Binding device and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016009116-A1
Application number	US-201514691626-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 21, 2015
Priority date	Jul 9, 2014
Publication date	Jan 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A binding device includes a sheet-bundle forming unit; a binding unit that executes a series of operation including inserting a wire into a sheet bundle and bending the wire; a power supply unit; a detector that detects a first timing for transitioning from bending operation to recovery operation; a first timekeeper that measures time from a start point of the series of operation to a first time point, which is an end of a scheduled first-timing detection period; a unit-of-processing manager; and a supply power controller. When the first time point is reached before detection of the first timing, the controller causes the power supply unit to adjust the electric power before the first timing is reached, such that the first timing is detected before the first time point in the series of operation for a second bundle belonging to the same unit of processing as a first bundle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A binding device comprising:
a sheet-bundle forming unit that forms a sheet bundle by receiving and stacking a plurality of sheets; a binding unit that includes a motor and that executes a series of operation including inserting opposite ends of a substantially U-shaped bent wire into the sheet bundle by utilizing a driving force from the motor, and bending the opposite ends; a power supply unit that adjusts electric power and supplies the adjusted electric power to the motor; a detector that detects, based on a rotational amount of the motor, a first timing for transitioning from bending operation for bending the opposite ends of the wire that have pierced the sheet bundle to recovery operation for recovering to an initial position upon completion of the bending operation; a first timekeeper that measures time from a start point of the series of operation to a first time point, which is an end point of a scheduled period for detecting the first timing; a unit-of-processing manager that manages a unit of processing; and a supply power controller, wherein when the first time point measured by the first timekeeper is reached before the first timing is detected by the detector, the supply power controller causes the power supply unit to adjust the electric power supplied to the motor before the first timing is reached, such that the first timing is detected by the detector prior to reaching of the first time point measured by the first timekeeper in the series of operation for a second sheet bundle that is to undergo a subsequent series of operation belonging to the same unit of processing as a first sheet bundle undergoing a current series of operation, and wherein the supply power controller causes the power supply unit to increase the electric power supplied to the motor when the first time point measured by the first timekeeper is reached before the first timing is detected by the detector.

2 . A binding device comprising:
a sheet-bundle forming unit that forms a sheet bundle by receiving and stacking a plurality of sheets; a binding unit that includes a motor and that executes a series of operation including inserting opposite ends of a substantially U-shaped bent wire into the sheet bundle by utilizing a driving force from the motor, and bending the opposite ends; a power supply unit that adjusts electric power and supplies the adjusted electric power to the motor; a detector that detects, based on a rotational amount of the motor, a first timing for transitioning from bending operation for bending the opposite ends of the wire that have pierced the sheet bundle to recovery operation for recovering to an initial position upon completion of the bending operation; a first timekeeper that measures time from a start point of the series of operation to a first time point, which is an end of a scheduled period for detecting the first timing; a second timekeeper that measures time from the start point of the series of operation to a second time point, which is a start point of the schedule period and is reached prior to the first time point; a unit-of-processing manager that manages a unit of processing; and a supply power controller, wherein when the first timing is detected by the detector before the second time point measured by the second timekeeper is reached, the supply power controller causes the power supply unit to adjust the electric power supplied to the motor before the first timing is reached, such that the first timing is detected by the detector when or after the second time point measured by the second timekeeper is reached in the series of operation for a second sheet bundle that is to undergo a subsequent series of operation belonging to the same unit of processing as a first sheet bundle undergoing a current series of operation, and wherein the supply power controller causes the power supply unit to increase the electric power supplied to the motor when the first time point measured by the first timekeeper is reached before the first timing is detected by the detector.

3 . The binding device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second timekeeper that measures time from the start point of the series of operation to a second time point that is reached prior to the first time point, wherein when the first timing is detected by the detector before the second time point measured by the second timekeeper is reached, the supply power controller causes the power supply unit to adjust the electric power supplied to the motor before the first timing is reached, such that the first timing is detected by the detector when or after the second time point measured by the second timekeeper is reached in the series of operation for a second sheet bundle that is to undergo a subsequent series of operation belonging to the same unit of processing as a first sheet bundle undergoing a current series of operation.

4 . The binding device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the detector further detects a second timing in addition to the first timing, the second timing being a timing at which a transition is made from activation operation starting from the initial position to piercing operation for piercing the wire through the sheet bundle, the piercing operation continuing from the activation operation, and wherein the supply power controller causes the power supply unit to reduce the electric power supplied to the motor at the second timing detected by the detector.

5 . The binding device according to claim 4 ,
wherein, in addition to the first timing and the second timing, the detector further detects at least one third timing between the first timing and the second timing, and wherein the supply power controller causes the power supply unit to change the electric power supplied to the motor at the third timing detected by the detector such that, if the same electric power is continuously supplied before and after the third timing, the supplied electric power corresponding to relatively louder operating noise caused by the series of operation and the supplied electric power corresponding to relatively quieter operating noise caused by the series of operation are respectively reduced and increased with the third timing as a boundary point.

6 . The binding device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the motor is a direct-current motor, wherein the power supply unit is configured to interrupt the electric power supplied to the direct-current motor such that a connection-time ratio when the electric power is interrupted is adjustable, and wherein the supply power controller causes the power supply unit to change the ratio of the electric power supplied to the direct-current motor.

7 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
the binding device according to claim 1 , wherein the image forming apparatus forms images onto sheets and transport the sheets to the binding device, and the binding device forms a bundle of the transported sheets and binds the bundle by performing the series of operation.

Assignees

• Fuji Xerox Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sato Ryuichi

Classifications

• G03G15/5004

  Power supply control, e.g. power-saving mode, automatic power turn-off · CPC title

• G03G15/6544

  Details about the binding means or procedure · CPC title

• B65H2801/27

  Devices located downstream of office-type machines · CPC title

• B65H37/04

  for securing together articles or webs, e.g. by adhesive, stitching or stapling (adhering replacement to expiring web during change of web roll B65H19/18) · CPC title

• B27F7/21

  with means for forming the staples in the machine · CPC title