Medium processing apparatus, image forming system, medium processing method, and non-transitory recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12404141-B2
Application number	US-202318343043-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2023
Priority date	Jul 29, 2022
Publication date	Sep 2, 2025
Grant date	Sep 2, 2025

Abstract

A medium processing apparatus includes a conveyor, a receptacle, an aligner, a crimp binder, and circuitry. The conveyor conveys a medium. The receptacle holds the medium. The aligner contacts a downstream end of the medium and aligns a position of the medium in a conveyance direction of the medium. The crimp binder faces the downstream end of the medium to press and deform a binding position on media of which the position is aligned, to bind the media. The aligner and the crimp binder are movable in a main scanning direction orthogonal to each of the conveyance direction and a thickness direction of the medium. When determining that the aligner overlaps the binding position when the receptacle is viewed in the thickness direction, the circuitry moves the aligner in the main scanning direction away from the binding position and causes the crimp binder to crimp and bind the media.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A medium processing apparatus comprising:
a conveyor including a conveyance roller configured to convey a sheet-shaped medium in a conveyance direction;
a tray configured to hold the medium conveyed by the conveyor;
a conveyance-direction fence configured to contact a downstream end, in the conveyance direction, of the medium placed on the tray and aligns a position, in the conveyance direction, of the medium;
a crimp binder disposed to face the downstream end, in the conveyance direction, of the medium placed on the tray to press and deform a binding position on a plurality of media, including the medium, of which the position in the conveyance direction is aligned by the conveyance-direction fence, to bind the plurality of media;
a pair of width-direction fences configured to contact opposed ends, in a main scanning direction, of the plurality of media and move in the main scanning direction to align a position, in the main scanning direction, of the plurality of media, the main scanning direction being orthogonal to each of the conveyance direction and a thickness direction of the medium placed on the tray; and
circuitry configured to control operations of the conveyor, the conveyance-direction fence, and the crimp binder,
the conveyance-direction fence and the crimp binder being movable in the main scanning direction,
the circuitry being configured to:
determine whether the conveyance-direction fence overlaps the binding position when the tray is viewed in the thickness direction;
move the conveyance-direction fence in the main scanning direction to a position away from the binding position while the plurality of media is fixed to the tray, in a case where the circuitry determines that the conveyance-direction fence overlaps the binding position when the tray is viewed in the thickness direction; and
cause the crimp binder to crimp and bind the plurality of media, and
the circuitry being further configured to move the conveyance-direction fence in the main scanning direction while the opposed ends of the plurality of media contact the pair of width-direction fences.

2. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a pair of conveyance-direction fences including the conveyance-direction fence, the pair of conveyance-direction fences arranged opposite each other across a center position, in the main scanning direction, of the plurality of media,
wherein the circuitry is configured to increase or decrease an interval between the pair of conveyance-direction fences while maintaining the pair of conveyance-direction fences at equal distances from the center position.

3. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to cause the crimp binder to sequentially crimp and bind a plurality of binding positions, including the binding position, arranged at given intervals in the main scanning direction.

4. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to change the intervals between the plurality of binding positions depending on a width of the plurality of media in the main scanning direction.

5. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to cause the crimp binder to crimp and bind at least one binding position of the plurality of binding positions, the at least one binding position being away from the conveyance-direction fence, and move the conveyance-direction fence in the main scanning direction.

6. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the intervals between the plurality of binding positions are greater than 0 mm and less than 5 mm.

7. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a contact configured to contact the downstream end, in the conveyance direction, of the plurality of media and move upstream in the conveyance direction to release the plurality of media crimped and bound from the tray,
wherein the circuitry is configured to:
determine whether the contact overlaps the binding position when the tray is viewed in the thickness direction;
relatively move the contact and the plurality of media to cause the contact to be away from the binding position in a case where the circuitry determines that the contact overlaps the binding position when the tray is viewed in the thickness direction; and
cause the crimp binder to crimp and bind the binding position.

8. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to:
determine whether the contact overlaps the binding position when the tray is viewed in the thickness direction; and
move the pair of width-direction fences in the main scanning direction relative to the tray to move the plurality of media on the tray in the main scanning direction, in a case where the circuitry determines that the contact overlaps the binding position when the tray is viewed in the thickness direction.

9. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to:
determine whether the contact overlaps the binding position when the tray is viewed in the thickness direction; and
move the tray and the pair of width-direction fences together in the main scanning direction to move the plurality of media together with the tray in the main scanning direction, in a case where the circuitry determines that the contact overlaps the binding position when the tray is viewed in the thickness direction.

10. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a contact and separation device including a tapping roller configured to come into contact with and separate from an uppermost surface of the plurality of media,
wherein the circuitry is configured to move the conveyance-direction fence aligner in the main scanning direction while the contact and separation device is in contact with the uppermost surface of the plurality of media.

11. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a drive source; and
a driving force transmission assembly including a pulley and a timing belt configured to move the conveyance-direction fence and the crimp binder in the main scanning direction by the driving source.

12. The medium processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first driving source including a first motor configured to move the conveyance-direction fence in the main scanning direction; and
a second driving source including a second motor configured to move the crimp binder in the main scanning direction.

13. An image forming system comprising:
the medium processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
the medium processing apparatus being configured to crimp and bind the plurality of media on each of which an image is formed.

Assignees

• Yanai Yuta
• Susaki Yuji
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yanai Yuta
• Susaki Yuji

Classifications

• B65H2301/43828

  involving simultaneous deformation of at least a part of the articles to be bound · CPC title

• B65H2301/4212

  of articles substantially horizontal · CPC title

• B65H2301/4213

  of a limited number of articles, e.g. buffering, forming bundles · CPC title

• B65H31/02

  with stationary end support against which pile accumulates · CPC title

• B65H2405/1134

  movable, e.g. pivotable · CPC title