EP-4739606-A1 - MEDIUM PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM

EP4739606A1EP 4739606 A1EP4739606 A1EP 4739606A1EP-4739606-A1

Abstract

A medium processing apparatus includes: a liquid applier (32) to apply a liquid to a medium; and a post-processing device (33) to perform post-processing on media including the medium to which the liquid is applied by the liquid applier, wherein the liquid applier includes: a stacker to mount the medium on the stacker; and a liquid application member (44) disposed opposite to the stacker with the medium interposed between the liquid application member and the stacker, the liquid application member (44) containing the liquid to be applied to the medium, and the liquid application member (44) moves between: a contact position where the liquid application member is in contact with the medium to apply the liquid onto the medium; a separation position where the liquid application member is separated from the medium; and a first medium receiving position disposed between the contact position and the separation position.

Inventors

AKATA, CHIKARA
SASAKI, KEI
SETO, KAZUKI
SUGIYAMA, KEISUKE

Assignees

Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20240611

Claims (11)

[Claim 1] A medium processing apparatus comprising: a liquid applier to apply a liquid to a medium; and a post-processing device to perform post-processing on media including the medium to which the liquid is applied by the liquid applier, wherein the liquid applier includes: a stacker to mount the medium on the stacker; and a liquid application member disposed opposite to the stacker with the medium interposed between the liquid application member and the stacker, the liquid application member containing the liquid to be applied to the medium, and the liquid application member moves between: a contact position where the liquid application member is in contact with the medium to apply the liquid onto the medium; a separation position where the liquid application member is separated from the medium; and a first medium receiving position disposed between the contact position and the separation position.
[Claim 2] The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to: move the liquid application member at the first medium receiving position; move the medium between the stacker and the liquid application member; move the liquid application member from the first medium receiving position to the contact position; and cause the liquid applier to apply the liquid to the medium stacked on the stacker.
[Claim 3] The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to: move the first medium receiving position closer to the separation position as a number of the media on which the post-processing is to be performed by the post-processing device increases.
[Claim 4] The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to: cause the post-processing device to perform the post-processing on the media; and move the liquid application member to the separation position after the post-processing.
[Claim 5] The medium processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: an alignment member to align positions of the media in an entering direction of the media entered between the stacker and the liquid application member; and a mover configured to move the liquid applier in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the entering direction, wherein the controller is further configured to: move the liquid application member to the separation position to move the liquid applier from one side to another side of the alignment member in the orthogonal direction.
[Claim 6] The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a controller configured to move the liquid application member, wherein the liquid applier includes: a pressing unit disposed opposite to the stacker with the medium interposed between the stacker and the pressing unit, the pressing unit movable between: a pressing position to press the medium; and a release position separated from the medium, and the controller is further configured to: move the pressing unit to the pressing position; move the liquid application member to the contact position after moving the pressing unit to the pressing unit; separate the liquid application member from the medium; and move the pressing unit from the pressing position toward the release position after separating the liquid application member from the medium.
[Claim 7] The medium processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to move the pressing unit between: the pressing position; the release position; and a second medium receiving position between the pressing position and the release position.
[Claim 8] The medium processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to: move the medium between the stacker and the liquid application member; move the pressing unit to the second medium receiving position; move the liquid application member from the second medium receiving position to the pressing position; and move the liquid application member to the contact position after moving the liquid application member to the pressing position.
[Claim 9] The medium processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising an operation device to receive an input operation to input at least one of: the first medium receiving position; and the second medium receiving position.
[Claim 10] The medium processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the controller is further configured to move the liquid application member and the pressing unit move in conjunction with each other.
[Claim 11] An image forming system comprising: the medium processing apparatus according to claim 1; and an image forming apparatus to form an image on the medium.

Description

[DESCRIPTION] [Title of Invention] MEDIUM PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM [Technical Field] [0001] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a medium processing apparatus and an image forming system incorporating the medium processing apparatus. [Background Art] [0002] Medium processing apparatuses are known in the related art that bind sheet-shaped media, on which images are formed by image forming apparatuses, into a bundle of media. Since sheets are widely known as an example of sheet-shaped media, a "sheet bundle" that is a stack of sheets is used as an example of a bundle of sheet-shaped media in the following description. Some medium processing apparatuses include a crimper that can perform so-called "crimp binding" without metal staples from a viewpoint of resource saving and reduction in environmental load. Specifically, the crimper sandwiches a sheet bundle with serrate binding teeth to press and deform the sheet bundle. [0003] An increased number of sheets of the sheet bundle hamper the binding teeth in biting into the sheet bundle and may cause some sheets to peel off from the bound sheets. Thus, the crimp binding has some difficulties in keeping the sheet bundle bound as appropriate. Therefore, in order to increase the binding strength, a medium processing apparatus that performs crimp binding includes a liquid applier that applies liquid in advance to a position (hereinafter, referred to as a "binding position") on a sheet where binding teeth come into contact, so as to make the binding teeth easily bite into the sheet bundle (see, for example, Patent Literature (PTL) 1). [Citation List] [Patent Literature] [PTL 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-13930 [Summary of Invention] In an aspect of the present disclosure, a medium processing apparatus is provided that includes: a liquid applier to apply a liquid to a medium; and a post-processing device to perform post-processing on media including the medium to which the liquid is applied by the liquid applier, wherein the liquid applier includes: a stacker to mount the medium on the stacker; and a liquid application member disposed opposite to the stacker with the medium interposed between the liquid application member and the stacker, the liquid application member containing the liquid to be applied to the medium, and the liquid application member moves between: a contact position where the liquid application member is in contact with the medium to apply the liquid onto the medium; a separation position where the liquid application member is separated from the medium; and a first medium receiving position disposed between the contact position and the separation position. [Problems to be Solved] [0004] However, the medium processing apparatus described in PTL 1 applies the liquid to the sheet by moving the liquid-containing liquid application member to abut on the surface of the sheet. More particularly, the liquid application member is raised when the sheet is conveyed by the conveyor, and the liquid application member is lowered when the liquid is applied to the sheet. Therefore, there is a problem that when the distance for raising and lowering the liquid application member is long, the productivity of the medium processing apparatus is decreased. [0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a medium processing apparatus that applies an appropriate amount of liquid to a medium while suppressing a decrease in productivity of the medium processing apparatus. [Solution to Problem] [0006] [Advantageous Effects of Invention] [0007] According to the present disclosure, a medium processing apparatus is obtained that applies an appropriate amount of liquid to a medium while suppressing a decrease in productivity of the medium processing apparatus. [Brief Description of Drawings] [0008] A more complete appreciation of embodiments of the present disclosure and many of the attendant advantages and features thereof can be readily obtained and understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. [FIG. 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [FIG. 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an internal structure of the post-processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [FIG. 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an edge binder of the post-processing apparatus of FIG. 2, viewed from an upstream side in a conveyance direction. [FIG. 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a configuration of a liquid applier of the edge binder of FIG. 3 in a main scanning direction. [FIGS. 5 A and 5B] FIGS. 5 A and 5B are diagrams illustrating an arrangement and a configuration of a second liquid storage in the post-processing apparatus. [FIG. 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an attachment/detachment configuration of a second liqu