JP2012250788A - Paper aligning device, and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Even when there is a curled stack of stacked sheets or a stack of folded sections of Z-folded sheets, sheet alignment is reliably performed without reducing productivity.
An aligning unit that aligns a direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of a sheet stacked on a stacking unit that stacks conveyed sheets, and an aligning unit that rotates in a direction perpendicular to the sheet surface, And a rotation unit that moves the sheet to the retracted position. The alignment unit includes first and second width direction alignment members, and the rotation unit causes the first width direction alignment member to move relative to the sheet surface. When rotated in the vertical direction and moved to the alignment position or the retracted position, the second width direction alignment member moves following the rotation of the first width direction alignment member, and when positioned in the alignment position in advance It is located at the lower limit position of the set movement range or the position in contact with the paper surface, and when it is located at the retracted position, it is located at the upper limit position of the preset movement range.
[Selection] Figure 10

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet aligning apparatus and an image forming apparatus, and in particular, a sheet aligning apparatus that aligns sheet-like recording media (hereinafter simply referred to as sheets) such as sheets, transfer sheets, recording sheets, and OHP sheets, In addition, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus provided with a separate body by integrating the sheet aligning apparatus into another apparatus such as a sheet processing apparatus.

  Various apparatuses are known in which sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus are stacked on a discharge tray and aligned in a direction (hereinafter referred to as a width direction) perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction by a sheet alignment member. . As such an apparatus, for example, an invention described in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-286510) is known.

  The present invention provides a paper discharge tray on which discharged paper is stacked, a pair of alignment members that align end positions in a direction perpendicular to the discharge direction of the paper discharged on the paper discharge tray, One side is set at a position where it contacts the upper surface of the paper stacked on the paper discharge tray, and the other of the alignment members is further discharged onto the paper whose one alignment member is in contact with the upper surface And a driving unit that drives the other of the alignment members so as to push the edge of the alignment member, wherein the one alignment member is a plurality of points in the sheet discharge direction of the sheets stacked on the discharge tray. It is characterized by contacting the upper surface. According to the present invention, with this configuration, a plurality of alignment members are brought into contact with the edges in the width direction of the sheet to perform the alignment operation, and the sheets are always aligned in a state where the edges are parallel to the discharge direction. As a result, it insists on the effect that the shift processing is performed with the edges aligned with high accuracy.

  Further, as an apparatus that performs a good alignment operation even when the paper stacked on the paper discharge tray is curled, an invention described in, for example, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent No. 4469107) is also known. The present invention includes a curl direction discriminating unit that discriminates a curl direction of a sheet-like medium to be conveyed, and the orientation of the aligning member is set so as to take an aligning position according to the number of stacked sheet-like media stacked on the stacking unit. If the curling direction of the sheet-like medium to be conveyed is determined to be upward and the curl direction discriminating means discriminates the orientation control of the aligning member, the number of sheet-like media stacked on the stacking means is The sheet-shaped medium stacked on the stacking means is moved when the aligning position of the aligning member is moved upward as the number of sheets increases, and the curled direction determining means determines that the curled direction of the conveyed sheet-shaped medium is downward. As the number of stacked sheets increases, the alignment position of the alignment member is controlled to move downward.

  However, even if it is the invention described in Patent Document 1 or the alignment device that has been practiced in the past, the paper curl is stacked and stacked, the Z-folded paper is stacked, etc. The width direction aligning member that aligns the direction may not reach the stacked sheets. If the width direction aligning member does not reach the stacked paper, it is impossible to execute the aligning operation in the first place. Further, although the width direction aligning member is retracted upward in order to perform the sorting operation, the alignment accuracy may be disturbed by contact with the stacked paper during the retracting.

  Further, in the case where curl is piled up and the folded portion of the Z origami is piled up, in order to enable alignment in the width direction, the position of the width direction aligning member is set downward as in the invention described in Patent Document 2. It may be lowered or raised upward. By controlling the width direction aligning member that performs the alignment in this way, the alignment can be performed reliably. However, in the invention described in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to move the width direction aligning member up or down, and it cannot be denied that the productivity is lowered accordingly.

  Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to reliably align the sheets without lowering the productivity even when the curled sheets are stacked or the folded sections of the Z-folded sheets are stacked. Is to be able to perform.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the first means includes a stacking unit that stacks the transported sheets, an aligning unit that aligns a direction orthogonal to a transport direction of the sheets stacked on the stacking unit, and the aligning unit. In a sheet aligning apparatus having a rotating unit that rotates in a forward and reverse direction within a predetermined angle range in a direction perpendicular to the sheet surface and moves the sheet to an aligning position and a retracted position, the aligning unit includes a first member and a second member. When the first member is rotated in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface by the rotating means and moved to the alignment position or the retracted position, the second member is When the first member moves following the movement of the first member and is positioned at the alignment position, it is positioned at a lower limit position of a preset movement range or a position in contact with the paper surface, and when it is positioned at the retracted position, Set Characterized by comprising a means for positioning at the upper limit position of the dynamic range.
The second means is characterized by an image forming apparatus including the sheet aligning device according to the first means.

  According to the present invention, even when there is a curled stack of stacked sheets or a stack of folded sections of Z-folded sheets, it is possible to reliably perform sheet alignment without reducing productivity. .

1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating details of a stacking tray and a configuration associated with the stacking tray of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a main part of an up-down direction driving mechanism that retracts an alignment portion of a width direction alignment member in the sheet post-processing apparatus of FIG. It is a left view which expands and shows the part of the width direction alignment member in FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view of a width direction moving mechanism that moves a width direction aligning member in FIG. 3 in the width direction as viewed from the paper discharge direction. It is a top view of the width direction moving mechanism of FIG. It is a figure which shows a state when the width direction alignment member implemented conventionally is located in the alignment position. It is a figure which shows a state when the width direction alignment member in FIG. 7 is located in a retracted position. It is a figure which shows a state when the width direction alignment member in FIG. 7 is located in the sorting position. It is a figure which shows the basic composition of the width direction alignment member which concerns on Example 1 in embodiment of this invention, and shows the state when located in the alignment position. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement in the middle of retraction | saving of the width direction alignment member in FIG. It is a figure which shows a state when the width direction alignment member in FIG. 10 is located in a retracted position. It is a figure which shows the basic composition of the width direction alignment member which concerns on Example 2 in embodiment of this invention, and shows the state when located in the alignment position. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement in the middle of retraction | saving of the width direction alignment member in FIG. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement in the middle of retraction | saving of the width direction alignment member in FIG. 13, and shows the state when it moves to the retraction | saving direction further from FIG. It is a figure which shows a state when the width direction alignment member in FIG. 13 is located in a retracted position. It is a figure which shows the basic composition of the width direction alignment member which concerns on Example 3 in embodiment of this invention, and shows a state when located in the alignment position. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement in the middle of retraction | saving of the width direction alignment member in FIG. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement in the middle of the retraction | saving of the width direction alignment member in FIG. 17, and the state when it moves to the retraction | saving direction further from FIG. It is a figure which shows a state when the width direction alignment member in FIG. 17 is located in a retracted position. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of an image forming system including an image forming apparatus and a sheet post-processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the present invention, the width direction aligning member that aligns in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction is composed of two members, a main first width direction aligning member and an auxiliary second width direction aligning member. When the first width direction aligning member is displaced to the alignment position or the retracted position by rotating in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface, the second width direction aligning member is Following the movement, the relative position of the direction aligning member changes relatively, and the relationship between the aligning position and the retracted position is wide when viewed from the aligning direction of the former, wide when viewed from the aligning direction, It is characterized by avoiding contact of the paper in the retracted position.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted as appropriate.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image forming system according to the present embodiment includes an image forming apparatus PR and a sheet processing apparatus FR. Since the sheet processing apparatus FR is connected to the subsequent stage of the image forming apparatus, it is a sheet post-processing apparatus that performs post-processing on the sheet on which the image has been formed. Hereinafter, the sheet post-processing apparatus FR will be described.

  The image forming apparatus PR includes an image forming engine that forms an image on paper, prints an image captured from a scanner, or data transferred from a local or network-connected PC (Personal Computer), or an image Form. The image forming engine itself is not particularly limited because it may be a known engine such as an electrophotographic method or a droplet discharge method such as inkjet.

  The paper post-processing device FR receives the image-formed paper ejected from the paper ejection port of the image forming device PR from the paper receiving port 201, performs punching processing by the punch unit 202, and stings by the rear end fence 203 and a jogger fence (not shown). Alignment processing in the conveyance direction and width direction on the pull tray 205, end face binding processing by the end binding stapler 206, saddle stitching processing by the saddle stitching stapler 207, middle folding processing by the middle folding tray 208, shift processing by the stacking tray 209, Etc. are executed.

  Reference numeral 210 denotes a proof tray disposed at the uppermost stage of the sheet post-processing apparatus FR. The sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus PR is discharged as it is to the proof tray 210 as indicated by an arrow A. The sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus PR is conveyed to the stacking tray 209 along the straight conveyance path 214 as indicated by an arrow B, and is discharged by the discharge roller pair 215. At that time, the stacking tray 209 is sorted by shifting a predetermined amount in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction for each copy. Is possible. Further, the sheet bundle that has been subjected to the edge binding process in the staple tray 205 is conveyed in the direction of arrow C and is discharged to the stacking tray 209.

  Reference numeral 211 denotes a lower tray. A sheet bundle folded by a folding plate 212 and a folding roller 213 in a middle folding tray 208 is discharged and stacked. These processes may be performed independently, but are often combined and processed, for example, a punching process and then a binding process.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing details of the stacking tray 209 and the configuration associated with the stacking tray 209 of the sheet post-processing apparatus FR.
A paper discharge roller pair 215, a return roller (conveying direction aligning member) 101, and a width direction aligning member 5 are provided on the upstream side of the stacking tray 209 in the paper discharging direction. In the present embodiment, the width direction aligning member 5 and a mechanism for driving the width direction aligning member 5 constitute a sheet aligning device AD. The return roller 101 is discharged onto the stacking tray 209, further applies a transport force in the reverse direction (return direction) to the paper that has returned in the direction opposite to the transport direction due to gravity, and the rear edge of the paper is placed on the reference fence 217. The sheet has a function of aligning the sheet conveyance direction. The stacking tray 209 is movable in the vertical direction along the reference fence 217, and the leading end of the filler 218 contacts the upper surface of the paper stacked on the stacking tray 209. By this contact, the base end side of the filler 218 moves, this moving state is detected by a paper surface detection sensor (not shown), and is moved up and down by a lift drive mechanism (not shown) based on the detection output. That is, the stacking tray 209 descends as the amount of sheets loaded increases, and rises when the sheets are removed, and the distance from the paper discharge port to the topmost sheet surface on the stacking tray 209 is always set in advance. It is controlled to be within the range.

  The stacking tray 209 can also reciprocate in a direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction by a link mechanism (not shown). Thereby, for example, two positions, the side closest to the operator side and the farthest side, can be taken. Therefore, by changing the stacking position for each sheet discharged from the sheet discharge roller pair 215, it becomes possible to sort the sheets. That is, the paper discharged from the pair of paper discharge rollers 215 onto the stacking tray 209 is aligned in the transport direction by the return roller 101 and the reference fence 217 as described above, and then aligned by the pair of width direction alignment members 5. The side (inner side) moves to the paper width. After the alignment in the width direction of the sheet, the width direction aligning member 5 moves again to the sheet receiving position.

  When sorting, the stacked paper and the paper to be discharged are stacked separately, so that the stacking tray 209 moves in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction by a predetermined amount as described above, and the stacked paper and the discharged paper are discharged. Deliberately shift the paper stacking position. At this time, if the stacking tray 209 moves while the width direction aligning member 5 is in the aligning position, the sheets stacked on the stacking tray 209 interfere with the width direction aligning member 5, so that the stacking tray 209 moves. Before this, the aligning portion 5-2 (see FIG. 3) of the width direction aligning member 5 is retracted upward.

  FIG. 3 is a front view showing the main part of the vertical drive mechanism for retracting the aligning portion of the width direction aligning member as viewed from the paper discharge direction (viewed from the direction of the arrow X), and FIG. 4 is the width direction aligning member in FIG. 5 is an enlarged left side view, FIG. 5 is a front view of the width direction moving mechanism for moving the width direction aligning member in the width direction, as viewed from the paper discharge direction, and FIG. 6 is a plan view of FIG. Figure viewed from the direction).

  The vertical drive mechanism is a mechanism that rotates the width direction aligning member 5 forward and backward about the axis of the shaft 1 and is driven by a first motor 11 as a vertical movement drive source. The width direction aligning member 5 includes a driving side contact portion 5-1 and an aligning portion 5-2. The width-direction alignment member 5 is attached to the shaft 1 via the bearing 2 on the driving side contact portion 5-1 side so as to be rotatable and slidable in the axial direction. The shaft 1 is rotationally driven in the forward and reverse directions by a first motor 11 disposed at an end portion in the axial direction. In this rotational drive, the driving force of the first motor 11 is engaged with the driving gear 12 attached to the motor driving shaft and the driven gear 13 attached to the shaft end of the shaft 1. This is done by transmitting the driving force to the shaft 1.

  A rotation driving member 4 is fixed to the shaft 1 by, for example, a screw, and both rotate together. The rotation drive member 4 extends in parallel along the axis 1 as shown in FIG. 3, and at the initial position (alignment position) as shown in FIG. 4, the drive side contact portion 5-1 of the width direction alignment member 5. Are in contact with each other at a position that restricts the rotational position in the alignment direction (arrow R1 direction) (see FIG. 7). As a result, the width direction aligning member 5 can come into contact with the end of the sheet or sheet bundle as shown in FIG. 4 to regulate the sheet position in the width direction. A filler 15 for positioning the width direction aligning member 5 is attached to the driven gear 13 for rotating the shaft 1, and the position of the filler 15 is detected by the first sensor 14. For example, a light transmission type sensor (photo interrupter) is used as the first sensor 14. In addition, the buffer member 6 which prevents that the said alignment part 5-2 contacts with a part of exterior is attached to the upper end of the alignment part 5-2 of the width direction alignment member 5 when the said alignment part 5-2 rotates to a retracted position. . The buffer member 6 is made of, for example, a synthetic resin material having elasticity.

  The width direction moving mechanism is a mechanism for reciprocating a pair of width direction aligning members 5 a and 5 b provided in the width direction of the paper along the axis of the shaft 1. As shown in FIG. 5, the width direction moving mechanism includes a second motor 20, a guide shaft 8, a pair of pulleys 21 and 22, a motor pulley 23, first and second belts 24 and 25, and a pair of sliders 3a and 3b. It has. The second motor 20 is a drive source of the width direction moving mechanism, and the guide shaft 8 is disposed in parallel with the shaft 1. The pair of pulleys 21 and 22 are installed on both ends of the guide shaft 8, and the motor pulley 23 is attached to the motor drive shaft of the second motor 20. The first belt 24 is stretched between the motor pulley 23 and the one pulley 21, and transmits the driving force of the second motor 20 to the one pulley 21. The second belt 25 is stretched between the pulley 21 on one side and the pulley 22 on the other side, and rotates the second belt 25 by the driving force transmitted to the pulley 21 on the one side. In FIG. 4, an arrow D1 indicates the paper discharge direction.

  The pair of sliders 3a and 3b are mounted on the guide shaft 8 so as to be slidable. The sliders 3a and 3b are connected to the respective bearings 2a and 2b of the width direction aligning members 5a and 5b only in the case of sliding movement, and do not restrain the rotational movement when rotating. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the sliders 3a and 3b are composed of a first slider 3a whose upper side is fixed to the back side 25a of the second belt 25 and a second slider 3b fixed to the front side 25b. Become.

  If comprised in this way, the rotational drive force of the 2nd motor 20 will be transmitted to the 1st pulley 21 via the motor pulley 23 and the 1st belt 24, and the 2nd belt 25 will be rotated. When the second belt 25 rotates, the first and second sliders 3a and 3b are fixed to the back side 25a and the front side 25b of the belt, respectively, so that the first and second sliders 3a correspond to the rotation direction. , 3b move symmetrically toward the inside or the outside in the paper width direction. Here, as shown in FIG. 6, when the first pulley 21 rotates in the direction of the arrow R3, the first and second width direction aligning members 5a and 5b are moved inwardly (in the direction of the arrow D2) and first in the direction of the arrow R4. When the pulley 21 rotates, the first and second width direction aligning members 5a and 5b move outward (in the direction of arrow D3), respectively.

  Since the first and second width direction aligning members 5a and 5b can move only within the range of the attachment portion 4 'to the shaft 1 of the rotational drive members 4a and 4b as much as possible, as shown in FIG. The second sensor 26 for detecting the home position of the first slider 3a is provided, and the filler 27 attached to the first slider 3a is detected to obtain the home position. Therefore, the second motor 20 uses a stepping motor so that the positions of the first and second sliders 3a and 3b can be known by the driving step of the second motor 20 from the detected home position. The first motor 11 is also a stepping motor. If it does so, positioning control of the rotation direction of the width direction alignment member 5 will detect the detection output of the 1st sensor 14 which detects the position of the both ends of the filler 15, and the 1st motor 11 from the said edge part detection position. This can be done easily and accurately based on the number of drive steps.

  As described above, in this embodiment, an example in which stepping motors are used as the first and second motors 11 and 20 is shown. However, if the rotational position of the motor is detected using an encoder, for example, This type of motor can also be used.

7 to 9 are views showing a basic configuration and operation of a width direction aligning member which has been conventionally performed.
7 to 9 show the relationship between the width direction aligning member on the back side of the apparatus and the stacking tray as viewed from the front side of the apparatus (user operation side: arrow X direction) in FIG. 3 and 4 is provided on the back side of the apparatus, and the width direction moving mechanism shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 is provided in the apparatus.

  FIG. 7 shows a state where the aligning portion 5-2 of the width direction aligning member 5 is positioned at the sheet aligning position. In this state, the rotation driving member 4 is located directly above the shaft 1, and the driving side contact portion 5-1 of the width direction aligning member 5 is in contact with the side surface of the rotation driving member 4 on the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction. Yes. This contact state is due to the action of the moment of the center of gravity of the width direction aligning member 5 because the width direction aligning member 5 is rotatably supported around the shaft 1. Therefore, a force that always rotates in the direction of the arrow R1 acts on the width direction aligning member 5 due to the moment. Accordingly, the position of the width direction aligning member 5 in the rotation direction (vertical direction) is defined by the position of the rotation driving member 4.

  When the rotation drive member 4 rotates, the rotation direction alignment member 5 rotates in synchronization with the rotation drive member 4 because the drive side contact portion 5-1 of the width direction alignment member 5 is in contact with the rotation drive member 4. It rotates according to the drive member 4. By doing so, the width direction aligning member 5 is free to rotate clockwise with respect to the shaft 1 (in the direction of the arrow R2). Therefore, when a force is applied to the aligning portion 5-2 from below, the width direction aligning member 5 rotates about the shaft 1 in the direction of the illustrated arrow R2. With this configuration, when the aligning portion 5-2 of the width direction aligning member 5 rides on the stacked sheets of the stacking tray 7, the width direction aligning member 5 is pushed up according to the sheet surface position and rotated in the direction of the arrow R2. Regardless of the rotational drive member 4, the position of the width direction aligning member 5 in the rotational direction (vertical direction) is determined. Note that when the aligning portion 5-2 rotates to the maximum position toward the retracted position shown in FIG. 8, the aligning portion 5-2 may collide with another member. The shock of time is buffered.

  A stacking tray (same as the stacking tray 209 in FIG. 1) 7 includes a stacking surface 7-1 on which sheets discharged from the discharge roller 215 are stacked. On the stacking surface 7-1, when the width direction aligning member 5 is positioned at the sheet aligning position, the aligning section 5-2 extends downward from the stacking surface 7-1 and below the stacked sheet S 1. An escape portion 7-2 is formed to overlap with each other.

  FIG. 8 is a view showing a retracted position of the width direction aligning member 5 when sorting is performed. When the shaft 1 and the rotation driving member 4 rotate in the direction of the arrow R2, the width direction aligning member 5 rotates in the direction of R2 in the drawing and moves to the retracted position. On the other hand, the stacking tray 7 is shifted in the width direction by a predetermined amount while the width direction aligning member 5 is retracted, and the stacking position is shifted. Thereafter, when the shaft 1 and the rotation driving member 4 are rotated in the direction of the arrow R1, the width direction pressing member 5 is also rotated in the direction of the arrow R1 by the action of gravity, and the state shown in FIG. 9 is obtained.

  FIG. 9 shows the alignment operation position when sorting is performed. Reference numeral S2 denotes a first sheet bundle shifted to the front side by sorting, and reference numeral S3 denotes a second sheet bundle shifted to the rear side. Since the width direction aligning member 5 can freely rotate in the clockwise direction shown in the figure with respect to the shaft 1, the lower end 5-2u of the aligning portion 5-2 can be placed on the first sheet bundle S2. The second sheet bundle S3 shifted to the back side with respect to the first sheet bundle S2 shifted to the front side can be aligned on the first sheet bundle S2. That is, the aligning portion 5-2a of the width direction aligning member 5a on the near side is on the first sheet bundle S2, and the aligning portion 5-2b of the width direction aligning member 5b on the back side is the first lower end portion. The second sheet bundle S3 is rotated to the escape section 7-2 and is in contact with the second sheet bundle S3 on the back side from the end of the first sheet bundle S2, and the second sheet bundle S2 is brought into contact with the front aligning section 5-2a. Can be matched together.

  10 to 12 are diagrams showing the configuration and operation of the width direction aligning member according to Example 1 of the present embodiment.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a basic configuration of the width direction aligning member according to the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the width direction aligning member 5 shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 is composed of two members: a first width direction aligning member 51 as a main and a second width direction aligning member 52 as an auxiliary. It is.

  In the first embodiment, the second width direction aligning member 52 is slidably attached to the aligning portion 51-2 of the first width direction aligning member 51. In the first embodiment, the aligning portion 51-2 includes a guide surface 51-3a that guides the second width-direction aligning member 52 and an aligning surface 51-3b that aligns the end portion that contacts the sheet end portion. The aligning surface 51-3b is a part of the leading end side of the aligning portion 5-2 shown in FIG. 7, and the base end portion side is a guide surface 51-3a. The guide surface 51-3a is retracted (recessed) as viewed from the sheet end side with respect to the alignment surface 51-3b in order to store the second width direction alignment member 52, and the guide surface 51-3a Two width direction aligning members 52 are slidably accommodated. In this state, the guide surface 51-3a and the alignment surface 51-3b are flush with each other.

  In order to enable this sliding movement, the guide surface 51-3a is provided with first and second guide grooves 51-4, 51-5, and the first and second guide grooves 51-4, First and second protrusions 52-2 and 52-3 projecting from a surface opposite to the alignment surface 52-1 of the second width direction alignment member 52 are slidably fitted to 51-5. The first and second guide grooves 51-4 and 51-5 include vertical portions 51-4a and 51-5a and inclined portions 51-4b and 51-5b. The vertical portions 51-4a and 51-5a are provided so as to be vertical at the alignment position shown in FIG. 10 and almost horizontal at the retracted position shown in FIG. 12, and the inclined portions 51-4b and 51-5b are retracted positions. It is formed so as to have a downward slope. With this configuration, when the first width direction aligning member 51 performs the retracting operation, the inertia force due to the rotation acts on the second width direction aligning member 52, and the first width direction aligning member 52 has the first And the second protrusions 52-2 and 52-3 move along the vertical portions 51-4a and 51-5a of the first and second guide grooves 51-4 and 51-5, and the inclined portions 51-4b and 51-5b, It hits the end of 51-5b and is held in that position.

  In Example 1, the lower end 51-2u of the aligning part 51-2 is higher than the position of the lower end 5-2u of the conventional aligning part 5-2 shown in FIG. Although the width dimension in the height direction is small, the lower end 52-1u of the second width direction aligning member 52 extends to a lower part than the lower end 5-2u of the conventional aligning part 5-2 in FIG. It hangs down and can reach the lower stack. Therefore, in the first embodiment, the escape portion 7-2 of the stacking tray 7 is also formed larger to the lower side.

  FIG. 10 shows a state in which the first and second width direction aligning members 51 and 52 are located at the align position in the first embodiment, and the first width direction aligning member 51 is aligned in the width direction in FIG. It is located at the same position as the member 5. At that time, the second width direction aligning member 52 is positioned at the lowermost end of the vertical portions 51-4a and 51-5a of the first and second guide grooves 51-4 and 51-5, and is in the second width direction. Since the aligning member 52 is positioned below the first width direction aligning member 51, it is possible to align sheets stacked below the case of FIG. In this case, alignment is performed by the alignment surface 51-3b and the alignment surface 52-1. Here, the relative angle θ1 in FIG. 10 is based on the intersection (not shown) on the extension lines Q1, Q2 of the upper end portions of the first width direction aligning member 51 and the second width direction aligning member 52 (rotation center). The difference in angle between the two is shown.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the first width direction aligning member 51 during retraction. The second width direction aligning member 52 is rotated by the rotation drive member 4 that rotates in synchronization with the rotation of the shaft 1 to form the vertical portions 51-4a and 51-4b of the first and second guide grooves 51-4 and 51-5. It rotates in the direction of arrow R2 integrally with the first width direction aligning member 51 while being restricted at the position of the lowermost end.

FIG. 12 is a view showing a state when the first width direction aligning member 51 is located at the retracted position. When the first width direction aligning member 51 rotates in the direction of the arrow R2 to perform the retracting operation, an inertial force acts on the second width direction aligning member 52, and the second width direction aligning member 52 is the first and second Are moved along the guide grooves 51-3 and 51-4, and are retracted to a position further away from the stacking surface 7-1 of the stacking tray 7 than the current retracted position. Further, when the relative angle between the extension lines Q1, Q2 of the upper end portions of the first width direction aligning member 51 and the second width direction aligning member 52 at that time is θ2,
θ1> θ2
Thus, the relative angle is smaller in the case of being in the retracted position than in the case of being in the aligned position shown in FIG.

  The relative angles θ1 and θ2 are compared with an extension line (imaginary line) of the upper end portion in FIG. 10 in the drawing, but the first width direction aligning member 51 and the second width direction aligning member 52 are rigid bodies. The position of the part is also smaller in the retracted position than in the aligned position, and this also means that the first width direction aligning member 51 and the second width direction aligning member 52 are It turns out that it becomes compact when it is in the retracted position.

  That is, when the alignment is performed, the relative angle θ1 is increased, and the lower end 52-1u of the second width direction aligning member 52 is positioned at a lower position. Therefore, the second width is lower than in the conventional case. The direction aligning member 52 reaches. On the other hand, when the retreat is performed, the relative angle θ2 is reduced, and therefore, when the first width direction aligning member 51 and the second width direction aligning member 52 are retracted, both are sufficiently overlapped to form a compact shape. The lower ends 51-2u and 52-1u of the first and second width direction aligning members 51 and 52 in FIG. 1 are located at positions farther from the stacking surface 7-1 than the conventional width direction aligning member 5-2u. Will do. As a result, even if the curled sheets are stacked or the folded portions of the Z-folded sheets are stacked and swelled, interference with the width direction aligning member can be avoided. The operation of the first width direction aligning member 51 is basically the same as that of the conventional first width direction aligning member 5 shown in FIGS. can do.

  Other parts that are not particularly described are configured in the same manner as the above-described embodiment and the prior art, and function in the same manner.

  13 to 16 are diagrams showing the configuration and operation of the width direction aligning member according to Example 2 of the present embodiment.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the basic configuration of the width-direction alignment member according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the width direction aligning member 5 shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 is composed of two members, ie, first and second width direction aligning members 51 'and 52'. In the second embodiment, the second width direction aligning member 52 'is swingably attached to a support shaft 51'-5 provided on the first width direction aligning member 51'. As shown in FIG. 13, the support shaft 51′-5 has a support portion 51′-1 and an alignment portion of the first width direction alignment member 51 ′ formed in an inverted L shape when viewed from the front of the apparatus. The curved portion 51'-6 between 51'-2 is provided in a protruding shape. The second width direction aligning member 52 'is also formed in a substantially inverted L shape, and is supported by the support shaft 51'-5 so as to be swingable by an inverted L-shaped bent portion 52'-2. ing.

  The alignment portion 51'-2 of the first width direction alignment member 51 'includes a guide surface 51'-3a and an alignment surface 51'-3b. The alignment surface 51'-3b has a shape in which the side in contact with the end of the sheet is slightly swollen, and the guide surface 51'-3a is a recess recessed from the alignment surface 51'-3b. The second width direction aligning member 52 'is housed in the guide surface 51'-3a (recessed portion) when positioned at the retracted position. At that time, the alignment surface 52'-1 of the second width direction alignment member 52 'and the alignment surface 51'-3b of the first width direction alignment member 51' are flush with each other. Therefore, the opposing portions of the alignment surfaces 52′-1 and 51′-3b are formed in a comb shape, and the second width direction alignment member 52 ′ is stored in the guide surface 51′-3a at the retracted position. When it is done, both do not interfere.

  The first width direction aligning member 51 ′ is provided with a stopper 51 ′ -4 that restricts the swinging of the second width direction aligning member 52 ′. The stopper 51′-4 prevents the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ from freely rotating in the counterclockwise direction (arrow R1 direction) in the figure. The second width direction aligning member Position regulation is performed by hitting the side surface of the vertical portion 52′-5 extending in the direction of the axis 1 from the bent portion 52′-2 of 52 ′.

  Further, when the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ rotates in the clockwise direction (in the direction of arrow R2) of the first width direction aligning member 51 ′, the top end of the vertical portion 52′-5 abuts against the protrusion 9 provided on the slider 3 to maintain the contact state. By performing (hereinafter referred to as contact), a drive unit 52′-3 is provided that releases the restricted state of the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ by the stopper 51′-4 and further rotates in the arrow R2 direction. It has been. In the second embodiment, since the protrusion 9 is formed in a columnar shape, the contact surface of the drive unit 52'-3 is formed in a concave shape. The support shaft 51′-5 serves as a rotation axis of the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ when the first width direction width aligning member 51 ′ is retracted, and is being retracted as shown in FIG. The drive part 52′-3 of the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ abuts on the protrusion 9, and the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ is centered on the support shaft 51′-5 to the storage position shown in FIG. Can be rotated.

  In Example 2, the lower end 51′-2u of the aligning portion 51′-2 is positioned higher than the position of the lower end 5-2u of the aligning portion 5-2 of the conventional width direction aligning member 5 shown in FIG. Yes, in other words, the width dimension in the height direction is formed to be small, but the lower end 52′-4u of the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ is suspended further to the lower part than the lower end 5-2u in FIG. Can reach the lower stack. Therefore, also in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the escape portion 7-2 of the stacking tray 7 is formed to be further lower.

  FIG. 13 shows a state in which the first and second width direction aligning members 51 ′ and 52 ′ are located at the align position in the second embodiment, and the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ in FIG. It is located at the same position as the width direction aligning member 5. At that time, the position of the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ is regulated by the stopper 51′-4, and the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ is positioned below the first width direction aligning member 51 ′. To do. Thus, the sheets S1 stacked below the case of FIG. 7 can be aligned. Here, the alignment of the sheet edges is performed by the alignment surface 51'-3b of the first width direction alignment member 51 'and the alignment surface 52'-1 of the second width direction alignment member 52'. Here, the relative angle θ3 in FIG. 13 is based on the intersection (not shown) of the extension lines Q1 and Q2 on the upper end of the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ and the second width direction aligning member 52 ′. ) And the difference in angle between the two.

  FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 are views showing the operation during the retraction of the first and second width direction aligning members 51 ′ and 52 ′. FIG. 14 shows a state in which the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ rotates in the direction of the arrow R2 around the shaft 1 by the rotation of the rotation driving member 4 that rotates in synchronization with the rotation of the shaft 1 from the state of FIG. Indicates. The second width direction aligning member 52 ′ maintains the relative positional relationship between the first and the second until the driving portion 52 ′ -3 abuts the protrusion 9 by the rotation of the first width direction aligning member 51 ′. Rotate integrally with the width direction aligning member 51 ′.

  When the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ is rotated by a predetermined amount from the state of FIG. 14, the drive part 52 ′ -3 of the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ hits the protrusion 9. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 15, the angular displacement of the second width direction aligning member 52 'is larger than the angular displacement of the first width direction aligning member 51'. In other words, in addition to the rotation of the first width direction aligning member 51 ', the second width direction aligning member 52' further rotates in the direction of the arrow R2 about the support shaft 52'-5. As a result, the relative angle between the first and second width direction aligning members 51 'and 52' changes.

FIG. 16 is a view showing a state in which the first and second width direction aligning members 51 ′ and 52 ′ are located at the retracted position. In this retracted state, the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ rotates with a larger angular displacement than the first width direction aligning member 51 ′, and the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ is the first width direction aligning member. 51 'almost overlaps. That is, after the driving portion 52′-3 of the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ contacts the protrusion 9, the relative angle is further reduced from the state shown in FIG. 15, and the first width direction aligning member 51 ′. And almost overlapped. In this case, when the relative angle between the extension lines Q1, Q2 of the upper end portions of the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ and the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ is θ4,
θ3> θ4
Thus, the relative angle is smaller when the arm is located at the retracted position than when it is located at the aligned position shown in FIG.

  The relative angles θ3 and θ4 are compared with an extension line (virtual line) at the upper end of FIG. 13 in the drawing, but the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ and the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ are rigid bodies. The lower end position is also smaller in the retracted position than in the aligned position. From this, the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ and the second width direction are also smaller. It can be seen that the alignment member 52 'is compact when it is in the retracted position.

  That is, also in the second embodiment, since the relative angle is large when aligning, the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ reaches below the conventional case, and when retracting, the relative angle becomes small when retracting. When the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ and the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ are retracted, the shape becomes compact, and the lower ends 51 of the first and second width direction aligning members 51 ′ and 52 ′ in the second embodiment. '-2u, 52'-4u is positioned farther from the loading surface 7-1 than the lower end 5-2u of the conventional width direction aligning member 5. As a result, even if the curled sheets are stacked or the folded portions of the Z-folded sheets are stacked and swelled, interference with the width direction aligning member can be avoided. The operation of the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ is basically the same as that of the conventional first width direction aligning member 5 shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. Can be secured.

  Other parts that are not particularly described are configured in the same manner as the above-described embodiment and the prior art, and function in the same manner.

  17 to 20 are diagrams illustrating the configuration and operation of the width direction aligning member according to Example 3 of the present embodiment.

  FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating a basic configuration of the width-direction alignment member according to the third embodiment. In Example 3, the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ in Example 2 omits the aligning portion 51′-2 and leaves the support portion 51′-1 and the bent portion 51′-6. In addition to the aligning member 51 ″, the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ is the second width direction aligning member 52 ″ in which the entire surface of the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ becomes the aligning surface 52 ″ -1. Since the alignment portion 51′-2 of the width direction alignment member 51 ′ is omitted, the first width direction alignment member 51 ″ corresponds to the guide surface 51′-3a that houses the second width direction alignment member 52 ″. Therefore, the second width direction aligning member 52 "does not need to be formed in a comb shape. The second lateral alignment member 2 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 51 "-5. Other parts are configured in the same manner as in the second embodiment and function in the same manner.

  FIG. 17 is a view showing a state in which the second width direction aligning member 52 ″ is located at the align position in the third embodiment. The first width direction aligning member 51 ″ is the width direction aligning member 5 in FIG. Is located at the same position. At that time, the aligning portion is omitted, only the support portion 51 "-1 and the bent portion 51" -6 are supported by the shaft 1, and the position of the second width direction aligning member 52 "is restricted by the stopper 51" -4. It is in the state. In this state, the alignment part 52 "-1 of the second width direction aligning member 52" is positioned below the width direction aligning member 5 in FIG. As a result, the sheets stacked below the case of FIG. 7 can be aligned.

  Here, the alignment of the paper edge is performed by the alignment surface 52 "-1 of the second width direction alignment member 52". Here, the relative angle θ5 in FIG. 17 is an extension line (imaginary line) of the upper end portion of the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ when it is considered that the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ in the second embodiment exists. ) And an angle of intersection (not shown) on the extension line (virtual line) of the upper end portion of the second width direction aligning member 52 ″ as a reference (rotation center).

  Note that the angle θ5 can also be regarded as an angle from the horizontal of the upper end portion of the second width direction aligning member 52 ″. The alignment of the paper is performed by the alignment 52 ″ -1.

  18 and 19 are views showing the operation in the middle of retracting the second width direction aligning member 52 ". FIG. 18 is a rotation driving member that rotates in synchronization with the rotation of the shaft 1 from the state of FIG. By rotating 4, the first width direction aligning member 51 ″ rotates around the shaft 1 in the direction of the arrow R <b> 2. The second width direction aligning member 52 ″ maintains the relative positional relationship between the driving unit 52 ″ -3 and the stopper 52 ″ -4 by the rotation of the first width direction aligning member 51 ″. The first width direction aligning member 51 "rotates as it is.

  When the first width direction aligning member 51 ″ rotates by a predetermined amount from the state of FIG. 18, the drive portion 52 ″ -3 of the second width direction aligning member 52 ″ hits the protrusion 9. Hereinafter, FIG. 19 shows. Thus, the angular displacement of the second width direction aligning member 52 ″ is larger than the angular displacement of the first width direction aligning member 51 ″. In this state, the second width direction aligning member 52 ″ has the first width. In addition to the rotation of the direction aligning member 51 ", it further rotates in the direction of the arrow R2 around the support shaft 52" -5.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing a state in which the second width direction aligning member 52 ″ is located at the retracted position. In this retracted state, the aligning surface 52 ″ -1 of the second width direction aligning member 52 ″ is the second In the embodiment, the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ rotates to a position almost overlapping with the aligning portion 51′-2 of the first width direction aligning member 51 ′. When the relative angle between the extension lines Q1 and Q2 of the upper end portion of the second width direction aligning member 52 ″ is θ6,
θ5> θ6
Thus, the relative angle θ6 is smaller when it is located at the retracted position than when it is located at the aligned position shown in FIG.

  The relative angles .theta.5 and .theta.6 are the same as the extension line (virtual line) at the upper end of the aligning part 51'-2 of the second embodiment in FIG. 13 and the aligning part 52 "of the second width direction aligning member 52" in FIG. Although the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ and the second width direction aligning member 52 ″ are rigid bodies, the position of the lower end is also in the aligned position. The first width direction aligning member 51 ″ and the second width direction aligning member 52 ″ are positioned at the retracted position because the first position in the retracted position is smaller than the position in the retracted position. It turns out that it becomes compact when doing.

  That is, also in the third embodiment, since the relative angle is large at the aligned position, the second width direction aligning member 52 "reaches below the conventional case, and the relative angle is smaller at the retracted position than in the aligned position. Therefore, when the second width direction aligning member 52 ″ is retracted, the lower end 52 ″ -2u of the width direction aligning member 52 ″ is more loaded than the conventional width direction aligning member 51-2. It will be located away from 7-1. As a result, even when the stacked sheets S1 are curled or the folded portions of the Z-folded sheets S1 are swelled, the interference with the second width direction aligning member 52 "is avoided. Further, the operation of the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ is basically the same as that of the conventional first width direction aligning member 5 shown in FIGS. Further, since the aligning portion 51 ″ -2 of the first width direction aligning member 51 ″ is unnecessary, the cost can be reduced accordingly.

  Other parts that are not particularly described are configured in the same manner as the above-described embodiment and the prior art, and function in the same manner.

  FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of an image forming apparatus provided with a sheet post-processing apparatus in the present embodiment. In the figure, the control configuration in this embodiment includes an image forming apparatus PR and a sheet post-processing apparatus FR. The paper post-processing FR and the image forming apparatus PR are connected by a communication interface PR2, and notification of paper information, post-processing mode, abnormality information, and the like is performed bidirectionally, and control information from the image forming apparatus PR is also processed by paper post-processing The device FR is notified.

  The paper post-processing device FR is a control in which the CPU_FR2, CPU_FR2 that controls the entire paper post-processing device FR and each unit, and an I / O unit FR3 that controls input and output between each sensor, solenoid, motor, and other drivers are mounted. A circuit FR1 is provided. The CPU_FR2 develops a program code stored in a ROM (not shown) in a RAM (not shown), executes control according to the program defined by the program code while using the RAM as a work area and a data buffer, Operate each part through etc. A memory such as an EEPROM is also provided to hold data.

  The sheet aligning device AD includes first and second motors 11 and 20 and first and second sensors 14 and 26. 21 is executed based on an instruction or information from the CPU of the image forming apparatus PR. The user's operation instruction is issued from the operation panel PR1 of the image forming apparatus PR, and the image forming apparatus PR and the operation panel PR1 are connected to each other via a communication interface PR2. As a result, the operation signal from the operation panel PR1 is transmitted from the image forming apparatus PR to the sheet post-processing apparatus FR, and the processing state and function of the sheet post-processing apparatus FR are notified to the user via the operation panel PR1. .

  When the control system of the image forming apparatus PR is configured in this way, the CPU_FR2 is provided in the sheet information, sheet transport information, sheet sorting information, and sheet post-processing apparatus FR sent from the image forming apparatus PR side. Based on the detection outputs of the first and second sensors 14 and 26, the first motor 11 and the second motor 20 of the sheet aligning device AD are controlled to sort the sheets. The sheet information includes the sheet size, the sheet conveyance direction, the number of sheets in a bundle of sheets to be sorted, and the like. Further, the sheet post-processing device FR amplifies the detection outputs from the motor drivers 11a and 20a and the first and second sensors 14 and 26 for driving the first and second motors 11 and 20, and the CPU_FR2 side Are also provided as constituent elements.

  In the first to third embodiments, the width direction aligning members are the first and second width direction aligning members, and the arrangement of both is shown by a relative angle. The angle of the relative angle itself is the width direction aligning member. It varies depending on the rotation center and the reference position. However, here, if it is a large angle, it means that it is away, and if it is a small angle, it means that it is close or overlapping. Therefore, the value of the angle itself has no meaning and only describes a relative relationship. The fact that the relative angle between the two width direction aligning members is large means that the width in the align direction is made larger at the aligning position than in the case of one sheet as compared with the case where the aligning operation is performed with one width direction aligning member. Means that it is possible. Further, the relative angle between the two width direction aligning members is small, which means that the retraction position is the same distance or larger than the stacking tray surface as compared with the case where the alignment operation is performed with one width direction aligning member. It means that the two width direction aligning members can be positioned at a certain distance.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the following effects are obtained.
1) A stacking tray 7 on which the conveyed sheets are stacked, a width direction aligning member 5 that aligns the direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the sheets stacked on the stacking tray 7, and a width direction aligning member 5 with respect to the sheet surface In a sheet aligning apparatus having a first motor 11, a shaft 1, and a rotation driving member 4 that are rotated in a forward and reverse direction within a predetermined angle range in a vertical direction and moved to an alignment position and a retracted position, the alignment means 5 is The first and second width direction aligning members 51, 51 ′, 51 ″, 52, 52 ′, 52 ″ are formed, and the first width direction aligning members 51, 51 ′, When 51 ″ is rotated in a direction perpendicular to the sheet surface and moved to the alignment position or the retracted position, the second width direction alignment members 52, 52 ′, 52 ″ are moved in the first width direction. Following the movement of the alignment members 51, 51 ', 51 " When it is positioned at the alignment position, it is positioned at the lower limit position of the preset moving range or the position in contact with the paper surface, and when it is positioned at the retracted position, it is positioned at the upper limit position of the preset moving range. Therefore, when the first and second width direction aligning members 51, 51 ′, 51 ″, 52, 52 ′, 52 ″ are positioned at the align position, the second width direction aligning member 52 is further down than before. , 52 ′, 52 ″ can extend the alignment surface. As a result, it is possible to align the stacked sheets even if the curls are stacked.

  On the other hand, the width direction aligning member 5 comes into contact with the stacked paper during the retraction operation for sorting due to the curled up of the stacked paper or the folded portion when the folded paper is stacked. However, in this embodiment, when the first and second width direction aligning members 51, 51 ′, 51 ″, 52, 52 ′, 52 ″ are located at the retracted position, The alignment surface can be reduced to a position farther from the stacking surface 7-1 of the stacking tray 7 than before. As a result, even when the curl or folding portion of the paper is stacked during stacking, it can be retracted without contacting the stacked paper during sorting.

  Further, the alignment operation itself of the first and second width direction aligning members 51, 51 ′, 51 ″, 52, 52 ′, 52 ″ is not different from that of the conventional width direction aligning member 5, so that the curl of the stacked sheets is curled. Even when there is a stack of sheets or a stack of folded sections of Z-folded sheets, it is possible to reliably perform sheet alignment without reducing productivity.

2) Since the second width direction aligning member 52 is slidably attached to the first and second guide grooves 51-4 and 51-5 formed in the first width direction aligning member 51, The second width direction aligning member can be moved to the aligning position and the retracted position by the rotation of the first width direction aligning member 51. At that time, positioning is performed in the guide groove, so that no positioning means is required and necessary operations can be performed.

3) Since the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ is swingably attached to the support shaft 51′-5 provided on the first width direction aligning member 51 ′, the first width direction aligning member 51 is provided. The rotational position of the second width direction aligning member 52 'can be defined in association with the rotational position of'. At that time, the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ is defined as a preset lower limit position of the swing range or a position in contact with the paper surface as the align position, and the upper limit position of the preset swing range is retracted. Defined as a position.

4) When the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ is positioned at the align position, the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ is regulated by the stopper 51′-4 provided on the first width direction aligning member 51 ′, and the axis of the shaft 1 is aligned. When it moves integrally with the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ at the center and is positioned at the retracted position, the movement is restricted by the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ coming into contact with the protrusion 9, and this restriction restricts the stopper 51. The regulation of “−4” is released, and the second width direction aligning member 52 ′ is the first width direction aligning member 51 around the support shaft 51 ′ -5 provided on the first width direction aligning member 51 ′. Since the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ moves together with the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ while rotating at a rotation radius smaller than the rotation radius of “the second width direction, only the first width direction aligning member 51 ′ is driven to rotate. Alignment member 52 'is retracted toward first width direction alignment member 51' It can be.

5) The first width direction aligning member 51 ″ is obtained by omitting the aligning portion 51′-2 of the first width direction aligning member 51 ′, and the aligning portion 52 ″ − of the second width direction aligning member 52 ″. Since the sheet edge aligning operation is executed by only 1, the configuration can be made simpler and less expensive.

  In the present embodiment, the sheet in the claims is denoted by reference numeral S1, the stacking means is in the stacking tray 7, the aligning means is in the width direction aligning member, and the aligning position is in the position shown in FIGS. The retraction position is the position shown in FIGS. 12, 17 and 20, the rotation means is the first motor 11, the shaft 1, and the rotation drive member 4, and the first member is the first width direction alignment member 51, 51. ', 51 ", the second member is the second width direction aligning member 52, 52', 52", and the lower limit position of the preset movement range is that the projections 52-2, 3 are the guide grooves 51-4, 5 at the bottom end of the vertical portion 51-4a, 5a, and the stopper 51'-4, 51 "-4, the support portion 51'-1, 51 of the first width direction aligning member 51 '. "-1" is the position shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram in which the protrusions 52-2 and 3 are in contact with the ends of the inclined portions 51-4b and 5b of the guide grooves 51-4 and 5 at the upper limit position of the preset moving range at the sorting time alignment position shown in FIG. 12, the drive part 52'-3 or 52 "-3 of the second width direction aligning member 52 ', 52" hits the protrusion 9, and the first width direction aligning member 51', 52 retracts to the maximum extent. In the position rotated in the direction, the first relative angle is θ1, θ3, θ5, the second relative angle is θ2, θ4, θ6, the sheet aligning device is denoted by AD, and the guide grooves are 51-4, 51-. 5, the support shafts are denoted by reference numerals 51 ′ − 5, 51 ″ − 5, the first regulating means is the stoppers 51 ′-4, 52 ′-4, the second regulating means is the projection 9, and the second member Corresponds to the reference numeral 52 ″ -1, and the image forming apparatus corresponds to the reference sign PR.

  Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and examples, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention, and technical matters included in the technical idea described in the claims. All are subject of the present invention. The above embodiments and examples show preferred examples, but those skilled in the art will realize various alternatives, modifications, variations, and improvements from the contents disclosed in this specification. These are included in the technical scope described in the appended claims.

1 axis 4 rotation drive member 7 stacking tray 9 protrusion 11 first motor 51, 51 ', 51 "first width direction alignment member 51-4, 51-5 guide groove 51'-4, 52'-4 stopper 51 '-5, 51 "-5 Support shaft 52, 52', 52" Second width direction aligning member 52 "-1 Alignment portion of second width direction aligning member θ1, θ3, θ5 First relative angle θ2, θ4, θ6 Second relative angle AD Paper aligning device PR Image forming device S1 Paper

JP 2009-286510 A Japanese Patent No. 4469107

Claims (10)

A loading means for loading the conveyed paper;
Aligning means for aligning the direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the paper loaded on the stacking means;
Rotating means for rotating the aligning means in a forward and reverse direction within a predetermined angle range in a direction perpendicular to the sheet surface, and moving the aligning position to a retreat position
In a paper aligning device having
The aligning means includes two members, a first member and a second member;
When the first member is rotated in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface by the rotating means and moved to the alignment position or the retracted position, the second member follows the movement of the first member. When it is positioned at the alignment position, it is positioned at a lower limit position of a preset moving range or a position in contact with the paper surface, and when it is positioned at the retracted position, it is positioned at an upper limit position of the preset moving range. A sheet aligning device comprising means for positioning. The sheet aligning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The first and second members have a first relative angle at which the second member is positioned below the first member at the aligned position, and the first member at the retracted position. On the other hand, the second member has a second relative angle that is narrower than the first relative angle. The sheet aligning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
The sheet aligning apparatus, wherein the second member is slidably attached to a guide groove formed in the first member. The sheet aligning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein
The second member moves to one end of the guide groove or a position in contact with the paper surface when positioned at the alignment position, and is positioned and held at the other end of the guide groove when positioned at the retracted position. A sheet aligning device characterized by that. The sheet aligning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The sheet aligning apparatus, wherein the second member is swingably attached to a support shaft provided on the first member. The sheet aligning apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
The second member is
When positioned at the alignment position, it is regulated by a first regulating means provided on the first member, moves integrally with the first member around the first rotation center,
When positioned at the retracted position, the movement by the second restricting means is released, thereby releasing the restriction by the first restricting means, and the second rotation center provided on the first member is used as the center. A sheet aligning device that moves together with the first member while rotating at a rotation radius smaller than the rotation radius of the first member. The sheet aligning apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
The first rotation center is an axis of a shaft that rotatably supports the first member;
The sheet aligning apparatus, wherein the second rotation center is an axis of a support shaft of a second member provided in the first member. In the paper aligning device according to any one of claims 4 to 7,
The first member includes only means for supporting and rotating the second member;
A sheet aligning apparatus that performs an aligning operation of a sheet end portion only by the aligning portion of the second member. In the paper aligning device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The rotation unit moves the alignment unit to a retreat position when sorting the sheets.   An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet aligning device according to claim 1.