Sheet processing device, image forming system, and method of additionally folding sheet bundle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9359167-B2
Application number	US-201414468868-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2014
Priority date	Aug 29, 2013
Publication date	Jun 7, 2016
Grant date	Jun 7, 2016

Abstract

A sheet processing device comprising: a pressing unit that presses a fold line part of a folded sheet bundle; and a moving unit that moves a pressing position of the pressing unit in a fold direction of the folded sheet bundle, wherein the pressing unit includes a pair of pressing rollers that holds the folded sheet bundle therebetween, and the pair of pressing rollers changes an angle θ between a thickness direction of the folded sheet bundle and a line connecting the rotational centers of the pressing rollers in the middle of movement.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet processing device comprising:
a pressing unit that presses a fold line part of a folded sheet bundle; and
a moving unit that moves a pressing position of the pressing unit in a fold direction of the folded sheet bundle, wherein
the pressing unit includes a pair of pressing rollers that holds the folded sheet bundle therebetween,
the pair of pressing rollers changes an angle θ between a thickness direction of the folded sheet bundle and a line connecting rotational centers of the pressing rollers in a middle of movement, and
the rotational center of a first roller of the pair rollers is fixed relative to the moving unit and the rotational center of a second roller of the pair of rollers is moveable in the fold direction relative to the moving unit.

2. The sheet processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the angle θ of the pressing unit is set to θ≈0 at a stitching position of the folded sheet bundle, and the angle θ is set to an arbitrary angle in a range of −90° <θ<90° at positions other than the stitching position, and
the moving unit moves the pressing unit at the angle θ as described above.

3. The sheet processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the angle θ of the pressing unit is set to θ<0 at an end of the folded sheet bundle, and the angle θ is set to an arbitrary angle in a range of −90° <θ<90° at positions other than the end, and the moving unit moves the pressing unit at the angle θ as described above.

4. The sheet processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the pressing unit changes the angle θ for each copy, and
the moving unit moves the pressing unit in which the angle θ has been changed.

5. The sheet processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the pressing unit changes the angle θ depending on number of times of pressing, and
the moving unit moves the pressing unit in which the angle θ has been changed.

6. The sheet processing device according to claim 1 , wherein a change pattern of the angle θ is set based on a pattern set in advance.

7. The sheet processing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the angle θ is changed based on booklet information including one of sheet information, a stitching position, and number of sheets to be stitched.

8. The sheet processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the angle θ is set by a user.

9. An image forming system comprising the sheet processing device according to claim 1 .

10. The sheet processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational center of the second roller is moved by an eccentric cam.

11. The sheet processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational center of the second roller is movable between at least a first position aligned with the rotational center of the first roller and a second position downstream of the rotational center of the first roller.

12. The sheet processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the rotational center of the second roller is further movable to a third position upstream of the rotational center of the first roller.

13. A method of additionally folding a sheet bundle in a sheet processing device including a pressing unit that presses a fold line part of a folded sheet bundle, and a moving unit that moves a pressing position of the pressing unit in a fold direction of the sheet bundle, the method comprising:
additionally folding a fold line part of the folded sheet bundle with the pressing unit including a pair of pressing rollers that holds the folded sheet bundle therebetween, and
changing an angle θ between a thickness direction of the folded sheet bundle and a line connecting rotational centers of the pair of pressing rollers in the additional-folding by fixing the rotational center of a first roller of the pair rollers relative to the moving unit and moving the rotational center of a second roller of the pair of rollers in the fold direction relative to the moving unit.

Assignees

• Musha Akihiro
• Sugiyama Keisuke
• Hata Kiyoshi
• Akai Takeshi
• Okamoto Ikuhisa
• Yamada Jun
• Watanabe Takao
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Musha Akihiro
• Sugiyama Keisuke
• Hata Kiyoshi
• Akai Takeshi
• Okamoto Ikuhisa
• Yamada Jun
• Watanabe Takao

Classifications

• B65H45/18 Primary

  Oscillating or reciprocating blade folders (carried on rotary members B65H45/16) · CPC title

• B65H45/04 Primary

  Folding sheets · CPC title

• B65H45/12

  Folding articles or webs with application of pressure to define or form crease lines (B65H20/28 takes precedence; pleating, kilting or goffering textile fabrics D06J) · CPC title

• B65H2301/5123

  Compressing, i.e. diminishing thickness · CPC title

• B65H2801/27

  Devices located downstream of office-type machines · CPC title