Sheet processing device

Abstract

To provide a sheet processing device capable of suppressing deterioration of processing quality.SOLUTION: A sheet processing device includes: a booklet tray; a booklet stop; and a damming member. In the booklet tray, a booklet which is saddle-folded and discharged from a discharge mechanism is placed in a state of being inclined with respect to the vertical direction. With the booklet stop, a tip of the booklet can come into contact. The damming member is arranged above the booklet tray and closer to the discharge mechanism than the booklet stop. The damming member is formed in such a manner that the upper side of the booklet tray is further away from the booklet tray. In the damming member, by moving integrally, a first end part on the lower side can come into contact with / be separated from the booklet tray.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD An embodiment of the present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] A sheet processing apparatus having a saddle folding unit is used. The saddle folding unit folds sheets to form booklets. The formed booklets are discharged to a booklet discharge section. In the booklet discharge section, the booklets are discharged from a discharge mechanism to a booklet tray. There is a demand for a sheet processing apparatus that can suppress a decrease in processing quality. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4191232 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a sheet processing apparatus that can suppress a decrease in processing quality. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The sheet processing device of the embodiment has a booklet tray, a booklet stopper, and a damming member. A booklet that has been saddle-folded and discharged from the discharge mechanism is placed on the booklet tray in a state inclined relative to the vertical direction. The leading edge of the booklet can abut against the booklet stopper. The damming member is disposed above the booklet tray and closer to the discharge mechanism than the booklet stopper. The damming member is formed so that the further it is from the booklet tray, the further away it is from the booklet tray. The damming member moves as a unit, allowing a first end on the lower side to abut against and separate from the booklet tray. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an image forming apparatus. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a booklet discharge unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] 3A and 3B are a schematic configuration diagram and a first operation explanatory diagram of a booklet discharge unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a second operation of the booklet discharge unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a third operation of the booklet discharge unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a fourth operation of the booklet discharge unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram of a booklet discharge section in a first modified example of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, a sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 has an image forming apparatus main body 100 and a sheet processing apparatus 200. The image forming apparatus main body 100 and the sheet processing apparatus 200 are disposed adjacent to each other.

[0008] The image forming apparatus main body 100 will now be described. The image forming apparatus main body 100 forms an image on a sheet (recording medium) using a recording material. For example, the sheet is plain paper or label paper. A specific example of the recording material is toner. The toner is either a toner used as a decolorizable recording material or a toner used as a non-decolorizable recording material.

[0009] For example, the image forming apparatus main body 100 is a multifunction peripheral. As shown in Fig. 1, the image forming apparatus main body 100 has a display unit 15, an operation unit 14, an image reading unit 16, a printer unit 17, a sheet storage unit 18, a paper discharge roller 19, and a first control unit 90.

[0010] The display unit 15 is an image display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, etc. The display unit 15 displays various information related to the image forming apparatus main body 100 and the sheet processing apparatus 200. The operation unit 14 has a plurality of buttons. The operation unit 14 accepts operations by the user. The operation unit 14 outputs a signal corresponding to the operation performed by the user to the first control unit 90 of the image forming apparatus main body 100. The display unit 15 and the operation unit 14 may be configured as an integrated touch panel.

[0011] The image reading unit 16 reads the image information of the object to be read as brightness of light, and outputs the read image information to the printer unit 17. The sheet storage unit 18 stores sheets to be used for image formation, and supplies the stored sheets to the printer unit 17.

[0012] The printer unit 17 forms an image on a sheet based on image information generated by the image reading unit 16 or image information received via a communication path. The printer unit 17 has an image forming unit, a transfer unit, and a fixing device. The image forming unit forms an electrostatic latent image on a photosensitive drum based on the image information. The image forming unit forms a visible image by attaching toner to the electrostatic latent image. The transfer unit transfers the visible image onto the sheet. The fixing device heats and pressurizes the toner to fix the visible image onto the sheet. The paper discharge rollers 19 are disposed near the paper discharge port of the image forming apparatus main body 100. The paper discharge rollers 19 send out the sheet on which the image has been formed to the sheet processing apparatus 200. The first control unit 90 controls the operations of the image forming apparatus main body 100 and each unit of the sheet processing apparatus 200 .

[0013] The sheet processing apparatus 200 will be described. The sheet processing apparatus 200 performs post-processing on the image-formed sheet P. For example, the post-processing is stapling or saddle folding. The sheet processing apparatus 200 includes a second control unit 95, a staple mechanism 20, and a saddle folding mechanism 30. The second control unit 95 controls the operations of the various units of the sheet processing apparatus 200 .

[0014] The staple mechanism 20 has a waiting tray 21, a processing tray 22, and a stapler 23. The stapler 23 staples the peripheral edges of a plurality of sheets P. The stapled sheets P are transported by a transport belt 24 and discharged onto a movable tray 27.

[0015] The sheet processing apparatus 200 has a movable tray 27 and an upper tray 26. Stapled sheets P are discharged to the movable tray 27. Non-stapled sheets P are discharged to the upper tray 26.

[0016] 2 is a front view of the saddle folding mechanism 30 of the sheet processing apparatus 200. The saddle folding mechanism 30 has a sheet supporting section 31, a processing section 33, and a booklet discharging section .

[0017] The sheet support unit 31 supports the sheet P. The sheet support unit 31 includes a saddle folding tray 32 and an elevator device . The saddle folding tray 32 is capable of placing the sheet P on its surface. The lifting device 38 supports the lower end of the sheet P placed on the saddle folding tray 32. The lifting device 38 moves up and down to move the sheet P to the processing section 33.

[0018] The processing section 33 includes a staple section 34 , a folding unit 35 , and a fold-reinforcing unit 39 . The staple section 34 is located above the folding unit 35. The staple section 34 performs stapling processing at a predetermined position on the sheets P. For example, the predetermined position on the sheets P is the middle of the sheets P in the longitudinal direction.

[0019] The folding unit 35 is located in the center of the saddle folding mechanism 30. The folding unit 35 folds the middle of the sheet P in the longitudinal direction to form a crease in the sheet P. The folding unit 35 has a blade 36 and a pair of folding rollers 37.

[0020] The blade 36 is flat and tapered. The blade 36 is movable between the rear side and the front side of the saddle folding tray 32. The blade 36 can come into contact with the middle of the sheet P in the longitudinal direction. The pair of folding rollers 37 is located on the front side of the saddle folding tray 32. The pair of folding rollers 37 are aligned in the vertical direction. The pair of folding rollers 37 are long in the horizontal direction. The rotation axes of the pair of folding rollers 37 are parallel to the horizontal direction.

[0021] The fold reinforcing unit 39 is located downstream of the pair of folding rollers 37. The fold reinforcing unit 39 reinforcing the crease of the sheet P.

[0022] For example, the saddle folding mechanism 30 shown in FIG. 2 performs a bookbinding process in which multiple sheets P are saddle-folded to form a booklet. The lifting device 38 moves up and down while supporting the sheets P. The lifting device 38 positions the longitudinal midpoint of the sheets P at the position of the staple section 34. The staple section 34 staples the multiple sheets P. The lifting device 38 moves the multiple sheets P downward. The lifting device 38 positions the longitudinal midpoint of the sheets P at the position of the folding unit 35. The blade 36 moves from the back side to the front side of the saddle folding tray 32 and pushes the sheets P between a pair of folding rollers 37. The multiple sheets P are saddle-folded at the longitudinal midpoint to form a booklet. The fold reinforcing unit 39 reinforcing the folds of the booklet. In this way, the booklet is completed.

[0023] The saddle folding mechanism 30 is configured to move the booklet upward from the folding unit 35 to the fold-reinforcing unit 39. Alternatively, the saddle folding mechanism 30 may be configured to move the booklet downward from the folding unit 35 to the fold-reinforcing unit 39. The booklet is discharged from the fold-reinforcing unit 39 to a booklet discharge section 40.

[0024] The booklet discharge unit 40 will now be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the booklet discharge section 40 in this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of the booklet discharge section 40 and a first operation explanatory diagram. The booklet discharge section 40 is installed below the sheet processing apparatus 200. The booklet discharge section 40 has a discharge mechanism 41, a booklet tray 44, a booklet stopper 45, and a damming member 50. The booklet tray 44, the booklet stopper 45, and the damming member 50 are made of a resin material or the like. The booklet Q (see FIG. 3) is discharged from the discharge mechanism 41 and placed on the booklet tray 44.

[0025] As the local coordinate system of the booklet discharge unit 40, the X, Y, and Z directions of the Cartesian coordinate system are defined as follows: The X direction is the movement direction of the booklet tray 44 and the booklet stopper 45. The +X side is the lower side of the X direction that forms an acute angle with the lower side of the vertical direction. The Y direction is the width direction of the booklet Q placed on the booklet tray 44. For example, the Y direction is the horizontal direction. The Z direction is the direction perpendicular to the X and Y directions. The +Z direction is the upper side of the Z direction that forms an acute angle with the upper side of the vertical direction.

[0026] The discharge mechanism 41 has a pair of discharge rollers. The discharge rollers are rotatable around a rotation axis parallel to the Y direction. The pair of discharge rollers are arranged side by side in the vertical direction (for example, the Z direction). One of the pair of discharge rollers is a drive roller that is driven to rotate by a motor or the like. The other of the pair of discharge rollers is a driven roller that is driven to rotate by the rotation of the drive roller. The space between the pair of discharge rollers is the discharge outlet for booklet Q.

[0027] The discharge mechanism 41 discharges the booklet Q downward, toward the D side (see FIG. 3). For example, the D side is the +X side. The fold reinforcing unit 39 shown in FIG. 1 sends out the booklet Q upward. The booklet Q is changed downward to enter the discharge mechanism 41 and is discharged from the discharge mechanism 41. In contrast, in the case of the saddle folding mechanism 30 in which the fold reinforcing unit 39 sends out the booklet Q downward, the booklet Q may enter the discharge mechanism 41 without being changed.

[0028] The booklet tray 44 is formed in the shape of a flat plate parallel to the XY plane. The booklet tray 44 is disposed on the +X side of the discharge mechanism 41, below in the vertical direction. The booklet Q, which has been saddle-folded and discharged from the discharge mechanism 41, is placed on the upper surface of the +Z side of the booklet tray 44. The booklet Q is placed in a state inclined with respect to the vertical direction. The booklet tray 44 is movable in the X direction. The booklet tray 44 is biased toward the −X side by a biasing member 43 (see FIG. 3). For example, the biasing member 43 is a coil spring.

[0029] The booklet stopper 45 is fixed to the upper surface on the +Z side of the booklet tray 44. The booklet stopper 45 is disposed near the end of the booklet tray 44 on the +X side. The -X side side of the booklet stopper 45 is parallel to the YZ plane. The +X side leading edge of the booklet Q can abut against the -X side side of the booklet stopper 45.

[0030] The booklet stopper 45 is movable in the X direction together with the booklet tray 44. Alternatively, the position of the booklet tray 44 may be fixed, and the booklet stopper 45 may be movable independently in the X direction. In this case, the booklet stopper 45 is biased by the biasing member 43 toward the -X side.

[0031] The damming member 50 is disposed on the +Z side, which is above the booklet tray 44. The damming member 50 is disposed closer to the discharge mechanism 41 (on the -X side) than the booklet stopper 45. The damming member 50 is formed in an L shape when viewed from the Y direction. The damming member 50 has an upper arm 53 and a lower arm 54. The upper arm 53 and the lower arm 54 extend linearly when viewed from the Y direction, but may also be curved. The upper arm 53 and the lower arm 54 are formed separately and connected, but may also be formed integrally.

[0032] The lower arm 54 is formed so that it moves away from the booklet tray 44 on the +Z side as it moves toward the -X side, which is the upper side of the booklet tray 44. The lower arm 54 is inclined so that it moves closer to the discharge mechanism 41 as it moves away from the booklet tray 44 on the +Z side. The lower side of the lower arm 54 forms an acute angle with respect to the D side, where the booklet Q is discharged from the discharge mechanism 41.

[0033] The upper arm 53 is fixed to the upper end of the lower arm 54. The upper arm 53 extends substantially parallel to the X direction. The upper end of the upper arm 53 is hinged to the housing of the sheet processing apparatus 200. A first rotation axis 51 of the hinge is parallel to the Y direction.

[0034] The damming member 50 has an upper arm 53 and a lower arm 54 that are integral with each other and can rotate around a first rotation shaft 51. This allows a first end 55 on the lower side of the damming member 50 to abut against and move away from the booklet tray 44. Before the booklet Q is discharged, the weight of the damming member 50 causes the first end 55 of the damming member 50 to abut against the booklet tray 44. The +X side of the discharge mechanism 41 and the -X side of the damming member 50 form a discharge space S for the booklet Q.

[0035] The operation of the booklet discharge unit 40 will now be described. The saddle folding mechanism 30 (see Figure 1) saddle-folds the sheet in the middle of its length to form booklet Q. The saddle folding mechanism 30 processes sheets of various sizes. A-series sizes, such as A3 or A4, are specified in ISO 216, an international standard that specifies paper dimensions. B-series sizes, such as B5, are specified in ISO 216 or the Japanese Industrial Standard JIS-B series. Envelope sizes are specified as C-series sizes in ISO 269. Letter size LT is specified as ANSI A in the American National Standards Institute ANSI / ASME Y14.1. LG is legal size. ST-R is statement size, which is half the size of letter size.

[0036] A booklet Q formed from small-sized B5-sized sheets is called a B5 booklet Q. The B5 booklet Q is discharged from the discharge mechanism 41 to the discharge space S and placed on the booklet tray 44. The B5 booklet Q slides on the upper surface of the booklet tray 44 and moves to the +X side. The leading edge of the B5 booklet Q abuts against the damming member 50. Because the mass of the B5 booklet Q is small, the force with which the B5 booklet Q pushes up the damming member 50 is small. The B5 booklet Q is blocked by the damming member 50 and comes to rest.

[0037] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a second operation of the booklet discharge unit 40. FIG. 4 shows a state in which multiple B5 booklets Q (Q1, Q2, Q3) have been discharged. The leading edges of the multiple B5 booklets Q come into contact with the damming member 50. The force pushing up on the damming member 50 increases. The first end 55 of the damming member 50 moves away from the booklet tray 44. The first B5 booklet Q1 placed on the upper surface of the booklet tray 44 passes under the damming member 50 and moves to the +X side. The movement of the first B5 booklet Q1 reduces the force pushing up on the damming member 50. The second B5 booklet Q2 placed on the +Z side of the first B5 booklet Q1 is blocked by the damming member 50 and comes to a standstill.

[0038] The length of the B5 booklet Q in the X direction is small. The -X side end of the second B5 booklet Q2 is positioned on the +X side of the discharge mechanism 41. The third B5 booklet Q3 is discharged from the discharge mechanism 41. The +X side leading edge of the third B5 booklet Q3 abuts against the upper surface of the second B5 booklet Q2. The position of the damming member 50 is set so that this state is achieved. Since the leading edge of the third B5 booklet Q3 does not slip inside the second B5 booklet Q2, improper stacking of the B5 booklet Q is suppressed. Since the leading edge of the third B5 booklet Q3 does not collide with the rear end of the second B5 booklet Q2, deformation of the second B5 booklet Q2 is suppressed.

[0039] The first B5 booklet Q1 moves to the +X side and abuts against the booklet stopper 45. Due to the weight of the first B5 booklet Q1, the booklet tray 44 moves to the +X side against the biasing force of the biasing member 43. The first B5 booklet Q1 moves to the +X side together with the booklet tray 44 and separates from the second B5 booklet Q2. The second B5 booklet Q2 falls to the -Z side and is placed on the top surface of the booklet tray 44. The free space in the discharge space S increases. The booklet discharge section 40 can discharge many B5 booklets Q into the discharge space S.

[0040] After all the booklets Q have been discharged onto the upper surface of the booklet tray 44, some of the booklets Q remain in the discharge space S. The user of the image forming apparatus 1 lifts the damming member 50 and removes the booklets Q from the discharge space S.

[0041] A booklet Q formed from medium-sized A4-sized sheets is referred to as an A4 booklet Q. The operation of the booklet discharge unit 40 when an A4 booklet Q is discharged is the same as when a B5 booklet Q is discharged. As shown in FIG. 3 , even when an A4 booklet Q is discharged from the discharge mechanism 41 and abuts against the damming member 50, the first end 55 of the damming member 50 does not move away from the booklet tray 44. For example, even when an A4 booklet Q formed from 30 A4-sized sheets abuts against the damming member 50, the first end 55 of the damming member 50 does not move away from the booklet tray 44. If the mass of the booklet Q is equal to or less than the mass of this A4 booklet Q, one booklet Q is blocked by the damming member 50 and comes to rest.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 4, the operation of the booklet discharge unit 40 when multiple A4 booklets Q (Q1, Q2, Q3) are discharged is the same as when multiple B5 booklets Q are discharged. The length of the A4 booklet Q in the X direction is medium. The -X side end of the second A4 booklet Q2 blocked by the blocking member 50 is positioned on the +X side of the discharge mechanism 41. The length of the A4 booklet Q in the X direction is greater than that of the B5 booklet Q. Therefore, the leading edge on the +X side of the third A4 booklet Q3 abuts against the top surface of the second A4 booklet Q2.

[0043] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a third operation of the booklet discharge section 40. In FIG. A booklet Q formed from large-sized A3-sized sheets is called an A3 booklet Q. The length of the A3 booklet Q in the X direction is large. The A3 booklet Q comes into contact with the damming member 50 while being transported by the discharge mechanism 41. The transport force of the discharge mechanism 41 acts on the damming member 50 as a force pushing up the damming member 50. The first end 55 of the damming member 50 moves away from the booklet tray 44. The A3 booklet Q passes under the damming member 50 and moves to the +X side.

[0044] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a fourth operation of the booklet discharge unit 40. The leading edge of the first A3 booklet Q1 discharged from the discharge mechanism 41 abuts against the booklet stopper 45. Due to the weight of the first A3 booklet Q1, the booklet stopper 45 moves toward the +X side together with the booklet tray 44 against the biasing force of the biasing member 43. A restricting member 47 is provided on the +X side of the booklet tray 44 to restrict the position of the booklet stopper 45. The booklet tray 44 abuts against the restricting member 47, restricting the movement of the booklet stopper 45 toward the +X side. Together with the booklet stopper 45, the movement of the first A3 booklet Q1 toward the +X side is stopped. The -X side end of the first A3 booklet Q1 is positioned on the +X side of the discharge mechanism 41. Following the first A3 booklet Q1, the second A3 booklet Q2 is discharged from the discharge mechanism 41. The leading edge of the second A3 booklet Q2 on the +X side abuts against the top surface of the first A3 booklet Q1. The position of the regulating member 47 is set so that this state is achieved. Since the leading edge of the second A3 booklet Q2 does not slip inside the first A3 booklet Q1, improper loading of the A3 booklet Q is suppressed. Since the leading edge of the second A3 booklet Q2 does not collide with the rear end of the first A3 booklet Q1, deformation of the first A3 booklet Q1 is suppressed.

[0045] As described above in detail, the sheet processing apparatus 200 of this embodiment has a booklet tray 44, a booklet stopper 45, and a damming member 50. A booklet Q that has been saddle-folded and discharged from the discharge mechanism 41 is placed on the booklet tray 44 in a state inclined relative to the vertical. The leading edge of the booklet Q can abut against the booklet stopper 45. The damming member 50 is disposed above the booklet tray 44 and closer to the discharge mechanism 41 than the booklet stopper 45. The damming member 50 is formed so that it is farther away from the booklet tray 44 the higher it is on the booklet tray 44. The damming member 50 moves as a unit, allowing a lower first end 55 to abut against and move away from the booklet tray 44. As a result, the booklets Q pass one by one under the damming member 50. This prevents improper stacking of the booklets Q and prevents deformation of the booklets Q. Therefore, a decrease in the processing quality of the sheet processing apparatus 200 is prevented.

[0046] When the A3 booklet Q is conveyed by the discharge mechanism 41 and comes into contact with the blocking member 50, the first end 55 moves away from the booklet tray 44. The A3 booklet Q passes under the damming member 50, which prevents the A3 booklet Q from being deformed by contact with the damming member 50. Therefore, the deterioration of the processing quality of the sheet processing apparatus 200 is prevented.

[0047] The booklet stopper 45 is movable together with the booklet tray 44 or independently in the X direction which is inclined relative to the vertical direction, and is biased upward in the X direction. The booklet Q comes into contact with the booklet stopper 45, causing the booklet stopper 45 to move downward in the X direction. The movement distance of the booklet stopper 45 increases in proportion to the mass of the booklet Q. This allows many booklets Q to be placed on the upper surface of the booklet tray 44.

[0048] An A3-sized sheet with the middle of its lengthwise direction saddle-folded is called an A3 booklet Q. The ejection mechanism 41 has a restricting member 47 that restricts the position of the booklet stopper 45 so that the leading edge of the A3 booklet Q ejected from the ejection mechanism 41 abuts against the upper surface of the A3 booklet Q that is in contact with the booklet stopper 45. This prevents improper stacking of the A3 booklets Q and prevents deformation of the A3 booklets Q. Therefore, deterioration in the processing quality of the sheet processing apparatus 200 is prevented.

[0049] An A4-sized sheet with the middle of its lengthwise direction saddle-folded is called an A4 booklet Q. Even when the A4 booklet Q is discharged from the discharge mechanism 41 and comes into contact with the blocking member 50, the first end 55 does not move away from the booklet tray 44. If the mass of the booklets Q is equal to or less than the mass of the A4 booklets Q, the booklets Q pass one by one under the damming member 50. Therefore, the deterioration of the processing quality of the sheet processing apparatus 200 is suppressed.

[0050] A B5-sized sheet that has been saddle-folded in the middle in the longitudinal direction is called a B5 booklet Q. The damming member 50 is positioned so that the leading edge of the B5 booklet Q discharged from the discharge mechanism 41 abuts against the upper surface of the B5 booklet Q blocked by the damming member 50. This prevents improper stacking of the B5 booklet Q and prevents deformation of the B5 booklet Q. The same applies to the A4 booklet Q, which is larger in size than the B5 booklet Q. Therefore, deterioration in the processing quality of the sheet processing apparatus 200 is prevented.

[0051] The discharge mechanism 41 discharges the booklet Q toward the D side, which is the lower side. The lower side of the damming member 50 is formed to form an acute angle with respect to the D side. As a result, when the leading edge of the booklet Q discharged toward the D side abuts against the damming member 50, a force pushing up the damming member 50 acts.

[0052] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a booklet discharge unit 40 in a modified example of the embodiment. The booklet discharge section 40 may have an opening stopper member 60. The opening stopper member 60 is formed from a resin material or the like. The opening stopper member 60 is arranged on the +Z side, which is the lower side of the booklet tray 44. The opening stopper member 60 is arranged on the +X side, which is the lower side of the discharge mechanism 41. The opening stopper member 60 extends linearly when viewed from the Y direction, but may also be curved. The opening stopper member 60 is formed so that it is further away from the booklet tray 44 on the +Z side as it approaches the -X side, which is the upper side of the booklet tray 44.

[0053] An upper end of the stopper member 60 is hinged to the housing of the sheet processing device 200. A second rotation axis 61 of the hinge is parallel to the Y direction. The stopper member 60 is rotatable around the second rotation axis 61. A second lower end 65 of the stopper member 60 is capable of contacting and separating from the upper surface of the first booklet Q1 placed on the booklet tray 44. The weight of the stopper member 60 causes the second end 65 of the stopper member 60 to contact the upper surface of the first booklet Q1.

[0054] The rear end of the first booklet Q1 on the upper, negative X side is prone to opening in the Z direction. The second end 65 of the opening prevention member 60 abuts against the top surface of the first booklet Q1, preventing the rear end of the first booklet Q1 from opening. Following the first booklet Q1, the second booklet Q2 is discharged from the discharge mechanism 41. Because the leading edge of the second booklet Q2 does not slip inside the first booklet Q1, improper stacking of the booklets Q is prevented.

[0055] As the second booklet Q2 is transported by the discharge mechanism 41, it comes into contact with the stopper member 60. The transport force of the discharge mechanism 41 pushes up the stopper member 60. The second end 65 of the stopper member 60 moves away from the top surface of the first booklet Q1. The leading edge of the second booklet Q2 on the +X side passes under the stopper member 60 and comes into contact with the top surface of the first booklet Q1. Because the leading edge of the second booklet Q2 does not collide with the rear end of the first booklet Q1, deformation of the first booklet Q1 is suppressed.

[0056] As described above in detail, the sheet processing apparatus 200 according to the modified embodiment has the opening stopper member 60. The opening stopper member 60 is formed so as to be spaced further away from the booklet tray 44 as it approaches the upper side of the booklet tray 44. A second end 65 on the lower side of the opening stopper member 60 is capable of coming into contact with and moving away from the first booklet Q1 placed on the booklet tray 44. This prevents improper stacking of the booklet Q and prevents deformation of the booklet Q. Therefore, deterioration in the processing quality of the sheet processing apparatus 200 is prevented.

[0057] The stopper member 60 may be biased in a direction in which the second end 65 of the stopper member 60 abuts against the first booklet Q1 placed on the booklet tray 44. This effectively prevents the rear end of the first booklet Q1 from opening.

[0058] In the embodiment described above, the damming member 50 rotates around the first rotation shaft 51. However, the damming member 50 may be movable linearly in the Z direction. In a modification of the embodiment, the stopper member 60 rotates around the second rotation shaft 61. Alternatively, the stopper member 60 may be movable linearly in the Z direction.

[0059] (Appendix 1) a booklet tray on which the saddle-folded booklet discharged from the discharge mechanism is placed in a state inclined with respect to the vertical direction; a booklet stopper to which the leading edge of the booklet can come into contact; a damming member that is disposed above the booklet tray and closer to the discharge mechanism than the booklet stopper, that is formed so as to be farther away from the booklet tray as it approaches the booklet tray, and that moves integrally with the damming member so that a first end portion on the lower side can come into contact with and separate from the booklet tray; Sheet handling device. (Appendix 2) an opening stopper member that is formed so as to be farther away from the booklet tray as it approaches an upper side of the booklet tray, and a second end portion of the opening stopper member that is lower than the booklet placed on the booklet tray can come into contact with and be separated from the booklet placed on the booklet tray; 2. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1. (Appendix 3) When the booklet abuts against the blocking member while being transported by the discharge mechanism, the first end is separated from the booklet tray. 3. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. (Appendix 4) The booklet stop is movable together with the booklet tray or independently in a first direction inclined with respect to a vertical direction, and is biased upward in the first direction. 4. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet processing apparatus is a sheet processing apparatus. (Appendix 5) When the booklet is an A3 size sheet with the middle of the longitudinal direction saddle-folded, a restricting member for restricting the position of the booklet stopper so that the leading edge of the booklet discharged from the discharge mechanism abuts against the upper surface of the booklet abutting against the booklet stopper; 5. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, (Appendix 6) When the booklet is an A4 size sheet with the middle of the longitudinal direction saddle-folded, Even when the booklet is discharged from the discharge mechanism and comes into contact with the blocking member, the first end does not move away from the booklet tray. 6. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, (Appendix 7) When the booklet is a B5 size sheet with the middle of the longitudinal direction saddle-folded, the damming member is disposed so that a leading edge of the booklet discharged from the discharge mechanism abuts against an upper surface of the booklet blocked by the damming member; 7. A sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6. (Appendix 8) The discharge mechanism discharges the booklet toward a first side, which is a lower side. 8. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, (Appendix 9) The lower side of the damming member is formed to form an acute angle with respect to the first side. 9. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 8. (Appendix 10) The opening stopper member is biased in a direction in which the second end portion abuts against the booklet placed on the booklet tray. 3. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2.

[0060] According to at least one embodiment described above, the sheet processing apparatus 200 has a damming member 50. The damming member 50 is formed so that it is further away from the booklet tray 44 as it approaches the upper side of the booklet tray 44. A first end 55 on the lower side of the damming member 50 can abut against and move away from the booklet tray 44. This makes it possible to prevent a decrease in the processing quality of the sheet processing apparatus 200.

[0061] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] Q...booklet, 41...discharge mechanism, 44...booklet tray, 45...booklet stopper, 47...regulating member, 50...damming member, 55...first end, 60...opening stopper member, 65...second end, 200...sheet processing device.

Claims

1. a booklet tray on which the saddle-folded booklet discharged from the discharge mechanism is placed in a state inclined with respect to the vertical direction; a booklet stopper to which the leading edge of the booklet can come into contact; a damming member that is disposed above the booklet tray and closer to the discharge mechanism than the booklet stopper, that is formed so as to be farther away from the booklet tray as it approaches the booklet tray, and that moves integrally with the damming member so that a first end portion of the damming member on the lower side can come into contact with and separate from the booklet tray; Sheet handling device.

2. an opening stopper member that is formed so as to be farther away from the booklet tray as it approaches an upper side of the booklet tray, and a second end portion of the opening stopper member that is lower than the booklet placed on the booklet tray can come into contact with and be separated from the booklet placed on the booklet tray; The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. When the booklet abuts against the blocking member while being transported by the discharge mechanism, the first end is separated from the booklet tray.

3. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The booklet stop is movable together with the booklet tray or independently in a first direction inclined with respect to a vertical direction, and is biased upward in the first direction.

3. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

5. When the booklet is an A3 size sheet that has been saddle-folded in the middle in the longitudinal direction, a restricting member for restricting the position of the booklet stopper so that the leading edge of the booklet discharged from the discharge mechanism abuts against the upper surface of the booklet abutting against the booklet stopper; The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 4 .

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