Post-processing apparatus and image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11345562-B2
Application number	US-202016840539-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2020
Priority date	Apr 4, 2019
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

A post-processing apparatus includes: a cutter that cuts a transported sheet; a waste bin that stores a cutting waste generated by a cutting operation of the cutter and falling from the cutter; a sensor that detects the cutting waste at a predetermined position in a depth direction in the waste bin; and a hardware processor that controls the cutting operation of the cutter according to a cutting mode, sets a predetermined value according to the cutting mode when the sensor detects the cutting waste, counts the number of times of cutting by the cutter after the sensor starts to detect the cutting waste, and detects that the waste bin is full when the counted number of times of cutting reaches the predetermined value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A post-processing apparatus, comprising:
a cutter that cuts a transported sheet;
a waste bin that stores a cutting waste generated by a cutting operation of the cutter and falling from the cutter;
a sensor that detects the cutting waste at a predetermined position in a depth direction in the waste bin; and
a hardware processor that controls the cutting operation of the cutter according to a cutting mode, sets a predetermined value according to the cutting mode when the sensor detects the cutting waste, counts the number of times of cutting by the cutter after the sensor starts to detect the cutting waste, and detects that the waste bin is full when the counted number of times of cutting reaches the predetermined value.

2. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, as the sensor, a first sensor and a second sensor provided at different positions in a feed direction of the sheet are provided, and
the hardware processor sets the predetermined value further according to detection states of the first sensor and the second sensor.

3. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the hardware processor sets the predetermined value when both the first sensor and the second sensor detect the cutting waste to be smaller than the predetermined value when one of the first sensor and the second sensor detects the cutting waste.

4. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the hardware processor determines the cutting mode based on a size, type, or basis weight of the sheet.

5. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the number of times of cutting counted by the hardware processor is the number of sheets cut by the cutter or the number of cutting operations of the cutter.

6. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the hardware processor changes a cutting position of the sheet according to the cutting mode.

7. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the hardware processor changes a shape or size of the cutting waste according to the cutting mode.

8. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cutter is installable at a plurality of positions on a transport path of the sheet.

9. An image forming system, comprising:
an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet; and
the post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Konica Minolta Inc

Inventors

• Toyoizumi Teruhiko
• Watanabe Masayuki
• Mine Hidenori

Classifications

• Y02P70/10

  Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working · CPC title

• B26D2007/0018

  Trays, reservoirs for waste, chips or cut products · CPC title

• B65H35/02

  from or with longitudinal slitters or perforators · CPC title

• B26D7/28

  for counting the number of cuts or measuring cut lenghts (B26D5/24, B26D5/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• B65H35/008 Primary

  Arrangements or adaptations of cutting devices · CPC title