Sheet-material associating – Associating and folding
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-18
2001-08-21
Ellis, Christoper P. (Department: 3651)
Sheet-material associating
Associating and folding
C270S037000, C493S428000, C493S445000, C493S446000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276677
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sheet bundle folding apparatus.
This sheet bundle folding apparatus is used when for example, in an image forming apparatus such as a copying apparatus, a bundle of sheets on which image formation has been effected is to be folded in two.
2. Related Background Art
There are already known various sheet treating apparatuses for effecting the post-treatment of sheets on which image formation has been effected by an image forming apparatus such as a copying apparatus.
One of these sheet treating apparatuses binds a bundle of a predetermined number of sheets and folds the bound bundle of sheets in two.
FIG. 17
of the accompanying drawings shows the construction of a sheet treating apparatus
200
according to the prior art which effects the binding and folding work.
A sheet bundle folding apparatus for folding a bundle of sheets in two is constituted by a sheet binding device
18
for binding a bundle of sheets, folding rollers
26
and
27
and a stick-out unit
25
.
A sheet on which image formation has been done discharged from an image forming apparatus, not shown, is carried into the sheet treating apparatus
200
.
The sheet thus carried in is conveyed by a convey roller
17
and passes by the sheet binding device
18
and is delivered to a convey roller
22
, and is conveyed until the leading end edge thereof arrives at a sheet stopper
23
waiting at a first stacking position. Then, the widthwise end portions of the sheet are trued up by sheet aligning means
24
and alignment is effected.
A similar operation is repeated for a plurality of sheets, and the plurality of sheets (a bundle of sheets) are stacked at the first stacking position. The stacked bundle of sheets are bound by the sheet binding device
18
.
Thereafter, a sheet stopper
23
is moved to a second stacking position, where the bundle of sheets are folded in two. The bound bundle of sheets are stuck by the stick-out unit
25
, whereby they are directed to the nip portion between the folding rollers
26
and
27
and are folded in two by the folding rollers
26
and
27
, whereafter they are discharged onto a stacking tray
32
outside the apparatus by a pair of discharge rollers
30
and
31
.
One folding roller
26
is movable in a direction of escape (upwardly) by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the bundle of sheets to hold the bundle of sheets between it and the other folding roller
27
. As shown in
FIG. 18
of the accompanying drawings, the folding roller
26
is mounted on a holding plate
98
supported on a frame
8
(
FIG. 17
) for pivotal movement about a support shaft
98
a
, and is urged against the folding roller
27
mounted (fixedly) also on the frame
8
, by a spring
99
.
The stick-out unit
25
is designed to be moved along a groove
8
a
formed in the frame
8
, stick out the bundle of sheet by a stick-out plate
25
a
at the end thereof, and direct the bundle of sheet to the nip between the folding rollers
26
and
27
.
However, the above-described sheet bundle folding apparatus according to the prior art has suffered from the inconvenience that the stick-out unit
25
cannot accurately stick the bundle of sheets in a folding position therefor.
That is, the sticking position of the stick-out unit
25
is fixed at the nip position between the rollers
26
and
27
when the upper folding roller
26
is in contact with the lower folding roller
27
. The stick-out unit
25
is moved along the groove
8
a
so as to stick the bundle of sheets at the same nip position.
In contrast, the folding position for the bundle of sheets changes before and after the upper folding roller
26
separates from the lower folding roller
27
.
The folding position for the bundle of sheets before the upper folding roller separates from the lower folding roller is the nip position between the two rollers
26
and
27
and at this time, the folding position for the bundle of sheets and the sticking position of the stick-out unit
25
are coincident with each other. However, the folding position for the bundle of sheets after the upper folding roller has separated from the lower folding roller deviates from the folding position before the upper folding roller separates from the lower folding roller and correspondingly, a deviation occurs between the actual folding position for the bundle of sheets and the sticking position of the stick-out unit
25
.
This has led to the possibility that the stick-out unit
25
cannot accurately the bundle of sheets in the folding position and wrinkles or breakage may occur to the sheets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
So, the present invention has been made in view of the circumstances as described above and the object thereof is to provide a sheet bundle folding apparatus designed to accurately stick a bundle of sheet in a folding position therefor so as not to cause the wrinkles or breakage of the sheets.
To achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a sheet bundle folding apparatus provided with a fixed folding member fixed at a predetermined position, a movable folding member movable toward and away from the fixed folding member, and a sheet bundle push-in member movable toward between the fixed folding member and the movable folding member to push a bundle of sheet into between the fixed folding member and the movable folding member.
To achieve the above object, the present invention is characterized in that the sheet bundle push-in member is designed to follow the folding position for the bundle of sheet pushed into between the fixed folding member and the movable folding member by the sheet bundle push-in member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5169376 (1992-12-01), Ries et al.
patent: 5546168 (1996-08-01), Adachi et al.
patent: 5700002 (1997-12-01), Kato et al.
patent: 5738620 (1998-04-01), Ebner et al.
patent: 6022011 (2000-02-01), Hirose
Adachi Seiichiro
Hommochi Hiroki
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Ellis Christoper P.
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Mackey Patrick
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