Sheet processing apparatus and image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11535479-B2
Application number	US-202017133906-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 24, 2020
Priority date	Dec 26, 2019
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

A sheet processing apparatus includes a rotating body pair capable of transporting a sheet in a first direction for nipping the sheet transported to a transport path thereby drawing the sheet for folding processing, and in a second direction for switching back the sheet to return to the transport path, a push member that pushes the sheet transported to the transport path to a nip portion of the rotating body pair, and a press member pressing one end portion of the sheet folded by the rotating body pair to guide, and including a press portion that presses the one end portion of the sheet in a direction of the transport path where the other end portion of the sheet exists, and a guide portion that guides the sheet pressed by the press portion to the guide face of the transport path where the other end portion of the sheet exists.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sheet processing apparatus for performing folding processing such that after a first folding processing is performed, a second folding processing is performed at a position different from a folding line formed at the first folding processing, and then a further folding processing is performed so that one end portion of the sheet at the first folding processing exists inside the sheet folded at the second folding processing, comprising:
a transport path including a guide face to guide a transported sheet;
a rotating body pair adapted to be able to transport the sheet in a first direction for nipping the sheet transported to the transport path by a nip portion to rotate, and thereby drawing the sheet to perform folding processing, and in a second direction for switching back the sheet subjected to the folding processing in a direction opposite to the direction for drawing;
a folding blade adapted to push the sheet transported to the transport path to the nip portion of the rotating body pair; and
a press member adapted to press the one end portion of the sheet, which is subjected to the folding processing by the rotating body pair and is transported in the second direction, to guide, including a press portion adapted to press the one end portion of the sheet subjected to the folding processing by the rotating body pair in a direction in which another end portion of the sheet exists in the transport path in switching back, and a guide portion adapted to guide the sheet pressed by the press portion to the guide face of the transport path where the other end portion of the sheet exists.

2. A sheet processing apparatus for performing folding processing such that after a first folding processing is performed, a second folding processing is performed at a position different from a folding line formed at the first folding processing, and then a further folding processing is performed so that one end portion of the sheet at the first folding processing exists inside the sheet folded at the second folding processing, comprising:
a transport path including a guide face to guide a transported sheet;
a transport section adapted to be able to transport the sheet in a first direction for drawing the sheet transported to the transport path, and in a second direction for switching back the drawn sheet in a direction opposite to the direction for drawing;
a rotating body pair adapted to nip the sheet transported to the transport path by a nip portion to rotate, to thereby perform folding processing on the sheet, each of the rotating body pair including a first circumferential surface with a radius from a rotating shaft of the rotating body to a rotating body circumferential surface, and a second circumferential surface with a radius from the rotating shaft smaller than the radius of the first circumferential surface;
a folding blade adapted to push the sheet transported to the transport path to the nip portion of the rotating body pair; and
a press member adapted to press one end portion of the sheet, which is subjected to the folding processing by the rotating body pair and is transported in the second direction, to guide, including a press portion adapted to press the one end portion of the sheet subjected to the folding processing by the rotating body pair in a direction in which another end portion of the sheet exists in the transport path in switching back, and a guide portion adapted to guide the sheet pressed by the press portion to the guide face of the transport path where the other end portion of the sheet exists.

3. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the press portion is formed between a rotation portion capable of rotating around a rotation support as a center and the guide portion, and
the guide portion is formed to be within a region of a rotation locus obtained by the rotation portion rotating.

4. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the press portion is formed between a rotation portion capable of rotating around a rotation support as a center and the guide portion, and
the guide portion is formed to be within a region of a rotation locus obtained by the rotation portion rotating.

5. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a rotation radius of the rotation portion is shorter than a length of a shortest distance from the rotation support to a circumferential surface of a rotating body, in the rotating body on a side closer to the rotation support in the rotating body pair.

6. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein a rotation radius of the rotation portion is shorter than a length of a shortest distance from the rotation support to a circumferential surface of a rotating body, in the rotating body on a side closer to the rotation support in the rotating body pair.

7. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein a rotation radius of the rotation portion is longer than a length of a shortest distance from the rotation support to a circumferential surface of the first circumferential surface of a rotating body, and is shorter than a length of a shortest distance from the rotation support to a circumferential surface of the second circumferential surface of the rotating body, in the rotating body on a side closer to the rotation support in the rotating body pair.

8. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the rotation portion is substantially a same plane as the guide face of the transport path, when the press member is in a retract position retracted from the transport path.

9. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the rotation portion is substantially a same plane as the guide face of the transport path, when the press member is in a retract position retracted from the transport path.

10. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the rotation portion is substantially a same plane as the guide face of the transport path, when the press member is in a retract position retracted from the transport path.

11. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the rotation portion is substantially a same plane as the guide face of the transport path, when the press member is in a retract position retracted from the transport path.

12. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the rotation portion is substantially a same plane as the guide face of the transport path, when the press member is in a retract position retracted from the transport path.

13. An image forming system comprising:
an image forming apparatus adapted to form an image on a sheet; and
a sheet processing apparatus adapted to perform folding processing on the sheet fed from the image forming apparatus,
wherein the sheet processing apparatus is the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

14. An image forming system comprising:
an image forming apparatus adapted to form an image on a sheet; and
a sheet processing apparatus adapted to perform folding processing on the sheet fed from the image forming apparatus,
wherein the sheet processing apparatus is the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2 .

Assignees

• Katayama Takuya
• Canon Finetech Nisca Inc

Inventors

• Katayama Takuya

Classifications

• B65H37/06

  for folding · CPC title

• B65H2801/27

  Devices located downstream of office-type machines · CPC title

• B65H2404/63

  Oscillating, pivoting around an axis parallel to face of material, e.g. diverting means · CPC title

• B65H45/18 Primary

  Oscillating or reciprocating blade folders (carried on rotary members B65H45/16) · CPC title

• B65H2404/693

  Retractable guiding means, i.e. between guiding and non guiding position · CPC title