Sheet alignment apparatus, post-processing apparatus, and image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11528376-B2
Application number	US-202117240130-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2021
Priority date	Apr 28, 2020
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

A sheet alignment apparatus includes a sheet leading-end aligning device, a sheet side-end aligning device. The sheet leading-end aligning device is configured to align a leading end of a sheet bundle in a sheet conveyance direction. The sheet side-end aligning device is configured to align a side end of the sheet bundle in the sheet conveyance direction and move the sheet bundle to a predetermined position. The sheet leading-end aligning device is configured to maintain contact with the leading end of the sheet bundle when the sheet leading-end aligning device retracts from a movement path of the sheet side-end aligning device along which the sheet side-end aligning device moves the sheet bundle to the predetermined position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet alignment apparatus comprising:
a sheet leading-end aligning device configured to align a leading end of a sheet bundle in a sheet conveyance direction;
a sheet side-end aligning device configured to align a side end of the sheet bundle in the sheet conveyance direction and move the sheet bundle to a set position; and
a shaft disposed along the sheet conveyance direction and rotatably supporting the sheet leading-end aligning device,
wherein the sheet leading-end aligning device is at a position at which the sheet leading-end aligning device interferes with the sheet side-end aligning device when the sheet side-end aligning device moves in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction,
wherein the sheet leading-end aligning device is configured to maintain contact with the leading end of the sheet bundle when the sheet leading-end aligning device retracts from a movement path of the sheet side-end aligning device along which the sheet side-end aligning device moves the sheet bundle to the set position, and
wherein the sheet leading-end aligning device is configured to retract from the movement path of the sheet side-end aligning device by rotation around the shaft when the sheet side-end aligning device moves the sheet bundle to the set position.

2. The sheet alignment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sheet leading-end aligning device is configured to retract from the movement path of the sheet side-end aligning device, while contacting the leading end of the sheet bundle, by a biasing force of the sheet side-end aligning device moving to the set position.

3. The sheet alignment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sheet leading-end aligning device is configured to rotate in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction by a biasing force of the sheet side-end aligning device while contacting the leading end of the sheet bundle to retract from the movement path of the sheet side-end aligning device.

4. The sheet alignment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sheet leading-end aligning device includes a rotating contact member configured to contact the leading end of the sheet bundle when the sheet leading-end aligning device rotates and retracts from the movement path of the sheet side-end aligning device.

5. The sheet alignment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sheet leading-end aligning device is configured to retract from the movement path of the sheet side-end aligning device at a same speed as a movement speed of the sheet side-end aligning device at which the sheet side-end aligning device moves the sheet bundle to the set position.

6. The sheet alignment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sheet leading-end aligning device is configured to stay by a magnetic force at a leading end alignment position at which the leading end of the sheet bundle is aligned, and to retract from the movement path of the sheet side-end aligning device by an external force against the magnetic force when the sheet side-end aligning device moves the sheet bundle to the set position.

7. The sheet alignment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sheet leading-end aligning device includes a slider configured to slide in contact with the leading end of the sheet bundle.

8. A post-processing apparatus comprising:
a binding device configured to bind a leading end of a sheet bundle; and
the sheet alignment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the sheet side-end aligning device is configured to align a side end of the sheet bundle on a side facing the binding device and move the sheet bundle to a binding position of the binding device.

9. An image forming system comprising:
an image forming device configured to form an image on a surface of a sheet; and
the post-processing apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein the post-processing apparatus is configured to perform post-processing on the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming device.

10. A sheet alignment apparatus, comprising:
a sheet leading-end aligning device configured to align a leading end of a sheet bundle in a sheet conveyance direction; and
a sheet side-end aligning device configured to align a side end of the sheet bundle in the sheet conveyance direction and move the sheet bundle to a set position,
wherein the sheet leading-end aligning device is configured to maintain contact with the leading end of the sheet bundle when the sheet leading-end aligning device retracts from a movement path of the sheet side-end aligning device along which the sheet side-end aligning device moves the sheet bundle to the set position, and
wherein the sheet leading-end aligning device is configured to be biased by the sheet side-end aligning device while contacting the leading end of the sheet bundle and to move in parallel in a moving direction of the sheet side-end aligning device to retract from the movement path of the sheet side-end aligning device.

11. The sheet alignment apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the sheet leading-end aligning device includes:
a parallel moving member configured to be biased by the sheet side-end aligning device to move in parallel; and
a holder configured to movably hold the parallel moving member.

12. The sheet alignment apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising a rack and pinion mechanism configured to move the parallel moving member in parallel with respect to the holder.

13. The sheet alignment apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising a belt driving mechanism configured to move the parallel moving member in parallel with respect to the holder.

14. The sheet alignment apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising an elastic member configured to move the parallel moving member in parallel with respect to the holder.

15. The sheet alignment apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the parallel moving member is configured to move in parallel only a part of a contact portion of the parallel moving member that contacts the leading end of the sheet bundle.

Assignees

• Itoh Shigeyuki
• Takashima Ikumi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Itoh Shigeyuki
• Takashima Ikumi

Classifications

• H04N1/00639 Primary

  Binding, stapling, folding or perforating, e.g. punching · CPC title

• H04N1/0066

  Aligning or positioning related to handling · CPC title