Medium aligning apparatus, medium processing apparatus, and recording system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11827472-B2
Application number	US-202217812870-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2022
Priority date	Jun 11, 2019
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

A medium aligning apparatus includes a load tray including a load surface on which a medium discharged from a discharge member that discharges a medium is loaded, a first aligning surface that aligns a plurality of mediums loaded on the load tray by positioning rear ends of the mediums, and a second aligning surface that aligns the mediums by positioning the rear ends of the mediums loaded on the load tray. In the medium aligning apparatus, the first aligning surface and the second aligning surface are switchable, and an angle formed between a wall surface in the discharge tray that receives the mediums discharged from the load tray, the wall surface having the rear ends of the mediums come in contact therewith, and the second aligning surface is smaller than an angle formed between the wall surface and the first aligning surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medium aligning apparatus comprising:
a load tray on which a medium to be discharged by a discharge member that discharges a medium is loaded;
a rear end aligning surface that performs aligning of a plurality of mediums loaded on the load tray by positioning rear ends of the mediums, the rear ends being upstream ends of the mediums in a direction in which the mediums are discharged with the discharge member; and
a wall surface in a discharge tray that receives the medium discharged from the load tray, wherein the rear ends of the mediums come in contact with the wall surface, wherein
the wall surface and the rear end aligning surface are parallel to each other, and
the plurality of mediums aligned using the rear end aligning surface are discharged to the discharge tray while the rear ends of the mediums are moved by the rear end aligning surface.

2. The medium aligning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a load surface of the load tray and a support surface of the discharge tray that supports the medium are inclined upwards towards a downstream side in a discharge direction.

3. The medium aligning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
when, at least, a process is not to be performed on the mediums loaded on the load tray, the rear ends of the mediums are aligned using the rear end aligning surface.

4. The medium aligning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of mediums are discharged without changing an alignment performed by the rear end aligning surface.

5. A medium processing apparatus comprising:
medium aligning apparatuses according to claim 1 ; and
a processing portion that is, with respect to the load tray, positioned upstream in a direction in which the medium is discharged by the discharge member, the processing portion performing a process on the medium loaded on the load tray.

6. A recording system comprising:
a recording unit that includes a recording member that performs recording on a medium; and
a medium processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the medium processing apparatus performs a process on a recorded medium recorded in the recording unit.

7. The medium aligning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a load surface of the load tray and a support surface of the discharge tray that supports a medium are parallel to each other.

8. The medium aligning apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
a first aligning surface and a second aligning surface are disposed on both sides of a center position of a medium processing apparatus in a width direction that is a direction intersecting a discharge direction of a medium.

9. A medium aligning apparatus comprising:
a load tray on which a medium to be discharged by a discharge member that discharges a medium is loaded;
a rear end aligning surface that performs aligning of a plurality of mediums loaded on the load tray by positioning rear ends of the mediums, the rear ends being upstream ends of the mediums in a direction in which the mediums are discharged with the discharge member; and
a wall surface in a discharge tray that receives the medium discharged from the load tray, wherein the rear ends of the mediums come in contact with the wall surface, wherein
the wall surface and the rear end aligning surface are parallel to each other, and
the plurality of mediums are discharged without changing an alignment performed by the rear end aligning surface until discharged to the discharge tray while the rear ends of the mediums are moved by the rear aligning surface.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Nakazawa Atsushi

Classifications

• B65H1/04 Primary

  adapted to support articles substantially horizontally, e.g. for separation from top of pile · CPC title

• B65H31/02 Primary

  with stationary end support against which pile accumulates · CPC title

• B65H31/36

  Auxiliary devices for contacting each article with a front stop as it is piled · CPC title

• B65H2301/44318

  between rollers · CPC title

• B65H2801/06

  Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers · CPC title