Sheet feeding or delivering – Feeding – With means to align sheet
Utility Patent
1998-05-26
2001-01-02
Noland, Kenneth W. (Department: 3651)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Feeding
With means to align sheet
C271S220000, C271S221000, C414S789000, C414S788900, C270S058120
Utility Patent
active
06168154
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sheet handling device for stably accommodating, aligning and storing sheets fed from an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sheet handling devices for automatically sorting, binding and storing recorded sheets continuously discharged from an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, printer, and facsimile have been used.
A conventional sheet handling device of this type has been known, in which sheets continuously fed from the image forming apparatus are sorted and distributed into bin trays to form sheaves of sheets in the bin trays, and then, the sheaves of sheets are bound with staples as occasion calls (Japanese Patent Application Public Disclosure No. 4-290800(A)). There has been known another sheet handling device having a sheet processing section for binding sheets continuously fed from the image forming apparatus, and a sheet storing section for stacking the bound sheets, which sections are placed side by side (Japanese Patent Application Public Disclosure No. 6-9142(A)).
In both the known sheet handling devices, the sheets which are continuously sent from the image forming apparatus into the sheet processing section and stacked in a sheaf undergo post-processing such as stapling and punching. Prior to carrying out the post-processing, the sheets are aligned to true up the edges thereof.
The sheets fed from the image forming apparatus are first stacked on a stacking tray or bin tray. The stacking tray inclines one side as seen in the aforesaid prior art references, so that the sheets placed thereon spontaneously slide down the inclined plane of the stacking tray until striking against a transferring reference surface defined at the lowermost of the inclined plane of the stacking tray, consequently to true up the edges of the sheets.
That is, in the most conventional sheet handling devices, the sheets are automatically aligned in one direction, but must be forcibly aligned by using some means in the direction perpendicular to that in which the sheets are automatically aligned. For that purpose, the aforementioned prior art device has sheet aligning levers disposed one before and behind the sheet stacking tray relative to a sheet discharging direction, which are rockingly rotatable in parallel to the surface of the stacking tray. The sheets on the stacking tray are pinched between the two sheet aligning levers so as to be aligned in the sheet discharging direction.
As a result, a sheet aligning mechanism having the sheet aligning levers become inevitably large in size because it calls for a large space for permitting the two sheet aligning levers to move rockingly. Furthermore, the sheet aligning mechanism having the sheet aligning levers suffers a disadvantage such that it necessitates a high-power driving system capable of producing large rotating torque for imparting sufficient pinching force to the aligning levers so as to exactly align the sheets between the levers. Besides, there is an inconvenient possibility that the sheet aligning levers cause the sheets to be stacked unevenly when parting from the sheets.
In addition, when the sheets aligned are transferred before being bound with a staple, the sheets are unlikely to be exactly heaped up. However, the conventional sheet aligning mechanism is not provided with means for preventing the sheets from straggling, thus disadvantageously causing jamming of the sheets being transferred or failure to staple the sheets.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet handling device capable of securely and effectively aligning sheets fed from an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine so as to true up the edges of the sheets exactly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sheet handling device capable of effectively aligning sheets fed from an image forming apparatus into a sheaf of sheets and reliably sending out the sheaf of sheets without disturbing or stacking unevenly the sheets thus aligned.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a sheet handling device having the outstanding ability to securely and effectively align the given sheets, which is relatively simple in structure and has components operable in a narrow space, thus enabling the device to be made small in size.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a useful sheet handling device which can be applied to or incorporated into not only an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, facsimile and printer, but also all sorts of apparatuses handling a sheet or sheets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To attain the objects described above according to this invention, there is provided a sheet handling device comprising a first storage means for storing one or more sheets, means for transferring the sheets stored in the first storage means, a second storage means for storing the sheets transferred from the first storage means by the transferring means, sheet aligning means to be brought into collision with the leading edges of the sheets relative to the sheet discharging direction in which the sheets are transferred so as to align the sheets stacked on the first storage means, thus truing up the leading edges of the sheets, and moving means for causing the sheet aligning means to be retracted from its sheet aligning position at which the sheets are aligned by the sheet aligning means in the direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the sheets being transferred.
A sheet transferring passage along which the sheets are sent out from the first storage means is formed in the sheet discharging direction perpendicular to a sheet introducing direction in which the sheets are fed from the image forming apparatus to the first storage means. The second storage means is placed in juxtaposition to the first storage means relative to the sheet discharging direction, so that the sheets aligned on the first storage means are transferred to the second storage means in the sheet discharging direction.
The sheet aligning means comprises a rear-side aligning member placed behind the first storage means relative to the sheet discharging direction, and a front-side aligning member placed before the first storage means and opposed to the rear-side aligning member.
The front-side aligning member retractably confronting the front end of the first storage means so as to open and close the sheet transferring passage defined in the first storage means. In order to selectively allow and block the passage of the sheets through the front-side aligning member, the front-side aligning member may be moved vertically or rotated forwardly in the sheet discharging direction.
When a prescribed number of sheets stacked on the first storage means are aligned in the sheet discharging direction, the front-side aligning member assumes its lower aligning position, and then, the rear-side aligning member is moved forward in the sheet discharging direction. Consequently, the sheets on the first storage means are pressed against the front-side aligning member by the rear-side aligning member to be aligned in the sheet discharging direction.
After the sheets are pinched and pressed between the front-side aligning member and the rear-side aligning member so as to be aligned, they are held by the transferring means, moving the front-side aligning member out of the sheet transferring passage and returning the rear-side aligning member to its home position. The sheets thus released from the front-side and rear-side aligning members are sent out by the sheet transferring means in the sheet discharging direction to the second storage means.
In the process of transferring the sheets from the first storage means to the second storage means, the sheets are stapled or punched.
In the case of using the front-side aligning member movably vertically, the front-side aligning member may be brought in soft contact with the upper surface of the sheets being transferred from the first storage means to the
Asahara Tsuyoshi
Kaneko Hirofumi
Mimura Hideki
Saito Takashi
Sano Kazuaki
Nisca Corporation Yamanashi-ken
Noland Kenneth W.
Pitney Hardin Kipp & Szuch LLP
Ridley Richard
LandOfFree
Sheet handling device for continually fed sheets which are... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Sheet handling device for continually fed sheets which are..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Sheet handling device for continually fed sheets which are... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2451295