Folding apparatus and image forming system incorporating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11485602-B2
Application number	US-202016890152-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 2, 2020
Priority date	Jun 28, 2019
Publication date	Nov 1, 2022
Grant date	Nov 1, 2022

Abstract

An embodiment of this disclosure provides a folding apparatus configured to stack and fold a designated number of sheets at a time. The folding apparatus includes a conveyor configured to sequentially convey the designated number of sheets, a stacker configured to temporarily store a sheet conveyed by the conveyor to stack the designated number of sheets, a sheet folding device configured to fold the designated number of sheets at a time, and control circuitry. The control circuitry is configured to cause the sheet folding device to fold the stored sheet in response to an occurrence of a sheet jam upstream from the stacker in a direction of sheet conveyance, in processing the designated number of sheets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A folding apparatus configured to stack and fold a designated number of sheets at a time, the folding apparatus comprising:
a conveyor configured to sequentially convey the designated number of sheets;
a stacker configured to temporarily store a sheet conveyed by the conveyor to stack the designated number of sheets;
a sheet folding device configured to fold the designated number of sheets at a time; and
control circuitry configured to
cause the sheet folding device to fold the stored sheet in response to an occurrence of a sheet jam in processing the designated number of sheets, the sheet jam occurring upstream from the stacker in a direction of sheet conveyance,
set a first folding method in response to the occurrence of the sheet jam, the first folding method different from a second folding method for a case free from a sheet jam, and
cause the sheet folding device to fold the stored sheet in the first folding method.

2. The folding apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first folding method is to reduce a finished length of the folded sheet in the direction of sheet conveyance from a finished length of a folded sheet by the second folding method.

3. The folding apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause the conveyor to convey, to a removal position, the sheet folded by the sheet folding device in response to the occurrence of the sheet jam, the removal position to be accessed by a user.

4. The folding apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the removal position is a sheet outlet of the folding apparatus.

5. An image forming system comprising:
an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet; and
the folding apparatus according to claim 1 , configured to fold the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming apparatus.

6. A folding apparatus configured to stack and fold a designated number of sheets at a time, the folding apparatus comprising:
a conveyor configured to sequentially convey the designated number of sheets;
a stacker configured to temporarily store a sheet conveyed by the conveyor to stack the designated number of sheets;
a sheet folding device configured to fold the designated number of sheets at a time; and
control circuitry configured to
cause the sheet folding device to fold the stored sheet in response to an occurrence of a sheet jam in processing the designated number of sheets, the sheet jam occurring upstream from the stacker in a direction of sheet conveyance,
set a first folding position in response to the occurrence of the sheet jam, the first folding position different from a second folding position for a case free from a sheet jam; and
cause the sheet folding device to fold the stored sheet at the first folding position.

7. The folding apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the first folding position is to reduce a finished length of the folded sheet in the direction of sheet conveyance from a finished length of the sheet folded at the second folding position.

8. The folding apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the control circuitry is configured to cause the conveyor to convey, to a removal position, the sheet folded by the sheet folding device in response to the occurrence of the sheet jam, the removal position to be accessed by a user.

9. The folding apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the removal position is a sheet outlet of the folding apparatus.

10. An image forming system comprising:
an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet; and
the folding apparatus according to claim 6 , configured to fold the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming apparatus.

Assignees

• Hidaka Makoto
• Watanabe Takahiro
• Furuhashi Tomohiro
• Suzuki Michitaka
• YONEYAMA Fumiharu
• Matsuo Kazuyoshi
• Sakano Koki
• Kunieda Akira
• Morinaga Takuya
• HARAGUCHI Yohsuke
• Takahashi Wataru
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hidaka Makoto
• Watanabe Takahiro
• Furuhashi Tomohiro
• Suzuki Michitaka
• YONEYAMA Fumiharu
• Matsuo Kazuyoshi
• Sakano Koki
• Kunieda Akira
• Morinaga Takuya
• HARAGUCHI Yohsuke
• Takahashi Wataru

Classifications

• B65H2801/27

  Devices located downstream of office-type machines · CPC title

• G03G15/6582

  Special processing for irreversibly adding or changing the sheet copy material characteristics or its appearance, e.g. stamping, annotation printing, punching · CPC title

• B65H29/125

  between two sets of rollers · CPC title

• G03G2215/00877

  Folding device · CPC title

• B65H2301/17

  Selective folding mode · CPC title