Post-processing device and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016016750-A1
Application number	US-201514798107-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 13, 2015
Priority date	Jul 16, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A post-processing device for applying a post-process to one or more sheets outputted by a device of a preceding stage, a printer for example, is provided. The post-processing device includes: an alignment mechanism for applying an alignment process for arranging a current sheet bundle; an output mechanism for outputting the current sheet bundle; a prestacking mechanism; and a control unit. The control unit performs a control in such a manner that at least a part of operation of the alignment mechanism or of operation of the output mechanism is switched from a normal operation mode for operation at a normal operation speed to a high-speed operation mode for operation at an operation speed greater than the normal operation speed when a time to completely output the current sheet bundle is later than a time to completely perform prestacking the next sheet bundle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A post-processing device for applying a post-process to one or more sheets outputted by a device of a preceding stage, the post-processing device comprising:
an alignment mechanism which includes a sheet rest in which one or more sheets outputted by the device of the preceding stage are put, and applies an alignment process for arranging a current sheet bundle which is a sheet bundle of one or more sheets and is put in the sheet rest; an output mechanism configured to output the current sheet bundle that has been subjected to the alignment process by the alignment mechanism outside the sheet rest; a prestacking mechanism configured to perform prestacking of temporarily keeping, in an upstream of the sheet rest, a next sheet bundle which is the sheet bundle which is outputted by the device of the preceding stage before the output mechanism outputs the current sheet bundle, and to put, in the sheet rest, the next sheet bundle that has been subjected to the prestacking after the current sheet bundle is outputted; and a control unit; wherein the control unit performs a control in such a manner that at least a part of operation of the alignment mechanism or of operation of the output mechanism is switched from a normal operation mode for operation at a normal operation speed to a high-speed operation mode for operation at an operation speed greater than the normal operation speed when a time to completely output the current sheet bundle is later than a time to completely perform prestacking the next sheet bundle.

2 . The post-processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines that the time to completely output the current sheet bundle is later than the time to completely perform prestacking the next sheet bundle if the number of sheets of the next sheet bundle is smaller than a predetermined number of sheets.

3 . The post-processing device according to claim 1 , wherein, as the predetermined number of sheets, a value is used which is obtained by dividing a time from when operation for putting, in the sheet rest, the sheet bundle that has been subjected to the prestacking by the prestacking mechanism is started to when the sheet bundle is outputted by the output mechanism and prestacking of a sheet outputted first as the next sheet bundle by the device of the preceding stage is enabled by a time pitch of two sheets successively outputted by the device of the preceding stage and rounding up a resultant value to become an integer.

4 . The post-processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the output mechanism includes
an FD conveyance portion configured to convey the sheet bundle that has been subjected to the alignment process by the alignment mechanism to an output standby position in a downstream of the sheet rest,
a sheet rest posture changing portion configured to switch a posture of the sheet rest between a lowered state in which a sheet outputted by the device of the preceding stage is acceptable and a raised state in which the sheet bundle in the sheet rest is outputtable to an external output tray, and
a pushing portion configured to, when the sheet rest is in the raised state, push the sheet bundle in the sheet rest to push out the sheet bundle in the output tray, and
the control unit controls any one of: a conveyance operation of the sheet bundle by the FD conveyance portion; a posture change operation of the sheet rest from the lowered state to the raised state by the sheet rest posture changing portion; and a push operation of the sheet bundle by the pushing portion, so that the normal operation mode is switched to the high-speed operation mode.

5 . The post-processing device according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit selects a target operation to be switched from the normal operation mode to the high-speed operation mode based on a size, type, and quantity of a sheet of each sheet bundle.

6 . The post-processing device according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit includes an operation target selection portion for selecting a target operation to be switched from the normal operation mode to the high-speed operation mode.

7 . The post-processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit performs a control in such a manner that, for at least any one of the current sheet bundle and the next sheet bundle, at least a part of operation of the alignment mechanism or of operation of the output mechanism is switched from the normal operation mode to the high-speed operation mode when a print command to a bundle after the next sheet bundle which is supposed to be outputted next to the next sheet bundle from the device of the preceding stage is detected, and further, when outputting the current sheet bundle and the next sheet bundle outwardly has not yet been completed.

8 . The post-processing device according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit performs a control in such a manner that, for the current sheet bundle, at least a part of operation of the alignment mechanism or of operation of the output mechanism is switched from the normal operation mode to the high-speed operation mode when the output mechanism performs output operation on the current sheet bundle.

9 . The post-processing device according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit performs a control in such a manner that, for the next sheet bundle, at least a part of operation of the alignment mechanism or of operation of the output mechanism is switched from the normal operation mode to the high-speed operation mode when the output mechanism performs output operation on the current sheet bundle.

10 . The post-processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit includes an interval determining portion for determining a conveyance interval between successive sheet bundles.

11 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
a printer configured to, in response to a print command, print onto one or more sheets to output said one or more sheets to a post-processing device; the post-processing device configured to apply a post-process to said one or more sheets outputted by the printer; and a control device configured to control the printer and the post-processing device; wherein the post-processing device includes
an alignment mechanism which includes a sheet rest in which said one or more sheets outputted by the printer are put, and applies an alignment process for arranging a current sheet bundle which is a sheet bundle of one or more sheets and is put in the sheet rest,
an output mechanism configured to output the current sheet bundle that has been subjected to the alignment process by the alignment mechanism outside the sheet rest, and
a prestacking mechanism configured to perform prestacking of temporarily keeping, in an upstream of the sheet rest, a next sheet bundle which is the sheet bundle which is outputted by the printer before the output mechanism outputs the current sheet bundle, and to put, in the sheet rest, the next sheet bundle that has been subjected to the prestacking after the current sheet bundle is outputted, and
the control device performs a control in such a manner that at least a part of operation of the alignment mechanism or of operation of the output mechanism is switched from a normal operation mode for operation at a normal operation speed to a high-speed operation mode for operation at an operation speed greater than the normal operation speed when the print command to a bundle after the next sheet bundle which is supposed to be outputted next to the next sheet bundle is given during prestacking of the next sheet bundle by the prestacking mechanism.

12 . The image forming apparatus a

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Wakide Hitoshi

Classifications

• B65H31/02 Primary

  with stationary end support against which pile accumulates · CPC title

• H04N1/0066

  Aligning or positioning related to handling · CPC title

• G06K15/16

  Means for paper feeding or form feeding · CPC title

• H04N1/00591

  from the scanning position (H04N1/00572 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H31/36 Primary

  Auxiliary devices for contacting each article with a front stop as it is piled · CPC title