Recording material processing apparatus and image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11618645-B2
Application number	US-202016985614-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2020
Priority date	Mar 27, 2020
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

Provided is a recording material processing apparatus including: a recording material support portion configured to support a recording material loaded thereon from below; a contact member disposed on a side of the recording material loaded on the recording material support portion and configured to be pushed by an edge portion of the recording material, the contact member being configured to move to a side opposite to the side of the recording material; an elastic member configured to receive a load from the contact member pushed by the edge portion of the recording material; and a member support portion disposed without contacting the recording material loaded on the recording material support portion and configured to support the contact member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A recording material processing apparatus comprising:
a recording material support portion which is vertically movable and is configured to support a recording material loaded thereon from below;
a contact member which is vertically movable and is disposed on a side of the recording material loaded on the recording material support portion and configured to be pushed by an edge portion of the recording material, the contact member being configured to move to a side opposite to the side of the recording material;
an elastic member configured to receive a load from the contact member pushed by the edge portion of the recording material; and
a member support portion disposed without contacting the recording material loaded on the recording material support portion and configured to support the contact member,
wherein the member support portion is disposed at a position facing an upper surface of an already loaded recording material that is already loaded on the recording material support portion, when an edge portion of a new recording material loaded on the recording material support portion pushes the contact member, and
wherein a thickness of a lower edge portion of the contact member is smaller than a thickness of an upper edge portion of the contact member.

2. The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the member support portion is disposed on a side opposite to the recording material loaded on the recording material support portion with respect to the contact member, and
wherein the elastic member is provided between the contact member and the member support portion.

3. The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the elastic member comprises a plurality of elastic members arranged at positions different from each other in an extending direction of the edge portion of the recording material loaded on the recording material support portion.

4. The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the member support portion is disposed over the upper surface of the already loaded recording material, the member support portion being separated from the upper surface.

5. The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the contact member comprises a pushed surface that is pushed by the edge portion of the recording material loaded on the recording material support portion, and an opposite surface positioned on a side opposite to the pushed surface, the opposite surface comprising an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to a vertical direction and gradually increases in a distance from the pushed surface as the inclined surface goes upward.

6. The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the inclined surface extends upward from the lower edge portion of the contact member serving as a starting point.

7. The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the contact member and the member support portion are arranged along a direction in which the edge portion of the recording material loaded on the recording material support portion extends, and
wherein a thickness of the contact member is different from a thickness of the member support portion when thicknesses in a direction intersecting a direction in which the edge portion extends are compared.

8. The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein a thickness of the contact member is smaller than a thickness of the member support portion.

9. The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein when a new recording material set comprising one or more recording materials is loaded on a loading position on an already loaded recording material set already loaded on the recording material support portion, the new recording material set newly loaded on the loading position of the already loaded recording material set becomes an other already loaded recording material set, and then another new recording material set is further loaded on a loading position of the other already loaded recording material set, and
wherein the loading position is sequentially shifted in one direction when each new recording material set is loaded.

10. An image forming system comprising:
an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a recording material; and
a recording material processing apparatus configured to process a recording material,
wherein the recording material processing apparatus includes the recording material processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

11. An image forming system comprising:
an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a recording material; and
a recording material processing apparatus configured to process a recording material,
wherein the recording material processing apparatus comprises:
a support portion configured to support, from below, a recording material discharged to the support portion after being transported from the image forming apparatus; and
a contact member including a contact surface that advances to a recording material from a side of the recording material supported by the support portion and is in contact with an edge portion of the recording material,

wherein the contact member is vertically movable with respect to the support portion, and
wherein the contact surface faces obliquely downward when the contact surface is in contact with the edge portion and pushes the edge portion.

12. The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising:
an advancing portion configured to advance to the recording material together with the contact member, the advancing portion being provided on a side opposite to a side of the recording material with respect to the contact member, and
an elastic member provided between the contact member and the advancing portion.

13. The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 12 ,
wherein the elastic member is a coil spring, and
wherein the contact member has a portion positioned below a central axis of the coil spring, the portion being configured to contact with the edge portion of a recording material.

14. The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising:
an advancing portion configured to advance to the recording material together with the contact member, the advancing portion being provided on a side opposite to a side of the recording material with respect to the contact member,
wherein the contact member is supported by the advancing portion,
wherein the contact member is disposed in a state of being inclined with respect to a vertical direction when the contact surface is in contact with the edge portion and pushes the edge portion, and
wherein the advancing portion is disposed in a state of being along a vertical direction when the contact surface is in contact with the edge portion and pushes the edge portion.

15. The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising:
an advancing portion configured to advance to the recording material together with the contact member, the advancing portion being provided on a side opposite to a side of the recording material with respect to the contact member,
wherein the contact member is supported by the advancing portion,
wherein the contact member changes a posture when the contact member is advanced toward the recording material and is in contact with the edge portion, and the contact surface faces obliquely downward with the change o

Assignees

• Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp

Inventors

• Yoneyama Takeshi
• Ohashi Shiro
• Hamabata Naoto
• Watanabe Taiki

Classifications

• B65H29/14

  and introducing into a pile · CPC title

• B41J11/0055

  Lateral guides, e.g. guides for preventing skewed conveyance of printing material · CPC title

• B65H2402/54

  Springs, e.g. helical or leaf springs · CPC title

• B65H31/20

  adjustable for different article sizes · CPC title

• B65H2701/1131

  of sheets · CPC title