Sheet processing apparatus, paper discharge apparatus, laminating apparatus, image forming apparatus, and image forming system

Abstract

To provide a sheet processor allowed to vertically receive a sheet in a preferred state with a space-saved and simple configuration.SOLUTION: A sheet processor 24 comprises a sheet receiving member 30 that has first and second receiving units 30B, 30A to accommodate sheets S and sheet displacing means 31 that is accommodated in the sheet receiving member 30. The first receiving unit 30A has a first and second wall portions 30Aa, 30Ab, and the second receiving unit 30B has a third wall portion 30Ba provided continuously with the first and second wall portions 30Aa, 30Ab. The second wall portion 30Ab and the third wall portion 30Ba are connected together through a bend portion 30C that is bent to broaden the accommodation space of the second receiving unit 30B as compared with the first receiving unit 30A. The sheet displacing means 31 goes into contact with an upper end of a preceding sheet S1 such that the upper end of the preceding sheet S1 approaches toward the third wall portion 30Ba and displaces the preceding sheet S1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus, a paper discharge apparatus, a lamination processing apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a sheet processing apparatus capable of stably stacking sheets discharged from an apparatus main body is known. A configuration in which a paper discharge unit having such a sheet processing apparatus is provided in an image forming apparatus including a recording unit is known. However, since the conventional sheet processing apparatus places and stacks the sheet, which is a recording medium, in the horizontal direction, there is a problem that the occupied area of the image forming apparatus increases. Therefore, various sheet processing apparatuses capable of accommodating a large number of sheets in the vertical direction have been proposed in order to reduce the occupied area of the apparatus main body such as an image forming apparatus.

[0003] As one of the above-described sheet processing apparatuses, a technique for stably discharging a sheet, which is a recording medium, to a paper discharge tray disposed below the recording unit regardless of the stiffness of the sheet is disclosed (see, for example, "Patent Document 1"). The technique disclosed in "Patent Document 1" has a configuration in which a discharge mechanism swings with a paper discharge drive roller shaft as a fulcrum. The sheet is conveyed in the horizontal direction until the sheet passes through the recording unit, and after the rear end of the sheet passes through the recording unit, the discharge mechanism is swung to discharge the sheet downward. With this configuration, stable discharge can be performed on the paper discharge tray from the front end side of any sheet with any stiffness.

[0004] As another technique, a technique for providing an apparatus capable of increasing the paper discharge capacity, conveying a sheet, and having a small installation area in an apparatus for conveying a sheet such as a check, a bill, or a card in a standing state is disclosed (see, for example, "Patent Document 2"). In the technology disclosed in "Patent Document 2," the storage tray that holds the sheets moves in the direction in which the sheets are stored. This configuration allows for stable storage of sheets even with a storage tray that has a small footprint. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the footprint of the transport mechanism while still having a mechanism for transporting card-shaped sheets. [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] However, the technology disclosed in "Patent Document 1" has several problems: it has a large number of parts and a complex structure, and when the sheet is large, the sheet protrudes outward from the main body of the device during horizontal transport, increasing the area occupied by the device. Furthermore, the technology disclosed in "Patent Document 2" has the same problem as the technology disclosed in "Patent Document 1": it has a large number of parts and a complex structure. The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a sheet processing device that can store sheets in good condition in the vertical direction with a space-saving and simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention described in claim 1 is a sheet processing apparatus for vertically accommodating a sheet to be transported such that the leading edge in the transport direction is the lower end and the rear end is the upper end, comprising: a sheet accommodating member having a first accommodating section formed on the downstream side of the sheet in the transport direction and a second accommodating section formed on the upstream side of the sheet in the transport direction; and a sheet displacement means for displacing a preceding sheet accommodated in the sheet accommodating member, wherein the first accommodating section has a first wall portion forming one side wall of the sheet accommodating member and a second wall portion forming a part of the other side wall of the sheet accommodating member; the second accommodating section has the first wall portion and a third wall portion provided continuously with the second wall portion, the second wall portion and the third wall portion are connected via a bent portion that is bent so as to widen the accommodating space of the second accommodating section compared to the first accommodating section; and the sheet displacement means displaces the preceding sheet by contacting the upper end of the preceding sheet so that the upper end of the preceding sheet moves toward the third wall portion. The sheet storage member has an opening and closing section for removing the stored sheet. It is characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, a sheet processing device can be provided that can accommodate sheets vertically in a good condition without causing buckling, with a space-saving and simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic front view of an image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram illustrating a laminating apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the winding roller, switching claw, and peeling claw used in a laminating processing device. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the series of processes involved in laminating sheets using a laminating processing device. [Figure 5] This is a schematic diagram illustrating a sheet processing apparatus used in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]This is a schematic diagram illustrating a series of sheet loading operations in a sheet processing device used in the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a schematic plan view of a sheet storage member used in a second embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the upstream side in the sheet transport direction. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram illustrating a sheet displacement member used in a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a schematic diagram illustrating a sheet storage member used in the sheet processing apparatus of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a schematic diagram illustrating another laminating apparatus applicable to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Figure 1 shows an image forming system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This image forming system 1 includes a multifunction device 2 equipped with copying, printing, and facsimile functions, a laminating device 3, a post-processing device 4, etc. Of these components, the multifunction device 2 constitutes an image forming apparatus on its own, and the image forming apparatus 5 is also configured with the multifunction device 2 and the laminating device 3.

[0010] The multifunction printer 2 includes an image forming unit 2A, which has a well-known configuration for forming an image on a transfer sheet, which is the recording medium, and a paper feeding unit 2B that receives the transfer sheet for image formation and feeds it to the image forming unit 2A. The transfer sheet received by the paper feeding unit 2B and used for image formation includes the inner sheet used when lamination is performed by the laminating processing unit 3, which is enclosed between laminate sheets. The transfer sheet for which image formation has been performed by the multifunction printer 2 is discharged onto a relay device 2C, which also serves as the output tray. The transfer sheet discharged onto the relay device 2C is configured to be fed to the laminating processing unit 3 in the same state. Therefore, since the multifunction printer 2 can form an image on the inner sheet, the image forming device 5 can automatically perform a series of processes from feeding the laminate sheet, peeling, creating the inner sheet, inserting the inner sheet, and laminating. The post-processing device 4 will be described later.

[0011] The laminating apparatus 3 shown in Figures 1 and 2 is a device that performs lamination by inserting an inner sheet (paper, photograph, etc.) into a laminate sheet, which is a double-layered sheet formed by joining two sheets together on only one side, and then applying heat and pressure to join the laminate sheet containing the inner sheet. In the following description, the expression "joining the laminate sheet and the inner sheet" is used. Laminating sheets S used as sheets include, for example, those in which one side is made of a permeable material such as a polyester sheet and the other side is permeable or opaque, or laminate films. Inner sheets include ordinary paper, cardboard, postcards, envelopes, thin paper, coated paper, tracing paper, OHP sheets, etc.

[0012] The laminating processing device 3 includes a paper feed tray 6 for loading laminating sheets S, a paper feed roller 7 for feeding the laminating sheets S on the paper feed tray 6, and a pair of separation rollers 8 for separating the laminating sheets S fed by the paper feed roller 7 into individual sheets. The paper feed tray 6 is equipped with multiple sheet size detection sensors 9 for detecting the size of the laminating sheets S placed on it. The paper feed tray 6 has a sheet tray 6a as a liftable sheet loading section for loading laminating sheets S. The sheet tray 6a is raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism (not shown), and is configured so that the uppermost laminating sheet S is pressed against the paper feed roller 7 with a predetermined pressure. The separation roller pair 8 includes a feed roller 8a that is driven to rotate in conjunction with the paper feed roller 7, and a separate roller 8b that can stop or rotate in the opposite direction to the paper feeding direction (see Figure 2 for both). Both rollers 8a and 8b have a high friction resistance member on their surface, and when two or more laminate sheets S are fed, the difference between the friction resistance between the sheets and the friction resistance between the sheets and the rollers ensures that only one sheet is fed.

[0013] On the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction of the separation roller pair 8, a sheet conveyance detection sensor 10 for detecting the conveyance of the laminate sheet S is provided. The sheet conveyance detection sensor 10 detects whether the laminate sheet S is being conveyed, and also detects when two or more laminate sheets S are conveyed, that is, when double feeding occurs. Below the sheet conveyance detection sensor 10, an entrance roller pair 11 for receiving the transfer sheet sent from the multifunction machine 2 and a sheet conveyance detection sensor 12 for detecting the conveyed transfer sheet are provided. On the left side of the entrance roller pair 11, a discharge roller pair 13 for sending out the transfer sheet to the post-processing device 4 when the transfer sheet sent from the multifunction machine 2 does not undergo the lamination process in the lamination processing device 3 is provided.

[0014] On the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction of the separation roller pair 8, a first conveyance roller pair 14, a winding roller 15, a second conveyance roller pair 16, a third conveyance roller pair 17, a heating roller pair 18, a fourth conveyance roller pair 19, a discharge roller pair 20, etc. are provided. On the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction of the winding roller 15, a sheet position detection sensor 21 for detecting the positions of the laminate sheet S and the intermediate paper P which is the transfer sheet is provided, and on the further downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction thereof, a sheet state detection sensor 22 for detecting the state of the laminate sheet S is provided. Also, on the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction of the second conveyance roller pair 16, a sheet position detection sensor 23 for detecting the positions of the laminate sheet S and the intermediate paper P is provided.

[0015] In FIGS. 1 and 2, the first conveyance roller pair 14 and the second conveyance roller pair 16 each have a driving roller and a driven roller that are pressed against each other, and the driving roller is rotationally driven by a driving means (not shown) to sandwich and convey the laminate sheet S and the intermediate paper P. The first conveyance roller 14 is configured to be rotatable only in the conveyance direction of sending the sheet downward in FIG. 2, and the second conveyance roller pair 16 is configured to be rotatable in both the conveyance direction and the reverse conveyance direction opposite thereto.

[0016] Between the first conveying roller pair 14 and the second conveying roller pair 16, as shown in FIG. 3, a winding roller 15, a switching claw 25, a peeling claw 26, etc. are arranged. The winding roller 15 is rotationally driven by a driving means not shown, and can rotate in either the conveying direction or the reverse conveying direction, similar to the second conveying roller pair 16. The winding roller 15 has a gripping member 15a for holding the laminate sheet S on its outer peripheral surface. The gripping member 15a is displaced by an opening / closing means not shown, and selectively occupies the closed position shown by the solid line and the open position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3. In the closed position, the end of the laminate sheet S can be gripped, and in the open position, the end of the laminate sheet S that was being gripped is released. When the end of the laminate sheet S is gripped by the gripping member 15a, the position of the end of the laminate sheet S is detected by the sheet position detection sensor 21.

[0017] On the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction of the sheet position detection sensor 21, a switching claw 25 is arranged which is displaced by a displacement means not shown and selectively occupies the first position shown by the solid line and the second position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 3. When the switching claw 25 occupies the first position, the leading end of the laminate sheet S conveyed between the winding roller 15 and the second conveying roller pair 16 can pass in either the conveying direction or the reverse conveying direction. When the switching claw 25 occupies the second position, the leading end in the conveying direction of the laminate sheet S (the leading end is located upstream of the switching claw 25 in the conveying direction) can pass through the switching claw 25 and be conveyed downstream. Also, when the switching claw 25 occupies the second position, the leading end in the reverse conveying direction of the laminate sheet S (the leading end is located downstream of the switching claw 25 in the conveying direction) is refused to move upstream in the conveying direction through the leading end of the switching claw 25. At this time, the leading end in the reverse conveying direction of the laminate sheet S is peeled into two sheets by the peeling claw 26, and one of them is guided by the switching claw 25 and conveyed to the right side in FIG. 3. Also, the other of the leading end in the reverse conveying direction of the peeled laminate sheet S is guided by a guide plate 27 fixed to the apparatus main body of the laminating processing apparatus 3 and conveyed to the left side in FIG. 3.

[0018] A pair of peeling claws 26 are positioned downstream of the switching claw 25 in the sheet transport direction, and are movable in the width direction of the laminate sheet S. The peeling claws 26 are selectively positioned between a standby position and a peeling position by a moving mechanism (not shown). The peeling claws 26 are formed with pointed tips, which are the inner ends of each claw facing each other, and are configured so that when they occupy the peeling position, each tip can be inserted between the overlapping sheets of the laminate sheet S. When the peeling claws 26 occupy the standby position, each tip is retracted outside the transport area of ​​the laminate sheet S, so as not to obstruct the transport of the laminate sheet S. A sheet state detection sensor 22 is positioned at a location corresponding to the leading edge in the transport direction of the laminate sheet S into which the peeling claw 26 is inserted.

[0019] In Figures 1 and 2, the third transport roller pair 17, the fourth transport roller pair 19, and the discharge roller pair 20 each have a drive roller and a driven roller pressed against each other, and the sheet is gripped and transported by the rotational drive of the drive roller by a drive means (not shown). Each roller pair 17, 19, and 20 is configured to be rotatable only in the transport direction. The heating roller pair 18 comprises a heating roller having an internal heater and being rotationally driven, and a pressure roller that is pressed against the heating roller and rotates in response. Heat and pressure are applied to the laminate sheet S, in which a core sheet P is inserted between two sheets, to bond the laminate sheet S and the core sheet P.

[0020] A paper output tray 28 is provided on the downstream side of the discharge roller pair 20 in the sheet transport direction, for accommodating the finished laminated sheets SA that have been joined together after the insertion of the core paper P. The paper output tray 28 accommodates the finished laminated sheets SA, which have been vertically transported downwards within the main body of the laminating processing device 3, in an upright position. The paper output tray 28 has an opening 28a on the front of the main body of the device, which facilitates the removal of the stored finished laminated sheets SA. The opening may include a door that can be opened and closed. In the main body of the laminating processing device 3, which is equipped with a paper output tray 28, the plate-shaped member 28b that constitutes the left wall surface of the opening 28a is configured to be displaceable toward the opening 28a, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 2. This configuration allows the internal space of the main body of the laminating processing device 3 to the left of the paper output tray 28 in Figure 2 to be opened up.

[0021] To the left of the paper output tray 28 is a sheet processing device 24, which is a feature of the present invention. The sheet processing device 24 comprises a sheet storage member 30 and a sheet displacement means 31, and stores the laminate sheet S, which is fed from a fifth transport roller pair 32 located above it, into the sheet storage member 30. The sheet processing device 24 will be described later. The sheet processing device 24 and the paper output tray 28 constitute the paper output device 37. A switching claw 33 and a branching path 34 are provided between the second conveyor roller pair 16 and the third conveyor roller pair 17. The switching claw 33 selectively occupies a first position shown by a solid line and a second position shown by a dashed line in Figure 2 by a displacement means (not shown). When the switching claw 33 occupies the first position, the laminate sheet S sent from the second conveyor roller pair 16 is fed toward the third conveyor roller pair 17. When the switching claw 33 occupies the second position, the laminate sheet S sent from the second conveyor roller pair 16 is fed toward the branching path 34.

[0022] Next, a series of operations of the laminating apparatus 3, namely the peeling of the laminating sheet S, the insertion of the interlining paper P into the laminating sheet S, and the joining of the laminating sheet S and the interlining paper P, will be explained based on Figure 4. The configuration of the winding roller 15, the switching claw 25, and the peeling claw 26 described above, as well as the operations described below, are disclosed in detail in well-known technology by the same applicant as the present applicant (for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-143072). As shown in Figure 2, the laminate sheets S on the paper feed tray 6 are set so that one side with a joint where two sheets are joined is located downstream in the sheet transport direction, and multiple sheets are stacked on the paper feed tray 6. Once the setting of the laminate sheets S is confirmed and a start key (not shown) is turned on, the laminating processing device 3 operates the paper feed roller 7 and the separation roller pair 8 to feed one laminate sheet S toward the first transport roller pair 14.

[0023] The first transport roller pair 14, having received the laminate sheet S from the separation roller pair 8, further transports the laminate sheet S downstream. Here, the leading end of the transported laminate sheet S has one side with a joint where two sheets are joined, and the trailing end has the other side with an overlapping section where two sheets are superimposed. The laminating processing device 3 then temporarily stops transporting the laminate sheet S when the trailing end of the laminate sheet S passes the winding roller 15 and the detection of the laminate sheet S by the sheet position detection sensor 21 is interrupted. Subsequently, the laminating processing device 3 activates an opening / closing mechanism (not shown) to displace the gripping member 15a from the closed position to the open position, as shown in Figure 4(a).

[0024] Next, the laminating apparatus 3 reverses the second transport roller pair 16 to reverse the laminating sheet S in a vertically upward direction. When the laminating apparatus 3 recognizes, based on the signal from the sheet position detection sensor 21, that the rear end (leading end in the reverse direction) of the laminating sheet S has been transported to a position where it can be gripped by the gripping member 15a which is in an open position, the reverse movement of the laminating sheet S is stopped. Subsequently, the laminating apparatus 3 activates an opening / closing mechanism (not shown) to displace the gripping member 15a from the open position to the closed position, as shown in Figure 4(b), thereby holding the laminate sheet S on the outer surface of the winding roller 15.

[0025] Next, the laminating apparatus 3 rotates the winding roller 15 clockwise in Figure 3, winding the laminate sheet S onto the outer surface of the winding roller 15. Once the laminate sheet S has been wound onto the outer surface of the winding roller 15 about once, the difference in circumference between the two overlapping sheets causes the inner sheet to have excess material compared to the outer sheet, resulting in slack at the joint on one side of the laminate sheet S. As a result, a space is created between each sheet, as shown in Figure 4(c), and this space is detected by the sheet state detection sensor 22. The transport control of the laminate sheet S during winding onto the winding roller 15 is performed based on signals from the sheet position detection sensor 23. In the state shown in Figure 4(c), the laminate sheet S has one side SE, where the joint is located, positioned downstream in the reverse direction from the sheet position detection sensor 23.

[0026] Next, the laminating apparatus 3 activates a moving mechanism (not shown) to move the peeling claws 26 from the standby position to the peeling position, inserting the peeling claws 26 into the space created between each sheet from both sides in the width direction of the laminate sheet S, and ensuring that the created space is securely maintained by each peeling claw 26, as shown in Figure 4(d). Then, with the peeling claws 26 inserted between the sheets, the winding roller 15 is rotated counterclockwise in Figure 3, and the second transport roller pair 16 is rotated forward to move the space created by the peeling of each sheet to the rear end of the laminate sheet S in the transport direction. Along the way, when the laminate sheet S has moved a predetermined amount, the gripping member 15a is displaced to the open position, releasing the rear end of the laminate sheet S in the transport direction that was held by the winding roller 15. Subsequently, when the rear end of the laminate sheet S in the transport direction reaches a position corresponding to the peeling claw 26, the transport of the laminate sheet S is stopped and a displacement mechanism (not shown) is activated, causing the switching claw 25 to be displaced from the first position to the second position, resulting in the state shown in Figure 4(e).

[0027] Next, the laminating apparatus 3 reverses the second transport roller pair 16 to reverse the laminate sheet S. At this time, the two sheets separated from each other by the peeling claws 26 are guided to the right by the switching claw 25, which occupies the second position, as one of the sheets located on the right in Figure 4(e), and guided to the left by the guide plate 27 as the other sheet located on the left in Figure 4(e). During this operation, as the two separated sheets are guided in the left and right directions by the switching claws 25 and the guide plate 27, respectively, a moving mechanism (not shown) is activated, causing the peeling claws 26 to move from the peeling position to the standby position, resulting in the state shown in Figure 4(f). Furthermore, when the laminate sheet S is fed in reverse, the two separated sheets are peeled apart from each other throughout their entire length. When one side SE of the laminate sheet S reaches a predetermined position, the reverse feeding of the laminate sheet S is temporarily paused. At this time, the joint portion of the laminate sheet S is held between the second transport roller pair 16, and the overlapping portion opens wide to the left and right. Subsequently, a displacement mechanism (not shown) is activated, and the switching claw 25 is displaced from the second position to the first position, resulting in the state shown in Figure 4(g).

[0028] Next, the inner sheet P is fed from the multifunction printer 2 via the relay device 2C. The fed inner sheet P is taken into the main body of the laminating processing device 3 via the entrance roller pair 11, detected by the sheet transport detection sensor 12, and then guided by a switching claw (not shown) to the first transport roller pair 14. After that, the inner sheet P is transported further downward by the first transport roller pair 14, and its leading edge is inserted into the overlapping section of the laminate sheet S, which has large openings on the left and right, resulting in the state shown in Figure 4(h). Next, the laminating apparatus 3 transports the laminate sheet S with the insert paper P vertically downwards, overlapping each sheet again to close the opening. The laminate sheet S with the insert paper P is then transported further downwards by the third transport roller pair 17 and then sent to the heating roller pair 18.

[0029] The core paper P and laminate sheet S, which are sent to the heating roller pair 18, are bonded together by the action of heat and pressure, and then cooled as they pass through the fourth conveying roller pair 19 and the discharge roller pair 20. The cooled and completed finished laminate sheet SA is discharged upright into the storage tray 28 by the discharge roller pair 20. In this way, the finished laminate sheet SA, which has been pressed together after passing through the heating roller pair 18, is discharged vertically downward, so that the heated finished laminate sheet SA can be stored in the storage tray 28 while suppressing bending due to external forces. In this configuration, the finished laminated sheets SA are discharged vertically downwards, so gravity and external forces that would deform them do not act on them. Furthermore, since the finished laminated sheets SA are sufficiently cooled before reaching the storage tray 28, deformation of the finished laminated sheets SA is suppressed even if the loading surface of the storage tray 28 is inclined.

[0030] Next, the post-processing device 4 will be described. In the case of image forming operation without lamination, the transfer sheet PA that is not used as the inner paper P discharged from the multifunction printer 2 is received by the inlet roller pair 11 of the laminating device 3, then transported horizontally by the discharge roller pair 13 to the post-processing device 4 connected to the downstream side of the laminating device 3. The post-processing device 4 can perform post-processing on the transfer sheet PA, such as stapling and sorting. The transfer sheet PA is loaded onto the output tray 29 of the post-processing device 4. The image forming apparatus 5, which includes the laminating apparatus 3 described above, can automatically perform a series of laminating operations, including feeding the laminate sheet S, peeling it off, inserting the interleaving paper P, and bonding the laminate sheet S and the interleaving paper P by heating and pressurizing, thus improving convenience compared to conventional configurations.

[0031] Now, let's describe the sheet processing device 24. As shown in Figure 5, the sheet storage member 30 constituting the sheet processing apparatus 24 has a first storage section 30A that accommodates the leading end side (lower end side in the figure) of the laminate sheet S in the transport direction, and a second storage section 30B that accommodates the rear end side of the laminate sheet S in the transport direction. The first storage section 30A has a first wall section 30Aa that forms one wall section of the sheet storage member 30 and a second wall section 30Ab that forms the other wall section of the sheet storage member 30. The second storage section 30B has a first wall section 30Aa and a third wall section 30Ba that is provided continuously with the second wall section 30Ab, and the second wall section 30Ab and the third wall section 30Ba are integrally formed so as to be bent and connected via a bent section 30c. With this configuration, the second storage section 30B is formed so as to have a larger storage space for the laminate sheet S compared to the first storage section 30A. Near the lower end of the first storage section 30A, a sheet detection sensor 35 is provided to detect when a laminate sheet S is stored in the sheet storage member 30. In addition, a sheet tip detection sensor 36 is provided on the upstream side of the fifth transport roller pair 32 in the sheet transport direction to detect the leading edge of the transported laminate sheet S.

[0032] As shown in Figure 5, the sheet displacement means 31 includes a sheet displacement member 31A and a driving means 31B. The sheet displacement member 31A is rotatably supported on the main body of the laminating processing apparatus 3 by a support shaft 31Aa, and selectively occupies a second position shown in Figure 5(A) and a first position shown in Figure 5(B). In this embodiment, one sheet displacement member 31A is provided in the center of the sheet width direction of the sheet storage member 30, and is provided so as to be able to move in and out of the space of the second storage portion 30B through a hole (not shown) provided in the first wall portion 30Aa. The driving means 31B is composed of a motor that acts on the support shaft 31Aa to position the seat displacement member 31A in a first or second position.

[0033] In this embodiment, a support shaft 31Aa is provided on the upper end side of the seat displacement member 31A in Figure 5, but a support shaft 31Aa may also be provided on the lower end side. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the seat displacement member 31A is rotated by a drive means 31B which is a motor, but a configuration may also be adopted in which the drive means 31B is made of a solenoid or a cylinder and the seat displacement member 31A is moved linearly. Furthermore, in this embodiment, one sheet displacement member 31A is provided in the center of the sheet width direction of the sheet storage member 30, but it is also possible to provide two or more in the same sheet width direction.

[0034] Next, the operation of the sheet processing device 24 will be described. When multiple laminate sheets S are fed together from the paper tray 6, the sheet transport detection sensor 10 detects that multiple sheets of laminate sheets S have been fed at once. At this time, the control unit (not shown) of the laminating processing device 3 either transports the multiple laminate sheets S to the sheet processing device 24 and performs the paper feeding process again, or stops the transport of the laminate sheets S. In addition, if the peeling operation of the laminate sheet S fails near the peeling claw 26 during the peeling operation of the laminate sheet S described above, the laminate sheet S that failed to peel is also transported to the sheet processing device 24.

[0035] The laminate sheet S, transported by the second transport roller pair 16, is guided to the branch path 34 by the switching claw 33, which occupies the second position in Figure 2, and discharged into the sheet storage member 30 via the fifth transport roller pair 32. After the laminate sheet S is stored, the presence of the laminate sheet S is detected by the sheet detection sensor 35, and this is displayed on a display unit (not shown) provided in the lamination processing device 3 to notify the user. This notification operation may occur simultaneously with the storage of the laminate sheet S in the sheet storage member 30, after all jobs for the laminate sheet S have been completed, or even at the start of the next job. Furthermore, laminate sheets S that have been fed and peeled normally are guided to the third transport roller pair 17 by the switching claw 33 which occupies the first position, heated by the heating roller pair 18, and then discharged and loaded into the output tray 28. Here, since the occurrence rate of double feeding and peeling failures is lower compared to when feeding and peeling are performed normally, the sheet storage capacity of the sheet storage member 30 is smaller than that of the output tray 28.

[0036] As shown in Figure 5(A), when the first laminated sheet S1, which is the preceding sheet that has been fed, is stored in the sheet storage member 30, the second laminated sheet S2, which is the subsequent sheet, may be discharged into the sheet storage member 30. In this case, the leading edge of the second laminated sheet S2 may come into contact with the rear edge (upper edge in the figure) of the first laminated sheet S1, causing at least one of the laminated sheets S to buckle, resulting in a conveyance failure and potentially causing a paper discharge jam. In the configuration of the present invention, in order to prevent such problems from occurring, the drive means 31B is activated so that the sheet displacement member 31A rotates around the pivot shaft 31Aa before the leading edge of the second laminate sheet S2 reaches the rear end of the first laminate sheet S1. This moves the sheet displacement member 31A from a second position, which is spaced apart from the first laminate sheet S1 as shown in Figure 5(A), to a first position, which is in contact with the vicinity of the rear end of the first laminate sheet S1 as shown in Figure 5(B). Due to the movement of the sheet displacement member 31A, the rear end of the first laminate sheet S1 is displaced in a direction that is offset from the vertical direction, which is the subsequent sheet transport direction, and a collision is avoided even when the leading edge of the second laminate sheet S2 is transported. As a result, contact between the first laminate sheet S1 and the second laminate sheet S2 is avoided, and the occurrence of a paper discharge jam is prevented.

[0037] In the configuration described above, the third wall portion 30Ba facing the sheet displacement member 31A is connected to the bent portion 30C, the first housing portion 30A below the bent portion 30C has a narrow space, and the second housing portion 30B above the bent portion 30C has a wider space. With this configuration, the tip of the sheet displacement member 31A moving from the second position to the first position can move to the outside of the second housing portion 30B, and the rear end of the first laminate sheet S1 can be reliably brought to a position where the front end of the second laminate sheet S2 does not come into contact with it. This makes it possible to provide a sheet processing device 24 that can accommodate sheets vertically in a good condition without causing buckling, with a space-saving and simple configuration.

[0038] Next, a series of operations in the sheet processing device 24, including the operation shown in Figure 5, will be explained based on Figure 6. Since Figures 6(A) and 6(B) are the same as the operations explained in Figures 5(A) and 5(B), their explanation will be omitted. As shown in Figure 6(B), after the sheet displacement member 31A moves from the second position to the first position, and after a predetermined time has elapsed since the sheet tip detection sensor 36 detected the tip of the second laminate sheet S2, the tip of the second laminate sheet S2 passes the rear end of the first laminate sheet S1, as shown in Figure 6(C). Based on the signal from the sheet tip detection sensor 36, when it is detected that the tip of the second laminate sheet S2 has definitely passed the rear end of the first laminate sheet S1, the drive means 31B is activated and the sheet displacement member 31A moves from the first position to the second position, as shown in Figure 6(D). As a result of this operation, the rear end of the first laminate sheet S1 is elastically deformed to conform to the shape of the third wall portion 30Ba, thus preventing the tip of the second laminate sheet S2 from contacting the rear end of the first laminate sheet S1. As a result of the above operation, as shown in Figure 6(E), buckling of the sheet is prevented, and the second laminate sheet S2 can be properly stored in the sheet storage member 30. Subsequently, as shown in Figure 6(F), the sheet displacement member 31A is moved from the second position to the first position, and the third laminate sheet is transported. By repeating the operations in Figures 6(C) to (F), multiple laminate sheets S can be properly stored in the sheet storage member 30 without causing buckling.

[0039] The configuration of the present invention described above is applicable to sheet sizes in which the rear end of the first laminate sheet S1 can be retracted by the sheet displacement means 31 when the leading edge of the second laminate sheet S2, which is the next sheet, is located within the range of distance A shown in Figure 6(B). Furthermore, the transport of the second laminate sheet S2 by the fifth transport roller pair 32 may be temporarily paused in the state shown in Figure 6(C), and then resumed after the sheet displacement member 31A has been moved to the second position as shown in Figure 6(D). However, if the sheet displacement member 31A has moved in time, it is not necessary to temporarily pause in the state shown in Figure 6(C). This prevents buckling caused by collisions between sheets, even when the transport speed of the laminate sheets S is high, and allows the sheets to be stored in the sheet storage member 30 in good condition. In the embodiment described above, the sheet storage member 30 was shown to have a shape that extends almost vertically. However, if it is possible to stably store the sheet vertically in a space-saving and simple configuration, it may also have a shape that extends diagonally or almost horizontally.

[0040] Figure 7 shows a plan view of the sheet storage member 30D used in the second embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the upstream side in the sheet transport direction, with the second storage section 30B omitted from the illustration. The sheet storage member 30D is used in place of the sheet storage member 30 and constitutes the sheet processing device 24. The sheet storage member 30D differs from the sheet storage member 30 only in that it has a first wall section 30Da instead of the first wall section 30Aa; all other configurations are the same. The first wall portion 30Da has a protrusion 30Db formed in the center of the sheet width direction toward the sheet transport path, and a sheet displacement member 31A is provided on the side of the protrusion 30Db facing the sheet transport path.

[0041] In this configuration, the laminate sheet S housed in the sheet housing member 30D is pushed towards the second wall portion 30Ab by the sheet displacement member 31A, and the subsequent laminate sheet S is fed between the preceding laminate sheet S and the first wall portion 30Da. At this time, the formation of the protrusion 30Db reduces the transport resistance acting on the subsequent laminate sheet S, and an air layer 30Dc is formed between the subsequent laminate sheet S and the first wall portion 30Da. This prevents the laminate sheet S from sticking to the first wall portion 30Da and prevents sheet transport defects.

[0042] Figure 8 shows a sheet displacement member 31C used in a third embodiment of the present invention. In each of the embodiments described above, when the sheet displacement member 31A displaces the rear end of the laminate sheet S, it is driven by the driving means 31B to move from a second position to a first position. When this operation is performed continuously, if the tip of the sheet displacement member 31A repeatedly contacts the third wall portion 30Ba, the tip of the sheet displacement member 31A and the sheet conveying surface of the third wall portion 30Ba may be scraped or damaged, which may cause the tip of the conveyed laminate sheet S to get stuck and result in a conveying failure. To prevent this problem from occurring, a sheet displacement member 31C is used.

[0043] The sheet displacement member 31C integrally includes a stopper member 31Ca that contacts the surface of the first wall portion 30Aa opposite to the sheet conveying surface when it moves from the second position shown in Figure 8(A) to the first position shown in Figure 8(B). When the sheet displacement member 31C moves to the first position, the stopper member 31Ca contacts the first wall portion 30Aa, but the tip of the sheet displacement member 31C is configured not to contact the third wall portion 30Ba. This configuration allows the sheet displacement member to function. 31CThis reliably prevents the tip and the sheet conveying surface of the third wall portion 30Ba from being scraped or damaged, and prevents conveying failures caused by the tip of the conveyed laminate sheet S getting caught. Furthermore, as indicated by reference numeral 31Cb in Figure 8, a stopper member may be provided that contacts the surface of the first wall portion 30Aa opposite to the sheet conveying surface when the sheet displacement member 31C occupies the second position.

[0044] Furthermore, in each of the embodiments described above, the seat displacement means 31 may be configured to have a torque limiter between the seat displacement members 31A, 31C and the driving means 31B, specifically on the axis of the support shaft 31Aa or in the driving mechanism. This configuration ensures that even when multiple laminate sheets S are transported into the sheet storage members 30 and 30D, the rear end of each sheet can be reliably moved towards the third wall 30Ba without damaging the laminate sheets S. Specifically, if the thickness of the stored laminate sheets S is high, when the sheet displacement members 31A and 31C move from the second position to the first position, the tips of the sheet displacement members 31A and 31C may come into contact with the third wall 30Ba via the laminate sheets S. At this time, the torque limiter activates, causing the sheet displacement members 31A and 31C to rotate freely relative to the support shaft 31Aa, thus preventing external forces from acting on the laminate sheets S or the third wall 30Ba.

[0045] Next, we will describe how to remove the laminate sheets S stored in the sheet storage members 30 and 30D. Due to the miniaturization of the laminating processing device 3, the sheet storage members 30 and 30D tend to be constructed in confined spaces. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, only sheets discharged in abnormal situations are stored in the sheet storage members 30 and 30D, and their use is infrequent; however, it is necessary that the stored sheets be easily removed. Therefore, as shown in Figure 9, the sheet storage members 30 and 30D of the present invention have a second wall portion 30Ab and a third wall portion 30Ba which are integrally constructed and supported by a pivot point 30E so as to be able to open and close, thereby forming an opening / closing section 30F. The opening and closing operation of the opening / closing section 30F is performed with the plate-shaped member 28b open, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 2. This configuration improves the ease of removing stored sheets, even for sheet storage members 30 and 30D located in confined spaces and used infrequently, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0046] In this embodiment, the output tray 28, which holds the finished laminate sheets SA, has a large capacity and therefore has a large space. Also, since the number of laminate sheets that are double-fed or have failed to peel is small, and the output tray 28 is used more frequently than the sheet storage members 30 and 30D that hold these sheets, the output tray 28 has an opening 28a as an open section, which improves the workability when removing the stored sheets. Furthermore, in the above configuration, the finished laminated sheets SA, whose lamination process has been completed successfully, are stored in the output tray 28, which has a larger sheet storage capacity than the sheet storage members 30 and 30D, while the laminated sheets S, whose processing has been interrupted, are stored in the sheet storage members 30 and 30D. With this configuration, since the sheet storage members 30 and 30D, which have less space for receiving sheets than the output tray 28, have a sheet displacement means 31, sheets can be stored in good condition even in the sheet storage members 30 and 30D, which are located in a narrow space.

[0047] In each of the embodiments described above, an example was shown in which the sheet processing apparatus 24 was applied to a laminating apparatus 3 that performs laminating while conveying the laminate sheet S in the vertical direction. However, as shown in Figure 10, the sheet processing apparatus 24 of the present invention can also be applied to a laminating apparatus 38 that performs laminating while conveying the laminate sheet S in the horizontal direction, such as the laminating apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-143072. In this case, the laminate sheet S discharged horizontally from the laminating processing device 38 needs to be changed to a vertical direction by the transport path 39. This makes it possible to provide a sheet processing device 24 that can store sheets vertically in good condition with a space-saving and simple configuration.

[0048] In the above embodiments, laminating apparatuses 3 and 38 were shown as devices to which the present invention can be applied. However, the present invention is not limited to these, and can also be applied to image forming apparatuses such as printers, copiers, facsimile machines, and multifunction printers, as well as other sheet conveying apparatuses that convey materials on a sheet. Furthermore, in the above embodiments, a configuration using a laminate sheet S as the conveyed medium was shown, but the conveyed medium is not limited to a laminate sheet. It can also include cardboard, postcards, roll paper, envelopes, plain paper, thin paper, coated paper (such as coated paper and art paper), tracing paper, OHP sheets, OHP films, resin films, etc. Any sheet-like material that is elastically deformable can be used.

[0049] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the spirit of the invention as described in the claims, unless otherwise specifically limited in the above description. The effects described in the embodiments of the present invention are merely illustrative of the most preferred effects that may arise from the present invention, and the effects of the present invention are not limited to those described in the embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 1. Image forming system 2 Image forming device (multifunction device) 3.38 Laminating Processing Equipment 5. Image forming apparatus 24 Sheet Processing Device 28 Paper output tray 28a Opening part (opening) 30,30D Sheet storage member 30A First Accommodation Section 30Aa,30Da First wall part 30Ab 2nd wall part 30B Second containment area 30Ba third wall 30C bent part 30Db protrusion 30F Opening / Closing Section 31. Sheet displacement means 31A, 31C Sheet displacement member 31B Driving means 37 Paper ejection device S Sheet (Laminate Sheet) S1 Advance Sheet (First Laminated Sheet) S2 Subsequent sheet (second laminated sheet) [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0051] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-70337 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-203478

Claims

1. A sheet processing device that vertically accommodates a sheet being transported such that the leading edge in the transport direction becomes the lower end and the rear end becomes the upper end, A sheet accommodating member having a first accommodating section formed on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the sheet and a second accommodating section formed on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the sheet, The sheet has a sheet displacement means for displacing a preceding sheet housed in the sheet housing member, The first storage section has a first wall portion that forms one side wall of the sheet storage member and a second wall portion that forms a part of the other side wall of the sheet storage member. The second housing section has the first wall section and a third wall section that is provided continuously with the second wall section. The second wall and the third wall are connected via a bent portion that is curved such that the storage space of the second storage portion is wider than that of the first storage portion. The sheet displacement means displaces the preceding sheet by contacting the upper end of the preceding sheet so that the upper end of the preceding sheet moves toward the third wall portion. The aforementioned sheet storage member is a sheet processing device having an opening and closing section for removing the stored sheet.

2. In the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, The sheet displacement means includes a sheet displacement member that contacts the preceding sheet and displaces the preceding sheet, and a driving means that selectively displaces the sheet displacement member between a first position in contact with the preceding sheet and a second position separated from the preceding sheet. A sheet processing apparatus characterized in that when the sheet displacement member occupies the first position, a sheet following the preceding sheet is conveyed toward the second storage section, and then the sheet displacement member is displaced to the second position by the driving means.

3. In the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2, The sheet processing apparatus is characterized in that the sheet displacement member does not come into contact with the third wall when it occupies the first position.

4. In the sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The sheet displacement means is characterized by having a torque limiter.

5. In the sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The sheet processing apparatus is characterized in that the first wall portion has a protrusion formed along the sheet transport direction.

6. The sheet to be transported is stored vertically such that the leading edge in the transport direction is at the bottom and the rear edge is at the top, A sheet accommodating member having a first accommodating section formed on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the sheet and a second accommodating section formed on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the sheet, The sheet has a sheet displacement means for displacing a preceding sheet housed in the sheet housing member, The first storage section has a first wall portion that forms one side wall of the sheet storage member and a second wall portion that forms a part of the other side wall of the sheet storage member. The second housing section has the first wall section and a third wall section that is provided continuously with the second wall section. The second wall and the third wall are connected via a bent portion that is curved such that the storage space of the second storage portion is wider than that of the first storage portion. The sheet displacement means is a sheet processing device that displaces the preceding sheet by contacting the upper end of the preceding sheet so that the upper end of the preceding sheet moves toward the third wall portion, The paper output tray has a larger capacity for the sheet and the preceding sheet than the sheet storage member, A paper output device that stores sheets whose processing has been interrupted in the sheet storage member and sheets whose processing has been completed successfully in the paper output tray.

7. In the paper output device according to claim 6, The paper output tray is characterized by having an opening for removing the contained sheets.

8. The sheet to be transported is stored vertically such that the leading edge in the transport direction is at the bottom and the rear edge is at the top, A sheet accommodating member having a first accommodating section formed on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the sheet and a second accommodating section formed on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the sheet, The sheet has a sheet displacement means for displacing a preceding sheet housed in the sheet housing member, The first storage section has a first wall portion that forms one side wall of the sheet storage member and a second wall portion that forms a part of the other side wall of the sheet storage member. The second housing section has the first wall section and a third wall section that is provided continuously with the second wall section. The second wall and the third wall are connected via a bent portion that is curved such that the storage space of the second storage portion is wider than that of the first storage portion. The sheet displacement means includes a sheet processing device that displaces the preceding sheet by contacting the upper end of the preceding sheet so that the upper end of the preceding sheet moves toward the third wall portion. A laminating apparatus for laminating a polymerized sheet, which is formed by overlapping and joining two sheets, and an intermediate sheet, which is inserted between each of the sheets constituting the polymerized sheet.

9. An image forming apparatus comprising a sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

10. An image forming apparatus comprising the paper discharge device according to claim 6 or 7.

11. An image forming apparatus comprising the laminating apparatus described in claim 8.

12. An image forming system comprising a sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images