Sheet processing apparatus and image forming apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019300321-A1
Application number	US-201916444193-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 18, 2019
Priority date	Oct 21, 2016
Publication date	Oct 3, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sheet processing apparatus includes a first and second alignment members that moves relatively in a width direction to align a position of a sheet in the width direction. Each alignment member includes a contact surface configured to come in contact with an end of the sheet in the width direction, a lower portion configured to support a lower surface of the sheet, and an upper portion facing an upper surface of the sheet. For each of the first and second alignment members, the lower portion is more distant from the contact surface than the upper portion in the width direction, the lower portion is positioned above a lower end of the contact surface in a gravity direction, and a distance between the upper portion and the lower portion in the gravity direction is smaller than a length of the contact surface in the gravity direction.

First claim

1 .- 16 . (canceled)

17 . A sheet processing apparatus comprising:
a conveyance member configured to convey a sheet; a pair of alignment members configured to move relatively in a width direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the sheet by the conveyance member, so as to align a position of the sheet in the width direction; a lower portion configured to support a lower surface of the sheet between the pair of alignment members in the width direction; and a pair of upper portions arranged on one side and the other side of the lower portion in the width direction and each configured to hold an upper surface of the sheet, wherein the pair of upper portions is positioned lower than the lower portion in a plane vertical to the conveyance direction.

18 . The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 17 , further comprising:
a supporting portion configured to support the lower surface of the sheet aligned by the pair of alignment members; an upper guide facing the supporting portion in a gravity direction and configured to guide the upper surface of the sheet supported by the supporting portion; an upper projecting portion projecting upward from the supporting portion when viewed in the conveyance direction; and a lower projecting portion arranged on one side and the other side of the upper projecting portion in the width direction and projecting downward from the upper guide when viewed in the conveyance direction, wherein the lower portion is an upper end portion of the upper projecting portion, and the pair of upper portions is a lower end portion of the lower projecting portion.

19 . A sheet processing apparatus comprising:
a conveyance member configured to convey a sheet; and a pair of alignment members configured to move relatively in a width direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the sheet by the conveyance member, so as to align a position of the sheet in the width direction, the pair of alignment members each comprising a contact surface configured to come in contact with an end portion of the sheet in the width direction, wherein at least one of the pair of alignment members comprises a lower portion configured to support a lower surface of the sheet that is in contact with the contact surface, and an upper portion positioned between the lower portion and the contact surface in the width direction and configured to hold an upper surface of the sheet that is in contact with the contact surface, and wherein in a plane orthogonal to the conveyance direction, the lower portion is positioned above a lower end of the contact surface in a gravity direction, and a distance between the upper portion and the lower portion in the gravity direction is smaller than a length of the contact surface in the gravity direction.

20 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Okawa Yuichiro
• Nakahara Yasuhiro
• Fukatsu Masayoshi
• Maeda Naoyuki

Classifications

• B65H2405/1115

  with surface inclined, e.g. in width-wise direction · CPC title

• B65H2301/51256

  Removing waviness or curl, smoothing · CPC title

• B65H33/08

  Displacing whole batches, e.g. forming stepped piles · CPC title

• B65H2801/27

  Devices located downstream of office-type machines · CPC title

• B65H2405/11151

  with surface inclined upwardly in transport direction · CPC title