Sheet processing apparatus and image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9604814-B2
Application number	US-201514594596-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2015
Priority date	Apr 17, 2012
Publication date	Mar 28, 2017
Grant date	Mar 28, 2017

Abstract

According to an embodiment, there is provided a sheet processing apparatus includes a stacking unit that stacks a sheet conveyed thereto; a first alignment unit that aligns the sheet or a bundle of sheets stacked in the stacking unit in a sheet conveying direction; a second alignment unit that aligns the sheet or the bundle of sheets stacked in the stacking unit in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction; a pressing unit that presses the bundle of sheets at an end portion thereof on a predetermined one side; and a control unit that causes at least one of the first and second alignment units to execute an alignment operation during a press operation of the sheet or the bundle of sheets performed by the pressing unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet processing apparatus comprising:
a stacker configured to stack a sheet conveyed thereto;
a first alignment device configured to align the sheet or the bundle of sheets stacked in the stacker in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction;
a pressing device movable in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction and configured to press the bundle of sheets at an end portion thereof on a predetermined one side;
a controller configured to cause the first alignment device to execute an alignment operation during a press operation of the sheet or the bundle of sheets performed by the pressing device;
a binder configured to bind the bundle of sheets that has been aligned by the first alignment device, wherein the pressing device presses an end of the bundle of sheets on a side to be bound by the binder; and,
a moving device configured to move the binder in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction, wherein
the pressing device moves in the same direction in synchronization with the movement of the binder by the moving device.

2. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an alignment operation by the first alignment device is performed in parallel with the press operation performed by the pressing device.

3. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the press operation performed by the pressing device is executed first, and the alignment operation performed by the first alignment device is subsequently performed under the pressed state.

4. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing device presses the sheet or the bundle of sheets at a pressing force or with a pressing space that allows the sheet to be moved by the first alignment unit during the press operation.

5. An image forming system comprising the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

6. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a second alignment device configured to align the sheet or a bundle of sheets stacked in the stacker in the sheet conveying direction, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the second alignment device to execute an alignment operation during a press operation of the sheet or bundle of sheets performed by the pressing device.

7. A sheet processing apparatus comprising:
a stacker configured to stack a sheet conveyed thereto;
a first alignment device configured to align the sheet or the bundle of sheets stacked in the stacker in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction;
a pressing device movable in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction and configured to press the bundle of sheets at an end portion thereof on a predetermined one side;
a controller configured to cause the first alignment device to execute an alignment operation during a press operation of the sheet or the bundle of sheets performed by the pressing device; and
a setting unit that sets the alignment operations of the first alignment device and the press operation of the pressing device as a combination of components to be activated during one alignment operation, wherein
the setting unit changes the number of components of alignment operations in accordance with a sheet size or the number of sheets to be bound.

8. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein an alignment operation by the first alignment device is performed in parallel with the press operation performed by the pressing device.

9. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the press operation performed by the pressing device is executed first, and the alignment operation performed by the first alignment device is subsequently performed under the pressed state.

10. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a binder configured to bind the bundle of sheets that has been aligned by the first alignment device, wherein
the pressing device presses an end of the bundle of sheets on a side to be bound by the binder.

11. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the pressing device presses the sheet or the bundle of sheets at a pressing force or with a pressing space that allows the sheet to be moved by the first alignment unit during the press operation.

12. An image forming system comprising the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7 .

13. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a second alignment device configured to align the sheet or a bundle of sheets stacked in the stacker in the sheet conveying direction, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the second alignment device to execute an alignment operation during a press operation of the sheet or bundle of sheets performed by the pressing device.

14. A sheet processing apparatus comprising:
a stacker configured to stack a sheet conveyed thereto;
a first alignment device configured to align the sheet or the bundle of sheets stacked in the stacker in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction;
a pressing device movable in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction and configured to press the bundle of sheets at an end portion thereof on a predetermined one side;
a controller configured to cause the first alignment device to execute an alignment operation during a press operation of the sheet or the bundle of sheets performed by the pressing device; and
an operation panel that allows a user to set the number of components of alignment operations, regarding the alignment operations of the first alignment device and the press operation of the pressing device as a combination of components to be activated during one alignment operation.

15. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein an alignment operation by the first alignment device is performed in parallel with the press operation performed by the pressing device.

16. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the press operation performed by the pressing device is executed first, and the alignment operation performed by the first alignment device is subsequently performed under the pressed state.

17. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising a binder configured to bind the bundle of sheets that has been aligned by the first alignment device, wherein
the pressing device presses an end of the bundle of sheets on a side to be bound by the binder.

18. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the pressing device presses the sheet or the bundle of sheets at a pressing force or with a pressing space that allows the sheet to be moved by the first alignment unit during the press operation.

19. An image forming system comprising the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 14 .

20. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising a second alignment device configured to align the sheet or a bundle of sheets stacked in the stacker in the sheet conveying direction, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the second alignment device to execute an alignment operation during a press operation of the sheet or bundle of sheets performed by the pressing device.

Assignees

• Furuhashi Tomohiro
• Tamura Masahiro
• Nagasako Shuuya
• Sugiyama Keisuke
• Yamamoto Kazuya
• Nakada Kyosuke
• Hoshino Tomomichi
• Kunieda Akira
• Watanabe Takahiro
• Matsumoto Takamasa
• Suzuki Junya
• Niitsuma Youhei
• Konno Kazunori
• Goto Kiichiro
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Furuhashi Tomohiro
• Tamura Masahiro
• Nagasako Shuuya
• Sugiyama Keisuke
• Yamamoto Kazuya
• Nakada Kyosuke
• Hoshino Tomomichi
• Kunieda Akira
• Watanabe Takahiro
• Matsumoto Takamasa
• Suzuki Junya
• Niitsuma Youhei
• Konno Kazunori
• Goto Kiichiro

Classifications

• B65H2701/1313

  trailing edge · CPC title

• B65H37/04

  for securing together articles or webs, e.g. by adhesive, stitching or stapling (adhering replacement to expiring web during change of web roll B65H19/18) · CPC title

• B65H2301/4213

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

• B31F1/0006

  Bending or folding; Folding edges combined with joining; Reinforcing edges during the folding thereof; (creasing B31F1/08, crêping paper B31F1/12, corrugating B31F1/20; bending and joining B31F1/0045; reinforcing edges per se B31F5/08; making wound articles B31C, folding thin material per se B65H45/00) · CPC title

• B65H2801/27

  Devices located downstream of office-type machines · CPC title