Recording medium processing device, image formation system and program

Abstract

To inhibit displacement of a recording medium in a width direction as compared to a configuration in which a plurality of conveyance means conveys recording media at the same conveying speed.SOLUTION: Provided is a recording medium processing device comprising: a pair of first conveyance means for each conveying a recording medium held therebetween, disposed with a space in a width direction of the recording medium that is conveyed; a cutting member for cutting the recording medium conveyed by the first conveyance means along a conveying direction of the recording medium; and second means for conveying the recording medium together with the first conveyance means in pair holding the recording medium therebetween, at a conveying speed of the recording medium slower than that of the first conveyance means in pair, disposed between the first conveyance means in pair in the width direction and inside the cutting member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording medium processing device, an image forming system, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an image forming device including a first transport roller pair consisting of rotatable first and second rollers that transport paper by rotating while holding the paper in between; a rotary blade pair arranged downstream of the first transport roller pair on the paper transport path and consisting of a rotatable first and second rotary blade that cuts the paper parallel to its transport direction by rotating while holding the paper in between; and a second transport roller pair consisting of a third roller that can rotate on the same axis as the first rotary blade and a fourth roller that can rotatable on the same axis as the second rotary blade, and that transports the scraps cut by the rotary blade pair in the transport direction of the paper by rotating while holding the scraps in between, and the rotation speed of the second transport roller pair is controlled to be greater than the rotation speed of the first transport roller pair. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-203308 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The recording medium processing device may be provided with a plurality of conveying means positioned at intervals in the width direction of the recording medium being transported and conveying the recording medium, and a cutting member that cuts the recording medium being transported by the plurality of conveying means along the transport direction, outside in the width direction of at least one of the plurality of conveying means. Here, when multiple conveying means convey the recording medium at the same conveying speed, the recording medium may be displaced in the width direction due to a decrease in the conveying speed of part of the recording medium as a result of the recording medium receiving force from the cutting member. An object of the present invention is to suppress displacement of the recording medium in the width direction, compared to a configuration in which a plurality of conveying means convey the recording medium at the same conveying speed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The invention described in claim 1 is a recording medium processing device comprising a pair of first conveying means arranged at intervals in the width direction of the recording medium being transported, each of which transports the recording medium by sandwiching it between them, a cutting member that cuts the recording medium being transported by the first conveying means along the transport direction of the recording medium, and a second conveying means that is arranged between the pair of first conveying means in the width direction and inside the cutting member, and which sandwiches the recording medium and transports the recording medium together with the pair of first conveying means at a transport speed of the recording medium that is slower than that of each of the pair of first conveying means. The invention described in claim 2 is the recording medium processing device described in claim 1, further comprising a driving source that provides driving force to the first conveying means and the second conveying means, and the second conveying means has a mechanism that makes the conveying speed of the second conveying means slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means. The invention described in claim 3 is the recording medium processing device described in claim 2, wherein the first conveying means has a first rotating member that rotates upon receiving driving force from the one driving source to convey the recording medium, the second conveying means has a second rotating member that rotates upon receiving driving force from the one driving source to convey the recording medium, and the mechanism is configured such that the outer diameter of the second rotating member is smaller than the outer diameter of the first rotating member. The invention described in claim 4 is the recording medium processing device described in claim 2, wherein the first conveying means has a rotating first rotating member and a first opposing member that faces the first rotating member via the conveying path of the recording medium and presses the first rotating member, the second conveying means has a rotating second rotating member and a second opposing member that faces the second rotating member via the conveying path and presses the second rotating member, and the mechanism is configured such that the pressure applied by the second opposing member to the second rotating member is lower than the pressure applied by the first opposing member to the first rotating member. The invention described in claim 5 is the recording medium processing device described in claim 2, wherein the first conveying means has a rotating first rotating member and a first opposing member that faces the first rotating member via the conveying path of the recording medium and presses the first rotating member, the second conveying means has a rotating second rotating member and a second opposing member that faces the second rotating member via the conveying path and presses the second rotating member, and the mechanism is configured such that the surface of the second rotating member is harder than the surface of the first rotating member. The invention described in claim 6 is the recording medium processing device described in claim 1, further comprising a processor that controls the conveying speed of the first conveying means and / or the conveying speed of the second conveying means, and when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the processor controls the conveying speed of the second conveying means to be slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means. The invention recited in claim 7 is the recording medium processing device recited in claim 6, wherein at least one of the conditions is that the type of the recording medium cut by the cutting member is a predetermined type. An eighth aspect of the present invention is the recording medium processing device according to the seventh aspect, wherein the predetermined type is a recording medium having a basis weight equal to or less than a predetermined type. The invention described in claim 9 is the recording medium processing device described in claim 7, wherein the predetermined type is a recording medium whose length in the transport direction is greater than or equal to a predetermined length in the transport direction, and / or a recording medium whose length in the width direction is greater than or equal to a predetermined length in the width direction. The invention recited in claim 10 is the recording medium processing device recited in claim 6, wherein at least one of the conditions is defined with respect to an index relating to the environment of a space in which the device is installed. The invention described in claim 11 is the recording medium processing device described in claim 10, wherein the indicator is the humidity of the space in which the device is installed, and at least one of the conditions is that the humidity is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The invention recited in claim 12 is the recording medium processing device recited in claim 6, wherein at least one of the conditions is an index related to usage of the device itself and is defined as an index accumulated according to the usage. An invention recited in claim 13 is the recording medium processing device of claim 1, wherein a difference between the transport speed of the first transport means and the transport speed of the second transport means satisfies a predetermined condition. The invention described in claim 14 is the recording medium processing device described in claim 13, wherein at least one of the conditions is that the value obtained by subtracting the conveying speed of the second conveying means from the conveying speed of the first conveying means is equal to or less than a predetermined value. The invention described in claim 15 is the recording medium processing device described in claim 13, wherein at least one of the conditions is that a value obtained by subtracting the conveying speed of the second conveying means from the conveying speed of the first conveying means is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The invention described in claim 16 is the recording medium processing device described in claim 1, wherein the first conveying means has a first rotating member that rotates to convey the recording medium, and the second conveying means has a second rotating member that rotates to convey the recording medium, and the rotational speed of the second rotating member is slower than the rotational speed of the first rotating member. The invention described in claim 17 is the recording medium processing device described in claim 1, further comprising a pressing member that is provided outside the cutting member in the width direction and presses the recording medium cut by the cutting member to form a fold in the recording medium along the transport direction. The invention described in claim 18 is an image forming system comprising an image forming device that forms an image on a recording medium, and a recording medium processing device that processes the recording medium on which an image has been formed by the image forming device, wherein the recording medium processing device is configured to include the recording medium processing device described in any one of claims 1 to 17. The invention described in claim 19 is a program for causing a computer to realize a first conveying function that causes a recording medium to be conveyed to be sandwiched between a first part and a second part of the recording medium that are spaced apart in the width direction of the recording medium, a cutting function that causes the recording medium being conveyed by the first conveying function to be cut along the conveying direction of the recording medium, and a second conveying function that causes a portion of the recording medium that is between the first part and the second part in the width direction and is inside the portion cut by the cutting function to be conveyed at a conveying speed of the recording medium that is slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying function. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the invention of claim 1, it is possible to suppress displacement of the recording medium in the width direction, compared to a configuration in which a plurality of conveying means convey the recording medium at the same conveying speed. According to the invention of claim 2, it is not necessary to provide a control means for controlling the conveying speed of the second conveying means to be slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means in the recording medium processing device, separately from the second conveying means. According to the invention of claim 3, a mechanism for making the conveying speed of the second conveying means slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means can be realized without providing a mechanism for making the conveying speed of the second conveying means slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means in each of the first conveying means and the second conveying means. According to the invention of claim 4, a mechanism for making the conveying speed of the second conveying means slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means can be realized without providing a mechanism for making the conveying speed of the second conveying means slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means in each of the first conveying means and the second conveying means. According to the invention of claim 5, a mechanism for making the conveying speed of the second conveying means slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means can be realized without providing a mechanism for making the conveying speed of the second conveying means slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means in each of the first conveying means and the second conveying means. According to the invention of claim 6, wear of the first conveying means and the second conveying means can be suppressed when the predetermined conditions are not satisfied, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed of the second conveying means is slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means regardless of whether the predetermined conditions are satisfied or not. According to the invention of claim 7, wear on the first conveying means and the second conveying means can be reduced when a recording medium other than a predetermined type is conveyed, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed of the second conveying means is slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means regardless of the type of recording medium. According to the invention of claim 8, wear of the first conveying means and the second conveying means can be suppressed when a recording medium having a basis weight less than a predetermined value is conveyed, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed of the second conveying means is slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means regardless of the basis weight of the recording medium. According to the invention of claim 9, wear of the first conveying means and the second conveying means can be suppressed when a recording medium whose length in the conveying direction is less than a predetermined length in the conveying direction and / or a recording medium whose length in the width direction is less than a predetermined length in the width direction is conveyed, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed of the second conveying means is slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means regardless of the length of the recording medium in the conveying direction and the length of the recording medium in the width direction. According to the invention of claim 10, wear of the first conveying means and the second conveying means can be suppressed when predetermined conditions are not satisfied, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed of the second conveying means is slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means regardless of an index related to the environment of the space in which the recording medium processing device is installed. According to the invention of claim 11, wear of the first conveying means and the second conveying means can be suppressed when the humidity is below a predetermined value, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed of the second conveying means is slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means regardless of the humidity of the space in which the recording medium processing device is installed. According to the invention of claim 12, wear of the first conveying means and the second conveying means can be suppressed when predetermined conditions are not satisfied, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed of the second conveying means is slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means regardless of an index related to the use of the recording medium processing device. According to the invention of claim 13, it is possible to suppress displacement of the recording medium in the width direction, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed of the second conveying means is slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means without satisfying the predetermined condition. According to the invention of claim 14, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles in the recording medium compared to a case where the value obtained by subtracting the conveying speed of the second conveying means from the conveying speed of the first conveying means is greater than a predetermined value. According to the invention of claim 15, displacement of the recording medium in the width direction can be suppressed compared to a case where the value obtained by subtracting the conveying speed of the second conveying means from the conveying speed of the first conveying means is less than a predetermined value. According to the invention of claim 16, it becomes unnecessary to provide the first conveying means or the second conveying means with a configuration for making the conveying speed of the second conveying means slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means. According to the invention of claim 17, even if the force that the recording medium receives on the side opposite the transport direction is greater than in a configuration in which a pressing member is not provided in the recording medium processing device, displacement of the recording medium in the left-right direction is suppressed compared to a configuration in which the first transport means and the second transport means transport the recording medium at the same transport speed. According to the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress displacement of the recording medium in the width direction, compared to a configuration in which a plurality of conveying means convey the recording medium at the same conveying speed. According to the nineteenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress displacement of the recording medium in the width direction, compared to a configuration in which the first conveying function and the second conveying function convey the recording medium at the same conveying speed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an image forming system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a second post-processing device. [Diagram 3] 3 is a view of the cutting device as seen from the direction indicated by the arrow III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a cutter unit and a crease forming device. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a hardware configuration of an information processing unit. [Figure 6] 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the transport speed of a central drive roll and the transport speed of an end drive roll. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified cutting device. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified cutting device. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified cutting device. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating functions realized by an information processing unit according to the second embodiment. [Figure 11] 11 is a flowchart showing a flow of a transport process. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified cutting device. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a modified cutting device. [Figure 14] 1 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing performed by a CPU. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] <First embodiment> Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an image forming system 1 according to the present embodiment. The image forming system 1 includes an image forming device 2 that forms an image on paper P as an example of a recording medium, and a first post-processing device 3 and a second post-processing device 4 that perform predetermined processing on the paper P on which the image has been formed by the image forming device 2. The image forming device 2 forms an image on a sheet P using an electrophotographic method or an inkjet method.

[0009] The first post-processing device 3 is provided downstream of the image forming device 2 in the transport direction of the paper P, and performs processes on the paper P such as punching, folding, and stapling. The second post-processing device 4, which is an example of a recording medium processing device, is provided downstream of the first post-processing device 3 in the transport direction, and performs processing on the paper P such as cutting.

[0010] Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the second post-processing device 4. The upper side of the second post-processing device 4 shown in Fig. 2 may be referred to as the "upper side", the lower side of the second post-processing device 4 shown in Fig. 2 may be referred to as the "lower side", and the up-down direction of the second post-processing device 4 shown in Fig. 2 may be referred to as the "up-down direction". The second post-processing device 4 is provided with an inlet 41 for receiving the paper P transported from the first post-processing device 3, and a stacking section 42 for stacking the paper P transported from the second post-processing device 4. The second post-processing device 4 is also provided with a cutting device 51 for cutting the paper P, a storage section 60 for storing the part of the paper P cut off by the cutting device 51, and a registration roll 52 for adjusting the timing of transporting the paper P. The second post-processing device 4 is also provided with an upstream transport roll 43 that is provided upstream of the registration roll 52 in the transport direction and transports the paper P toward the registration roll 52, and a first downstream transport roll 44 and a second downstream transport roll 45 that are provided downstream of the cutting device 51 in the transport direction and transport the paper P toward the stacking section 42. The second post-processing device 4 is also provided with an acceptance device 40 that accepts information input by a user, and an information processing section 100 that is configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes a program and controls the entire second post-processing device 4.

[0011] The reception device 40 is configured with a touch panel or the like, and receives information input by a user's operation. The storage section 60 is provided below the cutting device 51, and stores the portion of the paper P that is cut off by the cutting device 51 as scraps.

[0012] The transport paths of the paper P in the second post-processing device 4 include a first transport path R1, a second transport path R2, a third transport path R3, and a fourth transport path R4. The first transport path R1 is a transport path that passes through a cutting device 51. The second transport path R2 is provided above the cutting device 51 and is a transport path that does not pass through the cutting device 51. The third transport path R3 is provided downstream of the cutting device 51 in the transport direction, and is a transport path for the paper P that passes through the first transport path R1. The fourth transport path R4 is provided downstream of the cutting device 51 in the transport direction and below the third transport path R3, and is a transport path for the paper P that has passed through the first transport path R1. The paper P that has passed through the first transport path R1 passes through either the third transport path R3 or the fourth transport path R4 and is then stacked on the stacking unit 42.

[0013] Fig. 3 is a view of the cutting device 51 as viewed from the direction indicated by the arrow III in Fig. 2. The left side of the cutting device 51 shown in Fig. 3 may be referred to as the "left side", the right side of the cutting device 51 shown in Fig. 3 may be referred to as the "right side", and the left-right direction of the cutting device 51 shown in Fig. 3 may be referred to as the "left-right direction". As shown in FIG. 3, the cutting device 51 includes a central transport roll 53, an outer transport roll 54, an end transport roll 55, a central rotating shaft 56, an outer rotating shaft 57, a cutter unit 58, and a crease forming device 59.

[0014] The central transport roll 53, which is an example of a second transport means, is provided in the center in the left-right direction of the cutting device 51 and transports the paper P. The central transport roll 53 includes a central driving roll 531 and a central driven roll 532. The central driving roll 531, which is an example of a second rotating member, rotates by receiving a driving force. The surface of the central driving roll 531 is made of an elastic material such as rubber. The central driven roll 532, which is an example of a second opposing member, is provided opposite the central driving roll 531 across the transport path. The central driven roll 532 presses the central driving roll 531, and rotates by being driven by the central driving roll 531 as the central driving roll 531 rotates. The surface of the central driven roll 532 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and has a surface hardness lower than that of the central driving roll 531.

[0015] In the illustrated example, the central driving roll 531 is provided below the central driven roll 532, but the present invention is not limited to this. The vertical positional relationship between the central driving roll 531 and the central driven roll 532 may be opposite to that in the illustrated example.

[0016] The outer transport rolls 54, which are an example of a first transport means, are provided outside the central transport roll 53 in the left-right direction of the cutting device 51, and transport the paper P. The outer transport rolls 54 are provided on the left and right sides of the central transport roll 53. The outer transport rolls 54 are provided with an outer driving roll 541 and an outer driven roll 542. The outer driving roll 541, which is an example of a first rotating member, rotates by receiving a driving force. The outer driving roll 541 has a surface made of an elastic material such as rubber. The outer driven roll 542, which is an example of a first opposing member, is provided opposite the outer driving roll 541 via a transport path. The outer driven roll 542 presses the outer driving roll 541, and rotates by being driven by the outer driving roll 541 as the outer driving roll 541 rotates. The outer driven roll 542 has a surface made of an elastic material such as rubber, and has a surface hardness lower than that of the outer driving roll 541.

[0017] In the illustrated example, the outer driving roll 541 is provided above the outer driven roll 542, but the present invention is not limited to this. The vertical positional relationship between the outer driving roll 541 and the outer driven roll 542 may be opposite to that in the illustrated example.

[0018] End transport rolls 55, which are an example of a first transport means, are provided at the left and right ends of the cutting device 51 and transport the paper P. The end transport rolls 55 are provided at the left and right ends of the cutting device 51. The end transport rolls 55 are provided with an end drive roll 551 and an end driven roll 552. The end drive roll 551, which is an example of a first rotating member, rotates by receiving a driving force. The surface of the end drive roll 551 is made of an elastic material such as rubber. The end driven roll 552, which is an example of a first opposing member, is provided opposite the end driving roll 551 via a transport path. The end driven roll 552 presses the end driving roll 551, and rotates by being driven by the end driving roll 551 as the end driving roll 551 rotates. The end driven roll 552 has a surface made of an elastic material such as rubber, and has a surface hardness lower than that of the end driving roll 551.

[0019] In the illustrated example, the end driving roll 551 is provided above the end driven roll 552, but the present invention is not limited to this. The vertical positional relationship between the end driving roll 551 and the end driven roll 552 may be opposite to that in the illustrated example.

[0020] The central rotating shaft 56 is a rotating shaft of the central transport roll 53. The central rotating shaft 56 is provided with a central driving rotating shaft 561 and a central driven rotating shaft 562. The central driving rotation shaft 561 is a rotation shaft of the central driving roll 531. In this embodiment, the position of the central driving rotation shaft 561 is fixed in the cutting device 51. The central driving rotation shaft 561 receives a driving force from a motor described later and rotates. In response to this rotation, the central driving roll 531 also rotates. The central driven rotation shaft 562 is a rotation shaft of the central driven roll 532. In this embodiment, the central driven rotation shaft 562 is pressed downward by a pressing member (not shown), whereby the central driven roll 532 is pressed against the central driving roll 531.

[0021] The outer rotating shaft 57 is a rotating shaft for the outer transport roll 54 and the end transport roll 55. The outer rotating shaft 57 is provided with an outer driving rotating shaft 571 and an outer driven rotating shaft 572. The outer driving rotation shaft 571 is a rotation shaft of the outer driving roll 541 and the end driving roll 551. In this embodiment, the position of the outer driving rotation shaft 571 is fixed in the cutting device 51. The outer driving rotation shaft 571 receives a driving force from a motor described later and rotates. In accordance with this rotation, the outer driving roll 541 and the end driving roll 551 also rotate. The outer driven rotation shaft 572 is a rotation shaft of the outer driven roll 542 and the end driven roll 552. In this embodiment, the outer driven rotation shaft 572 is pressed upward by a pressing member (not shown), whereby the outer driven roll 542 is pressed against the outer driving roll 541 and the end driven roll 552 is pressed against the end driving roll 551.

[0022] In addition, the central driven rotation shaft 562 may be fixed in position in the cutting device 51, while the central driving rotation shaft 561 may be pressed by a pressing member (not shown) to press the central driving roll 531 against the central driven roll 532. In addition, the outer driven rotating shaft 572 may be fixed in position in the cutting device 51, while the outer driving rotating shaft 571 may be pressed by a pressing member not shown, thereby pressing the end driving roll 551 against the end driven roll 552.

[0023] The cutter unit 58, which is an example of a cutting member, cuts the paper P along the transport direction. The cutter units 58 are provided at the left and right ends of the cutting device 51 in the left-right direction. The crease forming device 59, which is an example of a pressing member, forms creases along the conveyance direction on the sheet P. The crease forming devices 59 are provided at the left end and the right end of the cutting device 51 in the left-right direction.

[0024] As described above, in this embodiment, the central transport roll 53, the outer transport roll 54, and the end transport roll 55 all transport the paper P while pinching and pushing it. Therefore, when the paper P is transported by the central transport roll 53, the outer transport roll 54, and the end transport roll 55, the paper P receives forces in the transport direction from the central transport roll 53, the outer transport roll 54, and the end transport roll 55. In this embodiment, the two outer transport rolls 54, the two end transport rolls 55, the two cutter units 58, and the two crease forming devices 59 are provided symmetrically with respect to the central transport roll 53.

[0025] Here, the two outer transport rolls 54 and the two end transport rolls 55 are provided with an interval in the width direction of the transported paper P, and are regarded as a pair of first transport means that sandwich and transport the paper P. The width direction of the paper P is the left-right direction of the paper P (see FIG. 3). Moreover, the portions of the paper P sandwiched between the pair of end transport rolls 55 are regarded as the first and second portions. The portions of the paper P sandwiched between the pair of outer transport rolls 54 may also be regarded as the first and second portions.

[0026] The two outer transport rolls 54, the two end transport rolls 55, the two cutter units 58, and the two crease forming devices 59 are arranged to move left and right in accordance with the width of the paper P transported to the cutting device 51. The two outer transport rolls 54, the two end transport rolls 55, the two cutter units 58, and the two crease forming devices 59 move left and right by being driven by a drive device (not shown) that drives an object.

[0027] In the following description, when the central transport roll 53, the outer transport rolls 54, and the end transport rolls 55 are not particularly distinguished from one another, they may be simply referred to as transport rolls. In the following description, when the central drive roll 531, the outer drive roll 541, and the end drive roll 551 are not particularly distinguished from one another, they may be simply referred to as drive rolls. In the following description, when the central driven roll 532, the outer driven roll 542, and the end driven roll 552 are not particularly distinguished from one another, they may be simply referred to as driven rolls.

[0028] In addition, in this embodiment, the transport rolls are arranged so that the portion of the paper P sandwiched between the central transport roll 53, the portion sandwiched between a pair of outer transport rolls 54, and the portion sandwiched between a pair of end transport rolls 55 overlap in the transport direction.

[0029] In this embodiment, the central drive roll 531, the outer drive roll 541, and the end drive roll 551 all have the same width, outer diameter, and surface hardness. In this embodiment, the central driven roll 532, the outer driven roll 542, and the end driven roll 552 are all the same in width, outer diameter, and surface hardness. In addition, in this embodiment, the pressure applied by the central driven roll 532 to the central driving roll 531, the pressure applied by the outer driven roll 542 to the outer driving roll 541, and the pressure applied by the end driven roll 552 to the end driving roll 551 are all the same.

[0030] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the cutter unit 58 and the crease forming device 59. Fig. 4 shows the cutter unit 58 and the crease forming device 59 provided at the left end portion (see Fig. 3) of the cutting device 51. As shown in FIG. 4, the cutter unit 58 is provided with a cutter 581 and a receiving member 582.

[0031] Cutter 581 is a disk-shaped blade. Cutter 581 is provided on outer driven rotation shaft 572, and the tip of the blade is aligned with receiving member 582 in the left-right direction. Also, cutter 581 is pushed from the inside (right side in the illustrated example) to the outside (left side in the illustrated example) in the left-right direction by a spring (not shown), so that the tip of the blade is pressed against receiving member 582. The receiving member 582 is provided on the outer driving rotation shaft 571. The receiving member 582 is formed in a cylindrical shape and receives the blade of the cutter 581.

[0032] The crease forming device 59 is provided with a disk 591 and a groove 592 . The disk 591 is formed in a disk shape and is provided on the outer drive rotating shaft 571. The disk 591 has an outer diameter larger than the end drive roll 551 and the receiving member 582, and the tip of the disk 591 fits into the groove 592. The groove portion 592 is provided on the outer driven rotation shaft 572 and is provided so as to overlap with the disk 591 in the left-right direction. The groove portion 592 has a groove into which the tip of the disk 591 fits.

[0033] The outer driving rotation shaft 571 is provided with an end driving roll 551, a disk 591, and a receiving member 582 in that order from the outer side in the left-right direction (the left side in the illustrated example). The outer driven rotation shaft 572 is provided with an end driven roll 552, a groove portion 592, and a cutter 581 in that order from the outer side in the left-right direction (the left side in the illustrated example).

[0034] When the outer drive rotation shaft 571 rotates by receiving a driving force from a motor described later, the end drive roll 551 rotates, and the end driven roll 552 rotates with the rotation of the end drive roll 551. In this state, when the paper P is sandwiched between the end transport roll 55, the cutter unit 58, and the crease forming device 59, the paper P is cut along the transport direction by cutting the part pressed by the cutter 581 while being transported. Also, the paper P is transported while being pressed against the groove part 592 by the disk 591, so that the crease along the transport direction is formed on the paper P. Here, the part of the paper P where the crease is formed is the part of the paper P that is cut by the cutter unit 58 and becomes waste. Also, the waste of the paper P is transported to the end transport roll 55, and then falls and is stored in the storage part 60. In this way, when folds are formed in the scraps of paper P, the scraps of paper P become more rigid than when they are not folded, and the scraps of paper P are less likely to scatter before falling into the storage section 60, which contributes to making the storage section 60 smaller.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing unit 100. As shown in FIG. The information processing unit 100 includes a processing unit 201, an information storage device 202 for storing information, and a network interface 203 for realizing communication via a LAN (=Local Area Network) cable or the like.

[0036] The processing unit 201 is configured by a computer. The processing unit 201 has a CPU (=Central Processing Unit) 211 as an example of a processor that executes various processes described later. The processing unit 201 also has a ROM (=Read Only Memory) 212 in which software is stored, and a RAM (=Random Access Memory) 213 used as a work area. The information storage device 202 is realized by an existing device such as a hard disk drive, a semiconductor memory, or a magnetic tape. The processing unit 201, the information storage device 202, and the network interface 203 are connected via a bus 204 and a signal line (not shown).

[0037] The program executed by CPU 211 may be provided to information processing unit 100 in a state where it is stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as a magnetic recording medium (magnetic tape, magnetic disk, etc.), an optical recording medium (optical disk, etc.), a magneto-optical recording medium, a semiconductor memory, etc. In addition, the program executed by CPU 211 may be provided to information processing unit 100 using a communication means such as the Internet.

[0038] In this specification, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, including general-purpose processors (e.g., CPU: Central Processing Unit, etc.) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.). In addition, the operations of the processor may not only be performed by one processor, but may be performed by multiple processors in physically separate locations working together. The order of the operations of the processor is not limited to the order described in this embodiment, and may be changed.

[0039] 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the transport speed of the central driving roll 531 and the transport speed of the end driving roll 551. Note that the transport speed is the speed at which the paper P is transported. As shown in FIG. 6, the second post-processing device 4 is provided with a motor 70 and a gear train 80. The motor 70, as an example of one driving source, is a driving source that provides driving force to the central driving roll 531, the outer driving roll 541, and the end driving roll 551. More specifically, the motor 70 provides driving force to the central driving roll 531 via a central driving rotation shaft 561, and also provides driving force to the outer driving roll 541 and the end driving roll 551 via an outer driving rotation shaft 571.

[0040] The gear train 80 transmits the driving force from the motor 70 to the central driving roll 531 and the end driving roll 551. More specifically, the gear train 80 transmits the driving force from the motor 70 to the central driving roll 531 via a central driving rotating shaft 561, and also transmits the driving force from the motor 70 to the end driving roll 551 via an outer driving rotating shaft 571. The gear train 80 is also provided with a first input / output gear 801 and a second input / output gear 802. The first input / output gear 801 is a gear that receives a driving force from the motor 70 and outputs the received driving force to the central driving roll 531 via the central driving rotation shaft 561 . The second input / output gear 802 is a gear that receives a driving force from the motor 70 and outputs the received driving force to the end driving roll 551 via the outer driving rotation shaft 571 .

[0041] In this embodiment, the configurations of the first input / output gear 801 and the second input / output gear 802 are determined so that the conveying speed of the central driving roll 531 and the conveying speed of the end driving roll 551 satisfy a predetermined relationship. More specifically, in this embodiment, the configurations of the first input / output gear 801 and the second input / output gear 802 are determined so that the conveying speed of the central driving roll 531 is slower than the conveying speed of the end driving roll 551 within a range that satisfies the speed condition. The speed condition is a condition determined regarding the relationship between the conveying speed of the central conveying roll 53 and the conveying speed of the end conveying roll 55. The speed condition will be described later.

[0042] In this embodiment, the rotation speed of the first input / output gear 801 and the rotation speed of the second input / output gear 802 are the same. Also, the teeth of the first input / output gear 801 and the teeth of the second input / output gear 802 are the same size, but the number of teeth of the second input / output gear 802 is greater than the number of teeth of the first input / output gear 801 by the amount that the outer diameter of the second input / output gear 802 is greater than the outer diameter of the first input / output gear 801. In this case, the rotation speed of the end drive roll 551 per one rotation of the second input / output gear 802 is greater than the rotation speed of the central drive roll 531 per one rotation of the first input / output gear 801, so the rotation speed of the end drive roll 551 is faster than the rotation speed of the central drive roll 531. Therefore, the conveying speed of the end drive roll 551 is faster than the conveying speed of the central drive roll 531. The teeth of the first input / output gear 801 refer to the teeth of the first input / output gear 801 that mesh with the central driving rotation shaft 561. The teeth of the second input / output gear 802 refer to the teeth of the second input / output gear 802 that mesh with the outer driving rotation shaft 571.

[0043] The rotation speed of the central driving roll 531 may be referred to as rotation speed Sr1 below. The rotation speed of the end driving roll 551 may be referred to as rotation speed Sr2 below. The rotation speed is the angle that the target rotates per second. Moreover, the conveying speed of the central driving roll 531 may be referred to as conveying speed Sc1 below. The conveying speed Sc1 may also be regarded as the conveying speed of the central conveying roll 53. Moreover, the conveying speed of the end driving roll 551 may be referred to as conveying speed Sc2 below. The conveying speed Sc2 may also be regarded as the conveying speed of the end conveying roll 55. Moreover, the conveying speed is the distance that an object moves per second. Moreover, the object is paper P. Furthermore, the configurations of the first input / output gear 801 and the second input / output gear 802 are not limited to the example shown in the drawing. Each of the first input / output gear 801 and the second input / output gear 802 may be configured from a plurality of gears.

[0044] As described above, the central conveying roll 53 is located between the pair of end conveying rolls 55 in the left-right direction and inside the cutter unit 58, and conveys the paper P together with the pair of end conveying rolls 55, sandwiching the paper P, at a conveying speed of the paper P that is slower than that of each of the pair of end conveying rolls 55. In this embodiment, cutter units 58 are provided at the left-right ends of cutting device 51 (see FIG. 3), and when paper sheet P is transported to cutting device 51, the left-right ends of paper sheet P are pressed by cutter 581 of cutter unit 58. In this case, the conveying speed is likely to decrease in the portion of paper sheet P pressed by cutter unit 581 and in the vicinity of this portion due to the force applied in the opposite direction to the conveying direction. In particular, in this embodiment, the crease forming device 59 is provided at the left-right end of the cutting device 51, and when the paper sheet P is transported to the cutting device 51, the left-right end of the paper sheet P is pressed by a disk 591 of the crease forming device 59. In this case, the conveying speed is likely to decrease in the portion of the paper sheet P pressed by the disk 591 and in the vicinity of this portion due to the force applied in the opposite direction to the conveying direction.

[0045] When the conveying speed of the end portion of the paper P in the left-right direction is slower than the conveying speed of the center portion of the paper P, the paper P is easily pulled by the force that the center portion of the paper P in the left-right direction receives in the conveying direction and the force that the end portion of the paper P in the left-right direction receives on the opposite side of the conveying direction. More specifically, the center portion and the end portion of the paper P in the left-right direction are easily pulled in opposite directions. In this case, a rotational moment acts on the end portion of the paper P in the left-right direction, and the central portion of the paper P in the left-right direction is easily bent in the portion of the paper P upstream of the cutting device 51 in the conveying direction. In other words, both ends of the paper P in the left-right direction are easily displaced toward the center portion in the portion of the paper P upstream of the cutting device 51 in the conveying direction, and in this case, the portion of the paper P cut by the cutter unit 58 may vary.

[0046] In contrast, in this embodiment, as described above, the central transport roll 53 transports the paper P together with the pair of end transport rolls 55, sandwiching the paper P, at a transport speed of the paper P that is slower than that of each of the pair of end transport rolls 55. In this case, compared to a configuration in which the central transport roll 53 and the end transport rolls 55 transport the paper P at the same transport speed, the tension between the central portion and the end portions in the left-right direction of the paper P is alleviated, and the displacement of both ends in the left-right direction of the paper P toward the central portion is suppressed. Therefore, the occurrence of variation in the portion of the paper P cut by the cutter unit 58 is suppressed.

[0047] In the above example, it has been described that the second conveying means, an example of which is the central conveying roll 53, conveys the paper P at a slower conveying speed than the first conveying means, an example of which is the end conveying roll 55. Here, "the second conveying means conveys the paper P at a slower conveying speed than each of the pair of first conveying means" means that when the conveying speed of the second conveying means and the conveying speed of each of the pair of first conveying means are controlled to be the same conveying speed, the conveying speed of the second conveying means becomes slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means by exceeding the degree of "delay in the conveying speed of the second conveying means relative to the conveying speed of the first conveying means" that may occur due to an error in the design of the second post-processing device 4.

[0048] The conveying speed of the second conveying means is the conveying speed when the second conveying means conveys the paper P by itself. The conveying speed of the first conveying means is the conveying speed when each of the first conveying means conveys the paper P by itself. In other words, the conveying speed of the second conveying means is the conveying speed when the configurations other than the second conveying means, such as the first conveying means, cutter unit 58, and crease forming device 59, do not act on the paper P. The conveying speed of the first conveying means is the conveying speed when the configurations other than the first conveying means, such as the second conveying means, cutter unit 58, and crease forming device 59, do not act on the paper P.

[0049] In this embodiment, the difference between the conveying speed Sc2 of the end conveying roll 55 and the conveying speed Sc1 of the center conveying roll 53 satisfies the speed condition. In this embodiment, the speed condition is determined from the viewpoint of suppressing the displacement of the paper P in the width direction when the paper P is conveyed to the cutting device 51. In this case, the displacement of the paper P in the left-right direction is suppressed compared to a configuration in which the transport speed Sc1 of the central transport roll 53 is slower than the transport speed Sc2 of the end transport roll 55 without satisfying the speed condition.

[0050] In this embodiment, at least one of the speed conditions is that the value obtained by subtracting the transport speed Sc1 of the central transport roll 53 from the transport speed Sc2 of the end transport roll 55 is equal to or less than a predetermined upper limit value. If the conveying speed Sc1 of the central conveying roll 53 is excessively slower than the conveying speed Sc2 of the end conveying roll 55, the paper P is likely to be pulled by the force that the central part of the paper P in the left-right direction receives on the opposite side to the conveying direction and the force that the end parts of the paper P in the left-right direction receive in the conveying direction. In this case, the part of the paper P pressed by the central conveying roll 53 and the parts in the vicinity of this part are displaced, which may cause wrinkles in the paper P. Therefore, an upper limit is set for the value obtained by subtracting the conveying speed Sc1 of the central conveying roll 53 from the conveying speed Sc2 of the end conveying roll 55 so that the displacement of the paper P that may occur when the paper P is conveyed to the cutting device 51 does not exceed an allowable level. In this case, the occurrence of wrinkles in the paper P is suppressed compared to when the value obtained by subtracting the transport speed Sc1 of the central transport roll 53 from the transport speed Sc2 of the end transport roll 55 is greater than the upper limit value.

[0051] In this embodiment, at least one of the speed conditions is that the value obtained by subtracting the transport speed Sc1 of the central transport roll 53 from the transport speed Sc2 of the end transport roll 55 is equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit. If the difference between the conveying speed Sc2 and the conveying speed Sc1 is too small, the degree of easing of the above-mentioned pulling of the paper P is small, and in this case, the left and right ends of the paper P may be displaced toward the left and right center when the paper P is conveyed to the cutting device 51. Therefore, a lower limit is set for the value obtained by subtracting the conveying speed Sc1 of the center conveying roll 53 from the conveying speed Sc2 of the end conveying roll 55 so that the displacement of the paper P that may occur when the paper P is conveyed to the cutting device 51 does not exceed an allowable degree. In this case, the displacement of the paper P in the left-right direction is suppressed compared to when the value obtained by subtracting the transport speed Sc1 of the central transport roll 53 from the transport speed Sc2 of the end transport roll 55 is less than the lower limit value.

[0052] In this embodiment, the rotation speed of the central driving roll 531 is slower than the rotation speed of each of the end driving rolls 551 . In this case, there is no need to provide the end driving roll 551 or the central driving roll 531 with a configuration for making the conveying speed Sc1 of the central driving roll 531 slower than the conveying speed Sc2 of each of the end driving rolls 551.

[0053] In this embodiment, the crease forming device 59 is provided outside the cutter unit 58 in the left-right direction, and presses the paper P cut by the cutter unit 58 to form a crease in the paper P along the conveying direction. In this case, even if the force that the paper P receives in the opposite direction to the conveying direction is greater than in a configuration in which the second post-processing device 4 does not have a crease forming device 59, the displacement of the paper P in the left-right direction is suppressed compared to a configuration in which the central conveying roll 53 and the end conveying roll 55 convey the paper P at the same conveying speed.

[0054] 6, the relationship between the rotation speed of the central driving roll 531 and the rotation speed of the end driving roll 551 has been described. Here, the relationship between the rotation speed of the central driving roll 531 and the rotation speed of the outer driving roll 541 may be the same as the relationship between the rotation speed of the central driving roll 531 and the rotation speed of the end driving roll 551. In other words, the rotation speed of the outer driving roll 541 may be the same as the rotation speed of the end driving roll 551. In this case, the rotation speed of the outer driving roll 541 is also regarded as the rotation speed Sr2. 6, the relationship between the transport speed of the central driving roll 531 and the transport speed of the end driving roll 551 has been described. Here, the relationship between the transport speed of the central driving roll 531 and the transport speed of the outer driving roll 541 may be the same as the relationship between the transport speed of the central driving roll 531 and the transport speed of the end driving roll 551. In other words, the transport speed of the outer driving roll 541 may be the same as the transport speed of the end driving roll 551. In this case, the transport speed of the outer driving roll 541 and the transport speed of the outer transport roll 54 are also regarded as the transport speed Sc2.

[0055] <Modifications of the cutting device 51> Next, a description will be given of modified examples of the cutting device 51. The configuration of the cutting device 51 is not limited to the one described above. In addition, for each of the modified examples shown below, the configurations different from the cutting device 51 shown in FIG. 3 will be mainly described, and the description of the same configurations as the cutting device 51 shown in FIG. 3 may be omitted.

[0056] (Variation 1) FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a cutting device 51 as a first modified example. 7, the cutting device 51 of the first modification is provided with a central transport roll 53, two outer transport rolls 54, a central rotating shaft 56, an outer rotating shaft 57, and two cutter units 58. On the other hand, the cutting device 51 of the first modification is not provided with an end transport roll 55 (see FIG. 3) and a crease forming device 59. In the first modification, the central transport roll 53 transports the paper P at a transport speed slower than each of the pair of outer transport rolls 54.

[0057] In this way, when the cutting device 51 is not provided with the crease forming device 59, the force that the left-right ends of the paper P receive on the side opposite to the conveying direction is smaller than in a configuration in which the crease forming device 59 forms creases in the paper. In this case, coupled with a configuration in which the conveying speed of the central conveying roll 53 is slower than the conveying speed of the pair of outer conveying rolls 54, the pulling between the center and the ends in the left-right direction of the paper P is further alleviated, and the displacement of both ends in the left-right direction of the paper P toward the center is suppressed. Therefore, the occurrence of variation in the parts of the paper P that are cut by the cutter unit 58 is suppressed. The cutting device 51 of the first modification does not include the end transport roll 55, but is not limited thereto. The cutting device 51 of the first modification may not include the crease forming device 59, but may include two end transport rolls 55, as in the cutting device 51 shown in FIG. 3.

[0058] Furthermore, when the cutting device 51 is not provided with the crease forming device 59, the difference between the conveying speed of the central conveying roll 53 and the conveying speed of the pair of outer conveying rolls 54 may be made smaller than when the cutting device 51 is provided with the crease forming device 59. As a specific example, when the cutting device 51 is not provided with the crease forming device 59, the conveying speed of the central conveying roll 53 may be made faster within a range in which the speed condition is satisfied, compared to when the cutting device 51 is provided with the crease forming device 59.

[0059] (Variation 2) 8 is a diagram showing a cutting device 51 as Modification 2. In Modification 2, the rotation speed Sr1 of the central driving roll 531 and the rotation speed Sr2 of the end driving roll 551 are the same rotation speed. The cutting device 51 shown in FIG. 8 differs from the cutting device 51 shown in FIG. 3 in the relationship between the outer diameter of the central driving roll 531 and the outer diameter of the end driving roll 551. More specifically, the central driving roll 531 and the end driving roll 551 are provided such that the outer diameter of the central driving roll 531 is smaller than the outer diameter of the end driving roll 551. Hereinafter, the outer diameter of the central driving roll 531 may be referred to as outer diameter D1. Hereinafter, the outer diameter of the end driving roll 551 may be referred to as outer diameter D2.

[0060] In this case, even if the rotation speed Sr1 of the central driving roll 531 and the rotation speed Sr2 of the end driving roll 551 are the same, the transport speed Sc1 of the central driving roll 531 differs from the transport speed Sc2 of the end driving roll 551. More specifically, the transport speed Sc1 of the central driving roll 531 becomes slower than the transport speed Sc2 of the end driving roll 551 within a range that satisfies the speed condition by the amount that the outer diameter of the central driving roll 531 is smaller than the outer diameter of the end driving roll 551.

[0061] (Variation 3) In the third modification, the rotation speed Sr1 of the central driving roll 531 and the rotation speed Sr2 of the end driving roll 551 are the same. In the third modification, the cutting device 51 is provided so that the pressure that the end driven roll 552 applies to the end driving roll 551 is smaller than the pressure that the end driven roll 552 applies to the end driving roll 551 .

[0062] The pressure applied by the central driven roll 532 to the central driving roll 531 being smaller than the pressure applied by the end driven roll 552 to the end driving roll 551 is achieved by adjusting the force that the central driven rotation shaft 562 and the outer driven rotation shaft 572 receive from a pressing member (not shown). Also, the pressure that the central driven roll 532 applies to the central driving roll 531 being smaller than the pressure applied by the end driven roll 552 to the end driving roll 551 may be achieved by adjusting the positional relationship between the central driving rotation shaft 561 and the central driven rotation shaft 562 or the positional relationship between the outer driving rotation shaft 571 and the outer driven rotation shaft 572, etc.

[0063] When the pressure applied by the central driven roll 532 to the central driving roll 531 is smaller than the pressure applied by the end driven roll 552 to the end driving roll 551, the conveying speed Sc1 of the central driving roll 531 is slower than the conveying speed Sc2 of the end driving roll 551. In addition, when the driving roll receives pressure from the driven roll, the conveying speed of the driving roll increases by the amount by which the surface of the driving roll stretches. In contrast, when the pressure applied by the central driving roll 531 from the driven roll is smaller than that of the end driving roll 551, the degree of surface stretching of the central driving roll 531 is smaller than that of the end driving roll 551. Then, the conveying speed Sc1 of the central driving roll 531 is slower than the conveying speed Sc2 of the end driving roll 551 within the range that satisfies the speed condition by the amount by which the surface stretching of the central driving roll 531 is smaller than that of the end driving roll 551.

[0064] (Variation 4) In the fourth modification, the rotation speed Sr1 of the central driving roll 531 and the rotation speed Sr2 of the end driving roll 551 are the same. In the fourth modification, the cutting device 51 is provided so that the surface hardness of the central driving roll 531 is higher than the surface hardness of the end driving roll 551 .

[0065] Then, when the surface hardness of the central driving roll 531 is higher than that of the end driving roll 551, the degree of surface elongation of the central driving roll 531 when pressure is applied from the driven roll is smaller than that of the end driving roll 551. Then, to the extent that the degree of surface elongation of the central driving roll 531 is smaller than that of the end driving roll 551, the conveying speed Sc1 of the central driving roll 531 becomes slower than the conveying speed Sc2 of the end driving roll 551 within the range that satisfies the speed condition.

[0066] (Variation 5) In the fifth modification, the central driving roll 531 and the end driving roll 551 receive driving forces from different motors (not shown). Also, the cutting device 51 is provided so that the rotation speed Sr2 when the end driving roll 551 receives driving force from the motor is faster than the rotation speed Sr1 when the central driving roll 531 receives driving force from the motor. When the rotation speed Sr2 of the end drive roll 551 is faster than the rotation speed Sr1 of the central drive roll 531, the conveying speed Sc1 of the central drive roll 531 is slower than the conveying speed Sc2 of the end drive roll 551 within a range that satisfies the speed conditions.

[0067] (Variation 6) 9 is a diagram showing a cutting device 51 as Modification 6. In Modification 6, the rotation speed Sr1 of the central driving roll 531 and the rotation speed Sr2 of the end driving roll 551 are the same. The cutting device 51 shown in FIG. 9 is different from the cutting device 51 shown in FIG. 3 in the relationship between the width of the central driving roll 531 and the width of the end driving roll 551. More specifically, the central driving roll 531 and the end driving roll 551 are provided so that the width of the central driving roll 531 is larger than the width of the end driving roll 551. The width of the central driving roll 531 may be referred to as width W1 below. The width of the end driving roll 551 may be referred to as width W2 below. In this modified example, the force with which the central driven roll 532 presses the central driving roll 531 and the force with which the end driven roll 552 presses the end driving roll 551 are the same.

[0068] When the width W1 of the central driving roll 531 is greater than the width W2 of the end driving roll 551, the pressure that the central driving roll 531 receives from the driven roll is smaller than that of the end driving roll 551, and accordingly the degree of stretching of the surface of the central driving roll 531 is smaller. And, to the extent that the degree of stretching of the surface of the central driving roll 531 is smaller than that of the end driving roll 551, the conveying speed Sc1 of the central driving roll 531 becomes slower than the conveying speed Sc2 of the end driving roll 551, within the range that satisfies the speed condition.

[0069] In the first to sixth modifications, the relationship between the central transport roll 53 and the end transport rolls 55 has been described. Here, in each of the first to sixth modified examples, the relationship between the central transport roll 53 and the outer transport rolls 54 may also be the same as the relationship between the central transport roll 53 and the end transport rolls 55 .

[0070] In addition, in the first to sixth variants, as long as the conveying speed Sc1 is slower than the conveying speed Sc2 within a range that satisfies the speed conditions, the outer diameter, width, and surface hardness of the central driven roll 532, the outer driven roll 542, and the end driven roll 552 may be the same as or different from the example shown in FIG. 3.

[0071] As described above, the central transport roll 53 has a mechanism that makes the transport speed Sc1 of the central transport roll 53 slower than the transport speed Sc2 of the end transport rolls 55. In this case, it is not necessary to provide a means for controlling the conveying speed Sc1 of the central conveying roll 53 to be slower than the conveying speed Sc2 of the end conveying roll 55 in the second post-processing device 4 separately from the central conveying roll 53.

[0072] The mechanism for making the transport speed Sc1 of the central transport roll 53 slower than the transport speed Sc2 of the end transport roll 55 is configured such that the outer diameter of the central driving roll 531 is smaller than the outer diameter of the end driving roll 551. In this case, a mechanism for making the conveying speed Sc1 slower than the conveying speed Sc2 is realized without providing each of the end conveying rolls 55 and the central conveying roll 53 with a mechanism for making the conveying speed Sc1 slower than the conveying speed Sc2.

[0073] In addition, the mechanism by which the conveying speed Sc1 of the central conveying roll 53 is slower than the conveying speed Sc2 of the end conveying roll 55 is configured such that the pressure applied by the central driven roll 532 to the central driving roll 531 is lower than the pressure applied by the end driven roll 552 to the end driving roll 551. In this case, a mechanism for making the conveying speed Sc1 slower than the conveying speed Sc2 is realized without providing each of the end conveying rolls 55 and the central conveying roll 53 with a mechanism for making the conveying speed Sc1 slower than the conveying speed Sc2.

[0074] In addition, the mechanism by which the conveying speed Sc1 of the central conveying roll 53 is slower than the conveying speed Sc2 of the end conveying roll 55 is configured such that the surface of the central driving roll 531 is harder than the surfaces of each of the end driving rolls 551. In this case, a mechanism for making the conveying speed Sc1 slower than the conveying speed Sc2 is realized without providing each of the end conveying rolls 55 and the central conveying roll 53 with a mechanism for making the conveying speed Sc1 slower than the conveying speed Sc2.

[0075] <Second embodiment> Next, an image forming system 1 according to a second embodiment will be described. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing functions realized by the information processing unit 100 of the second embodiment. Note that Fig. 10 shows only functions related to the cutting device 51 among the functions realized by the information processing unit 100. In this embodiment, a CPU 211 as an example of a processor executes programs stored in a ROM 212 or an information storage device 202, causing an information processing unit 100 to function as a paper information acquisition unit 101, an environmental information acquisition unit 102, a usage information acquisition unit 103, and a transport control unit 104. The processing described below is performed by each of the functional units, namely, the paper information acquisition unit 101, the environmental information acquisition unit 102, the usage information acquisition unit 103, and the transport control unit 104. These functional units are realized by the CPU 211 executing a program, and the processing described below can also be said to be processing performed by the CPU 211 as an example of a processor.

[0076] The paper information acquisition unit 101 acquires information indicating the type of paper P to be cut by the cutter unit 58. Note that, hereinafter, the information indicating the type of paper P may be referred to as paper information. Furthermore, the type of paper P identified from the paper information includes the basis weight of the paper P, the thickness of the paper P, the length of the paper P in the transport direction, and the width of the paper P. Furthermore, the width of the paper P is the length of the paper P in the left-right direction shown in FIG. 3.

[0077] In this embodiment, the user operates a touch panel provided on the reception device 40, for example, to input information required for processing by the second post-processing device 4. The paper information acquisition unit 101 acquires paper information from the information accepted by the acceptance device 40 . The user may input information through a terminal device such as a PC (Personal Computer) connected to the image forming system 1. In this case, the paper information acquisition unit 101 acquires the paper information from the information received by the terminal device.

[0078] The environmental information acquisition unit 102 acquires information indicating indicators related to the environment of the space in which the image forming system 1 is installed. Note that, hereinafter, the information indicating indicators related to the environment of the space in which the image forming system 1 is installed may be referred to as environmental information. Indicators indicated in the environmental information include humidity, temperature, etc. In this embodiment, a sensor (not shown) is provided to detect the humidity and temperature of the space in which the image forming system 1 is installed, and the environment information acquisition unit 102 acquires the environment information from the sensor.

[0079] The usage information acquiring unit 103 acquires information indicating indicators regarding the usage of the cutting device 51. Hereinafter, the information indicating indicators regarding the usage of the cutting device 51 may be referred to as usage information. An example of an indicator indicated in the usage information is the cumulative number of sheets of paper P cut by the cutting device 51. In this embodiment, the second post-processing device 4 is provided with a counter (not shown) that counts the number of sheets of paper P cut by the cutter unit 58 each time the cutting device 51 cuts a sheet of paper P, and the usage information acquisition unit 103 acquires usage information from the counter.

[0080] The conveyance control unit 104 controls the conveyance of the paper P by the cutting device 51. More specifically, when a control condition is satisfied, the conveyance control unit 104 controls the conveyance of the paper P by the cutting device 51 so that the conveyance speed of the central conveyance roll 53 is slower than the conveyance speed of the outer conveyance roll 54 and the conveyance speed of the end conveyance roll 55. The control condition is a condition determined for the conveyance control unit 104 to control so that the conveyance speed of the central conveyance roll 53 is slower than the conveyance speed of the outer conveyance roll 54 and the conveyance speed of the end conveyance roll 55. In this embodiment, the outer transport roll 54, the end transport roll 55, and the central transport roll 53 each receive driving force from a different motor (not shown). The transport control unit 104 controls the rotation speed of each motor to control the transport speed of the outer transport roll 54, the transport speed of the end transport roll 55, and the transport speed of the central transport roll 53.

[0081] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of the transport process. The conveying process is a process in which the cutting device 51 conveys the paper P. In this embodiment, the conveying process is started every time an instruction to form an image by the image forming device 2 (see FIG. 1) is issued. Furthermore, when the information processing unit 100 acquires information indicating that an instruction to form an image has been issued from the image forming device 2, it determines that an instruction to form an image has been issued.

[0082] The conveyance control unit 104 determines whether or not an instruction to cut the paper P by the cutting device 51 has been given (step (hereinafter, referred to as "S") 101). The conveyance control unit 104 determines whether or not an instruction to cut the paper P has been given based on whether or not the paper information acquisition unit 101 has acquired paper information. If there is no instruction to cut the paper P (NO in S101), the conveying process ends. In this case, the cutting device 51 does not cut the paper P and the paper P is not conveyed.

[0083] When an instruction to cut the paper P is given (YES in S101), the transport control unit 104 determines whether the basis weight of the paper P to be cut by the cutting device 51 is equal to or less than a predetermined basis weight threshold (S102). The paper P to be cut by the cutting device 51 may be referred to as the target paper P below. The transport control unit 104 determines whether the basis weight of the target paper P indicated in the paper information acquired by the paper information acquisition unit 101 is equal to or less than a predetermined basis weight threshold. Also, one of the control conditions is that the basis weight of the target paper P is equal to or less than the predetermined basis weight threshold.

[0084] The threshold value for the basis weight of the paper P is determined from the viewpoint of how easily the paper P is displaced when being conveyed to the cutting device 51. The smaller the basis weight of the paper P, the lower the rigidity of the paper P, and therefore the paper P is more likely to be displaced by the action of the cutter unit 58 (see FIG. 3) and the crease forming device 59 when being conveyed to the cutting device 51. Therefore, when the conveying speed Sc1 and the conveying speed Sc2 are the same, the basis weight of the paper P that exceeds the allowable degree of displacement of the paper P that may occur when the paper P is conveyed to the cutting device 51 is determined as the threshold value.

[0085] If the basis weight of the target paper P is greater than the predetermined basis weight threshold (NO in S102), the transport control unit 104 determines whether the thickness of the target paper P is equal to or less than the predetermined thickness threshold (S103). The transport control unit 104 determines whether the thickness of the target paper P indicated in the paper information acquired by the paper information acquisition unit 101 is equal to or less than the predetermined thickness threshold. In addition, one of the control conditions is that the thickness of the target paper P is equal to or less than the predetermined thickness threshold. The threshold value for the thickness of the paper P, like the threshold value for the basis weight of the paper P, is determined from the viewpoint of the ease with which the paper P is displaced when it is transported to the cutting device 51. In this embodiment, when the transport speed Sc1 and the transport speed Sc2 are the same, the thickness of the paper P that exceeds an allowable degree of displacement of the paper P that may occur when the paper P is transported to the cutting device 51 is determined as the threshold value.

[0086] If the thickness of the target paper P is greater than the predetermined thickness threshold (NO in S103), the transport control unit 104 determines whether the width of the target paper P is equal to or greater than the predetermined width threshold (S104). The transport control unit 104 determines whether the width of the target paper P indicated in the paper information acquired by the paper information acquisition unit 101 is equal to or greater than the predetermined width threshold. In addition, one of the control conditions is that the width of the target paper P is equal to or greater than the predetermined width threshold.

[0087] The threshold value for the width of the paper P is determined from the viewpoint of the ease of displacement of the paper P when it is conveyed to the cutting device 51. The longer the width of the paper P, the more likely the end portions of the paper P in the width direction are displaced toward the center in the width direction due to the action of the cutter unit 58 (see FIG. 3) and the crease forming device 59 when it is conveyed to the cutting device 51. Therefore, when the conveying speed Sc1 and the conveying speed Sc2 are the same, the width of the paper P that exceeds the allowable degree of displacement of the paper P that may occur when the paper P is conveyed to the cutting device 51 is determined as the threshold value.

[0088] If the width of the target paper P is less than the predetermined width threshold (NO in S104), the transport control unit 104 determines whether the length of the target paper P in the transport direction is equal to or greater than the predetermined transport direction threshold (S105). The transport control unit 104 determines whether the length of the target paper P in the transport direction indicated in the paper information acquired by the paper information acquisition unit 101 is equal to or greater than the predetermined transport direction threshold. In addition, one of the control conditions is that the length of the target paper P in the transport direction is equal to or greater than the predetermined transport direction threshold.

[0089] The threshold value of the length of the sheet P in the conveying direction is determined from the viewpoint of the ease with which the sheet P is displaced when it is conveyed to the cutting device 51. When the sheet P is displaced over time due to the action of the cutter unit 58 and the crease forming device 59 when it is conveyed to the cutting device 51, the degree of displacement becomes greater toward the upstream side of the sheet P in the conveying direction. Therefore, when the conveying speed Sc1 and the conveying speed Sc2 are the same, the length of the sheet P in the conveying direction that exceeds the allowable degree of displacement of the sheet P that may occur when the sheet P is conveyed to the cutting device 51 is determined as the threshold value.

[0090] If the length of the target paper P in the transport direction is less than a predetermined threshold value for the length in the transport direction (NO in S105), the transport control unit 104 determines whether the humidity in the space in which the image forming system 1 is installed is equal to or greater than a predetermined humidity threshold value (S106). The transport control unit 104 determines whether the humidity indicated in the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit 102 is equal to or greater than a predetermined humidity threshold value. In addition, one of the control conditions is that the humidity in the space in which the image forming system 1 is installed is equal to or greater than a predetermined humidity threshold value.

[0091] The humidity threshold of the space in which the image forming system 1 is provided is determined from the viewpoint of the ease of displacement of the paper P when it is conveyed to the cutting device 51. The higher the humidity in the space in which the image forming system 1 is provided, the lower the rigidity of the paper P. Also, the lower the rigidity of the paper P, the more easily the end of the paper P in the width direction is displaced toward the center in the width direction by the action of the cutter unit 58 and the crease forming device 59 when it is conveyed to the cutting device 51. Therefore, when the conveying speed Sc1 and the conveying speed Sc2 are the same, a humidity that exceeds an allowable level of displacement of the paper P that may occur when the paper P is conveyed to the cutting device 51 is determined as the threshold.

[0092] If the humidity in the space in which the image forming system 1 is installed is lower than a predetermined humidity threshold (NO in S106), the transport control unit 104 determines whether the temperature in the space in which the image forming system 1 is installed is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature threshold (S107). The transport control unit 104 determines whether the temperature indicated in the environmental information acquired by the environmental information acquisition unit 102 is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature threshold. In addition, one of the control conditions is that the temperature in the space in which the image forming system 1 is installed is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature threshold.

[0093] The temperature threshold of the space in which the image forming system 1 is provided is determined from the viewpoint of the ease of displacement of the paper P when it is conveyed to the cutting device 51. The higher the temperature of the space in which the image forming system 1 is provided, the lower the rigidity of the paper P becomes, and the end portions of the paper P in the width direction become more likely to be displaced toward the center in the width direction by the action of the cutter unit 58 and the crease forming device 59 when it is conveyed to the cutting device 51. Therefore, when the conveying speed Sc1 and the conveying speed Sc2 are the same, a temperature that exceeds an allowable level of displacement of the paper P that may occur when the paper P is conveyed to the cutting device 51 is determined as the threshold.

[0094] If the temperature of the space in which the image forming system 1 is installed is lower than a predetermined temperature threshold (NO in S107), the conveyance control unit 104 judges whether or not the usage condition is satisfied (S108). In this embodiment, the usage condition is that the cumulative number of sheets P cut by the cutter unit 58 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold number. The conveyance control unit 104 judges whether or not the cumulative number of sheets indicated in the usage information acquired by the usage information acquisition unit 103 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold number. The usage condition is one of the control conditions.

[0095] The threshold value for the cumulative number of sheets of paper P cut by cutter unit 58 is determined from the perspective of how easily the sheets of paper P are displaced when being transported to cutting device 51. The greater the cumulative number of sheets of paper P cut by cutter unit 58, the greater the degree of wear on the blade of cutter 581 (see FIG. 4 ), and the greater the force required for cutter 581 to cut sheets of paper P. When the force required for cutter 581 increases, the edges of the sheets of paper P in the width direction are more likely to be displaced toward the center in the width direction by the action of cutter 581 when being transported to cutting device 51. Therefore, when the conveying speeds Sc1 and Sc2 are the same, the cumulative number of sheets of paper P cut by the cutter unit 58 is set as a threshold value such that the displacement of the paper P that may occur when the paper P is conveyed to the cutting device 51 exceeds an acceptable level.

[0096] When the cumulative number of sheets of paper P cut by the cutter unit 58 is less than the threshold value (NO in S108), the conveyance control unit 104 controls the conveyance speed Sc1 to be equal to the conveyance speed Sc2 (S109). Moreover, if a positive result is obtained in any of S102 to S108, the conveyance control unit 104 controls the conveyance speed Sc1 to be slower than the conveyance speed Sc2 within a range that satisfies the speed condition (S110).

[0097] When the paper P conveyed to the cutting device 51 is a paper bundle in which a plurality of papers are bound together, the subject of the determination in S102 and S103 may be the basis weight or thickness of the paper bundle. In the above example, all of steps S102 to S108 in the transport process are set as control conditions, but the present invention is not limited to this. The control condition may be at least one of steps S102 to S108 in the transport process.

[0098] In addition, in the above-mentioned transport process, if a positive result is obtained in either S102 or S103, the process of S110 is performed, but this is not limited to this. The transport control unit 104 may perform the process of S110 if a positive result is obtained in both S102 and S103 in the transport process, and may perform the process of S104 and subsequent processes if a negative result is obtained in either S102 or S103. In other words, the control condition may be that a positive result is obtained in both S102 and S103.

[0099] In addition, in the above-mentioned transport process, if a positive result is obtained in any of S104 to S108, the process of S110 is performed, and if a negative result is obtained in any of S104 to S108, the process of S109 is performed, but this is not limited to the above. The transport control unit 104 may perform the process of S110 in the transport process if a positive result is obtained in any of S104 to S108, and may perform the process of S109 in the transport process if a negative result is obtained in any of S104 to S108. In other words, the control condition may be that a positive result is obtained in any of S104 to S108. In addition, the transport control unit 104 may perform the process of S110 when a positive result is obtained in any of S102 to S108 in the transport process, and may perform the process of S109 when a negative result is obtained in any of S102 to S108. In other words, the control condition may be that a positive result is obtained in any of S102 to S108.

[0100] Furthermore, if the transport control unit 104 does not determine to perform the process of S110 as a result of S102 and / or S103, the transport control unit 104 may perform the process of S109 regardless of the results of S104 to S108. In other words, the control condition may be only that a positive result is obtained in S102 and / or S103.

[0101] In addition, in the conveying process, when the process of S110 is performed as a result of S102 and / or S103, the content of the process of S110 may be determined according to the results of S104 to S108. For example, when the conveying control unit 104 performs the process of S110 as a result of S102 and / or S103, the difference between the conveying speed Sc1 and the conveying speed Sc2 in the range where the speed condition is satisfied may be larger when a positive result is obtained in any of S104 to S108 than when a negative result is obtained in any of S104 to S108. Also, for example, when the conveying control unit 104 performs the process of S110 as a result of S102 and / or S103, the difference between the conveying speed Sc1 and the conveying speed Sc2 in the range where the speed condition is satisfied may be larger as the number of positive results obtained in S104 to S108 increases.

[0102] Furthermore, in S110, the conveying control unit 104 may make the conveying speed Sc1 slower than the conveying speed Sc2 by decreasing the conveying speed Sc1 without changing the conveying speed Sc2, as compared to when the process of S109 is performed. Furthermore, in S110, the conveying control unit 104 may make the conveying speed Sc1 slower than the conveying speed Sc2 by increasing the conveying speed Sc2 without changing the conveying speed Sc1, as compared to when the process of S109 is performed.

[0103] In the above example, the usage condition is that the cumulative number of sheets of paper P cut by the cutter unit 58 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold number, but the usage condition is not limited to this. A usage condition may be that the cumulative distance of transport of the paper P by at least one of the central transport roll 53, the outer transport roll 54, and the end transport roll 55 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance threshold. In addition, a condition for use may be that the cumulative number of revolutions of at least one of the central transport roll 53, the outer transport roll 54, and the end transport roll 55 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value for the number of revolutions. Furthermore, the condition for use may be that the period during which the second post-processing device 4 has been used is equal to or longer than a predetermined threshold period.

[0104] As described above, when the control conditions are satisfied, the CPU 211 controls the conveying speed Sc1 of the central conveying roll 53 to be slower than the conveying speed Sc2 of the end conveying roll 55. If the conveying speed Sc1 is slower than the conveying speed Sc2, the paper P may be pulled by the central conveying roll 53 and the end conveying roll 55, which may increase the degree of wear on the surfaces of the central conveying roll 53 and the end conveying roll 55. Regardless of whether the control conditions are satisfied or not, if the conveying speed Sc1 is controlled to be slower than the conveying speed Sc2, the surfaces of the central conveying roll 53 and the end conveying roll 55 are more likely to wear.

[0105] In contrast, when the control conditions are satisfied, if the conveying speed Sc1 of the central conveying roll 53 is controlled to be slower than the conveying speed Sc2 of the end conveying roll 55, wear on the surface of the central conveying roll 53 and the surface of the end conveying roll 55 is suppressed when the control conditions are not satisfied, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed Sc1 is slower than the conveying speed Sc2 regardless of whether the control conditions are satisfied or not.

[0106] Also, at least one of the control conditions is that the type of paper P cut by the cutter unit 58 is a predetermined type. Examples of the predetermined type include paper P having a basis weight equal to or less than a predetermined basis weight threshold, paper P having a thickness equal to or less than a predetermined thickness threshold, paper P having a width equal to or greater than a predetermined width threshold, and paper P having a length in the transport direction equal to or greater than a predetermined transport direction threshold. In this case, wear on the surface of the central conveying roll 53 and the surface of the end conveying roll 55 is suppressed when paper P of a type other than the predetermined type is conveyed to the cutting device 51, compared to a configuration in which conveying speed Sc1 is slower than conveying speed Sc2 regardless of the type of paper P.

[0107] The predetermined type is paper P having a basis weight equal to or less than a predetermined value (see S102 in FIG. 11). In this case, wear on the surface of the central conveying roll 53 and the surface of the end conveying roll 55 is suppressed when paper P with a basis weight less than a predetermined value is conveyed to the cutting device 51, compared to a configuration in which conveying speed Sc1 is slower than conveying speed Sc2 regardless of the basis weight of the paper P.

[0108] In addition, the predetermined type is paper P whose length in the transport direction is greater than or equal to a predetermined length in the transport direction, and / or paper P whose length in the width direction is greater than or equal to a predetermined length in the width direction (see S104 and S105 in FIG. 11). In this case, compared to a configuration in which conveying speed Sc1 is slower than conveying speed Sc2 regardless of the length of the paper P in the conveying direction and the length of the paper P in the width direction, wear on the surface of the central conveying roll 53 and the surface of the end conveying roll 55 is suppressed when paper P whose length in the conveying direction is less than a predetermined length in the conveying direction and / or paper P whose length in the width direction is less than a predetermined length in the width direction is conveyed to the cutting device 51.

[0109] At least one of the control conditions is determined with respect to an index relating to the environment of the space in which the second post-processing device 4 is installed. In this case, wear on the surface of the central conveying roll 53 and the surface of the end conveying roll 55 is suppressed when the control conditions are not satisfied, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed Sc1 is slower than the conveying speed Sc2 regardless of environmental indicators of the space in which the second post-processing device 4 is installed.

[0110] The index is the humidity of the space in which the second post-treatment device 4 is installed, and at least one of the control conditions is that the humidity is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. In this case, wear on the surface of the central conveying roll 53 and the surface of the end conveying roll 55 is suppressed when the humidity is below a predetermined value, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed Sc1 is slower than the conveying speed Sc2 regardless of the humidity in the space in which the second post-processing device 4 is located.

[0111] At least one of the control conditions is an index related to the use of the second post-processing device 4, and is determined as an index accumulated according to the use. Examples of the index related to the use of the second post-processing device 4 include the cumulative number of sheets of paper P cut by the cutter unit 58, the cumulative distance of paper P transported by the transport rolls, the cumulative number of rotations of the transport rolls, and the period during which the second post-processing device 4 was used. In this case, wear on the surface of the central conveying roll 53 and the surface of the end conveying roll 55 is suppressed when the control conditions are not satisfied, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed Sc1 is slower than the conveying speed Sc2 regardless of the index regarding the use of the second post-processing device 4.

[0112] (Modification of conveying speed control) Next, a modified example of the control of the conveyance speed by the conveyance control unit 104 will be described. In the present embodiment, the conveyance control unit 104 controls the conveyance speeds Sc1 and Sc2 by controlling the rotation speed of the motor, but the present invention is not limited to this. Figures 12 and 13 are diagrams showing a modified cutting device 51. Note that, for the example shown in Figures 12 and 13, configurations different from the cutting device 51 shown in Figure 3 will be mainly described, and descriptions of configurations the same as those of the cutting device 51 shown in Figure 3 may be omitted. In the cutting device 51 shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the outer drive roll 541 and the end drive roll 551, and the central drive roll 531 may receive drive forces from the same motor or from different motors.

[0113] 12, the cutting device 51 as a modified example is provided with a pressing device 90. The pressing device 90 presses the central driven roll 532. The pressing device 90 is provided with a rotating cam 91 and a coil spring 92 having elasticity. The cam 91 rotates by receiving a driving force from a motor (not shown). The rotation of the cam 91 is controlled by the transport control unit 104. One end of the coil spring 92 is connected to the cam 91, and the other end, which is the tip end opposite to the one end, is connected to the central driven rotation shaft 562. In addition, the coil spring 92 is biased by the cam 91 to press the central driven rotation shaft 562 downward in the figure.

[0114] 12, the pressure applied by the central driven roll 532 to the central driving roll 531 is the same as the pressure applied by the end driven roll 552 to the end driving roll 551. In this case, the conveying speed Sc1 of the central conveying roll 53 is the same as the conveying speed Sc2 of the end conveying roll 55. Hereinafter, the pressure applied by the central driven roll 532 to the central driving roll 531 may be referred to as pressure P1. Hereinafter, the pressure applied by the end driven roll 552 to the end driving roll 551 may be referred to as pressure P2.

[0115] 13, when the conveying speed Sc1 of the central conveying roll 53 is to be reduced, the conveying control unit 104 rotates the cam 91 in the clockwise direction in the figure. In this case, the distance between the tip of the cam 91 and the central driven rotation shaft 562 becomes longer in the vertical direction in the figure, and the coil spring 92 stretches, so that the pressing force of the coil spring 92 on the central driven rotation shaft 562 decreases, and accordingly, the pressure P1 also decreases. More specifically, the pressure P1 becomes lower than the pressure P2. Furthermore, when pressure P1 is lower than pressure P2, the degree of surface elongation caused by being pressed by the driven roll is smaller for the central driving roll 531 than for the end driving roll 551. And, to the extent that the degree of surface elongation is smaller for the central driving roll 531, the conveying speed Sc1 of the central driving roll 531 becomes slower than the conveying speed Sc2 of the end driving roll 551 within the range that satisfies the speed condition.

[0116] In this manner, the transport control unit 104 may control the relationship between the transport speed Sc1 of the central transport roll 53 and the transport speed Sc2 of the end transport roll 55 by controlling the pressure P1. In addition, the transport control unit 104 may control the transport speed Sc1 of the central transport roll 53 to be slower than the transport speed Sc2 of the end transport roll 55 within a range that satisfies the speed condition by controlling the pressure P1 in S110 of the transport process (see FIG. 11). 12 and 13, the pressure applied by the outer driven roll 542 to the outer driving roll 541 is the same as the pressure applied by the end driven roll 552 to the end driving roll 551. In addition, in the modification shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the conveying speed of the outer conveying roll 54 is the same as the conveying speed of the end conveying roll 55.

[0117] FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing performed by the CPU 211. The CPU 211 executes the programs to realize the processes shown in FIG. The CPU 211 controls the motor to transport the paper P at a transport speed Sc2 by the outer transport rolls 54 and the end transport rolls 55 (S201). The function of the CPU 211 to transport the paper P at the transport speed Sc2 by the outer transport rolls 54 and the end transport rolls 55 can also be regarded as a first transport function. The CPU 211 controls the motor to transport the paper P by the central transport roll 53 at a transport speed Sc1 that is slower than the transport speed Sc2 (S202). The function of the CPU 211 to transport the paper P by the central transport roll 53 at the transport speed Sc1 can also be regarded as a second transport function.

[0118] The CPU 211 causes the cutter unit 58 to cut the paper P along the transport direction (S203). More specifically, the CPU 211 causes the cutting device 51 to transport the paper P while the paper P is sandwiched between the cutter unit 58, thereby realizing cutting of the paper P along the transport direction. The function of the CPU 211 causing the cutter unit 58 to cut the paper P can also be regarded as a cutting function. Note that the timing at which S201 to S203 are performed is not limited to the order shown in the figure, and S201 to S203 may be performed in any order, or may be performed simultaneously.

[0119] As described above, the program executed by CPU 211 realizes a second conveying function that conveys the portion of paper P that is between the first and second portions in the width direction and is inside the portion cut by the cutting function at a conveying speed of paper P that is slower than the conveying speed by the first conveying function. In this case, the displacement of the paper P in the left-right direction is suppressed compared to a configuration in which the first transport function and the second transport function transport the paper P at the same transport speed.

[0120] In the above example, the pair of first transport means is described as the pair of outer transport rolls 54 or the pair of end transport rolls 55, but is not limited thereto. A conveyor belt that is stretched around a plurality of conveyor rolls including the outer conveyor roll 54 and the end conveyor roll 55 and conveys the paper P may be provided for each of the outer conveyor rolls 54 or each of the end conveyor rolls 55. In other words, the pair of first conveying means may be a pair of conveyor belts.

[0121] In the above example, the second transport means is the central transport roll 53, but the second transport means is not limited to this. The second transport means may be a transport belt that is stretched around a plurality of transport rolls including the central transport roll 53 and transports the paper P.

[0122] In addition, in the above example, it was described that the portion of the paper P sandwiched between the central transport roll 53, the portion sandwiched between the pair of outer transport rolls 54, and the portion sandwiched between the pair of end transport rolls 55 overlap in the transport direction, but this is not limited to this. The central transport roll 53 may be located upstream or downstream in the transport direction of the pair of outer transport rolls 54 or the pair of end transport rolls 55, as long as there is a period during which the paper P is transported together with the pair of outer transport rolls 54 or the pair of end transport rolls 55.

[0123] In the above example, the cutter unit 58 is provided at a position overlapping with the outer transport roll 54 and the end transport roll 55 in the transport direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. The cutter unit 58 may be provided upstream or downstream in the conveying direction from the outer conveying roll 54 or the end conveying roll 55, as long as the cutter unit 58 cuts the paper P being conveyed by the outer conveying roll 54 or the end conveying roll 55 along the conveying direction.

[0124] In addition, in the above-described example, the outer drive roll 541 and the end drive roll 551 on the left side of the central transport roll 53, and the outer drive roll 541 and the end drive roll 551 on the right side of the central transport roll 53 are mounted on the same rotating shaft, but this is not limited to this. The outer drive roll 541 and the end drive roll 551 on the left side of the central transport roll 53, and the outer drive roll 541 and the end drive roll 551 on the right side of the central transport roll 53 may be provided on different rotation axes.

[0125] In addition, in the above-described example, the outer driven roll 542 and the end driven roll 552 on the left side of the central conveying roll 53, and the outer driven roll 542 and the end driven roll 552 on the right side of the central conveying roll 53 are mounted on the same rotating shaft, but this is not limited to this. The outer driven roll 542 and the end driven roll 552 on the left side of the central transport roll 53 and the outer driven roll 542 and the end driven roll 552 on the right side of the central transport roll 53 may be provided on different rotation shafts.

[0126] In the above example, the second post-processing device 4 is provided downstream of the first post-processing device 3 in the transport direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. The second post-processing device 4 may be provided upstream in the transport direction from the first post-processing device 3. In particular, when the second post-processing device 4 is configured to cut the top and bottom of each sheet P as it is transported, rather than cutting a sheet bundle made up of multiple sheets P, the second post-processing device 4 is provided upstream in the transport direction from the first post-processing device 3.

[0127] Furthermore, when controlling the conveying speed of the second conveying means to be slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means, the CPU 211 only needs to control at least one of the conveying speed of the first conveying means and the conveying speed of the second conveying means.

[0128] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiment. It is clear from the description of the claims that various modifications and improvements to the above embodiment are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, although multiple embodiments have been described above, the configurations included in one embodiment may be interchanged with the configurations included in other embodiments, or the configurations included in one embodiment may be added to other embodiments.

[0129] (Additional Note) (((1))) a pair of first conveying means that are spaced apart in a width direction of the recording medium to be conveyed and each conveys the recording medium by sandwiching the recording medium therebetween; a cutting member that cuts the recording medium being conveyed by the first conveying means along a conveying direction of the recording medium; a second conveying means that is disposed between the pair of first conveying means in the width direction and on the inner side of the cutting member, and that conveys the recording medium together with the pair of first conveying means by sandwiching the recording medium at a conveying speed of the recording medium that is slower than that of each of the pair of first conveying means; A recording medium processing device comprising: (((2))) Further comprising a driving source that applies a driving force to the first conveying means and the second conveying means, The recording medium processing device according to (((1))), wherein the second transport means has a mechanism that makes the transport speed of the second transport means slower than the transport speed of the first transport means. (((3))) the first transport means has a first rotating member that receives a driving force from the one driving source to rotate and transport the recording medium; the second transport means has a second rotating member that receives a driving force from the one driving source to rotate and transport the recording medium, The recording medium processing device according to (((2))), wherein the mechanism is configured such that an outer diameter of the second rotating member is smaller than an outer diameter of the first rotating member. (((4))) the first conveying means includes a rotating first rotating member and a first opposing member that faces the first rotating member across a conveying path of the recording medium and presses the first rotating member; the second conveying means includes a rotating second rotating member and a second opposing member that faces the second rotating member via the conveying path and presses the second rotating member; The recording medium processing device according to (((2))), wherein the mechanism is configured such that the pressure applied by the second opposing member to the second rotating member is lower than the pressure applied by the first opposing member to the first rotating member. (((5))) the first conveying means includes a rotating first rotating member and a first opposing member that faces the first rotating member across a conveying path of the recording medium and presses the first rotating member; the second conveying means includes a rotating second rotating member and a second opposing member that faces the second rotating member via the conveying path and presses the second rotating member; The recording medium processing device according to (((2))), wherein the mechanism is configured such that the surface of the second rotating member has a higher hardness than the surface of the first rotating member. (((6))) A processor for controlling the conveying speed of the first conveying means and / or the conveying speed of the second conveying means, The recording medium processing device according to (((1))), wherein the processor controls the conveying speed of the second conveying means to be slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means when a predetermined condition is satisfied. (((7))) The recording medium processing device according to (((6))), wherein at least one of the conditions is that the type of the recording medium cut by the cutting member is a predetermined type. (((8))) The recording medium processing device according to (((7))), wherein the predetermined type is a recording medium having a basis weight equal to or less than a predetermined basis weight. (((9))) The recording medium processing device described in (((7))), wherein the predetermined type is a recording medium whose length in the transport direction is equal to or greater than a predetermined length in the transport direction, and / or a recording medium whose length in the width direction is equal to or greater than a predetermined length in the width direction. (((10))) The recording medium processing device according to any one of ((6))) to ((9))), wherein at least one of the conditions is determined with respect to an index relating to an environment of a space in which the recording medium processing device is installed. (((11))) The indicator is the humidity of the space in which the device is installed, The recording medium processing device according to (((10))), wherein at least one of the conditions is that the humidity is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. (((12))) The recording medium processing device according to any one of ((6))) to (((11))), wherein at least one of the conditions is an index related to usage of the device itself and is determined as an index accumulated according to the usage. (((13))) The recording medium processing device according to any one of ((1))) to (((12))), wherein a difference between the transport speed of the first transport means and the transport speed of the second transport means satisfies a predetermined condition. (((14))) The recording medium processing device according to (((13))), wherein at least one of the conditions is that a value obtained by subtracting the conveying speed of the second conveying means from the conveying speed of the first conveying means is equal to or less than a predetermined value. (((15))) The recording medium processing device according to (((13))) or (((14))), wherein at least one of the conditions is that a value obtained by subtracting the conveying speed of the second conveying means from the conveying speed of the first conveying means is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. (((16))) the first transport means has a first rotating member that rotates to transport the recording medium, the second transport means has a second rotating member that rotates to transport the recording medium, The recording medium processing device according to (((1))), wherein the rotation speed of the second rotating member is slower than the rotation speed of the first rotating member. (((17))) The recording medium processing device described in any one of (((1))) to (((16))), further comprising a pressing member that is provided outside the cutting member in the width direction and presses the recording medium that has been cut by the cutting member to form a fold in the recording medium along the transport direction. (((18))) An image forming system comprising an image forming device that forms an image on a recording medium, and a recording medium processing device that processes the recording medium on which the image has been formed by the image forming device, the recording medium processing device being configured to include any of the recording medium processing devices described in (((1))) to (((17))). (((19))) On the computer, a first conveying function for conveying a first part and a second part of the recording medium, the first part and the second part being spaced apart from each other in a width direction of the recording medium; a cutting function that cuts the recording medium being conveyed by the first conveying function along a conveying direction of the recording medium; a second conveying function that conveys a portion of the recording medium that is between the first portion and the second portion in the width direction and is on the inner side of the portion cut by the cutting function at a conveying speed of the recording medium that is slower than the conveying speed by the first conveying function; A program to achieve this.

[0130] According to the recording medium processing device of (((1))), it is possible to suppress displacement of the recording medium in the width direction, compared to a configuration in which a plurality of conveying means convey the recording medium at the same conveying speed. According to the recording medium processing device of (((2))), there is no need to provide a control means, separate from the second conveying means, in the recording medium processing device for controlling the conveying speed of the second conveying means to be slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means. According to the recording medium processing device of (((3))), a mechanism for making the conveying speed of the second conveying means slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means can be realized without providing a mechanism for making the conveying speed of the second conveying means slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means in each of the first conveying means and the second conveying means. According to the recording medium processing device of (((4))), a mechanism for making the conveying speed of the second conveying means slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means can be realized without providing a mechanism for making the conveying speed of the second conveying means slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means in each of the first conveying means and the second conveying means. According to the recording medium processing device of (((5))), a mechanism for making the conveying speed of the second conveying means slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means can be realized without providing a mechanism for making the conveying speed of the second conveying means slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means in each of the first conveying means and the second conveying means. According to the recording medium processing device of (((6))), wear on the first conveying means and the second conveying means can be reduced when the predetermined conditions are not satisfied, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed of the second conveying means is slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means regardless of whether the predetermined conditions are satisfied. According to the recording medium processing device of (((7))), wear on the first conveying means and the second conveying means can be reduced when a recording medium other than a predetermined type is being conveyed, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed of the second conveying means is slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means regardless of the type of recording medium. According to the recording medium processing device of (((8))), wear on the first conveying means and the second conveying means can be reduced when a recording medium having a basis weight less than a predetermined value is conveyed, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed of the second conveying means is slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means regardless of the basis weight of the recording medium. According to the recording medium processing device of (((9))), wear on the first conveying means and the second conveying means can be reduced when a recording medium whose length in the conveying direction is less than a predetermined length in the conveying direction and / or a recording medium whose length in the width direction is less than a predetermined length in the width direction is conveyed, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed of the second conveying means is slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means regardless of the length of the recording medium in the conveying direction and the length of the recording medium in the width direction. According to the recording medium processing device of (((10))), wear on the first conveying means and the second conveying means can be reduced when predetermined conditions are not satisfied, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed of the second conveying means is slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means regardless of an index related to the environment of the space in which the recording medium processing device is installed. According to the recording medium processing device of (((11))), wear on the first conveying means and the second conveying means can be reduced when the humidity is below a predetermined value, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed of the second conveying means is slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means regardless of the humidity of the space in which the recording medium processing device is installed. According to the recording medium processing device of (((12))), wear on the first conveying means and the second conveying means can be reduced when predetermined conditions are not satisfied, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed of the second conveying means is slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means regardless of an index related to the use of the recording medium processing device. According to the recording medium processing device of (((13))), it is possible to suppress displacement of the recording medium in the width direction, compared to a configuration in which the conveying speed of the second conveying means is slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means without satisfying the predetermined condition. According to the recording medium processing device of (((14))), it is possible to suppress the occurrence of wrinkles in the recording medium, compared to a case where the value obtained by subtracting the conveying speed of the second conveying means from the conveying speed of the first conveying means is greater than a predetermined value. According to the recording medium processing device of (((15))), it is possible to suppress displacement of the recording medium in the width direction, compared to a case where the value obtained by subtracting the conveying speed of the second conveying means from the conveying speed of the first conveying means is less than a predetermined value. According to the recording medium processing device of (((16))), there is no need to provide the first conveying means or the second conveying means with a configuration for making the conveying speed of the second conveying means slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means. According to the recording medium processing device of (((17))), even if the force that the recording medium receives on the side opposite the transport direction is greater than in a configuration in which the recording medium processing device is not provided with a pressing member, displacement of the recording medium in the left-right direction is suppressed compared to a configuration in which the first transport means and the second transport means transport the recording medium at the same transport speed. According to the image forming system pertaining to (((18))), it is possible to suppress displacement of the recording medium in the width direction, compared to a configuration in which a plurality of conveying means convey the recording medium at the same conveying speed. According to the program relating to (((19))), it is possible to suppress displacement of the recording medium in the width direction, compared to a configuration in which the first conveying function and the second conveying function convey the recording medium at the same conveying speed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] Reference Signs List 1: image forming system, 2: image forming device, 4: second post-processing device, 51: cutting device, 53: center transport roll, 54: outer transport roll, 55: end transport roll, 58: cutter unit, 59: crease forming device, 60: storage section, 100: information processing section, 211: CPU, P: paper

Claims

1. a pair of first conveying means that are spaced apart in a width direction of the recording medium to be conveyed and each conveys the recording medium by sandwiching the recording medium therebetween; a cutting member that cuts the recording medium being conveyed by the first conveying means along a conveying direction of the recording medium; a second conveying means that is disposed between the pair of first conveying means in the width direction and on the inner side of the cutting member, and that conveys the recording medium together with the pair of first conveying means by sandwiching the recording medium at a conveying speed of the recording medium that is slower than that of each of the pair of first conveying means; A recording medium processing device comprising:

2. a drive source that applies a drive force to the first transport means and the second transport means; 2 . The recording medium processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second transport means has a mechanism for making the transport speed of the second transport means slower than the transport speed of the first transport means.

3. the first transport means has a first rotating member that receives a driving force from the one driving source to rotate and transport the recording medium; the second transport means has a second rotating member that receives a driving force from the first driving source to rotate and transport the recording medium; 3. The recording medium processing device according to claim 2, wherein the mechanism is configured such that an outer diameter of the second rotating member is smaller than an outer diameter of the first rotating member.

4. the first conveying means includes a rotating first rotating member and a first opposing member that faces the first rotating member via a conveying path of the recording medium and presses the first rotating member; the second conveying means includes a rotating second rotating member and a second opposing member that faces the second rotating member via the conveying path and presses the second rotating member; 3. The recording medium processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the mechanism is configured such that the pressure applied to the second rotating member by the second opposing member is lower than the pressure applied to the first rotating member by the first opposing member.

5. the first conveying means includes a rotating first rotating member and a first opposing member that faces the first rotating member via a conveying path of the recording medium and presses the first rotating member; the second conveying means includes a rotating second rotating member and a second opposing member that faces the second rotating member via the conveying path and presses the second rotating member; 3. The recording medium processing device according to claim 2, wherein the mechanism is configured such that the surface of the second rotating member has a harder hardness than the surface of the first rotating member.

6. a processor for controlling the conveying speed of the first conveying means and / or the conveying speed of the second conveying means, The recording medium processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor controls the conveying speed of the second conveying means to be slower than the conveying speed of the first conveying means when a predetermined condition is satisfied.

7. 7. The recording medium processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the conditions is that the type of the recording medium to be cut by the cutting member is a predetermined type.

8. 8. The recording medium processing device according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined type is a recording medium having a basis weight equal to or less than a predetermined weight.

9. 8. The recording medium processing device according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined type is a recording medium whose length in the transport direction is equal to or greater than a predetermined length in the transport direction, and / or a recording medium whose length in the width direction is equal to or greater than a predetermined length in the width direction.

10. 7. The recording medium processing device according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the conditions is determined as an index relating to an environment of a space in which the recording medium processing device is installed.

11. The indicator is the humidity of the space in which the device is installed, 11. The recording medium processing device according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the conditions is that the humidity is equal to or higher than a predetermined value.

12. 7. The recording medium processing device according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the conditions is an index related to usage of the device itself, and is determined as an index accumulated according to the usage.

13. 2 . The recording medium processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a difference between the transport speed of the first transport means and the transport speed of the second transport means satisfies a predetermined condition.

14. 14. The recording medium processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the conditions is that a value obtained by subtracting the transport speed of the second transport means from the transport speed of the first transport means is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

15. 14. The recording medium processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the conditions is that a value obtained by subtracting the transport speed of the second transport means from the transport speed of the first transport means is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

16. the first transport means has a first rotating member that rotates to transport the recording medium, the second transport means has a second rotating member that rotates to transport the recording medium, 2. The recording medium processing device according to claim 1, wherein the second rotating member rotates at a slower speed than the first rotating member.

17. 2. The recording medium processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a pressing member provided outside the cutting member in the width direction, pressing the recording medium cut by the cutting member to form a crease in the recording medium along the transport direction.

18. 18. An image forming system comprising an image forming device that forms an image on a recording medium, and a recording medium processing device that processes the recording medium on which the image has been formed by the image forming device, the recording medium processing device being configured to include the recording medium processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 17.

19. On the computer, a first conveying function for conveying a first part and a second part of the recording medium, the first part and the second part being spaced apart from each other in a width direction of the recording medium; a cutting function that cuts the recording medium being conveyed by the first conveying function along a conveying direction of the recording medium; a second conveying function that conveys a portion of the recording medium that is between the first portion and the second portion in the width direction and is on the inner side of a portion cut by the cutting function at a conveying speed of the recording medium that is slower than the conveying speed by the first conveying function; A program to achieve this.

Images