Abstract: A sheet conveying device which has a reduced size and is capable of detecting the amount of lateral sheet registration deviation and correcting the deviation at high speed. The sheet conveying device includes shift roller pairs for conveying sheets, and a shift unit for shifting a conveyed sheet in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction. After the sheet has reached a position where it is to be detected by a lateral registration deviation-detecting sensor unit, a CPU causes the sensor unit and the sheet to be shifted in respective opposite directions, detect a sheet lateral edge, and thereby measure the position of the sheet lateral edge. Further, the CPU causes the sheet to be shifted based on a result of the measurement, such that the sheet lateral edge is aligned with a predetermined position.

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: This invention can improve the appearance quality of a pamphlet produced by suppressing a swell of a folded sheet bundle and prevent a drop in productivity without enlarging the size of a sheet processing apparatus. A sheet bundle receiving position is changed depending on a sheet size and the moving direction of the press unit is changed corresponding to the sheet size of a conveyed sheet bundle. As a consequence, the enlargement of the sheet processing apparatus can be avoided without deteriorating productivity.

Abstract: An image forming system which is capable of preventing paper jam from occurring in a sheet processing apparatus to thereby maintain the stability of the system. An alignment plates of an alignment unit movable in a lateral direction each sheet are brought into abutment with opposite side edges of sheets stacked on the sheet stack unit to laterally align the sheets. A lateral registration sensor unit detects a lateral position of the sheet being conveyed. When the detected lateral position of the sheet is beyond a predetermined position, the CPU of the apparatus changes the standby positions of the alignment plates such that spacing therebetween in the lateral direction the sheet is widened by a predetermined amount, and extends the conveying interval of sheets in the image forming apparatus by a predetermined time period.

Abstract: A first tray has notches allowing second-tray arms to pass therethrough, and arm-receiving recesses in which respective first-tray arms are received. With such a plurality of sheet stacking trays that are movable vertically, a large stack of sheets can be removed efficiently, whereby a highly productive system is provided.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus which is capable of accurately superimposing or aligning sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus during buffering even when the space intervals between the sheets are reduced. A sheet processing apparatus sequentially receives sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus and carries out post-processing on the sheets. During execution of the post-processing on the sheets, a plurality of sheets are discharged successively from the image forming apparatus and superimposed one upon another around a buffer roller. The conveying speed of the sheets is controlled such that a conveying time period over which a sheet preceding a final one of the sheets to be superimposed one upon another around the buffer roller is conveyed over a predetermined path section is shorter than a conveying time period over which the final one is conveyed over the predetermined path section.

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 post-processing apparatus which sequentially receives sheets one by one from an image forming apparatus to execute a post-processing on the sheets, including: a first transport device which receives the sheets delivered from the image forming apparatus and transports the sheets; a sheet overlap device which stays the sheets transported by the first transport device and causes another sheet transported sequentially by the first transport device to overlap at least one stayed sheet; a second transport device which transports a plurality of sheets overlapping each other by the sheet overlap device; a plurality of stacking devices capable of stacking a plurality of sheets transported by the second transport device; and a controller which changes control of sheet overlapping caused by the sheet overlap device depending on which stacking device selected from among the plurality of stacking devices the sheets are to be transported to.

Abstract: An image forming system which is capable of preventing paper jam from occurring in a sheet processing apparatus to thereby maintain the stability of the system. An alignment plates of an alignment unit movable in a lateral direction each sheet are brought into abutment with opposite side edges of sheets stacked on the sheet stack unit to laterally align the sheets. A lateral registration sensor unit detects a lateral position of the sheet being conveyed. When the detected lateral position of the sheet is beyond a predetermined position, the CPU of the apparatus changes the standby positions of the alignment plates such that spacing therebetween in the lateral direction the sheet is widened by a predetermined amount, and extends the conveying interval of sheets in the image forming apparatus by a predetermined time period.

Abstract: A sheet conveyance apparatus capable of detecting a sheet end portion in a short time period even if sheets are conveyed at a narrow interval and at high speed, thus making it possible to expedite the start timing of a subsequent sheet alignment operation. In accordance with results of detection by lateral registration detection sensors performed when a sheet reaches a lateral registration detection sensor unit, the sensor unit is moved in a width direction for sheet end detection. Based on a moving distance of the sensor unit from a standby position to a position where the sheet end is detected, a shift amount to be shifted the sheet in the width direction, i.e., a lateral registration error, is computed.

Abstract: Provided is a post-processing apparatus which sequentially receives sheets one by one from an image forming apparatus to execute a post-processing on the sheets, including: a first transport device which receives the sheets delivered from the image forming apparatus and transports the sheets; a sheet overlap device which stays the sheets transported by the first transport device and causes another sheet transported sequentially by the first transport device to overlap at least one stayed sheet; a second transport device which transports a plurality of sheets overlapping each other by the sheet overlap device; a plurality of stacking devices capable of stacking a plurality of sheets transported by the second transport device; and a controller which changes control of sheet overlapping caused by the sheet overlap device depending on which stacking device selected from among the plurality of stacking devices the sheets are to be transported to.

Abstract: A stacker includes a plurality of sheet stacking units individually movable upward and downward. Sheets are selectively stacked onto either of the stacker trays. To remove the sheets stacked on one of the stacker trays, a door is opened. In a state where the door is open, the stacker trays moved by respective elevation units are movable only downward. In this manner, accidental upward movement of each of the stacker trays caused by a malfunction of a motor or the like is regulated, whereby damage to the stacker is prevented.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus which is capable of improving operability while suppressing an increase in apparatus size. In a front cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a front cover is inserted into a bundle of sheets on which images have been formed, and in a rear cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a rear cover is inserted into the bundle of sheets. Insertion sheets for the front cover and insertion sheets for the rear cover are set with the same orientation in a manual feed tray 105. An insertion sheet for the front cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to a finisher 500 in one of a face-down state and a face-up state. An insertion sheet for the rear cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to the finisher 500 in the other of the face-down state and the face-up state. The insertion sheets for the front cover and for the rear cover conveyed from the manual feed tray 105 and the sheets on which images have been formed are stacked on the finisher 500.

Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus which is capable of efficiently stacking sheets of various sizes while making efficient use of space therein to realizing compactness of the apparatus. Stacker trays that are driven by respective tray lift motors perform a lifting/lowering operation to have sheets stacked thereon. Selection is made according to the size of sheets between a first stacking mode for stacking sheets having a size not larger than a predetermined size on one of the stacker trays and a second stacking mode for stacking sheets having a size larger than the predetermined size in a state extending on the stacker trays. When it is determined that one of the stacker trays is faulty, execution of the second stacking mode is inhibited, and execution of the first stacking mode using the other stacker tray is permitted.

Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus which is capable of efficiently stacking sheets of various sizes while efficiently using space therein to thereby realize compactness thereof, and maintaining a high availability. Stacker trays for stacking sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus can be separately removed. It is detected whether any of the stacker trays is removed. When large-size sheets are stacked, a stacker control section causes the stacker trays to operate as one tray to stack the sheets in a state extending on the stacker trays, whereas when small-size sheets are stacked, the section causes one of the stacker trays to stack the sheets. Further, when one stacker tray is removed to make it impossible to stack the large-size sheets, the section causes a display section to display a guide message advising setting of the removed stacker tray.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus which is capable of accurately superimposing or aligning sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus during buffering even when the space intervals between the sheets are reduced. A sheet processing apparatus sequentially receives sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus and carries out post-processing on the sheets. During execution of the post-processing on the sheets, a plurality of sheets are discharged successively from the image forming apparatus and superimposed one upon another around a buffer roller. The conveying speed of the sheets is controlled such that a conveying time period over which a sheet preceding a final one of the sheets to be superimposed one upon another around the buffer roller is conveyed over a predetermined path section is shorter than a conveying time period over which the final one is conveyed over the predetermined path section.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a stack tray, a stapler, a stapler moving device, and an aligning member. When a stapling process is performed at least two staple positions of the sheet bundle stacked on the stack tray using the stapler, the stapler is moved to the next staple position by relative movement in which the stapler and the sheet bundle are moved in the opposite directions by the stapler moving device and the aligning member respectively. When the number of sheets in the sheet bundle or a weight of the sheet bundle is lower than a predetermined value, a moving speed of the sheet bundle is set faster than a moving speed of the sheet bundle at which the number of sheets in the sheet bundle is not lower than the predetermined value or the weight of the sheet bundle is not lower than the predetermined value.

Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus including first and second stacking trays configured to stack sheets, a detection unit configured to detect a sheet stacking amount on the first stacking tray, a setting unit configured to set an upper limit on stacking amount for controlling the sheet stacking amount that is less than a maximum sheet stacking amount on the first stacking tray, and a control unit configured to stop stacking of sheets on the first stacking tray and stack sheets on the second stacking tray in a case where the sheet stacking amount which is detected by the detection unit reaches the upper limit on stacking amount that is set by the setting unit.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus for printing multiple copies of a document, the document having N (where N is an integer) pages, includes an image forming unit configured to print images on a plurality of sheets according to an input print job, a sheet stacking unit configured to stack sheets printed by the image forming unit, and a control unit configured to divide a print job which prints M (where M is an integer) copies of each of the N pages of the document into a plurality of print operations in a case where a group mode in which sheets are stacked into N groups, each group having M copies of a respective page of the document, is set in the print job, wherein each of the plurality of print operations is for printing less than M copies of each of the N pages of the document.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus which is capable of improving operability while suppressing an increase in apparatus size. In a front cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a front cover is inserted into a bundle of sheets on which images have been formed, and in a rear cover insertion mode, an insertion sheet for a rear cover is inserted into the bundle of sheets. Insertion sheets for the front cover and insertion sheets for the rear cover are set with the same orientation in a manual feed tray 105. An insertion sheet for the front cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to a finisher 500 in one of a face-down state and a face-up state. An insertion sheet for the rear cover stored in the manual feed tray 105 is conveyed to the finisher 500 in the other of the face-down state and the face-up state. The insertion sheets for the front cover and for the rear cover conveyed from the manual feed tray 105 and the sheets on which images have been formed are stacked on the finisher 500.