Cutting – Tool or tool with support – Rotatable type
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-23
2001-10-23
Peterson, Kenneth E. (Department: 3724)
Cutting
Tool or tool with support
Rotatable type
C083S687000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06305262
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sheet punch device which includes a punch member to punch holes in a sheet member.
2. Discussion of the Background
A known sheet punch device, which is installed in an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a photocopying machine, a facsimile, or the like or in a sheet post-processing apparatus connected with the image forming apparatus, includes a punch member to punch holes in a sheet member, such as a sheet of paper (hereinafter referred to as a sheet). The sheet post-processing apparatus performs several operations for a sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus. The operations include, for example, a stack operation for stacking sheets on a sheet discharging tray with the sheets divided by page number, a staple operation for stapling a set of sheets and discharging the stapled sheets on the sheet discharging tray, and a punching operation for punching a sheet or sheets with the sheet punch device. Background sheet punch devices are divided into two types depending on the driving method for driving a punch and a die to punch a hole in a sheet, i.e., (1) a rotary punch method and (2) a press punch method.
As sheet punch devices of the rotary punch method, there are, for example, two types depending on the driving mechanism. In the first type of sheet punch device, a punch and a die are driven to rotate via a clutch by a motor to punch a hole in a sheet. The same motor also drives a pair of sheet conveying rollers to convey a sheet. The second type of sheet punch device includes a sheet conveying motor and another motor which drives and rotates a punch and a die mounted on a sheet conveying path, as described in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 7-136995 of 1995. In JP No. 7-136995, it is described that the second type of the sheet punch device can more precisely punch a hole at a predetermined position in a sheet than the first type of the sheet punch device, because the punch and the die are driven by a separate motor from the motor driving a pair of sheet conveying rollers to convey a sheet.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Publications No. 9-136762 (1997) and No. 9-249348 (1997) describe a sheet punch device of the press punch method, in which a hole is punched in a sheet by driving a punch and a die by a solenoid or a motor to move the punch forward and backward rectilinearly toward the die which is placed at a predetermined position.
While the sheet punch device of the press punch method punches a hole in a sheet with the sheet stopped at a certain position, the sheet punch device of the rotary punch method punches a hole in a sheet without stopping the sheet. The sheet punch device of the rotary punch method can punch a hole in an advancing sheet with a simple mechanism of rotating a punch and a die in the same direction as the sheet advancing direction. Therefore, the rotary punch method has advantages in productivity, simple mechanism, and thereby in low costs.
Another sheet punch device of the rotary punch method is proposed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 6-278095 (1994), in which two or three punch and die pairs, which are disposed in the sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, rotate synchronously with each other and punch two or three holes simultaneously at predetermined positions in a copy sheet fed from a photocopying machine (e.g., image forming apparatus).
However, the functions of the above-described background rotary sheet punch devices are limited. For example, the background sheet punch devices can only punch holes at plural positions in a sheet in the sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, but cannot punch holes at plural positions in the sheet conveying direction.
Moreover, in the sheet punch device of the rotary punch method described in JP No. 6-278095, the punch and die pairs are fixed at the positions spaced a predetermined distance apart in the sheet width direction, so that the number and position of holes punched in a sheet are determined by the number of punch and die pairs in the sheet punch device. Furthermore, because the plurality of punch and die pairs perform punching operations in a sheet simultaneously, the load on each driving shaft of the punches and the dies increases. The load transmits a driving force to the punches and dies to drive them. Therefore, when the punch and die pairs are used to punch holes simultaneously, the power of a driving motor, which drives and rotates the plurality of punch and die pairs, needs to be increased.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of this invention is to overcome the above-described and other problems with background sheet punch devices, by providing a novel sheet punch device and method for punching holes in a sheet, in which a predetermined number of holes can be punched at predetermined places in a sheet aligned in a sheet conveying direction with a punch member having a rotatable punch and die pair.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention further provides a novel sheet punch device and method for punching holes in a sheet, in which a plural number of holes can be punched in a sheet aligned in a sheet conveying direction using only one rotatable punch and die pair.
Another preferred embodiment of the present invention further provides a novel sheet punch device and method for punching holes in a sheet, in which the punch member can move in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, and thereby can punch holes in a sheet aligned in a sheet conveying direction at predetermined positions according to a size of a conveyed sheet.
Another preferred embodiment of the present invention further provides a novel sheet punch device and method for punching holes in a sheet, in which at least two holes can be punched in a sheet selectively aligned in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a sheet punch device includes a punch member including a rotatable punch and die pair that punches a hole in a sheet. A driving member drives and rotates the punch member to punch a hole in a conveyed sheet, and the punch member punches holes in the conveyed sheet at plural places aligned in a sheet conveying direction.
According to the present invention, the sheet punch device may further include a sheet detecting member that is disposed upstream of the punch member in the sheet conveying direction and that detects a leading edge of the sheet being conveyed. A control device controls the driving member such that the punch member punches a predetermined number of holes in the conveyed sheet sequentially at predetermined positions aligned in the sheet conveying direction a predetermined time after the sheet detecting member detects a leading edge of the conveyed sheet.
The control device may control the driving member according to a size of the conveyed sheet.
The sheet punch device may further include a first punch hole information setting device to set information for punching holes in the conveyed sheet at plural places aligned in the sheet conveying direction, and the control device may control the driving member based on signals from the first punch hole information setting device.
Alternatively, the control device may control the driving member according to a size of the conveyed sheet and based on signals from the first punch hole information setting device.
According to the present invention, the sheet punch device may further include a moving/driving device configured to move the punch member in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. The control device controls the moving/driving device such that the punch member stops moving when the punch member reaches a position at a predetermined distance apart from a position corresponding to a side edge of a sheet at a side of the punch member in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, and controls the driving member such that the punch mem
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Peterson Kenneth E.
Ricoh & Company, Ltd.
LandOfFree
Sheet punch device and a sheet punch method 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 punch device and a sheet punch method, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Sheet punch device and a sheet punch method will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2584144