Sheet conveyance device and sheet conveyance system

Abstract

To provide a sheet conveyance device and a sheet conveyance system capable of outputting effective sheets in an output form desired by a user when a printing sheet is cut in a sheet conveying direction to be divided into a plurality of effective sheets and the effective sheets can be individually conveyed.SOLUTION: The sheet conveyance device comprises: a cutting unit 21 that divides a sheet having an image printed thereon into a plurality of effective sheets in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction; an effective sheet conveyance unit 22 that enables the respective effective sheets cut by the cutting unit 21 to be individually conveyed; and a conveying operation switching mechanism 23 capable of switching the conveying operation of the respective effective sheets individually conveyed by the effective sheet conveyance unit 22. The necessity of switching the conveying operation of the effective sheets is determined on the basis of at least one of information about image formation of the effective sheets and information about cutting of the effective sheets, and switching of the conveying operation by the conveying operation switching mechanism 23 is executed for each effective sheet needing switching of the conveying operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a paper transport device and a paper transport system using the same. [Background technology]

[0002] There are processing devices that print multiple printing surfaces on a single sheet of paper and then cut the paper in the paper transport direction, dividing it into multiple usable sheets in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. In such processing devices, the printed sheets may contain blank pages or may contain multiple jobs printed consecutively. Therefore, if the usable sheets formed by cutting are simply stacked, they may contain blank pages or usable sheets from different jobs, resulting in the need to sort and collate them again. Furthermore, if no gap is formed between adjacent usable sheets of paper when cutting the paper, the adjacent usable sheets of paper may overlap after cutting, causing inconvenience such as paper jams. Therefore, when transporting a plurality of divided usable sheets of paper in parallel, it is necessary to devise a transport operation.

[0003] Conventionally, a paper transport system with multiple transport paths has been known that includes a paper supply means for transporting multiple printing papers supplied from multiple hoppers in parallel, a printing mechanism for printing printing information in parallel on the multiple supplied printing papers, a paper discharge means for transporting and discharging the printing papers in parallel, and a stacker for storing the multiple discharged printing papers (see Patent Document 1).

[0004] Also known is a paper transport device that includes guide members that guide the papers, which are transported in parallel with no gaps between them, in different directions to prevent the papers from overlapping each other (see Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-109491 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-34540 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] According to the former configuration, it is possible to stagger the transport timing of the sheets transported in parallel, and also to accumulate the sheets in each row along which the sheets are transported. However, the former configuration is effective when the paper size and transport operation are fixed, rather than when a single sheet is cut and then processed continuously, and cannot handle collating work when a job includes blank pages or when consecutive jobs are performed.

[0007] Furthermore, with the latter configuration, even if there is no gap between the valid sheets of paper transported in parallel, it is possible to prevent overlap between the valid sheets of paper by transporting each valid sheet of paper along a transport path in a different direction. However, the latter configuration is only compatible with a fixed paper size, and is inconveniently unable to accommodate effective paper arranged in three or more rows.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its main objective is to provide a paper transport device and a paper transport system using the same that can output the effective paper in the output format desired by the user when printing paper is divided into multiple effective papers by cutting it in the paper transport direction and these multiple effective papers can be transported in parallel as printed products. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, a paper transport device according to the present invention comprises: a cutting unit that divides the paper on which an image is printed into a plurality of usable sheets by cutting the paper in the conveyance direction; a conveying unit that can individually convey the plurality of usable sheets of paper divided by the cutting unit; a transport operation switching mechanism that can switch transport operations of the plurality of usable sheets transported by the transport unit; a control unit that controls the transport operation switching mechanism, The control unit The transport operation switching mechanism is controlled based on at least one of information regarding image formation on the valid sheets and information regarding cutting of the valid sheets, and each transport operation for the plurality of valid sheets is switched.

[0010] Therefore, the cutting unit cuts the paper with the printed image in the transport direction and divides it into multiple usable sheets in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction.The transport unit can then transport each of the multiple usable sheets divided by the cutting unit individually.The transport operation switching mechanism then switches the transport operation of each usable sheet transported individually as needed.This makes it possible to differentiate some usable sheets from other usable sheets in terms of transport operation. That is, the information about image formation on the valid sheets of paper that are individually transported by the transport unit and / or the information about cutting the valid sheets of paper that are individually transported by the transport unit can make the transport operation of some of the valid sheets of paper that are individually transported different from the transport operation of other valid sheets of paper. This makes it possible to handle collating work when a job includes blank pages, when jobs are consecutive, when the paper sizes after cutting are different, etc. Furthermore, even if there is no gap between adjacent valid sheets of paper after cutting, the conveying operation switching mechanism can switch the conveying operation of each valid sheet of paper that is conveyed individually, thereby making it possible to form a gap between adjacent valid sheets of paper. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the above configuration, when printing paper is divided into multiple usable sheets by cutting it in the paper transport direction and these multiple usable sheets can be transported in parallel, it is possible to provide a paper transport device and paper transport system that can output the usable sheets in the output format desired by the user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] Advantages and features provided by embodiments of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings, which are given by way of example and are not intended to be limiting of the invention. [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a paper transport system including a paper transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a control structure of the paper transport system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a cutting unit and a conveying operation switching mechanism of a paper conveying device according to the present embodiment, and shows an example in which a paper is cut into two usable sheets by the cutting unit. FIG. [Figure 4A] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a transport operation switching mechanism used when two usable sheets are formed in the cutting unit. FIG. [Figure 4B] 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the transport operation switching mechanism used when two usable sheets are formed in the cutting unit. FIG. [Figure 4C] 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the transport operation switching mechanism used when two usable sheets are formed in the cutting unit. FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a cutting unit and a conveying operation switching mechanism of a paper conveying device according to the present embodiment, and shows an example in which a paper is cut into three usable sheets by the cutting unit. FIG. [Figure 6A] 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a transport operation switching mechanism used when three usable sheets are formed in the cutting unit. FIG. [Figure 6B] 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the transport operation switching mechanism used when three usable sheets are formed in the cutting unit. FIG. [Figure 6C] 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the transport operation switching mechanism used when three usable sheets are formed in the cutting unit. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an operation process of the paper transport system according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a switching operation by the conveyance operation switching mechanism when blank sheets are included in the sheets on which two-imposed images are printed (when blank sheets are included in the image formation information in the job). [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another example of the switching operation by the conveying operation switching mechanism when blank sheets are included in the sheets on which two-imposed images are printed (when blank sheets are included in the image formation information in the job). [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a switching operation when jobs are printed consecutively and the last sheet of a previous job and the first sheet of a subsequent job are included in the sheets on which two-imposed images are printed. [Figure 11A] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of switching the transport operation so that adjacent valid sheets do not overlap when the sheet is cut with a slit width of zero. [Figure 11B] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another example of switching the transport operation so that adjacent valid sheets do not overlap when the sheet is cut with a slit width of zero. [Figure 11C] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another example of switching the transport operation so that adjacent valid sheets do not overlap when the sheet is cut with a slit width of zero. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of switching of the conveying operation when the division width of the paper is different. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the paper transport system 1 according to this embodiment includes an image forming apparatus 100 and a paper transport device 200.

[0014] (Regarding the image forming apparatus 100) Image forming apparatus 100 forms a color image by electrophotography based on image data obtained by reading an image from an original or image data received from an external device. Image forming apparatus 100 has an operation unit 11, a display unit 12, an original reading unit 13, an image forming unit 14, a paper feed unit 15, a recording unit 16, a communication unit 17, an image processing unit 18, and a control unit 30 (image formation control unit 31).

[0015] The operation unit 11 includes a touch panel formed to cover the display screen of the display unit 12, and various operation buttons such as numeric buttons and a start button, and outputs an operation signal to the image formation control unit 31 based on a user's operation.

[0016] The display unit 12 is configured by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and displays various screens in accordance with instructions of a display signal input from the image formation control unit 31.

[0017] The document reading unit 13 includes an ADF (automatic document feeder), a scanner, etc., and outputs image data obtained by reading an image of a document to the image formation control unit 31.

[0018] Based on the image-processed image data, the image forming unit 14 forms an image on paper supplied from the paper feed unit 15. The image forming unit includes photosensitive drums 141Y, 141M, 141C, and 141K corresponding to the colors yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K), an intermediate transfer belt 142, a secondary transfer roller 143, a fixing unit 144, a density sensor 145, and the like.

[0019] After being uniformly charged, the photosensitive drum 141Y is scanned and exposed to a laser beam based on yellow image data, forming an electrostatic latent image. Then, yellow is applied to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum, and development is performed. The other photosensitive drums 141M, 141C, and 141K undergo the same process as the photosensitive drum 141Y, except that the colors they handle are different.

[0020] The toner images of each color formed on the photosensitive drums 141Y, 141M, 141C, and 141K are transferred one by one (primary transfer) onto the rotating intermediate transfer belt 142. That is, a color toner image in which the toner images of four colors are superimposed is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 142. The color toner images on the intermediate transfer belt 142 are transferred all at once onto a sheet of paper by the secondary transfer roller 143 (secondary transfer). The fixing unit 144 includes a heating roller that heats the paper onto which the color toner image has been transferred, and a pressure roller that presses the paper, and fixes the color toner image onto the paper by applying heat and pressure.

[0021] The paper feed unit 15 includes paper feed trays T11 to T13, and supplies paper to the image forming unit 14. Each of the paper feed trays T11 to T13 stores paper of a paper type and size predetermined for that paper feed tray.

[0022] The recording unit 16 stores programs, image data used when executing the programs, various setting data, and other data in a manner that allows the data to be read by the control unit 30 (image formation control unit 31). A large-capacity memory such as a hard disk can be used as the recording unit 16.

[0023] The communication unit 17 communicates with external devices on the network, such as user terminals, servers, other image forming devices, etc., and receives image data and job information for image formation jobs input from the external devices. The job information includes various settings (image formation mode, whether or not to perform cutting processing, the size of each sheet of paper generated by cutting, the paper output destination, post-processing, etc.).

[0024] Image processing unit 18 performs necessary image processing on image data stored in recording unit 16, image data obtained by reading an image from an original document using document reading unit 13, and image data input from an external device via communication unit 17, and transmits the processed image data to image forming unit 14. Image processing includes gradation processing, halftone processing, color conversion processing, etc. Image forming unit 14 forms an image consisting of four colors, C, M, Y, and K, on ​​paper according to the pixel values ​​of the four colors of each image of the image data processed by image processing unit 18.

[0025] The control unit 30 is configured to include a CPU, a ROM, and a memory. It controls each part of the image forming apparatus 100 by reading and executing various programs stored in the recording unit 16. That is, the control unit 30, for example, feeds paper from paper feed trays T11 to T13, transfers an image onto the paper from intermediate transfer belt 142 by secondary transfer roller 143, and applies heat and pressure to the paper in fixing unit 144 to form the image on the paper. The control unit 30 also controls each unit of the paper transport device 200, which will be described later. Therefore, the control unit 30 has both the function of an image formation control unit 31 and the function of a paper processing control unit 32.

[0026] The paper transport device 200 is a device that performs processing as necessary on the paper sheets output from the image forming device 100. Examples of processing include slitter processing, gutter slitter processing, CD cutting processing, crease processing, and FD / CD perforation processing. These processing processes are not required and are performed when instructed by the image forming device 100. When no processing is required, the paper transport device 200 transports the paper sheets transported from the image forming device 100 directly to the paper output trays T1 and T2. Here, the description will be centered on a configuration in which a slitter process (FD cutting process) is performed as a processing step, cutting the print paper in the paper transport direction.

[0027] (Regarding the paper transport device 200) The paper transport device 200 cuts the paper P, on which an image has been printed by the image forming device 100, into multiple pieces along the transport direction, and switches the transport operation of the multiple usable sheets divided by cutting in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction as needed.Then, the paper is discharged to the paper output trays T1 and T2.

[0028] This paper transport device 200 has a cutting unit 21 that cuts paper in the paper transport direction, a valid paper transport unit 22 that individually transports the cut multiple valid papers, a transport operation switching mechanism 23 that can switch the transport operation of each valid paper, and paper output trays T1 and T2 that eject paper. The paper transport device 200 also has a print information recording unit 24, a processing information recording unit 25, and a control unit 30 (paper processing control unit 32).

[0029] The cutting unit 21 is equipped with a cutter 21a that cuts the printing paper P in the FD direction, which is the conveyance direction of the printing paper P, and divides the paper into multiple usable sheets in a direction perpendicular to the paper conveyance direction. This cutter 21a may have any mechanism for cutting paper, such as a disk cutter or guillotine cutter, but in this example, an example of a disk cutter that cuts paper by rubbing an upper rotary blade against a lower rotary blade is shown.

[0030] The cutter 21a of the cutting unit 21 faces the FD direction but does not move in the FD direction; it can only move in the CD direction. The position of the cutter 21a is adjusted to match the size of the printing paper in the CD direction. That is, the control unit 30 (paper processing control unit 32) moves the cutter 21a to a predetermined position in the CD direction and transports the printing paper P between the upper and lower rotary blades, thereby performing FD cutting. There may be one or more cutters 21a, and therefore the cutting unit 21 may divide the paper into two as shown in Figures 3 and 4, or into three as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The cutting unit 21 may include a process for cutting off waste, but performs division to form at least two usable sheets of paper (products).

[0031] The valid paper transport unit 22 can transport in parallel each of the valid paper pieces that have been cut in the paper transport direction by the cutting unit 210 and divided into multiple pieces in the direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction. This valid paper transport unit 22 may be configured integrally with the cutting unit 21, or may be configured independently and connected to the cutting unit 21. The valid paper transport section 22 also has transport means capable of independently transporting each of the divided valid paper sheets P1. The transport means may be, for example, transport rollers 26 that are divided in a direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction and driven independently for each valid paper sheet, or transport belts 28 that are driven independently for each valid paper sheet.

[0032] The transport operation switching mechanism 23 is provided on the transport path downstream of the cutting unit 21, i.e., in the valid paper transport unit 22. This transport operation switching mechanism 23 can be implemented in a variety of ways. For example, by controlling the transport operation for each transport row (each divided valid paper), it is possible to adjust the transport speed and transport direction of each parallel valid paper. It is also possible to change the transport path by physically moving a portion of the transport path that transports the valid paper together with the valid paper in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction.

[0033] A specific example of the transport operation switching mechanism 23 will be described below. 3 and 4A show an example in which the cutting unit 21 divides the paper P into two pieces, and each of the two sheets of valid paper P1 is transported in parallel using the transport rollers 26. Also, FIGS. 5 and 6A show an example in which the cutting unit 21 divides the paper P into three pieces, and each of the three sheets of valid paper P1 is transported in parallel using the transport rollers 26. In this example, the conveying operation switching mechanism 23 is configured with a pair of speed-control rollers 26a, 26b, some of which are conveying rollers 26 (in this example, the conveying rollers immediately after the cutting section 21) arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance of the useful paper P1 and whose rotational speeds can be independently adjusted. A plurality of such pairs of speed control rollers 26a, 26b may be provided along the conveying direction on each path of the valid paper conveying section 22. The pair of speed control rollers 26a, 26b may also be arranged on the conveying path (valid paper conveying section 22) as a conveying operation switching unit 27.

[0034] Because the rotational speed (number of rotations) of each speed control roller 26a, 26b can be controlled independently, if it is desired to transport the valid paper P1 in a straight line along the transport direction, the rotational speeds of the speed control rollers 26a, 26b are set to be equal. Furthermore, if it is desired to transport the valid paper to the right in the transport direction, the rotational speed of the speed control roller 26b on the left side of the transport direction is set faster than the rotational speed of the speed control roller 26a on the right side of the transport direction. Similarly, if it is desired to transport the valid paper to the left in the transport direction, the rotational speed of the speed control roller 26a on the right side of the transport direction is set faster than the rotational speed of the speed control roller 26b on the left side of the transport direction. Furthermore, if it is desired to vary the transport timing or transport speed for some transport paths, the transport rollers 26 for some transport paths can be stopped or their rotational speeds can be varied.

[0035] While the above has shown an example of the transport roller 26, a transport belt 28 may be used instead of the transport roller 26 shown in Figures 4B and 6B. In other words, the transport operation switching mechanism 23 may be configured with two independently drivable speed-control belts 28a and 28b arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the useful paper. Even with this configuration, it is possible to change the transport direction and transport timing of the useful paper using a similar method.

[0036] The transport operation switching mechanism 23 may also be configured with a transport guide 40 that transports the useful paper in different directions. This transport guide 40 may be configured, for example, with a guide plate that can swing left and right relative to the transport direction, changing the transport direction of some of the useful paper. Such a transport guide 40 may be provided in place of the speed control rollers 26a, 26b or the speed control belts 28a, 28b, or may be provided together with the speed control rollers 26a, 26b or the speed control belts 28a, 28b.

[0037] 4C and 6C, the transport operation switching mechanism 23 may also be configured with a pair of upper and lower gripping rollers 29 that grip the valid paper P1. In this configuration, the valid paper is sandwiched between the pair of gripping rollers 29 from above and below, and the paper transport path can be changed by moving the gripping rollers 29 themselves in a direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction while the valid paper is sandwiched. If the gripping rollers 29 are also configured as the transport operation switching unit 27, the transport path can be changed by moving the transport operation switching unit 27 itself in a direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction while gripping the valid paper. In a configuration using such gripping rollers 29, it is preferable to temporarily stop the valid paper P1 when changing the transport path.

[0038] The print information recording unit 24 records information about image formation on paper. The information about image formation includes information about whether a job includes blank paper, job switching page information, and the like. The print information recording unit 19 may also include paper information such as the type of paper (e.g., paper type indicating plain paper, thick paper, etc.) and basis weight stored in the paper feed trays T11 to T13. The paper information may be registered by a user via the operation unit 11 of the image forming apparatus 100, or may be set by an external device via the communication unit 17.

[0039] The processing information recording unit 25 records information related to paper processing. Information related to paper processing may include information such as the cutting width (effective paper width), paper cutting position (division position), and cutting speed. This information related to paper processing can be set by the user via the operation unit 11. Information related to paper processing can also be set using paper processing information input from an external device via the communication unit 17. The printing information storage unit 24 and the processing information storage unit 25 may be replaced by an external storage device that stores this information.

[0040] The control unit 30 (paper processing control unit 32) controls each unit of the paper transport device 200 by reading and executing various programs stored in the recording unit 16. That is, when processing paper transported from the image forming apparatus 100, the control unit 30 instructs the paper transport device 200 to execute a predetermined cutting process or a transport operation switching process. For example, the paper processing control unit 32 cuts the paper using the cutting unit 21 based on information related to paper processing recorded in the processing information recording unit 25. Furthermore, the paper processing control unit 32 switches transport operations such as the transport speed and delivery direction for each transport path (each effective paper unit obtained by cutting) using the transport operation switching mechanism 23 based on the various information recorded in the print information recording unit 19.

[0041] The transport operation switching mechanism 23 is operated at a stage after the paper printed by the image forming apparatus 100 has been cut into a plurality of usable sheets and before the paper is accumulated. The number of pages of images to be formed on a single printing sheet by the image forming apparatus 100 is set by instructions from the operation unit 11. Therefore, when printing one print job, the control unit 30 (image formation control unit 31) can know in advance whether or not the printing sheet for the final page of the job includes a blank page, based on the image formation information of the job. Furthermore, even when images of different jobs are printed consecutively, it is possible to know in advance whether the last sheet of a previous job and the first sheet of a subsequent job will be printed on the same sheet of paper. Furthermore, when cutting the paper on which an image has been printed, it is possible to know whether or not the paper is to be trimmed from the image formation information and processing information before printing.

[0042] Therefore, the control unit 30 can execute the process shown in the flowchart of FIG. First, in step 50, paper information on which an image will be printed (such as the paper type and basis weight of the paper stored in paper feed trays T11, T12, and T13) is obtained and stored in the print information recording unit 24. Then, in step 52, print information including image formation information on the print paper transported to paper transport device 200 (such as whether there is a blank page in the job and job switching page information) is obtained, and this is linked to the previous paper information and stored in the print information recording unit 24. Furthermore, in step 54, processing information (such as cutting width, paper cutting position, cutting speed, etc.) on how to process the paper on which the image is printed is obtained, and this information is stored in the processing information recording unit 25 in association with the paper information and printing information.

[0043] Then, based on at least one of the printing information stored in the printing information recording unit 24 and the processing information stored in the processing information recording unit 25, it is determined whether or not a change in the transport operation is necessary for each of the useful sheets P1 obtained by division.

[0044] When executing a print job, the number of pages printed on a single sheet of paper is defined as N (also called N-in-1 printing: N-Up printing, or N-imposition), and the number of pages in one print job is defined as M. In this case, if M is an integer multiple of N, the usable sheets cut and divided by the cutting unit 21 will not contain blank sheets or pages for other jobs, and even if all the usable sheets obtained by cutting are accumulated, they will not contain blank sheets or pages for other jobs. However, if the number of pages M required for one print job is not an integral multiple of the number of pages N that can be printed on a single sheet of paper, the final sheet of paper printed will include usable paper that will be blank after cutting. Also, if the number of pages M of a print job is not an integral multiple of the number of pages N that can be printed on a single sheet of paper and another print job is printed in succession, the final page of the previous print job and the first page of the subsequent print job will be included on the same print sheet.

[0045] Whether a single sheet of paper contains blank pages or pages from other print jobs can be known in advance based on what print jobs are printed on the paper before it is cut. Therefore, by appropriately adjusting the transport operation of the cut usable paper based on the printing information stored in the printing information recording unit 24 and the processing information stored in the processing information recording unit 25, it becomes possible to purge blank pages to a separate tray, or to sort and discharge usable paper by job, etc.

[0046] Based on the above, the control unit 30 controls the conveying operation switching mechanism 23 as shown in steps 56 and onwards based on at least one of the information stored in the printing information recording unit 24 and the processing information stored in the processing information recording unit 25. That is, in step 56, it is determined whether or not there is a blank sheet among the valid sheets to be output as the product. If it is determined that there is a blank sheet, in step 64, the control unit 30 determines the operation of the transport operation switching mechanism 23 (the operation to purge the blank sheets) (details of the operation will be described later).

[0047] Also, if it is determined in step 58 that it is necessary to identify the switching position of the print job, in step 64 the control unit 30 determines the operation of the transport operation switching mechanism 23 (the operation of sending valid paper of other jobs to a different route) (details of the operation will be described later). Furthermore, if it is determined in step 60 that there is no gap between the sheets at the cutting point, in step 64, the control unit 30 determines the operation of the conveying operation switching mechanism 23 (the operation of forming a gap between adjacent sheets) (detailed operations will be described later).

[0048] Furthermore, if it is determined in step 62 that the division widths of the usable paper after cutting are different, in step 64 the control unit 30 determines the operation of the transport operation switching mechanism 23 (the operation of using separate paths for each usable paper with the same division width) (the detailed operation will be described later).

[0049] Then, when the operation of the transport operation switching mechanism 23 is determined in step 64, an image is printed on the paper by the image forming apparatus 100 (step 66), and then the paper is cut in the transport direction by the cutting unit 21 to form a plurality of usable papers divided in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction (step 68). Then, the transport operation switching mechanism 23 is operated based on the switching operation of the transport operation switching mechanism 23 determined in step 64 (step 70), and each usable paper is discharged (accumulated) onto the paper output trays T1 and T2 according to the switched transport operation (step 72).

[0050] If no relevant events occur in steps 56 to 62, the transport operation switching mechanism 23 is not particularly operated, and the image is printed (step 66), cut (step 68), and discharged (accumulated) (step 72).

[0051] Based on the above operational processing by the control unit 30, a specific example of the paper transport switching operation will now be described.

[0052] (When blank sheets are included in the usable paper after cutting) An example of the switching operation of the transport operation switching mechanism 23 when the image formation information of the job includes a blank sheet will be described (an example of the switching operation of steps 56, 64, and 70). It is assumed that two images are formed on each sheet of paper transported to the image forming device 100 (this is also called 2-in-1 printing or 2-up printing, but hereinafter referred to as two-imposition). If the number of pages is odd, one side of the last page will be blank. In such a case, it is necessary to make it possible to identify blank pages, since the sheets sent to the paper transport device 200 are to be accumulated as finished products.

[0053] If the information recorded in the print information recording unit 19 includes blank sheets that are not required as deliverables (useful sheets), the timing of conveying the blank sheets obtained after cutting may be shifted. For example, as shown in Fig. 8, the timing of conveying the blank sheets conveyed in parallel may be delayed or temporarily stopped by slowing down the speed of the conveying rollers or stopping the conveying rollers when the blank sheets pass through the switching unit. Also, as shown in Figure 9, the control unit 30 may determine the operation of discharging blank paper to a different paper output tray, and the transport operation switching mechanism 23 may switch the transport path for the blank paper and switch the transport operation so that the paper is discharged to a different paper output tray.

[0054] (When the valid paper after cutting includes valid paper from another job: When including the changeover page of a continuous job) An example of the switching operation of the transport operation switching mechanism 23 when different jobs are printed consecutively and the last sheet of the previous job and the first sheet of the next job are present during two-imposed image formation will be described (an example of the switching operation of steps 58, 64, and 70). If the cut sheets contain valid sheets from different jobs and the sheets are to be ultimately stacked by job, there is a need to determine the location where the jobs have changed in the next process. If the sheets transported in parallel have different job numbers based on the job numbers recorded in the print information recording unit, the timing of the sheet transport for the different jobs may be shifted relative to the sheet transport operation for the job. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the transport of valid sheets (1') from different jobs may be delayed or temporarily stopped. Also, as in FIG. 9, the control unit 30 may determine the operation of discharging sheets with different job numbers to different paper output trays, and the transport operation switching mechanism 23 may switch the transport path for the sheets with different job numbers and switch the transport operation so that they are discharged to different paper output trays.

[0055] (When transporting paper so that it does not overlap at the dividing section) An example of the switching operation of the conveying operation switching mechanism 23 when the ditch width is zero when the sheet is divided in the cutting unit 21 will be described (an example of the switching operation of steps 60, 64, and 70). When the paper is divided by the cutting unit 21, if the ditch width is zero, the paper may be conveyed in parallel and overlap each other due to bending or deviation of the paper during conveyance, which may cause conveyance problems. Therefore, it is desirable that the transport operation switching mechanism 23 switches the transport operation so that the sheets transported in parallel are separated from each other in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction.

[0056] Based on the processing information recorded in the processing information recording unit 25, the control unit 30 controls the transport operation to change the direction in which the effective sheets do not overlap depending on the number of divisions and the division positions of the sheets. There are various possible modes for the switching operation to transport the paper so that it does not overlap. For example, in the case of dividing the paper into three, as shown in Figure 11A, the valid paper P1 is gripped by a pair of upper and lower gripping rollers 29, and while maintaining this state, the transport operation switching unit 27 is moved in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction. This makes it possible to ensure a large gap between adjacent valid papers.

[0057] Furthermore, the rotation speed of each roller is adjusted in a pair of speed control rollers provided in each transport operation switching unit 27. This allows the transport directions of each valid paper sheet to differ, and as shown in Fig. 11B, the valid paper sheets on both sides may be transported away from the valid paper sheets in the center. Furthermore, the transport timing or transport speed may be changed for adjacent valid sheets of paper. For example, as shown in Fig. 11C, the transport timing or transport speed of the valid sheet in the center may be delayed, and the valid sheets on both sides may be advanced relatively to prevent adjacent valid sheets of paper from overlapping.

[0058] (When the transport path is changed depending on the paper division width) When multiple sheets of usable paper cut by the cutting unit 21 have different widths, if they are discharged via the same transport path, it may be difficult to stack sheets of usable paper of the same width together when they are re-accumulated. For this reason, it is preferable to separate the discharge paths according to the paper width.

[0059] Therefore, based on the processing information stored in the processing information recording unit 25, the control unit 30 determines the paper transport path to be divided according to the paper width after division, depending on the number of paper divisions, the division positions, and the paper width after division, and operates the transport operation switching mechanism 23 accordingly. For example, as shown in Fig. 12, the transport path for one of the useful papers with a different paper width (for example, useful paper with a wider paper width) may be made different, and the paper may be led to a different discharge path (paper output tray) for each paper width.

[0060] As described above, the paper transport device 200 according to this embodiment includes a cutting unit 21 that divides paper P, on which an image has been printed, into multiple valid paper sheets P1 by cutting it in the transport direction; a transport unit (valid paper transport unit 22) that can transport the multiple valid paper sheets P1 divided by the cutting unit 21 individually (transporting them in parallel and independently); a transport operation switching mechanism 23 that can switch the transport operation for the multiple valid paper sheets P1 transported by the transport unit (valid paper transport unit 22); and a control unit 30 that controls the transport operation switching mechanism 23. The control unit 30 controls the transport operation switching mechanism 23 based on at least one of information related to image formation on the valid paper sheets P1 and information related to cutting the valid paper sheets P1, and switches the transport operation for each valid paper sheet P1. For example, the control unit 30 determines whether a transport operation needs to be switched for each valid paper sheet transported by the transport unit (valid paper transport unit 22), and causes the transport operation switching mechanism 23 to switch the transport operation for each valid paper sheet that requires a transport operation switch. Here, the information regarding image formation on the valid paper P1 may be recorded in the print information recording unit 24 of the paper transport device 200, which can record this information, or may be stored in an external storage device. Also, the information regarding cutting of the valid paper P1 may be stored in the processing information recording unit 25 of the paper transport device 200, which can record this information, or may be stored in an external storage device.

[0061] Information relating to image formation recorded in the print information recording unit 24 includes the presence or absence of blank paper, the job switching page number, the paper type, the basis weight, etc. Information relating to cutting recorded in the processing information recording unit 25 includes the paper width after processing, the dividing position, etc.

[0062] Therefore, a single sheet of paper with multiple printed surfaces is cut in the paper transport direction by the cutting unit and divided into multiple usable sheets in a direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction, and the multiple usable sheets are individually transported by the transport unit as printed products. Then, based on information from the printing machine (information related to image formation on the usable sheets individually transported by the transport unit) and / or information from the processing machine (information related to cutting the usable sheets individually transported by the transport unit), the transport operation switching mechanism 23 changes the transport operation as needed for each usable sheet individually transported. Therefore, when the printing paper is divided into a plurality of usable sheets in a direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction and these multiple usable sheets can be transported individually as printed products, the usable sheets can be output in the output format desired by the user.

[0063] Specifically, it is possible to handle cases where blank pages are included in a job, where jobs are consecutive, and where collating work is performed when different paper sizes are included in the cut usable paper. In other words, when the control unit 30 determines based on information regarding image formation on valid paper that some of the valid paper sheets include valid paper sheets (e.g., blank paper sheets) that are not required as finished products, the control unit 30 can switch the conveying operation of only the unnecessary valid paper sheets using the conveying operation switching mechanism 23.

[0064] In addition, when the control unit 30 determines based on information regarding image formation on the valid paper that some of the valid paper sheets include valid paper sheets of different jobs, it is possible to switch the conveying operation of the valid paper sheets of different jobs using the conveying operation switching mechanism 23.

[0065] Furthermore, when the control unit 30 determines that the paper widths of the plurality of valid papers are different based on the information about cutting, the control unit 30 can switch the conveying operation of the valid papers according to the paper width using the conveying operation switching mechanism. Therefore, it is possible to handle collating work when the useful paper P1 obtained by cutting includes blank pages in a job, when jobs are consecutive, or when different paper sizes are included.

[0066] In addition, when the control unit 30 determines based on the information regarding cutting that there is no gap between adjacent valid sheets of paper P1, it can also switch the conveying operation by the conveying operation switching mechanism 23 so that a gap is formed between the adjacent valid sheets of paper.

[0067] In the above, the switching of the transport operation by the transport operation switching mechanism 23 may be performed by changing the transport timing or transport path of the valid paper P1. The transport operation switching mechanism 23 that realizes this operation may be configured with a pair of speed control rollers 26a, 26b or speed control belts 28a, 28b that are arranged side by side in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the valid paper P1 and whose rotation speeds can be adjusted independently.The transport operation switching mechanism 23 may also be configured with a mechanism that grips the valid paper P1 and moves it in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction, or with a transport guide 40 that transports the valid paper in a different direction. The above-described paper transport device 200 is useful in constructing a paper transport system 1 in combination with an image forming device 100 that forms an image on paper. Furthermore, the paper transport system 1 may be a system that includes a post-processing device downstream of the paper transport device 200 that performs additional post-processing on each valid paper sheet P1. In this case, the control unit 30 may control the transport of each valid paper sheet P1 by switching the transport operation of the transport operation switching mechanism 23 depending on the type of post-processing performed by the downstream post-processing device.

[0068] <Supplementary information> Although the embodiments and modifications of the paper transport device and paper transport system according to the present invention have been described, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications. The present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to the above-described embodiments and modifications that would occur to those skilled in the art, as well as forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of the embodiments and modifications within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention should be interpreted by the appended claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0069] The present invention is useful when multiple printing surfaces are printed on a single sheet of paper, and then the paper is cut in the paper transport direction to form multiple usable sheets, and these multiple usable sheets are transported individually to output the usable sheets in the output format desired by the user. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1. Paper transport system 21 Cutting section 22 Effective paper transport section 23 Transfer operation switching mechanism 24 Printing information recording unit 25 Processing information recording section 26a,26b Speed ​​regulating roller 28a, 28b Speed ​​control belt 29 Grip roller 30 Control Unit 100 Image forming device 200 Paper transport device

Claims

1. a cutting unit that divides the paper on which an image is printed into a plurality of usable sheets by cutting the paper in the conveyance direction; a conveying unit that can individually convey the plurality of usable sheets of paper divided by the cutting unit; a transport operation switching mechanism that can switch transport operations of the plurality of usable sheets transported by the transport unit; a control unit that controls the transport operation switching mechanism, The control unit The paper transport device controls the transport operation switching mechanism based on at least one of information relating to image formation on the valid paper and information relating to cutting of the valid paper, and switches between transport operations for the plurality of valid paper.

2. The paper transport device of claim 1, wherein the control unit, when some of the plurality of valid papers include valid papers that are not required as finished products based on information regarding image formation of the valid papers, switches the transport operation switching mechanism to switch the transport operation of the unnecessary valid papers so as to distinguish them from the required valid papers.

3. The paper transport device of claim 1, wherein the control unit, when some of the multiple valid papers include valid papers of different jobs based on information regarding image formation of the valid papers, switches the transport operation switching mechanism to switch the transport operation of the valid papers of the different jobs so as to distinguish them from other valid papers.

4. The paper transport device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit switches the transport operation by the transport operation switching mechanism so that a gap is formed between adjacent valid sheets of paper when there is no gap between adjacent valid sheets of paper based on the information regarding the cutting.

5. The paper transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit switches the transport operation of the plurality of valid papers according to paper width when the paper widths of the plurality of valid papers differ based on the information about the cutting, using the transport operation switching mechanism.

6. 6. The paper transport device according to claim 2, wherein the transport operation switching mechanism switches the transport operation by varying the transport timing or the transport path of the plurality of usable sheets.

7. The paper transport device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the transport operation switching mechanism is composed of a pair of speed-control rollers or speed-control belts arranged side by side in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the effective paper and whose rotation speeds can be independently adjusted.

8. 6. The paper transport device according to claim 2, wherein the transport operation switching mechanism is a mechanism that grips the valid paper and moves it in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, or a transport guide that transports the valid paper in a different direction.

9. A paper transport system comprising: an image forming device that forms an image on paper; and the paper transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 that cuts the paper on which the image has been formed by the image forming device in the transport direction.

Images