Sheet stacking device and image forming apparatus incorporating the sheet stacking device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11753266-B2
Application number	US-202017131982-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 23, 2020
Priority date	Feb 14, 2018
Publication date	Sep 12, 2023
Grant date	Sep 12, 2023

Abstract

A sheet stacking device includes a stacker, a detector, a blower, and a moving device. A sheet is stacked on the stacker. The detector detects a stacking amount of the sheet on the stacker. The blower blows air to the sheet stacked on the stacker. The moving device moves the blower with respect to the stacker based on the stacking amount of the sheet detected by the detector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet stacking device comprising:
a stacker on which at least one sheet is stacked;
a detector configured to detect a stacking amount of the at least one sheet on the stacker;
a blower configured to blow air to the at least one sheet stacked on the stacker, and to rotate with respect to the stacker; and
a moving device including at least one gear, the moving device configured to,
move the blower while maintaining a constant blowing angle of the blower with respect to the at least one sheet stacked on the stacker, and
move the blower to change a distance between the blower and the stacker to achieve a constant distance between the blower and a top surface of the at least one sheet stacked on the stacker.

2. The sheet stacking device according to claim 1 , wherein
the detector includes a displacement body configured to,
contact a top surface of the at least one sheet stacked on the stacker, and
be displaced in accordance with the stacking amount of the at least one sheet; and

the moving device includes a drive device, the drive device coupled to the displacement body, the drive device configured to drive the at least one gear of the moving device according to a displacement of the displacement body.

3. The sheet stacking device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a support attached to the blower, the support configured to support the blower in a state in which a distance of movement of the blower is changeable between the blower and the stacker.

4. The sheet stacking device according to claim 3 , wherein the blower is biased to cause the blower to be set to a home position.

5. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a fixing device configured to fix an image on at least one sheet; and
the sheet stacking device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one sheet to which the image has been fixed by the fixing device is stacked on the stacker.

6. A sheet stacking device comprising:
a stacker on which at least one sheet is stacked;
a detector configured to detect a stacking amount of the at least one sheet on the stacker, the detector including a displacement body, the displacement body configured to,
contact a top surface of the at least one sheet stacked on the stacker, and
be displaced in accordance with the stacking amount of the at least one sheet;

a blower configured to blow air to the at least one sheet stacked on the stacker, and to rotate with respect to the stacker; and
a moving device including at least one gear, the moving device configured to move the blower while maintaining a constant blowing angle of the blower with respect to a top surface of the at least one sheet stacked on the stacker.

7. The sheet stacking device according to claim 6 , further comprising:
the moving device including a drive device; and
the drive device coupled to the displacement body, the drive device configured to drive the at least one gear of the moving device according to a displacement of the displacement body.

8. The sheet stacking device according to claim 6 , wherein the moving device is further configured to move the blower to change a distance between the blower and the stacker to achieve a constant distance between the blower and a top surface of the at least one sheet stacked on the stacker.

9. The sheet stacking device according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a support attached to the blower, the support configured to support the blower in a state in which a distance of movement of the blower is changeable between the blower and the stacker.

10. The sheet stacking device according to claim 9 , wherein
the blower is biased to cause the blower to be set to a home position.

11. The sheet stacking device according to claim 6 , wherein the blower is configured to rotate when the at least one sheet contacts the blower.

12. An image forming apparatus comprising:
a fixing device configured to fix an image on at least one sheet; and
the sheet stacking device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the at least one sheet to which the image has been fixed by the fixing device is stacked on the stacker.

13. The sheet stacking device according to claim 3 , wherein the support comprises:
at least one groove configured to allow a change of a blowing angle of the blower with respect to the at least one sheet stacked on the stacker.

14. The sheet stacking device according to claim 13 , wherein the support further comprises:
at least one shoulder screw connected to the blower, the at least one shoulder screw moveable along the at least one groove; and
at least one torsion spring attached to the at least one shoulder screw, the at least one torsion spring configured to apply stress to the blower and the support.

15. The sheet stacking device according to claim 4 , wherein the blower is biased using a biasing device, the biasing device including at least one of:
a spring, a gel, a damper, or any combinations thereof.

16. The sheet stacking device according to claim 1 , wherein the blower comprises:
a fan; and
a motor configured to drive the fan to blow the air onto the at least one sheet stacked on the stacker.

17. The sheet stacking device according to claim 3 , wherein
the support comprises a fulcrum; and
the blower is configured to rotate around the fulcrum in response to a number of sheets stacked on the stacker increasing.

18. The sheet stacking device according to claim 9 , wherein the support further comprises:
at least one groove configured to allow a change of a blowing angle of the blower with respect to the at least one sheet stacked on the stacker.

19. The sheet stacking device according to claim 18 , wherein the support further comprises:
at least one shoulder screw connected to the blower, the at least one shoulder screw moveable along the at least one groove; and
at least one torsion spring attached to the at least one shoulder screw, the at least one torsion spring configured to apply stress to the blower and the support.

20. The sheet stacking device according to claim 10 , wherein the blower is biased using a biasing device, the biasing device including at least one of:
a spring, a gel, a damper, or any combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Midorikawa Ruki
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Midorikawa Ruki

Classifications

• G03G15/6552 Primary

  Means for discharging uncollated sheet copy material, e.g. discharging rollers, exit trays · CPC title

• B65H29/246 Primary

  acting on stacking devices · CPC title

• G03G21/206

  Conducting air through the machine, e.g. for cooling, filtering, removing gases like ozone · CPC title

• G03G2215/00911

  Detection of copy amount or presence in discharge tray · CPC title

• B65H2801/27

  Devices located downstream of office-type machines · CPC title