SHEET CONVEYING APPARATUS AND BOOK BINDING APPARATUS

Abstract

A sheet conveying apparatus includes first and second conveying paths. The first conveying path is configured to receive a sheet from a device connected at an upstream side in a sheet conveying direction so as to transfer the sheet to a device connected at a downstream side in the sheet conveying direction. The second conveying path intersects with the first conveying path. A controller switches between a first operation mode and a second operation mode. In the first operation mode, the sheet is conveyed along the first conveying path, and in the second operation mode, the sheet is conveyed along the second conveying path. The controller controls a sheet conveying operation in the first operation mode or the second operation mode in accordance with the state of the sheet on the second conveying path.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a drawing of an entire configuration of an image forming system.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an entire bonding book binding apparatus.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic exemplary views illustrating a bonding unit.

FIGS. 5 to 12 are schematic views illustrating an adhesion unit.

FIGS. 13 to 18 are schematic exemplary views illustrating a cutting unit.

FIGS. 19 to 22 are schematic exemplary views illustrating a book-binding discharge unit.

FIGS. 23 and 24 are exemplary views illustrating sheet flow during loading text sheets.

FIGS. 25 and 26 are exemplary views illustrating text sheet and book cover flow.

FIGS. 27 and 28 are exemplary views illustrating book cover flow fed from an inserter.

FIG. 29 is an exemplary view of an operation display unit.

FIG. 30 is a block diagram of hardware.

FIG. 31 is a flowchart illustrating a control method of a bonding book binding apparatus.

FIG. 32 is a first diagram illustrating the control method of the bonding book binding apparatus.

FIG. 33 is a second diagram illustrating the control method of the bonding book binding apparatus.

FIG. 34 is an arrangement drawing of four sheet bundles (1), (2), (3), and (4) in the apparatus.

FIG. 35 is a flowchart illustrating conveying-operation allowing control of the bonding book binding apparatus.

FIG. 36 is a flowchart illustrating job control of an image forming apparatus.

FIG. 37 is an arrangement drawing of two sheet bundles (1) and (2) in the device.

FIG. 38 is an arrangement drawing of three sheet bundles (1), (2), and (3) in the device.

FIG. 39 is a flowchart illustrating conveying-operation allowing control of a bonding book binding apparatus according to another embodiment.

Claims

1. A sheet conveying apparatus comprising: a first conveying path configured to receive a sheet from a first device connected at an upstream side in a sheet conveying direction so as to facilitate transferring the sheet to a second device connected at a downstream side in the sheet conveying direction;a second conveying path intersecting with the first conveying path; anda controller configured to switch between a first operation mode in which the sheet is conveyed along the first conveying path and a second operation mode in which the sheet is conveyed along the second conveying path,wherein the controller controls a sheet conveying operation in the first operation mode or the second operation mode in accordance with a state of the sheet on the second conveying path.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines whether to permit or prohibit operation in the first operation mode or the second operation mode in accordance with the position of a sheet bundle on the second conveying path.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines whether to permit or prohibit operation in the first operation mode or the second operation mode in accordance with whether at least one sheet bundle existing on the second conveying path intersects with the first conveying path.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller slows down a sheet transportation speed of the first operation mode or the second operation mode so that the sheet being conveyed in the first conveying path and the sheet being conveyed in the second conveying path do not come into contact.

5. A book binding apparatus comprising: a first conveying path configured to receive a sheet from a first device connected at an upstream side in a sheet conveying direction so as to facilitate transferring the sheet to a second device connected at the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction;a loading tray configured to receive a plurality of sheets from the first device and to load the sheets thereon to form a sheet bundle;a book binding device configured to convey the sheet bundle loaded on the loading tray and to bind the conveyed sheet bundle;a storing device configured to store the sheet bundle bound by the book binding device therein;a second conveying path configured to facilitate conveying the sheet bundle from the loading tray to the storing device, the second conveying path intersecting with the first conveying path; anda controller configured to switch between a first operation mode in which the sheet is conveyed along the first conveying path so as to transfer the sheet to the second device, and a second operation mode in which the sheet bundle is conveyed along the second conveying path so as to execute binding on the sheet bundle using the book binding device,wherein the controller controls a sheet conveying operation in the first operation mode or the second operation mode in accordance with a state of the sheet on the second conveying path.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the controller determines whether to permit or prohibit operation in the first operation mode or the second operation mode in accordance with a position of the sheet bundle on the second conveying path.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the controller determines whether to permit or prohibit operation in the first operation mode or the second operation mode in accordance with whether at least one sheet bundle on the second conveying path intersects with the first conveying path.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the controller prohibits operation in the first operation mode at a time when the controller determines that a sheet bundle on the loading tray is conveyed to the second conveying path, and permits operation in the first operation mode at a time when the entire sheet bundles on the second conveying path are stored in the storing device.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the controller determines whether to permit or prohibit loading a sheet onto the loading tray in accordance with the state of the sheet bundle on the second conveying path.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the book binding device binds a booklet by gluing a sheet bindle.

11. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a cutting device configured to uniformly cut an end portion of the sheet bundle bound by the book binding device.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the book binding device is arranged at a position above a confluent point of the first conveying path with the second conveying path, and the cutting device is arranged at a position below the confluent point.

13. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a cover sheet feeding device configured to feed a cover sheet, wherein the cover sheet fed from the cover sheet feeding device is conveyed along the first conveying path.

14. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the book binding device is connected to an image forming apparatus arranged at the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction, and the controller informs the image forming apparatus about the determination of whether to permit or prohibit operation in the first operation mode or the second operation mode.