surface of the liquid application frame 31a. The liquid application crimping portion rotating shaft 54' and the driving transmission gear 54a' are held on the base member 48 provided with the liquid application frame 31a so as to be rotatable in both forward and reverse directions. Further, the driving transmission gear 54a' meshes with the output gear 56a' of the liquid application crimping portion rotating motor 56'. Then, the liquid application crimping portion 310 is configured to be rotatable in both forward and reverse directions about the liquid application crimping portion rotating shaft 54' on the base member 48 by transmitting the driving force of the liquid application crimping portion rotating motor 56' to the liquid application crimping portion rotating shaft 54' via the output gear 56a' and the driving transmission gear 54a'.

[0078] The liquid application crimping portion moving mechanism 350 moves the upward pressing plate 34, the bottom plate 40, and the upper crimping tooth 32a in a linked manner in the thickness direction of the sheet P or the bundle of sheets Pb. The bottom plate 40 holds the upper crimping tooth holding member 32a1 and the upper crimping tooth 32a via the joint portion 46. Further, the bottom plate 40 movably holds the upward pressing plate 34 via the columnar members 41a, 41b. Then, the bottom plate 40 is attached to the front end of the push rod 371 of the electric cylinder 370 via the connecting member 401.

[0079] The columnar members 41a, 41b hold the upward pressing plate 34 at their lower ends. Further, the coil springs 42a, 42b are externally inserted into the columnar members 41a, 41b between the bottom plate 40 and the upward pressing plate 34. Then, the coil springs 42a, 42b apply a force to the upward pressing plate 34 and the columnar members 41a, 41b in a direction away from the bottom plate 40.

[0080] The liquid supply mechanism 360 includes a liquid storage tank 43, a liquid supply pump 431, and a liquid supply member 45. The liquid supply pump 431 supplies the liquid LQ to the liquid accumulation portion 320 provided in the upper crimping tooth holding member 32a1 through the liquid supply member 45, as shown in (A) of Figure 7 . The bottom end of the liquid supply member 45 is connected to the liquid supply pump 431, and the front end is connected to the liquid accumulation portion 320, and is composed of a long and stretchable member.

[0081] As Figure 7 shown in (B) of Figure 7 , the upper crimping teeth 32a are integrally provided in the upper crimping tooth holding member 32a1. Then, the upper crimping tooth holding member 32a1 has a liquid accumulation portion 320 and a liquid supply path 321 that supplies the liquid LQ accumulated in the liquid accumulation portion 320 to the upper crimping teeth 32a. In addition, the surface of the upper crimping teeth 32a is subjected to a hydrophilic treatment so that the liquid LQ supplied from the liquid supply path 321 uniformly spreads over the surface of the upper crimping teeth 32a. On the other hand, the portion of the upper crimping tooth holding member 32a1 other than the upper crimping teeth 32a is subjected to a hydrophobic treatment so that the liquid LQ effectively spreads over the surface of the upper crimping teeth 32a.

[0082] As Figure 6 shown, the lower crimping teeth 32b are integrally provided on the lower crimping tooth holding member 32b1 that is a part of the liquid application frame 31a, and are mounted on the base member 48 via the lower crimping tooth holding member 32b1.

[0083] Next, Figure 8 the liquid application operation and the crimping binding operation for the liquid application crimping portion 310 will be described. During the process of feeding the paper P into the inner tray 22, as Figure 8 shown in (A) of Figure 8 , the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b are separated. Then, when the paper P is placed on the inner tray 22, the electric cylinder 370 is contracted to move the upper crimping teeth 32a and the upper push plate 34 toward the paper P. In this way, as Figure 8 shown in (B) of Figure 8 , the upper push plate 34 first contacts the paper P, and then the upper crimping teeth 32a contact the paper P through the through hole 34a of the upper push plate 34. At this time, since the liquid LQ spreads over the surface of the upper crimping teeth 32a, the liquid is applied to the liquid application position of the paper P by bringing the upper crimping teeth 32a into contact with the paper P. Then, when the liquid application at the liquid application position ends, the electric cylinder 370 is extended to move the upper crimping teeth 32a and the upper push plate 34 away from the paper P. Since the contact and separation operations of the upper crimping teeth 32a and the upper push plate 34 with respect to the paper P described above are equivalent to the liquid application operation, this liquid application operation is repeatedly performed on the papers P that make up the paper bundle Pb.

[0084] Then, after the paper bundle Pb composed of a predetermined number of papers P is placed on the inner tray 22, the electric cylinder 370 is further contracted to move the upper crimping teeth 32a toward the lower crimping teeth 32b. In this way, as Figure 8As shown in (C), in a state where the paper bundle Pb is sandwiched between the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b, the upper crimping teeth 32a further move downward toward the lower crimping teeth 32b, and the paper bundle Pb is pressurized and deformed by the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b to crimp the bound paper bundle Pb (crimping binding operation).

[0085] [Description of the stitch binding processing unit 155]

[0086] Next, details of the stitch binding processing unit 155 having a function of performing stitch binding processing will be described. Figure 9 The figure shows a schematic view of the stitch binding processing unit 155 seen from the upstream side in the conveying direction. The stitch binding processing unit 155 has a stitch binding means 62 for binding the paper bundle Pb using binding stitches. The stitch binding unit 62 is arranged separately from the end binding processing unit 25 in the main scanning direction on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the inner tray 22.

[0087] The stitch binding unit 62 as a post-processing device has a configuration for performing a so-called "stitch binding processing" of binding the paper bundle Pb using binding stitches. More specifically, the stitch binding unit 62 has a stitch binding unit drive motor 62d that drives the stitch binding unit 62a (refer to Figure 12 ). Then, the stitch binding unit 62a passes the binding stitches loaded in the stitch binding unit 62a through the paper bundle Pb by the driving force of the stitch binding unit drive motor 62d to bind the paper bundle Pb. Since the configuration of the stitch binding unit 62 is well-known, detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0088] In addition, as Figure 9As shown, the stitch binding processing unit 155 has a stitch binding processing unit moving mechanism 77. The stitch binding processing unit moving mechanism 77 moves the stitch binding processing unit 155 in the main scanning direction along the downstream end of the paper P or paper bundle Pb placed on the inner tray 22 in the conveyance direction. The stitch binding processing unit moving mechanism 77 has, for example, a base member 78, a guide shaft 49, a stitch binding processing unit moving motor 80, and a driving force transmission mechanism 81. The driving force transmission mechanism 81 transmits the driving force of the stitch binding processing unit moving motor 80 to the base member 78 via pulleys 81a, 81b, and a timing belt 81c. Further, on the bottom surface of the stitch binding frame 62b that holds the components of the stitch binding unit 62, a stitch binding unit rotating shaft 83 having a drive transmission gear 83a is fixed. The stitch binding unit rotating shaft 83 and the drive transmission gear 83a are held on the base member 78 provided with the stitch binding frame 62b so as to be rotatable in both forward and reverse directions. In addition, the drive transmission gear 83a meshes with the output gear 82a of the stitch binding unit rotation motor 82. Then, the driving force of the stitch binding unit rotation motor 82 is transmitted to the stitch binding unit rotating shaft 83 via the output gear 82a and the drive transmission gear 83a. Thus, the stitch binding unit 62 is configured to be rotatable in both forward and reverse directions about the stitch binding unit rotating shaft 83 on the base member 78.

[0089] In addition, the end binding processing unit 25 and the stitch binding processing unit 155 are supported by a common guide shaft 49. That is, the end binding processing unit moving mechanism 47 and the stitch binding processing unit moving mechanism 77 move the end binding processing unit 25 and the stitch binding processing unit 155 in the main scanning direction along the common guide shaft 49. Further, the end binding processing unit moving mechanism 47 and the stitch binding processing unit moving mechanism 77 can move the end binding processing unit 25 and the stitch binding processing unit 155 independently of each other.

[0090] Figure 10 Shown is a stitch binding processing unit 155′ as a modified example of the stitch binding processing unit 155, which is a schematic view of the stitch binding processing unit 155′ observed from the upstream side in the conveyance direction. The difference between the stitch binding processing unit 155' and the stitch binding processing unit 155 is that it has not only a stitch binding unit 62 but also a second liquid application unit 612. As Figure 10 shown, the stitch binding processing unit 155' has a second liquid application unit 612 and a stitch binding unit 62. The second liquid application unit 612 and the stitch binding unit 62 are arranged adjacent to each other in the main scanning direction on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the inner tray 22.

[0091] The second liquid applying unit 612 performs "liquid application" to apply the liquid stored in the second liquid tank 73 to the paper P or the paper bundle Pb supported by the inner tray 22. The predetermined area including the position where the second liquid applying unit 612 applies the liquid to the paper P or the paper bundle Pb corresponds to the binding position where the needle binding is scheduled to be performed. Figure 10 As shown, the second liquid imparting part 612 includes a second lower pushing plate 63, a second upper pushing plate 64 having a through hole 64a, a second liquid imparting part moving mechanism 65 and a second liquid imparting mechanism 66. The second liquid imparting part moving mechanism 65 includes, for example, a second liquid imparting part moving motor 67, a second trapezoidal screw 68, a second nut 69, a second base plate 70, a second columnar component 711 (711a, 711b) and a second coil spring 721 (721a, 721b). The second liquid imparting mechanism 66 includes a second liquid storage tank 73, a second liquid imparting component 74, a third liquid supply part 75 with an externally inserted protective component 75a, and a second joint 76. The structure of the second liquid imparting mechanism 66 is the same as that of the liquid imparting mechanism 36, so the repeated description is omitted. In addition, the structure of the needle binding means 62 is the same as that of the second liquid imparting mechanism 66. Figure 9 The same as above, so the detailed description is omitted. Figure 3 The rotation mechanism of the liquid applying section 31 shown is common, and therefore repeated description thereof will be omitted.

[0092] like Figure 10 In the needle binding process, the binding position can be loosened by applying liquid to the paper P, so that the binding needle can easily penetrate. This can increase the number of bound sheets per bundle of paper Pb compared to the case where the needle binding process is performed without applying liquid.

[0093] [Structure of the inner tray 22 and its surroundings]

[0094] Figure 11 The figure shows an enlarged view of the main part of the inner tray 22. Figure 11 As shown, the post-processing device 3 is a component for the end binding processing unit 25 to process the paper bundle Pb, and mainly includes: a pair of conveying rollers 14, 15; an internal tray 22 (loading unit); a bottom end stopper 23; side stoppers 24L, 24R (at Figure 11 ; the liquid applying section 31 (liquid applying unit) and the crimping section 32 (post-processing unit) of the end stapling processing section 25; the discharge tray 26 (discharge section); the beating roller 91; the return roller 92; the opening and closing guide plate 93; the guide plate rotating motor 94 (refer to Figure 12 ); guide plate sensor 95 (detection unit).

[0095] The conveying roller pairs 14, 15, the flapping roller 91, and the return roller 92 are conveying units that convey the paper P (paper bundle Pb) at different positions in the second conveying path Ph2. More specifically, the conveying roller pair 14 is an example of the first conveying unit, the flapping roller 91 and the return roller 92 are examples of the second conveying unit, and the conveying roller pair 15 is an example of the third conveying unit.

[0096] The conveying roller pair 14 is arranged at a position where the paper P on which an image has been formed by the image forming apparatus 2 arrives earlier than the conveying roller pair 15. The conveying roller pair 14 is composed of a driving roller and a driven roller that are arranged opposite to each other with the second conveying path Ph2 therebetween. The conveying roller pair 14 conveys the paper P on which an image has been formed by the image forming apparatus 2 along the second conveying path Ph2 to the conveying roller pair 15. In addition, the conveying roller pair 14 also functions as a sliding mechanism that causes the paper P on the second conveying path Ph2 to slide in the width direction (main scanning direction) orthogonal to the conveying direction.

[0097] The conveying roller pair 15 is arranged at the position where the paper P conveyed by the conveying roller pair 14 arrives, and is between the inner tray 22 and the discharge tray 26. In other words, the conveying roller pair 15 is arranged at the position in the second conveying path Ph2 where the conveying path from the conveying roller pair 14 to the discharge tray 26 and the conveying path from the inner tray 22 to the discharge tray 26 converge. Then, the conveying roller pair 15 conveys the paper P conveyed by the conveying roller pair 14 or the paper bundle Pb placed on the inner tray 22 to the discharge tray 26.

[0098] The conveying roller pair 15 is composed of a driving roller 15a and a driven roller 15b. The driving roller 15a and the driven roller 15b are arranged opposite to each other with the second conveying path Ph2 therebetween. The driving roller 15a rotates by the driving force transmitted by the motor. The driven roller 15b rotates following the rotation of the driving roller 15a. And, in a state where the paper P (paper bundle Pb) is held between the driving roller 15a and the driven roller 15b, the conveying roller pair 15 conveys the paper P (paper bundle Pb) to the discharge tray 26 by rotating the driving roller 15a.

[0099] The opening / closing guide plate 93 (opening / closing guide member) is supported by the frame 4 of the post-processing apparatus 3 (refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 ) so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the main scanning direction. In addition, at the rotating front end of the opening / closing guide plate 93, the driven roller 15b is rotatably supported. And, the opening / closing guide plate 93 rotates by the driving force of the guide plate rotation motor 94 so that the driven roller 15b approaches or separates from the driving roller 15a (in other words, opens and closes the second conveying path Ph2 between the driving roller 15a and the driven roller 15b).

[0100] That is, when the opening / closing guide plate 93 moves in the first direction (Figure 11 When it rotates in the clockwise direction) as shown in Figure 11 (B) of FIG., the driving roller 15a and the driven roller 15b are separated (the opening amount of the second conveying path Ph2 increases). Thus, the paper P can be slid by the conveying roller pair 14, and a plurality of sheets of paper P can be stacked on the inner tray 22. On the other hand, when the opening and closing guide plate 93 rotates in the second direction opposite to the first direction ( Figure 11 in the counterclockwise direction), as shown in Figure 11 (A) of FIG., the driving roller 15a and the driven roller 15b abut (the opening amount of the second conveying path Ph2 decreases). Thus, the paper P (paper bundle Pb) clamped by the driving roller 15a and the driven roller 15b can be discharged to the discharge tray 26.

[0101] The guide plate sensor 95 detects the position of the opening and closing guide plate 93 (in other words, the opening amount of the second conveying path Ph2), and outputs a detection signal indicating the detection result to the controller 100. The guide plate sensor 95 outputs a detection signal, for example, when the opening amount of the second conveying path Ph2 is less than a threshold value, and stops outputting the detection signal when the opening amount of the second conveying path Ph2 is equal to or greater than the threshold value. The threshold value here is set to a value corresponding to the thickness of the paper bundle Pb hypothetically stacked on the inner tray 22, for example.

[0102] The encoder sensor 96 outputs a number of pulse signals corresponding to the rotation amount of the guide plate rotation motor 94 to the controller 100. Then, the controller 100 determines the rotation amount of the opening and closing guide plate 93 (in other words, the opening amount of the second conveying path Ph2) by counting the pulse signals output by the encoder sensor 96.

[0103] The flapping roller 91 and the return roller 92 convey the paper P conveyed by the conveying roller pair 14 to the inner tray 22 (in other words, the bottom end baffle 23). More specifically, the flapping roller 91 and the return roller 92 turn and convey the paper P that enters between the driving roller 15a and the driven roller 15b and passes through the conveying roller pair 14 to the inner tray 22 in a state where the conveying roller pair 15 opens the second conveying path Ph2.

[0104] The conveying roller pairs 14, 15, the inner tray 22, the bottom end baffle 23, the side baffles 24L, 24R, the end binding processing unit 25, the needle binding processing unit 155, the flapping roller 91, the return roller 92, the opening and closing guide plate 93, the guide plate rotation motor 94, and the guide plate sensor 95 are accommodated inside the housing 4 of the post-processing device 3. On the other hand, the discharge tray 26 is supported on the outer surface of the housing 4. And, a discharge port is formed on the housing 4 to expose the second conveying path Ph2 formed inside the housing 4 to the outside.

[0105] The discharge port is formed above the discharge tray 26. In addition, the conveying roller pair 15 is arranged at a position facing the discharge port. That is, the paper P (paper bundle Pb) conveyed by the conveying roller pair 15 is discharged to the discharge tray 26 through the discharge port. In addition, as Figure 16 shown, a part of the paper P (paper bundle Pb) supported by the inner tray 22 passes between the driving roller 15a and the driven roller 15b and through the discharge port, and is supported by the discharge tray 26.

[0106] [Control Module of Post-processing Device 3]

[0107] Figure 12 shown is the hardware configuration diagram of the post-processing device 3. As Figure 12 shown, the post-processing device 3 is configured such that 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 are connected via a common bus 109.

[0108] 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 reading and writing of information, and is used as a working area when the CPU 101 processes information. The ROM 103 is a non-volatile storage medium dedicated to reading, and stores programs such as firmware. The HDD 104 is a non-volatile storage medium capable of reading and writing information with a large storage capacity, and stores an OS (Operating System), various control programs, application programs, etc.

[0109] The post-processing device 3 processes control programs stored in the ROM 103, information processing programs (application programs) loaded from storage media such as the HDD 104 into the RAM 102, etc. through the computing function of the CPU 101. Through this processing, a software control unit including various functional modules of the post-processing device 3 is constituted. Through the combination of the software control unit configured in this way and the hardware resources mounted on the post-processing device 3, a functional block for realizing the functions of the post-processing device 3 is constituted. That is, the CPU 101, the RAM 102, the ROM 103, and the HDD 104 constitute a controller 100 (equivalent to a control unit) that controls the operation of the post-processing device 3.

[0110] I / F 105 is an interface that connects the conveying roller pairs 10, 11, 14, 15, the switching claws 20, the side baffles 24L, 24R, the contact / separation motor 32d, the crimping part rotation motor 56, the liquid application part movement motor 37, the liquid application part rotation motor 563, the end binding processing part movement motor 50, the needle binding part drive motor 62d, the needle binding unit rotation motor 82, the needle binding processing part movement motor 80, the flapping rollers 91, the return rollers 92, the guide plate rotation motor 94, the movement sensor 40a, the liquid quantity sensor 43a, the standby position sensor 51, the guide plate sensor 95, the encoder sensor 96, 541, and the operation panel 110 to the common bus 109. The controller 100 operates the conveying roller pairs 10, 11, 14, 15, the switching claws 20, the side baffles 24L, 24R, the contact / separation motor 32d, the crimping part rotation motor 56, the liquid application part movement motor 37, the liquid application part rotation motor 563, the end binding processing part movement motor 50, the needle binding part drive motor 62d, the needle binding unit rotation motor 82, the needle binding processing part movement motor 80, the flapping rollers 91, the return rollers 92, the guide plate rotation motor 94 through the I / F 105.

[0111] In addition, the controller 100 acquires the detection results of the movement sensor 40a, the liquid quantity sensor 43a, the standby position sensor 51, the guide plate sensor 95, the encoder sensor 96, 541. In addition, in Figure 12 only the component parts related to the end binding processing part 25 and the needle binding processing part 155 that perform the end binding processing are illustrated, but the component parts related to the saddle stitching processing part 28 that performs the saddle stitching processing are also controlled by the controller 100 in the same way.

[0112] As Figure 1 shown, the image forming apparatus 2 has an operation panel 110. The operation panel 110 includes an operation part that accepts input operations from the operator and a display (notification part) that notifies information to the operator. The operation part includes, for example, hard keys, a touch panel superimposed on the display, etc. Then, the operation panel 110 acquires information from the operator through the operation part and provides information to the operator through the display. In addition, a specific example of the notification part is not limited to the display, and may also be an LED lamp or a speaker, etc. In addition, the so-called operator includes the so-called "operator" who is responsible for the manufacture or maintenance of the post-processing apparatus 3 and the so-called "user" who uses the post-processing apparatus 3. In addition, the post-processing apparatus 3 may also be provided with the same operation panel 110 as described above.

[0113] [Explanation of Binding Processing]

[0114] Next, the process of the binding processing performed in the end binding processing part 25 provided in the post-processing apparatus 3 will be explained. Figure 13The figure shows a flowchart of the binding process. Figure 14 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the positions of the liquid application unit 31 and the crimping unit 32 in the binding process. Additionally, in Figure 14 the figure, illustrations of the changes in the postures of the liquid application unit 31 and the crimping unit 32 are omitted. Additionally, the position where the liquid application unit 131 applies liquid to the paper P or the paper bundle Pb (liquid application position) corresponds to the predetermined binding position where the crimping unit 32 performs crimping binding on the paper bundle Pb. Therefore, the same symbol is used to denote the liquid application position and the binding position in the following description.

[0115] The controller 100 starts, for example, at the timing when an execution instruction for the binding process (hereinafter marked as "binding process unit instruction") is obtained from the image forming apparatus 2 Figure 13 the binding process shown in the figure.

[0116] The binding process instruction includes, for example, the type of the paper P (information such as material or thickness that affects the diffusion of the liquid), the number of sheets of paper P that make up the paper bundle Pb (hereinafter, referred to as "specified number of sheets"), the number of paper bundles Pb for which the binding process should be performed (hereinafter, referred to as "necessary number of copies"), the binding position of the paper bundle Pb, and the binding posture of the end binding process unit 25. Additionally, at the start time of the binding process, the liquid application unit 31 and the crimping unit 32 are in a parallel binding posture and are located at the standby position HP ( Figure 14 A)), and this standby position HP is a position deviated in the width direction from the paper P placed on the inner tray 22.

[0117] First, when the posture indicated by the binding process instruction is the "oblique binding posture", the controller 100 drives the liquid application unit moving motor 563 and the crimping unit rotating motor 56 to rotate the liquid application unit 31 and the crimping unit 32 that make up the end binding process unit 25 to the oblique binding posture. Additionally, in the case of the "oblique binding posture", it is also possible to rotate only the crimping unit 32 to the oblique binding posture without rotating the liquid application unit 31. Thus, compared with the case of rotating the liquid application unit 31 and the crimping unit 32 in the forward and reverse directions together, the drive mechanism can be simplified, and thus the effects of cost reduction, downsizing of the device, and reduction of device failures can be achieved.

[0118] On the other hand, when the posture indicated by the binding process instruction is the "parallel binding posture", the controller 100 omits the operation of rotating the liquid application unit 31 and the crimping unit 32 that make up the above-mentioned end binding process unit 25 to the oblique binding posture. Additionally, as Figure 14As shown in (B) of FIG. 0, the controller 100 drives the end binding processing unit moving motor 50 to move the end binding processing unit 25 in the main scanning direction so that the liquid application unit 31 faces the liquid application position B1 indicated by the binding processing instruction (S1301). In addition, the controller 100 performs the process of step S1301 before the first sheet P is conveyed to the internal tray 22 by the conveying rollers 10, 11, 14, and 15.

[0119] Next, the controller 100 conveys the sheet P on which an image has been formed by the image forming apparatus 2 into the internal tray 22 by rotating the conveying rollers 10, 11, 14, the flapping roller 91, and the return roller 92 (S1302). In addition, the controller 100 aligns the positions in the main scanning direction of the stack of sheets Pb placed on the internal tray 22 (so-called aligning) by moving the side baffles 24L and 24R (S1302).

[0120] Next, the controller 100 causes the liquid application unit 31 facing the liquid application position B1 to perform liquid application to the liquid application position B1 of the sheet P placed on the internal tray 22 in the just previous step S1302 according to the previously adjusted liquid application control data. That is, the controller 100 drives the liquid application unit moving motor 37 so that the liquid application member 44 contacts the liquid application position B1 of the sheet P placed on the internal tray 22 ( Figure 14 of (B)).

[0121] More specifically, the controller 100 reads from the HDD 104 the liquid application amount indicated by the liquid application level corresponding to the type of the sheet P indicated by the binding processing instruction. Then, in step S1303, the controller 100 causes the liquid application unit 31 to perform liquid application of the read liquid application amount to the binding position of the sheet P. That is, the controller 100 causes the liquid application unit 31 to perform liquid application of the liquid application amount input through the liquid application amount setting screen described later to the binding position of the sheet P placed on the internal tray 22.

[0122] Next, the controller 100 determines whether the number of sheets of paper P accommodated on the inner tray 22 has reached the specified number of pages instructed by the binding process instruction (S1304). Then, when the controller 100 determines that the number of sheets of paper P accommodated in the inner tray 22 has not reached the specified number (S1304: No), the processes of steps S1302 to S1303 are executed again. That is, every time the paper P is conveyed to the inner tray 22 through the conveying roller pairs 10, 11, 14, the flapping roller 91, and the return roller 92, the controller 100 executes the processes of steps S1302 to S1303. However, the liquid application by the liquid application unit 31 can be performed not only on all of the multiple sheets of paper P that make up the paper bundle Pb, but also on only a part of the sheets of paper P. For example, the controller 100 can also cause the liquid application unit 31 to apply liquid to the paper P at an interval of one out of n sheets.

[0123] Then, when the controller 100 determines that the number of sheets of paper P accommodated in the inner tray 22 has reached the specified number (S1304: Yes), as Figure 14 shown in (C) of, the drive end binding processing unit moving motor 50 is driven to move the end binding processing unit 25 in the main scanning direction so that the crimping portion 32 faces the binding position B1 (S1305).

[0124] Next, the controller 100 causes the crimping portion 32 to perform crimping binding on the paper bundle Pb placed on the inner tray 22 (S1306). Then, the controller 100 discharges the paper bundle Pb crimped and bound by the crimping portion 32 to the discharge tray 26 through the conveying roller pair 15 (S1307). That is, the controller 100 drives the contact / separation motor 32d to cause the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b to clamp the binding position B1 of the paper bundle Pb placed in the inner tray 22. Thereby, the paper bundle Pb is pressurized and deformed between the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b to perform crimping binding. After that, the controller 100 discharges the crimped and bound paper bundle Pb to the discharge tray 26 by rotating the conveying roller pair 15.

[0125] In addition, on the paper bundle Pb placed on the inner tray 22, the crimping area (corresponding to the binding position B1) clamped by the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b in step S1306 overlaps with the liquid application area (corresponding to the liquid application position B1) where the front end of the liquid application member 44 contacts in step S1303. In other words, the crimping portion 32 performs crimping binding on the area where the liquid has been applied by the liquid application unit 31 in the paper bundle Pb placed on the inner tray 22. In addition, the crimping area clamped by the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b does not need to completely overlap with the liquid application area where the front end of the liquid application member 44 contacts, and sufficient binding strength can be obtained even in the case of partial overlap.

[0126] Next, the controller 100 determines whether the number of ejected paper bundles Pb has reached the necessary number indicated by the binding instruction (S1308). When the controller 100 determines that the necessary number has not been reached (S1308: No), it executes the processing after step S1302 again. That is, the controller 100 repeatedly executes the processing of steps S1302 to S1307 until the number of paper stacks Pb ejected onto the ejection tray 26 reaches the required number (S1308: No).

[0127] Then, when the controller 100 determines that the number of paper stacks Pb ejected onto the ejection tray 26 has reached the required number (S1308: Yes), it drives the end binding processing unit moving motor 50, and as shown in (A) of Figure 14 , moves the end binding processing unit 25 to the standby position HP (S1309). In addition, when the posture indicated by the binding processing instruction is the "oblique binding posture", the controller 100 drives the liquid application unit moving motor 563 and the crimping unit rotating motor 56 to rotate the liquid application unit 31 and the crimping unit 32 to the parallel binding posture (S1309). On the other hand, when the posture indicated by the binding processing instruction is the "parallel binding posture", the operation of rotating the liquid application unit 31 and the crimping unit 32 to the parallel binding posture is omitted. Thus, the liquid application unit 31 and the crimping unit 32 return to the standby position HP shown in (A) of Figure 14 . In addition, in steps S1301 and S1309, the execution order of the main scanning direction movement and the forward and reverse rotation of the liquid application unit 31 and the crimping unit 32 is not limited to the above order, and the reverse order may also be possible.

[0128] [Binding Process to Prevent Foreign Matter from Mixing In]

[0129] Figure 15 The figure shows a flowchart of the binding process to prevent foreign matter from mixing in. Figure 16 The figure shows Figure 15 the state of the conveying roller pair 15 in steps S1501 and S1503 of Figure 13 . The same step numbers are assigned to the processes common to Figure 15 , and the description is omitted. Although the icons of steps S1308 to S1309 in Figure 13 are omitted, this processing can also be executed.

[0130] In the repeatedly executed Figure 13In step S1302, in order to stack multiple sheets of paper P on the upper layer of the inner tray 22, it is necessary to separate the driving roller 15a and the driven roller 15b to open the second conveying path Ph2. However, when the conveying roller pair 15 opens the second conveying path Ph2, foreign matter may enter the inside of the housing 4 from the outside of the housing 4 through the discharge port. The foreign matter that enters the inside of the housing 4 may reach the end binding processing unit 25 along the inner tray 22 that slopes downward from the side of the conveying roller pair 15 toward the bottom baffle 23.

[0131] Then, when applying liquid to the paper P, if foreign matter is caught between the lower pressing plate 33 and the upper pressing plate 34, the liquid applying unit 31 may be damaged. Similarly, when binding the paper bundle Pb, if foreign matter is caught between the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b, the crimping unit 32 may be damaged. Thus, in Figure 15 the processing of steps S1501 to S1504 is added to the binding process shown in Figure 13 More specifically, before the number of sheets of paper P placed on the inner tray 22 reaches the specified number, the controller 100 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S1501, S1302, S1502, S1503, and S1303 in sequence.

[0132] First, when placing the paper P on the inner tray 22 (that is, before step S1302), as shown in Figure 16 (A), the controller 100 rotates the opening / closing guide plate 93 in the first direction to set the opening amount of the second conveying path Ph2 to the first opening amount (S1501). More specifically, the controller 100 increases the opening amount of the second conveying path Ph2 formed by the opening / closing guide plate 93 to the first opening amount after the front end of the paper P reaches the conveying roller pair 14 and before it reaches the conveying roller pair 15. The first opening amount is set to a value such that, in addition to one or more sheets of paper P placed on the inner tray 22, the paper P newly conveyed by the conveying roller pair 14 can also enter between the driving roller 15a and the driven roller 15b.

[0133] In addition, the first opening amount can be either a predetermined fixed value or a variable value. For example, in the repeatedly executed step S1501, the controller 100 can also change the first opening amount according to the number of sheets of paper P placed on the inner tray 22. For example, the controller 100 can set the first opening amount as "the first opening amount = the minimum value of the first opening amount + the total thickness of the paper P placed on the inner tray 22".

[0134] That is, as long as the number of sheets of paper P placed on the inner tray 22 is smaller, the controller 100 decreases the first opening amount, and as long as the number of sheets of paper P placed on the inner tray 22 is larger, the controller 100 increases the first opening amount. In other words, in the repeatedly executed step S1501, the controller 100 only needs to gradually increase the opening amount of the second conveyance path Ph2 (more specifically, the amount of the thickness of the paper P).

[0135] Next, when the controller 100 causes the liquid application unit 31 to apply liquid to the paper P (that is, after step S1302 and before step S1303), as Figure 16 shown in (B) of FIG., the controller 100 rotates the opening / closing guide plate 93 in the second direction to set the opening amount of the second conveyance path Ph2 to a second opening amount (S1502). More specifically, after the flapping roller 91 and the return roller 92 that convey the paper P to the inner tray 22 stop (more specifically, after the alignment of the side baffles 24L and 24R is completed) and before the liquid application unit 31 applies liquid, the controller 100 reduces the opening amount of the second conveyance path Ph2 formed by the opening / closing guide plate 93 to the second opening amount. The second opening amount is set to a value smaller than the first opening amount in the most recent step S1501. More preferably, the second opening amount is set to a value at which the driving roller 15a and the driven roller 15b can sandwich the paper P (paper bundle Pb) and convey it.

[0136] In addition, the second opening amount may be a predetermined fixed value or a variable value. For example, in the repeatedly executed step S1502, the controller 100 may also change the second opening amount according to the number of sheets of paper P placed on the inner tray 22. For example, the controller 100 only needs to set the second opening amount as "second opening amount = minimum value of the second opening amount + total thickness of the paper P placed on the inner tray 22".

[0137] That is, as long as the number of sheets of paper P placed on the inner tray 22 is smaller, the controller 100 decreases the second opening amount, and as long as the number of sheets of paper P placed on the inner tray 22 is larger, the controller 100 increases the second opening amount. In other words, in the repeatedly executed step S1502, the controller 100 only needs to gradually increase the opening amount of the second conveyance path Ph2 (more specifically, the amount of the thickness of the paper P). The second opening amount at this time is set to a value corresponding to the thickness of one or more sheets of paper P placed on the inner tray 22.

[0138] Next, the controller 100 determines whether the opening amount of the second conveyance path Ph2 is less than a threshold value based on whether a detection signal is output from the guide plate sensor 95 (S1503). Then, when the opening amount of the second conveyance path Ph2 is less than the threshold value (a detection signal is output from the guide plate sensor 95) (S1503: Yes), the controller 100 performs the processing after step S1303. On the other hand, when the opening amount of the second conveyance path Ph2 is equal to or greater than the threshold value (no detection signal is output from the guide plate sensor 95) (S1503: No), the controller 100 does not perform the processing after step S1303 (that is, the liquid application unit 31 does not apply liquid to the sheet P), notifies an abnormality through the operation panel 110 (S1504), and terminates the binding process midway. In step S1504, for example, it is sufficient to notify that a foreign object has entered between the driving roller 15a and the driven roller 15b.

[0139] [Advantages and effects of the embodiment]

[0140] According to the above embodiment, when performing post-processing by the end binding processing unit 25, the time for separating the driving roller 15a and the driven roller 15b (that is, opening the second conveyance path Ph2) can be shortened, so that foreign objects can be prevented from entering the inside of the housing 4. As a result, post-processing (end binding processing) can be appropriately performed, and damage to the constituent parts can be prevented.

[0141] In addition, according to the above embodiment, by changing the first opening amount and the second opening amount respectively corresponding to the number of sheets P placed on the inner tray 22, the rotation time of the opening and closing guide plate 93 can be shortened. Thereby, the productivity of the post-processing device 3 can be improved.

[0142] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, after the second conveyance path Ph2 is detected to be closed by the guide plate sensor 95, the liquid application unit 31 applies liquid to the sheet P. Thus, even if a foreign object enters during a very short time when the second conveyance path Ph2 is open, damage to the end binding processing unit 25 caused by pressing the foreign object by the lower push plate 33 and the upper push plate 34 (or the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b) can be prevented. However, the processing of steps S1503 - S1504 can be omitted.

[0143] In addition, the control method described above can also be implemented by a program or the like, for example. That is, the control method is a method in which a computing device, a storage device, an input device, an output device, and a control device cooperate based on a program and are executed by a computer. In addition, the program in the storage medium can be written into the storage device or the storage medium, etc. for distribution, or distributed through a telecommunication line or the like.

[0144] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments of the above examples, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of its technical idea. Technical matters included in the technical idea described in the claims are the objects of the present invention. Although the above embodiments show preferred examples, those skilled in the art can implement various modified examples based on the disclosed content. These modified examples are also included in the technical scope described in the scope of the claims.

[0145] Embodiments of the present invention are described as follows, for example.

[0146] <1>

[0147] A medium processing apparatus, comprising: a placement unit for placing a medium; a liquid application unit for applying a liquid to at least one of the media placed on the placement unit; a post-processing unit for performing a prescribed process on a plurality of the media to which the liquid has been applied by the liquid application unit; a discharge unit for discharging a plurality of the media that have undergone the prescribed process by the post-processing unit; an opening / closing guide member for opening and closing a conveyance path of the medium from the placement unit to the discharge unit; and a control unit for controlling operations of the liquid application unit, the post-processing unit, and the opening / closing guide member, wherein the control performed by the control unit is such that when the medium is placed on the placement unit, an opening amount of the conveyance path formed by the opening / closing guide member is set to a first opening amount, and when the liquid application unit applies the liquid to the medium, the opening amount of the conveyance path formed by the opening / closing guide member is set to a second opening amount smaller than the first opening amount.

[0148] <2>

[0149] The medium processing apparatus according to <1>, wherein the control performed by the control unit is such that when the medium is placed on the placement unit, the first opening amount is changed according to the number of the media placed on the placement unit.

[0150] <3>

[0151] The medium processing apparatus according to <1> or <2>, wherein the control performed by the control unit is such that when the liquid application unit applies the liquid to the medium, the second opening amount is changed according to the number of the media placed on the placement unit.

[0152] <4>

[0153] The medium processing apparatus according to any one of <1> to <3>, characterized in that: it has a detection unit that detects the opening amount of the conveyance path formed by the opening / closing guide member, and the control performed by the control unit is that when the opening amount detected by the detection unit is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the liquid application unit does not apply liquid to the medium.

[0154] <5>

[0155] The medium processing apparatus according to any one of <1> to <4>, characterized in that: there are a plurality of conveyance units that respectively convey the medium at different positions of the conveyance path, and one of the plurality of conveyance units sandwiches a plurality of the media placed on the placement unit by a driving roller and a driven roller that is disposed opposite to the driving roller across the conveyance path, and conveys the medium toward the discharge unit, and the opening / closing guide member opens and closes the conveyance path by supporting and rotating the driven roller at the rotation front end.

[0156] <6>

[0157] The medium processing apparatus according to <5>, characterized in that the plurality of conveyance units include: a first conveyance unit; a second conveyance unit that conveys the medium conveyed by the first conveyance unit to the placement unit, and a third conveyance unit that includes the driving roller and the driven roller, and conveys a plurality of the media placed on the placement unit to the discharge unit, and the control performed by the control unit is that after the front end of the medium reaches the first conveyance unit and before reaching the third conveyance unit, the opening amount of the conveyance path formed by the opening / closing guide member is set to the first opening amount, and after the second conveyance unit that conveys the medium to the placement unit stops and before the liquid application unit applies liquid, the opening amount of the conveyance path formed by the opening / closing guide member is set to the second opening amount.

[0158] <7>

[0159] An image forming system, characterized in that it includes: an image forming apparatus that forms an image on the medium, and the medium processing apparatus according to any one of <1> to <6>.

Claims

1. A medium processing device, characterized in that include: a loading portion for loading a medium; a liquid applying unit that applies liquid to at least one of the media placed on the placing portion; a post-processing unit that performs a predetermined process on the plurality of media to which the liquid is applied by the liquid applying unit; a discharge unit that discharges the plurality of media that have been subjected to a predetermined process by the post-processing unit; an opening and closing guide member that opens and closes a conveying path of the medium from the placing portion to the discharging portion, and a control unit that controls the actions of the liquid imparting unit, the post-processing unit, and the opening and closing guide member, The control performed by the control unit is: When the medium is placed on the placement portion, an opening amount of the transport path formed by the opening and closing guide member is set to a first opening amount, When the liquid applying unit applies the liquid to the medium, the opening amount of the transport path formed by the opening and closing guide member is set to a second opening amount that is smaller than the first opening amount.

2. The medium processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit performs control so as to change the first opening amount according to the number of the media placed on the placement portion when the media is placed on the placement portion.

3. The medium processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control unit controls the liquid applying unit to apply the liquid to the medium so as to change the second opening amount according to the number of the medium placed on the placement portion.

4. The medium processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A detection unit is provided to detect the opening amount of the conveying path formed by the opening and closing guide member, The control unit performs control so as to prevent the liquid applying unit from applying the liquid to the medium when the opening amount detected by the detection unit is equal to or larger than a threshold value.

5. The medium processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are a plurality of conveying units at different positions of the conveying path for conveying the medium respectively. One of the plurality of conveying units sandwiches the plurality of media placed on the placing portion with a driving roller and a driven roller disposed opposite to the driving roller with the conveying path sandwiched therebetween, and conveys the media toward the discharge portion. The opening and closing guide member opens and closes the conveyance path by supporting and rotating the driven roller at a rotation front end.

6. The medium processing device according to claim 5, characterized in that A plurality of the conveying units comprises: A first conveying unit; a second conveying unit that conveys the medium conveyed by the first conveying unit to the placement portion, and a third conveying unit including the driving roller and the driven roller and conveying the plurality of media placed on the placing portion to the discharging portion; The control performed by the control unit is: After the leading end of the medium reaches the first conveying unit and before reaching the third conveying unit, an opening amount of the conveying path formed by the opening and closing guide member is set to the first opening amount, After the second conveying unit that conveys the medium to the placement portion stops and before the liquid applying unit applies the liquid, the opening amount of the conveying path formed by the opening and closing guide member is set to the second opening amount.

7. An image forming system, characterized in that include: an image forming device that forms an image on the medium, and The medium processing device as claimed in claim 1.

Images