Sheet processing apparatus and image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9868603-B2
Application number	US-201615205366-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 8, 2016
Priority date	Jul 27, 2015
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

A sheet processing apparatus that is capable of facilitating a process by eliminating waste of a result even if a translucent sheet is conveyed. A conveyance unit conveys a sheet received from an image forming apparatus. An optical sensor detects a sheet end conveyed. An alignment unit aligns sheets based on information detected by the optical sensor. A post-process unit performs a post-process to the sheets aligned. An input unit inputs sheet information about a type of the sheet to be received from the image forming apparatus. A control unit stops sheet conveyance when the sheet information indicates a first type sheet and when the optical sensor cannot detect the sheet end, and continues sheet conveyance when the sheet information indicates a second type sheet of which transmittance is higher than the first type sheet and when the optical sensor cannot detect the sheet end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet processing apparatus comprising:
a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet from an image forming apparatus along a conveyance path, the sheet being a first type of sheet or a second type of sheet that is higher in transmittance than the first type of sheet;
an optical sensor provided on the conveyance path and configured to detect the sheet during conveyance;
an alignment unit configured to align the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit based on detection information about the sheet detected by the optical sensor;
a post-process unit capable of performing a post-process to the sheet aligned by the alignment unit;
an input unit configured to input post-process information indicating whether or not the post-process unit performs the post-process to the sheet; and
a control unit configured to control, in a case where the optical sensor does not detect the sheet during conveyance within a predetermined time period and the sheet corresponds to the second type of sheet, the conveyance unit to stop conveyance of the sheet based on the post-process information input with the input unit,
wherein the control unit is configured to control, in a case where the optical sensor does not detect the sheet during conveyance within the predetermined time period and the sheet corresponds to the first type of sheet, the conveyance unit to stop conveyance of the sheet regardless of the post-processing information input with the input unit.

2. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second type sheet is a translucent sheet.

3. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor does not detect an end of the sheet when the sheet comprises an OHP sheet instead of the first type sheet and the second type sheet.

4. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conveyance unit accelerates and slows down the conveyance speed of the sheet based on information detected by the optical sensor.

5. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the post-process is a binding process that binds a sheet bundle that consists of a plurality of sheets.

6. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the post-process is a punching process that makes a hole in a sheet.

7. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the post-process is a scoring process that forms a score on a sheet for folding.

8. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the post-process is a sorting process that sorts sheets by a predetermined number of sheets.

9. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the optical sensor is a transmission optical sensor.

10. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a flag sensor that is provided on the conveyance path and detects a sheet during conveyance,
wherein the control unit controls the conveyance unit so as to stop conveyance of the sheet regardless of the sheet information input with the input unit when the flag sensor cannot detect the sheet during conveyance.

11. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a tray to which a sheet is ejected,
wherein a sheet is ejected to said tray without performing the post-process when the control unit continues the conveyance operation for the sheet concerned.

12. An image forming system comprising:
an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet; and
a sheet processing apparatus configured to perform a post-process to the sheet, the sheet processing apparatus comprising:
a conveyance unit configured to convey the sheet from the image forming apparatus along a conveyance path, the sheet being a first type of sheet or a second type of sheet that is higher in transmittance than the first type of sheet;
an optical sensor provided on the conveyance path and configured to detect the sheet during conveyance;
an alignment unit configured to align the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit based on detection information about the sheet detected by the optical sensor;

a post-process unit capable of performing a post-process to the sheet aligned by the alignment unit;
an input unit configured to input post-process information indicating whether or not the post-process unit performs the post-process to the sheet; and
a control unit configured to control, in a case where the optical sensor does not detect the sheet during conveyance within a predetermined time period and the sheet corresponds to the second type of sheet, the conveyance unit to stop conveyance of the sheet based on the post-process information input with the input unit,
wherein the control unit is configured to control, in a case where the optical sensor does not detect the sheet during conveyance within the predetermined time period and the sheet corresponds to the first type of sheet, the conveyance unit to stop conveyance of the sheet regardless of the post-processing information input with the input unit.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Ando Yutaka
• Nishikata Akinobu
• Yokoya Takashi
• Arai Akihiro

Classifications

• B65H7/18

  Modifying or stopping actuation of separators · CPC title

• G03G15/6541 Primary

  Binding sets of sheets, e.g. by stapling, glueing · CPC title

• B65H7/04 Primary

  responsive to absence of articles, e.g. exhaustion of pile (B65H7/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H2401/222

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B65H7/14

  by photoelectric feelers or detectors · CPC title