Document handler with a staple mode and a moveable stopper

Details Document handler with a staple mode and a moveable stopper Document handler with a staple mode and a moveable stopper

1997-05-08

2001-03-13

Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)

Sheet-material associating

Associating or disassociating

Sheet associating

C270S058080, C270S058120, C270S058130, C271S207000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06199853

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a document handler which includes a staple mode.
2. Discussion of the Background
Document handler systems which include a staple mode are known in which sheets of a document can be stapled together prior to being discharged from an image forming apparatus. One example of such a document handler system is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application No. 5-590.
FIG. 1
of this Japanese document 5-590 is reprinted here as FIG.
10
. As shown in
FIG. 10
, the document handler of this Japanese document 5-590 includes a stapler unit
3
attached to a main body
1
of a copying machine as an image forming apparatus. In this device, a copy sheet is formed in the main body
1
, and is ejected through an outlet of the main body
1
and is fed by rollers
901
in the stapler unit
3
. In the staple mode, a copy sheet is fed by the rollers
901
to a finishing tray
400
and is further fed by the brush roller
101
towards an end fence
102
on the finishing tray
100
. With this operation, a leading edge of the copy sheet is aligned on the end fence
102
. Side fences (not shown) are also disposed on the finishing tray
400
for properly aligning the copy sheet on the finishing tray
400
transversely. Such an alignment is sequentially executed to successive copy sheets, and thereby a stack of copy sheets are positioned on the finishing tray
400
. Then, the stack of copy sheets is stapled by the stapler
302
which is fixedly disposed on the finishing tray
400
. Then, the stapled stack of copy sheets is moved transversely by one of the side fences, and thereby the stapled stack of copy sheets is ejected from the finishing tray
400
.
Such a stapler unit
3
as disclosed in
FIG. 10
suffers from drawbacks in requiring a complicated structure to position and eject the stapled sheets. Further, such a stapler unit
3
as shown in
FIG. 10
does not lend itself to a multiple stapling operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a novel document handler which overcomes the drawbacks in the background art.
A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a novel document handler, which is operable in a staple mode, and which can ensure that documents to be stapled are properly positioned on a stapler stacking tray. The present invention achieves such an object by providing a specialized brush or positioning structure to ensure that edges of a document to be stapled are properly positioned.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel document handler with a movable stopper at a stapler stacking tray which can ensure that the documents to be stapled are properly positioned in a stapling position and are thereafter properly discharged.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel document handler operable in a staple mode and in which a multiple place staple operation for stapling a document in multiple places can be easily effectuated. The present invention achieves such an object by either providing a stapler which is movable to multiple places, or by providing a stationary stapler and a movable stopper for moving a document to be stapled to the multiple places.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel document handler which has a compact design such that operations in a sort/stack mode, an inversion mode and a staple mode can be easily effectuated. The present invention achieves such an object by providing a document feeder with a first path through which a document passes in a sort/stack mode and a second document path through which a document passes in a stapled mode. Further, in the present invention in an inversion mode a document passes through a portion of the second document path.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4925172 (1990-05-01), Christy et al.
patent: 5020784 (1991-06-01), Asami et al.
patent: 5037077 (1991-08-01), Kubota et al.
patent: 5320336 (1994-06-01), Asami
patent: 5382011 (1995-01-01), Tani
patent: 5442432 (1995-08-01), Tani
patent: 5478062 (1995-12-01), Horiuchi et al.
patent: 5508798 (1996-04-01), Yamada
patent: 5709376 (1998-01-01), Ushirogata
patent: 5-590 (1993-01-01), None

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