Medium processing device and image formation system

Abstract

To provide a medium processing device which enables reduction of variations in a moving distance of a liquid application member.SOLUTION: A medium processing device applies a liquid to a sheet-like medium and performs predetermined processing to a medium bundle including at least one medium to which the liquid is applied. The medium processing device includes: a liquid application member which contacts with the medium to apply the liquid to the medium; liquid application moving means which moves the liquid application member close to or away from the medium; and liquid application detection means which detects whether or not the liquid application member passes through a predetermined detection range when moving close to or away from the medium. When the liquid application moving means moves the liquid application member close to the medium, the liquid application moving means moves the liquid application member close to the medium at a first moving speed after the liquid application member has passed through the detection range and moves the liquid application member close to the medium at a second moving speed slower than the first moving speed until the liquid application member passes through the detection range.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] There are known media processing devices that perform a predetermined process on a stack of sheet-like media. Among these media processing devices, there are those that perform a "staple binding process" in which the stack of sheets is bound using metal staples. In recent years, in order to conserve resources and reduce environmental impact, there are also media processing devices that perform a "pressure binding process" in which the stack is bound by pressure deformation without using metal staples (staples).

[0003] A commonly known example of a sheet-like medium is paper. In the following description of this specification, when describing a sheet stack, a "sheet stack" consisting of multiple sheets of paper will be used as an example.

[0004] Among media processing devices that perform pressure binding processing, some are known that are equipped with a liquid application function that applies liquid to sheets of paper before binding in order to improve binding strength.

[0005] In a pressure binding processing device that applies liquid, a configuration is disclosed in which liquid is applied to a stack of paper to be bound in order to increase the number of sheets that can be bound with a certain level of binding strength or higher (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 use a detection device that detects the position of the liquid application member to manage the travel distance of the liquid application member, which is the member that comes into contact with the paper to apply liquid. This conventional technique has the problem that the travel distance of the liquid application member varies due to its response time, making it difficult to reduce this variation in travel distance.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a media processing device that can reduce variations in the movement distance of a liquid application member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the present invention relates to a media processing device that applies liquid to a sheet-like medium and performs a predetermined process on a media stack including at least one sheet of liquid-applied medium, and is equipped with a liquid application member that contacts the medium to apply liquid, a liquid application member moving means that moves the liquid application member toward or away from the medium, and a liquid application member detection means that detects whether the liquid application member has passed a predetermined detection range when approaching or moving away from the medium, and is characterized in that when bringing the liquid application member toward the medium, the liquid application member moving means moves the liquid application member toward the medium at a first moving speed after the liquid application member has passed the detection range, and moves the liquid application member toward the medium at a second moving speed slower than the first moving speed until the liquid application member has passed the detection range. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce variations in the moving distance of the liquid applying member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an image forming system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the post-processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the edge binding processing section as viewed from the upstream side in the conveyance direction. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the edge binding processing section as viewed from the liquid application section side in the main scanning direction. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a crimping unit of the edge binding processing unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a modified example of the edge binding processing section. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a liquid application and pressure bonding unit according to a modified example of the edge binding processing unit. [Figure 8] 8A to 8C are diagrams illustrating a liquid applying operation and a pressure binding operation performed by the liquid applying and pressure bonding unit of FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the stapling processing section as viewed from the upstream side in the conveying direction. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a modified example of the staple binding processing section as viewed from the upstream side in the conveying direction. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of a control block that controls the operation of the post-processing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart of a binding process by an edge binding processing unit. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating positions of a liquid application unit and a pressure bonding unit during binding processing by the edge binding processing unit. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating positions of a liquid application unit and a pressure bonding unit during binding processing by the edge binding processing unit. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a modified example of the edge binding processing section according to the first embodiment, viewed from the upstream side in the conveying direction. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a modified example of the edge binding processing section according to the first embodiment, viewed from the upstream side in the main scanning direction. [Figure 17] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating an operating state of the edge binding processing section according to the first embodiment. [Figure 18] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating an operating state of the edge binding processing section according to the first embodiment. [Figure 19] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating an operating state of the edge binding processing section according to the first embodiment. [Figure 20] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating an operating state of the edge binding processing section according to the first embodiment. [Figure 21] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of speed control of an edge binding processing unit according to a conventional example. [Figure 22] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of the positional relationship between the liquid application member and the paper P during non-liquid application processing, and the positional relationship between the liquid application member and the target position. [Figure 23] 5A to 5C are diagrams for explaining an example of speed control of the edge binding processing section according to the first embodiment. [Figure 24]4 is a flowchart showing an example of speed control according to the first embodiment. [Figure 25] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of speed control according to the second embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a user interface for speed control settings according to the second embodiment. [Figure 27] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of speed control according to the second embodiment. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of speed control according to the third embodiment. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of speed control according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 30] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of speed control according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 31] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of speed control according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 32] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the internal structure of a post-processing device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 33] FIG. 11 is a view of the internal tray according to the second embodiment, seen from the thickness direction of the paper. [Figure 34] FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a pressure-bonding unit according to a second embodiment, viewed from the upstream side in the conveying direction. [Figure 35] FIG. 11 is a view of a liquid deposition section according to a second embodiment, viewed from the thickness direction of a sheet of paper. [Figure 36] 35. A cross-sectional view taken along the line XXV-XXV in FIG. [Figure 37] 36 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXVI-XXVI of FIG. 35. [Figure 38] FIG. 10 is a hardware configuration diagram of a control block that controls the operation of a post-processing device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 39] 10 is a flowchart of post-processing by a post-processing device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 40] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a modified example of an image forming system. [Figure 41] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a first modified example of the control unit of the post-processing device. [Figure 42] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second modified example of the control unit of the post-processing device. [Figure 43] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of speed control according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] [Embodiment of Image Forming System 1] An image forming system 1 according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of the image forming system 1. The image forming system 1 has an image forming function for forming an image on paper P, which is a type of sheet-like medium, and a post-processing function for performing predetermined post-processing on the paper P on which the image has been formed. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming system 1 is configured to operate in cooperation with an image forming device 2 having an image forming function and a post-processing device 3, which is a media processing device having a post-processing function according to the present invention.

[0012] In this embodiment, the explanation is based on the premise that the sheet-like medium to be processed in the image forming system 1 is "paper." However, the object of processing according to this embodiment is not limited to paper. For example, any type of medium is acceptable as long as an image can be formed on the medium using a conventionally known image forming process. Furthermore, this also includes media that can be subjected to folding and binding processes, and there are no limitations on the material, specifications, etc.

[0013] The image forming device 2 forms an image on a sheet P and discharges the sheet P with the image formed thereon to the post-processing device 3. The image forming device 2 includes a storage tray 211 for storing sheets P, a transport unit 212 for transporting the sheets P stored in the storage tray 211, and an image forming unit 213 for forming an image on the sheet P transported by the transport unit 212. The image forming unit 213 may be of an inkjet type that forms an image using ink, or of an electrophotographic type that forms an image using toner. The image forming device 2 also includes a control unit 100a that controls various operations of the transport unit 212 and the image forming unit 213. The configuration of the image forming device 2 is already known, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0014] Incidentally, paper is a widely known example of a sheet-like medium. Therefore, in this specification, when describing a sheet-like medium to be processed, the term "paper P" will be used. Furthermore, when describing a sheet bundle, the term "paper bundle Pb" will be used as an example, which is a bundle of multiple sheets of paper as a medium.

[0015] [First embodiment of post-processing device 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the post-processing device 3 according to the first embodiment. The post-processing device 3 has a function of performing a predetermined process (post-processing) on ​​the sheets P on which images have been formed by the image forming device 2. One type of post-processing according to this embodiment is a binding process that serves as a "pressure binding process" in which a stack of multiple sheets P on which images have been formed (a sheet stack) is bound without using staples. Another type of post-processing according to this embodiment is a binding process that serves as a "staple binding process" in which a stack of multiple sheets P on which images have been formed (a sheet stack) is bound using staples. Hereinafter, the medium stack that is a stack of sheets P will be referred to as a "sheet stack Pb."

[0016] In this embodiment, the liquid application process when performing pressure binding processing will be mainly described. However, the liquid application process performed in relation to staple binding processing is also similar. Furthermore, when the term "binding processing" is used in the following description, it means both the "pressure binding processing" and the "staple binding processing" and is not limited to the binding method (whether using staples or pressure deformation).

[0017] In addition, the "pressure binding process" according to this embodiment is, more specifically, a process of applying pressure to a binding position corresponding to a part of the paper stack Pb to deform (pressure-deform) the binding position and bind the sheets, and is a process called "pressure binding." Note that the binding processes that can be performed by the post-processing device 3 include an end binding process that binds the end of the paper stack Pb and a saddle binding process that binds the center of the paper stack Pb.

[0018] The post-processing device 3 includes conveyance roller pairs 10-19 (conveyance section), a switching member 20, and a control unit 100b (control means). The control unit 100b controls the operations of the conveyance roller pairs 10-19 (conveyance section), the switching member 20, and the like. The control unit 100b will be described in detail later. The conveyance roller pairs 10-19 convey the paper P supplied from the image forming device 2 inside the post-processing device 3. More specifically, the conveyance roller pairs 10-13 convey the paper P along a first conveyance path Ph1. The conveyance roller pairs 14-15 convey the paper P along a second conveyance path Ph2. The conveyance roller pairs 16-19 convey the paper P along a third conveyance path Ph3. A punch hole punching unit 132 that punches the paper P conveyed by the conveyance roller pairs 10 and 11 is disposed between the conveyance roller pairs 10 and 11.

[0019] The first transport path Ph1 is a path that leads from the supply port of the paper P from the image forming device 2 to the first discharge tray 21. The second transport path Ph2 is a path that branches off from the first transport path Ph1 between the pair of transport rollers 11 and 14 in the transport direction, and leads to the second discharge tray 26 via the internal tray 22. The third transport path Ph3 is a path that branches off from the first transport path Ph1 between the pair of transport rollers 11 and 14 in the transport direction, and leads to the discharge tray 30.

[0020] The switching member 20 is disposed at a branching position of the first transport path Ph1 and the second transport path Ph2. The switching member 20 is configured to be switchable between a first position where the sheet P is discharged to the first discharge tray 21 via the first transport path Ph1, and a second position where the sheet P transported along the first transport path Ph1 is guided to the second transport path Ph2. Furthermore, when the trailing edge of the sheet P that has entered the second transport path Ph2 passes through the pair of transport rollers 11, the pair of transport rollers 14 is rotated in the reverse direction, thereby guiding the sheet P to the third transport path Ph3. The post-processing device 3 also includes multiple sensors that detect the position of the sheet P on each of the transport paths Ph1, Ph2, and Ph3. The multiple sensors are indicated by solid triangles (▲) in FIG. 2.

[0021] The post-processing device 3 includes a first discharge tray 21. The first discharge tray 21 holds the paper sheets P discharged through the first transport path Ph1. Of the paper sheets P supplied from the image forming device 2, the paper sheets P that are not to be bound are discharged to the first discharge tray 21.

[0022] The post-processing device 3 also includes an internal tray 22 as a loading tray, an end fence 23, side fences 24L and 24R, an edge-stitching processing unit 25, a staple binding processing unit 55, and a second discharge tray 26. The internal tray 22, the end fence 23, the side fences 24L and 24R, the edge-stitching processing unit 25, and the staple binding processing unit 55 perform edge-stitching processing on a sheet bundle Pb made up of a plurality of sheets P transported from the second transport path Ph2 to the internal tray 22. The sheet bundle Pb that has been edge-stitched is discharged to the second discharge tray 26 from among the sheets P supplied from the image forming device 2.

[0023] The "edge binding process" referred to here includes "parallel binding process" in which binding is performed along one side of the paper stack Pb that is parallel to the main scanning direction, "diagonal binding process" in which binding is performed at a corner of the paper stack Pb, and "vertical binding process" in which binding is performed at multiple locations spaced apart in the width direction along one side of the paper stack Pb that is parallel to the transport direction.

[0024] Hereinafter, the direction in which the paper P is transported from the transport roller pair 15 toward the end fence 23 is defined as the "transport direction." In other words, in this specification, the "transport direction" corresponds to the direction in which the paper P discharged from the image forming device 2 moves toward the second discharge tray 26 by the transport roller pair 10, etc., and then changes direction by the transport roller pair 15, moving toward the end fence 23, which is a different direction from the previous direction. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the paper P and the transport direction is defined as the "main scanning direction (width direction of the paper P)."

[0025] The multiple sheets of paper P transported in order via the second transport path Ph2 are temporarily placed on the internal tray 22, which serves as a loading tray. The end fence 23 aligns the position of the sheets of paper P or the sheet bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22 in the transport direction. The side fences 24L and 24R align the position of the sheets of paper P or the sheet bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22 in the main scanning direction. The edge stitching processing unit 25 and the staple binding processing unit 55 bind the edges of the sheet bundle Pb aligned by the end fence 23 and the side fences 24L and 24R. Then, the transport roller pair 15 discharges the sheet bundle Pb that has been edge-stitched onto the second discharge tray 26.

[0026] Furthermore, the post-processing device 3 further includes an end fence 27, a saddle stitching unit 28, a paper folding blade 29, and a discharge tray 30. The end fence 27, the saddle stitching unit 28, and the paper folding blade 29 perform saddle stitching on a paper stack Pb made up of paper sheets P transported through the third transport path Ph3. The discharge tray 30 receives the paper stack Pb that has been saddle stitched from the paper sheets P supplied from the image forming device 2.

[0027] The end fence 27 aligns the positions in the conveyance direction of multiple sheets P conveyed in sequence along the third conveyance path Ph3. The end fence 27 is also configured to be movable between a binding position where the center of the sheet stack Pb faces the saddle stitching processing unit 28, and a folding position where the center faces the paper folding blade 29. The saddle stitching processing unit 28 stitches the center of the sheet stack Pb aligned by the end fence 27 at the binding position. The paper folding blade 29 folds the sheet stack Pb placed on the end fence 27 at the folding position in half and clamps it between the conveyance roller pair 18. The conveyance roller pairs 18 and 19 discharge the sheet stack Pb that has been saddle stitched onto the discharge tray 30.

[0028] [Configuration of the edge binding processing unit 25] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of the edge binding processing unit 25, which performs the liquid application process and the pressure binding process shown in Fig. 2, as seen from the upstream side in the conveyance direction. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of the edge binding processing unit 25 as seen from the liquid application unit 31 side in the main scanning direction. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the edge binding processing unit 25 includes a liquid application unit 31 that applies liquid to the paper P, and a pressure bonding unit 32, which is an example of a post-processing unit and performs pressure binding on the paper stack Pb. The liquid application unit 31 and the pressure bonding unit 32 are arranged adjacent to each other in the main scanning direction, downstream of the internal tray 22 in the conveyance direction.

[0029] 4, liquid application unit 31 as a liquid application unit applies liquid stored in first liquid storage tank 43 as a liquid storage unit to paper P or paper stack Pb placed on internal tray 22. Hereinafter, the application of liquid by liquid application unit 31 to paper P or paper stack Pb, and the operation of liquid application unit 31 when applying liquid, will be referred to as "liquid application." Furthermore, the liquid application operation of liquid application unit 31 that involves control processing will be referred to as "liquid application process."

[0030] More specifically, the liquid stored in the first liquid storage tank 43 as the liquid used for liquid application is primarily composed of a liquid compound of hydrogen and oxygen represented by the chemical formula "H2O." As long as it is in a liquid state, its temperature does not matter, and it may be so-called warm water or hot water. Furthermore, it is not limited to pure water, and it may of course be purified water, or may contain ionized salts. The metal ion content does not matter, and the hardness may range from so-called soft water to ultra-hard water.

[0031] In addition to the main ingredient, additives may be added. It may contain residual chlorine, which is used in tap water, and it is also desirable to add colorants, penetrants, pH adjusters, preservatives such as phenoxyethanol, and drying inhibitors such as glycerin. Furthermore, inks used in inkjet printers and water-based pens also contain water, so these may also be used as "liquid application."

[0032] The liquids are not limited to those specifically mentioned here, and any "water" in the broad sense, such as hypochlorous acid water or an ethanol solution diluted for disinfection, will also work, but if the only purpose is to enhance the binding strength after binding, tap water, which is easy to obtain and manage, can be used. Also, using a liquid whose main component is water, such as the examples above, can improve the binding strength of the paper stack Pb more than using a liquid whose main component is not water.

[0033] [Configuration of liquid application unit 31] 3 and 4, the liquid deposition unit 31 according to this embodiment is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction together with the pressing unit 32 by transmitting the driving force of an edge binding processing unit movement motor 50. The liquid deposition unit 31 includes a lower pressure plate 33 serving as a platform for placing the paper sheet P or the paper stack Pb, an upper pressure plate 34, a liquid deposition unit movement mechanism 35, and a liquid deposition mechanism 36. The components of the liquid deposition unit 31 (the lower pressure plate 33, the upper pressure plate 34, the liquid deposition unit movement mechanism 35, the liquid deposition mechanism 36, and the liquid deposition unit movement motor 37) are held by a liquid deposition frame 31a and a base member 48.

[0034] 3, the liquid applicator 31 is equipped with a liquid applicator rotation mechanism 252. The liquid applicator rotation mechanism 252 is composed of a liquid applicator rotation motor 563, which will be described later, an output gear 563a, and a drive transmission gear 562a. A liquid applicator rotation shaft 562 equipped with a drive transmission gear 562a is fixed to the bottom surface of a liquid applicator frame 31a that holds the components of the liquid applicator 31. The liquid applicator rotation shaft 562 and the drive transmission gear 562a are held rotatably in both forward and reverse directions by a base member 48 on which the liquid applicator frame 31a is provided.

[0035] Furthermore, the drive transmission gear 562a meshes with an output gear 563a of the liquid deposition unit rotation motor 563. The drive force of the liquid deposition unit rotation motor 563 is transmitted to the liquid deposition unit rotation shaft 562 via the output gear 563a and the drive transmission gear 562a, so that the liquid deposition unit 31 is rotatable in forward and reverse directions on the base member 48 around the liquid deposition unit rotation shaft 562.

[0036] The lower pressure plate 33 and the upper pressure plate 34 are disposed downstream in the conveying direction from the internal tray 22. The paper P or paper stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22 is also placed on the lower pressure plate 33. The lower pressure plate 33 is provided on a lower pressure plate holder 331. The upper pressure plate 34 is configured to be movable in the thickness direction of the paper P or paper stack Pb at a position facing the paper P or paper stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22.

[0037] That is, the lower pressure plate 33 and the upper pressure plate 34 are arranged opposite to each other in the thickness direction (hereinafter simply referred to as the "thickness direction") of the paper P or paper stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22, sandwiching the paper P or paper stack Pb therebetween. Furthermore, the upper pressure plate 34 has a through-hole 34a that penetrates in the thickness direction at a position facing a liquid applying member 44 that is held via a joint 46 attached to the base plate 40. The liquid applying member 44 is one end of a liquid supplying member 45 (liquid-absorbing) that will be described later, and corresponds to the tip portion.

[0038] The liquid applicator movement mechanism 35 moves the upper pressure plate 34, the base plate 40, the joint 46, and the liquid applicator 44 in the thickness direction of the paper sheet P or the paper stack Pb. The liquid applicator movement mechanism 35 according to this embodiment moves the upper pressure plate 34, the base plate 40, the joint 46, and the liquid applicator 44 in conjunction with each other using a single liquid applicator movement motor 37. The liquid applicator movement mechanism 35 includes, for example, the liquid applicator movement motor 37, a trapezoidal screw 38, a nut 39, the base plate 40, columnar members 41 a, 41 b, and coil springs 42 a, 42 b.

[0039] The liquid applicator movement motor 37 generates a driving force that moves the upper pressure plate 34, the base plate 40, the joint 46, and the liquid applicator member 44. The trapezoidal screw 38 extends in the thickness direction of the paper sheet P or the stack of paper sheets Pb, and is provided on the liquid applicator frame 31a so as to be rotatable in forward and reverse directions. The trapezoidal screw 38 is connected to the output shaft of the liquid applicator movement motor 37 via a pulley, a belt, or the like. The nut 39 is threadedly engaged with the trapezoidal screw 38. The driving force of the liquid applicator movement motor 37 is transmitted to rotate the trapezoidal screw 38 in forward and reverse directions, causing the nut 39 to move back and forth on the trapezoidal screw 38.

[0040] The base plate 40 is disposed at a position spaced apart from the upper pressure plate 34. The base plate 40 holds the liquid supplying member 44 with the tip of the liquid supplying member 44 protruding from the base plate 40 toward the upper pressure plate 34. The base plate 40 is connected to a trapezoidal screw 38 via a nut 39, and is configured to be able to move back and forth along the trapezoidal screw 38 as the trapezoidal screw 38 rotates forward and backward. The vertical position of the base plate 40 is detected by a movement sensor 40a (see FIG. 11).

[0041] The pillar-shaped members 41a, 41b protrude from the base plate 40 toward the upper pressure plate 34 around the tip portion of the liquid application member 44. The pillar-shaped members 41a, 41b are configured to be movable in the thickness direction relative to the base plate 40. The pillar-shaped members 41a, 41b hold the upper pressure plate 34 at their tip portions on the lower pressure plate 33 side. The tip portions of the pillar-shaped members 41a, 41b opposite the lower pressure plate 33 are provided with stoppers to prevent the pillar-shaped members 41a, 41b from coming off the base plate 40.

[0042] The coil springs 42a and 42b are fitted onto the columnar members 41a and 41b between the base plate 40 and the upper pressure plate 34. The coil springs 42a and 42b bias the upper pressure plate 34 and the columnar members 41a and 41b toward the lower pressure plate 33 with respect to the base plate 40.

[0043] The liquid application mechanism 36 applies liquid to the paper P or paper stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22. More specifically, the liquid application mechanism 36 applies liquid to at least one sheet of paper P that constitutes the paper stack Pb by bringing the liquid application member 44 into contact with the paper P or the paper stack Pb.

[0044] The liquid application mechanism 36 includes a liquid application member 44, a liquid supply member 45, a first liquid storage tank 43, and a joint 46. The first liquid storage tank 43 stores liquid to be supplied to the paper sheet P or the paper stack Pb. The liquid stored in the first liquid storage tank 43 is detected by a liquid level sensor 43a (liquid detection means).

[0045] The liquid applying member 44 applies the liquid stored in the first liquid storage tank 43 to the paper sheet P or the paper stack Pb. The liquid applying member 44 is held by the base plate 40 with its tip pointing toward the upper pressing plate .

[0046] The liquid application member 44 is made of a material with a high liquid absorption rate, such as an open-cell foam that can hold liquid. The liquid application member 44 can be made of any material as long as it has the ability to absorb and retain liquid and collapses in response to the pressure applied when in contact with the paper P. For example, it may be a foam such as a sponge, or a fiber that can absorb liquid by capillary action.

[0047] Liquid supply member 45 (liquid absorbing) is a long member having a base end which is an immersion portion 452 immersed in the liquid stored in first liquid storage tank 43 and a tip end which is connected to liquid applying member 44. Liquid supply member 45 is made of, for example, a material with high water absorption, similar to liquid applying member 44. This allows the liquid absorbed from immersion portion 452 of liquid supply member 45 to be supplied to liquid applying member 44 by capillary action. In other words, the liquid stored in first liquid storage tank 43 is sucked up from immersion portion 452 of liquid supply member 45, and the sucked up liquid is supplied through liquid supply member 45 to liquid applying member 44 which is connected to the tip end.

[0048] As described above, the liquid sucked up from the immersion portion 452 of the liquid supply member 45 is supplied to the liquid application member 44 through the liquid supply member 45, and the liquid application is performed by the liquid application member 44 coming into contact with the top surface of the paper P or the paper stack Pb.

[0049] Although the above description has been given of the case where the liquid supply member 45 and the liquid application member 44 are separate bodies, the liquid supply member 45 and the liquid application member 44 may be integrally formed from materials with similar properties (for example, materials with high liquid absorption). In other words, the liquid application member 44 may be configured to be part of the liquid supply member 45. In this case, the supply of liquid from the liquid supply member 45 to the liquid application member 44 by capillary action can be carried out more smoothly, and costs can be reduced.

[0050] The protective member 45a is a long cylinder (for example, a tube) that is fitted onto the liquid supply member 45. This prevents the liquid absorbed by the liquid supply member 45 from leaking or evaporating. The liquid supply member 45 and the protective member 45a are made of a flexible material. The joint 46 holds the liquid application member 44 and is provided on the base plate 40. This allows the liquid application member 44 to protrude from the base plate 40 toward the upper pressure plate 34, and maintains a state in which the tip of the liquid application member 44 faces the upper pressure plate 34, even when the liquid application unit movement mechanism 35 moves the liquid application member 44 in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction and the main scanning direction.

[0051] In the liquid application process, the amount of movement (pressure) of the liquid application member 44 relative to the sheet P or sheet bundle Pb can be controlled by controlling the drive amount of the liquid application unit movement motor 37. Controlling the amount of movement of the liquid application member 44 relative to the sheet P or sheet bundle Pb adjusts the size of the area (contact area) in which the liquid application member 44 comes into contact with the sheet P or sheet bundle Pb, and adjusts the contact time (contact time). By making these adjustments, the amount of liquid applied to the sheet P or sheet bundle Pb in the liquid application process and the spread of the liquid can be adjusted.

[0052] [Configuration of crimping portion 32] As shown in FIG. 3, the crimping unit 32 serving as a post-processing unit applies pressure to at least a portion of the paper-sheet stack Pb to which liquid has been applied by the liquid application unit 31 (i.e., the liquid application position) using the concave and convex upper and lower crimping teeth 32a and 32b, deforming the paper-sheet stack Pb and binding the paper-sheets P of this portion together. In other words, the crimping unit 32 can bind the paper-sheet stack Pb without using staples. The components of the crimping unit 32 (upper crimping teeth 32a and lower crimping teeth 32b) are provided on a crimping unit frame 32c. Hereinafter, the act of deforming and binding a predetermined position of the paper-sheet stack Pb by the crimping unit 32 will be simply referred to as "crimp binding." Furthermore, the crimp binding operation of the crimping unit 32, which involves control processing, will be referred to as "crimp binding process."

[0053] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the crimping unit 32. As shown in FIG. 5, the crimping unit 32 includes upper crimping teeth 32a and lower crimping teeth 32b. The upper crimping teeth 32a and lower crimping teeth 32b are arranged opposite each other in the thickness direction of the stack of sheets Pb placed on the internal tray 22, sandwiching the stack of sheets Pb therebetween. The opposing surfaces of the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b are formed unevenly with alternating concave and convex portions. The upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b are formed with the concave and convex portions offset from each other so as to mesh with each other. The upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b are brought into contact with and separated from each other by the driving force of a contact / separation motor 32d (see FIG. 11).

[0054] As shown in Fig. 5(A) , when multiple sheets P constituting the sheet stack Pb are being supplied to the internal tray 22, the upper and lower pressure teeth 32a and 32b are spaced apart. Then, when all sheets P constituting the sheet stack Pb are placed on the internal tray 22, the upper and lower pressure teeth 32a and 32b mesh with each other due to the driving force of the contact / separation motor 32d, as shown in Fig. 5(B) , thereby compressing and deforming the sheet stack Pb in the thickness direction. This causes the sheet stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22 to be pressure-bound. The pressure-bound sheet stack Pb is then discharged to the second discharge tray 26 by the conveyance roller pair 15.

[0055] The configuration of the crimping unit 32 is not limited to the structure of the operating mechanism exemplified in this embodiment, as long as the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b constituting the crimping mechanism are able to mesh with each other. For example, the crimping mechanism may be a link mechanism type crimping mechanism (such as that disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 6057167) that performs the crimping and separating operations of the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b using a drive source and link mechanism that rotates forward only or forward and reverse. Alternatively, the crimping mechanism may be a linear motion type crimping mechanism that performs the crimping and separating operations of the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b linearly using a screw mechanism that converts the forward and reverse rotational motion of the drive source into linear reciprocating motion.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 3, the crimping unit 32 also includes a crimping tooth slide mechanism 322. The crimping tooth slide mechanism 322 is composed of a crimping tooth slide motor 32e, a pinion gear 32e1, a rack 32f1, and a crimping tooth frame 32f (described later). The upper crimping tooth 32a and the lower crimping tooth 32a are provided on the crimping tooth frame 32f. The crimping tooth frame 32f is integrally provided with a rack 32f1 that meshes with the pinion gear 32e1 (described later). The crimping tooth frame 32f is attached to the crimping unit frame 32c so as to be movable in the main scanning direction. The crimping tooth slide motor 32e generates a driving force for moving the crimping tooth frame 32f in the main scanning direction. The pinion gear 32e1 is provided on the output shaft of the crimping tooth slide motor 32e. When the crimping tooth slide motor 32e is driven forward or backward, the pinion gear 32e1 rotates forward or backward. As the pinion gear 32e1 rotates forward and backward, the rack 32f1 meshing with the pinion gear 32e1 moves back and forth in the main scanning direction relative to the crimping unit frame 32c. As a result, the crimping tooth frame 32f, which is integral with the rack 32f1, also moves back and forth in the main scanning direction relative to the crimping unit frame 32c. In other words, the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth provided on the crimping tooth frame 32f can move in the main scanning direction by driving the crimping tooth slide motor 32e forward and backward. This makes it possible for the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth to shift their positions in the main scanning direction relative to the paper stack Pb and perform multiple binding operations.

[0057] Here, the amount of movement in the main scanning direction of the upper and lower crimping teeth that constitute the crimping mechanism is set to be equal to the length of the crimp mark formed by the binding operation of the upper and lower crimping teeth 32a and 32b, and the crimp binding operation is performed multiple times before and after movement in the main scanning direction. That is, when the length of the crimp mark formed by the binding operation of the upper and lower crimping teeth 32a and 32b is 10 mm, by also setting the amount of movement in the main scanning direction to 10 mm, the length of the crimp mark can be set to 20 mm by combining the crimping operation before movement in the main scanning direction (first time) and the crimping operation after movement in the main scanning direction (second time), and therefore the binding force of the crimping unit 32 is improved by approximately two times.

[0058] 3, the crimping unit 32 is equipped with a crimping unit rotation mechanism 323 (post-processing unit rotation mechanism). The crimping unit rotation mechanism 323 is made up of a crimping unit rotation motor 56 (described later), an output gear 56a, and a drive transmission gear 54a. A crimping unit rotation shaft 54 ​​equipped with a drive transmission gear 54a is fixed to the bottom surface of a crimping unit frame 32c that holds the components of the crimping unit 32.

[0059] The crimping unit rotation shaft 54 ​​and the drive transmission gear 54a are held rotatably in forward and reverse directions on a base member 48 on which the crimping unit frame 32c is provided. The drive transmission gear 54a is in mesh with an output gear 56a of a crimping unit rotation motor 56. The crimping unit 32 is configured to be rotatable in forward and reverse directions on the base member 48 about the crimping unit rotation shaft 54 ​​as a result of the driving force of the crimping unit rotation motor 56 being transmitted to the crimping unit rotation shaft 54 ​​via the output gear 56a and the drive transmission gear 54a.

[0060] 3, the edge binding processing unit 25 includes an edge binding processing unit moving mechanism 47. The edge binding processing unit moving mechanism 47 moves the edge binding processing unit 25 (i.e., the liquid application unit 31 and the pressure bonding unit 32) in the main scanning direction along the downstream edge in the transport direction of the paper P placed on the internal tray 22. The edge binding processing unit moving mechanism 47 includes, for example, a base member 48, a guide shaft 49, an edge binding processing unit moving motor 50, a drive force transmission mechanism 551 that transmits the drive force of the edge binding processing unit moving motor 50 to the base member 48, and a standby position sensor 540 (see FIG. 11).

[0061] The liquid applicator 31 and the pressure-bonding unit 32 are attached to the base member 48 adjacent to each other in the main scanning direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the guide shaft 49 is provided in the main scanning direction on the upstream side of the binding mechanism base 116 in the conveying direction and is held by a plurality of guide shaft brackets 49a. As shown in FIG. 3, the guide shaft 49 extends in the main scanning direction on the binding mechanism base 116. As shown in FIG. 4, the guide rail 115 is provided in the main scanning direction on the downstream side of the binding mechanism base 116 in the conveying direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the guide rail 115 has a fitted portion 115a that fits with a fitting portion 48a of the base member 48 across the main scanning direction. In other words, the base member 48 is held by the guide shaft 49 and the guide rail 115 so as to be movable in the main scanning direction on the binding mechanism base 116.

[0062] The edge stitching processing unit movement motor 50 generates a driving force for moving the edge stitching processing unit 25. The driving force transmission mechanism 551 transmits the driving force of the edge stitching processing unit movement motor 50 to the base member 48 via pulleys 551a and 551b, a timing belt 551c, and a fastening unit 48b that fastens the base member 48 and the timing belt 551c. As a result, the liquid application unit 31 and the pressure-bonding unit 32, which are integrated by the base member 48, move in the main scanning direction along the guide shaft 49.

[0063] The edge binding processing unit movement motor 50 according to the present embodiment is a servo motor that can stop the edge binding processing unit 25 at a target position without having to return the edge binding processing unit 25 to an origin position (for example, a standby position HP, which will be described later) every time the motor moves. The target position of the edge binding processing unit 25 is a position where the binding process is performed on the sheet bundle Pb by the pressure bonding unit 32. When forming one sheet bundle Pb and performing binding processes at multiple positions, these positions are referred to as a first binding position B1a, a second binding position B2a, etc. (see FIGS. 18 to 20, 22 to 25, and 27 to 32). The binding positions will be described in detail later.

[0064] The post-processing device 3 also includes a standby position sensor 540 (e.g., a light-blocking optical sensor; see FIG. 11) that detects that the edge binding processing unit 25 has reached a standby position HP (home position; see FIG. 15A), and an encoder sensor 541 (see FIG. 11) attached to the output shaft of the edge binding processing unit movement motor 50. The control unit 100b, which will be described later, detects that the edge binding processing unit 25 has reached the standby position HP based on the detection result of the standby position sensor 540. The control unit 100b, which will be described later, also counts pulse signals output from the encoder sensor 541 to determine the current position of the edge binding processing unit 25, which has moved from the standby position HP.

[0065] However, the specific method for stopping the edge binding processing unit 25 at the target position without returning it to the origin position is not limited to the above example. As another example, the post-processing device 3 may be provided with a sensor that detects that the edge binding processing unit 25 has reached a predetermined target position.

[0066] That is, the edge binding processing unit moving mechanism 47 can move the edge binding processing unit 25 over the shortest distance between the position where the liquid application unit 31 faces the first liquid application position B1 and the position where the liquid application unit 31 faces the second liquid application position B2, without passing through the standby position HP. Also, the edge binding processing unit moving mechanism 47 can move the edge binding processing unit 25 over the shortest distance between the position where the pressure bonding unit 32 faces the first binding position B1 and the position where the pressure bonding unit 32 faces the second binding position B2, without passing through the standby position HP. Also, the edge binding processing unit moving mechanism 47 can move the edge binding processing unit 25 over the shortest distance between the position where the liquid application unit 31 faces the first liquid application position B1 (or the second liquid application position B2) and the position where the pressure bonding unit 32 faces the first binding position B1 (or the second binding position B2), without passing through the standby position HP.

[0067] Although the edge binding processing unit 25 has been described as having a configuration in which the pressure-bonding unit 32 and the liquid application unit 31 are integrally configured and move along the guide shaft 49, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the pressure-bonding unit 32 and the liquid application unit 31 may each move separately and independently.

[0068] Furthermore, the position (liquid application position) where liquid is applied to the paper P or the paper stack Pb by the liquid application unit 31 corresponds to the binding position where the pressure bonding unit 32 is scheduled to perform pressure binding on the paper stack Pb. Therefore, as in the above, in the following explanation, the first and second liquid application positions and the first and second binding positions will be described using the same reference numerals (B1, B2, etc.).

[0069] [Modification of the edge binding processing unit 25] Next, an edge binding processing unit 25' that is a modified example of the edge binding processing unit 25 provided in the post-processing device 3 will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 8. The difference from the edge binding processing unit 25 according to the first embodiment is that the liquid application unit 31 and the pressure bonding unit 32 are integrally configured. Note that components common to the edge binding processing unit 25 already described will be assigned the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0070] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the end binding processing section 25' as seen from the upstream side in the conveying direction. Fig. 7(A) is a perspective view of the liquid application and pressure bonding section 310. Fig. 7(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Fig. 7(A). Fig. 7(C) is a plan view of the upper pressure bonding teeth 32a as seen from the lower pressure bonding teeth 32b side in Fig. 7(A). Figs. 8(A) to (C) are schematic diagrams as seen from the downstream side in the conveying direction, showing the liquid application operation and pressure bonding binding operation by the liquid application and pressure bonding section 310.

[0071] 6, the edge binding processing unit 25' includes a liquid application and pressure-bonding unit 310 that integrates the liquid application unit 31 and the pressure-bonding unit 32 (post-processing unit) of the edge binding processing unit 25 according to the first embodiment. The liquid application and pressure-bonding unit 310 is disposed downstream of the internal tray 22 in the conveying direction.

[0072] The liquid applying and pressing unit 310 applies the liquid LQ stored in the first liquid storage tank 43 to the paper sheet P or paper stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22. The liquid applying and pressing unit 310 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction by transmitting the driving force of the edge binding processing unit movement motor 50 to the base member 48 by a driving force transmission mechanism 551. The liquid applying and pressing unit 310 includes an upper pressure plate 34, upper pressure teeth 32a, lower pressure teeth 32b, a liquid applying and pressing unit movement mechanism 350, and a liquid supply mechanism 360. The components of the liquid applying and pressing unit 310 are held by the liquid applying frame 31a and the base member 48.

[0073] Furthermore, a liquid-applying and pressure-bonding part rotation shaft 561' equipped with a drive transmission gear 561a' is fixed to the bottom surface of the liquid-applying frame 31a. The liquid-applying and pressure-bonding part rotation shaft 561' and the drive transmission gear 561a' are rotatably held in forward and reverse directions on the base member 48 on which the liquid-applying and pressure-bonding part 31a is provided. The drive transmission gear 561a' is meshed with an output gear 56a' of a liquid-applying and pressure-bonding part rotation motor 56'. The liquid-applying and pressure-bonding part 310 is configured to be rotatable in forward and reverse directions on the base member 48 about the liquid-applying and pressure-bonding part rotation shaft 561' as a result of the driving force of the liquid-applying and pressure-bonding part rotation motor 56' being transmitted to the liquid-applying and pressure-bonding part rotation shaft 561' via the output gear 56a' and the drive transmission gear 561a'.

[0074] The liquid applicator / pressure bonding unit moving mechanism 350 moves the upper pressure plate 34, base plate 40, and upper pressure teeth 32a in conjunction with each other in the thickness direction of the paper sheet P or paper stack Pb using an electric cylinder 370. The base plate 40 holds the upper pressure tooth holding member 32a1 and the upper pressure teeth 32a via a holding portion 46a. The base plate 40 also movably holds the upper pressure plate 34 via pillar-shaped members 41a and 41b. The base plate 40 is attached to the tip of a rod 371 of the electric cylinder 370 via a connecting member 401.

[0075] The columnar members 41a and 41b hold the upper pressure plate 34 at their lower ends. The coil springs 42a and 42b are fitted around the columnar members 41a and 41b between the base plate 40 and the upper pressure plate 34. The coil springs 42a and 42b bias the upper pressure plate 34 and the columnar members 41a and 41b in a direction away from the base plate 40.

[0076] The liquid supply mechanism 360 includes a first liquid storage tank 43, a liquid supply pump 431, and a liquid supply member 45'. The liquid supply pump 431 supplies the liquid LQ to a liquid reservoir 320 provided in the upper crimping teeth holding member 32a1 as shown in Fig. 7(A) via the liquid supply member 45'. The liquid supply member 45' has a base end connected to the liquid supply pump 431 and a tip end connected to the liquid reservoir 320, and is made of a long, stretchable member.

[0077] 7(B), the upper crimping teeth 32a are provided integrally with an upper crimping tooth holding member 32a1. The upper crimping tooth holding member 32a1 is provided with a liquid reservoir 320 and a liquid supply path 321 that supplies the liquid LQ stored in the liquid reservoir 320 to the upper crimping teeth 32a. The surfaces of the upper crimping teeth 32a have been subjected to a hydrophilic treatment, so that the liquid LQ supplied from the liquid supply path 321 spreads evenly over the surfaces of the upper crimping teeth 32a. On the other hand, portions of the upper crimping tooth holding member 32a1 other than the upper crimping teeth 32a have been subjected to a hydrophobic treatment, so that the liquid LQ spreads efficiently over the surfaces of the upper crimping teeth 32a.

[0078] As shown in FIG. 6, the lower crimping teeth 32b are integrally provided with a lower crimping teeth holding member 32b1 that is part of the liquid applicator frame 31a, and are attached onto the base member 48 via the lower crimping teeth holding member 32b1.

[0079] Next, the liquid application operation and pressure binding operation by the liquid application and pressure bonding unit 310 will be described with reference to FIG. 8. In the process of supplying the paper P to the internal tray 22, the upper pressure tooth 32a and the lower pressure tooth 32b are separated, as shown in FIG. 8(A). Then, when the paper P is placed on the internal tray 22, the electric cylinder 370 is contracted to move the upper pressure tooth 32a and the upper pressure plate 34 toward the paper P. Then, as shown in FIG. 8(B), the upper pressure plate 34 first comes into contact with the paper P, and then the upper pressure tooth 32a passes through the through hole 34a of the upper pressure plate 34 and comes into contact with the paper P. At this time, because the liquid LQ has spread over the surface of the upper pressure tooth 32a, the liquid is applied to the liquid application position of the paper P by bringing the upper pressure tooth 32a into contact with the paper P. Then, when liquid application to the liquid application position is completed, the electric cylinder 370 is extended to separate the upper pressure tooth 32a and the upper pressure plate 34 from the paper P. The above-described contact and separation operation of the upper pressure tooth 32a and the upper pressure plate 34 with respect to the paper P (liquid application operation) is repeatedly performed on the paper P that constitutes the paper stack Pb.

[0080] Thereafter, when a sheet stack Pb consisting of a specified number of sheets P is placed on the internal tray 22, the electric cylinder 370 is further contracted to move the upper crimping teeth 32a toward the lower crimping teeth 32b. Then, as shown in Fig. 8(C), with the sheet stack Pb sandwiched between the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b, the upper crimping teeth 32a move further toward the lower crimping teeth 32b, and the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b pressurize and deform the sheet stack Pb, thereby crimping and binding the sheet stack Pb (crimping binding operation).

[0081] [Configuration of staple binding processing unit 55] Next, details of the staple binding processing unit 55, which has the function of executing staple binding processing, will be described. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of the staple binding processing unit 55 as seen from the upstream side in the conveying direction. The staple binding processing unit 55 has a staple binding unit 62 that binds the paper stack Pb using staples. The staple binding unit 62 is disposed downstream of the internal tray 22 in the conveying direction and spaced apart from the edge binding processing unit 25 in the main scanning direction.

[0082] The staple binding unit 62 serving as a post-processing unit has a configuration for performing so-called "staple binding processing," which is to bind the paper-sheet bundle Pb using staples. More specifically, the staple binding unit 62 has a staple binder drive motor 62d (see FIG. 11) that drives a staple binder 62a. The staple binder 62a staples the paper-sheet bundle Pb by causing staples loaded in the staple binder 62a to penetrate the paper-sheet bundle Pb using the driving force of the staple binder drive motor 62d. The configuration of the staple binding unit 62 is already well known, so a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0083] 9, the staple binding processing unit 55 includes a staple binding processing unit moving mechanism 77. The staple binding processing unit moving mechanism 77 moves the staple binding processing unit 55 in the main scanning direction along the downstream end in the transport direction of the paper sheets P or paper stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22. The staple binding processing unit moving mechanism 77 includes, for example, a base member 78, a guide shaft 49, a staple binding processing unit moving motor 80, and a drive force transmission mechanism 81. The drive force transmission mechanism 81 transmits the drive force of the staple binding processing unit moving motor 80 to the base member 78 via pulleys 81a and 81b, a timing belt 81c, and a fastening portion 78a that fastens the base member 78 and the timing belt 81c. Furthermore, a staple binding unit rotation shaft 83 having a drive transmission gear 83a on its bottom surface is fixed to a staple binding frame 62b that holds the components of the staple binding unit 62.

[0084] The staple binding unit rotation shaft 83 and the drive transmission gear 83a are held rotatably in forward and reverse directions on a base member 78 on which the staple binding frame 62b is provided. The drive transmission gear 83a is in mesh with an output gear 82a of the staple binding unit rotation motor 82. The staple binding unit 62 is configured to be rotatable in forward and reverse directions on the base member 78 about the staple binding unit rotation shaft 83 as a result of the drive force of the staple binding unit rotation motor 82 being transmitted to the staple binding unit rotation shaft 83 via the output gear 82a and the drive transmission gear 83a.

[0085] The edge binding processing unit 25 and the staple binding processing unit 55 are supported on a common guide shaft 49. That is, the edge binding processing unit moving mechanism 47 and the staple binding processing unit moving mechanism 77 move the edge binding processing unit 25 and the staple binding processing unit 55 in the main scanning direction along the common guide shaft 49. Furthermore, the edge binding processing unit moving mechanism 47 and the staple binding processing unit moving mechanism 77 can move the edge binding processing unit 25 and the staple binding processing unit 55 independently.

[0086] [Configuration of Modified Example of Stapling Processing Unit 55] 10 shows a stapling processing unit 55' as a modified example of the stapling processing unit 55, and is a schematic diagram of the stapling processing unit 55' as seen from the upstream side in the conveying direction. The stapling processing unit 55' differs from the stapling processing unit 55 in that it includes not only a stapling unit 62 but also a second liquid application unit 612. As shown in FIG. 10, the stapling processing unit 55' includes the second liquid application unit 612 and the stapling unit 62. The second liquid application unit 612 and the stapling unit 62 are disposed adjacent to each other in the main scanning direction downstream of the internal tray 22 in the conveying direction.

[0087] The second liquid deposition unit 612 performs liquid deposition by depositing the liquid stored in the second liquid storage tank 73 onto the paper sheet P or paper stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22. A predetermined area including the position where the second liquid deposition unit 612 deposits liquid onto the paper sheet P or paper stack Pb corresponds to the binding position where the staple binding unit 62 is to perform staple binding. As shown in FIG. 10 , the second liquid deposition unit 612 includes a second lower pressure plate 63, a second upper pressure plate 64 having a through hole 34a, a second liquid deposition unit movement mechanism 65, and a second liquid deposition mechanism 66.

[0088] The second liquid deposition unit movement mechanism 65 includes, for example, a second liquid deposition unit movement motor 67, a second trapezoidal screw 68, a second nut 69, a second base plate 70, second columnar members 711a and 711b, and second coil springs 721a and 721b. The second liquid deposition mechanism 66 includes a second liquid storage tank 73, a second liquid deposition member 74, a second liquid supply member 75, and a second joint 76.

[0089] The configuration of the second liquid deposition mechanism 66 is the same as that of the liquid deposition mechanism 36 of the liquid deposition unit 31 described in Figures 3 and 4, so a repeated description will be omitted. In addition, the configuration of the stapling unit 62 is the same as that in Figure 9, so a detailed description will be omitted. In addition, the rotation mechanism of the second liquid deposition unit 612 (liquid deposition unit rotation motor 563, output gear 563a, drive transmission gear 562a, liquid deposition unit rotation shaft 562) is the same as that of the rotation mechanism of the liquid deposition unit 31 shown in Figure 3, so a repeated description will be omitted.

[0090] 10, even in the staple binding process, by applying liquid to the sheets P, the binding position can be loosened and softened, making it easier for the staple to penetrate. This makes it possible to increase the number of sheets bound per bundle of sheets Pb compared to when staple binding is performed without applying liquid.

[0091] [Configuration of control block of post-processing device 3] The configuration of the control block of the post-processing device 3 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a hardware configuration diagram for executing control processing in the post-processing device 3 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Fig. 11, the post-processing device 3 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 102, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 103, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 104, and an I / F 105, all of which are connected via a common bus 109.

[0092] The CPU 101 is a computing means and controls the overall operation of the post-processing device 3. The RAM 102 is a volatile storage medium that can read and write information at high speed, and is used as a work area when the CPU 101 processes information. The ROM 103 is a read-only non-volatile storage medium that stores programs such as firmware. The HDD 104 is a non-volatile storage medium that can read and write information and has a large storage capacity, and stores an OS (Operating System), various control programs, application programs, etc.

[0093] The post-processing device 3 processes a control program stored in the ROM 103, an information processing program (application program) loaded into the RAM 102 from a storage medium such as the HDD 104, and the like using the arithmetic functions of the CPU 101. This processing constitutes a software control unit including various functional modules of the post-processing device 3. The combination of the software control unit thus constituted and the hardware resources mounted on the post-processing device 3 constitutes a functional block that realizes the functions of the post-processing device 3. In other words, the CPU 101, RAM 102, ROM 103, HDD 104, and I / F 105 constitute a control unit 100b (control unit) that controls the operation of the post-processing device 3.

[0094] The I / F 105 is an interface that connects the conveying roller pairs 10, 11, 14, and 15, the switching member 20, the side fences 24L and 24R, the contact and separation motor 32d, the pressure tooth slide motor 32e, the pressure unit rotation motor 56, the liquid application unit movement motor 37, the liquid application unit rotation motor 563, the end stitching processing unit movement motor 50, the staple binding machine drive motor 62d, the staple binding unit rotation motor 82, the staple binding processing unit movement motor 80, the movement sensor 40a, the liquid level sensor 43a, the standby position sensor 540, the encoder sensor 541, and the operation panel 110 to the common bus 109.

[0095] The control unit 100b controls, via the I / F 105, the operations of the conveying roller pairs 10, 11, 14, and 15, the switching member 20, the side fences 24L and 24R, the contact / separation motor 32d, the pressure tooth slide motor 32e, the pressure unit rotation motor 56, the liquid application unit movement motor 37, the liquid application unit rotation motor 563, the edge stitching processing unit movement motor 50, the stapling machine drive motor 62d, the stapling unit rotation motor 82, and the stapling processing unit movement motor 80. The control unit 100b also acquires detection results from the movement sensor 40a, the liquid level sensor 43a, the standby position sensor 540, and the encoder sensor 541. Note that while FIG. 11 illustrates components related to the edge stitching processing unit 25 and the stapling processing unit 55 that perform the edge stitching process, the control unit 100b also controls components related to the saddle stitching processing unit 28 that performs the saddle stitching process.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 2 includes an operation panel 110. The operation panel 110 includes an operation unit that accepts input operations from a user and a display (notification unit) that notifies the user of information. The operation unit includes, for example, hard keys, a touch panel superimposed on the display, etc. The operation panel 110 acquires information from the user through the operation unit and provides the information to the user through the display. Note that the notification unit is not limited to a display, and may be an LED lamp, a speaker, etc. The post-processing device 3 may also be provided with an operation panel 110 similar to the above.

[0097] As described above, the post-processing device 3 according to this embodiment includes the end-stitching processing unit 25 that can perform post-processing (press binding processing, staple binding processing) after applying liquid. Note that when the number of sheets P that make up the sheet bundle Pb is small, the end-stitching processing unit 25 can also perform press binding without applying liquid (i.e., press binding processing using only the press unit 32), similar to conventional press binding processing.

[0098] Furthermore, the edge binding processing unit 25 is configured to be able to move the liquid application unit 31 and the pressure bonding unit 32 in the main scanning direction by the pressure tooth sliding mechanism 322 and / or the edge binding processing unit moving mechanism 47. Therefore, it is possible to perform multiple pressure bindings by moving the liquid application position of the liquid application unit 31 and / or the binding position of the pressure bonding unit 32 in the main scanning direction. As a result, the pressure marks formed by the binding operation of the upper pressure bonding tooth 32a and the lower pressure bonding tooth 32b can be formed adjacent to each other, which makes it possible to improve the binding strength of the paper stack Pb.

[0099] Below, we will explain how to change the binding process (post-processing) method and the number of times the pressure binding process is repeated for one bundle of paper Pb (hereinafter referred to as the ``press binding number'') depending on binding conditions such as the number of sheets of paper P that make up the bundle of paper Pb to be bound (post-processing) and the binding posture of the pressure binding section 32 with respect to the bundle of paper Pb.

[0100] [Binding process explanation] Next, the flow of the binding process executed in the edge binding processing unit 25 included in the post-processing device 3 will be described. Fig. 12 is a flowchart when one-point binding processing is executed. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing the transition of the position of the edge binding processing unit 25 (liquid application unit 31 and pressure bonding unit 32) during execution of one-point binding processing. Note that Fig. 13 does not show changes in the attitude of the liquid application unit 31 and pressure bonding unit 32. Furthermore, the position (liquid application position) where liquid is applied to the sheet P or sheet stack Pb by the liquid application unit 31 corresponds to the binding position where the pressure bonding unit 32 is scheduled to perform pressure binding on the sheet stack Pb. Therefore, in the following description, the liquid application position and the binding position will be assigned the same reference numerals (B1, B2).

[0101] The control unit 100b starts the binding process shown in FIG. 12, for example, at the timing when an instruction to execute the binding process (hereinafter referred to as a "binding process instruction") is acquired from the image forming apparatus 2.

[0102] The binding processing instructions include, for example, the type of paper P (including information that affects the spread of the liquid, such as material and thickness), the number of sheets of paper P that make up the paper stack Pb (hereinafter referred to as the ``predetermined number of sheets N''), the number of copies of the paper stack Pb to be bound (hereinafter referred to as the ``required number of copies M''), the binding position of the paper stack Pb, and the binding posture of the edge binding processing unit 25.

[0103] In addition, as shown in Figure 13 (A), at the start of the binding process, the liquid application section 31 and the pressure bonding section 32 are in a parallel binding posture and are located at a standby position HP, which is a position that is widthwise offset from the paper P placed on the internal tray 22.

[0104] First, when the posture instructed in the binding process instruction is the "diagonal binding posture," the control unit 100b drives the liquid application unit rotation motor 563 and the pressure bonding unit rotation motor 56 to rotate the liquid application unit 31 and the pressure bonding unit 32 that constitute the edge binding processing unit 25 to the diagonal binding posture (S1201). Note that, when the posture is the "diagonal binding posture," only the pressure bonding unit 32 may be rotated to the diagonal binding posture, and the liquid application unit 31 may not be rotated in the forward or reverse direction. This simplifies the drive mechanism compared to when both the liquid application unit 31 and the pressure bonding unit 32 are rotated in the forward or reverse direction, thereby achieving the effects of reducing costs, downsizing the device, and reducing equipment failures.

[0105] On the other hand, if the posture instructed in the binding processing instruction is the "parallel binding posture," the control unit 100b omits the operation of rotating the liquid application unit 31 and the crimping unit 32 that constitute the above-mentioned end binding processing unit 25 to the diagonal binding posture.

[0106] The control unit 100b drives the edge binding processing unit movement motor 50 to move the edge binding processing unit 25 in the main scanning direction so that the liquid application unit 31 faces the first liquid application position B1 instructed in the binding processing instruction (S1201). Note that the control unit 100b executes the process of step S1101 before the first sheet P is conveyed to the internal tray 22 by the conveying roller pairs 10, 11, 14, and 15.

[0107] Next, the control unit 100b rotates the pairs of conveying rollers 10, 11, 14, and 15 to store the paper P on which the image has been formed by the image forming device 2 in the internal tray 22 (S1202). The control unit 100b also executes a so-called jogging process, which aligns the position in the main scanning direction of the paper P or the paper stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22 by moving the side fences 24L and 24R in the main scanning direction (S1202).

[0108] Next, the control unit 100b causes the liquid application unit 31 facing the first liquid application position B1 to apply liquid to the first liquid application position B1 of the paper sheet P placed on the internal tray 22 in the immediately preceding step S1102, based on the liquid application control data adjusted in advance (S1203). That is, the control unit 100b drives the liquid application unit movement motor 42 to bring the liquid application member 501 into contact with the first liquid application position B1 of the paper sheet P placed on the internal tray 22 (see FIG. 13(B)). In the liquid application process in step S1103, the control unit 100b adjusts the position at which the liquid application member 501 applies liquid to the paper sheet P, depending on the type of paper sheet P and the binding position included in the binding process instruction. The control unit 100b also adjusts the amount of pressure applied by the liquid application member 501 to the paper sheet P. That is, based on the adjusted control data, the control unit 100b controls the driving of the liquid application unit movement motor 42 to adjust the movement amount of the liquid application member 501 relative to the first liquid application position B1 of the paper P placed on the internal tray 22.

[0109] Next, the control unit 100b determines whether the number of sheets P placed on the internal tray 22 has reached the predetermined number N specified in the binding process instruction (S1204). If the control unit 100b determines that the number of sheets P placed on the internal tray 22 has not reached the predetermined number N (S1204: No), the control unit 100b repeatedly executes the processes of steps S1202 to S1204 until the number of sheets P placed on the internal tray 22 reaches the predetermined number N (S1204: Yes). That is, the control unit 100b executes the processes of steps S1202 to S1204 every time a sheet P is conveyed to the internal tray 22 by the conveyance roller pairs 10, 11, 14, and 15. Note that the liquid application by the liquid application unit 31 may not only be applied to all of the sheets P constituting the sheet bundle Pb, but may also be applied to only some of the sheets P among the sheets P constituting the sheet bundle Pb.

[0110] Then, when the control unit 100b determines that the number of sheets P placed on the internal tray 22 has reached the predetermined number N (S1204: Yes), as shown in Figure 13 (C), it drives the end binding processing unit movement motor 50 to move the end binding processing unit 25 in the main scanning direction so that the pressure bonding unit 32 faces the first binding position B1 (S1205).

[0111] Next, the control unit 100b causes the pressure bonding unit 32 to perform pressure binding on the sheet stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22 (S1206). Then, the control unit 100b causes the conveyance roller pair 15 to discharge the sheet stack Pb pressure-bound by the pressure bonding unit 32 to the second discharge tray 26 (S1207). That is, the control unit 100b drives the contact / separation motor 32d to clamp the first binding position B1 of the sheet stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22 between the upper pressure bonding teeth 32a and the lower pressure bonding teeth 32b. This causes the sheet stack Pb to be pressurized and deformed between the upper pressure bonding teeth 32a and the lower pressure bonding teeth 32b, thereby performing pressure binding. Thereafter, the control unit 100b rotates the conveyance roller pair 15 to discharge the sheet stack Pb pressure-bound to the second discharge tray 26.

[0112] Note that, on the sheet stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22, the pressure-bonding area (corresponding to the first binding position B1) clamped by the upper pressure-bonding teeth 32a and the lower pressure-bonding teeth 32b in step S1206 overlaps the liquid-application area (corresponding to the first liquid-application position B1) that the tip of the liquid-application member 501 contacted in step S1203. In other words, the pressure-bonding unit 32 pressure-bonds and binds the area on the sheet stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22 to which liquid has been applied by the liquid-application unit 31. Note that the pressure-bonding area clamped by the upper pressure-bonding teeth 32a and the lower pressure-bonding teeth 32b does not need to completely overlap the liquid-application area that the tip of the liquid-application member 501 contacted; sufficient binding strength can be obtained even if the area partially overlaps.

[0113] Next, the control unit 100b determines whether the number of copies of the sheet bundle Pb discharged onto the second discharge tray 26 has reached the required number of copies M indicated in the binding process instruction (S1208). If the control unit 100b determines that the required number of copies M has not been reached (S1208: No), it executes the processes from step S1202 onwards again. That is, the control unit 100b repeatedly executes the processes of steps S1202 to S1208 until the number of copies of the sheet bundle Pb discharged onto the second discharge tray 26 reaches the required number of copies M (S1208: Yes).

[0114] On the other hand, when the control unit 100b determines that the number of copies of the sheet bundle Pb discharged to the second discharge tray 26 has reached the required number of copies M (S1208: Yes), it drives the edge-stitching processing unit moving motor 50 to move the edge-stitching processing unit 25 (liquid application unit 31 and pressure bonding unit 32) to the standby position HP as shown in FIG. 13(D) (S1209). Furthermore, when the posture specified in the binding processing instruction is the "diagonal binding posture," the control unit 100b drives the liquid application unit rotating motor 563 and the pressure bonding unit rotating motor 56 to rotate the liquid application unit 31 and the pressure bonding unit 32 to the parallel binding posture (S1209). On the other hand, when the posture specified in the binding processing instruction is the "parallel binding posture," the operation of rotating the liquid application unit 31 and the pressure bonding unit 32 to the parallel binding posture is omitted. As a result, the edge binding processing unit 25 (liquid application unit 31 and pressure bonding unit 32) returns to the standby position HP in Fig. 13(D) . Note that in steps S1201 and S1209, the order of performing the operations of moving the liquid application unit 31 and pressure bonding unit 32 in the main scanning direction and rotating them in the forward and reverse directions is not limited to the order described above, and may be the reverse order.

[0115] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the position of the edge binding processing unit 25 during execution of two-point binding. A detailed description of the commonalities with the process described with reference to FIG. 13 will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described. As shown in FIG. 14(A), at the start of two-point binding, the edge binding processing unit 25 is located at the standby position HP. The first binding position B1 and the second binding position B2 are located at positions spaced apart in the main scanning direction. Furthermore, FIG. 14 describes a case where two sheets P are pressure-bonded and bound (i.e., N=2). Note that when two-point binding is performed, this does not mean that the number of sheets P constituting the sheet bundle Pb is limited to two, and two-point binding can be performed on the same number of sheets of the sheet bundle Pb as the number of sheets that can be bound in the one-point binding process.

[0116] Before the first sheet P1 of the sheet bundle Pb is supplied to the internal tray 22, the control unit 100b moves the edge binding processing unit 25 in the main scanning direction so that the liquid application unit 31 can face the first liquid application position B1 (see FIG. 14(B)). Then, as shown in FIG. 14(B), with the liquid application unit 31 positioned so that it can face the first liquid application position B1, the control unit 100b places the sheet P1, on which an image has been formed by the image forming device 2, on the internal tray 22 and performs a jogging process. After that, in response to the sheet P1 being placed on the internal tray 22, the control unit 100b causes the liquid application unit 31 to apply liquid to the first liquid application position B1 of the sheet P1.

[0117] 14(C), the control unit 100b moves the edge binding processing unit 25 in the main scanning direction so that the liquid application unit 31 faces the second liquid application position B2 of the first sheet of paper P1. Thereafter, the control unit 100b causes the liquid application unit 31 to apply liquid to the second liquid application position B2 of the first sheet of paper P1.

[0118] Next, in response to applying liquid to the first liquid application position B1 and the second liquid application position B2 of the first sheet of paper P1, the control unit 100b places the second sheet of paper P2 constituting the sheet stack Pb on the internal tray 22 and executes a jogging process with the liquid application unit 31 positioned so as to face the second liquid application position B2, as shown in Figure 14(D). Then, in response to the second sheet of paper P2 being placed on the internal tray 22, the control unit 100b causes the liquid application unit 31 to apply liquid to the second liquid application position B2 of the second sheet of paper P2.

[0119] 14(E), the control unit 100b moves the edge binding processing unit 25 in the main scanning direction so that the liquid application unit 31 faces the first liquid application position B1 of the second sheet of paper P2. Next, the control unit 100b causes the liquid application unit 31 to apply liquid to the first liquid application position B1 of the second sheet of paper P2.

[0120] That is, until the number of sheets of paper P placed on the internal tray 22 reaches a predetermined number N, the control unit 100b repeats the conveyance of the paper P by the conveyance roller pairs 10, 11, 14, 15 and the liquid application to the first liquid application position B1 and the second liquid application position B2 by the liquid application unit 31. At this time, the control unit 100b causes the liquid application unit 31 to apply liquid to the B-th (B < N) sheet of paper P in the order of the first liquid application position B1 and the second liquid application position B2.

[0121] Further, for the (B + 1)-th sheet of paper P, the control unit 100b causes the liquid application unit 31 to apply liquid in the order of the second liquid application position B2 and the first liquid application position B1. In other words, the control unit 100b changes the order in which the liquid application unit 31 applies liquid to the first liquid application position B1 and the second liquid application position B2 for each sheet of paper P. Furthermore, the control unit 100b moves the binding processing unit 25 from one of the first liquid application position B1 and the second liquid application position B2 to the other by the shortest distance without passing through the standby position HP.

[0122] Next, in response to determining that the number of sheets of paper P placed on the internal tray 22 has reached the predetermined number N, as shown in FIG. 14(F), the control unit 100b moves the edge binding processing unit 25 in the main scanning direction so that the crimping unit 32 faces the first binding position B1. Then, the control unit 100b causes the crimping unit 32 to perform crimping binding on the first binding position B1 of the paper bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22.

[0123] Next, as shown in FIG. 14(G), the control unit 100b moves the edge binding processing unit 25 in the main scanning direction so that the crimping unit 32 faces the second binding position B2. Then, the control unit 100b causes the crimping unit 32 to perform crimping binding on the second binding position B2 of the paper bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22.

[0124] In the example of FIG. 14, since liquid application was finally performed on the first liquid application position B1, crimping binding is performed in the order of the first binding position B1 and the second binding position B2. On the other hand, when liquid application was finally performed on the second liquid application position B2, crimping binding may be performed in the order of the second binding position B2 and the first binding position B1.

[0125] Next, the control unit 100b discharges the stack of sheets Pb that has been heat-sealed at the first binding position B1 and the second binding position B2 to the second discharge tray 26. Further, as shown in FIG. 14(H), the control unit 100b moves the binding processing unit 25 to the standby position HP.

[0126] In the above embodiment, an example of heat-sealing one or two locations of the stack of sheets Pb has been described. However, the present invention is also applicable to the case of heat-sealing three or more stacks of sheets Pb spaced apart in the main scanning direction. In this case, the control unit 100b causes the liquid application unit 31 to perform liquid application to three or more liquid application positions (corresponding to the heat-sealing positions), and causes the heat-sealing unit 32 to perform heat-sealing. Even when heat-sealing three or more locations, the productivity of heat-sealing can be improved by applying the present invention.

[0127] However, it is not necessary to apply liquid to all the liquid application positions (corresponding to the heat-sealing positions) for all the sheets P constituting the stack of sheets Pb. For example, when heat-sealing at three heat-sealing positions spaced apart in the main scanning direction, the control unit 100b applies liquid to the three liquid application positions (corresponding to the heat-sealing positions) of the E-th (E < N - 2) sheet P1, applies liquid to the two liquid application positions (corresponding to the heat-sealing positions) of the (E + 1)-th sheet P2, and applies liquid to the one liquid application position (corresponding to the heat-sealing position) of the (E + 2)-th sheet P2.

[0128] [Modification Example of the Liquid Application Unit 31 According to the First Embodiment of the Post-Processing Apparatus 3] Next, an example of the liquid application unit 31A, which is a modification example of the liquid application unit 31 as the liquid application means, will be described. FIG. 15 is a schematic view of the liquid application unit 31A as viewed from the conveyance direction of the sheet P. Note that the same reference numerals are assigned to the components common to the liquid application unit 31 according to the first embodiment that has already been described, and detailed description may be omitted.

[0129] The liquid application and movement mechanism 35A serving as the liquid application and movement means according to this embodiment moves the upper pressure plate 34, the base plate 40, and the liquid application member 44 in the thickness direction of the paper sheet P or the paper stack Pb. In other words, the liquid application and movement mechanism 35A moves the liquid application member 44 so as to approach or move away from the paper sheet P or the paper stack Pb transported between the upper pressure plate 34 and the lower pressure plate 33.

[0130] The liquid application / movement mechanism 35A according to this embodiment moves the upper pressure plate 34, base plate 40, and liquid application member 44 in a linked manner using a single liquid application unit movement motor 37. The liquid application / movement mechanism 35A includes, for example, the liquid application unit movement motor 37, the base plate 40, a liquid application unit movement guide shaft 351, a rack gear 352, and a gear 353.

[0131] The shutter portion 354 is provided in a configuration that is moved by the liquid application movement mechanism 35A, and is attached to the base plate 40, for example. The shutter portion 354 constitutes part of a member that detects whether the liquid application member 44 has passed through a predetermined detection range in its movement range by changing the output of the movement sensor 40a, which serves as a liquid application detection means. In other words, when the shutter portion 354 is at the position of the movement sensor 40a, the liquid application member 44 is at the top of its movement range, and is spaced apart from the paper P or paper stack Pb. This position is the initial position (home position) of the liquid application member 44.

[0132] When applying liquid, the liquid application / movement mechanism 35A lowers the liquid application member 44. That is, the liquid application member 44 moves in a direction approaching the paper P or paper stack Pb. This movement also moves the shutter unit 354 in the same direction. When the shutter unit 354 moves from the position of the movement sensor 40a to a position where the detection state of the movement sensor 40a changes, the movement sensor 40a then changes the output detection signal to the control unit 100b. The control unit 100b obtains the change in the output detection signal after the response time of the movement sensor 40a has elapsed since the shutter unit 354 passed through the detection range of the movement sensor 40a.

[0133] The liquid applicator movement motor 37 generates a driving force that moves the upper pressure plate 34, the base plate 40, and the liquid applicator member 44.

[0134] The liquid applicator movement guide shaft 351 is attached to the liquid applicator frame 31a. The rack gear 352 is provided in a configuration that is moved by the liquid applicator movement mechanism 35A, and is attached to the base plate 40, for example.

[0135] Gear 353 is configured to transmit the driving force of liquid applicator movement motor 37 to rack gear 352. Although two gears 353 are used in this embodiment, there may be a single gear 353 or multiple gears 353, and the driving force may be transmitted via other components such as a timing belt. The driving force of liquid applicator movement motor 37 is transmitted to rack gear 352 via gear 353, causing movement along liquid applicator movement guide shaft 351.

[0136] An example of the liquid application operation in the liquid application process will now be described with reference to Figures 17 to 20. Figure 17 illustrates the position of the liquid application member 44 before the liquid application process is started. As shown in Figure 17, once the liquid application process is started, the liquid application member 44 is in the standby position until the liquid application operation is started.

[0137] Here, "the liquid dispensing member 44 is in the standby position" corresponds to "the shutter part 354 fixed to the base plate 40 is in the attachment position of the movement sensor 40a." Here, the movement sensor 40a is, for example, composed of a pair of a light emitting part and a light receiving part arranged opposite to each other, and is configured so that a detection signal is output from the light receiving part to the control part 100b when the light receiving part receives light from the light emitting part.

[0138] Therefore, "the liquid dispensing member 44 is in the standby position" means, in other words, a state in which the shutter portion 354 is positioned in the gap between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion, blocking the light from the light-emitting portion, and the control portion 100b detects the detection signal output by the light-receiving portion.

[0139] As will be described later, when the liquid applying member 44 moves from the standby position and the amount of light blocked by the shutter 354 between the light emitting element and the light receiving element changes, the detection signal output from the light receiving element to the control unit 100b also changes depending on the amount of light. However, the change in the output state of the detection signal from the movement sensor 40a is affected by the response characteristics of the movement sensor 40a.

[0140] Therefore, when the liquid application member 44 moves from the standby position and the shutter portion 354 moves relative to the movement sensor 40a, the determination of the movement amount and position of the liquid application member 44 will be affected by the change in the detection signal of the movement sensor 40a and the processing responsiveness of the control unit 100b that detects and determines this change.

[0141] When the liquid application process is started and the liquid application member 44 is in the standby position, the liquid application process starts when the paper P or the paper stack Pb is transported to an area where the liquid application process can be performed. That is, when a predetermined paper P is transported between the upper pressure plate 34 and the lower pressure plate 33 and transported so as to form the paper stack Pb, the liquid application process starts.

[0142] When the liquid application process is started in the state shown in FIG. 17, the state shown in FIG. 18 is reached. FIG. 18 illustrates the state in which the liquid application process is started and the liquid application member 44 begins to descend. In other words, FIG. 18 illustrates the state in which the liquid application member 44 begins to move toward the paper sheet P or the paper stack Pb. As shown in FIG. 18, when the liquid application process is started, the liquid application / movement mechanism 35A lowers the base plate 40. The liquid application member 44 and the shutter portion 354 held by the base plate 40 also lower as the base member descends. Furthermore, when the base plate 40 descends, the upper pressure plate 34 moves downward via the coil springs 42a and 42b. As a result, a change occurs in the output signal of the movement sensor 40a as the shutter portion 354 moves. From the time when the control unit 100b detects this point, the movement of the liquid application member 44 is controlled to continue for a predetermined period of time.

[0143] Next, as shown in Figure 19, the upper pressure plate 34 comes into contact with the paper P or paper stack Pb, and as illustrated in Figure 20, when the base plate 40 continues to descend from the state in which the upper pressure plate 34 is in contact with the paper P or paper stack Pb, the coil springs 42a, 42b are pressed by the base plate 40, and the liquid application member 44 descends to a position in which it contacts or presses the paper P or paper stack Pb.

[0144] As shown in Figure 20, when the liquid application member 44 descends (moves) to a position where it contacts or presses the paper P or the paper stack Pb, the liquid contained in the liquid application member 44 is propagated to the paper P (paper stack Pb), and liquid application is performed.

[0145] 17 to 20, liquid is applied when the liquid application member 44 descends from the initial position (standby position) and moves a predetermined distance. At this time, the amount of liquid applied to the paper P (paper stack Pb) (liquid application amount) changes depending on the pressing distance of the liquid application member 44 against the paper P (paper stack Pb).

[0146] In liquid-application pressure binding, if the amount of liquid applied is more or less than the appropriate amount, the binding strength may deteriorate and become unstable. Therefore, by controlling the amount of liquid applied at an appropriate pressing distance, the binding strength can be improved and stabilized.

[0147] After the liquid application member 44 has descended to the state shown in Figure 20 and applied liquid, the liquid application unit movement motor 37 is driven in the opposite direction to the direction of movement of the liquid application member 44 when it descended, thereby raising the liquid application member 44. This causes the liquid application member 44 to move away from the paper P (paper stack Pb) and return to a predetermined position (the standby position shown in Figure 17). When the liquid application member 44 returns to the predetermined position, the process of applying liquid to the paper P (paper stack Pb) to be processed is completed.

[0148] As described above, when liquid is applied to each of a plurality of sheets P stacked one after the other, the distance over which the liquid application member 44 presses the sheets P decreases as the number of sheets P constituting the sheet bundle Pb increases, depending on the thickness of the sheets P. Therefore, an appropriate pressing distance is maintained by adjusting the movement distance of the liquid application member 44 when applying liquid to each sheet P depending on the thickness of the sheets P to which liquid is to be applied and the number of sheets P constituting the sheet bundle Pb. After the liquid application process has been performed on a predetermined number of sheets, the liquid application process ends.

[0149] FIG. 21 is a graph illustrating the correlation between the moving distance of the liquid application member 44 and the time elapsed after the start of movement when speed control is performed so as to accelerate the liquid application member 44 immediately after the start of the liquid application process.

[0150] Figure 22 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship between the liquid application member 44 and the paper P when no liquid application process is being performed (non-liquid application process), and the positional relationship between the liquid application member 44 and the target position in the speed control illustrated in Figure 21.

[0151] In the speed control graph shown in Figure 21, distance 0 indicates the position of the contact surface of the liquid application member 44 with the paper P during non-liquid application processing (for example, when the liquid application member 44 is in the position shown in Figure 17), and the target position indicates the position where the liquid application member 44 applies liquid to the paper P by contacting or pressing against the paper P. The travel distance of the liquid application member 44 at the start of the liquid application processing is distance 0 (zero), and the elapsed time is time 0 (zero).

[0152] Moreover, the movement speed of the liquid application member 44 until it reaches the processing position in the speed control illustrated in FIG. 21 is defined as a first movement speed.

[0153] When the liquid application member 44 is moved in the direction of contact with the paper P, the movement distance to the target position and the pressing distance of the liquid application member 44 against the paper P are managed by moving the liquid application member 44 a predetermined distance (e.g., distance 204-d) after detecting that the liquid application member 44 has passed through the detection area of ​​the movement sensor 40a.

[0154] Here, "the liquid supplying member 44 passes through the detection area of ​​the movable sensor 40a" refers to the area in which the shutter portion 354, which is located at the movable sensor 40a when the liquid supplying member 44 is in the standby position, reaches a position from that position where it does not block light from the light-emitting portion to the light-receiving portion of the movable sensor 40a. In other words, when the liquid supplying member 44 passes through the detection area of ​​the movable sensor 40a, the output of the detection signal of the movable sensor 40a changes, and when the liquid supplying member 44 has completely passed through the detection area of ​​the movable sensor 40a, the detection signal reaches, for example, a maximum value.

[0155] As a specification of the movement sensor 40a, there is a slight delay in the time it takes for the output value of the detection signal to change when an object passes through the detection area. This delay is called the response time. The response time varies slightly depending on the movement sensor 40a.

[0156] In the liquid application process, when controlling the movement amount of the liquid application member 44 (pressure time, which is also synonymous with contact time with the paper P), it is preferable to control the liquid application member 44 so that the target value of the control amount is a position where the liquid application member 44 moves a predetermined distance (distance 204-d) from the standby position from the sensor position, and then stops moving. However, in actual operation, the shutter portion 354 descends (reaches) a position where the detection signal of the movement sensor 40a reaches a maximum value, and then the detection signal is detected after a response time, determining that the shutter portion 354 has descended from the standby position. After this determination, the liquid application member 44a is controlled to move a predetermined distance (distance 204-d). As a result, the liquid application member 44a moves beyond the target position by an additional movement distance (distance 204-r), which is a distance that should be taken into account in addition to the predetermined distance (distance 204-d) during the response time.

[0157] 22, for this reason, the faster the movement speed when passing through the sensor detection area (first movement speed in this embodiment), the more the sheet moves beyond the target, and the longer the movement distance, the greater the pressing distance of the liquid dispensing member 44 in the sheet thickness direction, and the greater the amount of liquid dispensed onto the sheet. Therefore, the movement speed when passing through the sensor detection area affects the amount of liquid dispensed.

[0158] If the amount of liquid applied in liquid-application pressure binding is more or less than the appropriate amount, it may lead to a deterioration in binding strength and a decrease in stability, so improving the accuracy of the movement distance of the liquid-application member will lead to an improvement in the stability of liquid-application pressure binding.

[0159] One measure is to adjust the specified distance (distance 204-d) taking into account the additional movement distance (distance 204-r) during the response time due to the movement speed, but since the additional movement distance (distance 204-r) during the response time and the processing position also vary due to variations in response time, the accuracy of the processing position may not be sufficient even if the specified distance (distance 204-d) is adjusted.

[0160] [First Example] Next, an example of speed control when the liquid application member 44 is caused to pass the sensor at a low speed during the liquid application process is shown in Figure 23. The positional relationship between the liquid application member 44 and the target position in the speed control example shown in Figure 23 is the same as in Figure 22. The travel distance of the liquid application member 44 at the start of the process is set to distance 0, and the elapsed time is set to time 0.

[0161] 23, the speed control according to this embodiment defines the second movement speed as the movement speed of the liquid dispensing member 44 from the start of processing to sensor detection (passing through the detection area). Then, the control unit 100b determines the detection signal from the movement sensor 40a, and defines the first movement speed as the movement speed from when the shutter portion 354 passes through the detection area of ​​the movement sensor 40a to when it reaches the processing position. Here, the second movement speed is set to be slower than the first movement speed.

[0162] By setting the movement speed during the response time of the movement sensor 40a to the second movement speed, the added movement distance during the response time (movement distance 206-r) becomes shorter than the added movement distance (movement distance 204-r), thereby reducing the difference between the target position and the processing position and improving the accuracy of the movement distance.

[0163] The processing time 206-t in the speed control illustrated in FIG. 23 is longer than the processing time 204-t. However, by accelerating to the first movement speed after sensor detection, the increase in processing time due to movement at the second movement speed can be minimized, and the accuracy of the movement distance can be improved while reducing the decrease in productivity.

[0164] [Speed ​​control flow of the first embodiment] Next, the speed control flow of the liquid application process shown in Fig. 23 will be described using the flowchart in Fig. 24. First, the liquid application process is started, and the process loops until the paper P is transported to an area where the liquid application process can be performed (S2401: NO). When the paper P is transported to an area where the liquid application process can be performed (S2401: YES), the liquid application member 44 descends from the position at a distance of 0 (zero) at the second movement speed (S2402).

[0165] Next, while the liquid dispensing member 44 is descending, the output value of the detection signal from the movement sensor 40a is monitored, and the monitoring process loops until the output value of the detection signal switches to "OFF" (S2403: NO). After the output value of the detection signal switches to "OFF" (S2403: YES), the movement speed of the liquid dispensing member 44 is accelerated to a first movement speed and the liquid dispensing member 44 continues to descend for a predetermined distance, and after descending the predetermined distance, the liquid dispensing member 44 is raised (S2404). The movement speed during the ascent is not important, but from the perspective of productivity, it is desirable that the movement speed be at least a certain speed that does not impede productivity.

[0166] Subsequently, while the liquid dispensing member 44 is rising, the output value of the detection signal from the movement sensor 40a is monitored, and the monitoring process loops until the output value of the detection signal switches to "ON" (S2405: NO). After the output value of the detection signal switches to "ON" (S2405: YES), the liquid dispensing member 44 is stopped at the standby position (S2406).

[0167] After the liquid application member 44 returns to the standby position, it is determined whether the liquid application process has been completed for the predetermined number of sheets P that are the subject of the liquid application process (S2407). If the predetermined number has not been reached (S2407: NO), the process returns to step S2401. If the predetermined number has been reached (S2407: YES), the liquid application process ends.

[0168] [Second Example] Next, a second embodiment of speed control for causing the liquid application member 44 to pass the sensor at a low speed during liquid application processing will be described with reference to Figure 25. The positional relationship between the liquid application member 44 and the target position in the speed control illustrated in Figure 25 is the same as that in Figure 22. The example of speed control shown in Figure 25 is an example of control in which, in addition to the speed control according to the first embodiment shown in Figure 23, a temporary suspension time 208-s is provided between when the liquid application member 44 reaches the processing position and when it rises.

[0169] The liquid application process is performed by bringing the liquid application member 44 into contact with or pressing it against the paper P, and causing the liquid contained in the liquid application member 44 to propagate to the paper P. At this time, the time for which the liquid is propagated to the paper P can be extended by extending the time (contact time) during which the series of contact states from bringing the liquid application member 44 into contact with the paper P, to pressing it, and then separating it. By extending the time for which the liquid is propagated to the paper P, it is possible to expect a reduction in variation in the amount of liquid applied.

[0170] The longer the contact time, the more the variation in the amount of liquid applied can be reduced, but depending on the characteristics of the liquid application member 44 and the paper P, the amount of liquid applied may increase, so it is necessary to consider the pause time from the perspective of the appropriate amount of liquid applied and productivity.

[0171] In the speed control according to the second embodiment, a pause time 208-s is provided at the processing position, thereby extending the time that the liquid application member 44 is in contact with the paper P and increasing the amount of liquid applied. The liquid application member 44 remains in contact with the paper P during the pause time 208-s. There is no set length for the pause time 208-s, and it may be changed depending on the target amount of liquid to be applied, paper P information about the liquid application, etc. After the pause time 208-s has elapsed, the liquid application member 44 is moved in the direction away from the paper P, and is moved to a position where the distance is 0, completing the liquid application process.

[0172] 25 is used to control the liquid application member 44 to maintain contact with the paper P for a predetermined time by stopping the movement of the liquid application member 44 at a position where the liquid application member 44 contacts the paper P. Therefore, this temporary suspension time 208-s corresponds to an extension of the contact time.

[0173] However, in the second embodiment, when extending the contact time of the liquid application member 44 with the paper P, it is sufficient that the liquid application member 44 is in contact with the paper P over the pause time 208-s illustrated in Fig. 25, and the movement of the liquid application member 44 does not have to be stopped during this time. In other words, the time for propagating the liquid to the paper P can also be extended by controlling the movement of the liquid application member 44 so that the time from when the liquid application member 44 comes into contact with the paper P until it separates is approximately the same as the pause time 208-s.

[0174] Fig. 26 shows an example of a user interface used to set the pause time according to Example 2. As shown in Fig. 26(A), when the setting screen G1 is used on the operation panel 110, the pause time that has been set is displayed in a box, and the pause time for the liquid application operation can be set by changing the input value.

[0175] As shown in FIG. 26(B), the setting screen G1 displays characters corresponding to the setting content, and the corresponding pause setting is applied by entering the characters in the box. It does not matter whether the time for pausing is displayed or not. In FIG. 26(b), the pause setting in this embodiment has only two types: "0: No" and "1: Yes (1000 ms)." However, there may be more types of settings, such as "2: Yes (500 ms)" and "3: Yes (100 ms)," or there may be settings with different pause conditions.

[0176] [Speed ​​control flow of the second embodiment] Next, the speed control flow of the liquid application process shown in Fig. 25 will be described using the flowchart in Fig. 27. First, the liquid application process is started, and the process loops until the paper P is transported to an area where the liquid application process can be performed (S2701: NO). When the paper P is transported to an area where the liquid application process can be performed (S2701: YES), the liquid application member 44 descends from the position at a distance of 0 (zero) at the second movement speed (S2702).

[0177] Subsequently, while the liquid dispensing member 44 is descending, the output value of the detection signal from the movement sensor 40a is monitored, and the monitoring process loops until the output value of the detection signal switches to "OFF" (S2703: NO). After the output value of the detection signal switches to "OFF" (S2703: YES), the movement speed of the liquid dispensing member 44 is accelerated to a first movement speed, and the liquid dispensing member 44 continues to descend for a predetermined distance (S2704).

[0178] Next, the pause setting is referenced, and if a pause has been applied (S2705: YES), pause processing is executed for the set time, and then the liquid application member 44 is raised (S2707). If a pause has not been applied (S2705: NO), the liquid application member 44 is raised without executing pause processing (S2707). The movement speed during the raising is not important, but from the viewpoint of productivity, it is desirable that the movement speed be at least a certain speed that does not impede productivity.

[0179] Subsequently, while the liquid dispensing member 44 is rising, the output value of the detection signal from the movement sensor 40a is monitored, and the monitoring process loops until the output value of the detection signal switches to "ON" (S2708: NO). After the output value of the detection signal switches to "ON" (S2708: YES), the liquid dispensing member 44 is stopped at the standby position (S2709).

[0180] After the liquid application member 44 returns to the standby position, it is determined whether the liquid application process has been completed for the predetermined number of sheets P that are the subject of the liquid application process (S2710). If the predetermined number has not been reached (S2710: NO), the process returns to step S2701. If the predetermined number has been reached (S2710: YES), the liquid application process ends.

[0181] In this embodiment, the pause setting is referenced in 1006, but if the same operation can be performed, the timing of referencing the pause setting does not matter.

[0182] It should be noted that further modified examples of the second embodiment are also conceivable. A modified example of the second embodiment will be described using Figure 43. The positional relationship between the liquid application member 44 and the target position in the speed control illustrated in Figure 43 is the same as that in Figure 22. The example of speed control illustrated in Figure 43 provides a contact time 208-c that is approximately the same length as the temporary suspension time 208-s by accelerating and decelerating the liquid application member 44 while maintaining contact with the paper P in the speed control according to the second embodiment illustrated in Figure 25.

[0183] It is generally known that the longer the time that the liquid application member 44 remains in contact with the paper P, the more the variation in the amount of liquid applied can be reduced. However, depending on the characteristics of the liquid application member 44 and the paper P, and the amount of movement of the liquid application member 44 during contact, the amount of liquid applied may increase more than is desirable. Therefore, from the perspective of the appropriate amount of liquid applied and productivity, it is necessary to consider the length of time that the liquid application member 44 remains in contact with the paper P (contact time).

[0184] In the example of speed control shown in FIG. 43, a contact time 208-c is provided during which the liquid application member 44 is maintained in contact with the paper sheet P, thereby increasing the amount of liquid applied.

[0185] 43, during contact time 208-c, the liquid application member 44 gradually decelerates from the first control speed, and then gradually accelerates in the direction away from the paper P. The length of this contact time 208-c and the control speed (movement speed) of the liquid application member 44 during contact time 208-c are not limited to a specific length or speed, and may be changed based on information including a suitable amount of liquid to be applied in the liquid application operation and the characteristics of the paper P to which the liquid is to be applied.

[0186] 43, the liquid application member 44 starts to decelerate after reaching the processing position, and the moment the moving speed of the liquid application member 44 reaches zero, it starts to accelerate in the direction away from the paper P. However, the timing at which the liquid application member 44 starts to accelerate or decelerate is not important, and as long as the contact state can be maintained, there may be a time when the liquid application member 44 is stopped (i.e., the moving speed is maintained at zero).

[0187] After the contact time 208-s has elapsed, the liquid application member 44 is moved in the direction away from the paper P, and is moved to a position where the distance is 0, thereby completing the liquid application process.

[0188] [Third Example] Next, a third example of speed control for decelerating the liquid application member 44 before it reaches the processing position during liquid application processing will be described with reference to FIG. 28. The positional relationship between the liquid application member 44 and the target position in the speed control illustrated in FIG. 28 is the same as that in FIG. 22. In the example of speed control illustrated in FIG. 28, the movement speed from the start of processing to sensor detection is set as the second movement speed, the movement speed after sensor detection is set as the first movement speed, and the movement speed decelerated from the first movement speed to reach the processing position is set as the third movement speed. Note that the second movement speed and the third movement speed may be slower than the first movement speed, and the third movement speed may be equal to the second movement speed. In other words, after approaching the target position at the first movement speed, the liquid application member 44 reaches the processing position via movement at the third movement speed.

[0189] Depending on the configuration of the liquid application section 31A, the liquid application member 44 may have a backlash in the thickness direction of the paper P. When the liquid application member 44 reaches the processing position, if it suddenly decelerates from the first movement speed in the thickness direction of the paper P and stops, the liquid application member 44 may wobble due to inertia, and the processing position may vary.

[0190] As in the third embodiment, by changing the movement speed from the first movement speed to the third movement speed before reaching the processing position, the influence of inertia is reduced, and rattle is suppressed, thereby improving the processing position accuracy.

[0191] [Fourth Example] Next, a fourth embodiment of speed control of the liquid application member 44 performed during the liquid application process will be described with reference to Figure 29. Figure 29 shows an example of speed control when the liquid application member 44 starts the liquid application process from the receiving position of the paper sheet P. The positional relationship between the liquid application member 44 and the target position in the speed control illustrated in Figure 29 is the same as that in Figure 22.

[0192] The position for receiving the paper P is preferably a position where the liquid application member 44 is closer to the paper P than the position where the distance is 0, and where the height between the upper pressure plate 34 and the lower pressure plate 33 is sufficient to receive the paper P (for example, the position in Figure 18).

[0193] Regarding the position of the liquid application member 44 in the speed control according to the fourth embodiment, the position of distance 0 is the first standby position, and the position where the paper P is received is the second standby position, with the first standby position being the position exemplified in Fig. 17 and the second standby position being the position exemplified in Fig. 18. Note that during non-liquid application processing, the liquid application member 44 is positioned at the first standby position.

[0194] By moving the liquid application member 44 from the first standby position to the second standby position and waiting there before performing the liquid application process, and then starting the process from the second standby position, the travel distance and processing time required for the liquid application process can be shortened, thereby improving productivity.

[0195] The processing can be performed in a processing time 212-t that is shorter than the processing time 206-t and processing time 204-t when processing is started from the first standby position.

[0196] For movement from the first standby position to the second standby position, the movement speed up to sensor detection is preferably the second movement speed to improve processing position accuracy. The movement speed to the second standby position after sensor detection is not important in this embodiment because it does not affect productivity or processing position accuracy. The movement distance in the liquid deposition process from the second standby position is managed as distance 212-d2, where the distance from the sensor to the target position is a predetermined distance and the distance from the sensor to the second standby position is distance 212-d1, and distance 212-d2 is calculated by subtracting distance 212-d1 from distance 204-d.

[0197] Even in a liquid deposition process that involves waiting at the second waiting position, the liquid droplets move beyond the second waiting position and the target position by the distance traveled during the response time. Therefore, by moving at the second movement speed until sensor detection, the distance traveled during the response time can be shortened and the accuracy of the distance traveled can be improved.

[0198] When performing liquid application processing on multiple sheets of paper P continuously, the processing can be performed by moving back and forth from the second standby position by a distance 212-b, thereby maintaining the improved productivity and movement distance accuracy achieved by this embodiment.

[0199] [Speed ​​control flow of the fourth embodiment] Next, the speed control flow of the liquid application process illustrated in FIG. 29 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

[0200] First, during a non-liquid application process, the liquid application member 44 is moved to the second standby position and lowered from the distance 0 at a second movement speed to improve the processing position accuracy (S3001). While the liquid application member 44 is lowering, the output value of the detection signal from the movement sensor 40a is monitored, and the monitoring process loops until the output value of the detection signal switches to "OFF" (S3002: NO). After the output value of the detection signal switches to "OFF" (S3002: YES), the movement speed of the liquid application member 44 is accelerated to the first movement speed, and the liquid application member 44 continues to descend for a predetermined distance (S3003). For example, the liquid application member 44 is lowered a predetermined distance (distance 212-d1) to the second standby position, and after the predetermined distance, it stops and waits for the start of the liquid application process.

[0201] 31, the process loops until the paper P is transported to an area where liquid application processing is possible (S3101: NO). When the paper P is transported to an area where liquid application processing is possible (S3101: YES), the liquid application member 44 descends at a first movement speed a predetermined distance (e.g., distance 212-d2) from the second standby position to the processing position, and after descending the predetermined distance, the liquid application member 44 is raised by the predetermined distance descended from the start of processing (S3102). The movement speed during the upward movement is not important, but from the perspective of productivity, it is desirable that the movement speed be at least a certain speed that does not impede productivity.

[0202] Next, it is determined whether the liquid application process has been completed for the predetermined number of sheets of paper P that are the subject of the liquid application process (S3103), and if the predetermined number has not been reached (S3103: NO), the process returns to step S3101. If the predetermined number has been reached (S3103: YES), the liquid application member 44 is raised (S3104).

[0203] While the liquid supplying member 44 is rising, the output value of the detection signal from the movement sensor 40a is monitored, and the monitoring process loops until the output value of the detection signal switches to "ON" (S3105: NO). After the output value of the detection signal switches to "ON" (S3105: YES), the liquid supplying member 44 is stopped at the standby position (S3106).

[0204] In the above description, the control unit 100b of the post-processing device 3 is provided separately from the control unit 100a of the image forming apparatus 2, as shown in Fig. 1, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Fig. 41(A), the control unit 100b of the post-processing device 3 may be provided on the image forming apparatus 2 side. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 41(B), the control unit 100b of the post-processing device 3 may be configured integrally with the control unit 100a of the image forming apparatus 2.

[0205] 42(A), the control unit 100b of the post-processing device 3 may be divided into a control unit 100b1 (for example, a drive system (motor, etc.)) and a control unit 100b2 (a detection system (sensor, etc.)) based on function, and only the control unit 100b2 of one of the post-processing devices 3 may be provided on the image forming device 2 side. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 42(B), the control unit 100b2 of the post-processing device 3 provided on the image forming device 2 side may be configured integrally with the control unit 100a of the image forming device 2.

[0206] [Second embodiment of post-processing device 3] Next, a post-processing device 3A according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 32 to 40. Note that components common to the post-processing device 3 according to the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof may be omitted.

[0207] Unlike the end binding processing unit 25 of the post-processing device 3 according to the first embodiment, which is provided with both the liquid application unit 31 and the pressure-bonding unit 32, the end binding processing unit 251 of the post-processing device 3A according to the second embodiment is provided with only the pressure-bonding unit 32', and the liquid application unit 131 is provided upstream of the conveyance path. This allows a predetermined number of sheets P to be pre-stacked after the liquid application process and conveyed to the pressure-bonding unit 32' of the end binding processing unit 251 provided downstream, thereby improving the productivity of the binding process in the pressure-bonding unit 32'.

[0208] The direction in which the conveying roller pairs 10, 11, and 14 convey the paper P is opposite to the "conveying direction" defined above, and is therefore defined as the "reverse conveying direction." Also, the direction perpendicular to the reverse conveying direction and the thickness direction of the paper P is defined as the "main scanning direction (width direction of the paper P)."

[0209] Furthermore, the position (liquid application position) where liquid is applied to the paper P or the paper stack Pb by the liquid application unit 131 corresponds to the binding position where the pressure bonding unit 32' is scheduled to perform pressure binding on the paper stack Pb. Therefore, in the following description, the liquid application position and the binding position are denoted by the same reference numeral (B1).

[0210] Fig. 32 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the post-processing device 3A according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 33, the end binding processing unit 251 is equipped with only a pressure bonding unit 32'. As shown in Fig. 33, the pressure bonding unit 32' and the staple binding processing unit 156 are arranged downstream in the transport direction from the internal tray 22. Furthermore, the pressure bonding unit 32' and the staple binding processing unit 156 are configured to be movable in the main scanning direction at a position where they can face the downstream end in the transport direction of the sheet stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22.

[0211] Furthermore, the crimping unit 32' and the staple binding processing unit 156 are configured to be rotatable in forward and reverse directions around a crimping unit rotation shaft 340 and a staple binding unit rotation shaft 84 that extend in the thickness direction of the paper stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22. In other words, the crimping unit 32' and the staple binding processing unit 156 can bind the paper stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22 at any position in the main scanning direction and at any angle, such as diagonal corner binding, one-point parallel binding, or two-point parallel binding.

[0212] The crimping unit 32' binds the paper stack Pb by applying pressure and deforming the paper stack Pb with the concave and convex upper crimping teeth 32a and lower crimping teeth 32b (hereinafter referred to as "crimp binding"). On the other hand, the staple binding processing unit 156 can staple the paper stack Pb by passing staples through the binding positions of the paper stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22.

[0213] Fig. 33 is a schematic diagram of the internal tray 22 as viewed from the thickness direction of the paper stack Pb. Fig. 34 is a schematic diagram of the pressure bonding unit 32' as viewed from the downstream side in the transport direction. As shown in Fig. 33, the pressure bonding unit 32' and the stapling processing unit 156 are disposed downstream of the internal tray 22 in the transport direction. The pressure bonding unit 32' is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction along the surface of the paper stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22. The pressure bonding unit 32' is also configured to be rotatable in forward and reverse directions around a pressure bonding unit rotation shaft 340 that extends in the thickness direction of the paper stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22.

[0214] Similarly, the staple binding processing unit 156 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction of the paper-sheet bundle Pb. The staple binding processing unit 156 is configured to be rotatable in forward and reverse directions around a staple binding unit rotation shaft 84 that extends in the thickness direction of the paper-sheet bundle Pb. Note that other configurations of the staple binding processing unit 156 are the same as those of the staple binding processing unit 55 of the post-processing device 3 according to the first embodiment (see FIG. 9), and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0215] As shown in FIG. 34, the pressure-bonding unit 32' has a guide rail 337 extending in the main scanning direction downstream of the internal tray 22 in the conveying direction. The pressure-bonding unit 32' is equipped with a pressure-bonding unit movement motor 238 as a drive source. Furthermore, a base member 48 supporting the pressure-bonding unit frame 32c has a fastening portion 48b at its bottom for connecting to a timing belt 240c. As a result, the driving force of the pressure-bonding unit movement motor 238 is transmitted to the base member 48 by a drive transmission mechanism 240 including pulleys 240a and 240b, the timing belt 240c, and the fastening portion 48b, whereby the pressure-bonding unit 32' moves in the main scanning direction along the surface of the sheet stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22 (in other words, the guide rail 337). Furthermore, a pressure-bonding unit rotation shaft 340 including a drive transmission gear 340a is fixed to the bottom surface of the pressure-bonding unit frame 32c, which holds the components of the pressure-bonding unit 32'.

[0216] The pressure-bonding unit rotation shaft 340 and the drive transmission gear 340a are held rotatably in forward and reverse directions on a base member 48 on which the pressure-bonding unit frame 32c is provided. The drive transmission gear 340a meshes with an output gear 239a of a pressure-bonding unit rotation motor 239. The driving force of the pressure-bonding unit rotation motor 239 is transmitted to the pressure-bonding unit rotation shaft 340 via the output gear 239a and the drive transmission gear 340a, causing the pressure-bonding unit 32' to rotate in forward and reverse directions on the base member 48 around the pressure-bonding unit rotation shaft 340, which extends in the thickness direction of the paper P placed on the internal tray 22. The guide rail 337, the pressure-bonding unit movement motor 238, the pressure-bonding unit rotation motor 239, the pressure-bonding unit rotation shaft 340, and the drive transmission mechanism 240 constitute an example of a drive mechanism for the pressure-bonding unit 32'.

[0217] The pressure-bonding unit 32' is configured to be movable between a standby position HP2 shown in Fig. 33(A) and a position facing the first binding position B1 shown in Fig. 33(B) and Fig. 33(C). The standby position HP2 is a position offset to one side in the main scanning direction from the sheet stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22. The first binding position B1 is a position on the sheet stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22. However, the specific position of the first binding position B1 is not limited to the example in Fig. 33, and may be any position in the main scanning direction at the end of the sheet P on the downstream side in the transport direction, and there may be multiple positions thereat.

[0218] The crimping portion 32' changes its posture between a parallel binding posture shown in Fig. 33(B) and a diagonal binding posture shown in Fig. 33(C). That is, the crimping portion 32' is configured to be rotatable in forward and reverse directions around a crimping portion rotation shaft 340. Here, the parallel binding posture is a posture of the crimping portion 32' in which the longitudinal directions of the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b (in other words, the rectangular crimping binding marks) are oriented in the main scanning direction. The diagonal binding posture is a posture of the crimping portion 32' in which the longitudinal directions of the upper crimping teeth 32a and the lower crimping teeth 32b (in other words, the rectangular crimping binding marks) are inclined with respect to the main scanning direction.

[0219] In addition, the rotation angle in the diagonal binding position (the angle of the upper and lower crimping teeth 32a and 32b relative to the main scanning direction) is not limited to the example in Figure 33 (C), and can be any angle as long as the upper and lower crimping teeth 32a and 32b face the paper stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22.

[0220] The post-processing device 3A includes a liquid deposition unit 131 and a punch hole forming means 132 (processing unit). The liquid deposition unit 131 and the punch hole forming means 132 are arranged upstream in the reverse conveyance direction from the internal tray 22. The liquid deposition unit 131 and the punch hole forming means 132 are arranged offset in the reverse conveyance direction at positions where they can simultaneously face one sheet of paper P conveyed by pairs of conveyance rollers 10 to 19.

[0221] The liquid deposition unit 131 and the hole punching means 132 according to this embodiment are disposed between the pair of conveying rollers 10, 11. However, the location of the liquid deposition unit 131 is not limited to the example in FIG. 32. For example, if an inserter 6 is disposed between the image forming device 2 and the post-processing device 3A as shown in FIG. 40, the liquid deposition unit 131 can also be provided in the inserter 6 located upstream of the post-processing device 3A. An example of the inserter 6 is a device that can feed preprinted media, which is transported to the post-processing device 3A together with the paper P transported from the image forming device 2, as a cover, an insert sheet, or an interleaf sheet without passing through the image forming device 2.

[0222] 35(A), the conveyance roller pair 11 is disposed at a position that does not overlap in the main scanning direction with the first liquid application position B1 of the sheet P to which liquid has been applied by the liquid application head 146 of the liquid application unit 131. This is to prevent a decrease in the amount of liquid at the first liquid application position B1 due to the multiple roller pairs pressing against the first liquid application position B1 when the conveyance roller pair 11 conveys the sheet P. As a result, when the sheet P reaches the pressure bonding unit 32' provided downstream of the liquid application unit 131 in the reverse conveyance direction, the amount of liquid at the first liquid application position B1 is sufficient to maintain the binding strength, and therefore it is possible to prevent a decrease in the binding strength of the sheet bundle Pb due to a decrease in the amount of liquid at the first liquid application position B1 (corresponding to the first binding position B1) during the conveyance process.

[0223] Furthermore, by arranging the multiple roller pairs that make up the conveying roller pair 11 in positions that do not overlap with the first liquid application position B1 on the paper P in the main scanning direction, it is possible to prevent liquid from adhering to the multiple roller pairs, thereby deteriorating the conveying properties of the paper P, and to prevent conveying jams caused by the deterioration of conveying properties.

[0224] Although only the transport roller pair 11 has been described above, it is preferable that the multiple roller pairs that make up the transport roller pairs 14-15 are also arranged in positions that do not overlap with the first liquid application position B1 on the paper P in the main scanning direction.

[0225] The liquid application unit 131 applies liquid (hereinafter referred to as "liquid application") to the paper sheet P being transported by the transport roller pair 10, 11. The punch hole punching means 132 punches holes through the paper sheet P in the thickness direction, the paper sheet P being transported by the transport roller pair 10, 11. Note that the processing unit provided adjacent to the liquid application unit 131 is not limited to the punch hole punching means 132, and may be a skew correction unit that corrects the skew of the paper sheet P being transported by the transport roller pair 10, 11.

[0226] Figure 35 is a view of liquid deposition section 131 according to the second embodiment as seen from the thickness direction of paper P. Figure 36 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXV-XXV in Figure 35. Figure 37 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXVI-XXVI in Figure 35. As shown in Figures 35 to 37, liquid deposition section 131 includes a pair of guide shafts 133a, 133b, a pair of pulleys 134a, 134b, endless circular belts 135, 136, a liquid deposition section movement motor 137, a standby position sensor 138, and a liquid deposition unit 140.

[0227] The pair of guide shafts 133a, 133b extend in the main scanning direction at positions spaced apart in the reverse transport direction. The pair of guide shafts 133a, 133b are supported by a pair of side plates 4a, 4b of the post-processing device 3A. The pair of guide shafts 133a, 133b support the liquid deposition unit 140 so that it can move in the main scanning direction.

[0228] The pair of pulleys 134a, 134b are disposed between the pair of guide shafts 133a, 133b in the reverse conveyance direction. The pair of pulleys 134a, 134b are disposed spaced apart in the main scanning direction. The pair of pulleys 134a, 134b are supported by the frame of the post-processing device 3A so as to be rotatable in forward and reverse directions around a rotation axis extending in the thickness direction of the paper P.

[0229] The endless circular belt 135 is stretched over a pair of pulleys 134a and 134b. The endless circular belt 135 is connected to the liquid deposition unit 140 by a connection part 135a. The endless circular belt 136 is stretched over the pulley 134a and a drive pulley 137a fixed to the output shaft of a liquid deposition unit movement motor 137. The liquid deposition unit movement motor 137 generates a drive force for moving the liquid deposition unit 140 in the main scanning direction.

[0230] Rotation of the liquid deposition unit movement motor 137 causes the endless circular belt 136 to revolve between the pulley 134a and the drive pulley 137a, rotating the pulley 134a. Rotation of the pulley 134a also causes the endless circular belt 135 to revolve between the pair of pulleys 134a and 134b. This causes the liquid deposition unit 140 to move in the main scanning direction along the pair of guide shafts 133a and 133b. Switching the rotation direction of the liquid deposition unit movement motor 137 also causes the liquid deposition unit 140 to move back and forth in the main scanning direction.

[0231] The standby position sensor 138 detects that the liquid deposition unit 140 has reached a standby position HP1 (see FIG. 35) in the main scanning direction, and outputs a standby position signal indicating the detection result to the control unit 100b (see FIG. 38), which will be described later. The standby position sensor 138 is, for example, an optical sensor including a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element. At the standby position HP1, the liquid deposition unit 140 blocks the optical path between the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element. The standby position sensor 138 outputs a standby position signal in response to the light output from the light-emitting element not being received by the light-receiving element. However, the specific configuration of the standby position sensor 138 is not limited to the example described above.

[0232] 36, the transport path in post-processing device 3A is defined by an upper guide plate 5a and a lower guide plate 5b that are spaced apart in the thickness direction of paper P. The liquid deposition unit 140 is disposed at a position facing an opening provided in the upper guide plate 5a. That is, the liquid deposition unit 140 is disposed facing the transport path (i.e., a position where it can face paper P) through the opening in the upper guide plate 5a.

[0233] As shown in Figures 35 to 37, the liquid dispensing unit 140 includes a base member 141, a rotating bracket 142, a liquid storage tank 143, a liquid dispensing head moving means 144, a holding member 145, a liquid dispensing head 146, columnar members 147a, 147b, a pressure plate 148, coil springs 149a, 149b, a dispensing head rotating motor 150, a dispensing head moving motor 151 (see Figure 38), and a standby angle sensor 152 (see Figure 38).

[0234] The base member 141 is supported by a pair of guide shafts 133a and 133b so as to be slidable in the main scanning direction. The base member 141 is connected to the endless circular belt 135 by a connecting portion 135a. The base member 141 also supports components 142 to 152 of the liquid deposition unit 140.

[0235] The rotating bracket 142 is attached to the underside of the base member 141 so as to be rotatable in forward and reverse directions around a rotation axis that extends in the thickness direction of the paper P. Furthermore, the rotating bracket 142 rotates in forward and reverse directions relative to the base member 141 by transmitting the driving force of a liquid dispensing head rotating motor 150. Furthermore, the rotating bracket 142 holds a liquid storage tank 143, liquid dispensing head moving means 144, a holding member 145, a liquid dispensing head 146, pillar-shaped members 147a, 147b, a pressing plate 148, and coil springs 149a, 149b.

[0236] The standby angle sensor 152 (see FIG. 38) detects that the rotating bracket 142 has reached the standby angle, and outputs a standby angle signal indicating the detection result to the control unit 100b. The standby angle is, for example, the angle at which parallel binding occurs. The standby angle sensor 152 is, for example, an optical sensor equipped with a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit. The rotating bracket 142 at the standby angle blocks the optical path between the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit. The standby angle sensor 152 outputs the standby angle signal in response to the light output from the light-emitting unit not being received by the light-receiving unit. However, the specific configuration of the standby angle sensor 152 is not limited to the example described above.

[0237] The rotating bracket 142 shown in Fig. 35(A) shows a state in which the pressure-bonding unit 32' downstream of the liquid applicator 131 performs parallel binding. The rotating bracket 142 shown in Fig. 35(B) shows a state in which the pressure-bonding unit 32' downstream of the liquid applicator 131 performs diagonal binding (corner binding).

[0238] The liquid storage tank 143 stores liquid to be applied to the paper P. The liquid application head moving means 144 is attached to the liquid storage tank 143 so as to be movable (for example, vertically movable) in the thickness direction of the paper P. Furthermore, the liquid application head moving means 144 moves relative to the liquid storage tank 143 by transmitting the driving force of a liquid application head moving motor 151. The holding member 145 is attached to the lower end of the liquid application head moving means 144. The liquid application head 146 protrudes from the holding member 145 towards the conveyance path (downward in this embodiment). Furthermore, the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 143 is supplied to the liquid application head 146. Furthermore, the liquid application head 146 is made of a material with a high liquid absorption rate (for example, sponge or fiber).

[0239] The pillar-shaped members 147a, 147b protrude downward from the holding member 145 around the liquid dispensing head 146. The pillar-shaped members 147a, 147b are configured to be movable relative to the holding member 145 in the thickness direction. The pillar-shaped members 147a, 147b hold a pressing plate 148 at their lower ends. A through-hole 148a is formed in the pressing plate 148 at a position facing the liquid dispensing head 146. Coil springs 149a, 149b are fitted onto the pillar-shaped members 147a, 147b between the holding member 145 and the pressing plate 148. The coil springs 149a, 149b urge the pillar-shaped members 147a, 147b and the pressing plate 148 downward with respect to the holding member 145.

[0240] As shown in FIGS. 36(A) and 37(A), before the sheet P is conveyed to a position facing the opening in the upper guide plate 5a, the pressure plate 148 is positioned at or above the opening. Next, when the first liquid application position B1 of the sheet P conveyed by the conveyance roller pair 10, 11 stops at a position facing the opening, the application head moving motor 151 is rotated in a first direction. As a result, the liquid application head moving means 144, the holding member 145, the liquid application head 146, the columnar members 147a, 147b, the pressure plate 148, and the coil springs 149a, 149b move downward as a unit, and the pressure plate 148 comes into contact with the sheet P. The first liquid application position B1 is the position (i.e., the first binding position B1) where the sheet P is to be pressure-bound by the edge binding processing unit 251 (i.e., the pressure bonding unit 32′).

[0241] Then, by continuing to rotate the liquid dispensing head moving motor 151 in the first direction after the pressing plate 148 has come into contact with the paper sheet P, the coil springs 149a and 149b are compressed, and the liquid dispensing head moving means 144, the holding member 145, the liquid dispensing head 146, and the pillar-shaped members 147a and 147b are further lowered. Then, as shown in FIGS. 36(B) and 37(B), the lower surface of the liquid dispensing head 146 comes into contact with the paper sheet P through the through-hole 148a. As a result, the liquid contained in the liquid dispensing head 146 is dispensed onto the paper sheet P.

[0242] 36(C) and 37(C), by further rotating the liquid dispensing head movement motor 151 in the first direction, the liquid dispensing head 146 can be pressed even more firmly against the paper sheet P. This increases the amount of liquid dispensed onto the paper sheet P. In other words, the liquid dispensing unit 131 can adjust the amount of liquid dispensed by changing the pressing force of the liquid dispensing head 146 onto the paper sheet P.

[0243] On the other hand, by rotating the liquid dispensing head moving motor 151 in a second direction opposite to the first direction, the liquid dispensing head moving means 144, holding member 145, liquid dispensing head 146, columnar members 147a, 147b, pressure plate 148, and coil springs 149a, 149b rise together. As a result, as shown in Figures 36(A) and 37(A), the liquid dispensing head 146 and pressure plate 148 move away from the paper P. In other words, the liquid dispensing unit 131 includes a liquid dispensing head 146 that can be detached from the paper P.

[0244] Fig. 38 is a hardware configuration diagram of a control block that controls the operation of post-processing device 3A according to Embodiment 2. As shown in Fig. 38, post-processing device 3A includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 102, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 103, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 104, and an I / F 105, all of which are connected via a common bus 109.

[0245] The CPU 101 is a computing means and controls the overall operation of the post-processing device 3A. The RAM 102 is a volatile storage medium capable of high-speed reading and writing of information, and is used as a work area when the CPU 101 processes information. The ROM 103 is a read-only non-volatile storage medium in which programs such as firmware are stored. The HDD 104 is a non-volatile storage medium with a large storage capacity that is capable of reading and writing information, and stores an OS (Operating System), various control programs, application programs, etc.

[0246] The post-processing device 3A processes a control program stored in the ROM 103, an information processing program (application program) loaded into the RAM 102 from a storage medium such as the HDD 104, and the like using the arithmetic functions of the CPU 101. This processing constitutes a software control unit including various functional modules of the post-processing device 3A. The combination of the software control unit thus constituted and the hardware resources installed in the post-processing device 3A constitutes a functional block that realizes the functions of the post-processing device 3A. In other words, the CPU 101, RAM 102, ROM 103, HDD 104, and I / F 105 constitute a control unit 100b (control means) that controls the operation of the post-processing device 3A.

[0247] I / F 105 is an interface that connects the pairs of conveying rollers 10, 11, 14, and 15, the switching member 20, the side fences 24L and 24R, the pressure-bonding unit movement motor 238, the pressure-bonding unit rotation motor 239, the contact / separation motor 32d, the liquid application unit movement motor 137, the application head rotation motor 150, the application head movement motor 151, the standby position sensor 138, the standby angle sensor 152, the punch hole punching means 132, and the operation panel 110 to the common bus 109.

[0248] Through the I / F 105, the control unit 100b controls the operations of the pairs of conveying rollers 10, 11, 14, and 15, the switching member 20, the side fences 24L and 24R, the pressure bonding unit movement motor 238, the pressure bonding unit rotation motor 239, the contact / separation motor 32d, the liquid application unit movement motor 137, the application head rotation motor 150, the application head movement motor 151, and the hole punching means 132. Furthermore, through the I / F 105, the control unit 100b acquires the detection results of the standby position sensor 138 and the standby angle sensor 152.

[0249] Note that Figure 38 only illustrates the components of the end binding processing unit 251 (pressing unit 32') and the liquid application unit 131 that perform the end binding process, but the components related to the saddle stitching processing unit 28 that perform the saddle stitching process are also similarly controlled by the control unit 100b.

[0250] As shown in FIG. 40, the image forming apparatus 2 includes an operation panel 110. The operation panel 110 includes an operation unit that accepts input operations from a user and a display (notification unit) that notifies the user of information. The operation unit includes, for example, hard keys, a touch panel superimposed on the display, etc. The operation panel 110 acquires information from the user through the operation unit and provides the information to the user through the display. The post-processing device 3A may also be provided with an operation panel 110 similar to the above.

[0251] 39 is a flowchart of post-processing by the post-processing device 3A according to the second embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 39 is a flowchart when the one-point binding process shown in FIG.

[0252] The control unit 100b executes the post-processing shown in FIG. 39 in response to, for example, receiving an instruction to execute post-processing (hereinafter referred to as a "post-processing instruction") from the image forming apparatus 2. The post-processing instruction includes, for example, the number of sheets P constituting the sheet stack Pb (hereinafter referred to as a "predetermined number of sheets Np"), the number of copies of the sheet stack Pb to be bound (hereinafter referred to as a "required number of copies Mp"), the first binding position B1 (corresponding to the first liquid application position B1), the angle of the first binding position B1 (corresponding to the angle of the first liquid application position B1), the type of binding (parallel binding, diagonal binding), and an operation to be executed in parallel with the liquid application process (perforation of punch holes in this embodiment). It is assumed that, at the start of post-processing, the liquid application unit 140 is positioned at the standby position HP1 (see FIG. 35), and the rotating bracket 142 is held at the standby angle (corresponding to the "parallel binding position").

[0253] First, the control unit 100b drives the liquid application unit movement motor 137 to move the liquid application unit 140 (corresponding to the liquid application unit) in the main scanning direction, thereby moving the liquid application head 146 from the standby position HP1 to a position where it can face the first liquid application position B1 (see FIG. 35(B) ; a position corresponding to the first binding position B1 in FIGS. 33(B) and 33(C)). Furthermore, if the type of binding process specified in the post-processing instruction is a "diagonal binding process," the control unit 100b drives the liquid application head rotation motor 150 to rotate the rotating bracket 142, thereby rotating the liquid application head 146 from the standby angle to a liquid application angle corresponding to the "diagonal binding posture" (S801). The fact that the liquid application head 146 has reached a position and liquid application angle where it can face the first liquid application position B1 can be determined by pulse signals output from the rotary encoders of the liquid application unit movement motor 137 and the liquid application head rotation motor 150. It should be noted that when the type of binding process instructed in the post-processing instruction is "parallel binding process," the control unit 100b omits the above-described operation of rotating the rotating bracket 142. In other words, the liquid deposition unit 140 moves in the main scanning direction while maintaining the rotating bracket 142 at the standby angle.

[0254] Furthermore, the control unit 100b drives the crimping unit movement motor 238 to move the crimping unit 32' from the standby position HP2 to a position where the crimping unit 32' can face the first binding position B1, as shown in FIGS. 33(A) and 33(B) (S801). Furthermore, when the type of binding process instructed in the post-processing instruction is the "diagonal binding process," the control unit 100b drives the crimping unit rotation motor 239 to rotate the crimping unit 32' from the standby angle to a crimping binding angle corresponding to the "diagonal binding posture" (S801). It can be recognized from pulse signals output from the rotary encoders of the crimping unit movement motor 238 and the crimping unit rotation motor 239 that the crimping unit 32' has reached the position where it can face the first binding position B1 and the crimping binding angle. Note that when the type of binding process instructed in the post-processing instruction is the "parallel binding process," the control unit 100b omits the operation of rotating the crimping unit 32' described above. That is, the pressure-bonding portion 32' moves in the main scanning direction while maintaining the standby angle.

[0255] Next, the control unit 100b drives the pair of transport rollers 10 and 11 to start transporting the sheet P on which the image has been formed by the image forming apparatus 2 (S802). Then, the control unit 100b determines whether the first liquid application position B1 of the sheet P faces the liquid application unit 140 (more specifically, the liquid application head 146) (S803). If it is determined that the first liquid application position B1 of the sheet P does not face the liquid application unit 140 (S803: No), the control unit 100b continues transporting the sheet P by the pair of transport rollers 10 and 11 until the first liquid application position B1 of the sheet P faces the liquid application unit 140 (S803: Yes). On the other hand, if it is determined that the first liquid application position B1 of the sheet P faces the liquid application head 146 (S803: Yes), the control unit 100b stops transport of the sheet P by the pair of transport rollers 10 and 11 (S804). The fact that the first liquid application position B1 of the paper P faces the liquid application head 146 can be detected by a pulse signal output from a rotary encoder of the motor that drives the pair of transport rollers 10 and 11.

[0256] The control unit 100b executes a process of applying liquid to the first liquid application position B1 on the paper sheet P using the liquid application unit 140 (S805). More specifically, the control unit 100b rotates the application head movement motor 151 in a first direction, thereby bringing the liquid application head 146 into contact with the first liquid application position B1 on the paper sheet P. The control unit 100b also changes the pressing force of the liquid application head 146 (i.e., the amount of rotation of the application head movement motor 151) depending on the amount of liquid applied to the paper sheet P.

[0257] The amount of liquid applied to the paper P may be the same for all the paper P constituting the paper stack Pb, or may be different for each paper P. For example, the control unit 100b may apply less liquid to the paper P that is transported later. The rotation amount of the application head movement motor 151 can be determined by a pulse signal output from a rotary encoder of the application head movement motor 151.

[0258] Next, the control unit 100b drives the conveying roller pairs 10, 11, 14, and 15 to place the paper P on the internal tray 22 (S806). The control unit 100b also executes a so-called jogging process, which aligns the position of the paper P or paper stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22 in the main scanning direction by moving the side fences 24L and 24R in the main scanning direction (S806).

[0259] Next, the control unit 100b determines whether the number of sheets P placed on the internal tray 22 has reached the predetermined number Np specified in the post-processing instruction (S807). If the control unit 100b determines that the number of sheets P placed on the internal tray 22 has not reached the predetermined number Np (S807: No), it repeats the processes of steps S802 to S807 until the number of sheets P placed on the internal tray 22 reaches the predetermined number Np (S807: Yes).

[0260] On the other hand, when the control unit 100b determines that the number of sheets P placed on the internal tray 22 has reached the predetermined number Np (S807: Yes), it causes the pressure bonding unit 32' to pressure-bind the sheet bundle Pb including the sheets P to which liquid has been applied by the liquid application unit 140 at the first binding position B1 (corresponding to the first liquid application position B1 of the sheets P) (S808). Furthermore, the control unit 100b rotates the conveyance roller pair 15 to eject the pressure-bound sheet bundle Pb onto the second ejection tray 26 (S808).

[0261] Next, the control unit 100b determines whether the number of copies of the sheet stack Pb discharged onto the second discharge tray 26 has reached the required number of copies Mp indicated in the post-processing instruction (S809). If the control unit 100b determines that the number of copies of the discharged sheet stack Pb has not reached the required number of copies Mp (S809: No), it repeats the processes of steps S802 to S809 until the number of copies of the discharged sheet stack Pb reaches the required number of copies Mp (S809: Yes).

[0262] On the other hand, when the control unit 100b determines that the number of copies of the sheet bundle Pb discharged to the second discharge tray 26 has reached the required number of copies Mp (S809: Yes), it drives the liquid application unit movement motor 137 to move the liquid application unit 140 to a standby position HP1 (see FIG. 35), and drives the pressure bonding unit movement motor 238 to move the pressure bonding unit 32' to a standby position HP2 (see FIG. 33) (S810). Furthermore, when the posture instructed in the post-processing instruction is the "diagonal binding posture," the control unit 100b drives the liquid application head rotation motor 150 and the pressure bonding unit rotation motor 239 to rotate the liquid application unit 140 and the pressure bonding unit 32' to the parallel binding posture (standby angle) (S810). On the other hand, when the posture instructed in the post-processing instruction is the "parallel binding posture," the operation of rotating the liquid application unit 140 and the pressure bonding unit 32' to the parallel binding posture (standby angle) is omitted. In steps S801 and S810, the order in which the liquid application unit 140 and the pressure bonding portion 32' are moved in the main scanning direction and rotated in the forward and reverse directions is not limited to the order described above, and may be the reverse of the order described above.

[0263] Furthermore, the present invention can be applied not only to the edge binding processing unit 251 that executes edge binding processing, but also to the saddle stitching processing unit 28 that executes saddle stitching processing.

[0264] 1, the control unit 100b of the post-processing device 3A according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 32 is provided separately from the control unit 100a of the image forming apparatus 2, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 100b of the post-processing device 3A may be provided on the image forming apparatus 2 side, as in FIG. 41(A). Furthermore, the control unit 100b of the post-processing device 3A may be configured integrally with the control unit 100a of the image forming apparatus 2, as in FIG. 41(B).

[0265] 42(A), the control unit 100b of the post-processing device 3A may be divided into a control unit 100b1 (for example, a drive system (motor, etc.)) and a control unit 100b2 (a detection system (sensor, etc.)) by function, and the control unit 100b2 of one of the post-processing devices 3A may be provided on the image forming device 2 side. Furthermore, as in FIG. 42(B), the control unit 100b2 of the post-processing device 3A provided on the image forming device 2 side may be configured integrally with the control unit 100a of the image forming device 2.

[0266] As already explained, the control method by the control unit 100b described above is realized by cooperation between the hardware resources of a computer and a program as computer software. That is, the control method is a method executed by a computer by causing an arithmetic unit, a storage unit, an input unit, an output unit, and a control unit to operate in cooperation with each other based on the program. The program may also be written to a storage unit or a storage medium, etc., and distributed, or distributed via a telecommunications line, etc.

[0267] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the technical gist thereof. The present invention covers all technical matters included in the technical ideas described in the claims. The above-described embodiments are preferred examples, but a person skilled in the art can realize various modifications from the disclosed content. Such modifications are also included in the technical scope described in the claims.

[0268] As explained above, with each embodiment of the media processing device according to the present invention, it is possible to change the number of times the binding process is repeated for the paper stack Pb depending on the type of post-processing, and to set an appropriate binding force (binding strength) and binding speed (productivity) for the binding process, thereby improving user convenience and the productivity of the binding process.

[0269] [Aspects of the present invention] For example, aspects of the present invention are as follows. <1> A media processing device that applies a liquid to a sheet-like medium and performs a predetermined process on a media stack including at least one sheet of the medium to which the liquid has been applied, a liquid applying member that comes into contact with the medium and applies liquid; a liquid application / movement means for moving the liquid application member toward or away from the medium; a liquid application detection means for detecting whether the liquid application member has passed through a predetermined detection range when approaching or moving away from the medium; Equipped with The liquid application and transfer means is When the liquid application member is brought close to the medium, After the liquid dispensing member has passed the detection range, the liquid dispensing member is moved toward the medium at a first moving speed; the liquid dispensing member is moved toward the medium at a second moving speed that is slower than the first moving speed until the liquid dispensing member passes through the detection range; The media processing device is characterized by the above. <2> The liquid application and transfer means is After the liquid application member reaches the detection range of the liquid application detection means, maintaining the movement speed of the liquid dispensing member at the second movement speed until the liquid dispensing detection means detects that the liquid dispensing member has passed through the detection range; The aforementioned <1> 2 is a media processing device according to the first embodiment. <3> The liquid application and transfer means is After the liquid application detection means detects that the liquid application member has passed through the detection range, the liquid application member is moved toward the medium at the first moving speed by a predetermined distance. The aforementioned <1> or <2> 2 is a media processing device according to the first embodiment. <4> The liquid application and transfer means is controlling the movement of the liquid application member so that the liquid application member is maintained in contact with the medium for a predetermined period of time; The aforementioned <1> ~ <3> 1 is a media processing device according to any one of the preceding claims. <5> The liquid application and transfer means is moving the liquid dispensing member at the first movement speed, and changing the movement speed to a third movement speed slower than the first movement speed before the liquid dispensing member comes into contact with the medium; The aforementioned <1> ~ <4> 1 is a media processing device according to any one of the preceding claims. <6> The liquid application and transfer means is a position of the liquid applying member before applying the liquid is set to a first standby position; starting the movement of the liquid applying member from a second standby position that is closer to the medium than the first standby position; The aforementioned <1> ~ <5> 1 is a media processing device according to any one of the preceding claims. <7> The liquid application and transfer means is a moving distance for bringing the liquid applying member into contact with the medium is varied depending on the number of the mediums constituting the medium bundle; The aforementioned <1> ~ <6> 1 is a media processing device according to any one of the preceding claims. <8> an image forming device that forms an image on a medium; The predetermined processing is performed on the medium on which the image is formed by the image forming device. <1> and the above <7> and an image forming system including the media processing device according to any one of the above. [Explanation of symbols]

[0270] 1: Image forming system 2: Image forming device 3: Post-processing device 25: Edge binding processing unit 26: Output tray 31, 31A: Liquid application section 33: Lower pressure plate 34: Upper pressure plate 35, 35A: Liquid application unit moving mechanism 36: Liquid application mechanism 44: Liquid application member 100a, 100b: control section 101: CPU 102: RAM 103:ROM 104: HDD 105: Interface 109: Common bus 110: Operation panel 350: Liquid application and pressure bonding part movement mechanism 351: Liquid application unit movement guide shaft 352: Rack gear 353: Gear 354: Shutter section [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0271] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-101009 [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-174551

Claims

1. A media processing device that applies a liquid to a sheet-like medium and performs a predetermined process on a media stack including at least one sheet of the medium to which the liquid has been applied, a liquid applying member that comes into contact with the medium and applies liquid; a liquid application / movement means for moving the liquid application member toward or away from the medium; a liquid application detection means for detecting whether the liquid application member has passed through a predetermined detection range when approaching or moving away from the medium; Equipped with The liquid application and transfer means is When the liquid application member is brought close to the medium, After the liquid dispensing member has passed the detection range, the liquid dispensing member is moved toward the medium at a first moving speed; the liquid dispensing member is moved toward the medium at a second moving speed that is slower than the first moving speed until the liquid dispensing member passes through the detection range; A media processing device characterized by:

2. The liquid application and transfer means is After the liquid application member reaches the detection range of the liquid application detection means, maintaining the movement speed of the liquid dispensing member at the second movement speed until the liquid dispensing detection means detects that the liquid dispensing member has passed through the detection range; The media processing device of claim 1 .

3. The liquid application and transfer means is After the liquid application detection means detects that the liquid application member has passed through the detection range, the liquid application member is moved toward the medium at the first moving speed by a predetermined distance. The media processing device of claim 1 .

4. The liquid application and transfer means is controlling the movement of the liquid application member so as to maintain the liquid application member in contact with the medium for a predetermined period of time; The media processing device of claim 1 .

5. The liquid application and transfer means is moving the liquid dispensing member at the first movement speed, and changing the movement speed to a third movement speed slower than the first movement speed before the liquid dispensing member comes into contact with the medium; The media processing device of claim 1 .

6. The liquid application and transfer means is a position of the liquid applying member before applying the liquid is set to a first standby position; starting the movement of the liquid applying member from a second standby position that is closer to the medium than the first standby position; The media processing device of claim 1 .

7. The liquid application and transfer means is a moving distance for bringing the liquid applying member into contact with the medium is varied depending on the number of the mediums constituting the medium bundle; The media processing device of claim 1 .

8. an image forming device that forms an image on a medium; An image forming system comprising: a medium processing device according to claim 1 , which performs the predetermined processing on the medium on which an image has been formed by the image forming device.

Images