Sheet feeding or delivering – Delivering – Optional face or back
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-05
2004-05-11
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Delivering
Optional face or back
C493S405000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06733007
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet material conveying device for conveying a sheet material folded by being subjected to folding processingan, image forming apparatus equipped with the sheet material conveying device, and sheet processing device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Up to now, in a sheet post-processing device having a function of easily making a sheet material or a bundle of sheet materials (hereinafter simply referred to as a pamphlet) which has undergone folding processing, there is given, as a method of stacking prepared pamphlets, a stacking method of making a discharged pamphlet fall on a stacking portion and sequentially piling pamphlets.
Further, as in a large bookbinding device, there is given a stacking method of not piling but shifting discharged pamphlets in a transverse direction while sequentially conveying the pamphlets forward by means of a belt conveyor member.
However, in the case of the prior art as described above, there has been the following problem. In general, the vicinity on the folded side of a pamphlet is easier to swell compared with the opposite side. Thus, in the case where pamphlets are simply aligned in the folded side to be stacked, the uppermost stacking surface is not stable, stacking property is poor, and the number of stacked sheets is small to a staking space.
Further, also in the stacking method of shifting discharged pamphlets in a transverse direction while sequentially conveying the pamphlets forward by means of a belt conveyor member as in the large bookbinding device, a large stacking space is required.
Therefore, in a simple pamphlet stacking device used in an office space or the like as well, there is needed a device of an alternative stacking type which is small and inexpensive, which does not need a large area, and which enables mass stacking. Further, it is necessary to provide the pamphlet stacking device with an additional function that is inexpensive but corresponds to an application of an office.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to solve the abovedescribed problem in the prior art, and has an object to provide a sheet material conveying device, image forming apparatus, and sheet processing device in which stacking property of a sheet material and a pamphlet can be improved without increasing a stacking space.
In order to achieve the above object, there is provided a sheet material conveying device being capable of conveying a folded sheet material that is discharged from an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet material, including:
a first conveying path for discharging the folded sheet as it is;
a second conveying path branching out from the first conveying path;
a third conveying path, which branches out from the second conveying path and is connected with the first conveying path, for conveying the sheet material in an opposite direction to a conveying direction of the sheet material in the second conveying path;
first switching means for selectively guiding the sheet material to either the first conveying path or the second conveying path; and
second switching means for guiding the sheet material guided to the second conveying path to the third conveying path.
Further, a sheet material conveying device according to the present invention is characterized in that:
the second conveying path is provided with a pair of conveying rollers composed of two conveying rollers for conveying a sheet material to the second conveying path;
the second conveying path is curved; and
the conveying roller on the curved inner side of the pair of conveying rollers is a driving roller.
Further, a sheet material conveying device according to the present invention is characterized in that a nip of the pair of conveying rollers is in proximity to the curved inner side.
Further, a sheet material conveying device according to the present invention is characterized in that an inclination angle of stacking means for stacking the conveyed sheet material with respect to a horizontal plane is 20 to 45 decrees.
Further, a sheet material conveying device according to the present invention is characterized by further including detecting means for detecting a height of a sheet material stacked on stacking means for stacking the conveyed sheet material, in which
an initial operation for controlling a height of the stacking means is performed based on the detection result of the detecting means.
Further, a sheet material conveying device according to the present invention is characterized in that the initial operation is performed with a predetermined time interval.
Further, a sheet material conveying device according to the present invention is characterized in that the detecting means includes light emitting means for emitting light, light receiving means for receiving light emitted from the light emitting means, and light shielding means for shielding light which enters from the light emitting means to the light receiving means in accordance with the height of the stacking means.
Further, a sheet material conveying device according to the present invention is characterized in that the first switching means is alternately controlled in accordance with a predetermined operation procedure sent by the image forming apparatus.
Further, a sheet material conveying device according to the present invention is characterized by further including a sensor flag for detecting an angle of a straight line connecting at least two points on an upper surface or a sheet material on stacking means on which the conveyed sheet material is stacked, in which a switching operation of the first switching means is controlled based on the detection result of the sensor flag.
Further, a sheet material conveying device according to the present invention is characterized in that the sensor flag includes at least a first sensor flag arranged on the downstream side in the conveying direction of the sheet material on the stacking means and a second sensor flag arranged on the upstream side in the conveying direction of the sheet material on the stacking means; and
the sensor flag detects the angle of a straight line connecting at least two points on an upper surface of a sheet material on stacking means on which the conveyed sheet material is stacked based on detection signals output from the first sensor flag and the second sensor flag.
Further, a sheet material conveying device according to the present invention is characterized by further including a tip end detection sensor flag for detecting a tip end of a sheet material conveyed to the first conveying path, in which
a size of the conveyed sheet material is detected based on the detection time of the tip end detection sensor flag.
Further, a sheet material conveying device according to the present invention is characterized by further including:
a fourth conveying path for conveying a sheet material to the fist conveying path through folding processing means for conducting folding processing to the sheet material discharged from the image forming apparatus;
a fifth conveying path for conveying the sheet material discharged from the image forming apparatus to the first conveying path not through the folding processing means; and
third switching means for selectively guiding the sheet material to either the fourth conveying path or the fifth conveying path.
Further, a sheet material conveying device according to the present invention is characterized by further including:
a sixth conveying path branching out from the second conveying path;
processing means for processing a sheet material that is being conveyed through the sixth conveying path;
a seventh conveying path for conveying the sheet material discharged from the processing means to the first conveying path; and
fourth switching means for switching performing conveyance of the sheet material through the sixth conveying path and not performing conveyance thereof.
Further, a sheet material conveying device according to the present invention is characterized in th
Araki Tomoyuki
Fukatsu Masayoshi
Hayakawa Yasuyoshi
Sekiyama Jun-ichi
Bower Kenneth W
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Walsh Donald P.
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