Abstract: A sheet processing device is for binding sheets together. The sheet processing device includes binding units differing from each other in maximum sheet count, the maximum sheet count being a maximum number of sheets that can be bound at a time; a sheet tray configured to hold sheets until all to-be-bound sheets are placed therein, the number of the to-be-bound sheets being a largest one of the maximum sheet counts of the binding units or smaller; and a stacked-sheet-count limiting unit situated in a thickness direction of the sheets held in the sheet tray. The stacked-sheet-count limiting unit is configured to limit the number of sheets held in the sheet tray by varying a distance from a sheet support surface of the sheet tray on which the sheets are placed, depending on one of the binding units by which the sheets held in the sheet tray are to be bound.

Abstract: A binding device includes a stacking device configured to receive sheets, a sheet alignment member configured to align the sheets on the stacking device, a binder configured to bind the sheets on the stacking device, a binder moving device configured to move the binder, and a retreat device configured to retreat the sheet alignment member from a range of movement of the binder. The retreat device retreats the sheet alignment member in response to a pressing force acting on the sheet alignment member in a direction of movement of the binder.

Abstract: A fold-enforcing assembly includes a fold-enforcing device, a moving device to move the fold-enforcing device in a direction of a fold of a sheet bundle, and control circuitry. The fold-enforcing device includes a pressing member pair to nip and press the fold of the sheet bundle in a direction of thickness, a pressing mechanism to pressurize and depressurize the pressing member pair, and a driver to drive the pressing mechanism. Controlled by the control circuitry, the moving device moves the fold-enforcing device in accordance with a size of the sheet bundle in the direction of the fold; pressing mechanism pressurizes the pressing member pair to press a first end portion of the sheet bundle in the direction of the fold; the moving device moves the fold-enforcing device to a second end portion of the sheet bundle; and pressing mechanism depressurizes the pressing member pair in the second end portion.

Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus includes an ejector, a stacker, a wall, and an upper surface detector. The ejector ejects a sheet, and the stacker stacks the sheet ejected from the ejector. The wall contacts a trailing end of the sheet ejected from the ejector in an ejection direction to align the sheet. The upper surface detector detects an upper surface on a trailing end side of the sheet stacked on the stacker in the ejection direction. When the sheet moves toward the wall, the upper surface detector moves from a home position in which the upper surface detector detects the upper surface of the sheet to a retracted position in which the upper surface detector does not contact the sheet moving toward the wall.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a conveying unit configured to convey a sheet along a sheet conveyance path; a conveyance-path supporting unit configured to support both ends of the sheet conveyance path with respect to a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction; a first stitching unit configured to stitch the sheets conveyed; a second stitching unit configured to stitch the sheets conveyed; a first moving unit configured to move the first stitching unit in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction; and a second moving unit configured to move the second stitching unit in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, wherein any one of the first stitching unit and the second stitching unit is movable to outside of the conveyance-path supporting unit.

Abstract: A sheet processing device is for binding sheets together. The sheet processing device includes binding units differing from each other in maximum sheet count, the maximum sheet count being a maximum number of sheets that can be bound at a time; a sheet tray configured to hold sheets until all to-be-bound sheets are placed therein, the number of the to-be-bound sheets being a largest one of the maximum sheet counts of the binding units or smaller; and a stacked-sheet-count limiting unit situated in a thickness direction of the sheets held in the sheet tray. The stacked-sheet-count limiting unit is configured to limit the number of sheets held in the sheet tray by varying a distance from a sheet support surface of the sheet tray on which the sheets are placed, depending on one of the binding units by which the sheets held in the sheet tray are to be bound.

Abstract: A sheet processing device is for binding sheets together. The sheet processing device includes binding units differing from each other in maximum sheet count, the maximum sheet count being a maximum number of sheets that can be bound at a time; a sheet tray configured to hold sheets until all to-be-bound sheets are placed therein, the number of the to-be-bound sheets being a largest one of the maximum sheet counts of the binding units or smaller; and a stacked-sheet-count limiting unit situated in a thickness direction of the sheets held in the sheet tray. The stacked-sheet-count limiting unit is configured to limit the number of sheets held in the sheet tray by varying a distance from a sheet support surface of the sheet tray on which the sheets are placed, depending on one of the binding units by which the sheets held in the sheet tray are to be bound.

Abstract: A pair of binding teeth is configured to apply pressure to a sheet bundle to crimp-bind the sheet bundle. The pair of binding teeth includes a binding unit configured to have two or more binding areas which differ in tooth height and crimping portions thereof come in contact when the binding teeth are pressed against each other in the binding areas.

Abstract: A sheet binding unit includes a first sheet binder having first and second dentate uneven sheet binding elements to conduct a first sheet binding process by engaging each other by a prescribed meshing depth while sandwiching the sheet bundle therebetween to form a dentate unevenness on the sheet bundle at a first sheet binding portion of the sheet bundle, and a second sheet binder having third and fourth dentate uneven sheet binding elements to conduct a second sheet binding process by engaging each other by a greater meshing depth than that made by first and second dentate uneven sheet binding elements of the first sheet binder while sandwiching the sheet bundle therebetween to form a dentate unevenness on the sheet bundle at a second sheet binding portion different from the first sheet binding portion of the sheet bundle.

Abstract: A binding device includes a receptacle, an aligner, a moving mechanism, first and second binders, and a guide. The aligner aligns a bundle of recording media in a width direction thereof on the receptacle. The moving mechanism moves the aligner in the width direction. A maximum thickness of the bundle of recording media boundable in the second binder is smaller than that in the first binder. The guide is movable conforming to the maximum thickness of the bundle of recording media boundable in the first binder, and conforming to that in the second binder, to guide and direct the bundle of recording media to a receiving portion of the first binder when the first binder binds the bundle of recording media, and to a receiving portion of the second binder when the second binder binds the bundle of recording media, respectively. The guide is movable in conjunction with the aligner.

Abstract: A sheet processing device includes: a stacking unit configured to stack a plurality of sheets to obtain a sheet bundle; a stitched-sheet number acquiring unit configured to acquire a number of sheets in the sheet bundle, which is a target to be stitched; a permanent stitching unit configured to permanently stitch the sheet bundle; a temporary stitching unit configured to be capable of temporarily stitching a plurality of areas of the sheet bundle; a selecting unit configured to select any one of the permanent stitching unit and the temporary stitching unit to be used; and a stitching-process control unit configured to, when the temporary stitching unit is selected by the selecting unit, control the temporary stitching unit so as to change a number of areas that are stitched by the temporary stitching unit.

Abstract: A binding device includes a receptacle, an aligner, a moving mechanism, first and second binders, and a guide. The aligner aligns a bundle of recording media in a width direction thereof on the receptacle. The moving mechanism moves the aligner in the width direction. A maximum thickness of the bundle of recording media boundable in the second binder is smaller than that in the first binder. The guide is movable conforming to the maximum thickness of the bundle of recording media boundable in the first binder, and conforming to that in the second binder, to guide and direct the bundle of recording media to a receiving portion of the first binder when the first binder binds the bundle of recording media, and to a receiving portion of the second binder when the second binder binds the bundle of recording media, respectively. The guide is movable in conjunction with the aligner.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a first binding unit configured to bind a sheet bundle; a second binding unit with greater number of bindable sheets than number of bindable sheets of the first binding unit; and a number-of-sheets determining unit configured to determine whether number of to-be-bound sheets exceeds the number of bindable sheets of the first binding unit. The first binding unit moves to a binding position, and if the number-of-sheets determining unit determines that the number of to-be-bound sheets exceeds the number of bindable sheets of the first binding unit, the first binding unit moves away from the binding position. When the number-of-sheets determining unit determines that the number of to-be-bound sheets exceeds the number of bindable sheets of the first binding unit, the second binding unit moves to the binding position.

Abstract: A sheet processing device is for binding sheets together. The sheet processing device includes binding units differing from each other in maximum sheet count, the maximum sheet count being a maximum number of sheets that can be bound at a time; a sheet tray configured to hold sheets until all to-be-bound sheets are placed therein, the number of the to-be-bound sheets being a largest one of the maximum sheet counts of the binding units or smaller; and a stacked-sheet-count limiting unit situated in a thickness direction of the sheets held in the sheet tray. The stacked-sheet-count limiting unit is configured to limit the number of sheets held in the sheet tray by varying a distance from a sheet support surface of the sheet tray on which the sheets are placed, depending on one of the binding units by which the sheets held in the sheet tray are to be bound.

Abstract: A sheet processing device is for binding sheets together. The sheet processing device includes binding units differing from each other in maximum sheet count, the maximum sheet count being a maximum number of sheets that can be bound at a time; a sheet tray configured to hold sheets until all to-be-bound sheets are placed therein, the number of the to-be-bound sheets being a largest one of the maximum sheet counts of the binding units or smaller; and a stacked-sheet-count limiting unit situated in a thickness direction of the sheets held in the sheet tray. The stacked-sheet-count limiting unit is configured to limit the number of sheets held in the sheet tray by varying a distance from a sheet support surface of the sheet tray on which the sheets are placed, depending on one of the binding units by which the sheets held in the sheet tray are to be bound.

Abstract: A sheet binding unit includes a first sheet binder having first and second dentate uneven sheet binding elements to conduct a first sheet binding process by engaging each other by a prescribed meshing depth while sandwiching the sheet bundle therebetween to form a dentate unevenness on the sheet bundle at a first sheet binding portion of the sheet bundle, and a second sheet binder having third and fourth dentate uneven sheet binding elements to conduct a second sheet binding process by engaging each other by a greater meshing depth than that made by first and second dentate uneven sheet binding elements of the first sheet binder while sandwiching the sheet bundle therebetween to form a dentate unevenness on the sheet bundle at a second sheet binding portion different from the first sheet binding portion of the sheet bundle.

Abstract: A pair of binding teeth is configured to apply pressure to a sheet bundle to crimp-bind the sheet bundle. The pair of binding teeth includes a binding unit configured to have two or more binding areas which differ in tooth height and crimping portions thereof come in contact when the binding teeth are pressed against each other in the binding areas.

Abstract: A sheet processing device includes: a stacking unit configured to stack a plurality of sheets to obtain a sheet bundle; a stitched-sheet number acquiring unit configured to acquire a number of sheets in the sheet bundle, which is a target to be stitched; a permanent stitching unit configured to permanently stitch the sheet bundle; a temporary stitching unit configured to be capable of temporarily stitching a plurality of areas of the sheet bundle; a selecting unit configured to select any one of the permanent stitching unit and the temporary stitching unit to be used; and a stitching-process control unit configured to, when the temporary stitching unit is selected by the selecting unit, control the temporary stitching unit so as to change a number of areas that are stitched by the temporary stitching unit.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a conveying unit configured to convey a sheet along a sheet conveyance path; a conveyance-path supporting unit configured to support both ends of the sheet conveyance path with respect to a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction; a first stitching unit configured to stitch the sheets conveyed; a second stitching unit configured to stitch the sheets conveyed; a first moving unit configured to move the first stitching unit in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction; and a second moving unit configured to move the second stitching unit in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, wherein any one of the first stitching unit and the second stitching unit is movable to outside of the conveyance-path supporting unit.

Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a first binding unit configured to bind a sheet bundle; a second binding unit with greater number of bindable sheets than number of bindable sheets of the first binding unit; and a number-of-sheets determining unit configured to determine whether number of to-be-bound sheets exceeds the number of bindable sheets of the first binding unit. The first binding unit moves to a binding position, and if the number-of-sheets determining unit determines that the number of to-be-bound sheets exceeds the number of bindable sheets of the first binding unit, the first binding unit moves away from the binding position. When the number-of-sheets determining unit determines that the number of to-be-bound sheets exceeds the number of bindable sheets of the first binding unit, the second binding unit moves to the binding position.