Post-processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11274008-B2
Application number	US-201815944838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 4, 2018
Priority date	Apr 7, 2017
Publication date	Mar 15, 2022
Grant date	Mar 15, 2022

Abstract

Post-processing apparatus for performing given process subsequently to image forming process by image forming apparatus is disclosed. Post-processing apparatus includes: first ejector which ejects sheet; first tray which temporarily holds sheet; second tray situated downstream of first tray in ejection direction of sheet; a tray driver which moves second tray downwardly from first height position; blower which forms airstream between second tray and lower surface of sheet; and controller which controls blower and tray driver. Controller includes: blower controller which causes blower to blow air over time period in synchronization with first time period from start to end of sheet ejection by first ejector; and tray controller which causes tray driver to move second tray downwardly from first height position after first time period.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A post-processing apparatus for performing a given process subsequently to an image forming process by an image forming apparatus, comprising:
a first ejector which ejects a first sheet;
a first tray which temporarily holds the first sheet ejected by the first ejector;
a second tray situated downstream of the first tray in an ejection direction of the first sheet;
a tray driver which moves the second tray downwardly from a first height position;
a first blower which forms an airstream between the second tray and a lower surface of the first sheet when the first sheet is ejected by the first ejector; and
a controller which controls the first blower and the tray driver,
wherein the controller includes:
(i) a first blower controller which causes the first blower to blow air over a time period in synchronization with a first time period from a start to an end of ejection of the first sheet by the first ejector; and
(ii) a tray controller which causes the tray driver to move the second tray downwardly from the first height position after the first time period,

wherein the tray controller moves the second tray down from the first height position if the first sheet is longer in the ejection direction than a given length, and
wherein the second tray is stayed at the first height position if the first sheet is not longer in the ejection direction than the given length.

2. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller includes a first detector which detects the first sheet ejected from the first ejector and generates a detection signal indicative of the start and the end of the ejection, and
wherein the first blower controller controls the first blower in response to the detection signal.

3. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the tray driver moves the second tray downwardly under control of the tray controller when the first detector detects the end of the ejection of the first sheet.

4. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first blower blows the air under control of the first blower controller on a condition that the first sheet is longer in the ejection direction than the given length.

5. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first ejector sequentially ejects at least one subsequent sheet subsequently to the first sheet,
wherein the first tray includes an alignment portion which performs an aligning operation for aligning the at least one subsequent sheet with the first sheet so that an edge of the at least one subsequent sheet overlaps an edge of the first sheet to form a sheet stack, and
wherein the tray controller moves the second tray downwardly before the alignment portion completes an adjusting operation for adjusting a position of the first sheet on the first tray in a direction orthogonal to the ejection direction.

6. A post-processing apparatus for performing a given process subsequently to an image forming process by an image forming apparatus, comprising:
a first ejector configured to eject a first sheet;
a first tray configured to temporarily hold the first sheet ejected by the first ejector;
a second tray situated downstream of the first tray in an ejection direction of the first sheet;
a tray driver configured to move the second tray downwardly from a first height position;
a first blower configured to form an airstream between the second tray and a lower surface of the first sheet when the first sheet is ejected by the first ejector; and
a controller configured to control the first blower and the tray driver,
wherein the controller includes:
(i) a first blower controller configured to causes the first blower to blow air over a time period in synchronization with a first time period from the start to the end of ejection of the first sheet by the first ejector; and
(ii) a tray controller configured to cause the tray driver to move the second tray downwardly from the first height position after the first time period;
(iii) a first detector configured to detect the first sheet ejected from the first ejector and to generate a detection signal indicative of a start and an end of the ejection, and
wherein the first blower controller controls the first blower in response to the detection signal,

wherein the tray controller uses the detection signal to calculate a length of the first sheet in the ejection direction and compares the calculated length with a given threshold,
wherein the tray controller moves the second tray downwardly from the first height position when the calculated length exceeds the given threshold, and
wherein the second tray is stayed at the first height position when the calculated length is not greater than the given threshold.

7. A post-processing apparatus for performing a given process subsequently to an image forming process by an image forming apparatus, comprising:
a first ejector configured to eject a first sheet;
a first tray configured to temporarily hold the first sheet ejected by the first ejector;
a second tray situated downstream of the first tray in an ejection direction of the first sheet;
a tray driver configured to move the second tray downwardly from a first height position;
a first blower configured to form an airstream between the second tray and a lower surface of the first sheet when the first sheet is ejected by the first ejector; and
a controller configured to control the first blower and the tray driver,
wherein the controller includes:
(i) a first blower controller configured to cause the first blower to blow air over a time period in synchronization with a first time period from a start to an end of ejection of the first sheet by the first ejector; and
(ii) a tray controller configured to cause the tray driver to move the second tray downwardly from the first height position after the first time period,

wherein the first ejector sequentially ejects at least one subsequent sheet subsequently to the first sheet,
wherein the first tray includes an alignment portion configured to perform an aligning operation for aligning the at least one subsequent sheet with the first sheet so that an edge of the at least one subsequent sheet overlaps an edge of the first sheet to form a sheet stack,
wherein the tray controller moves the second tray downwardly before the alignment portion completes an adjusting operation for adjusting a position of the first sheet on the first tray in a direction orthogonal to the ejection direction,
wherein the tray driver moves the second tray upwardly by a given distance when the first tray holds a second sheet which is the last sheet ejected from the first ejector in the sheet stack.

8. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the second tray moved upwardly by the tray driver reaches a second height position higher than the first height position.

9. A post-processing apparatus for performing a given process subsequently to an image forming process by an image forming apparatus, comprising:
a first ejector configured to eject a first sheet;
a first tray configured to temporarily hold the first sheet ejected by the first ejector;
a second tray situated downstream of the first tray in an ejection direction of the first sheet;
a tray driver configured to move the second tray downwardly from a first height position;
a first blower configured to form an airstream between the second tray and a lower surface of the first sheet when the first sheet is ejected by the first ejector; and
a controller configured to control the first blower and the tray driver,
a second ejector which ejects the sheet stack from the first tray to the second tray; and

Assignees

• Kyocera Document Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Okada Rina
• Ueno Yasunori
• Noso Terumitsu

Classifications

• B65H2406/10

  made only for exhausting gaseous medium · CPC title

• B65H2513/51

  Sequence of process · CPC title

• B65H2301/4461

  by blowing air towards handled material · CPC title

• B65H2301/4213

  of a limited number of articles, e.g. buffering, forming bundles · CPC title

• B65H2405/11151

  with surface inclined upwardly in transport direction · CPC title