Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a conveying unit that conveys a sheet in a sheet conveying direction; a measuring unit that measures a position of a side edge of the sheet in a measurement area; a shielding unit having an end portion that is projected into the measurement area for shielding the sheet; a first determining unit that determines whether the shielding unit is detectable in the measurement area; and a second determining unit that determines whether the measuring unit has been mounted in the sheet conveying device based on a result obtained in the first determining unit.

Abstract: A pressing unit includes a pressure roller that slides on the folded side while rotating, an elastic biasing unit that presses the pressure roller in a thickness direction of the stack of sheets, and a driving unit that slides the pressure roller in a direction substantially perpendicular to a conveying direction of the stack of sheets. A lifting unit, when the pressure roller slides to a first position, temporarily lifts up the pressure roller, and when lifted-up pressure roller slides to a second position, lifts the lifted-up pressure roller down onto the folded side.

Abstract: A sheet alignment device, that is included in a sheet finishing apparatus integrally mounted with an image forming apparatus to an image forming system or connected to the image forming apparatus, includes an accommodating unit configured to temporarily accommodate a paper sheet and a paper sheet stack including the paper sheet therein, and a sheet alignment unit configured to align the sheet stack including the paper sheet in a direction perpendicular to a sheet travel direction. The sheet alignment unit has a first alignment member configured to move between a sheet receiving position and a sheet alignment position along the direction perpendicular to the sheet travel direction so as to push the sheet stack and a second alignment member configured to move to a fixed position and remain stationary thereat so as to stop the sheet stack pushed by the first alignment member.

Abstract: In a sheet creaser, when a sheet is conveyed to a folding unit by a conveyer unit, the folding unit folds the sheet and a pressing unit presses the folded sheet by sliding in a direction substantially perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction. A switching unit switches the conveyer unit between a first position to convey the sheet and a second position unable to convey the sheet. A driving unit drives both the switching unit and the pressing unit.

Abstract: A folding unit folds a sheet. A pressing unit presses a folded side of the folded sheet. A driving unit causes the pressing unit to slide in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction. A control unit independently sets number of slides at which the pressing unit is to slide on each of a plurality of sections of the folded side depending on a distance of each of the sections from a reference position, and controls the driving unit so as to slide in each of the sections for the number of slides set for that section.

Abstract: A pressing unit presses vicinity of a trailing edge of a stack of sheets stacked in a tray. An aligning unit aligns the stack of sheets stacked in the tray. A stapling unit binds the stack of sheets aligned by the aligning unit. A discharging unit discharges the stack of sheets bound by the stapling unit. A control unit controls the pressing unit to keep a constant distance from a surface of a top sheet of the stack of sheets when the discharging unit discharging the stack of sheets.

Abstract: A sheet aligning device includes a sheet feeder that discharges a sheet in a first direction, a sheet tray on which the sheet is stacked, a sheet jogger that aligns the sheet on the sheet tray in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a sheet detection filler that detects a state of the sheet on the sheet tray. The sheet detection filler detects a position of a topmost sheet in the stack of sheets on the sheet tray and determines an alignment position from where the sheet jogger is to begin alignment of the sheets.

Abstract: A processing unit performs a predetermined processing on a sheet in a process of carrying the sheet. A home-position detecting unit detects a home position of a moving member of the processing unit by detecting a part of the moving member using a detecting unit. The home-position detecting unit sets in advance a detection range for recognizing the home position, and when a part to detect the home position is detected in a state in which the moving member is stopped, sets a detection position as the home position by assuming that the detection position is in the detection range without moving the moving member once out of a detection range of the detecting unit.

Abstract: A sheet processing device includes a sheet aligning unit that aligns a sheet recording medium. The sheet aligning unit is configured to be pulled out from a main body of the sheet processing device, and includes a sheet conveying member for conveying the sheet recording medium.

Abstract: A paper transport device is configured to independently drive a paper ejecting roller when predetermined abnormal events occur. When paper-jamming occurs and if no paper is present downstream of a jammed paper or a preceding paper that is present most downstream is located upstream of a predetermined position, the paper ejecting roller is stopped to prevent ejection of papers outside of the paper transport device. When paper-jamming occurs and if a preceding paper that is present most downstream is located downstream of the predetermined position, the paper ejecting roller is independently driven to complete ejection of the preceding paper.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus and associated method are provided. The sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet conveying path, a sheet stack tray, a sheet discharging member, a sheet guide member, and a sheet contact portion. The sheet conveying path is configured to convey a sheet, the sheet discharging member discharges the sheet to the sheet stack tray, and the sheet stack tray receives the sheet. The sheet guide member is movable from a first position that guides the sheet discharged from the sheet discharging member to a second position that opens a sheet discharge path of the sheet discharging member. The sheet contact portion is arranged at an upstream side of the sheet discharging member with respect to the sheet conveying path, and responds to the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveying path in order to move the sheet guide member between the first and second positions.

Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a sheet stacking unit, a moving member, and a discharging member. The moving member moves up the pile stacked on the sheet stacking unit to one of a plurality of scooping positions, and the discharging member receives the pile from the moving member at the one of the scooping positions and scoops up the pile by supporting a bottom edge of the pile for discharging the pile out of the sheet stacking unit.

Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a sheet stacking unit, an aligning unit, a moving member, a discharging member, and a discharging motor. The discharging motor drives the discharging member for discharging a pile of sheets in an operation pattern that is selected, depending on a predetermined condition, from among a plurality of operation patterns.

Abstract: A stepping motor driving device drives a stepping motor according to a drive pulse of a step signal. A phase matching unit matches, at a time when there is a possibility that a rotor and a phase signal are out of phase with each other, phases of the rotor and the phase signal by applying at least one drive pulse after energizing the stepping motor for a predetermined time and applying a phase signal having a predetermined duration for a final pulse.

Abstract: A punching device includes a detecting unit, a punching unit, a moving unit, a storage unit, and a controlling unit. The detecting unit detects a lateral edge position of a recording medium to obtain edge position data. When the edge position data does not indicate an error value, the edge position data is stored in the storage unit as reference data. The controlling unit determines, when the edge position data indicates an error value, a movement amount of the punching unit based on reference data previously obtained and stored in the storage unit. The moving unit moves the punching unit by the movement amount in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording medium.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes entrance rollers and registration rollers. The entrance rollers convey a sheet received from delivery rollers to the registration rollers. The registration rollers correct skew of the sheet. A conveying path between the delivery rollers and the registration rollers is equal to or slightly longer than a length of a sheet in a maximum allowable size for skew correction in a conveying direction in which the sheet is conveyed on the conveying path.

Abstract: A sheet conveying device in which at least a sheet is guided and conveyed by a guiding member includes a discharging roller that conveys the sheet, a first guiding member and a second guiding member that are arranged along an outer periphery of the discharging roller, and a supporting shaft that rotatably supports both the first guiding member and the second guiding member. When the first guiding member is located at a first position in which a path between the first guiding member and the discharging roller is closed, the sheet is guided to a shift conveying path, and when the first guiding member is located at a second position in which the path is opened, the sheet is guided to a folding processing tray.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet stacking member for temporarily receiving a sheet conveyed thereto and stacking the sheet thereon and a conveyance unit for outputting the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking member therefrom, wherein the conveyance unit includes a sheet output face having a predetermined acute angle with respect to a sheet stacking face of the sheet stacking member and configured to output a stack of sheets by touching a back end of the stack of sheets and pushing the stack of sheets.

Abstract: An aligning unit aligns a front end of a sheet bundle stacked in a tray in a discharging direction. A sheet bundle conveying unit holds a rear end of the sheet bundle and conveys the sheet bundle in the discharging direction. The aligning unit is arranged to be retracted from a conveying path of the sheet bundle after aligning the front end of the sheet bundle and to come out in the conveying path of the sheet bundle behind the sheet bundle conveying unit after a movement of the sheet bundle conveying unit.

Abstract: A sheet aligning device includes a transport path, a movable fence, a tapping tab, and jogger fences. The transport path transports a sheet stack. The movable fence and the tapping tab align the sheet stack in a first direction in which the sheet stack is transported on the transport path. The jogger fences align the sheet stack in a direction perpendicular to the first direction on the transport path. The movable fence, the tapping tab, and the jogger fences align the sheet stack according to a plurality of aligning modes.