Sheet processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11577926-B2
Application number	US-202016905464-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 18, 2020
Priority date	Jun 20, 2019
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

A sheet processing apparatus includes: a processing tray section having a sheet mounting surface on which a transported sheet is mounted and a processing section that performs processing on the sheet; a side edge alignment section that is provided on the processing tray section and aligns a side edge of the sheet; a lower support section that is provided downstream of the processing tray section in a transport direction of the sheet and supports the sheet from below; and a discharge tray located below the lower support section. The side edge alignment section performs a shift operation of shifting the sheet in a shift direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the sheet. The lower support section moves in the shift direction in conjunction with a movement of the sheet in a state of supporting the sheet from below during the shift operation by the side edge alignment section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet processing apparatus comprising:
a transport section transporting a sheet;
a processing tray section having a sheet mounting surface on which the transported sheet is mounted and a processing section that performs processing on the sheet;
a side edge alignment section that is provided on the processing tray section and aligns a side edge of the sheet;
a lower support section that is provided downstream of the processing tray section in a transport direction of the sheet and supports the sheet from below; and
a discharge tray located below the lower support section in a sheet stacking direction orthogonal to the sheet mounting surface of the processing tray section, wherein
the side edge alignment section performs a shift operation of shifting the sheet in a shift direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the sheet, and
the lower support section moves in the shift direction in conjunction with a movement of the sheet in a state of supporting the sheet from below during the shift operation by the side edge alignment section.

2. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the side edge alignment section includes;
a set of a first alignment portion and a second alignment portion located on both sides of the sheet in a width direction, and
the first alignment portion and the second alignment portion perform the shift operation in a state of pinching the sheet in the width direction.

3. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the lower support section includes;
a set of a first lower support and a second lower support supporting the sheet from below on both sides in a width direction, and
the first lower support and the second lower support move in the shift direction in a state of pinching the sheet from both sides in the width direction, during the shift operation.

4. A sheet processing apparatus comprising:
a transport section transporting a sheet;
a processing tray section on which the transported sheet is mounted and which performs processing on the sheet;
a side edge alignment section that is provided on the processing tray section and aligns a side edge of the sheet;
a lower support section that is provided downstream of the processing tray section in a transport direction of the sheet and supports the sheet from below; and
a discharge tray located below the lower support section in a sheet stacking direction orthogonal to a sheet mounting surface of the processing tray section, wherein
the lower support section performs a shift operation of shifting the sheet in a shift direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the sheet.

5. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the lower support section includes;
a set of a first lower support and a second lower support supporting the sheet from below on both sides in a width direction, and
the first lower support and the second lower support perform the shift operation in a state of pinching the sheet from both sides in the width direction, during the shift operation.

6. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the side edge alignment section moves in the shift direction in conjunction with a movement of the sheet during the shift operation.

7. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
an upstream end of the lower support section is located below a downstream end of the processing tray section in the sheet stacking direction orthogonal to the sheet mounting surface of the processing tray section.

8. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the lower support section is provided to be inclined with a downstream end upward with respect to a horizontal direction, and
a rear end alignment surface that aligns a rear end of the sheet is provided at an upstream end of the lower support section in the transport direction of the sheet.

9. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the lower support section is configured to move between a support position for supporting the sheet and a retreat position, and causes the sheet to be discharged to the discharge tray by moving from the support position to the retreat position.

10. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
an upstream end of the lower support section is located below a downstream end of the processing tray section in the sheet stacking direction orthogonal to the sheet mounting surface of the processing tray section.

11. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the lower support section is provided to be inclined with a downstream end upward with respect to a horizontal direction, and
a rear end alignment surface that aligns a rear end of the sheet is provided at an upstream end of the lower support section in the transport direction of the sheet.

12. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the lower support section is configured to move between a support position for supporting the sheet and a retreat position, and causes the sheet to be discharged to the discharge tray by moving from the support position to the retreat position.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Furumido Tsuyoshi
• Uchibori Kenji
• Nakazawa Atsushi
• Nakahata Akinobu

Classifications

• B65H31/34

  Apparatus for squaring-up piled articles · CPC title

• B65H2301/4212

  of articles substantially horizontal · CPC title

• B65H31/02 Primary

  with stationary end support against which pile accumulates · CPC title

• B65H9/101 Primary

  acting on the edge of the article · CPC title

• B65H2301/3621

  perpendicularly to a first direction in which the material is already in registered position · CPC title