Sheet feeding or delivering – Delivering – With transfer means between conveyor and receiver
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-16
2001-07-24
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Delivering
With transfer means between conveyor and receiver
C414S789900, C414S790200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264189
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet process apparatus, and more particularly, it relates to a sheet process apparatus in which, after imaged sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer and the like are aligned or stapled, the sheets are stably discharged onto a stacking means.
2. Related Background Art
There has been proposed a sheet process apparatus in which, sheets discharged on a process tray (first stacking means) are aligned or stapled, the sheets are discharged onto a stack tray (second stacking means). In such a process apparatus, in case of a non-stapled sheet bundle in which a sheet bundle discharged on the stack tray is not stapled by a stapler, if the number of sheets in the sheet bundle is too great, upper several sheets in a sheet bundle already stacked on the stack tray may be disordered to worsen the stacking ability. Thus, to avoid this, in the past, the number of the sheets in the bundle has been selected to be relatively small.
However, in the conventional sheet process apparatus, the number of non-stapled sheets discharged from the process tray was the same or constant (for example, several sheets) regardless of the size of the sheet. Thus, when a length of the sheet in a sheet conveying direction is small, the sheets can stably be discharged onto the stacking means; however, when a length of the sheet in the sheet conveying direction is great, the weight of the sheet bundle may push out the sheet bundle already stacked on the stacking means to worsen the stacking ability.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet process means in which a sheet bundle including a large number of sheets can be discharged on a second stacking means without disordering already stacked sheets.
A sheet process apparatus according to the present invention comprises a sheet discharge means for discharging a sheet; a first stacking means for stacking the sheet discharged by the sheet discharge means; a bundle discharge means for discharging a sheet bundle rested on the first stacking means; and a second sheet stacking means for stacking the sheet bundle discharged by the bundle discharge means. And, wherein the number of sheets in the sheet bundle to be discharged onto the second stacking means is selected to become smaller, when a sheet size in a sheet conveying direction is great, than when a sheet size in the sheet conveying direction is small.
Concretely, the number of sheets in the sheet bundle discharged from the bundle discharge means is selected to a larger number as small size when the sheet size in the sheet conveying direction is smaller than 200 mm and 200 mm to 400 mm, and to a smaller number as large size when the sheet size in the sheet conveying direction is greater than 400 mm. Meanwhile, the number of sheets in the sheet bundle discharged from the bundle discharge means is selected to a larger number as small size when the sheet size in the sheet conveying direction is B5 size, A4 size and LTR size and R-type size such as B5R size, A4R size and LTRR size, and to a smaller number as large size when the sheet size in the sheet conveying direction is A3 size, B4 size and LEGL size.
An image forming apparatus according to the present invention comprises an image forming means; a sheet discharge means for discharging a sheet on which an image was formed, a first stacking means for stacking the sheet discharged by the sheet discharge means; a bundle discharge means for discharging a sheet bundle rested on the first stacking means; a second stacking means for stacking the sheet bundle discharged by the bundle discharge means; a sheet size detect means for detecting a size of the sheet; and a number counting means for counting the number of sheets discharged onto the first stacking means. And, wherein the number of sheets in the sheet bundle discharged from the first stacking means to the second stacking means is selected to become smaller, when a sheet size in a sheet conveying direction is great, than when a sheet size in the sheet conveying direction is small, on the basis of detection of the sheet size detect means and counting of the number counting means.
With the above-mentioned arrangement, the plurality of sheets are discharged onto the first stacking means by the sheet discharge means, and the sheet bundle on the first stacking means is discharged onto the second stacking means by the bundle discharge means. The number of the sheets in the sheet bundle to be discharged onto the second stacking means is determined in accordance with the length of the sheet in the sheet conveying direction (for example, about five when the length is small, and, about three when the length is great). In this way, the discharged sheet bundle is prevented from disordering the already stacked sheets by its own weight, thereby improving the sheet stacking ability for stacking the sheets onto the second stacking means.
Further, the number of the sheets in the sheet bundle may be determined in accordance with sheet groups (for example, small size group such as B5, A4 and LTR size, R-type size group such as LTRR, A4R and B5R size, and large size group such as B4, A3 and LEGL size).
According to the present invention, since the number of the sheets in the sheet bundle discharged from the first stacking means is determined on the basis of the length of the sheet in the sheet conveying direction and the determined sheets are discharged onto the second stacking means as the sheet bundle, the already stacked sheets on the second stacking means are not disordered, thereby stably discharging the sheet bundle onto the second stacking means.
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patent: 6032947 (2000-03-01), Parker
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Jones David A
Walsh Donald P.
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