Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus includes an intermediate process tray stacked with sheets, a trailing end lever movable upward from a pressing position in which to press the sheets on the intermediate process tray, a lever stopper regulating the upward movement of the trailing end lever, and an adjusting mechanism changing the regulating position of the trailing end lever by the lever stopper in accordance with a sheet stacking height of the sheets stacked on the intermediate process tray, wherein the adjusting mechanism keeps substantially constant a distance to the regulating position from the pressing position of the trailing end lever irrespective of the sheet stacking height of the sheets stacked on the intermediate process tray.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a processing tray on which sheets are stacked in a bundle form, an intermediate portion stapler which staples the intermediate portion of the sheet bundle stacked on the processing tray, a sheet bundle conveying member which conveys the stapled sheet bundle, a curved sheet bundle conveying path which is downwardly curved on the downstream side of the processing tray with respect to the sheet conveying direction and adapted to guide the sheet bundle conveyed by the sheet bundle conveying member, and a folding device which is arranged in the intermediate portion of the curved sheet bundle conveying path and which folds the stapled sheet bundle, wherein the processing tray is set to be lower on the upstream side than on the downstream side with respect to the sheet conveying direction, and wherein the curved guide path has an extended portion extending to a position under the stacking portion.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus has: a plurality of conveying paths which convey sheets; and front and back aligning members which perform width alignment in the direction which crosses the sheet conveying direction of the sheets conveyed from the conveying paths. Standby positions when the front and back aligning members approach side edges of the sheets from the standby positions and perform the width alignment of the sheets at the width aligning position are made different every sheet on the basis of discharge position information of the sheets to the plurality of conveying paths.

Abstract: When a sheet bundle formed on a processing tray descends in a sheet bundle conveying path by a sheet bundle conveying mechanism while a front edge of the sheet bundle is nipped, a band sheet is circled to a front edge side and overlaid to front and back surfaces. The band sheet is perforated at a plurality of positions by a cutter and, thereafter, cut to a necessary length. Both edges of the band sheet are stapled integratedly with the sheet bundle by a stapler main body also serving as a stapling of the sheet bundle. If the band sheet is not torn at the perforation, its contents cannot be browsed. Therefore, security holding performance of the sheet bundle is raised.

Abstract: A sheet processing system comprises a plurality of sheet processing devices, a primary sheet conveyance path, a secondary sheet conveyance path, and a controller which controls the sheet processing devices. The controller uses the primary sheet conveyance path to execute one job, and uses the secondary sheet conveyance path to execute another job in parallel with that one job.

Abstract: The position of a sheet accommodated in a sheet storage portion is restricted by a restricting member provided movably on a sheet storage portion. This restricting member has a holding portion which is movable freely and is attached detachably to the sheet storage portion so as to hold the restricting member at a restricted position corresponding to a sheet size. The end portion of the sheet whose rear end position is restricted is pressed from above by a pressing member provided movably in a vertical direction on the end portion restricting member. Then, to move the restricting member, an operation portion is operated and the holding portion is moved in a direction of releasing the engagement and the pressing member is raised upward of accommodated sheets.

Abstract: To provide a sheet processing system having a high productivity that can execute plural jobs in parallel, one job of loading a sheet on which an image is formed in the printer to the sheet stacking device and another job served as bookbinding job of bundling and binding a plurality of special sheets stored in the inserter in the finisher to output are executed in parallel.

Abstract: There is provided an image forming apparatus that is capable of preventing input errors and eliminating the necessity of complicated input operations in making settings for a sheet mixing operation in which color image output sheets and black-and-white image output sheets are mixed into one group. A stacker tray stores sheets with color images formed thereon by a color MFP and is equipped with a storage device, into and from which information relating to the sheets can be written and read. A black-and-white MFP operates in response to attachment of the stacker tray to an inserter attached to the black-and-white MFP, to execute an image formation job by providing control such that the sheets with color images formed thereon stored in the stacker tray and sheets with black-and-white images formed thereon by the black-and-white MFP are mixed according to the information stored in the storage device of the stacker tray.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a processing tray on which sheets are stacked in a bundle form, an intermediate portion stapler which staples the intermediate portion of the sheet bundle stacked on the processing tray, a sheet bundle conveying member which conveys the stapled sheet bundle, a curved sheet bundle conveying path which is downwardly curved on the downstream side of the processing tray with respect to the sheet conveying direction and adapted to guide the sheet bundle conveyed by the sheet bundle conveying member, and a folding device which is arranged in the intermediate portion of the curved sheet bundle conveying path and which folds the stapled sheet bundle, wherein the processing tray is set to be lower on the upstream side than on the downstream side with respect to the sheet conveying direction, and wherein the curved guide path has an extended portion extending to a position under the stacking portion.

Abstract: A folded back portion flattening device includes a gripper and a presser. The gripper grips a sheet bundle formed into a booklet with the folded back portion protruding from the gripper. The presser presses the folded back portion of the sheet bundle gripped by the gripper, and includes pressing rollers which have pressing rotational surfaces and which are disposed along the folded back portion. The pressing rotational surfaces press the folded back portion. The pressing rollers are disposed so that the rotational pressing surface of a second pressing roller, which presses the folded back portion after the rotational pressing surface of a first pressing roller has pressed the folded back portion, presses deeper into an edge of the sheet bundle than the rotational pressing surface of the first pressing roller. At least one of the gripper and presser is movable in a direction parallel to the folded back portion.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a processing tray on which sheets are stacked in a bundle form, an intermediate portion stapler which staples the intermediate portion of the sheet bundle stacked on the processing tray, a sheet bundle conveying member which conveys the stapled sheet bundle, a curved sheet bundle conveying path which is downwardly curved on the downstream side of the processing tray with respect to the sheet conveying direction and adapted to guide the sheet bundle conveyed by the sheet bundle conveying member, and a folding device which is arranged in the intermediate portion of the curved sheet bundle conveying path and which folds the stapled sheet bundle, wherein the processing tray is set to be lower on the upstream side than on the downstream side with respect to the sheet conveying direction, and wherein the curved guide path has an extended portion extending to a position under the stacking portion.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus has: a plurality of conveying paths which convey sheets; and front and back aligning members which perform width alignment in the direction which crosses the sheet conveying direction of the sheets conveyed from the conveying paths. Standby positions when the front and back aligning members approach side edges of the sheets from the standby positions and perform the width alignment of the sheets at the width aligning position are made different every sheet on the basis of discharge position information of the sheets to the plurality of conveying paths.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes an aligning member and a shift conveying unit. The aligning member is movable in a width direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction and presses a sheet stack loaded on a sheet processing tray so as to align the sheet stack in the width direction. The unit is provided on the upstream side of the tray and conveys a sheet, shifting the sheet in the width direction. Being shifted by the unit, sheets are loaded at first and second loading positions on the tray. When sheets are loaded at the first loading position, the aligning member is moved to a first standby position corresponding to the first loading position in advance. When sheets are loaded at the second loading position, the aligning member is moved in advance to a second standby position corresponding to the second loading position.

Abstract: Provided is a shift transport device for transporting a sheet to a sheet transport direction upstream side of a sheet process tray and for shifting the sheet. The shift transport device offsets the sheet and the sheets are stacked on a sheet process tray. Then, the sheets stacked on the sheet process tray in a state of being offset are aligned by an aligning member.

Abstract: A folded back portion flattening device includes a gripper and a presser. The gripper grips a sheet bundle formed into a booklet with the folded back portion protruding from the gripper. The presser presses the folded back portion of the sheet bundle gripped by the gripper, and includes pressing rollers which have pressing rotational surfaces and which are disposed along the folded back portion. The pressing rotational surfaces press the folded back portion. The pressing rollers are disposed so that the rotational pressing surface of a second pressing roller, which presses the folded back portion after the rotational pressing surface of a first pressing roller has pressed the folded back portion, presses deeper into an edge of the sheet bundle than the rotational pressing surface of the first pressing roller. At least one of the gripper and presser is movable in a direction parallel to the folded back portion.

Abstract: The bundle of a plurality of sheets P are returned onto a processing tray 101 by reverse rotation of a bundle discharge roller pair 180a and 180b, and by separating operation of one of the bundle discharge roller pair from the other one and are made to run into the rear-end stopper 3 for aligning. The bundle discharge roller pair 180a and 180b are made to rotate backward in the A direction of the arrow shown in the drawing in a holding state in which the sheets P are held between the bundle discharge roller pair 180a and 180b, and, at the same time, the bundle discharge roller 180b at the upper side is separated from the bundle discharge roller 180a at the lower side. The bundle of sheets P are released from being held between the rollers; slide down on the inclined processing tray 101 at a return velocity Vb; and are made to run into the rear end stopper 3 for aligning. The return velocity Vb may be controlled according to the reverse-rotational speed of the bundle discharge roller pair 180a and 180b.

Abstract: The sheet processing apparatus has a stapling unit which staples a sheet bundle by clinching the sheet bundle, of which sheets sequentially enters an opening between a first stapling part and a second stapling part and are then stacked, and a controller which controls the stapling parts. When executing a stapling process of the sheet bundle, an opening distance between the stapling parts before starting a stapling operation becomes narrower than an opening distance set till the last sheet of the sheet bundle enters(approaches) between the stapling parts. This contrivance enables reduction of the time required for the stapling process of the sheet bundle and an improvement of the productivity irrespective of the number of points for the stapling process without scaling up the apparatus, causing any complicated configuration of the apparatus and increasing the costs.

Abstract: A sheet-processing system can perform a plurality of jobs in parallel. While process 1 and process 2 are being processed simultaneously, a job display screen is segmented into two such that segmented job display screens for process 1 and process 2 are simultaneously displayed in a touch panel display frame of an operation display. Accordingly, the operation display in the sheet-processing system exhibits good visibility.

Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus includes an intermediate process tray stacked with sheets, a trailing end lever movable upward from a pressing position in which to press the sheets on the intermediate process tray, a lever stopper regulating the upward movement of the trailing end lever, and an adjusting mechanism changing the regulating position of the trailing end lever by the lever stopper in accordance with a sheet stacking height of the sheets stacked on the intermediate process tray, wherein the adjusting mechanism keeps substantially constant a distance to the regulating position from the pressing position of the trailing end lever irrespective of the sheet stacking height of the sheets stacked on the intermediate process tray.

Abstract: A folded back portion flattening device includes a gripper and a presser. The gripper grips a sheet bundle formed into a booklet with the folded back portion protruding from the gripper. The presser presses the folded back portion of the sheet bundle gripped by the gripper, and includes pressing rollers which have pressing rotational surfaces and which are disposed along the folded back portion. The pressing rotational surfaces press the folded back portion. The pressing rollers are disposed so that the rotational pressing surface of a second pressing roller, which presses the folded back portion after the rotational pressing surface of a first pressing roller has pressed the folded back portion, presses deeper into an edge of the sheet bundle than the rotational pressing surface of the first pressing roller. At least one of the gripper and presser is movable in a direction parallel to the folded back portion.