Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet conveyance portion, a punching member, a punching member moving portion, a position detection portion, and a controller. In a case of performing a punching process on a preceding sheet and a succeeding sheet successively conveyed to a predetermined position, the controller is configured to execute preliminary movement after the punching process on the preceding sheet is finished and before an end portion position of the succeeding sheet in a sheet width direction that coincides with a first punching position of the succeeding sheet in a conveyance direction reaches the position detection portion. The first punching position is a position where the punching process is first performed on the succeeding sheet.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus for performing binding processing for a sheet bundle formed from a plurality of sheets, comprises: an application unit configured to apply a liquid to a sheet wherein the application unit applies the liquid to an outermost sheet of the sheet bundle, and a static surface tension of the liquid is lower than a static surface tension of water; and a binding processing unit configured to bind the sheet bundle, without using a staple, wherein the binding processing unit includes a pair of groups of pressurizing teeth, and the pressurizing teeth clamp and pressurize the sheet bundle. In the sheet bundle, a liquid application region which is applied with the liquid and a pressurizing region which is pressurized by the pressurizing teeth are provided to overlap each other.

Abstract: A sheet post-processor includes a processing tray, a sheet discharge port, a discharge roller pair, a pair of cursor members, a pair of support members, and an interlocking mechanism. The interlocking mechanism includes a pair of coupling members arranged in the processing tray so as to be reciprocatable in a sheet width direction. The pair of coupling members are coupled to or decoupled from the pair of cursor members in accordance with movement of the pair of cursor members. While being coupled to the pair of cursor members, the pair of coupling members contact the pair of support members so as to displace the pair of support members to a protruding position, and while being decoupled from the pair of cursor members, the pair of coupling members separate from the pair of support members so as to displace the pair of support members to a retracted position.

Abstract: The present application discloses a post-processing apparatus including a second tray which receives a sheet stack ejected from a first tray, a pushing mechanism including a pushing portion which pushes the sheet stack against the second tray, a motion detector which detects a motion of the pushing mechanism, and a controller including an ejection controller which controls an ejector. When the ejector ejects the sheet stack, the pushing mechanism moves the pushing portion in a first direction away from the second tray. When the ejector finishes ejection of the sheet stack, the pushing mechanism moves the pushing portion in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction. Unless the motion detector detects the motion of the pushing mechanism moving the pushing portion in the first direction when the ejector ejects the sheet stack, the ejection controller executes interruption control of stopping the ejection of the sheet stack.

Abstract: A postprocessing apparatus includes a horizontal alignment plate, a binder, a tray, and a shift actuator assembly. The horizontal alignment plate is positioned to align sheets in a sheet width direction. The binder binds sheets to form bound sheet bundles. The bound sheet bundles are stacked on the tray. The shift actuator assembly shifts the bound sheet bundles in the sheet width direction. A postprocessing controller controls the shift actuator assembly to shift the bound sheet bundles such that swollen portions of the bound sheet bundles are shifted inward of the horizontal alignment plate in the sheet width direction when the processed sheets are piled on the tray to the vicinity of the horizontal alignment plate.

Abstract: A post-processing apparatus includes a binding device, a closing device, a driver, and a changeover switch. The binding device binds a sheet bundle. The closing device closes an entrance to a binding position at which the binding device binds the sheet bundle. The driver moves the closing device to a closing position to close the entrance. The switch performs switching to implement a state in which the binding device is able to bind the sheet bundle when the closing device moves to the closing position. The closing device includes an avoidance operation portion to move to the closing position to operate the switch, and a drive coupler coupled to the avoidance operation portion to move the avoidance operation portion to the closing position. A coupling state between the avoidance operation portion and the drive coupler is released when movement of the avoidance operation portion to the closing position is prevented.

Abstract: A gear drive, such as for an actuator, is a right-angle drive where toothed outer ridge of a face gear is coupled to teeth of a motor output shaft, and a set of planetary gears are engaged with a central sun gear of the face gear. The sun gear and planetary gears are aligned with the motor output shaft. For instance the motor output shaft may be substantially in the same plane with the sun gear and the planetary gears. From another standpoint the axis of the motor output shaft may intersect the sun gear, as well as intersecting a volume that the planetary gears sweep through as the planetary gears engage the sun gear.

Abstract: A finisher assembly of a multifunction peripheral includes a vertically oriented stapler and a paper transport motor. When the paper transport motor rotates in the forward direction, printed pages from the print engine of the multifunction peripheral are received via a paper chute and a feed assist roller urges the printed pages into a vertical paper accumulation cache basin. Rotation of the paper transport motor also opens a biasing plate allowing the pages to freely enter the cache basin. Once all of the pages of the print job are in the cache basin, the paper transport motor rotates in the reverse direction causing the biasing plate to bias the printed pages, in the cache basin, against a registration surface of the vertically oriented stapler unit. The pages of the print job are stapled together the stapled print job is moved to the paper tray for collection by a user.

Abstract: A sheet sorting device includes a plurality of trays, a tray shifter, a tray stop position detector, and circuitry. The plurality of trays is disposed in multiple stages in a vertical direction and configured to stack a sheet. The tray shifter is configured to move the plurality of trays separately in a tray shift direction. The tray stop position detector is configured to detect stop positions of the plurality of trays separately. The circuitry is configured to cause the tray shifter to move the plurality of trays to home positions in an initial operation, at least one tray having a home position opposite to a home position of another tray in the tray shift direction. The circuitry is configured to, while moving the plurality of trays at a same time in the initial operation, cause the tray shifter to move the trays in directions opposite to each other.

Abstract: A electric locker differential assembly includes a first and second side gear. A pinion gear set is disposed between the first side gear and the second side gears. An engagement shaft includes flyweights disposed on the engagement shaft which are moveable between retracted and extended positions to lock and unlock the differential assembly. A lockout shaft includes a pawl disposed thereon. An electrical adjustment mechanism includes an actuator operably connected with an adjustment nut or rod. An electrical adjustment biasing spring includes a first leg retained by the adjustment nut and a second leg connected with the pawl wherein movement of the adjustment nut by the actuator varies a biasing force applied to the pawl.

Abstract: A post-processing apparatus includes: a cutter that cuts a transported sheet; a waste bin that stores a cutting waste generated by a cutting operation of the cutter and falling from the cutter; a sensor that detects the cutting waste at a predetermined position in a depth direction in the waste bin; and a hardware processor that controls the cutting operation of the cutter according to a cutting mode, sets a predetermined value according to the cutting mode when the sensor detects the cutting waste, counts the number of times of cutting by the cutter after the sensor starts to detect the cutting waste, and detects that the waste bin is full when the counted number of times of cutting reaches the predetermined value.

Abstract: A reduction drive assembly includes a planetary gear assembly. The planetary gear assembly includes a first gear carrier that includes a first plate and projections extending therefrom. The first plate defines first support openings. The planetary gear assembly includes a second gear carrier that defines second support openings and joint openings. The joint openings receive the projections to couple the first and second gear carriers. The planetary gear assembly includes a sun gear coupled to an output shaft and disposed between the first and second gear carriers. The planetary gear assembly includes planet gears disposed around the sun gear between the first and second gear carriers. Each of the planet gears has a carrier pin. Each carrier pin is received by one of the first support openings and one of the second support openings to retain the planet gears between the first and second gear carriers.

Abstract: A sheet discharge device includes: a sheet discharge portion; a sheet stacking portion having a sheet stacking surface for stacking a sheet discharged from the sheet discharge portion; and a stopper in the sheet stacking portion against which, for alignment, the leading end of the sheet discharged from the sheet discharge portion is thrust. The stopper has a support portion, a restricting portion, and an urging mechanism. The restricting portion is supported pivotally on a pivot shaft on the support portion, and is arranged either in a retracted position to lie flat substantially horizontally along the sheet stacking surface or in a restricting position to stand upright substantially vertically to the sheet stacking surface. The urging mechanism urges the restricting portion, when in retracted position, in a direction from restricting position to retracted position and, when in restricting position, in a direction from retracted position to restricting position.

Abstract: A sheet discharging device includes: a pair of medium supporting portions that have support surfaces that support the medium, and support the transported medium by the support surfaces; a stacking portion which is provided vertically below the pair of medium supporting portions and on which the medium dropped from the pair of medium supporting portions is stacked; and a standing wall that aligns the medium by contacting a rear end of the medium in the transport direction supported by the pair of medium supporting portions, and the standing wall includes: a center contacting wall that is provided at a center in the width direction and contacts the rear end of the medium; and recess portions that are provided on both sides of the center contacting wall in the width direction and are recessed in a direction away from the support surfaces.

Abstract: A reduction drive assembly includes a spindle that defines an aperture and a motor output shaft extending through the aperture. The reduction drive assembly includes an output hub and a planetary gear assembly. The planetary gear assembly includes a ring gear fixed to the output hub, a first stage sun gear coupled to and driven by the motor output shaft, a second stage sun gear, a planetary gear carrier engaged to the second stage sun gear, first stage planetary gears each of which is supported by a respective support pin of the planetary gear carrier and meshed with the first stage sun gear and the ring gear, carrier pins extending from a first end of the spindle, and second stage reduction gears each of which is rotationally mounted on a respective one of the carrier pins and is meshed with the second stage sun gear and the ring gear.

Abstract: A finisher assembly of a multifunction peripheral includes a vertically oriented stapler and a paper transport motor. When the paper transport motor rotates in the forward direction, printed pages from the print engine of the multifunction peripheral are received via a paper chute and a feed assist roller urges the printed pages into a vertical paper accumulation cache basin. Rotation of the paper transport motor also opens a biasing plate allowing the pages to freely enter the cache basin. Once all of the pages of the print job are in the cache basin, the paper transport motor rotates in the reverse direction causing the biasing plate to bias the printed pages, in the cache basin, against a registration surface of the vertically oriented stapler unit. The pages of the print job are stapled together the stapled print job is moved to the paper tray for collection by a user.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a cutting part cutting a medium, a transfer part arranged on a downstream side of the cutting part in a carrying direction and transfers a developer image to the medium; a flexure forming part having a guide part and forms a flexure of the medium by bending the medium between the cutting part and the transfer part in the carrying direction; and an opposing part that is arranged opposing the flexure forming part via a carrying path through which the medium is carried, wherein the guide part performs a retreat movement either before or after the cutting part starts to cut the medium, wherein the retreat movement is a movement of the guide part in which the guide part moves in a direction away from the opposing part.

Abstract: An image forming system includes a detection unit to detect a recording material, having an image formed thereon by an image forming unit, placed on a processing tray, a staple unit, a discharge unit, and a discharge tray. A first mode of the system is to discharge the recording material conveyed from the image forming unit to the discharge tray via the processing tray and a second mode involves waiting for instruction for executing. When the detection unit detects the recording material inserted into the processing tray in the second mode, and a recording material first mode conveying instruction is issued in a state of waiting for the executing instruction after the recording material detection, a discharge operation is performed to discharge the recording material inserted into the processing tray to the discharge tray without the staple unit executing staple processing on the recording material inserted into the processing tray.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method performed by an alignment system for aligning tethers of a drop stitch fabric prior to feeding the drop stitch fabric to a drop stitch fabric processing machine. The alignment system feeds a drop stitch fabric having a first layer and a second layer tethered by drop stitch tethers, wherein the first layer is moving with a first velocity and the second layer is moving with a second velocity. The disclosure also relates to an alignment system in accordance with to the foregoing.

Abstract: A method of folding a sheet of paper. The method includes: folding the sheet of paper into an accordion shape comprising a plurality of pleats and collapsing the pleats to form a strip; folding the strip about in half to form a first folded strip; folding the first folded strip about a point that is about two-thirds a length of the first folded strip to form a second folded strip comprising an exposed portion that is about a third the length of the first folded strip; and folding the second folded strip about in half to form a third folded strip.