Post-processing device and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11401127-B2
Application number	US-202117156646-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 25, 2021
Priority date	Aug 14, 2020
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

A post-processing device includes an output unit that outputs a medium; a stacking unit on which the medium that is output is stacked; and a blow-out unit that is disposed below the output unit and that blows gas toward the medium that is output, wherein a direction in which the gas is blown differs in accordance with a type of the medium.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A post-processing device comprising:
an output unit comprising output rollers and outputting a medium;
a stacking unit comprising an output tray and on which the medium that is output is stacked; and
a blow-out unit comprising a blowing device at least including a movable nozzle and a fan, wherein the blow-out unit is disposed below the output unit and that blows gas toward the medium that is output, wherein a direction in which the gas is blown differs in accordance with a type of the medium,
wherein the blow-out unit is configured such that when the medium is of a predetermined light-weight type, the direction in which the gas is blown is further downward than when the medium is not of the light-weight type.

2. The post-processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the blow-out unit is configured such that when the medium is of the light-weight type, the direction in which the gas is blown is downward relative to a horizontal direction.

3. The post-processing device according to claim 2 , wherein the blow-out unit is configured such that when a stiffness of the medium is less than a predetermined stiffness, the direction in which the gas is blown is further downward than when the stiffness of the medium is greater than or equal to the predetermined stiffness.

4. The post-processing device according to claim 3 , wherein the blow-out unit is configured such that when the stiffness of the medium is less than the predetermined stiffness, the direction in which the gas is blown is downward relative to the horizontal direction.

5. The post-processing device according to claim 3 , wherein the blow-out unit has a plurality of blow-out holes that are arranged in a width direction of the medium and from which the gas is blown, and an orientation of the blow-out holes is changeable in an up-down direction.

6. The post-processing device according to claim 2 , wherein the blow-out unit has a plurality of blow-out holes that are arranged in a width direction of the medium and from which the gas is blown, and an orientation of the blow-out holes is changeable in an up-down direction.

7. The post-processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the blow-out unit is configured such that when a stiffness of the medium is less than a predetermined stiffness, the direction in which the gas is blown is further downward than when the stiffness of the medium is greater than or equal to the predetermined stiffness.

8. The post-processing device according to claim 7 , wherein the blow-out unit is configured such that when the stiffness of the medium is less than the predetermined stiffness, the direction in which the gas is blown is downward relative to a horizontal direction.

9. The post-processing device according to claim 8 , wherein the blow-out unit has a plurality of blow-out holes that are arranged in a width direction of the medium and from which the gas is blown, and an orientation of the blow-out holes is changeable in an up-down direction.

10. The post-processing device according to claim 7 , wherein the blow-out unit has a plurality of blow-out holes that are arranged in a width direction of the medium and from which the gas is blown, and an orientation of the blow-out holes is changeable in an up-down direction.

11. The post-processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the blow-out unit has a plurality of blow-out holes that are arranged in a width direction of the medium and from which the gas is blown, and an orientation of the blow-out holes is changeable in an up-down direction.

12. The post-processing device according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a moving unit comprising a motor and changing the orientation of the blow-out holes in the up-down direction; and
a control unit that controls the moving unit to change the orientation of the blow-out holes in accordance with the type of the medium.

13. The post-processing device according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a knob unit that changes the orientation of the blow-out holes.

14. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a recording unit comprising a marking unit including photoconductors and recording an image on a medium;
an output unit comprising output rollers and outputting the medium on which the image is recorded;
a stacking unit comprising an output tray and on which the medium that is output is stacked; and
a blow-out unit comprising a blowing device at least including a movable nozzle and a fan, wherein the blow-out unit is disposed below the output unit and that blows gas toward the medium that is output, wherein a direction in which the gas is blown differs in accordance with a type of the medium,
wherein the blow-out unit is configured such that when the medium is of a predetermined light-weight type, the direction in which the gas is blown is further downward than when the medium is not of the light-weight type.

Assignees

• Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp

Inventors

• Kano Yoshiji
• Takahashi Shinya
• Taguchi Tomoko
• Takahashi Masaaki
• Ashizawa Hiroshi

Classifications

• B65H2511/214

  Inclination · CPC title

• B65H2405/11152

  with surface inclined downwardly in transport direction · CPC title

• B65H29/246 Primary

  acting on stacking devices · CPC title

• B65H29/14

  and introducing into a pile · CPC title

• B65H2801/24

  Post -processing devices · CPC title