Patent Abstract:
A sheet waste processing device includes: a sheet processing tool that generates piece-like sheet wastes by processing for sheets; a waste receiver that is provided freely movably under the sheet processing tool between a setting position where the sheet wastes generated by the sheet processing tool are housed and a non-setting position where the sheet wastes housed are disposed of; and a transporting/guarding member that is provided between the sheet processing tool and the waste receiver, transports the sheet wastes into the waste receiver located at the setting position, and blocks direct touching the sheet processing tool from a waste receiver space generated by movement of the waste receiver under the condition that the waste receiver is moved to the non-setting position.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is based on and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-308172 filed Nov. 14, 2007. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    1. Technical Field 
         [0003]    This invention relates to a sheet waste processing device which is employed in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or printer, and more particularly to a sheet waste processing device having a sheet waste generating unit capable of generating sheet wastes and an image forming apparatus using it. 
         [0004]    2. Related Art 
         [0005]    In recent years, with development of “on-demand publishing”, has been widely used the image forming apparatus such as an “in-line type” of copying machine or printer equipped with a center-binding function and a cutting function for making a booklet in addition to an image forming function. 
         [0006]    Such an apparatus is provided with a cutting device serving as a sheet waste processing device in which the edges (e.g. cut ends) of a booklet are cutting-finished so as to be finely trimmed in order to complete the booklet. The sheet wastes generated by cutting are taken in a housing vessel within the cutting device and appropriately disposed of. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    According to an aspect of the present invention, a sheet waste processing device includes: a sheet processing tool that generates piece-like sheet wastes by processing for sheets; a waste receiver that is provided freely movably under the sheet processing tool between a setting position where the sheet wastes generated by the sheet processing tool are received and a non-setting position where the sheet wastes received are disposed of; and a transporting/guarding member that is provided between the sheet processing tool and the waste receiver, transports the sheet wastes into the waste receiver located at the setting position, and blocks direct touching the sheet processing tool from a waste receiver space. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a view for explaining the schematic configuration of a sheet waste processing device according to this invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a view for explaining a printing device according to an embodiment to which this invention is applied; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a view for explaining a digital copying machine according to the embodiment; 
           [0012]      FIGS. 4A and 4B  are views for explaining a cutting device according to the embodiment; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view in  FIG. 4A ; 
           [0014]      FIGS. 6A to 6C  are views for explaining transporting/guarding member according to the embodiment; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 7A and 7B  are views showing a housing tray according to the embodiment; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8  is a view for explaining changes in a sheet bundle according to the embodiment; and 
           [0017]      FIGS. 9A to 9C  are views for explaining the manner of the sheet bundle on the housing tray according to the embodiment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    On the basis of an embodiment shown in the drawings attached herewith, a detailed explanation will be given of typical modes of this invention. 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  shows a printing device serving as an image forming apparatus including a sheet waste processing device according to an embodiment to which this invention is applied. 
         [0020]    In  FIG. 2 , reference numeral  10  denotes a digital copying machine serving as the image forming apparatus. Images are formed on sheets by the digital copying machine  10 . The sheets with the images formed thereon are subjected to several kinds of processing. On the downstream side of the digital copying machine  10 , therefore, combined therewith is a post-processing device  70  which executes post-processing such as binding processing, hole-making (punching) processing and center-binding/center-folding for the sheets. Arranged between the digital copying machine  10  and the post-processing device  70  are an inverted-transporting device  50  for inverted-transporting the sheet and a sheet stand-by device  60  for causing sheets to stand by as the occasion demands. 
         [0021]    Further, in this embodiment, arranged on the downstream side of the post-processing device  70  are a cutting device  100  for finish-cutting a bundle of sheets in a booklet form center-bound and center-folded by the post-processing device  70  and a housing tray  120  for housing the bundle of sheets (booklet) cut by the cutting device  100 . 
         [0022]    The digital copying machine  10  in this embodiment is configured as shown in  FIG. 3 . As seen from  FIG. 3 , on its upper side, the digital copying machine  10  includes an image reading device  40  for reading the image of a document  42  set on a platen glass  41 . Beneath the image reading device  40 , an image forming unit is provided. The image forming unit creates a toner image on a photosensitive body  11  and transfers the toner image thus created onto a sheet S transported by feeding roll  25  from plural sheet-feeding cassettes  21  to  24  arranged below the image forming unit. 
         [0023]    Therefore, arranged around the photosensitive body  11  are a charger  12  such a charging roll for uniformly charging the photosensitive body  11 , a light-exposing device  13  such as a laser scanner for forming a latent image on the photosensitive body  11  charged, a developing device  14  for visually imaging the latent image on the photosensitive body  11 , a transferring device  15  such as a colotron for transferring the toner image created on the photosensitive body  11  onto the sheet S fed from each of the feeding cassettes  21  to  24  and a cleaner  17  for cleaning the toners remaining on the photosensitive body  11  after transfer. Reference numeral  16  denotes an ionizer for separating the sheet S after the toner image is transferred from the photosensitive body  11 . Reference numeral  44  denotes an image information processing unit for processing the image information of the document  42  read by the image reading device  40 . Reference numeral  43  indicated in two-dot chain line denotes an automated document feeding device, which is an optional device, for feeding the document  42  onto the platen glass  41 . 
         [0024]    Further, the sheet transporting system in this digital copying machine  10  is constructed as follows. In the vicinity of the sheet feeding cassettes  21  to  24 , feeding rolls  25  for feeding the sheet S from each of the feeding cassettes  21  to  24  are provided. The sheet S fed by the feeding rolls  25  is transported by transporting rolls  26  arranged as required and guided to resist rolls  27  on the upstream side of the photosensitive body  11 . The resist rolls  27  control the positioning of the sheet to transport, at a predetermined timing, the sheet to an area where the photosensitive body  11  and the transferring device  15  are opposite to each other. 
         [0025]    The sheet subjected to transfer is transported to a fixer  28  in which the non-fixed toners on the sheet are fixed by e.g. heating and pressurizing. The sheet subjected to fixing is guided from exit roll  29  of the fixer  28  to ejecting roll  30  and transported to the device on the downstream side (inverted-transporting device  50  in this embodiment). 
         [0026]    On the other hand, where images are to be created on both sides of the sheet, the sheet passed the exit roll  29  of the fixer  28  is changed downward in its transporting direction by an inverting gate  31  and guided to an inverted-transporting path  34  through a tri-roll  32  composed of three roles arranged in pressure-contact and inverting rolls  33 . The sheet reached the inverted-transporting path  34  is transported to a return transporting path  36  with transporting rolls  35  by the inverting operation of the inverting rolls  33  under the condition that the rear end of the sheet is sandwiched by the inverting rolls  33 . The sheet transported to the return transporting path  36  is given an image on the rear surface by the charge transfer  15  via the resist rolls  27  and thereafter subjected to fixing by the fuser  28 . The sheet subjected to the fixing is transported to the device on the downstream side via the exit roll  29  and ejecting roll  30 . 
         [0027]    In this way, the sheet with the image created by the digital copying machine  10 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , is guided by the inverted-transporting device  50  or the sheet stand-by device  60  so that it is inverted-ejected to an ejecting tray  51  provided above or transported to the succeeding post-processing device at a predetermined timing by the sheet stand-by device  60 . 
         [0028]    The post-processing device  70  in this embodiment is provided with transporting rolls  71  for transporting the sheet fed from the sheet stand-by device  60  at the inlet and a puncher  72  for punching located immediately behind it. On the downstream side of the puncher  72 , the sheet transporting path is branched. An upper sheet transporting path  73  is further branched into a sheet transporting path  74  along which the sheet, as it is, guided to an ejecting tray  76  provided above the post-processing device  70  and a sheet transporting path  75  along which the sheet after edge-bound is ejected to an offset catch tray  77 . Therefore, the sheet transporting paths  73 ,  74  and  75  are appropriately provided with transporting rolls for sheet transportation and sensors, respectively. 
         [0029]    Further, the sheets transported to the sheet transporting path  75  are lined up by a paddle  81  and a tamper  82  and thereafter bound in their sheet edges by a stapler  83  and ejected onto the offset catch tray  77 . The offset catch tray  77  is adapted to automatically move downward as the number of the bundles of sheets increases. 
         [0030]    On the other hand, a sheet transporting path  78  branched downward from the puncher  72  is provided with a center-binding processing device  90  for making a booklet composed of plural sheets. 
         [0031]    The center-binding processing device  90  is provided with a sheet aligning tray  92  slanted on the skew. On the upstream side thereof, paddle-equipped transporting rolls  91  located for transporting the sheet to the sheet aligning tray  92  is located. At the lower end of the sheet aligning tray  92 , an end guide  96  for positioning the lower end (tip) of the sheet at a predetermined position is provided so that it can move along the vertical direction of the sheet aligning tray  92 . Further, in the vicinity of the end guide  96 , a paddle  97  for aligning the lower ends of the sheets is provided. 
         [0032]    Further, at the upper end of the sheet aligning tray  92 , a damper (not shown) for aligning the ends in the width direction of the sheets arranged on the sheet aligning tray  92  is provided. A damper driving unit  98  for driving the damper is provided. 
         [0033]    Thus, the sheets transported from the sheet transporting path  78  to the center-binding processing device  90  are aligned every plural sheets by the sheet aligning tray  92  via the paddle-equipped transporting roll  91 . 
         [0034]    Further, the center binding processing device  90  is also provided with a center-binding saddle stapler  94  for center-binding a bundle of plural sheets lined up on the sheet aligning tray  92 . Above the saddle stapler  94 , a knife wedge  95  for center-folding the bundle of the plural sheets center-bound is movably provided oppositely to a pair of center-folding roll  93 . Thus, by moving the end guide  96 , the plural sheets lined up on the sheet aligning tray  92  are center-bound by the saddle stapler  94 . By moving the knife wedge  95  toward the pair of the center-binding rolls  93 , the sheet bundle center-folded is transported with the center fold being at the head from an ejecting roll  99  to the succeeding cutting device  100 . 
         [0035]    Further, in this embodiment, between the cutting device  100  and the post-processing device  70 , belt transporters  107  circulating in a pair configuration are provided. The sheet bundle created as the booklet by the post processing device  70  is sandwich-transported by the belt transporter  107  and thereafter guided to a device body  101  of the cutting device  100 . Within the device body  101  of the cutting device  100 , transporting belts  102 ,  103  in the pair configuration for the sandwich-transporting the sheet bundle in the booklet form are provided as e.g. two sets of parallel belts in a direction nearly perpendicular to the transporting direction. Between the belts, a stopper  104  for positioning the tip (center fold of the booklet) is provided. The stopper  104  can advance or retreat, for example, from below for the sheet bundle transporting plane. 
         [0036]    Therefore, after the sheet bundle in the booklet form which being sandwiched by the transporting belts  102 ,  103  is positioned by the stopper  104 , it is cutting-finished in its rear end in such a manner that a knife  105  serving as a sheet processing tool located on the upstream side of the stopper  104  descends. 
         [0037]    In this case, the sheet wastes generated owing to cutting by the knife  105  are housed in a waste receiving box  106  which is a waste receiver mountably provided within the device body  101 . The shape and others of the waste receiving box  106  are not particularly limited as long as it can receive the sheet wastes. For example, the waste receiver may be a vessel with rigidity or a vessel using a film-like sack. 
         [0038]    In particular, the cutting device  100  in this embodiment is structured as shown in  FIGS. 4A and 4B . Now,  FIG. 4A  shows a stage in which the waste receiving box  106  is mounted at a setting position within the device body  101 .  FIG. 4B  is a stage in which the waste receiving box  106  has been removed from the device body  101  (moved at a non-setting position).  FIG. 5  is a view seen from the direction of an arrow A in  FIGS. 4A and 4B .  FIG. 5  shows the cutting device  100  in an intermediate stage between  FIGS. 4A and 4B , i.e. the intermediate stage in the process in the waste housing  106  is removed from the device body  101  (the stage moving from the setting position). 
         [0039]    Within the device body  101  of the cutting device  100  in this embodiment, an inlet roll  108  is provided where the sheet bundle in the booklet form transported from the post processing device  70  side is transported into the device body  101 . Between the inlet roll  108  and the knife  105 , guide members  109 ,  110  for guiding the sheet wastes generated owing to cutting by the knife  105  to the waste receiving box  106  are provided. Further, below the guides  109 ,  110 , a pair of rolling members  111  for transporting the sheet wastes guided by the guides  109 ,  110  to the sheet waste transporting box  106  are provided so as to roll in directions of arrows. The rolling members  111  serve as a transporting/guarding member in this embodiment. 
         [0040]    Further, the waste receiving box  106  is provided so that it can be pulled out from a receiver  106   a  within the device body  101  (for example, in  FIG. 4A , pulled out toward this side of the figure). Particularly, in this embodiment, on the lower side of the receiver  106   a , i.e. on the bottom side of the waste receiving box  106 , a concave area  106   b  is formed so that when the waste receiving box  106  is mounted in the receiver  106   a  (at a setting position), a space is kept between the receiver  106   a  and the waste receiving box  106 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view when seen from the side in  FIG. 4A . The sheet wastes generated owing to cutting by the knife  105  are housed, as they are, into the waste receiving box  106  through the rolling members  111 . 
         [0042]    As for the rolling members  111  in this embodiment, as seen from  FIG. 6A , two members  111   a ,  111   b  are arranged apart from each other by a predetermined gap. This gap d is kept with a narrow gap so that from the space side when the waste receiving box  106  at the setting position is moved, an operator&#39;s finger does not touch the knife  105 . Namely, the rolling members  111  have also a guarding function. Thus, in this embodiment, the pair of rolling members  111  serve as transporting/guarding member. 
         [0043]    In this embodiment, by arranging the rolling members  111  in this way, there can be provided a cutting device  100  in which the sheet wastes are preferably transported, invasion of the operator&#39;s finder can be prevented, and safety is also considered. 
         [0044]    Further, as seen from  FIG. 2 , on the downstream side of the cutting device  100 , a housing tray  120  for housing sheet bundles in the booklet form cutting-finished is provided so as to project nearly horizontally from the one side of the cutting device  100 . 
         [0045]    In the housing tray  120 , as shown in  FIGS. 7A and 7B , two sheet bundle transporting belts  122  ( 122   a ,  122   b ) rotatably for a supporting frame  121  are arranged in nearly parallel so as to constitute a transporting plane (along which the sheet bundle in the booklet form is transported) projecting upward from the supporting frame  121 . At the tip side (downstream side in the transporting direction) of the supporting frame  121 , a slope  123  is provided which projects in a rearward sloped state from the supporting frame  121 . At the slope  123 , the sheet bundle transported by the sheet bundle transporting belts  122  is stopped and stacked thereon. Further, in the vicinity of the end on the downstream side of the sheet bundle transporting belts  122  at the upper position of the supporting frame  121 , a full stack sensor  125  is provided for detecting the fully stacked state of the sheet bundles stacked and housed by the slope  123 . Furthermore, as shown in  FIG. 2 , above the sheet bundle transporting belts  122 , a depressing member  124  is provided for depressing the sheet bundle transported on the sheet transporting belts  122 . 
         [0046]    In this embodiment, the sheet transporting belts  122  of the housing tray  120  are drive-controlled so that the sheets bundles ejected onto the sheet bundle transporting belts  122  from the cutting device  100  are successively stacked. 
         [0047]    An explanation will be given of the operation of the printing device having the structure as described above, mainly of the processed state of the sheets after the post-processing device  70 . 
         [0048]    In this embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the sheet with the image created by the digital copying machine  10  is transported to the post-processing device  70  via the inverted-transporting device  50  and sheet stand-by device  60 . The sheet passed through the sheet transporting path  78  of the post-processing device  70  is transported to a center-binding device  90 . The bundle of sheets lined up is center-bound and center-folded. The sheet bundle folded is transported with the fold being at the head from the ejecting roll  99  to the succeeding cutting device  100  via the belt transporting body  107 . 
         [0049]    In the cutting device  100 , with the fold of the sheet bundle being positioned by the stopper  104 , the sheet bundle is cut by the knife  105  so that it is cutting-finished (cut-end finished) to have a predetermined length. 
         [0050]    The sheets in such a process until the cutting change as shown in  FIGS. 8A to 8C . Specifically, as shown in  FIG. 8A , the plural sheets lined up become the sheet bundle center-bound in the post-processing device  70 . The sheet bundle center-folded within the same post-processing device  70  becomes the shape as shown in  FIG. 8B . At this time, the length of the sheet bundle folded is different between its internal side and the external side (surface side). So, the lengths at the end of the sheet bundle at the center-folded stage are not uniform. By cutting-finishing the non-uniform portion using the cutting device  100 , the finished state with the lengths at the end aligned can be obtained as shown in  FIG. 8C . 
         [0051]    The sheet bundles cutting-finished by the cutting device  100  are successively ejected to the housing tray  120 . In this case, since the sheet bundle transporting belts  122  of the housing tray  120  are drive-controlled so as to move at a predetermined timing, the sheet bundles on the sheet bundle transporting belts  122  are ejected so that a succeeding sheet bundle is stacked on at a part of the sheet bundle earlier ejected. The sheet bundles stacked are successively transported toward the slope  123  by the transporting force of the sheet bundle transporting belts  122 . The sheet bundles are successively dammed by the slope  123  so that the succeeding sheet bundles are stacked in their raised state. When the sheet bundles exceed the full stack sensor  125 , housing of the sheet bundles into the housing tray  120  is stopped. 
         [0052]      FIGS. 9A to 9C  show the stacked state of the sheet bundles in the housing tray  120 . As shown in  FIG. 9A , as regards the sheet bundles on the housing tray  120 , the succeeding sheet bundle is partially stacked on the preceding sheet bundle. The sheet bundles successively stacked, as they are, are transported toward the slope  123  within the housing tray  120 . When the sheet bundle at the head reaches the slope  123 , since the slope  123  is angled at a predetermined angle, the sheet bundle suffers the transporting force given by the sheet bundle transporting belts  122  and friction force at the area where the sheet bundle itself come in contact with. Thus, the sheet bundles slide on the slope  123  and are lined up with their fold oriented upward. The succeeding sheet bundle is also influenced by the preceding sheet bundle so that the sheet bundles are lined up in a direction standing with their fold oriented upward. Thus, the sheet bundles successively lined up as shown from  FIG. 9B  to  FIG. 9C . When it is detected by the full stack sensor  125  (see  FIG. 7 ) that the sheet bundles are fully stacked on the housing tray  120 , a message display may be made by, for example, an operation unit of the digital copying machine  10  so that an operator is urged to take out the sheet bundles lined up from the housing tray  120 . 
         [0053]    On the other hand, the sheet wastes generated owing to cutting by the cutting device  100 , as shown in  FIG. 4A , are downward transported by the rotating force of the rolling members  111  from the guides  109 ,  110  through between the pair of rolling members  111  (concretely,  111   a  and  111   b  in  FIG. 6  and housed into the waste receiving box  106 . 
         [0054]    At this time, since the rolling members  111  are rotating, the sheet wastes can be preferably transported. 
         [0055]    The rotation of the rolling members  111  may be stopped, for example, at the stage when the waste receiving box  106  has been moved from the receiver  106   a  within the device body  101  of the cutting device  100 . However, in this embodiment, also when the waste receiving box  106  has moved, the rolling members  111  continue to rotate, as they are, so that the sheet wastes can be housed in the concave area  106   b  formed below the waste receiving box  106 . For this reason, also in disposing of the sheet wastes in the waste receiving box  106 , it is not necessary to stop the operation of the cutting device  100 , thereby restraining degradation in the productivity of the cutting device  100 . The concave area  106   b  may be cleaned by in the manner of, for example, scratching out the sheet wastes housed in the concave area  106   b  with a hand. Even if such a manner is adopted, since safety is assured, a particularly problematic situation does not occur. 
         [0056]    In this embodiment, the gap d (see  FIG. 6A ) between the pair of rolling members  111  was fixed using the pair of rolling members  111  serving as the transporting/guarding member (concretely,  111   a ,  111   b ). However, for example, at the stage when the waste receiving box  106  is mounted, a gap wider than this gap d may be given. Further, when the waste receiving box  106  has been moved from the receiver  106   a , the gap d may be lost (the rolling members  111  are brought into contact with each other). Furthermore, the rolling members  111  may be brought into contact with each other from the beginning as long as the sheet wastes are transported. 
         [0057]    Further, a guide may be located at the position opposite to a single rolling member  111  adopted as the transporting/guarding member so that the space between the single rolling member  111  and the guide serves as a route for transporting the sheet wastes. In this case, as the guide, a dedicated guide may be provided, or otherwise, for example, a frame of the device body  101  may be used. 
         [0058]    In this embodiment, the pair of rolling members  111  as shown in  FIG. 6A  were employed as the transporting/guarding member. However, the members as shown in  FIG. 6B  or  6 C may be employed. 
         [0059]    The transporting/guarding member shown in  FIG. 6B  is a pair of rotating members  112  ( 112   a ,  112   b ) each with a plural projections  113  ( 113   a ,  113   b ) formed on the surface. By using these rotating members  112 , the space between the projections  113  can be lost, and while the sheet wastes are transported, these projections  113  can improve the transportability, thereby providing the transporting/guarding member in which the transportability of the sheet wastes and the safety are taken into consideration. In this case, the material of the projections  113  should not be limited, but is preferably rubber with high hardness according to the deformation of the sheet wastes and from the viewpoint of safety. 
         [0060]    Further, the rotating members  112  may be formed in either a roll-shape or belt-shape. Moreover, the pair of rotating members  112  is provided so that they can be brought into contact with or separation from each other. Particularly, if the rotating members  112  are adapted to be brought into contact with each other, the guarding function by the transporting/guarding member can be further enhanced. Furthermore, the rotating members  112  provided with the projections may be realized, for example, in such a manner that the projections are formed on the surface of the rolling member or belt member, or a paddle-like manner. 
         [0061]    Further, the transporting/guarding member shown in  FIG. 6C  is composed of a pair of belt members  114  ( 114   a ,  114   b ) with a plural projections  115  ( 115   a ,  115   b ) formed on the surface. Using these belt members  114 , the same advantage as in  FIG. 6B  can be obtained. 
         [0062]    As understood from the description hitherto made, in this embodiment, upon housing the sheet wastes generated in the cutting device  100  to the waste receiving box  106 , since the transporting/guarding member is provided between the knife  105  and the waste receiving box  106 , both functions of the transportability of the sheet wastes and the safety can be satisfied. 
         [0063]    Additionally, such application of the transporting/guarding member to the cutting device  100  means that they can be also applied to the manner of sheet processing in e.g. a puncher or stapler. In such a case also, the transporting/guarding member may be employed. 
         [0064]    Further, in this embodiment, the digital copying machine  10  was employed as the image forming unit. Without being limited to it, a printer may be employed. In this embodiment, although a monochromatic image was created by the digital copying machine  10 , it is needless to say that a color image may be created. 
         [0065]    The foregoing description of the embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention defined by the following claims and their equivalents.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1