Paper sheet loading device and image formation system

Abstract

To provide a paper sheet loading device capable of checking whether a paper sheet is loaded at a target position.SOLUTION: The paper sheet loading device (a stacker device 1) includes: a loading platform (a stacker tray 5) for loading discharged paper sheet (a discharged paper sheet stack P); end regulating means (a jogger fence 4, a leading edge stopper 6) for regulating the end of the paper sheet; and illumination means (a line illumination 10) for illuminating the loading platform, the illumination means having the function of irradiating illumination marks (line illumination marks 11a, 11b) for marking the placement position of the paper sheet.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a paper stacking device and an image forming system. [Background technology]

[0002] In an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, when stacking paper in a stacker device that stacks discharged paper, there is a technique for stacking a large amount of paper by discharging the paper onto a tray installed inside the body of the stacker. There is also a technique for providing a viewing window and lighting device for observing the inside of the tray. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which, from the standpoint of improving usability, an light-emitting unit is provided that emits light toward a paper receiving tray to more clearly indicate the status related to sheet discharge, and a control unit that controls the light-emitting unit controls the light-emitting unit in accordance with the state or operation of the paper receiving tray. However, when checking the status of the discharged paper from outside the device, the edges of the paper are dark and difficult to see even when illuminated, making it impossible to confirm whether the paper has been loaded in the intended discharge position. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] An object of the present invention is to provide a paper loading device that can confirm whether the paper is loaded at the target position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides: a stacking tray for stacking the discharged paper; an edge regulating means for regulating an edge of the paper; A lighting means for illuminating the loading platform; In a paper loading device having The illumination means has a function of emitting an illumination mark for marking the placement position of the paper. Effect of the Invention

[0005] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a paper loading device that can confirm whether or not the paper is loaded at the target position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a stacker device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an image forming system including an image forming apparatus and a stacker device. FIG. [Figure 4] 13 is a plan view for explaining an example of a state of a stacker tray illuminated with a line illumination mark. FIG. [Diagram 5] 11 is a plan view illustrating an example of a moving unit that moves the line illumination. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view of the moving means of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation for aligning a discharge paper stacking position of a line illuminator in a transport direction. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation for aligning a discharge paper stacking position of a line illuminator in a width direction. [Figure 9] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating an example in which the line illumination mark has a scaled shape. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an example of the external appearance of the entire stacker device. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation for automatically turning on or off a line illumination. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each of the drawings for explaining the embodiment of the present invention, components such as members and components having the same function or shape are denoted by the same reference numerals as far as they can be distinguished, and the description thereof will be omitted after the first description.

[0008] First, an overview of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention and a paper stacking device (also called a "stacker device") used in the system will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 shows an example of a configuration in which an image forming apparatus and first and second sheet post-processing apparatuses are connected together as an image forming system. In the figure, image forming apparatus A is a device that copies or prints an image to be copied onto paper and outputs the paper to the outside of image forming apparatus A. In the system of FIG. 1, copied and printed sheets are delivered from the image forming apparatus A to a first sheet post-processing apparatus B1.

[0009] The first and second paper post-processing devices B1 and B2 are paper stacking devices, so-called stackers, and have the function of stacking a large number of copied or printed sheets and discharging them outside the device. Image forming apparatus A may be any known image forming apparatus such as a known electrophotographic or droplet ejection type copying machine, printer, plotter copying machine, or digital multifunction machine, and is not limited to a specific image forming apparatus.

[0010] In this system, the paper discharge destination is set in advance from an operation unit (not shown) on the image forming apparatus A side. The paper discharge destination is the proof tray F, a tray in the first paper post-processing device B1, or a tray in the second paper post-processing device B2. In this embodiment, the proof tray F is a proof tray of the first sheet post-processing device B1, and a similar tray is also provided in the second sheet post-processing device B2.

[0011] The operation unit C displays the operating status of the paper post-processing device B1, such as when the tray in the paper post-processing device B1 is lowered, an input unit for performing jam clearance operations to process paper jams, when paper transport is operating normally, or when an error occurs in the paper post-processing device B1, and also allows for specified input operations.

[0012] The upper door D is a door that opens and closes to remove jammed paper when the paper is jammed during transport inside the paper post-processing device B1. The front door E is a door that opens and closes to set a dolly carrying a tray inside the sheet post-processing device B1. This front door E is opened and closed so that after the papers are loaded, the papers are stacked on the tray, the tray with the stacked papers is lowered onto the cart, and the cart with the tray is moved outside the paper post-processing device B1.

[0013] The second sheet post-processing device B2 is a device for stacking sheets conveyed via the first sheet post-processing device B1. When the front door E is closed after the dolly is set at a predetermined position inside the paper post-processing device B1, the shift tray on the dolly is raised by the elevator to the paper discharge position. If front door E is opened while the shift tray is rising, the shift tray will come to an emergency stop to ensure safety.

[0014] The sheets are loaded one by one onto the shift trays of the sheet post-processing devices B1 and B2, and when the loading job is completed, the user operates the operation unit C to lower the shift trays on which the sheets are loaded onto the dolly. Thereafter, the front door E can be opened to move the cart carrying the shift tray with the loaded sheets thereon to the outside of the sheet post-processing devices B1 and B2.

[0015] The first and second sheet post-processing devices B1 and B2 each include a sheet discharge port G for conveying sheets to a downstream sheet post-processing device. In FIG. 1, the paper post-processing devices connected downstream of the second paper post-processing device B2 are not shown, but a paper folding device, paper binding device, bookbinding device, etc. are connected as necessary to form a single system.

[0016] Next, a configuration example of a stacker device used as a paper post-processing device in an image forming system will be described. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a stacker device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a diagram showing the inside of stacker device 1 as viewed from the front with the front door removed. Stacker device 1 transports paper from the right side of the device to horizontal transport path 2 and discharges the paper to the left side. Stacker device 1 is equipped with a stacker tray 5 for loading discharged paper stack P. Stacker tray 5 is an example of a loading platform for loading discharged paper, and functions as a tray (shift tray) in the paper post-processing device described above.

[0017] The stacker device 1 branches the conveyed paper from the conveying path by a branching claw 3 and sends it to a stacker tray 5, determines the position of the paper tip by hitting it against a tip stopper 6 arranged at the tip in the conveying direction, and aligns the paper by a jogger fence 4 arranged opposite to the paper width direction. The leading edge stopper 6 and the jogger fence 4 function as an edge regulating means for regulating the edge of the discharged paper.

[0018] The stacker device 1 may have, for example, a function for aligning the discharged paper stack P as described below, and may ensure accuracy in aligning the paper sheets. In the image forming system as described above, when copied and printed sheets are transported from the image forming apparatus A or the like to the sheet post-processing apparatus B1, the sheets are stacked on the shift tray in the order in which they were transported. At this time, in order to ensure the accuracy of aligning the sheets, the sheets are stacked while keeping the sheet surface height on the shift tray constant.

[0019] During paper stacking, the height of the paper surface of the stacked paper is detected, and when it is detected that the stacked paper has reached a predetermined height, the shift tray is lowered and control is performed so that the paper discharge position and the paper surface height are always constant. This ensures paper alignment accuracy. A paper stacking device that performs such control is known, for example, from Patent Document 2. Figure 2 of Patent Document 2 shows the internal structure of the device from which the front door E of a first paper post-processing device B1 has been removed.

[0020] Furthermore, the stacker device 1 has a window 9 on the exterior (not shown) at the front of the device through which the user can check the status of the discharged paper stack P loaded on the stacker tray 5. In Fig. 2, the position of the window 9 is indicated by a dotted line. This allows the user to always check the paper discharge status even while the device is in operation.

[0021] However, because the stacker device 1 is structured to stack paper inside, the inside of the machine is dark and difficult to see. For this reason, it was difficult to quickly check the stacking condition, such as curling, skew, and registration misalignment, which can cause paper jams. Although it is possible to check the status of the paper by turning on the lights 7 and 8 installed inside the device and illuminating the entire stacker tray 5, there was a problem in that, when it came to large-sized paper, it was difficult to check the status of the paper at the back of the device, and it was not possible to confirm whether the paper had been loaded in the intended paper output position.

[0022] Therefore, the stacker device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, when checking whether the paper has been loaded at the target paper ejection position, the target ejection paper loading position is marked and illuminated by a line light installed above (on the top) of the paper ejection tray. In this way, the user can quickly check the paper condition (position, skew, curl) of the ejected paper and the loaded paper.

[0023] The line lights 10a, 10b (hereinafter, also referred to as "line light 10" when there is no need to distinguish between them) are lighting means that illuminate the stacker tray 5 from above, and are installed so as to illuminate the discharged paper stack P loaded on the stacker tray 5. The line light 10 of this embodiment further includes a function (marking means) of emitting a line illumination mark (also referred to as an "illumination mark") that marks the placement position of the discharged paper. The line illumination 10 may use, as a light source, a laser beam such as that used in a laser pointer. Furthermore, the line illumination 10 may be configured to have a function of illuminating a line illumination mark, for example, by converting light emitted from the line illumination 10 using a prism to form an illumination mark of a desired shape at a desired position.

[0024] The stacker device 1 has been described above with reference to FIG. 2, but the details of the features of the present invention will be described later with reference to FIGS. Here, a control configuration between image forming apparatus A and stacker apparatus 1 in the image forming system will be described.

[0025] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of an image forming system including an image forming apparatus A and a stacker device 1. As shown in FIG. In the figure, a control board PB is provided as a control means within a stacker device 1, and a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 501 is mounted on the control board PB. The CPU 501 is equipped with a ROM (Read Only Memory) 502, in which the control program for the stacker device 1 is written in advance, and the CPU 501 controls various operations of each part of the stacker device 1 while using a RAM (Random Access Memory) not shown as a work area and data buffer.

[0026] The CPU 501 is connected to a group of sensors that detect operating positions in various controls, such as a tray lowering switch (tray lowering SW) P100 of the operation unit C, a jam release switch (jam release SW) P101, a line illumination switch (line illumination SW) P30, a transport direction home position sensor (HP sensor (transport)) S1, and a width direction home position sensor (HP sensor (width)) S2, and detection signals are input from these sensors to the CPU 501. In addition, the control unit 500 of the image forming apparatus A also inputs operation requests to the stacker device 1, as well as operation information and transported paper information of the image forming apparatus A, and the stacker device 1 outputs corresponding information, or information requested by the image forming apparatus A, to the control unit 500 of the image forming apparatus A. Motor 12, motor 22, and other motors used for paper transport, stack control, etc. are connected to CPU 501, which outputs operation signals to these connected motors and controls them according to their operating conditions.

[0027] In addition, the line lighting 10 and other lighting groups are also connected, and the operation of turning each lighting on and off is also controlled. In addition, a tray lowering LED (Light Emitting Diode) P102, a jam release LED P103, an output LED P104, a full LED P105, and an error LED P106 on the operation unit C are also connected, and depending on the operating status of the stacker device 1, the operation of each LED, which is the display unit of the operation unit C, is controlled to light up, blink, or turn off. In addition, image forming apparatus A can be connected to external devices that can be remotely connected to image forming apparatus A, such as personal computers and fax machines (not shown), via a network connection, and it is also possible to print information from a PC or the like onto image forming apparatus A.

[0028] The features of the stacker device 1 will be described in detail below. FIG. 4 is a plan view for explaining an example of a state of a stacker tray illuminated with a line illumination mark. The jogger fence 4 and the leading end stopper 6 are provided on the stacker tray 5. Fig. 4 shows an example of a state in which the discharged paper stack P is loaded on the stacker tray 5 and line illumination marks 11a and 11b are marked by the line illumination 10. The line illumination marks 11a and 11b are formed so as to indicate the loading position of the discharged paper stack P. The line illumination 10 illuminates and marks the stacker tray 5 with line illumination marks 11a and 11b, allowing the user to confirm the position of the discharged paper stack P (the leading edge position in the transport direction).

[0029] Next, a mechanism for moving the position of the line illuminator will be described. The stacker device 1 may have a moving means for moving the position of the line illuminator 10. In this way, it is possible to correspond to marking according to the size of the paper.

[0030] The stacker device 1 can move the line illumination 10 in the paper transport direction and the paper width direction (direction perpendicular to the transport direction) using the mechanism shown in Figures 5 and 6, and moves the line illumination marks 11a and 11b according to the size of the paper to be discharged. This makes it possible to move the line illumination marks according to the size of the paper to be discharged. FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating an example of a moving unit that moves the line illumination. FIG. 6 is a front view of the moving means of FIG. The moving means has a transport direction moving configuration (transport direction moving means) and a paper width direction moving configuration (paper width direction moving means).

[0031] First, the transport direction movement configuration will be described. The slide member 26 is slidable in the conveying direction by guides 25a and 25b. The guides 25a and 25b are fixed to a main body frame (not shown). The slide member 26 is connected to the belt 24 . The belt 24 is looped around pulleys 23a and 23b, and by driving a motor 22 connected to the pulley 23a, the slide member 26 can be moved in the conveying direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 5). The pulleys 23a and 23b, the motor 22, and the conveying direction home position sensor S1 (hereinafter referred to as "sensor S1") are fixed to a main body frame (not shown).

[0032] Guides 15a and 15b are attached to the slide member 26 at right angles to the conveying direction, and slide members 16a and 16b are slidably installed on the guides 15a and 15b. Line illuminators 10a and 10b are attached to the slide members 16a and 16b, respectively, and the line illuminators 10a and 10b are capable of moving in the conveying direction in conjunction with the movement of the slide member .

[0033] A sensor S1 is provided in the conveying direction of the slide member 26 to determine a home position. The sensor S1 detects when the slide member 26 reaches the home position, and sends a detection signal to the control board PB of the stacker device 1.

[0034] Before a job, as shown in the flow chart of FIG. 7, the stacker device 1 aligns the line illuminators 10a and 10b with the discharge paper stacking position (the paper leading edge position in the transport direction). An example of the positioning operation performed by the control plate PB of the stacker device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation for aligning the discharge paper stacking position of the line illuminator in the transport direction.

[0035] The paper length of the paper size information is read from image forming device A (S201), and sensor S1 detects whether line lighting 10 (slide member 26) is located at the home position in the conveying direction (S202). If sensor S1 does not detect line lighting 10 (slide member 26) (No in S202), motor 22 is rotated to move line lighting 10 toward the home position (S203). The above operations (S202 to S203) are repeated, and when the sensor S1 detects the line light 10 (slide member 26) (Yes in S202), the motor 22 is rotated to move the line light in the conveying direction (downstream) the distance from the home position to the discharged paper stacking position (S204), and when the distance has been moved, the rotation of the motor 22 is stopped and the movement of the line lights 10a, 10b is stopped (S205).

[0036] Next, the configuration for moving the paper width direction will be described. The slide members 16a and 16b are connected facing each other to a belt 14, which is passed around pulleys 13a and 13b. The slide members 16a and 16b can each be moved in the paper width direction (perpendicular to the conveying direction) by a motor 12 connected to the pulley 13a. Pulleys 13a, 13b, motor 12, guides 15a, 15b, belt 14, and width-direction home position sensor S2 (hereinafter referred to as "sensor S2") are all integrated into one unit, which can move in the conveying direction in conjunction with slide member 26 and is in a fixed position in the paper width direction.

[0037] Based on the paper width of the paper size information from image forming apparatus A, motor 12 is rotated to move slide members 16a and 16b, and the positions of line illuminators 10a and 10b can be aligned with the discharge paper stacking position (position of the paper width). A sensor S2 for determining a home position is provided in the width direction of the slide members 16a and 16b. The sensor S2 detects when the slide members 16a and 16b reach the home position and sends a detection signal to the control board PB of the stacker device 1.

[0038] Before a job, as shown in the flow chart of FIG. 8, the stacker device 1 aligns the line illuminators 10a and 10b with the discharge paper stacking position (the leading edge position of the paper in the width direction). An example of the positioning operation performed by the control panel PB (CPU 501) of the stacker device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation for aligning the discharge paper stacking position of the line illuminator in the width direction.

[0039] The paper width of the paper size information is read from image forming device A (S301), and sensor S2 detects whether the line illumination (slide members 16a, 16b) is located at the home position in the width direction (S302). If sensor S2 does not detect the line illumination (slide members 16a, 16b) (No in S302), motor 12 is rotated to move line illumination 10 toward the home position (S303). The above operations (S302 to S303) are repeated, and when sensor S2 detects the line illumination (slide members 16a, 16b) (Yes in S302), motor 12 is rotated to move the line illumination in the width direction (paper side) the distance from the home position to the discharge paper stacking position (S304), and when the distance has been moved, rotation of motor 12 is stopped and the movement of line illumination 10a, 10b is stopped (S305).

[0040] Next, modified examples of the shape of the line illumination mark will be described. The line illumination marks 11a and 11b shown in FIG. 4 are shaped to indicate two corners at the end of the discharged paper stack P, but are not limited to this. The line illumination mark may preferably have a scale, for example, so that it is possible to determine whether the misalignment of the paper is out of standard.

[0041] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining an example in which the line illumination mark has a scaled shape. FIG. 9 shows an example in which the line illumination marks illuminated by the line illumination 10 are maximum graduations 11a-3 and 11b-3 in the transport direction, maximum graduations 11a-1 and 11b-1 in the width direction, minimum graduations 11a-4 and 11b-4 in the transport direction, and minimum graduations 11a-2 and 11b-2 in the width direction.

[0042] The line illumination mark with scale can be formed, for example, by shaping the light emitted by the line illumination 10 into a scale shape using a prism and irradiating it onto the stacker tray 5. In this way, it is preferable that the scale of the line illumination mark has maximum and minimum scales in the transport direction and width direction, so that it is possible to determine whether the misalignment of the paper is out of standard based on the maximum and minimum positions.

[0043] Although the line illumination mark formed of a curved line has been described as an example of the illumination mark irradiated by the line illumination 10, the present invention is not limited to this. Any mark that allows the user to confirm the position of the paper may be used. For example, the discharge paper stacking position may be marked using an illumination mark made of multiple dots.

[0044] Next, the lighting period of the line illumination will be described. It is preferable that the stacker device 1 can turn on / off the lighting (operation) of the line lighting 10 by a switch installed on the machine or a button on the operation panel, etc. In this way, the lighting can be turned on only when you want to check the status in order to reduce power consumption. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the entire stacker device, and the line illumination can be turned on and off by a switch P30 disposed on the top surface of the device.

[0045] In addition, it is preferable that the stacker device 1 has a function of turning on the illumination means while the paper is being discharged to the paper stacking device. In this way, the illumination means can be turned on automatically, making it easier for the user to check. An example of an operation in which the control panel PB of the stacker device 1 automatically turns on / off the line lighting 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation for automatically turning on or off the line illumination. After starting to receive transported paper (S101), it is determined whether or not to discharge the paper to the stacker tray (S102). If not, the light remains off and the process returns to the original state; if not, the light starts to light (S103). Thereafter, based on a determination as to whether the paper loading job is to be completed (S104), if the job continues, the light continues to be turned on, and if the job is to be completed, the light is turned off (S105) and the process ends.

[0046] For example, aspects of the present invention are as follows. <1> a stacking tray for stacking the discharged paper; an edge regulating means for regulating an edge of the paper; A lighting means for illuminating the loading platform; In a paper loading device having The illumination means has a function of irradiating an illumination mark for marking the placement position of the paper. The paper stacking device is characterized in that: <2> The lighting device further includes a moving means for moving the lighting means. The above-mentioned <1> 2 is a paper loading device according to the first embodiment. <3> The illumination mark has a scale. The above-mentioned <1> or <2> 2 is a paper loading device according to the first embodiment. <4> The scale indicates a maximum scale and a minimum scale in the transport direction and width direction of the paper. The above-mentioned <3> 2 is a paper loading device according to the first embodiment. <5> Further comprising an operating means for turning on and off the operation of the lighting means. The above-mentioned <1> from <4> 1 is a diagram showing a paper stacking device according to the first embodiment of the present invention; <6> The illumination means is turned on while the paper is being discharged onto the stacking tray. The above-mentioned <1> from <5> 1 is a diagram showing a paper stacking device according to the first embodiment of the present invention; <7> an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet; The above <1> from <6> and a sheet stacking device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

[0047] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Within the scope of the present invention, the elements of the above-described embodiment can be modified, added, or converted in a manner that would be easily conceivable by a person skilled in the art. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Stacker device 2 Horizontal transport path 3 Branch Claw 4. Jogger Fence 5 Stacker Tray 6 Tip stopper 7, 8 Lighting 9. Windows 10, 10a, 10b Line lighting A Image forming device B1, B2 Paper post-processing device C Control section E. Front door P Output paper stack PB control board S1, S2 Sensor [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0049] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-018344 [Patent Document 2] JP 2012-148846 A

Claims

1. a stacking tray for stacking the discharged paper; an edge regulating means for regulating an edge of the paper; A lighting means for illuminating the loading platform; In a paper loading device having 4. The paper stacking device according to claim 3, wherein the illumination means has a function of irradiating an illumination mark for marking a position where the paper is to be placed.

2. The lighting device further includes a moving means for moving the lighting means.

2. The paper stacking device according to claim 1.

3. The illumination mark has a scale.

3. The paper stacking device according to claim 1, wherein the paper stacking device is a paper feed device.

4. The scale indicates a maximum scale and a minimum scale in the transport direction and width direction of the paper.

4. The paper stacking device according to claim 3.

5. The lighting device further includes an operating means for turning the lighting device on and off.

3. The paper stacking device according to claim 1, wherein the paper stacking device is a paper feed device.

6. The illumination means is turned on while the paper is being discharged onto the stacking tray.

3. The paper stacking device according to claim 1, wherein the paper stacking device is a paper feed device.

7. an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet; An image forming system comprising: the paper stacking device according to claim 1 .

Images