Fold-enforcing assembly, post-processing apparatus, and image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11014772-B2
Application number	US-202016810150-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2020
Priority date	Mar 28, 2019
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

A fold-enforcing assembly includes a fold-enforcing device, a moving device to move the fold-enforcing device in a direction of a fold of a sheet bundle, and control circuitry. The fold-enforcing device includes a pressing member pair to nip and press the fold of the sheet bundle in a direction of thickness, a pressing mechanism to pressurize and depressurize the pressing member pair, and a driver to drive the pressing mechanism. Controlled by the control circuitry, the moving device moves the fold-enforcing device in accordance with a size of the sheet bundle in the direction of the fold; pressing mechanism pressurizes the pressing member pair to press a first end portion of the sheet bundle in the direction of the fold; the moving device moves the fold-enforcing device to a second end portion of the sheet bundle; and pressing mechanism depressurizes the pressing member pair in the second end portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A fold-enforcing assembly comprising:
a fold-enforcing device including:
a pair of pressing members configured to nip and press a fold of a sheet bundle in a direction of thickness of the sheet bundle;
a pressing mechanism configured to pressurize and depressurize the pair of pressing members in the direction of thickness; and
a driver configured to drive the pressing mechanism;

a moving device configured to move the fold-enforcing device in a direction of the fold; and
control circuitry configured to:
move, with the moving device, the fold-enforcing device in accordance with a size of the sheet bundle in the direction of the fold;
adjust a pressing position in a direction of conveyance of the sheet bundle, the pressing position at which the pair of pressing members presses the sheet bundle;
pressurize, with the pressing mechanism, the pair of pressing members in the direction of thickness to press a first end portion of the sheet bundle in the direction of the fold;
move, with the moving device, the fold-enforcing device to a second end portion of the sheet bundle opposite the first end portion in the direction of the fold; and
depressurize, with the pressing mechanism, the pair of pressing members in the second end portion.

2. The fold-enforcing assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pair of pressing members is configured to press the sheet bundle in a state where a line connecting respective centers of the pressing members is not parallel to the direction of thickness of the sheet bundle.

3. The fold-enforcing assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause the pressing mechanism to pressurize and depressurize the pair of pressing members inside an end of the sheet bundle in the direction of the fold.

4. The fold-enforcing assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pressing members are coupled to each other and configured to move toward a center in a nip between the pressing members by an equal distance in synchronized with each other.

5. The fold-enforcing assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pressing mechanism includes a pair of springs coupled to the pair of pressing members, respectively, and is configured to change a strength of pressing force of the pair of pressing members in accordance with a thickness of the sheet bundle.

6. The fold-enforcing assembly according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control circuitry is configured to change a number of times the fold-enforcing device moves in the direction of the fold with the sheet bundle pressed by the pair of pressing members, in accordance with a number of sheets in the sheet bundle.

7. A fold-enforcing assembly comprising:
a fold-enforcing device including:
a pair of pressing members configured to nip and press a fold of a sheet bundle in a direction of thickness of the sheet bundle;
a pressing mechanism configured to pressurize and depressurize the pair of pressing members in the direction of thickness; and
a driver configured to drive the pressing mechanism;

a moving device configured to move the fold-enforcing device in a direction of the fold; and
control circuitry configured to:
move, with the moving device, the fold-enforcing device in accordance with a size of the sheet bundle in the direction of the fold;
adjust a pressing position from an end of the sheet bundle in the direction of the fold, the pressing position at which the pair of pressing members presses the sheet bundle;
pressurize, with the pressing mechanism, the pair of pressing members in the direction of thickness to press a first end portion of the sheet bundle in the direction of the fold;
move, with the moving device, the fold-enforcing device to a second end portion of the sheet bundle opposite the first end portion in the direction of the fold; and
depressurize, with the pressing mechanism, the pair of pressing members in the second end portion.

8. A post-processing apparatus comprising:
a post-processing device configured to receive a sheet and perform post-processing on the sheet; and
the fold-enforcing assembly according to claim 1 , to nip and press a fold of the sheet.

9. An image forming system comprising:
an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet; and
the post-processing apparatus according to claim 8 , to perform post-processing on the sheet.

10. The fold-enforcing assembly according to claim 7 ,
wherein the pair of pressing members is configured to press the sheet bundle in a state where a line connecting respective centers of the pressing members is not parallel to the direction of thickness of the sheet bundle.

11. The fold-enforcing assembly according to claim 7 ,
wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause the pressing mechanism to pressurize and depressurize the pair of pressing members inside an end of the sheet bundle in the direction of the fold.

12. The fold-enforcing assembly according to claim 7 ,
wherein the pressing members are coupled to each other and configured to move toward a center in a nip between the pressing members by an equal distance in synchronized with each other.

13. The fold-enforcing assembly according to claim 7 ,
wherein the pressing mechanism includes a pair of springs coupled to the pair of pressing members, respectively, and is configured to change a strength of pressing force of the pair of pressing members in accordance with a thickness of the sheet bundle.

14. The fold-enforcing assembly according to claim 7 ,
wherein the control circuitry is configured to change a number of times the fold-enforcing device moves in the direction of the fold with the sheet bundle pressed by the pair of pressing members, in accordance with a number of sheets in the sheet bundle.

15. A post-processing apparatus comprising:
a post-processing device configured to receive a sheet and perform post-processing on the sheet; and
the fold-enforcing assembly according to claim 7 , to nip and press a fold of the sheet.

16. An image forming system comprising:
an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet; and
the post-processing apparatus according to claim 15 , to perform post-processing on the sheet.

17. A controller configured to control a moving device to move a fold-enforcing device, the fold-enforcing device including a pair of pressing members configured to nip and press a fold of a sheet bundle in a direction of thickness of the sheet bundle, a pressing mechanism configured to pressurize and depressurize the pair of pressing members in the direction of thickness, and a driver configured to drive the pressing mechanism, the controller comprising:
control circuitry configured to,
move, with the moving device, the fold-enforcing device in accordance with a size of the sheet bundle in the direction of the fold,
adjust a pressing position in a direction of conveyance of the sheet bundle, the pressing position at which the pair of pressing members presses the sheet bundle,
pressurize, with the pressing mechanism, the pair of pressing members in the direction of thickness to press a first end portion of the sheet bundle in the direction of the fold,
move, with the moving device, the fold-enforcing device to a second end portion of the sheet bundle opposite the first end portion in the direction of the fold, and
depressurize, with the pressing mechanism, the pair of pressing members in the second end portion.

Assignees

• Mori Yuuta
• Sasaki Kei
• Suzuki Junya
• Furuta Koji
• Niikura Yasuo
• Mishina Kazuki
• Hari Kenji
• Sugawara Hisayoshi
• Shibasaki Yuusuke
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Mori Yuuta
• Sasaki Kei
• Suzuki Junya
• Furuta Koji
• Niikura Yasuo
• Mishina Kazuki
• Hari Kenji
• Sugawara Hisayoshi
• Shibasaki Yuusuke

Classifications

• B31F1/0035

  Straightening or flattening · CPC title

• G03G15/6541 Primary

  Binding sets of sheets, e.g. by stapling, glueing · CPC title

• B65H45/04

  Folding sheets · CPC title

• B31F1/0006

  Bending or folding; Folding edges combined with joining; Reinforcing edges during the folding thereof; (creasing B31F1/08, crêping paper B31F1/12, corrugating B31F1/20; bending and joining B31F1/0045; reinforcing edges per se B31F5/08; making wound articles B31C, folding thin material per se B65H45/00) · CPC title

• B65H2701/13212

  Fold, spine portion of folded article · CPC title