Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus including a stacking tray that stacks sheets, a conveying member that conveys a sheet to the stacking tray and discharges the sheet bundle from the stacking tray, wherein the conveying member includes a conveying roller and a conveying belt stretched by a plurality of stretch rollers, and a sheet processor that performs predetermined processing to the sheet bundle. When the conveying member conveys the sheet to the stacking tray, a part of the conveying belt that is not wound on the stretch roller contacts the conveying roller by moving the conveying belt as such a nip for conveying the sheet is formed. When the conveying member discharges the sheet bundle from the stacking tray, a part of the conveying belt that is wound on the stretch roller contacts the conveying roller by moving the conveying belt so that a nip for conveying the sheet is formed.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a loading tray on which a sheet is loaded; a pair of ejection rollers that eject the sheet to the loading tray and in which a pair or roller members are configured to be able to contact with and separate from each other; a pair of shift rollers that is provided upstream of the pair of ejection rollers in a sheet conveyance direction, are movable in a sheet width direction that is a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction, convey the sheet towards the loading tray, and performs a shift operation of shifting the sheet to a different position in the sheet width direction; and a control unit that performs control to change, based on sheet information, a shift operation timing of the sheet by the pair of shift rollers and a contacting and separating timing of the pair of ejection rollers.

Abstract: A paper binding device comprises: a pair of binding members that has a pair of teeth portions, and presses to bind a bundle of paper sheets; a moving unit that causes one of the pair of binding members to move along with the other of the pair of binding members between a binding position at which the bundle of paper sheets is bound and a retracted position; a separating unit that moves coordinating with movement of the one of the pair of binding members, and when the one of the pair of binding members moves from the binding position to the retracted position, that contacts with the bundle of the paper sheets and causes the bundle of paper sheets to separate from the one of the pair of binding members; and a restricting member that stops the separating unit at a restricting position between the binding position and the retracted position, when the one of the pair of the binding members moves from the binding position to the retracted position.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a pair of squeezing members having a projection and a recess to engage each other, to squeeze a sheet bundle inserted therebetween in a direction of thickness of the sheet bundle, and a pressure applying unit to apply pressing force to the squeezing members to squeeze and bind the sheet bundle. The pressing force generated between the squeezing members by the pressure applying unit increases in strength as a relative distance between the squeezing members decreases.

Abstract: A sheet binding device includes: a pair of crimping members each including alternately-arranged multiple recesses and multiple protrusions to bind a sheaf of sheets by fitting the recesses and the protrusions with the sheet sheaf interposed therebetween. When the recesses and the protrusions of the pair of crimping members are fitted, slanted side faces of the protrusions of one of the pair of crimping members and that of the other one of the pair of crimping members are in contact with each other with a clearance left both between top portions of the protrusions of the one of the crimping members and bottom portions of the recesses of the other one of the crimping members and between top portions of the protrusions of the other one of the crimping members and bottom portions of the recesses of the one of the crimping members.

Abstract: The present invention is concerning a method for attaching a pair of crimping members in a sheet binding device that binds a sheet bundle by engagement of the pair of crimping members, wherein at least one of the crimping members is attached to a member to which the one of the crimping members is to be attached in a state where the pair of crimping members is in engagement.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus including a stacking tray that stacks sheets, a conveying member that conveys a sheet to the stacking tray and discharges the sheet bundle from the stacking tray, wherein the conveying member includes a conveying roller and a conveying belt stretched by a plurality of stretch rollers, and a sheet processor that performs predetermined processing to the sheet bundle. When the conveying member conveys the sheet to the stacking tray, a part of the conveying belt that is not wound on the stretch roller contacts the conveying roller by moving the conveying belt as such a nip for conveying the sheet is formed. When the conveying member discharges the sheet bundle from the stacking tray, a part of the conveying belt that is wound on the stretch roller contacts the conveying roller by moving the conveying belt so that a nip for conveying the sheet is formed.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a sheet fastening unit of a pressing fastener method in which a bundle of sheets is fastened by using a pair of pressing fastener members; a conveying unit that conveys the bundle of sheets that are fastened by the sheet fastening unit; a separating unit that, after the sheet fastening unit performs a fastening operation on the bundle of sheets, moves both one and the other pressing fastener members, between which the bundle of sheets is interposed, so as to separate a sheet that adheres to the pressing fastener member; and a control unit that, after the separating unit finishes an operation to separate the sheet, controls the conveying unit so as to convey the bundle of sheets that are fastened by the sheet fastening unit.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus performs predetermined processing on a sheet or a sheet bundle. The sheet processing apparatus includes: a conveying unit that conveys a sheet along a conveying path; an aligning unit that, each time a sheet is conveyed by the conveying unit, aligns the sheet; a stacking unit that reverses a conveying direction of a sheet to convey the sheet backward to a branch path branched from the conveying path, and stacks the sheet in the branch path; and a binding unit that binds a sheet bundle aligned by the aligning unit, in the conveying path.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a stacking channel to stack multiple sheets into a sheet bundle, and a binding device to bind together the sheet bundle, the binding device including multiple clamping portions to clamp the sheet bundle to create multiple clamping marks on the sheet bundle. When the binding device binds a corner area of the sheet bundle, a longitudinal direction of each of the multiple clamping marks forms an angle within a range from 30 degrees to 60 degrees with a side of the corner area of the sheet bundle.

Abstract: A sheet binding device binds a sheet bundle by causing a movable-crimping-member moving unit to move a movable crimping member thereby holding a sheet bundle between crimping members. The movable-crimping-member moving unit includes: a link mechanism that includes a first link member rotatably connected to the movable crimping member, a second link member rotatably connected to a fixed member fixed to a device body and connected to the first link member through a connecting part; a connecting member rotatably connected to the connecting part, and capable of moving between a first position causing the link mechanism to be extended and a second position causing the link mechanism to be more flexed than in the first position; and a connecting-member moving unit that includes a rotary member capable of rotating on a displaceable rotating shaft, and reciprocates the connecting member by rotation of the rotary member in one direction.

Abstract: A postprocessing apparatus includes a stacking unit that stacks a sheet, an abutting unit that corrects a conveying direction of the sheet, a return roller that abuts the sheet against the abutting unit, a shift conveying unit that shifts the sheet in a width direction, and a width direction detector that detects a width direction position of the sheet. When the sheet is shifted by the shift conveying unit by a predetermined amount, passed to the return roller, and abutted against the abutting unit, distances A and B are nearly the same, where the distance A is a distance from a conveying direction position of a side of the sheet to a rear end of the sheet and the distance B is a distance from the return roller to the abutting unit.

Abstract: According to an aspect of an embodiment, a sheet processing apparatus includes: a conveying unit configured to convey sheets; a stacking unit configured to stack the conveyed sheets to form a sheet stack; and a binding unit configured to include a pair of toothed jaw and bind the sheet stack by pressing the sheet stack between the pair of toothed jaw, wherein at least one portion of edges of the toothed jaw is rounded.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a pair of squeezing members having a projection and a recess to engage each other, to squeeze a sheet bundle inserted therebetween in a direction of thickness of the sheet bundle, and a pressure applying unit to apply pressing force to the squeezing members to squeeze and bind the sheet bundle. The pressing force generated between the squeezing members by the pressure applying unit increases in strength as a relative distance between the squeezing members decreases.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a conveyance unit to transport a sheet bundle including multiple sheets in a sheet conveyance direction and a binding device including a clamping unit. The clamping unit includes multiple projections and multiple recesses to engage the respective projections to clamp the sheet bundle inserted therebetween. At least one of the multiple projections includes an inclined portion facing a sheet conveyance direction, and an inclination of the inclined portion is 45 degrees or smaller relative to a face parallel to the sheet conveyance direction.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a stacking channel to stack multiple sheets into a sheet bundle, and a binding device to bind together the sheet bundle, the binding device including multiple clamping portions to clamp the sheet bundle to create multiple clamping marks on the sheet bundle. When the binding device binds a corner area of the sheet bundle, a longitudinal direction of each of the multiple clamping marks forms an angle within a range from 30 degrees to 60 degrees with a side of the corner area of the sheet bundle.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus performs predetermined processing on a sheet or a sheet bundle. The sheet processing apparatus includes: a conveying unit that conveys a sheet along a conveying path; an aligning unit that, each time a sheet is conveyed by the conveying unit, aligns the sheet; a stacking unit that reverses a conveying direction of a sheet to convey the sheet backward to a branch path branched from the conveying path, and stacks the sheet in the branch path; and a binding unit that binds a sheet bundle aligned by the aligning unit, in the conveying path.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first sheet path, a first sheet transfer mechanism, an ejection mechanism, a second sheet path, and a sheet flipping mechanism. The first sheet path is in a first side of the image forming apparatus. The first sheet transfer mechanism sends recording sheets from a sheet cassette through the first sheet path. The ejection mechanism switches between an ejection process and a duplex recording process. The second sheet path receives the recording sheet from the ejection mechanism and returns it to the image recording mechanism. The second sheet path is on the other side of the apparatus than the first side in which the first sheet path is arranged. The sheet flipping mechanism flips the recording sheet and has a flipping space in which the recording sheet is flipped without coming outside of the image forming apparatus. The ejection mechanism, the second sheet path, and the sheet flipping mechanism are located in a separate add-on unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a first sheet path, a first sheet transfer mechanism, an ejection mechanism, a second sheet path, and a sheet flipping mechanism. The first sheet path is in a first side of the image forming apparatus. The first sheet transfer mechanism sends recording sheets from a sheet cassette through the first sheet path. The ejection mechanism switches between an ejection process and a duplex recording process. The second sheet path receives the recording sheet from the ejection mechanism and returns it to the image recording mechanism. The second sheet path is in other sides of the apparatus than the first side in which the first sheet path is arranged. The sheet flipping mechanism flips the recording sheet and has a flipping space in which the recording sheet is flipped without coming outside of the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A developing device includes a toner container with a toner outlet which is formed as an opening permitting toner drop due to gravity from the toner container into a developing chamber when the opening is faced downward due to rotation of the toner container. The toner container is provided with an inner peripheral portion that is that is adjoining to the edge of the opening and protrudes toward a center line of container rotation and is on the downstream side of the opening in the direction of rotation of the toner container.