Sheet-material associating – Associating or disassociating – Sheet associating
Reexamination Certificate
2002-07-09
2004-03-02
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3653)
Sheet-material associating
Associating or disassociating
Sheet associating
C270S058130, C399S410000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06698745
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a sheet post-processing apparatus for selectively applying a process such as aligning or binding to sheets sent from an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer or copier, and also relates to an image forming apparatus equipped with this sheet post-processing apparatus.
Conventionally, as shown in FIG.
34
and
FIG. 35
, it is known that there is a sheet post-processing apparatus
201
mounted to an image forming apparatus such as a laser printer or a copier. The sheet post-processing apparatus is equipped with an intermediate tray
222
to support an upstream side of a sheet fed from an image forming apparatus
200
and discharged by tray discharge rollers
214
and
215
, and a stack tray
225
established at downstream of the intermediate tray
222
and below with the level
221
(FIG.
36
(
b
)) being vertically moveable in the Z direction. The Sheet once discharged in a state of straddling both trays as shown in FIG.
36
(
a
) is aligned by forcibly transporting to an alignment reference using an abutting plate
217
and a position plate
223
by a discharge alignment belt
216
and a second alignment belt
302
. While maintaining the sheet straddling both trays, a sheet bundle is formed by sequentially discharging the sheet as shown in FIG.
36
(
b
). Then, after a post-processing of the sheet bundle such as stapling with the stapler
224
, the sheet bundle is pressed by discharge means composed of the abutting plate
217
as shown in FIG.
36
(
c
), and the apparatus discharges the sheet sequentially to the stacking tray
225
(Japanese Patent No. 08-9451). Note that a trailing edge of the sheet on the stack tray
225
is regulated by the level
221
relative to the intermediate tray
222
(a regulating plate
226
).
However, the conventional sheet post-processing apparatus described above has the intermediate tray
222
first, then the stack tray
225
in the sheet transport direction, and is configured to perform the alignment and the stapling on the intermediate tray
222
. Subsequently, the sheet bundle is removed and stacked downstream in the transport direction. Thus, since the intermediate tray
222
and the stack tray
225
are aligned sequentially in a plane, the dimensions of the apparatus becomes larger by a size of the intermediate tray
222
in addition to a length of the stack tray
225
.
Also, even if the length of the intermediate tray
222
is shortened as much as possible in the transport direction, as a sheet for the next one cycle is received after post-processing for one cycle of the sheet to be stapled, it is necessary to have a space on the intermediate tray
222
. Thus, the finished sheet bundle needs to be pushed downstream in the sheet transport direction. In other words, it is required to have a distance for offsetting the sheet bundle in the transport direction between an aligning position (an abutting plate
217
) for stapling the sheet bundle and a position for regulating the trailing edge of the sheet (a level
221
). Because a length equivalent to the distance is established as a length in the transport direction, a dimension of the sheet post-processing apparatus in the transport direction becomes longer. Also, it is necessary to transport the sheet bundle that is finished such as by stapling to a position on the stack tray
225
where the trailing edge of the sheet is regulated by the level
221
, thereby causing a wasted time corresponding to an amount of time for the transport.
On the other hand, because the sheet tends to move to the stacking tray
225
due to the level
221
between the aforementioned intermediate tray
222
and the stacking tray
225
when stapling the sheet bundle, it is necessary to halt the movement of the sheet bundle and stabilize it to execute the stapling.
In the aforementioned conventional apparatus, it is tried to stop the sheet bundle on the stacking tray
225
through an engagement between a sheet surface including two downstream corners and a stacking surface of the stacking tray. However, in an actual case, the engagement of the sheet surface including the two downstream corners is not enough to fully prevent the sheet from moving, resulting in a problem that the sheet bundle is stapled while each sheet in the sheet bundle is shifted.
To handle this problem, a method is known in which the stacking tray
225
is elevated to eliminate the level
221
between the intermediate tray
222
and the stacking tray
225
. However, in that case, it is necessary to add a mechanism for elevating and lowering the stacking tray
225
. For that reason, the apparatus becomes larger and the cost increases. Further, because the stacking tray needs to be elevated and lowered in an appropriate range, a control becomes more complex, thereby causing a new problem.
Furthermore, this approach can not be applied to a compact apparatus with a fixed stacking tray, thus can not obtain a perfect solution for the problem.
An object of the present invention is to resolve the issues in the conventional technology, and to provide a compact sheet post-processing apparatus with a small size in the sheet transport direction and an image forming apparatus equipped with the aforementioned sheet post-processing apparatus. Further, an object is to provide a sheet post-processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus equipped with the sheet post-processing apparatus that can stabilize the sheet bundle to accurately execute the post-processing on the sheet bundle stacked straddling an intermediate tray and a stacking tray.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To attain the aforementioned objectives, the sheet post-processing (finishing) apparatus according to the present invention is provided with discharge means for discharging a sheet; sheet single corner portion support means for supporting one corner of the sheet discharged by the aforementioned discharge means; sheet storage means established under the aforementioned sheet single corner portion support means; and post-processing means for post-processing the sheet straddling the aforementioned sheet single corner portion support means and the aforementioned sheet storage means.
The sheet post-processing apparatus according to the present invention may be further provided with sheet moving means for moving the sheet finished by the aforementioned post-processing means and for discharging the sheet to the aforementioned storage means.
In the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the present invention, the aforementioned sheet storage means supports three corners of the sheet, excluding a corner portion of the sheet supported by the aforementioned sheet single corner portion support means, when the aforementioned post-processing means applies the post-processing.
The sheet post-processing apparatus according to the present invention may be further provided with drive means for driving the aforementioned sheet moving means between the aforementioned support means and the aforementioned storage means.
In the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the present invention, the aforementioned sheet single corner portion support means is formed so that an edge of an upper surface of the aforementioned sheet single corner portion support means supporting the sheet is completely positioned closer to a side of a single corner of the aforementioned sheet than a line drawn between two neighboring corners relative to the one corner of the aforementioned sheet when the aforementioned discharge means discharges the smallest size of the sheet to be handled.
The image forming apparatus according to the present invention is equipped with the aforementioned sheet post-processing apparatus.
As described above, the sheet post-processing apparatus or the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is provided with the discharge means for discharging the sheet; the sheet single corner portion support means for supporting one corner of the sheet discharged by the aforementioned discharge means; the sheet storage means established under
Deuble Mark A.
Ellis Christopher P.
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Nisca Corporation
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