Post-processing device and image forming system

Abstract

To provide a post-processing device capable of executing a matching processing with high accuracy.SOLUTION: A post-processing device comprises a recording material loading part loaded with the recording material transported via a transportation path, a matching member matching the recording materials at the recording material loading part, a drive part moving the matching member and a control part deciding an operation parameter of a matching processing to drive the drive part on the basis of information of physical property value of the recording material obtained by a media sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a post-processing device and an image forming system equipped with the post-processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known post-processing devices that perform post-processing such as stapling and punching on recording materials on which images have been formed. In these post-processing devices, recording materials stacked in a stacking section are subjected to post-processing. To perform the post-processing, it is necessary to align the edges of the stacked recording materials (alignment process). Therefore, the post-processing device is equipped with an alignment member for aligning the edges of the recording materials stacked in the recording material stacking section. The post-processing device performs the alignment process by moving the alignment member from the side where the edges of the recording materials are aligned toward the recording materials, and moving the recording materials so that the edges are aligned.

[0003] As a post-processing device equipped with an alignment member, a configuration has been proposed in which the operating parameters of the alignment process are determined based on the amount, size, material, etc., of the recording material loaded (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In this configuration, a post-processing device uses a sheet type detection sensor that can detect the type of recording material to detect the paper type of the recording material, such as high-quality paper or recycled paper, and determines the operating parameters of the alignment process. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-226458 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, as with the above-described post-processing device, simply determining the operating parameters of the alignment process according to the type of sheet (recording material) makes it difficult to perform highly accurate alignment. For example, even for the same type of sheet, the surface condition, volume, weight, etc. of the paper may change depending on environmental factors such as temperature and humidity. In the alignment process, if the alignment force is too strong for recording materials in such a state, the recording materials are likely to buckle, such as bend or fold, reducing the accuracy of the alignment process. Furthermore, if the alignment force is weak, the stacked recording materials cannot be moved sufficiently, reducing the accuracy of the alignment process.

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a post-processing device and an image forming system that can perform highly accurate alignment processing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The post-processing device of the present invention has a recording material stacking section on which recording material transported through a transport path is stacked, an alignment member that aligns the recording material in the recording material stacking section, a drive section that moves the alignment member, and a control section that determines operating parameters for the alignment process that drives the drive section based on information on the physical property values ​​of the recording material obtained by a media sensor.

[0008] The image forming system of the present invention is an image forming system comprising an image forming apparatus and a post-processing apparatus, and includes an image forming section provided in the image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material, a recording material stacking section provided in the post-processing apparatus that stacks the recording material transported from the image forming section through a transport path, an alignment member provided in the post-processing apparatus that aligns at least one of the front and rear ends of the recording material in a direction parallel to the transport direction and the side end in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction in the recording material stacking section, a drive section provided in the post-processing apparatus that moves the alignment member, a media sensor that acquires physical property values ​​of the recording material, and a control section that determines operating parameters of the alignment process that drives the drive section based on information on the physical property values ​​of the recording material acquired by the media sensor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a post-processing device and an image forming system that are capable of performing highly accurate alignment processing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an image forming system including a post-processing device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of an image forming unit of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an image forming system. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a post-processing device provided in a paper discharge unit of the image forming apparatus. [Figure 5] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the alignment member at each stage of the alignment process. [Figure 6] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the alignment member at each stage of the alignment process. [Figure 7] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the alignment member at each stage of the alignment process. [Figure 8] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the alignment member at each stage of the alignment process. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control unit of the image forming system. [Figure 10] 10 is an example of a data table of matching history stored in a parameter storage unit. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart of a matching process for determining matching conditions based on physical property values ​​of a recording material. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart of a matching process for determining matching conditions based on other conditions in addition to the physical property values ​​of the recording material. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart of a matching process for detecting physical property values ​​of a recording material after image formation and determining matching conditions. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart of a matching process for determining matching conditions for each job based on the physical property values ​​of the recording material. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an image forming system including a post-processing device. [Figure 16]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a post-processing device. [Figure 17] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an image forming system. [Figure 18] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a configuration of a side-stitching unit including width direction alignment members and conveyance direction alignment members; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, examples of embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples. The explanation will be given in the following order. 1. First embodiment of image forming system and post-processing device 2. Configuration of post-processing device and alignment member 3. Second embodiment of image forming system and post-processing device

[0012] 1. First embodiment of image forming system and post-processing device A specific embodiment (first embodiment) of the image forming system and the post-processing device included in the image forming system will be described below. Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an image forming system equipped with a post-processing device. The image forming system 10 shown in Fig. 1 includes an image forming device 100 and a post-processing device 200. The image forming device 100 is a multifunction device having functions such as copying, scanning, printing, and facsimile, and is configured to be able to send and receive data via a network. The post-processing device 200 performs a process (hereinafter simply referred to as alignment or alignment process) to move the edge of the recording material discharged from the image forming device 100 to a predetermined position on a recording material stacking section.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, an external view of an image forming system 10 is shown. The image forming apparatus 100 constituting the image forming system 10 has an operation unit 11, a display unit 12, an image reading unit 13, and an image forming unit 14 as its main components. Also, an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) 17 that automatically feeds documents to the image reading unit 13 is disposed at the top of the image forming apparatus 100. A plurality of paper feed units 18 that supply recording materials to the image forming unit 14 are disposed at the bottom of the image forming apparatus 100. At the center of the image forming apparatus 100, a paper discharge outlet 21 from which recording materials with images formed thereon are discharged, and a paper discharge tray 19 on which the recording materials discharged from the paper discharge outlet 21 are stacked.

[0014] Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus 100, a post-processing device 200 is provided on the paper discharge tray 19 immediately after the paper discharge port 21. The post-processing device 200 performs alignment processing on the recording materials stacked on the paper discharge tray 19, which is a recording material stacking section on which the recording materials conveyed along the conveyance path are stacked.

[0015] Furthermore, the image forming apparatus 100 is provided with a communication unit 16 that transmits and receives image data and the like to and from external devices via a network, and an information processing unit 23 that performs overall control of the image forming apparatus 100. The communication unit 16 transmits and receives various types of data to and from external devices via a network interface (not shown). 1, an operation unit 11 has a plurality of keys and accepts various instructions entered by a user through operation of the keys, as well as input of data such as letters and numbers. A display unit 12 displays an instruction menu for the user, information related to an acquired image, and the like.

[0016] The image reading unit 13 photoelectrically reads image information such as photographs, characters, and pictures from an original to obtain image data. The obtained image data (density data) is converted into digital data in an image processing unit (not shown), and after undergoing various well-known image processing, is sent to the image forming unit 14 and communication unit 16 for image formation and data transmission. The data is also stored in the information processing unit 23 for later use. The configuration of the information processing unit 23 will be described in detail later. The communication unit 16 transmits and receives facsimile data via public telephone lines, and also transmits and receives data via a network such as a LAN or the Internet to and from external devices connected to the network. The image forming unit 14 forms an image on a recording material based on the acquired image data. The image forming unit 14 acquires the image data used for image formation from, for example, image data acquired by the image reading unit 13, image data received from an external device by the communication unit 16, image data stored in the information processing unit 23, etc.

[0017] [Image forming unit configuration] 2 shows the internal configuration of the image forming unit 14 of the image forming apparatus 100. The image forming apparatus 100 includes an image forming unit 501, a conveying unit 520, and a media sensor 533 as its main components.

[0018] The image forming unit 501 includes cartridges 528 a , 528 b , 528 c , and 528 d , and an intermediate transfer belt 502 . The cartridges 528a, 528b, 528c, and 528d respectively contain photosensitive members 503a, 503b, 503c, and 503d, charging units 505a, 505b, 505c, and 505d, exposure units 506a, 506b, 506c, and 506d, and development units 504a, 504b, 504c, and 504d.

[0019] Charging units 505a, 505b, 505c, and 505d charge photoconductors 503a, 503b, 503c, and 503d. Exposure units 506a, 506b, 506c, and 506d expose image patterns to the photoconductors 503a, 503b, 503c, and 503d to form electrostatic latent images. Development units 504a, 504b, 504c, and 504d supply toner to the electrostatic latent images formed on the photoconductors 503a, 503b, 503c, and 503d to form toner images.

[0020] Furthermore, image forming unit 501 includes toner bottles 525a, 525b, 525c, and 525d that supply toner to developing units 504a, 504b, 504c, and 504d. Toner bottles 525a, 525b, 525c, and 525d have stirring blades 526a, 526b, 526c, and 526d inside. Toner bottles 525a, 525b, 525c, and 525d supply toner to developing units 504a, 504b, 504c, and 504d by operating stirring blades 526a, 526b, 526c, and 526d. Furthermore, the image forming unit 501 includes toner sensors 531a, 531b, 531c, and 531d that measure the amounts of toner in the developing units 504a, 504b, 504c, and 504d.

[0021] Intermediate transfer belt 502 forms an image by superimposing four color toner images formed on photosensitive elements 503a, 503b, 503c, and 503d. Primary transfer rollers 534a, 534b, 534c, and 534d are built into intermediate transfer belt 502, corresponding to cartridges 528a, 528b, 528c, and 528d of each color. An intermediate transfer belt cleaner 507 is provided on the intermediate transfer belt 502 to separate residual toner from the intermediate transfer belt 502. The residual toner separated from the intermediate transfer belt 502 by the intermediate transfer belt cleaner 507 is stored in a waste toner box 515.

[0022] A conveying section 520 that conveys the recording material includes a paper feed roller 508, a paper feed sensor 532, a timing roller 510, a secondary transfer roller 511, a neutralizing cloth 530, a fixing roller 512, a paper discharge roller 513, and double-sided path conveying rollers 514a and 514b.

[0023] A paper feed roller 508 feeds the recording material from the paper feed unit 18 to the conveyance path. A paper feed sensor 532 detects that the recording material has been fed from the paper feed unit 18. A timing roller 510 temporarily stops the conveyed recording material in accordance with the timing of image formation by the image forming unit 501. A secondary transfer roller 511 transfers the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 502 onto the recording material. A neutralizing cloth 530 is provided to neutralize the recording material after the toner image has been transferred.

[0024] The fixing roller 512 fixes the transferred toner image onto the recording material and includes a heating roller 512a and a pressure roller 512b. The paper discharge roller 513 discharges the recording material that has passed through the fixing roller 512 onto the paper discharge tray 19 through the paper discharge port 21 or conveys the recording material to the double-sided conveying path 529 . In the double-sided conveying path 529, double-sided path conveying rollers 514a and 514b that convey the recording material from the paper discharge roller 513 to the timing roller 510 are arranged.

[0025] In image forming apparatus 100, conveyance section 520 has a paper discharge sensor (not shown) at recording material discharge port 21 downstream of discharge roller 513. The paper discharge sensor detects the number of recording materials discharged onto discharge tray 19. For example, the number of sheets stacked on discharge tray 19 is detected by counting the number of recording materials discharged after the discharge sensor is activated (ON). The paper discharge sensor also detects the upper limit of the number of recording materials that can be stacked on discharge tray 19. For example, if the paper discharge sensor is activated with 150 sheets of paper in the discharge tray, it detects the upper limit of the number of recording materials that can be stacked on discharge tray 19 when a predetermined number of sheets (for example, 100 sheets) have been discharged after activation.

[0026] The image forming system 10 also has an environment detection unit 535 in the housing of the image forming apparatus 100. The environment detection unit 535 detects the operating environment of the image forming system 10, such as the temperature and humidity around the recording material being conveyed.

[0027] [Media Sensor] The media sensor 533 is disposed downstream of the paper feed sensor 532 on the recording material transport path. The media sensor 533 acquires physical property values ​​of the recording material. The location of the media sensor 533 is not particularly limited as long as it is on the recording material transport path. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, by disposing the media sensor 533 upstream of the imaging unit 501, image formation conditions can be set based on the physical property values ​​detected by the media sensor 533. Furthermore, by disposing the media sensor downstream of the fixing roller 512, physical property values ​​of the recording material after it has been heated and pressed by the fixing roller 512 can be acquired. Based on the physical property values ​​of the recording material acquired by the media sensor 533, the information processing unit 23 (FIG. 1) determines the conditions (alignment conditions, operating parameters) for the alignment process to be executed by the post-processing device 200 in the control unit 300 (FIG. 3), which will be described later.

[0028] The media sensor 533 detects the physical properties of the recording material, such as smoothness, stiffness, and thickness, which are specific to the recording material. The media sensor 533 also detects the charge amount, moisture content, and grain (the angle of the fiber direction of the recording material) of the recording material, which vary depending on the surrounding environment and usage. The charge amount is affected by the external environment and occurs due to friction with the conveyance path of the recording material. The moisture content varies depending on the external environment and the fixing process of the image forming apparatus 100. The grain depends on how the user loads the recording material into the paper feed unit 18. Note that the charge amount and moisture content are preferably measured in an image forming system 10 configured such that the media sensor 533 is located downstream of the fixing roller 512. By obtaining physical properties downstream of the fixing roller 512, the charge amount and moisture content of the recording material, which have changed due to the fixing process, can be obtained.

[0029] It is preferable that the media sensor 533 detects at least one of the above physical property values. Note that the media sensor 533 may also acquire physical property values ​​of the recording material other than those described above. The configuration of the media sensor 533 is not particularly limited. Any conventionally known detection device can be used without any particular limitations as long as it is capable of acquiring the above physical property values ​​of the recording material.

[0030] [Block diagram] Next, FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of an example of the configuration of the image forming system 10. As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming apparatus 100 of the image forming system 10 includes an information processing unit 23, a communication unit 16, a paper feeding unit 18, an image reading unit 13, and an image forming unit 14. The image forming apparatus 100 also includes a media sensor 533, an environment detection unit 535, and a paper discharge sensor 536.

[0031] In the image forming apparatus 100, the information processing unit 23 has a data input / output unit 308, a data communication control unit 309, a control unit 300, a non-volatile memory 312, and an image memory 313. The information processing unit 23 controls deletion, output, etc. of jobs stored in the image memory 313. The information processing unit 23 also receives job execution instructions from the user via the operation unit 11. The information processing unit 23 also displays a selection menu, information on image data acquired by the image reading unit 13, etc., via the display unit 12.

[0032] The control unit 300 has a CPU 321, a ROM 322, and a RAM 323. The CPU 321 controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 100 based on information notified from each unit within the image forming apparatus 100. The ROM 322 stores various programs and data, and the CPU 321 reads the programs and data from the ROM 322 to control the image forming apparatus 100. The RAM 323 temporarily stores programs and data required when the CPU 321 controls the image forming apparatus 100.

[0033] The non-volatile memory 312 is made up of, for example, a hard disk or the like, and stores image data acquired by the image reading unit 13, image data acquired from the outside via a network, and the like. The nonvolatile memory 312 also stores image formation conditions set in an image formation job. For example, the nonvolatile memory 312 stores image formation conditions input by the user via the operation unit 11 and conditions set in advance for the recording material to be used. The nonvolatile memory 312 stores conditions such as the basis weight, size, type, printing surface, and coverage of the recording material as the image formation conditions set for the recording material to be used in the image formation job.

[0034] The control unit 300 acquires image data stored in the nonvolatile memory 312 and performs various processes according to the content of the job received from the user. For example, the control unit 300 transmits the image data to an external device using the facsimile unit 302. The control unit 300 also uses the image forming unit 14 to instruct the paper feed unit 18 to discharge the recording material and to instruct the image forming unit 14 to form an image.

[0035] A data input / output unit 308 and a communication unit 16 are connected to the control unit 300. The data input / output unit 308 is provided with a plurality of interface terminals, such as a LAN (Local Area Network) terminal 315 of a TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) / IP (Internet Protocol)-based network, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal 316, a parallel interface terminal 317, and a serial interface terminal 318. When an external device is connected to each of the above terminals of the data input / output unit 308, the control unit 300 performs processes such as reading, writing, and deleting data from the external device. The communication unit 16 includes a facsimile unit 302 and a communication control unit 303, and transmits and receives data to and from the outside of the image forming system 10 via a network.

[0036] The media sensor 533 transmits the acquired physical property values ​​of the recording material to the control unit 300 of the information processing unit 23. The control unit 300 determines the conditions (matching conditions, operating parameters) for the matching process to be executed by the post-processing device 200 based on the physical property values ​​of the recording material acquired by the media sensor 533. The environment detection unit 535 detects the operating environment, such as the ambient temperature and humidity, in which the image forming system 10 operates, and transmits the detected environment to the control unit 300. The control unit 300 may refer to the environmental conditions acquired by the environment detection unit 535 when determining the conditions (matching conditions, operating parameters) of the matching process to be executed by the post-processing device 200. The paper discharge sensor 536 detects the number of recording materials passing through the paper discharge outlet 21 of the image forming apparatus 100, and transmits the number of passing sheets to the control unit 300. When determining the conditions (alignment conditions, operation parameters) for the alignment process to be executed by the post-processing device 200, the control unit 300 may refer to the number of recording materials stacked on the paper discharge tray 19 based on the number of passing recording materials acquired by the paper discharge sensor 536.

[0037] The post-processing device 200 includes an alignment member 201 , a driving unit 202 , an edge detection unit (edge ​​detection sensor) 204 , and a control unit 203 . The control unit 203 includes a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM (not shown). The CPU of the control unit 203 reads various processing programs stored in the ROM, loads them into the RAM, and comprehensively controls the operations of the components of the post-processing device 200 in accordance with the loaded programs.

[0038] Furthermore, the control unit 203 of the post-processing device 200 communicates with the control unit 300 of the image forming apparatus 100 to cooperate and control the driving of the image forming system 10. For example, the control unit 203 may acquire physical property values ​​of the recording material acquired by the media sensor 533 from the control unit 300 of the image forming apparatus 100. Then, the control unit 203 may determine the conditions (matching conditions, operating parameters) for the matching process to be executed by the post-processing device 200 based on the acquired physical property values ​​of the recording material.

[0039] The alignment member 201 is disposed on the paper discharge tray of the image forming apparatus 100, and strikes the edge of the recording material loaded on the paper discharge tray to move it to a predetermined position, thereby aligning the recording material. The drive unit 202 is a drive source for moving the alignment member 201 during the alignment process. The control unit 203 drives the drive unit 202, causing the alignment member 201 to move on the paper discharge tray. Then, the drive unit 202 moves the alignment member 201 based on the alignment conditions determined by the control unit 300 or the control unit 203, and the alignment process for the recording material is performed.

[0040] The edge detection unit 204 detects the edge of the recording material stacked on the discharge tray 19. Then, the edge detection unit 204 sends information about the detected edge of the recording material to the control unit 203. The edge detection unit 204 detects the position of the edge of the recording material in its initial state after being discharged onto the discharge tray 19, the edge of the recording material during alignment processing by the alignment member 201, and the edge of the recording material after alignment processing. Then, based on the information detected by the edge detection unit 204, the control unit 203 detects the alignment state of the recording material on the discharge tray 19, which is the recording material stacking unit.

[0041] In the above description, a part or all of the series of processes performed by the control unit 300 of the image forming apparatus 100 may be performed by the control unit 203 of the post-processing apparatus 200. Similarly, a part or all of the series of processes performed by the control unit 203 of the post-processing apparatus 200 may be performed by the control unit 300 of the image forming apparatus 100.

[0042] 2. Configuration of post-processing device and alignment member Next, we will explain the configuration of post-processing device 200 of image forming system 10. Fig. 4 shows the configuration of post-processing device 200 provided in the paper discharge section of image forming apparatus 100. Fig. 4 shows, as an example of how post-processing device 200 is installed, a configuration in which alignment member 201 is placed on paper discharge tray 19, which is the stacking section for recording materials.

[0043] [Configuration of post-processing device] The post-processing device 200 is disposed on the discharge tray 19 that holds the recording materials conveyed through the feed path of the image forming device 100. The post-processing device 200 is disposed on the discharge tray 19 on the side of the discharge outlet 21 of the image forming device 100. The location of the post-processing device 200 is not particularly limited as long as it is possible to align the recording materials.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4, the post-processing device 200 includes alignment members 201 disposed at both ends in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording material (hereinafter referred to as the width direction). The alignment members 201 move back and forth from the width direction end sides toward the center along the recesses of a guide plate 207 formed in an H-shaped pattern. As the alignment members 201 move in the width direction, they come into contact with the edges of the recording material discharged from the discharge outlet 21 and stacked on the discharge tray 19. As the alignment members 201 move in the width direction while in contact with the edges of the recording material, they push and move the recording material toward the center, and align the recording material in the center of the discharge tray 19. Note that while the configuration shown in FIG. 4 shows a configuration in which the edges of the recording material in the width direction are aligned, alignment members may be disposed at positions that align the edges of the recording material in the conveyance direction.

[0045] In the post-processing device 200, the movement of the alignment member 201 is performed by a control unit 203 (see FIG. 3) and a drive unit 202 (see FIG. 3), which are not shown in FIG. 4. For example, the control unit 203 controls the drive of the drive unit 202, and the drive of the drive unit 202 controls the movement of the alignment member 201.

[0046] The post-processing device 200 also includes a sensor 205 and a camera 206 as an edge detection unit 204 for detecting the edge of the recording material stacked on the discharge tray 19. The post-processing device 200 may include one or more edge detection units 204. The sensor 205 is disposed in a recess of the H-shaped pattern of the guide plate 207 on the paper discharge tray 19. The sensor 205 detects the position of the edge of the recording material located within its detection range. Although Fig. 4 illustrates a configuration using one sensor 205, it is also possible to install one sensor 205 at each end of the paper discharge tray 19 in the width direction, and measure the distance between the edges detected by these two sensors 205. The camera 206 is disposed inside the housing of the image forming apparatus 100, and is disposed near the paper discharge outlet 21. The camera 206 captures an image of the edge of the recording material stacked on the paper discharge tray 19 from the paper discharge outlet 21 side.

[0047] [Explanation of reconciliation process] Next, there will be described the operation of the aligning member 201 aligning the recording material in the post-processing device 200. Figures 5 to 8 show the operation of the aligning member 201 at each stage of the aligning process.

[0048] 5, the recording material S is discharged from the discharge port 21 of the image forming apparatus 100. At this time, the post-processing device 200 drives the drive unit 202 in advance to make the alignment member 201 stand by with both ends in the width direction open. 6, the recording material S is completely discharged from the paper discharge port 21 of the image forming apparatus 100, and is stacked on the paper discharge tray 19. The post-processing device 200 detects the edge of the recording material S on the paper discharge tray 19 with the edge detection unit 204, thereby detecting the position information of the edge of the recording material S on the paper discharge tray 19 before the alignment process.

[0049] 7, the post-processing device 200 drives the drive unit 202 to move the alignment member 201 to the center in accordance with the width of the recording material S, and performs alignment processing on the recording material S. The post-processing device 200 performs alignment processing in accordance with the operation parameters of the alignment processing determined by the control unit 300 and the control unit 203.

[0050] The edge detection unit 204 detects the edge of the recording material S on the discharge tray 19 after the alignment member 201 has moved, and detects position information of the edge of the recording material S on the discharge tray 19. For example, it detects position information of the edge of the recording material S on the discharge tray 19 after the alignment process. Furthermore, when the alignment process is performed by moving the alignment member 201 back and forth multiple times, it may also detect position information of the edge of the recording material S during the alignment process.

[0051] Next, as shown in Fig. 8, after the alignment process of the recording material S by the alignment member 201 is completed, the next recording material S is discharged from the discharge port 21. Then, after the recording material S has been completely discharged onto the discharge tray 19, the post-processing device 200 repeats the processes of Figs. 5 to 7 described above, thereby aligning the recording material. Note that the alignment process by the post-processing device 200 may be performed each time a recording material S is discharged, as shown in Figs. 5 to 8 described above, or may be performed with multiple recording materials S stacked each time a predetermined number of sheets are discharged onto the discharge tray 19.

[0052] [Controller configuration] The following describes the functional configuration of the control unit 203 of the post-processing device 200, which controls the driving of the alignment member 201 in the post-processing device 200 described above. The driving control of the alignment member 201 may be performed by either the control unit 300 of the image forming device 100 or the control unit 203 of the post-processing device 200. In the following description, an example will be described in which the control unit 203 of the post-processing device 200 controls the driving of the alignment member 201. The control unit 300 of the image forming device 100 can also control the driving of the alignment member 201 with the control unit 203 of the post-processing device 200 by communicating with each other in cooperation with the control unit 203 of the post-processing device 200 using a similar configuration.

[0053] 9 shows a functional block diagram of the control unit 203. The control unit 203 has a receiving unit 211, a matching state detecting unit 212, a stack number detecting unit 213, a parameter storing unit 214, and a matching condition determining unit 215.

[0054] The receiving unit 211 receives the physical property values ​​of the recording material acquired by the media sensor 533. For example, the receiving unit 211 receives from the media sensor 533 at least one physical property value selected from smoothness, stiffness, thickness, charge amount, moisture content, and flow grain. The receiving unit 211 also acquires information from at least one selected from the edge detection unit 204 , the environment detection unit 535 , the nonvolatile memory 312 , and the paper discharge sensor 536 . The receiving unit 211 acquires information about the edges of the recording materials stacked on the discharge tray 19, which is detected by the edge detection unit 204. For example, the receiving unit 211 acquires information about the edges of the recording materials at least once before, during, or after the alignment process. The receiving unit 211 acquires the environmental conditions for performing the matching process from the environment detection unit 535. For example, the receiving unit 211 acquires the temperature and humidity as the environmental conditions of the image forming apparatus 100 from the environment detection unit 535. The receiving unit 211 acquires image formation conditions from the nonvolatile memory 312. For example, the receiving unit 211 acquires at least one of image formation conditions such as basis weight, size, type, printing surface, and coverage stored in the nonvolatile memory 312. The receiving unit 211 acquires information from the paper discharge sensor 536 that the recording material has passed through the paper discharge outlet 21. Then, based on the number of sheets that have passed through the paper discharge outlet 21, the number of recording materials stacked on the paper discharge tray 19 is acquired.

[0055] The alignment state detection unit 212 detects the alignment state of the recording materials stacked on the discharge tray 19 based on information about the edges of the recording materials received by the receiving unit 211 from the edge detection unit 204. For example, the alignment state detection unit 212 detects the alignment state of the recording materials by determining the degree of variation in the edge positions of the recording materials (alignment degree) from the acquired edge information of the recording materials and determining the success or failure of alignment after the alignment process (alignment result). The alignment state detection unit 212 also detects the alignment state of the recording materials from the edge positions of the recording materials detected by the sensor 205, which is the edge detection unit 204, and the center value of the discharge position. The alignment state detection unit 212 also measures the positions of the edges of the recording materials on the discharge tray 19 and any unevenness in the edges of the recording materials from the image capture results of the camera 206, and detects the alignment state of the recording materials. The alignment state detection unit 212 detects the alignment state of the recording material at least once selected from before alignment, during alignment, and after alignment, as necessary.

[0056] The stacked sheet number detection unit 213 detects the number of recording materials stacked on the discharge tray 19 based on information about the passage of recording materials at the discharge outlet 21 that the receiving unit 211 acquires from the discharge sensor 536. For example, the stacked sheet number detection unit 213 receives the number of discharged sheets from the discharge sensor 536 as information about the passage of recording materials, and detects the number of recording materials stacked on the discharge tray 19.

[0057] The parameter storage unit 214 stores various conditions acquired and determined when performing the alignment process as an alignment history. For example, the parameter storage unit 214 stores various information, such as the physical property values ​​of the recording material acquired by the receiving unit 211, edge information, environmental conditions, and image formation conditions, as well as the alignment state detected by the alignment state detection unit 212 and the number of stacked sheets detected by the stack number detection unit 213, as input conditions. Furthermore, the parameter storage unit 214 stores operation parameters (alignment conditions) determined by the alignment condition determination unit 215 in response to the various input conditions. After performing the alignment process using the operation parameters determined by the alignment condition determination unit 215, the parameter storage unit 214 stores the success or failure of the alignment after the alignment process, determined by the alignment state detection unit 212, as an alignment result.

[0058] Fig. 10 shows an example of a data table of the matching history including various input conditions, operation parameters corresponding to the input conditions, and a determination of the matching result, stored in the parameter storage unit 214. In the example shown in Fig. 10, the input conditions registered in the data table include the physical properties of the recording material, such as smoothness, charge amount, stiffness, moisture content, and grain, the image formation conditions, such as basis weight, size, type, print surface, and coverage, and the number of stacked sheets detected by the stacked sheet number detection unit 213. Then, the number of movements, the amount of movement, the movement speed, and the drive torque, which are the operation parameters determined as the matching conditions by the matching condition determining unit 215 in correspondence with the input conditions, are registered in the data table. Furthermore, the judgment result of the matching process performed using the determined operating parameters is registered in the data table as "1" if it is judged that the matching was successful, and as "2" if it is judged that the matching was not successful. The data table of the matching history saved in the parameter storage unit 214 may be stored in, for example, a server connected via a network, instead of in the image forming apparatus 100. In this case, the parameter storage unit 214 only needs to be configured to be able to communicate when the control unit 203 acquires information for determining the matching conditions.

[0059] (Determining matching conditions) The matching condition determination unit 215 determines the matching conditions (operating parameters) for the matching process performed by the post-processing device 200 based on at least one of the physical properties of the recording material described above, namely, smoothness, charge amount, stiffness, moisture content, and flow grain. Furthermore, the alignment condition determination unit 215 may refer to at least one of the following conditions when determining the alignment conditions: basis weight, size, type, print surface, coverage, number of sheets loaded, and environmental conditions. Basis weight has an effect as the weight of the recording material during alignment. Recording material size affects the movement range of the alignment plate. Recording material type, print surface, and coverage affect the coefficient of friction between recording materials.

[0060] The alignment condition determination unit 215 determines at least one alignment condition selected from the number of movements, movement amount, and movement speed of the alignment member 201, and the drive torque of the drive unit 202. Among the alignment conditions determined by the alignment condition determination unit 215, the movement speed is the force that aligns the recording materials, but if it is too strong, it is likely to damage the recording materials, and if it is too weak, alignment becomes difficult. If the drive torque is weak relative to the weight of the recording materials to be aligned, alignment becomes difficult. The fewer the number of movements of the alignment member 201, the more improved productivity becomes.

[0061] The matching condition determination unit 215 may determine operation parameters that match the input conditions by referring to the matching history registered in the parameter storage unit 214. For example, the matching condition determination unit 215 extracts output parameter samples with a matching result of "1" from samples that are similar to the input conditions of the recording material for which the matching process is to be performed in the data table of the matching history registered in the parameter storage unit 214. Then, the matching condition determination unit 215 analyzes the output parameters of the extracted samples and determines the median value of all output parameters as the matching condition.

[0062] The matching condition determination unit 215 outputs the determined matching conditions to the drive unit 202. The drive unit 202 performs matching processing by moving the matching member 201 in accordance with the matching conditions. The matching conditions determined by the matching condition determination unit 215 are stored in the parameter storage unit 214 and registered in a data table as a matching history together with the input conditions and matching results.

[0063] Furthermore, the alignment condition determination unit 215 acquires the alignment states before, during, and after the alignment process from the alignment state detection unit 212, and collects the alignment states of the recording materials from the start to the end of the alignment process in chronological order. This allows the alignment condition determination unit 215 to determine more detailed operating parameters for the alignment member 201. For example, if the alignment conditions determined by the alignment condition determination unit 215 involve multiple movements, the alignment condition determination unit 215 acquires the alignment states while the alignment member 201 strikes the recording materials multiple times. The alignment condition determination unit 215 then determines new operating parameters based on the acquired alignment states during the alignment process. By determining new operating parameters, the alignment condition determination unit 215 can determine more detailed operating parameters as alignment conditions with high consistency.

[0064] The matching condition determination unit 215 may also use statistics or machine learning as a method for determining the operational parameters. For example, the matching condition determination unit 215 can determine the operational parameters as an output when the physical property information is input, using a trained model that has been subjected to machine learning using the physical property information and the executed operational parameters stored in the parameter storage unit 214. The matching condition determination unit 215 can also determine the operational parameters as an output when the physical property information and at least one or more pieces of information selected from the recording material alignment state, image formation conditions, the number of recording material sheets, and the operating environment are input, using a trained model that has been subjected to machine learning using the physical property information as well as at least one or more pieces of information selected from the recording material alignment state, image formation conditions, the number of recording material sheets, and the operating environment, and the executed operational parameters stored in the parameter storage unit. The machine learning used by the matching condition determination unit 215 can be, for example, analysis of variance, which analyzes the influence of each input condition on the matching processing operation. Furthermore, the input conditions can be used as explanatory variables, and the operation parameters for which matching was performed correctly can be calculated as objective variables. Furthermore, the trained model can be updated or generated and used based on such input conditions and calculated operation parameters.

[0065] [Method of implementing the reconciliation process (1)] Next, a method for performing the alignment process in the post-processing device 200 will be described. A flowchart of the alignment process is shown in FIG. 11. The flowchart shown in FIG. 11 describes an example in which alignment conditions are determined based on the physical property values ​​of the recording material and alignment process is performed. Note that in the following description, explanations that overlap with the explanations of each component of the image forming system 10 described above will be omitted. Also, in the following description, an example in which alignment process is performed using the control unit 300 of the image forming device 100 will be described, but the same can be performed using the control unit 203 of the post-processing device 200 instead of the control unit 300.

[0066] First, the control unit 300 of the image forming apparatus 100 receives an instruction to start an image forming job and starts feeding of recording material from the paper feed unit 18 (step S101). Next, the media sensor 533 acquires the physical property values ​​of the recording material being conveyed (step S102). After acquiring the physical property values ​​of the recording material, the media sensor 533 outputs the acquired physical property values ​​to the control unit 300. Next, in the image forming section 14 of the image forming apparatus 100, a toner image is transferred and fixed onto the conveyed recording material to form an image (step S103).

[0067] Next, the control unit 300 causes the matching condition determination unit 215 to determine matching conditions (operation parameters) based on the physical property values ​​of the recording material acquired by the receiving unit 211 (step S104). Next, the image forming apparatus 100 discharges the recording material on which the image has been formed onto the paper discharge tray 19 (step S105). After the recording material is loaded onto the discharge tray 19, the post-processing device 200 outputs the alignment conditions determined by the control unit 300 to the post-processing device 200, drives the drive unit 202, moves the alignment member 201, and performs alignment processing on the recording material loaded onto the discharge tray 19 (step S106). After the process of step S106, the process according to this flowchart ends.

[0068] Through the above-described processing, the control unit 300 determines the matching conditions based on the physical property values ​​of the recording material acquired by the media sensor 533, and can perform highly accurate matching processing that matches the physical properties of the recording material. Note that, in the image forming system 10, if the media sensor 533 is configured to be located downstream of the image forming unit 14, the acquisition of the physical properties of the recording material in step S102 may be performed after the image formation in step S104 is performed.

[0069] [Method of implementing consistency processing (2)] Next, an example of a method for performing the alignment process in post-processing device 200 will be described, in which the alignment conditions are determined using conditions other than the physical property values ​​in addition to the physical property values ​​of the recording material. A flowchart of the alignment process is shown in Fig. 12. Note that, although the following description will be given of an example in which the alignment process is performed using control unit 300 of image forming apparatus 100, the process can also be performed in the same way using control unit 203 of post-processing device 200 instead of control unit 300.

[0070] First, upon receiving an instruction to start an image formation job, the image forming apparatus 100 starts feeding recording materials from the paper feed unit 18 (step S201). Next, the media sensor 533 acquires the physical property values ​​of the recording material being conveyed (step S202). After acquiring the physical property values ​​of the recording material, the media sensor 533 outputs the acquired physical property values ​​to the control unit 300.

[0071] Next, the control unit 300 causes the receiving unit 211 to acquire the image forming conditions set in the job from the nonvolatile memory 312 (step S203). Next, in the image forming unit 14 of the image forming apparatus 100, the toner image is transferred and fixed onto the conveyed recording material to form an image (step S204), and the recording material on which the image has been formed is discharged onto the discharge tray 19 (step S205). Next, the control unit 300 acquires the number of recording materials stacked on the paper discharge tray 19 in the stack number detection unit 213 (step S206). The stack number detection unit 213 detects the number of recording materials stacked on the paper discharge tray 19 based on, for example, the number of discharged sheets detected by the paper discharge sensor 536.

[0072] Next, the control unit 300 determines the matching conditions (operating parameters) using the matching condition determination unit 215 based on the physical property values ​​of the recording material, the image forming conditions, and the number of sheets of recording material loaded on the discharge tray 19 acquired by the receiving unit 211 (step S207). Next, the post-processing device 200 outputs the alignment conditions determined by the control unit 300 to the post-processing device 200, drives the drive unit 202, moves the alignment member 201, and performs alignment processing on the recording materials stacked on the discharge tray 19 (step S208).

[0073] Next, the control unit 300 detects the alignment state of the recording material after the alignment process and acquires the success or failure of the alignment result (step S209). The success or failure of the alignment result is determined by the alignment state detection unit 212 acquiring edge information of the recording material stacked on the paper discharge tray 19 from the edge detection unit 204. Next, the control unit 300 stores the alignment conditions determined in the performed alignment process, the physical properties of the recording material used to determine the alignment conditions, the image formation conditions, and the input conditions for the number of sheets loaded, as well as the judgment of the alignment results after the alignment process, in a data table in the parameter memory unit 214 as an alignment history (step S210).

[0074] Next, the control unit 300 determines whether all image formation processes set in the job have been completed (step S211). If the image formation processes set in the job have not been completed (No in step S211), the process returns to step S201. If all jobs have been completed (Yes in step S211), the process according to this flowchart ends.

[0075] Through the above-described processing, the control unit 300 can determine the matching conditions based on multiple conditions such as the image formation conditions and the number of sheets to be stacked, as well as the physical property values ​​of the recording material acquired by the media sensor 533. Therefore, highly accurate matching processing can be performed using matching conditions that are tailored not only to the physical properties of the recording material, but also to other conditions of the recording material. Furthermore, in the above-described process, the matching conditions of the performed matching process are stored, and the input conditions (physical property values, image formation conditions, number of sheets to be stacked) for determining the matching conditions and the success or failure of the matching result after the matching process are saved in a data table as a matching history. This allows the matching condition determination unit 215 to determine the matching conditions by referring to the matching history saved in the data table. Also, the matching condition determination unit 215 can determine the matching conditions by machine learning using the information saved in the data table. Therefore, the above-described process can perform a more accurate matching process.

[0076] [Method of implementing the reconciliation process (3)] Next, an example of a method for performing alignment processing in the post-processing device 200 will be described, in which physical property values ​​of the recording material are acquired after image formation, and alignment conditions are determined using conditions other than the physical property values. FIG. 13 shows a flowchart of the alignment processing. This processing can be applied to an image forming system 10 configured such that a media sensor 533 is disposed downstream of the image forming unit 14. Note that, although the following description will discuss an example in which alignment processing is performed using the control unit 300 of the image forming device 100, it can also be performed using the control unit 203 of the post-processing device 200 instead of the control unit 300.

[0077] First, the control unit 300 of the image forming apparatus 100 receives an instruction to start an image forming job and starts feeding of recording material from the paper feed unit 18 (step S301). Next, the control unit 300 acquires the image forming conditions set by the receiving unit 211 in the job from the nonvolatile memory 312 (step S302). Then, in the image forming section 14 of the image forming apparatus 100, the toner image is transferred and fixed onto the conveyed recording material to form an image (step S303).

[0078] Next, the media sensor 533 acquires the physical property values ​​of the recording material during conveyance after passing through the fixing roller 512 (step S304). After acquiring the physical property values ​​of the recording material, the media sensor 533 outputs the acquired physical property values ​​to the control unit 300. After the physical property values ​​are acquired, the recording material on which the image is formed is discharged onto the discharge tray 19 (step S305).

[0079] Next, the control unit 300 acquires the number of recording materials stacked on the paper discharge tray 19 in the stack number detection unit 213 (step S306). The stack number detection unit 213 detects the number of recording materials stacked on the paper discharge tray 19 based on, for example, the number of discharged sheets detected by the paper discharge sensor 536.

[0080] Next, the control unit 300 determines the matching conditions (operating parameters) using the matching condition determination unit 215 based on the physical property values ​​of the recording material after passing through the fixing roller 512, the image forming conditions, and the number of sheets of recording material loaded on the discharge tray 19, which are acquired by the receiving unit 211 (step S307).

[0081] Next, the post-processing device 200 outputs the alignment conditions determined by the control unit 300 to the post-processing device 200, drives the drive unit 202, moves the alignment member 201, and performs alignment processing on the recording materials stacked on the discharge tray 19 (step S308). Next, the control unit 300 detects the alignment state of the recording material after the alignment process and acquires the success or failure of the alignment result (step S309). The success or failure of the alignment result is determined by the alignment state detection unit 212 acquiring edge information of the recording material stacked on the paper discharge tray 19 from the edge detection unit 204.

[0082] Next, the control unit 300 stores the alignment conditions determined in the performed alignment process, the physical property values ​​of the recording material after passing through the fixing roller 512 on which the alignment conditions were determined, the image forming conditions, and the input conditions for the number of sheets loaded, as well as the judgment of the alignment results after the alignment process, in a data table of the parameter memory unit 214 as an alignment history (step S310).

[0083] Next, the control unit 300 determines whether all image formation processes set in the job have been completed (step S311). If the image formation processes set in the job have not been completed (No in step S311), the process returns to step S301. If all jobs have been completed (Yes in step S311), the process according to this flowchart ends.

[0084] In the above-described process, the media sensor 533 acquires the physical property values ​​of the recording material after it has passed through the fixing roller 512, thereby making it possible to acquire the physical property values ​​of the recording material that have changed since it was fed due to image formation. In particular, it is possible to acquire the physical property values ​​of the recording material that have changed due to the heating and pressure applied by the fixing roller 512. Therefore, it is possible to acquire more accurate physical property values ​​of the recording material stacked on the paper output tray 19 compared to when the physical property values ​​of the recording material are acquired upstream of the image forming unit 14. As a result, the above-described process can perform alignment processing with higher accuracy.

[0085] [Method of implementing consistency processing (4)] Next, an example of a method for performing alignment processing in post-processing device 200 will be described, in which alignment conditions are determined for each job and alignment processing is performed. A flowchart of the alignment processing is shown in Fig. 14. Note that, although the following description will be given of an example in which alignment processing is performed using control unit 300 of image forming apparatus 100, it can also be performed in the same way using control unit 203 of post-processing device 200 instead of control unit 300.

[0086] First, upon receiving an instruction to start an image formation job, the image forming apparatus 100 starts feeding recording materials from the paper feed unit 18 (step S401). Next, the media sensor 533 acquires the physical property values ​​of the recording material being conveyed (step S402). After acquiring the physical property values ​​of the recording material, the media sensor 533 outputs the acquired physical property values ​​to the control unit 300. Next, in the image forming unit 14 of the image forming apparatus 100, a toner image is transferred and fixed onto the conveyed recording material to form an image (step S403).

[0087] Next, after the image formation is performed, the control unit 300 acquires the image formation conditions set in the job by the receiving unit 211 from the nonvolatile memory 312 (step S404). Then, the recording material on which the image has been formed is discharged onto the discharge tray 19 (step S405).

[0088] Next, the control unit 300 determines whether all image formation processes set in the job have been completed (step S406). If the image formation processes set in the job have not been completed (No in step S406), the process returns to step S401.

[0089] When all image formation set in the job is completed (Yes in step S406), the control unit 300 causes the stacked sheet number detection unit 213 to acquire the number of recording materials stacked on the paper discharge tray 19 (step S407). The stacked sheet number detection unit 213 detects the number of recording materials stacked on the paper discharge tray 19 based on, for example, the number of discharged sheets detected by the paper discharge sensor 536.

[0090] Next, the control unit 300 determines the matching conditions (operating parameters) using the matching condition determination unit 215 based on the physical property values ​​of the recording material after passing through the fixing roller 512, the image forming conditions, and the number of sheets of recording material loaded on the output tray 19, which are acquired by the receiving unit 211 (step S408).

[0091] Next, the post-processing device 200 outputs the alignment conditions determined by the control unit 300 to the post-processing device 200, drives the drive unit 202, moves the alignment member 201, and performs alignment processing on the recording materials stacked on the discharge tray 19 (step S409). Next, the control unit 300 detects the alignment state of the recording material after the alignment process and acquires the success or failure of the alignment result (step S410). The success or failure of the alignment result is determined by the alignment state detection unit 212 acquiring edge information of the recording material stacked on the paper discharge tray 19 from the edge detection unit 204.

[0092] Next, the control unit 300 stores the alignment conditions determined in the performed alignment process, the physical property values ​​of the recording material after passing through the fixing roller 512 on which the alignment conditions were determined, the image forming conditions, and the input conditions for the number of sheets loaded, as well as the judgment of the alignment results after the alignment process, in a data table of the parameter memory unit 214 as an alignment history (step S411). After the process of step S411, the process according to this flowchart ends.

[0093] In the above-described process, the alignment conditions are determined for each job, the alignment process is performed, and the alignment history is stored. Therefore, the load on the control unit 300 and the processing time required for the alignment process are reduced compared to when various processes are performed each time a recording material is discharged, as shown in FIG. 12 above. Therefore, in the above-described process, highly accurate alignment process is performed based on input conditions such as the physical property values ​​of the recording material, and highly productive image formation is possible.

[0094] The above-described process may be applied to an image forming system 10 configured such that a media sensor 533 is disposed downstream of the image forming unit 14, and the physical property values ​​of the recording material may be acquired after image formation. For example, by changing the processes from steps S401 to S405 described above to steps S30 to S305 shown in Fig. 13, the physical property values ​​of the recording material can be acquired by the media sensor 533 after image formation, and the matching process can be performed.

[0095] 3. Second embodiment of image forming system and post-processing device Next, an image forming system and a post-processing device provided in the image forming system will be described as an embodiment (second embodiment). Note that in the following description, descriptions that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted. A schematic configuration diagram of an image forming system is shown in Fig. 15. The image forming system 20 shown in Fig. 15 includes an image forming apparatus 30 and a post-processing apparatus 40 disposed downstream of the image forming apparatus 30.

[0096] 15, an image forming apparatus 30 forms an image on a recording material conveyed from a paper feed section 38 in an image forming section 34. Then, the recording material on which the image has been formed is conveyed to a post-processing device 40. The post-processing device 40 is connected to the image forming device 30, and performs various post-processing such as side stitching and punching on the recording material on which an image has been formed by the image forming device 30. The recording material on which an image has been formed in the image forming apparatus 30 is carried into the post-processing device 40. The carried-in recording material is subjected to post-processing specified by the user on the operation display unit 31, and is then discharged to one of the first discharge tray 41, the second discharge tray 42, and the third discharge tray 43.

[0097] [Image forming equipment] The image forming device 30 is not particularly limited as long as it can form an image on a recording material and transport the recording material after image formation to the post-processing device 40 located downstream, and can have a configuration similar to that of the image forming device described in the first embodiment above, except for the configuration of the paper output tray.

[0098] 15 includes an operation display unit 31 that accepts various instructions entered by a user and input of data such as letters and numbers, and that displays an instruction menu for the user and information related to acquired images, an image reading unit 13 that optically reads an original to obtain image data, and an image forming unit 34 that forms an image on a recording material based on the image data. The image forming device 30 also includes an ADF 37 at its top that automatically feeds an original to the image reading unit 33, a paper feed unit 38 at its bottom that supplies a recording material to the image forming unit 34, and an image processing unit 32 at its center that stores image data, etc.

[0099] [Configuration of post-processing device] 16 shows the internal configuration of post-processing device 40. Post-processing device 40 carries the recording material conveyed from image forming device 30 into the device by a carry-in roller pair 101. The arrival of the recording material carried into post-processing device 40 is detected by a carry-in sensor 94.

[0100] Next, the physical property values ​​of the recording material that has passed through the input sensor 94 are acquired by the media sensor 95. The configuration of the media sensor 95 and the acquired physical property values ​​can be similar to those in the first embodiment.

[0101] The recording material, whose physical property values ​​have been acquired by the media sensor 95, has the position of the branch claw 102 switched by a drive unit (not shown), and is distributed to each of the conveying paths 44, 45, and 46. If the image forming job is to output only one copy and no post-processing other than alignment processing is to be performed on the recording material, the recording material is distributed to the conveying path 44. The recording material distributed to the conveying path 44 is discharged from a pair of discharge rollers 103 and stacked on the first discharge tray 41.

[0102] Furthermore, the recording materials diverted to the conveying path 45 by the branch claw 102 are punched one by one by the punch unit 60 as necessary, and are discharged from the discharge roller pair 104 to the second discharge tray 42. The recording materials diverted to the conveying path 46 by the branch claw 102 are diverted to the conveying path 47 or the conveying path 48 by switching the position of the branch claw 105 based on the content of post-processing specified in the job.

[0103] The recording material diverted to the conveying path 47 by the branch claw 105 is conveyed from a pair of discharge rollers 106 to the side stitching unit 70. The side stitching unit 70 includes a recording material stacking section 71, a width direction alignment member 72, a conveying direction alignment member 73, a trailing end regulating plate 74, and a stapler 75.

[0104] The recording materials stacked in the recording material stacking section 71 move toward the trailing end regulating plate 74 due to their own weight, and stop with the trailing end of the recording material abutting against the trailing end regulating plate 74. When the recording materials have stopped in the recording material stacking section 71, the width direction alignment member 72 and the transport direction alignment member 73 strike the ends of the recording materials to move them to predetermined positions, thereby aligning the recording materials.

[0105] The width direction alignment member 72 is movable in the width direction of the recording material by a drive unit (not shown). The width direction alignment member 72 reciprocates in the width direction of the recording material near the width direction edge of the recording material loaded on the recording material loading unit 71. In this way, the width direction alignment member 72 strikes the width direction edge of the recording material to align it. The transport direction alignment member 73 is movable in the recording material transport direction by a drive unit (not shown). The transport direction alignment member 73 reciprocates in the recording material transport direction near the leading edge of the recording material loaded on the recording material stacking unit 71. In this way, the transport direction alignment member 73 strikes the leading edge of the recording material to align it.

[0106] The alignment process performed by the width direction alignment member 72 and the transport direction alignment member 73 is performed in accordance with the alignment process conditions (alignment conditions, operation parameters) determined by the control unit 90 (FIG. 17), which will be described later, based on the physical property values ​​of the recording material acquired by the media sensor 95. The alignment process may be performed for each sheet of recording material loaded onto the recording material stacking unit 71, or may be performed each time a predetermined number of sheets are loaded.

[0107] When the number of recording materials set for the job has been piled up on the recording material stacking section 71, the stapler 75 performs side-stitching on the recording materials on the recording material stacking section 71. After the side-stitching is completed, the side-stitched recording materials are conveyed toward the pair of discharge rollers 104, and are discharged from the pair of discharge rollers 104 to the second discharge tray 42. At this time, the conveyed recording materials are detected by the discharge sensor 96. Furthermore, when the side-stitched recording materials are conveyed toward the pair of discharge rollers 104, the conveyance direction aligning member 73 and the width direction aligning member 72 are retracted to positions where they will not interfere with the conveyed recording materials. When the discharge sensor 96 detects the trailing edge of the side-stitched recording materials, discharge of the subsequent recording materials to the recording material stacking section 71 begins.

[0108] The recording materials diverted to the conveying path 48 by the branching claw 105 are conveyed to the saddle stitching unit 80. The saddle stitching unit 80 includes a stapler 81, a folding knife 82, a pair of folding rollers 83, a pair of discharge rollers 84, and a recording material stacking unit 85.

[0109] The recording material that has been transported to the saddle stitching unit 80 stops at a predetermined position in the recording material stacking section 85. Then, the recording material is stapled by the stapler 81. The stapled recording material is transported again to a position where the stapled position coincides with the position where the folding knife 82 abuts. The folding knife 82 abuts the stopped recording material with its edge, forming a fold in the recording material.

[0110] The folding knife 82 moves the recording material in a folded state toward the nip portion of the folding roller pair 83. As a result, the recording material is transported from the fold side to the folding roller pair 83. Then, an even stronger crease is made in the recording material sent to the nip portion of the folding roller pair 83. The recording material that has been folded by the folding roller pair 83 is nipped between the folding roller pair 83 and transported, and is discharged to the third discharge tray 43.

[0111] [Block diagram] Next, Fig. 17 shows a block diagram of an example configuration of image forming system 20. As shown in Fig. 17, image forming system 20 includes image forming apparatus 30 and post-processing apparatus 40. In Fig. 17, components having the same functions as those in Figs. 15 and 16 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0112] The image forming apparatus 30 comprises an image processing unit 32, an image reading unit 33, an image forming unit 34, an operation display unit 31, a control unit 50, a nonvolatile memory 35, a post-processing device interface (I / F) 36, and the like. The image reading unit 33 irradiates the document with light from a light source (not shown) and reads image data of the document image based on the reflected light. The read image data is sent to the image forming unit 34 and stored in the non-volatile memory 35. The image processing unit 32 performs various image processing on the image data of the document image read by the image reading unit 33 and the image data stored in the nonvolatile memory 35 .

[0113] The image forming section 34 forms an image on a recording material based on the image data that has been subjected to image processing by the image processing section 32 . The operation display unit 31 accepts various settings relating to image formation and post-processing on recording materials, and further displays an instruction menu for the user, information relating to acquired images, and the like.

[0114] The control unit 50 is composed of a CPU 51, a ROM 52, and a RAM 53. The CPU 51 reads programs and data from the ROM 52 based on information notified from each unit within the image forming apparatus 30, and controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 30. The RAM 53 temporarily stores programs and data required when the CPU 51 controls the image forming apparatus 30. The nonvolatile memory 35 stores image data and the like read by the image reading unit 33. The nonvolatile memory 35 also stores image forming conditions set in an image forming job. The post-processing device I / F 36 transmits and receives various information to and from the post-processing device 40 .

[0115] The post-processing device 40 is composed of a punch unit 60, a side stitching unit 70, a saddle stitching unit 80, paper output trays 41, 42, 43, a control unit 90, a media sensor 95, an image forming device interface (I / F) 124, an input sensor 94, a paper output sensor 96, a non-volatile memory 97, and an end detection unit 98, etc.

[0116] The control unit 90 is composed of a CPU 91, a ROM 92, and a RAM 93. The CPU 91 reads programs and data from the ROM 92 based on information notified from each unit within the post-processing device 40, and performs overall control of the post-processing device 40. The RAM 93 temporarily stores programs and data required when the CPU 91 controls the post-processing device 40. The control unit 90 also controls the alignment process and various other post-processing processes performed by the post-processing device 40. The control of the alignment process can be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. The control of various other post-processing processes can be performed using conventionally known methods.

[0117] The media sensor 95 acquires physical property values ​​of the recording material along the conveyance path of the recording material. The media sensor 95 transmits the acquired physical property values ​​of the recording material to the control unit 90. The edge detection unit 98 detects the edges of the recording materials loaded on the recording material loading units such as the punch unit 60, the side stitching unit 70, the saddle stitching unit 80, and the paper discharge trays 41, 42, and 43. The edge detection unit 98 then transmits information about the detected edges of the recording materials to the control unit 90.

[0118] The image forming apparatus I / F 124 transmits and receives various information to and from the image forming apparatus 30. The control unit 90 acquires image formation conditions, post-processing conditions, etc. set in the image formation job from the image forming apparatus 30 via the image forming apparatus I / F 124. The nonvolatile memory 97 stores image forming conditions, post-processing conditions, etc., that are set in the image forming job and are acquired from the image forming device I / F 124 . The input sensor 94 and the output sensor 96 each detect the recording material being conveyed at the positions shown in Fig. 16. Signals detected by the input sensor 94 and the output sensor 96 are sent to the control unit 90. The control unit 90 controls each part of the post-processing device 40 based on the received signals.

[0119] [Explanation of reconciliation process] Next, we will explain the alignment processing operation of the recording material in the side stitching unit 70 of the post-processing device 40. Fig. 18 shows the configuration of the side stitching unit 70, which is equipped with a width direction alignment member 72 and a transport direction alignment member 73. Fig. 18 shows a state in which a stack of recording materials S is loaded on the recording material loading section 71 in the side stitching unit 70. The alignment processing operation is controlled by the control unit 90 based on the physical property values ​​of the recording material acquired by the media sensor 95.

[0120] When the recording material S1 is conveyed into the post-processing device 40, the conveyance sensor 94 detects the leading edge of the recording material S1 and notifies the control unit 90 that the recording material S1 has arrived. Furthermore, the media sensor 95 acquires the physical property values ​​of the recording material S1 passing through the conveyance path and transmits the acquired physical property values ​​to the control unit 90.

[0121] Next, when the recording material S1 is loaded onto the recording material stacking section 71 from the conveying path 47, an edge detection section 98 (not shown) detects the edge of the recording material S on the recording material stacking section 71. As a result, the edge detection section 98 detects position information of the edge of the recording material S loaded onto the recording material stacking section 71 before alignment processing, and transmits the detected position information to the control section 90.

[0122] The control unit 90 determines the matching conditions based on the acquired physical property values ​​of the recording material. The determination of the matching conditions can be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment described above. The control unit 90 may also determine the matching conditions based on information about the edge of the recording material S acquired from the edge detection unit 98 in accordance with the physical property values ​​of the recording material. Furthermore, the control unit 90 may acquire information such as image formation conditions and environmental conditions from the image forming apparatus 30 via the image forming apparatus I / F 124, and determine the matching conditions based on the acquired information and the physical property values ​​of the recording material.

[0123] Next, the control unit 90 drives the drive units connected to the width direction alignment members 72 and the conveying direction alignment members 73 to move the width direction alignment members 72 and the conveying direction alignment members 73 to the center in accordance with the recording material S, thereby performing alignment processing in the conveying direction and width direction of the recording material S. Each drive unit performs alignment processing in accordance with the alignment conditions (operation parameters) determined by the control unit 90. By the above process, the recording material stacking unit 71 disposed in the post-processing device 40 can perform the recording material alignment process.

[0124] As described above, the recording material stacking unit 71 provided inside the post-processing device 40 can also perform alignment processing using alignment conditions determined based on the physical property values ​​of the recording material. In the above explanation, a configuration in which an alignment member is provided only in the side stitching unit 70 has been described, but the post-processing device 40 may also have alignment members in other recording material stacking units or in each of the discharge trays 41, 42, and 43. For example, the post-processing device 40 may also have an alignment member similar to that of the side stitching unit 70 described above in the saddle stitching unit 80, and may perform alignment processing using the alignment member in the recording material stacking unit 85 of the saddle stitching unit 80 before stapling. Furthermore, the post-processing device 40 may perform alignment processing using the alignment member on the recording materials discharged on each of the discharge trays 41, 42, and 43.

[0125] In the above description, an example has been described in which the control unit 90 of the post-processing device 40 is used to determine the alignment conditions and to perform drive control, but these alignment processes may be performed by either the control unit 50 of the image forming device 30 or the control unit 90 of the post-processing device 40. The control unit 50 of the image forming device 30 and the control unit 90 of the post-processing device 40 may communicate with each other to cooperate and perform drive control of the alignment members.

[0126] The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0127] 10,20 Image forming system, 11 Operation unit, 12 Display unit, 13,33 Image reading unit, 14,34 Image forming unit, 16 Communication unit, 17,37 ADF, 18,38 Paper feed unit, 19 Paper output tray, 21 Paper output port, 23 Information processing unit, 30,100 Image forming device, 31 Operation display unit, 32 Image processing unit, 35,97,312 Non-volatile memory, 36 Post-processing device interface, 40,200 Post-processing device, 41 First paper output tray, 42 Second paper output tray, 43 Third paper output tray, 44,45,46,47,48 Conveying path, 50,90,203,300 Control unit, 51,91,321 CPU, 52,92,322 ROM, 53,93,323 RAM, 60 Punch unit, 70 Side stitching unit, 71, 85 recording material stacking section, 72 width direction alignment member, 73 conveyance direction alignment member, 74 rear end regulating plate, 75, 81 stapler, 80 saddle stitching unit, 82 folding knife, 83 folding roller pair, 84, 103, 104, 106 discharge roller pair, 94 feed sensor, 95, 533 media sensor, 96, 536 paper discharge sensor, 98, 204 edge detection section, 101 feed roller pair, 102,105 Branching claw, 124 Image forming apparatus interface, 201 Alignment member, 202 Drive unit, 205 Sensor, 206 Camera, 207 Guide plate, 211 Receiving unit, 212 Alignment state detection unit, 213 Loaded sheet number detection unit, 214 Parameter storage unit, 215 Alignment condition determination unit, 302 Facsimile unit, 303 Communication control unit, 308 Data input / output unit, 309 Data communication control unit, 313 Image memory, 315 LAN terminal, 316 USB terminal, 317 Parallel interface terminal, 318 Serial interface terminal, 501 Imaging unit, 502 Intermediate transfer belt, 503a Photosensitive member, 504a Development unit, 505a Charging unit, 506a Exposure unit, 507 Intermediate transfer belt cleaner, 508 Paper feed roller, 510 Timing roller, 511 Secondary transfer roller, 512 Fixing roller, 512a heating roller, 512b pressure roller, 513 paper discharge roller, 514a double-sided path conveying roller, 515 waste toner box, 520 conveying unit, 525a toner bottle, 526a stirring blade, 528a cartridge, 529 double-sided conveying path, 530 neutralization cloth, 531a toner sensor, 532 paper feed sensor, 534a primary transfer roller, 535 environment detection unit, S, S1 recording material,

Claims

1. a recording material stacking section on which the recording material conveyed through the conveying path is stacked; an alignment member that aligns the recording material in the recording material stacking section; a drive unit that moves the alignment member; a control unit that determines operation parameters of an alignment process for driving the drive unit based on at least one of information on the charge amount, moisture content, and flow grain as information on the physical properties of the recording material acquired by the media sensor. Aftertreatment device.

2. The control unit determines the operation parameters based on the information on the physical property values ​​as well as at least one of information on image formation conditions for the recording material, the number of sheets of the recording material to be subjected to the alignment process, and information on the operation environment. The post-treatment device according to claim 1 .

3. an edge detection sensor for detecting an edge of the recording material loaded in the recording material loading section; the control unit has an alignment state detection unit that detects an alignment state of the stacked recording materials based on information about the edge of the recording material detected by the edge detection sensor, determining operation parameters for an alignment process for driving the driving unit based on the information on the physical property values ​​of the recording material and the alignment state; The post-treatment device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The control unit determines the operation parameters based on a history of the operation parameters stored in a parameter storage unit that stores the generated operation parameters. The post-treatment device according to claim 2 .

5. The parameter storage unit stores at least one piece of information selected from the determined operation parameters, information on the physical property values ​​used to determine the operation parameters, the image forming conditions, the number of sheets of the recording material, and the operation environment. The post-treatment device according to claim 4 .

6. The control unit The operation parameters are determined as an output when the information on the physical property values ​​is input, using a trained model that has been machine-learned using the information on the physical property values ​​and the operation parameters that have been executed and that are stored in the parameter storage unit. The post-treatment device according to claim 5 .

7. The control unit Using a trained model that has been machine-learned using the information on the physical property values, at least one piece of information selected from the image forming conditions, the number of sheets of recording material, and the operating environment, and the operational parameters that have been executed and stored in the parameter storage unit, the operational parameters are determined as an output when the information on the physical property values, at least one piece of information selected from the image forming conditions, the number of sheets of recording material, and the operating environment are input. The post-treatment device according to claim 6 .

8. an edge detection sensor for detecting an edge of the recording material loaded in the recording material loading section; the control unit has an alignment state detection unit that detects an alignment state of the stacked recording materials based on information about the edge of the recording material detected by the edge detection sensor, The control unit The operation parameters are determined as an output when the information on the physical property values, the alignment state of the recording material, the image forming conditions, the number of sheets of the recording material, and at least one piece of information selected from the operation environment, and the operation parameters stored in the parameter storage unit are input, using a trained model that has been machine-learned using the information on the physical property values, the alignment state of the recording material, the image forming conditions, the number of sheets of the recording material, and at least one piece of information selected from the operation environment. The post-treatment device according to claim 7 .

9. The aligning member aligns at least one of an end portion of the recording material in a direction parallel to the conveying direction and an end portion of the recording material in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The post-treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. The control unit determines, as the operation parameters, at least one driving condition selected from the number of operations of the alignment members, the movement speed of the alignment members, the movement amount of the alignment members, and the driving torque of the drive unit. The post-treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The media sensor is disposed on the transport path. The post-treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. The control unit determines the operation parameters based on at least one piece of information selected from the basis weight, size, type, print surface, and coverage of the recording material. The post-treatment device according to any one of claims 2 to 11.

13. The alignment state detection unit detects at least one of an alignment state during alignment processing of the recording material and an alignment state after alignment processing. The post-treatment device according to claim 3 .

14. The alignment state detection unit detects the alignment state of the recording material two or more times during the alignment process. The post-treatment device according to claim 13 .

15. The aligning member is provided in at least one of the recording material stacking section on which the discharged recording material is stacked and the recording material stacking section provided midway along the conveying path. The post-treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. An image forming system including an image forming apparatus and a post-processing apparatus, an image forming unit provided in the image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material; a recording material stacking section provided in the post-processing device, which stacks the recording material conveyed from the image forming section through a conveying path; an alignment member provided in the post-processing device, which aligns at least one of front and rear ends of the recording material in a direction parallel to the conveyance direction and a side end in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction in the recording material stacking section; a drive unit provided in the post-processing device for moving the alignment member; a media sensor for acquiring physical property values ​​of the recording material; a control unit that determines operation parameters of an alignment process for driving the drive unit based on at least one of information on the charge amount, the moisture content, and the grain as information on the physical property values ​​of the recording material acquired by the media sensor. Imaging system.

Images