Cutting device, post-processing apparatus, and image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11565905-B2
Application number	US-202117226217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2021
Priority date	Apr 14, 2020
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

A cutting device is configured to cut, in an arc shape, an end of a sheet conveyed in a conveyance direction. The cutting device includes an arc-shaped cutting blade; a switching mechanism; and a contact-and-separation mechanism. The switching mechanism is configured to switch a posture of the cutting blade in accordance with a position of the sheet facing the cutting blade. The contact-and-separation mechanism is configured to bring the cutting blade into contact with the sheet in a contact direction orthogonal to a surface of the sheet and away from the sheet in a separation direction opposite the contact direction, to cut the end of the sheet in the arc shape.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A cutting device configured to cut, in an arc shape, an end of a sheet conveyed in a conveyance direction, the cutting device comprising:
a first cutting blade, the first cutting blade having an arc-shape;
a switching mechanism configured to switch a posture of the first cutting blade in accordance with a position of the sheet facing the first cutting blade;
a contact-and-separation mechanism configured to bring the first cutting blade into contact with the sheet in a contact direction orthogonal to a surface of the sheet and away from the sheet in a separation direction opposite the contact direction, to cut the end of the sheet in the arc shape; and
a receiving plate supported by an elastic member, the contact-and separation mechanism configured to bring the first cutting blade into contact with the receiving plate and elastically compress the elastic member.

2. The cutting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the switching mechanism is configured to rotate the first cutting blade around a rotation axis extending in the contact direction.

3. The cutting device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
the first cutting blade positioned on one end side in a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, the contact direction, and the separation direction; and
a second cutting blade positioned on another end side in the width direction,
wherein the first cutting blade has a fan shape with a central angle of 90° and is switchable between a first posture to chamfer, in an arc shape, a corner of a front end of the sheet in the conveyance direction on the one end side and a second posture to chamfer, in an arc shape, a corner of a rear end of the sheet in the conveyance direction on the one end side, and
the second cutting blade has a fan shape with a central angle of 90° and is switchable between a third posture to chamfer, in an arc shape, a corner of the front end of the sheet on said another end side and a fourth posture to chamfer, in an arc shape, a corner of the rear end of the sheet on said another end side.

4. The cutting device according to claim 3 , further comprising
a third cutting blade positioned between the first cutting blade and the second cutting blade and having a fan shape with a central angle of 90°,
wherein the third cutting blade is switchable among:
a first posture, identical to the first posture of the first cutting blade, in which the third cutting blade chamfers a vicinity of a center of the front end that is slightly close to said another end side of the sheet;
a second posture, identical to the second posture of the first cutting blade, in which the third cutting blade chamfers a vicinity of a center of the rear end that is slightly close to said another end side of the sheet;
a third posture, identical to the third posture of the second cutting blade, in which the third cutting blade chamfers a vicinity of the center of the front end that is slightly close to the one end side of the sheet; and
a fourth posture, identical to the fourth posture of the second cutting blade, in which the third cutting blade chamfers a vicinity of the center of the rear end that is slightly close to the one end side of the sheet.

5. The cutting device according to claim 3 , further comprising
a third cutting blade positioned between the first cutting blade and the second cutting blade, the third cutting blade including a first blade of a fan shape with a central angle of 90° and a second blade of a fan shape with a central angle of 90°,
wherein the third cutting blade has a shape in which one end of the fan shape the first blade and one end of the fan shape of the second blade contact each other and the fan shape of the first blade and the fan shape of the second blade are curved in opposite directions, and
the third cutting blade is switchable between a fifth posture in which the first blade is in a posture identical to the third posture of the second cutting blade and the second blade is in a posture identical to the first posture of the first cutting blade to chamfer a center of the front end of the sheet and
a sixth posture in which the first blade is in a posture identical to the fourth posture of the second cutting blade and the second blade is in a posture identical to the second posture of the first cutting blade to chamfer the center of the rear end of the sheet.

6. The cutting device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the switching mechanism includes:
a switching motor;
a rotary gear configured to rotate around a rotation axis extending in the contact direction; and
a pin configured to cause the first cutting blade inserted into the rotary gear to integrate with the rotary gear.

7. The cutting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the contact-and-separation mechanism includes:
a contact-and-separation motor;
a cam configured to rotate with a transferred driving force of the contact-and-separation motor; and
a cam guide configured to, while supporting the first cutting blade, reciprocate in the contact direction and the separation direction along with rotation of the cam.

8. The cutting device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a cutting unit holding the first cutting blade, the switching mechanism, and the contact-and-separation mechanism;
a guide shaft supporting the cutting unit and extending in a width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, the contact direction, and the separation direction; and
a moving mechanism configured to move the cutting unit along the guide shaft.

9. The cutting device according to claim 8 ,
wherein the guide shaft supports a plurality of cutting units, including the cutting unit, at positions spaced apart in the width direction, and
the moving mechanism is configured to independently move the plurality of cutting units.

10. The cutting device according to claim 8 , further comprising a rotating mechanism configured to rotate the guide shaft on one end of the guide shaft on a plane parallel to the conveyance direction and the width direction.

11. A post-processing apparatus comprising:
a conveyor configured to convey a sheet in a conveyance direction;
the cutting device according to claim 2 , configured to cut, in the arc shape, an end of the sheet conveyed by the conveyor;
a sheet position detector configured to detect a position of the sheet conveyed by the conveyor;
a rotation angle detector configured to detect a rotation angle of the first cutting blade; and
control circuitry configured to control an operation of the cutting device based on a detection result of the rotation angle detector and a detection result of the sheet position detector,
wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
cause the conveyor to convey the sheet, based on the detection result of the sheet position detector, such that a cutting position of the sheet faces the first cutting blade; and
cause the switching mechanism to switch a posture of the first cutting blade, based on the detection result of the rotation angle detector, such that the first cutting blade is in a posture corresponding to the cutting position, and cause the contact-and-separation mechanism to bring the first cutting blade in the posture corresponding to the cutting position into contact with and away from the sheet.

12. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 11 ,
wherein the control circuitry is configured to:
cause the conveyor to convey the sheet such that a corner on a front end side of the sheet in the conveyance direction faces the first cutting blade;
cause the contact-and-separation mechanism to bring the first cutting blade in a posture correspond

Assignees

• Shibasaki Yuusuke
• Suzuki Yuji
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shibasaki Yuusuke
• Suzuki Yuji

Classifications

• B65H35/0086 Primary

  using movable cutting elements · CPC title

• B65H43/00

  Use of control, checking, or safety devices, e.g. automatic devices comprising an element for sensing a variable · CPC title

• B65H2403/514

  involving eccentric · CPC title

• B65H2301/5152

  Cutting partially, e.g. perforating · CPC title

• B65H2301/51532

  Blade cutter, e.g. single blade cutter · CPC title