Post-processing device and image forming system provided with the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10464772-B2
Application number	US-201715670394-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2017
Priority date	Apr 23, 2014
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A post-processing device for processing a sheet includes a first post-processing section and a second post-processing section, for processing a sheet; a buffer section for temporarily staying a sheet transferred from a carry-in port; a first conveying section for conveying a sheet at the buffer section to the first post-processing section; and a second conveying section for conveying a sheet at the buffer section to the second post-processing section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A post-processing device for post-processing a sheet bundle formed by a plurality of sheets, comprising:
a carry-in port for carrying a sheet in;
a first post-processing section and a second post-processing section, for post-processing a sheet bundle formed by a plurality of sheets carried in the carry-in port;
a single buffer section for temporarily staying at least one sheet transferred from the carry-in port while post-processing the sheet bundle in the first post-processing section and temporarily staying at least one sheet transferred from the carry-in port while post-processing the sheet bundle in the second post-processing section;
a first conveying section for conveying at least one sheet staying at the buffer section to the first post-processing section while post-processing the sheet bundle in the first post-processing section; and
a second conveying section for conveying at least one sheet staying at the buffer section to the second post-processing section while post-processing the sheet bundle in the second post-processing section.

2. The post-processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first path for conveying a sheet from the carry-in port to the first post-processing section, and
a second path branched from the first path and conveying a sheet to the second post-processing section, and
wherein the buffer section is provided to be spread between the first and second paths.

3. The post-processing device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a third conveying section for conveying a sheet from the carry-in port, to the buffer section,
a branching portion where the second path branches from the first path,
a first sensor for detecting a sheet, disposed between the carry-in port in the first path and the branching portion,
a second sensor for detecting a sheet, disposed between the branching portion in the first path and the first post-processing section, and
a third sensor for detecting a sheet, disposed in the second path,
wherein the first, second and third conveying sections are controlled based on detection results of the first, second and third sensors.

4. The post-processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a first accumulating section for accumulating a sheet post-processed at the first post-processing section, and a second accumulating section for accumulating a sheet post-processed at the second post-processing section,
wherein the first conveying section conveys a sheet staying at the buffer section to the first post-processing section after a sheet post-processed at the first post-processing section is accumulated in the first accumulating section, and
the second conveying section conveys a sheet staying at the buffer section to the second post-processing section after a sheet post-processed at the second post-processing section is accumulated in the second accumulating section.

5. The post-processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first post-processing section includes a staple unit for bind-processing sheets, and the second post-processing section includes a folding unit.

6. The post-processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third conveying section for conveying a sheet from the carry-in port to the buffer section, and
a sheet number setting unit for determining a number of sheets temporarily staying in the buffer section,
wherein the third conveying section is controlled to convey a number of sheets set by the sheet number setting unit to the buffer section.

7. A post-processing device for post-processing a sheet bundle formed by a plurality of sheets, comprising:
a carry-in port for carrying a sheet in;
a first post-processing section and a second post-processing section, for post-processing a sheet bundle formed by a plurality of sheets carried in the carry-in port;
a single buffer section for temporarily staying at least one sheet transferred from the carry-in port while post-processing the sheet bundle in the first post-processing section and temporarily staying at least one sheet transferred from the carry-in port while post-processing the sheet bundle in the second post-processing section; and
a conveying section for conveying a sheet from the carry-in port to the buffer section,
wherein the conveying section further conveys the sheets temporarily stayed in the buffer section to a first direction for conveying the sheets to the first post-processing section at one time, and conveys a sheet from the buffer section to a second direction opposite to the first direction for conveying the sheet to the second post-processing section.

8. The post-processing device according to claim 7 , wherein the conveying section includes a first conveying section for conveying a sheet at the buffer section to the first direction, and a second conveying section for conveying a sheet at the buffer section to the second direction opposite to the first direction.

9. The post-processing device according to claim 7 , further comprising a conveying path to guide a sheet from the carry-in port to the first post-processing section and the second post-processing section,
wherein the conveying path includes a first path for guiding a sheet conveyed in the first direction to the first post-processing section, and a second path branched from the first path, and guiding a sheet which is reversed in a conveying direction in the first path and is conveyed in the second direction to the second post-processing section.

10. The post-processing device according to claim 9 , wherein the conveying section includes a pair of first conveying rollers located in the first path at a downstream side of a branching portion where the second path branches from the first path, the pair of first conveying rollers conveying a sheet staying in the buffer section to the first post-processing section at a rotation in one direction, and a pair of second conveying rollers located in the second path at the downstream side of the branching portion, the pair of second conveying rollers conveying the sheet staying in the buffer section to the second post-processing section at a rotation in another direction.

11. The post-processing device according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a branching portion where the second path branches from the carry-in port in the first path,
a first sensor for detecting a sheet, disposed between the carry-in port in the first path and the branching portion,
a second sensor for detecting the sheet, disposed between the branching portion in the first path and the first post-processing section, and
a third sensor for detecting the sheet, disposed in the second path,
wherein the conveying section is controlled based on sheet detection results of the first, second and third sensors.

12. The post-processing device according to claim 7 , further comprising a first accumulating section for accumulating a sheet post-processed at the first post-processing section, and a second accumulating section for accumulating a sheet post-processed at the second post-processing section,
wherein the conveying section conveys a sheet staying at the buffer section to the first direction after a sheet post-processed at the first post-processing section is accumulated in the first accumulating section, and conveys a sheet staying at the buffer section to the second direction after a sheet post-processed at the second post-processing section is accumulated in the second accumulating section.

13. The post-processing device according to claim 7 , wherein the first post-processing section includes a staple unit for bind-processing sheets, and the second pos

Assignees

• Saito Takashi
• Canon Finetech Nisca Inc

Inventors

• Saito Takashi

Classifications

• B42C19/08

  Conveying between operating stations in machines (conveyors in general B65G) · CPC title

• B65H2301/4214

  of articles on edge · CPC title

• B65H31/3027

  by the nip between moving belts or rollers (pile being formed between belts or rollers B65H29/145) · CPC title

• B65H2403/942

  Bidirectional powered handling device · CPC title

• B65H2513/10

  Speed · CPC title