Sheet processing device and imaging device

Abstract

Sheet processing device with: a sheet stack section (540) on which sheets are stacked; a stapling section (10) having first and second forming sections (1010, 1014) arranged so that they face each other and having a plurality of concave and convex teeth that engage with each other, wherein the stapling section (10) tacks a leaf bundle (540) to the leaf stack section by cutting the leaf bundle through the first and second forming sections (1010, 1014); and a control section (600) configured to control the stapling section (10) to perform a stapling operation in which the sheet bundle is stapled by cutting the sheet bundle through the first and second forming sections (1010, 1014), and to perform a cleaning operation in which the first and second forming sections (1010, 1014) are engaged in a non-stapling operation in which no stapling operation is performed, and thus in a state in which there is no sheet between the first and second forming sections (1010, 1014).

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet processing device comprising a stapling section configured to staple a bundle of sheets, and to an image generating device. Background technology

[0002] Previously, some image-generating devices, such as copiers, laser printers, fax machines, and multifunction printers, were equipped with a sheet-handling unit configured to perform processing such as stapling sheets on which images had been produced. Such a sheet-handling unit is configured to staple a bundle of sheets using a metal staple. This type of stapling operation is used in many sheet-handling devices because it reliably allows for the stapling of a large number of output sheets at a user-specified location.

[0003] However, removing the staples when feeding the stapled sheets into a shredder is necessary and therefore problematic. Furthermore, removing the staples themselves when recycling the stapled bundle is also necessary and problematic from an environmental perspective.

[0004] Consequently, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-189101 proposes a sheet stapler equipped with a pair of shaped elements having concave and convex teeth. This sheet stapler staples a bundle of sheets together by interlocking the fibers of the overlapping sheets. This is achieved by forming concave and convex sections on the bundle of sheets in the direction of its thickness, and by engaging the pair of shaped elements after the sheets have been stacked and aligned. That is, this sheet stapler staples the fibrous sheets without the use of staples.

[0005] Furthermore, a sheet processing device and an image generation device according to the preamble of claims 1 and 9 are known from US 2012 / 0045295A1. Another sheet processing device and an image generation device is known from JP 2010-274623A.

[0006] However, such a sheet stapler tends to cause a problem where the sheet tears and its paper powder adheres to the teeth of the forming elements if the bundle of sheets is forcibly pulled out and removed during the stapling process due to a reason such as a paper jam.

[0007] Furthermore, if the number of stapling operations increases, the paper powder generated during a stapling operation can accumulate between the teeth of the pair of forming elements. If the paper powder adheres to or accumulates between the teeth, as described above, it may interfere with the engagement of the upper and lower forming elements during the next stapling operation, thus reducing the holding force of the stapled bundle of sheets.

[0008] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a sheet processing device and an image generation device that enables reliable and efficient processing of sheets. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] This problem is solved by a sheet processing device and an image generation device having the features of claims 1 and 9. Further sheet processing devices and image generation devices are described in the dependent claims.

[0010] A sheet processing device of the present invention has a sheet stacking section configured to stack a plurality of sheets, a stapling section having a first and a second forming section arranged facing each other, and having a plurality of concave and convex teeth engaging with each other, wherein the stapling section staples a bundle of sheets formed on the sheet stacking section by cutting the bundle of sheets through the first and the second forming section, and a control section controlling the stapling section to perform a stapling operation of the bundle of sheets by cutting the bundle of sheets through the first and the second forming section, and by performing a cleaning operation in which the first and second forming sections are engaged in a non-stapling operation in which no stapling operation is performed.

[0011] It is possible to remove leaf dust adhering to the teeth of the mold sections and to prevent a drop in the fastening force during a stapling operation by causing the stapling section to perform the cleaning process of engaging the first and second mold sections in the non-stapling operation.

[0012] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. Figure 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an image generation device provided with a sheet processing device of an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 represents a configuration of a finishing device, i.e., the sheet processing device. Fig. 3 represents an alignment section that is provided in the final processing unit. Fig. 4A is a perspective view showing a configuration of a stapleless stapling unit provided in the finishing facility. Fig. 4B is a perspective view showing a relationship between an upper arm and a cam of the stapleless stapling unit. Fig. 5A represents a stapleless stapling unit in a state in which the teeth of the upper and lower forms are non-interfering. Fig. 5B represents a stapleless stapling unit in a state where the teeth of the upper and lower forms are engaged. Fig. Figure 6 is a side view of the stapleless stapling unit seen from one direction of a Fig. 5B shown arrow P. Fig. Figure 7 is a control block diagram of the image generating unit. Fig. Figure 8 is a block diagram of a finishing equipment control section configured to control the finishing equipment. Fig. Figure 9A depicts the finishing device in a state where a sheet is being fed from a device body. Fig. Figure 9B shows the finishing equipment in a state where a swivel arm has lowered. Fig. 9C represents the final processing device when pulling the sheet that has been conveyed into an intermediate processing chute. Fig. Figure 10A shows the final processing unit in a state in which a bundle of sheets has been formed at the intermediate processing shaft. Fig. 10B represents the final processing unit when the bundle of sheets is dispensed. Fig. Figure 11 is a sectional view showing the state of the sheets that were stapled without staples by the stapleless stapling unit. Fig. Figure 12A shows the stapleless stapling unit in a state where paper dust adheres to the lower teeth. Fig. 12B is a side view of surfaces, which is in Fig. 12A shown teeth. Fig. 13A represents a state in which the Fig. Begin the procedure with the upper teeth, starting with the lower teeth shown in 12A. Fig. 13B represents a state in which the Fig. The lower teeth shown in 12A are in interaction with the upper teeth. Fig. Figure 14 is a graph showing a relationship between the removal of paper dust and a fastening force produced by idling impact operations. Fig. Figure 15 is a flowchart showing a stapleless stapling operation of the stapleless stapling unit. Description of exemplary implementations

[0013] With reference to the drawings, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described in detail. Fig. Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image generation device provided with a sheet processing device according to the embodiment of the invention. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the image generating device 1 has an image generating device body (hereinafter referred to as a "device body") 200 and an image reader 100 provided on an upper part of the device body 200. The image reader 100 has a document feeder 121 configured to automatically feed a document and a document reading section 150 configured to read an image of the document fed by the document feeder 121. The document feeder 121 has a document feeder section 120 configured to feed the document and a delivery chute 112 onto which the document is delivered. The document reading section 150 has a document glass 122 on which the document is placed, a scanning unit 124 configured to read the image on the document, a lens 127, and an image sensor 129.

[0014] The device body 200 has an image generation section 201 configured to generate an image and a feed section 230 configured to feed a sheet onto the image generation section 201. The image generation section 201 has a photoconductive drum 203, an exposure section 202 configured to generate an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductive drum 203, and a developing unit 205 configured to visualize the electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductive drum 203. The feed section 230 has cassettes 231 to 234 in which sheets are stored, a take-up roller 238 configured to feed the sheets stored in the cassettes 231 to 234, and a separating section 237 configured to separate the sheets being fed in piece by piece.

[0015] The image generating device 1 is also provided with a finishing device 500, i.e. a sheet processing device between an upper surface of the device body 200 and the image reading device 100, and with a control section 600 configured to control the finishing device 500 and the device body 200.

[0016] Next, an image generation operation of the image generation device 1, configured as previously described, is described. Documents inserted into the document feeder section 120 are fed one by one in sequence from the top and conveyed onto the document glass 122. The image reader 100 reads an image of the document conveyed onto the document glass 122 by illuminating the document with a light from the scanning unit 124 and by guiding the light reflected from the document to the image sensor 129 via first and second mirrors 125 and 126 and the lens 127. The document whose image has been read is then dispensed to the output tray 112.

[0017] The image of the document, read by the image sensor 129, undergoes image processing and is sent to the exposure unit 202, which emits a laser beam onto the photoconductive drum 203, the surface of which is homogeneously charged. The laser beam is reflected by a rotating polygon mirror and further inverted by a reflection mirror so that it is directed onto the photoconductive drum 203 to generate an electrostatic latent image on the drum. This electrostatic latent image is then developed as a toner image by the developing unit 205, and the toner image is transferred to a transmission tape 211.

[0018] Simultaneously with this image generation process, the sheet stored in cassettes 231 to 234 is selectively fed out by the pickup roller 238, separated piece by piece by the separating section 237, and sent to a transfer point synchronously with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 203. The toner image, which has been transferred to the transfer belt 211, is then transferred to the sheet at the transfer point. The sheet, onto which the toner image has been transferred, is then conveyed to a pair of fuser rollers 206 and subjected to heating and pressing processes by the fuser rollers 206 to fix the toner image to the sheet. The sheet, onto which the toner image has been fixed, is then guided by a pair of delivery rollers 207 to the finishing unit 500.

[0019] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the finishing device 500 is provided with a discharge roller 508, a pivoting and guiding section 50 configured to pivot and guide the sheet fed by the discharge roller 508, and a sheet processing section 51 configured to process the sheet. The finishing device 500 is also provided with a sheet bundle stacking section 52 configured to stack a bundle of aligned sheets.

[0020] The discharge roller 508 is arranged along a conveying path 507, which is connected to the device body 200, and conveys the sheet, guided by the discharge roller pair 203 of the device body 200, into the finishing unit 500. The discharge roller 508 is guided by a Fig. The conveyor motor M750, shown in section 8 and described later, is driven by the motor. The drive of the conveyor motor M750 is controlled based on the detection of a sheet, which is fed by a [unclear text]. Fig. The leaf position detection sensor S770, shown and described later and provided along the conveyor path 507, is used to detect the position of the leaf.

[0021] The pivoting and guiding section 50 is provided with a pivoting arm 551, a pivoting cam 554, and a pivoting roller 550, which is rotatably arranged at one end of the pivoting arm 551. The pivoting arm 551 is arranged downstream in a leaf conveying direction of the discharge roller 508 and above the conveying path 507 and is pivotably supported in an upward and downward direction on a pivoting shaft 552. A tension spring 555, which biases the pivoting arm 551 in a clockwise direction, is attached at the other end of the pivoting arm 551.

[0022] The pivoting cam 554 is positioned above the pivoting arm 551 and is rotatably supported on the camshaft 553, centered and in the upper and lower directions. The pivoting cam 554 rotates downwards when the camshaft 553 is moved by a Fig. The swivel arm drive motor M751, shown in Figure 8 and described later, is rotated. When the swivel cam 554 rotates downwards in this way, the swivel arm 551 provided below the swivel cam 554 is pressed and pivoted counterclockwise by resistance against the tension spring 555.

[0023] The swivel roller 550, rotatably supported at one end of the swivel arm 551, is guided by a Fig. The pivoting roller drive motor M752, shown in Figure 8 and described later, is rotated by a drive belt and a driven pulley, which are not shown. The pivoting roller 550 moves to its starting position above the conveying path 507, where the pivoting roller 550 is not in contact with the sheet discharged by the delivery roller 508 until the sheet is conveyed. It should be noted that the movement of the pivoting roller 550 to the starting position is based on a signal from a [missing information - likely a component or component]. Fig. The signal output of the swivel arm output position sensor S771, shown and described later, is controlled by the 8 shown and subsequently described signal.

[0024] The sheet processing section 51 is equipped with an intermediate processing chute 540, which serves as a sheet stacking section, a return conveyor 560, a rear end stop 562, front and rear alignment plates 541 and 542, which are arranged as a pair in Fig. The 3 alignment elements shown serve as a guide and are equipped with a stapleless stapling unit 10. The intermediate processing chute 540 is located under the delivery roller 508 and temporarily stacks the sheets delivered by the delivery roller 508 and ready for processing.

[0025] The return conveyor 560 is suspended around a pulley 508a, which is arranged around a rotating shaft of the discharge roller 508, and around a driven pulley 564, and conveys the sheet discharged to the intermediate processing chute 540 to an upstream side in the sheet conveying direction by rotation, while remaining in contact with the sheet stacked at the intermediate processing chute 540. It should be noted that the return conveyor 560 is configured to retract in one direction of sheet thickness corresponding to the number of sheets stacked at the intermediate processing chute 540.The rear end stop 562 is arranged at an upstream end in the blade conveying direction of the intermediate processing shaft 540 and aligns a position of the blades in the blade conveying direction by bearing against an upstream end in the blade conveying direction of the blades that were conveyed upstream in the blade conveying direction by the return belt 560.

[0026] The front and rear alignment plates 541 and 542 are designed to be movable along the intermediate processing chute 540 in a lateral direction that intersects the sheet conveying direction, and they align the width-related position of the sheets by pressing both ends of the sheets with respect to the width as they move in the lateral direction. It should be noted that the front alignment plate 541 is guided by a Fig. 8 is driven by the front alignment plate motor M753 shown and described later, and that the rear alignment plate 542 is driven by a motor in Fig. The rear alignment plate motor M754, shown and described later, is driven by the 8.

[0027] The home positions of the front and rear alignment plates 541 and 542 are set to positions where they are not in contact with the sheet when the sheet is conveyed to the intermediate processing chute 540. These home positions are also the positions where the front and rear alignment plates 541 and 542 are located when the finishing unit 500 is not operating. The movements of the front and rear alignment plates 541 and 542 to the home positions are controlled by signals from the front and rear alignment plate home position sensors S772 and S773, which are located in Fig. 8 are shown and described later.

[0028] In response to the conveying of a sheet through the pivoting and guiding section 50, the front and rear alignment plates 541 and 542 move to predetermined rest positions, which are defined in advance according to the sheet sizes (longitudinal and transverse directions). The sheet bundle stacking section 52 has a stacking chute 504 configured to stack the sheets (the sheet bundle) processed in the sheet processing section 51.

[0029] The stapleless stapling unit 10 is a stapling section having upper and lower teeth 1014 and 1010, which will be described in detail later, and which staple the bundle of sheets formed at the intermediate processing chute 540 by cutting through it with the upper and lower teeth 1014 and 1010. More precisely, the stapleless stapling unit 10, as described in Fig. Figure 4A shows a clinch motor M10, a gear 101 rotated by the clinch motor M10, stepped gears 102 to 104 rotated by the gear 101, and a gear 105 rotated by the stepped gears 102 to 104. The stapleless stapling unit 10 also has a lower arm 1012 attached to a frame 1013 and an upper arm 104, which is pivotably centered on a shaft 1011 with respect to the lower arm 1012 and is pre-tensioned towards the side of the lower arm by a pre-tensioning element (not shown).

[0030] Here, wheel 105 is mounted on a rotating shaft 106. Furthermore, a cam 107 is mounted on the rotating shaft 106, as shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 4B, the cam 107 is positioned between the lower and upper arms 109 and 1012. In this arrangement, when the clinch motor M10 rotates, its rotation is transmitted via the wheel 101, the stepped gears 102 to 104, and the wheel 105 to the rotating shaft 106, which in turn rotates the cam 107.

[0031] When the cam 107 rotates in this way, a cam-side end section of the upper arm 109 lifts up, as shown in Fig. 5B shows that the cam 107 is in press contact with the cam 107 via an intermediary in the form of a roller 108, as shown in Fig. 5A is shown by pre-tensioning it by a pre-tensioning element not shown. Here, the upper arm 109 is provided with upper teeth 1010, which are attached to a lower end of an end section therein on a side opposite the cam 107, and the lower arm 1012 is provided with lower teeth 1014, which are arranged at an upper end of an end section therein on a side opposite the cam 106.

[0032] With this arrangement, the end section on the side opposite the cam 107 of the upper arm 109 drops off as the cam-side end section of the upper arm 109 rises, and simultaneously the upper teeth 1010 lower and engage with the lower teeth 1014, thereby pressing the leaves arranged between the upper and lower teeth. When the leaves are pressed as described above, fibers of the leaf surfaces S are exposed as the leaves are stretched. By continuing to press, the fibers of the leaves interlock and are fastened. That is, the leaves are fastened in the tacking process performed on the leaves (the leaf bundle) by the upper teeth 1010 of the upper arm 109 and the lower teeth 1014 of the lower arm 1012 being cut (brought into press engagement) by pivoting the lower arm 109.It should be noted that the stapling process for stapling a bundle of sheets by cutting the bundle of sheets between the upper and lower teeth 1014 and 1010 of the stapling unit 10 without the use of staples is referred to in the further explanation as a "stapleless stapling process".

[0033] Fig. Figure 6 is a side view of the stapleless stapling unit seen from one direction of a Fig. 5B, shown by arrow P. The lower teeth 1014, i.e., a first form section, have a multitude of side-to-side grouped valley teeth, and the upper teeth 1010, i.e., a second form section facing the lower teeth 1014, have a multitude of side-to-side grouped mountain teeth. That is, these lower and upper teeth 1014 and 1010 are arranged so that they face each other and have the multitude of concave and convex teeth that engage with each other.

[0034] Fig. Figure 7 is a control block diagram of image generating unit 1. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 7, a control section 600 has a CPU circuit section 630, a document feeder control section 632, an image reading control section 633, an image signal control section 634, a printer control section 635, a finishing device control section 636 and an actuation section 601, i.e. an input section.

[0035] The CPU circuit section 630 comprises a CPU 629, a ROM 631, and a RAM 655. The CPU 629 controls the document feeder control section 632, the image reading control section 633, the image signal control section 634, the printer control section 635, and the finishing device control section 636 in accordance with programs controlled in the ROM 631 and settings entered by the actuation section 601. The RAM 655 serves as an area for the temporary storage of control data and as a workspace for calculations related to the controls. It should be noted that the RAM 655 also stores information about paper jams, errors, and the like.

[0036] The document feeder control section 632 controls the document feeder 121, and the image reading control section 633 controls the scanning unit 124, the image sensor 129, and other components that read information from a document fed by the document feeder 121 (see Fig. 1) Document data read by the image reading control section 633 is output to the image signal control section 634. The printer control section 635 controls the device body 200. An external interface 627 is an interface that connects an external computer 620 to the device body 200 and develops print data input from the external computer (PC) 620 into image data and outputs this, for example, to the image signal control section 634. The image data output to the image signal control section 634 is output to the printer control section 635 to generate an image in the image generation section 201.

[0037] The finishing unit control section 636 is mounted in the finishing unit 500 and controls the entire drive of the finishing unit 500 while exchanging information with the CPU circuit section 630. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 8, the finishing device control section 636 has a CPU 701, a RAM 702, a ROM 703, a network interface 704, a communication interface 706, a conveyor control section 707, an intermediate processing chute control section 708, a stapleless stapling control section 709, and other components. It should be noted that it is also possible to use an arrangement such that the control section 600 controls the entire drive of the finishing device 500 without using the finishing device control section 636.

[0038] Sensor signals from units and other elements connected to the CPU 701, the network interface 704, and the communication interface 706 are input to input ports of an input / output (I / O) section 705 of the final processing unit control section 636. Output ports of the input / output (I / O) section 705 are also connected to the conveyor control section 707, the intermediate processing chute control section 708, and the stapleless stapling control section 709. Furthermore, the CPU 701 outputs predefined signals from the output ports of the input / output (I / O) section 705 to the respective drive systems of the conveyor control section 707, the intermediate processing chute control section 708, and the stapleless stapling control section 709.

[0039] The conveying control section 707 controls the conveying of a sheet to the final processing unit 500 by controlling the sheet position detection sensor S770 and the conveying motor M750. The intermediate processing chute control section 708 controls and operates the respective output position sensors (S771, S772, and S773) and the respective motors (M751, M752, M753, and M754). The intermediate processing chute control section 708 controls the movements of the front and rear alignment plates 541 and 542, the drive of the return belt 560, the pivoting movement of the pivot arms 551, and the rotation of the pivot roller 550 by thus controlling the respective output position sensors and the respective motors. The stapleless stapling control section 709 controls the stapling operation of the stapleless stapling unit 10 by controlling an output position sensor S10, which detects a position of the cam 107, and the clinch motor M10.

[0040] Next, a sheet processing operation performed by the finishing unit 500 is described. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 9A, a sheet S discharged from the device body 200 is conveyed by the discharge roller 508, which is provided along the conveying path 507, towards the stacking chute 504. When the sheet S is discharged from the discharge roller 508, the camshaft 553 of the pivoting cam 554 is rotated by the pivoting arm drive motor M751 so that the pivoting cam 554 is turned downwards and pushes the pivoting arm 551. This causes the pivoting arm 551 to pivot counterclockwise, as shown in Figure 9A. Fig. Figure 9B shows the pivot arm 551 centered on the pivot shaft 252 by resisting the tension spring 555. Then, as the pivot arm 551 pivots counterclockwise, the pivot roller 550 lowers, causing a rear end of the blade to descend through the pivot roller 550 and become clamped between the pivot roller 550 and a driven roller 571.

[0041] Next, the pivoting roller 550 rotates counterclockwise, driven by the pivoting roller drive motor M752, so that the blade S is pulled upstream in the blade conveying direction. Then, the pivoting roller 540 rotates until the rear end (upstream end in the blade conveying direction) of the blade S comes into contact with the return belt 560, as shown in Fig. Figure 9C shows that when the rear end of the sheet S comes into contact with the return conveyor 560, the return conveyor 560 rotates to draw in the sheet S. This causes the rear end of the sheet S to rest against the rear end stop 562, aligning the sheet S in the direction of sheet conveyance. It should be noted that the pivot arm 551 is pivoted upwards by the tension spring 555 until the next sheet is conveyed, at which point the pivot roller 550 is lifted back to its starting position, ready to discharge the next sheet.

[0042] Once the alignment of the sheets S in the sheet conveying direction at the intermediate processing chute 240 is complete, the next step is the lateral alignment of the sheet S by the front and rear alignment plates 541 and 542. After alignment, a sheet bundle S1 is formed at the intermediate processing chute 540, as shown in Fig. Figure 10A shows how such blade conveying and alignment operations are carried out on the following blades. Fig. Figure 10A shows the sheet bundle S1 formed at the intermediate processing chute 540. Once the sheet bundle S1 is formed, the pivot arms 551 pivot counterclockwise, driven by the pivot arm drive motor M751, causing the pivot roller 550 to lower. The pivot roller 550 then forms a gap with the driven roller 571 and clamps the sheet bundle S1. The stapleless stapling unit 10 performs the stapling process on the rear end section of the sheet bundle S1 in this state.

[0043] When the stapleless stapling unit 10 is performing the stapleless stapling on the sheets, the stapleless stapling unit 10 detects the cam position through the in Fig. First, the output position sensor S10 shown and described above. It should be noted that the rotation of the clinch motor M10 is controlled such that the cam 107 is at bottom dead center when receiving a sheet before performing the stapleless stapling, as described above. Fig. 5A is shown. It should be noted that when the cam 107 is in this position at bottom dead center, a space is formed between the upper and lower teeth 1010 and 1014, which the blades can enter.

[0044] When the bundle of sheets is to be stapled, the stapleless stapling unit 10 causes the clinch motor M10 to rotate in order to pivot the upper arm 104 clockwise on the shaft 1011, centered by the cam 107. When the cam 107 is positioned on a Fig. When the upper dead center shown in 5B is reached, the upper teeth 1010 of the upper arm 109 engage with the lower teeth 1014 of the lower arm 1012 in such a way that the leaves are fastened.

[0045] If the cam 107 continues to rotate and reaches top dead center again, the initial position sensor S10 detects the cam 107 and the rotation of the clinch motor 510 is stopped. Fig. Figure 11 is a diagram showing a state in which a bundle of 5 sheets S is stapled without staples by the stapleless stapling unit 10. The sheets S are fastened by wrapping around the fibers of the sheets, by applying a force in the direction of an arrow A from the upper teeth 1010 to the held lower teeth 1014 in the present embodiment.

[0046] When the stapling process on the sheet bundle S1 is complete, the pivot roller 550 rotates clockwise, driven by the pivot roller drive motor M752, clamping the sheet bundle S1 with the driven roller 571 and delivering the sheet bundle S1 onto the stacking chute 507, as shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 10B. Afterwards, the pivoting roller 550 separates from the leaf bundle S1 and returns to its starting position.

[0047] Furthermore, there is a case where the image generation device or the sheet processing device stops, or the stapleless stapling unit malfunctions during the stapleless stapling operation, as previously described, on the sheet bundle due to a jam or similar issue. If the sheet bundle is pulled out to remove the sheet on which the stapleless stapling was implemented, there is a case where the sheet tears and paper powder adheres to the teeth of the forming sections. Even if the stapleless stapling operation is carried out normally, there is also a case where the forming sections collect paper powder generated between their teeth during the fastening process if a number of stapleless stapling operations increases.If such paper powder adheres to the teeth of the forming sections or collects between them, the paper powder impairs the engagement of the lower and upper forming sections and reduces the holding force of the next bundle of sheets on which the next stapleless stapling operation is carried out.

[0048] To prevent the decrease in the holding force of the sheet bundle on which the stapleless stapling operation was performed, the control section 600 (the finishing device control section 636) causes the stapleless stapling unit 10 to perform a cleaning operation in which the upper teeth 1010 engage with the lower teeth 1014 in a non-stapling operation, in which no stapling operation is performed in the present embodiment.

[0049] More precisely, an idle impact operation is performed in which a load is applied in the direction of arrow (A) from the upper teeth 1010 to the lower teeth 1014 in a state where no sheet of paper is present between the upper and lower teeth 1010 and 1014. That is, the idle impact operation, or so-called idle impact, of the engagement of the upper teeth 1010 with the lower teeth 1014 is performed in the present embodiment in which the upper teeth 1010 are moved in the state where no sheet of paper is present. Such idle impact operation makes it possible to remove the paper dust adhering to the engagement surfaces (the inclined surfaces of the teeth) of the upper teeth 1010 or the lower teeth 1014 from the engaging surfaces.

[0050] Next, a principle for removing paper dust adhering to the engagement surfaces of the upper teeth 1010 or the lower teeth 1014 is explained. Fig. 12A and Fig. Figure 12B illustrates the condition in which the paper dust Pd adheres to the engagement surfaces E of the lower teeth 1014 as a result of a bundle of leaves being removed in a state where the upper and lower teeth 1010 and 1014 are still cutting into the bundle due to a jam or defect. While the engagement surfaces E are parts of the inclined surfaces of the upper and lower teeth 1010 and 1014, Fig. 12A a front view (YZ plane) of the tooth surfaces and Fig. Figure 12B is a side view (XY plane) of the tooth surfaces. Fig. 12B denotes H a space formed in the direction of the width perpendicular to a direction in which the teeth are grouped when the upper teeth 1010 are engaged with the lower teeth 1014.

[0051] When the idle operation of the stapleless stapling unit 10 is performed, i.e., when the upper teeth 1010 are lowered, the paper dust Pd thus adheres to the engagement surfaces E of the lower teeth 1014, and the paper dust moves along the directions of the inclined surfaces of the teeth indicated by arrows F in Fig. 13A are indicated because each tooth of the lower teeth 1014 has a pressing angle W. It should be noted that paper dust, not shown, adhering to the engagement surfaces of the upper teeth 1010, moves in directions opposite to those indicated by arrows F.

[0052] Then, paper dust Pd, which has moved in the direction of the inclined surfaces of the teeth, moves around locations indicated by rectangular markings near the tips and bases (troughs) of the teeth, as a result of pressure from the upper teeth 1010. As the upper teeth 1010 continue to descend, the paper dust Pd is expelled from gaps G formed between the tips and bases of the teeth, as shown in Fig. 13B is shown, and pushed out of the engagement surfaces by moving in the direction of the width in Fig. 12B will be pressed, and it will be in Fig. H was handed in to the rooms shown in 12B.

[0053] Fig. Figure 14 is a graph showing a relationship between the removal of paper dust and a fastening force produced by the idle tapping operations. The paper dust remaining on the engagement surfaces is gradually removed to the outside of the engagement surfaces by repeating the idle tapping operations several times, as previously described, and the fastening force of the next bundle of sheets to be stapled by the stapleless stapling operation is restored. The paper dust collected on the engagement surfaces of the lower teeth 1014 is completely removed, at least with the exception of that which is contained in the Fig. The column G shown in Figure 13B remains after the idle tapping operations are repeated several times. It is then possible to perform the stapleless stapling operation without affecting the fastening force by receiving the next bundle of sheets in this state. It should be noted that, although effective even when this idle tapping operation is performed once, it is possible to obtain a similar level of fastening force with a state in which no paper dust is present by performing the idle tapping operation 20 times or more, as is done, for example, in Fig. Figure 14 shows that the control section is set such that the number of times the engagement between the upper and lower teeth 1010 and 1014 is performed in a cleaning operation is greater than the number performed in a tacking operation in the present embodiment.

[0054] Fig.Figure 15 is a flowchart illustrating the stapleless stapling operation of the present embodiment. When the stapleless operation is selected by the operating section 601 in step 900, the control section 600 assesses, based on information stored in the RAM 655 in step 901, whether a jam or error occurred during the previous stapling operation that stopped the stapleless stapling unit 10.

[0055] If no jam or error occurred during the previous stapling operation, i.e., if step 901 evaluates to NO, then control section 600 starts printing through the device body 200 in step 902. If an error occurred during the previous stapling operation, i.e., if step 901 evaluates to YES, control step 600 has the stapleless stapling unit 10 perform the idle beat several times through the finishing unit control section 636 before starting the stapleless stapling operation in step 910. Afterward, control section 600 starts printing through the device body 200 in step 902.

[0056] When the delivery of the sheet to the intermediate processing chute 540 of the finishing unit 500 is complete, i.e., when step 903 is YES, then the finishing unit control section 636 performs a cross-alignment process by the front and rear alignment plates 541 and 542 in step 904. Then, when the cross-alignment process ends, the finishing unit control section 636 decides whether the delivered sheet is the last sheet within a bundle in step 905, and repeats the operations from step 902 to step 904 if the delivered sheet is not the last sheet of the bundle (NO in step 905).

[0057] If the dispensed sheet is the last sheet of the bundle, i.e., YES in step 905, then the finishing equipment control section 636 performs the stapling operation by the stapleless stapling unit 10 in step 906 and then performs a bundle dispensing operation to deliver the stapleless stapled bundle of sheets in step 907. Next, in step 908, the finishing equipment control section 636 assesses whether the dispensed bundle of sheets is the last bundle and repeats the operations of steps 902 through 907 if the dispensed bundle of sheets is not the last bundle, i.e., if step 908 evaluates NO. If the dispensed bundle of sheets is the last bundle, i.e., if YES in step 908, control section 600 terminates the stapleless stapling operation in step 909.

[0058] As previously described, the present embodiment is arranged such that the idle operation is performed in the state where no sheet of paper is present between the upper and lower teeth 1010 and 1014 before the stapleless stapling process begins, if an error occurred during the preceding stapling process. Such an idle operation makes it possible to remove dust from the sheets of paper that adheres to the teeth of the upper and lower teeth 1010 and 1014 as a result of abnormal operation such as jams and errors, and to prevent a reduction in the fastening force during the execution of the stapleless stapling process.

[0059] It should be noted that even though the present embodiment describes the case in which the upper teeth 1010 are provided to be movable in the upward and downward directions, the present invention is not limited thereto, and at least one of the upper and lower teeth 1010 and 1014 can be made movable. Furthermore, the above explanation describes the idle operation when an error has occurred in the preceding stitching operation, but the present invention is not limited thereto. That is to say, the idle operation can be performed at a predetermined time, which will not extend the total time during which the sheets on which images have been produced are stitched, as follows.

[0060] For example, the idle operation can be performed before the stapleless stapling operation is started (between image generation jobs or during idle time), regardless of whether an error occurred during the previous stapling operation. In other words, it is possible to configure the system so that the stapleless stapling operation of the sheet bundle is started after the idle operation is performed, before a sheet bundle on which the next stapleless stapling operation is to be performed is stacked at the intermediate processing tray 540. Furthermore, it is possible to perform the idle operation before the stapling operation is restarted if the stapleless stapling unit 10 stops during a sheet stapling operation, regardless of whether an error occurred during the previous stapling operation.

[0061] Furthermore, since leaf dust adheres to the teeth of the upper and lower teeth 1010 and 1014 even when normal stapleless stapling is performed, it is possible to configure the idle stapling operation to be executed each time a predetermined number of stapling operations have been performed. It should be noted that this predetermined number is entered into the finishing unit control section 636 by the operator section 601 or the external computer (PC) 620, which serves as an alternative input section. The finishing unit control section 636 then controls the stapleless stapling unit 10 to execute the idle stapling operation after the input of the specified number of stapling operations has been completed.It should be noted that the predetermined number can be changed according to environmental conditions, as sheets with high humidity are softer and paper powder tends to collect between the teeth. In this case, an arrangement is made such that, for example, a moisture sensor (not shown) is provided, and the finishing device control section 363 changes the predetermined number based on the information from the moisture sensor.

[0062] Although the upper and lower teeth 1010 and 1014 in the previously described embodiment are engaged during the cleaning process in the state where no sheets are present, it is possible to engage the upper and lower teeth 1010 and 1014 in a state where a cleaning sheet is positioned between them, adsorbing paper powder and the like. Although the finishing device is provided as a single unit in the image-generating device of the previously described embodiment, it can be configured separately. Commercial applicability

[0063] The sheet processing device of the invention can be used for the finishing device for use in the image generating device of a printer, and is suitably used for the finishing device that staples a bundle of sheets without the use of staples.

[0064] While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, this is to be understood as meaning that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be understood in its broadest interpretation to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

[0065] This application claims the benefits of Japanese patent publication no. 2012-242669, which was filed on November 2, 2012, and which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.

Claims

[1] Sheet processing device with: a sheet stack section (540) on which sheets are stacked; a stapling section (10) having first and second forming sections (1010, 1014) arranged so that they face each other and having a plurality of concave and convex teeth that engage with each other, wherein the stapling section (10) tacks a leaf bundle (540) to the leaf stack section by cutting the leaf bundle through the first and second forming sections (1010, 1014); and a control section (600) configured to control the stapling section (10) to perform a stapling operation in which the sheet bundle is stapled by cutting the sheet bundle through the first and second forming sections (1010, 1014), and to perform a cleaning operation in which the first and second forming sections (1010, 1014) are engaged in a non-stapling operation in which no stapling operation is performed, and thus in a state in which there is no sheet between the first and second forming sections (1010, 1014). [2] Sheet processing device according to claim 1, wherein the control section (600) controls the binding section (10) such that the engagement between the first and second forming section (1010, 1014) is performed several times in the cleaning process. [3] Sheet processing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first and second forming section (1010, 1014) are configured such that gaps are created between the tips of the teeth of the first forming section (1010) and the bottoms of the teeth of the second forming section (1014) and between the bottoms of the teeth of the first forming section (1010) and the tips of the teeth of the second forming section (1014) in the state in which the first and second forming sections (1010, 1014) are engaged. [4] Sheet processing device according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control section (600) determines that the number of times the engagement between the first and the second forming section (1010, 1014) is performed in a cleaning operation is greater than the number performed in a stapling operation. [5] Sheet processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control section (600) performs the cleaning process before the next stapling operation is carried out if it has been judged that the stapling section (10) has stopped during a previous stapling operation. [6] Sheet processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control section (600) performs the cleaning process after the stapling process has been carried out for a predetermined number of times. [7] Sheet processing device according to claim 6, wherein the control section (600) controls the stapling section (10) to perform the cleaning process after the predetermined number of times the stapling process has been performed based on the number of times entered by an input section (601) from which the predetermined number of times was entered. [8] Sheet processing device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the control section (600) changes the predetermined number of times according to the environmental conditions. [9] Image generating device (1) with: an image generation section (201) configured to generate an image on a leaf; and the sheet processing device according to one of claims 1 to 8, which is configured to perform a stapling operation on the sheet on which the image was generated by the image generation section (201). [10] Image generating device (1) with: an image generation section (201) configured to generate an image on a leaf; a sheet processing device comprising a sheet stacking section (540) on which sheets are stacked and a stapling section (10) having first and second forming sections (1010, 1014) arranged so that they face each other and having a plurality of concave and convex teeth that engage with each other, wherein the stapling section (10) tacks a bundle of sheets to the sheet stacking section (540) by cutting the bundle of sheets through the first and second forming sections (1010, 1014), and a control section (600) configured to control the image processing device; wherein the control section (600) controls the stapling section (10) such that it performs a stapling operation in which the bundle of leaves is stapled by cutting the bundle of leaves through the first and second forming sections (1010, 1014), and such that it performs a cleaning operation in which the first and second forming sections (1010, 1014) are engaged in a state in which there is no sheet between the first and second forming sections (1010, 1014). [11] Image generating device (1) according to claim 10, wherein the control section (600) controls the stapling section (10) such that the engagement between the first and second forming section (1010, 1014) is performed several times in the cleaning process. [12] Image generating device (1) according to one of claims 10 or 11, wherein the first and the second mold section (1010, 1014) are designed such that gaps are generated between the tips of the teeth of the first mold section (1010) and the bottoms of the teeth of the second mold section (1014) and between the bottoms of the teeth of the first mold section (1010) and the tips of the teeth of the second mold section (1014) in the state in which the first and the second mold section (1010, 1014) are engaged. [13] Image generating device (1) according to one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the control section (600) determines a number of times the engagement between the first and the second forming section (1010, 1014) is performed in a cleaning operation such that it is greater than the number performed in a stapling operation. [14] Image generating device (1) according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the control section (600) performs the cleaning process before performing the next stapling operation if it is detected that the stapling section (10) has stopped during a previous stapling operation. [15] Image generating device (1) according to any one of claims 10 to 14, wherein the control section (600) performs the cleaning process after the stapling process has been performed for a predetermined number of times. [16] Image generating device (1) according to claim 15, further comprising an input section configured to input the predetermined number of times.

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