Associating And Folding Patents (Class 270/32)
  • Publication number: 20110316215
    Abstract: To provide a post-processing apparatus for enabling a bunch of sheets and a single sheet to be folded in simplified structure, and further enabling the folded sheet and sheets that are not folded to be mixed and bound, the post-processing apparatus has a processing tray to collate and collect sheets to perform binding processing, and a folding processing path having a folding processing section, and a folded sheet carrying-out path for carrying out a folded sheet is provided on the downstream side of the folding processing path. Then, the folded sheet carrying-out path is comprised of a circulating path for guiding the folded sheet again to the folding processing section, a post-processing path for guiding the folded sheet to the processing tray to perform post-processing, and a sheet discharge path for guiding the folded sheet to a storage stacker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2011
    Publication date: December 29, 2011
    Applicant: NISCA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenichi Matsuno, Satoru Matsuki, Komei Mohara, Hidetoshi Kinoshita, Yoshio Kobayashi, Yuichi Kubota, Koji Kurakano, Mamoru Kubo
  • Patent number: 8083218
    Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus includes a fold unit to fold a center of a sheet bundle to form a fold line, a reinforce roller which reciprocates along a direction of the fold line while nipping and pressing the fold line and reinforces the fold line of the sheet bundle, and a control section to changeably set the number of times of reciprocating movement of the reinforce roller according to a thickness of a sheet contained in the sheet bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoichi Dobashi, Hiroyuki Taguchi
  • Patent number: 8066272
    Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus, including: sheet folder configured to fold a sheet bundle; a sheet bundle discharger configured to discharge a folded sheet bundle, folded by the sheet folder, with a folded edge of the folded sheet bundle in the lead; a folded edge support configured to support the folded edge of the folded sheet bundle discharged from the sheet bundle discharger, the folded edge support movable without rotation in a direction declined from a higher side near the sheet bundle provider to a lower side farther from the sheet bundle provider than the higher side; and an undersurface support configured to support an undersurface of the folded sheet bundle so that the folded edge is lower than a trailing edge of the folded sheet bundle, the undersurface support comprising a hill on its upper surface between the folded edge support and the sheet bundle provider, the hill comprising a slope between the folded edge support and the sheet bundle provider, the hill further comprising a valley wall declined st
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoich Dobashi, Yasunobu Terao
  • Patent number: 8061701
    Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus includes: a saddle-stitching unit configured to stitch a center of a sheet bundle; a folding unit configured to fold the sheet bundle at the center to form a fold; a loading base onto which the sheet bundle conveyed from the folding unit is loaded; a nipping plate configured to be pressed to and separated from the loading base in parallel to the loading base and to nip the sheet bundle loaded onto the loading base; and first and second rollers that move along a direction of the fold while nipping and pressing the fold of the sheet bundle nipped by the nipping plate to reinforce the fold. Here, a surface, which faces the loading base, of the nipping plate is provided with an elastic member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Takahiro Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 8028979
    Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus includes an adjuster which supports a stack of sheets stacked on an inclined surface of a sheet path and adjusts a position of the stack of sheets along the inclined surface, a stapler which staples the stack of sheets set at a stapling position, a folding unit which folds the stack of sheets set at a folding position, and a guide provided between the stapler and the folding unit. The stapler ejects a staple from a staple surface by sinking from the inclined surface. The folding unit includes folding rollers and a folding blade which inserts the stack of sheets into a nip between the folding rollers. The guide includes a loading surface offset from the staple surface and an uprising member which is disposed on a part of the loading surface to keep the stack of sheets symmetric with respect to the folding rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Taguchi, Yasunobu Terao, Shinichiro Mano, Takahiro Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 8028980
    Abstract: A sheet folding device includes a sheet guide for holding a sheet bunch, a folding roll device having a first folding roll and a second folding roll, a folding blade inserting the sheet bunch supported on the sheet guide to a nip position between the first and second folding rolls, and a blade driving device for moving the folding blade from a standby position to the nip position on the folding rolls. The sheet guide has a curved guide section supporting the sheet bunch and an outlet guide section connected to the curved guide section to guide the sheet bunch to the folding rolls. The curved guide section has a curved guide plate supporting the sheet bunch so that the sheet bunch rolls back toward the folding roll device. The outlet guide section includes a pair of opposite guide plates in folding the sheet bunch by the folding blade.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Fukasawa, Ichitaro Kubota, Kenichi Matsuno, Satoshi Iwama
  • Patent number: 8025280
    Abstract: There is provided a technique in which in a sheet processing apparatus including a switchback portion in a sheet transport path, a contribution can be made to the improvement of maintenance in the case where a sheet jam occurs in the vicinity of a switchback position. In a sheet processing method of a sheet processing apparatus for performing a specified process to a sheet, the sheet processing apparatus includes a first sheet transport path for transporting the sheet, and a second sheet transport path that is for performing switchback transport of the sheet transported in the first sheet transport path and includes at least one of a hole, a projection and a recess in the vicinity of a meeting position between the second sheet transport path and the first sheet transport path, and the first sheet transport path and the second sheet transport path are enabled to be integrally pulled out to the outside of the sheet processing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Chiaki Iizuka, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Shinichiro Mano
  • Patent number: 8020846
    Abstract: A sheet finisher of the invention includes a saddle stitch unit configured to stitch a center of a sheet bundle in which printed sheets are bundled, a fold unit configured to fold the center stitched by the saddle stitch unit and to form a fold line, and a fold reinforcing unit configured to reinforce the fold line formed by the fold unit, the fold reinforcing unit includes a placement table on which the sheet bundle transported from the fold unit is placed, and a roller unit that includes a reinforce roller and moves the reinforce roller along a direction of the fold line while pressing it to the fold line, and the placement table is provided with a groove-like edge clearance along an edge of the sheet bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Katsuya Sasahara, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Katsuhiko Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20110221115
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a folding roller pair, a sheet pushing member, and a detection unit. The folding roller pair folds a sheet or a sheet bundle by a nip portion. The sheet pushing member results in a tip pushing a portion between two ends of the sheet or sheet bundle into the nip portion and then performs a tip returning operation. The detection unit detects whether the tip reaches a predetermined position within a predetermined time. When the tip does not reach the predetermined position within the predetermined time, the sheet pushing member retries the pushing operation after performing the returning operation. When the tip reaches the predetermined position within the predetermined time, the sheet pushing member stops the pushing operation and controls rotation driving of the folding roller pair such that the folding roller pair starts to convey the sheet or sheet bundle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Yasuo Fukatsu, Hitoshi Kato, Naoki Ishikawa, Tomoharu Sato
  • Patent number: 8002255
    Abstract: A saddle unit provided with a fold-enhancing unit for performing fold enhancement of sheets of paper folded in the middle. The fold-enhancing unit includes a fold-enhancing roller mechanism which performs the fold-enhancing operation in the direction orthogonal to the sheet carrying direction. The fold-enhancing roller mechanism includes a fold-enhancing roller pair that pinches and presses a bundle of sheets at a nip. The roller guide pair provided in the fold-enhancing roller mechanism guides the sheets of paper to the nip of the fold-enhancing roller pair when enhancing the fold of the sheets of paper. The saddle unit changes one or both of the number of times and the velocity of the reciprocating movement according to one or both of the number of sheets of paper and the quality mode which is entered and set by the user from the operation panel of an image forming apparatus or job-set by the personal computer by a user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takahiro Kawaguchi, Shinichiro Mano, Ken Iguchi
  • Patent number: 8002256
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a first roller, a second roller configured to press the first roller to form a nip portion, a moving member opposite to the nip portion to move from a start position to an operation position approaching the nip portion, a pushing member supported on the moving member to press a sheet by an end thereof by movement of the moving member and push the sheet into the nip portion, and a third and fourth rollers positioned on both sides of the pushing member and supported on the moving member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuya Sasahara
  • Publication number: 20110198794
    Abstract: A sheet finisher of the invention includes a saddle-stitching unit to stitch a center of a sheet bundle, a folding unit to fold the center and to form a fold, a first and a second rollers that move along a direction of the fold while nipping and pressing the fold of the sheet bundle and reinforce the fold, and a drive section to move the first and the second rollers along the fold from a standby position apart from an edge of the sheet bundle, and the first and the second rollers are separate from each other in a thickness direction of the sheet bundle at the standby position, and after the first and the second rollers reach to a position where they pass the edge of the sheet bundle of a processable maximum size, they come close to each other in the thickness direction and nip the fold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takahiro KAWAGUCHI
  • Patent number: 7997571
    Abstract: A sheet finisher of the invention includes a saddle stitch unit configured to stitch a center of a sheet bundle in which printed sheets are bundled, a fold unit configured to fold the center stitched by the saddle stitch unit and to form a fold line, a fold reinforcing unit that includes a reinforce roller, moves the reinforce roller along a direction of the fold line while applying pressure by the reinforce roller to the fold line of the sheet bundle transported from the fold unit, and reinforces the fold line, and a control unit configured to transport the sheet bundle from the fold unit to the fold reinforcing unit and to control to stop the fold line of the sheet bundle at a position of the reinforce roller, and the control unit changes, according to a thickness of the sheet bundle, a transport distance from a specified position in the fold reinforcing unit to the position where the sheet bundle is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Katsuya Sasahara, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Katsuhiko Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7997572
    Abstract: A sheet finisher of the invention includes a saddle stitch unit configured to stitch a center of a sheet bundle, in which printed sheets are bundled, with a staple, a fold unit configured to fold the center stitched by the saddle stitch unit and to form a fold line, and a fold reinforcing unit configured to reinforce the fold line formed by the fold unit, the fold reinforcing unit includes a roller unit that includes a reinforce roller and moves along a direction of the fold line while applying pressure by the reinforce roller to the fold line of the sheet bundle transported from the fold unit, a drive unit configured to move the roller unit along the direction of the fold line, and a control unit configured to control a movement speed of the roller unit, and the control unit causes the roller unit to move at a first speed in an outside of a specified range including the edge of the staple, and causes the roller unit to move at a second speed not higher than the first speed in the specified range including th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Katsuya Sasahara, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Katsuhiko Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7997569
    Abstract: There is provided a technique in which a retracting operation of a bundle of sheets from a stapler after a staple process can be stably performed irrespective of the number of sheets constituting the bundle of sheets or the transport resistance. When the bundle of sheets subjected to the staple process is moved by a stacker in a direction of retracting from the stapler, an alignment roller is caused to come in contact with the bundle of sheets held by the stacker and to assist the movement of the bundle of sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Chiaki Iizuka, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Shinichiro Mano
  • Patent number: 7984896
    Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus includes: a fold roller pair which forms a nipping portion and inserts the center of a sheet bundle into the nipping portion to form a fold in the sheet bundle; a folding blade which moves from a standby position and presses the center of the sheet bundle against the nipping portion when the fold is formed, and returns to the standby position after the pressing of the nipping portion is completed; and a protection member which prevents an access to a front edge of the folding blade in a longitudinal direction of the front edge when the folding blade is located at the standby position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takahiro Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 7980542
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus configured to bind a sheet bundle includes a folding portion configured to fold the sheet bundle, a sheet processing portion provided upstream of the folding portion and configured to form a groove at a fold position of at least one sheet of the sheet bundle, and a controller configured to control an operation of the sheet processing portion. The controller controls an operation of the sheet processing portion such that a width of a groove formed on a sheet located on an outer side of the folded sheet bundle is larger than that of a groove formed on a sheet located on an inner side of the folded sheet bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Wataru Kawata, Masahiko Yokota, Hideaki Kosasa, Akihiro Shimizu, Shoji Takeda, Toshiro Tomono, Ryuichi Kojima
  • Patent number: 7975999
    Abstract: A post-processing apparatus includes a sheet carry-in path along which sheets from a carry-in port are fed through a sheet discharging port to a downstream post-processing position, and a collecting guide, for setting and collecting the sheets into a bunch. The collecting guide is located downstream of the sheet discharging port with a difference in level between the sheet discharging port and the collecting guide, is provided. A post-processing apparatus is provided for executing a stapling process and/or a folding process on the sheet bunch collected on the collecting guide. A sheet leading end regulating device is provided for regulating a position of leading ends of the sheets collected on the collecting guide device. The sheet leading end regulating device is movable according to a sheet size so that trailing ends of the sheet ends are placed at a predetermined position below the sheet discharging port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Fukasawa, Ichitaro Kubota, Kenichi Matsuno, Takahisa Kazuno
  • Patent number: 7976000
    Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus includes a first and a second guide plate having a guide surface inclined to a perpendicular plane to take an open state having a gap of a first interval in a direction crossing the inclination direction and a closed state of a second interval narrower than the first interval, a sheet take-in portion standing by under the first and second guide plates to support sheets dropped from the guide surfaces with the leading edge thereof in a conveying direction directed downward in a standing position, and a controller configured to permit the first and second guide plates to enter the closed state and guide another sheets conveyed following the sheets supported internally by the sheet take-in portion by the guide surfaces and then to enter the open state and drop the another sheets from the gaps onto the preceding sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takahiro Kawaguchi
  • Publication number: 20110148023
    Abstract: A post-processing device includes a pair of rollers, each arranged such that an axis direction thereof is perpendicular to a transport direction of recording sheets, that forms a fold in the axis direction at a predetermined portion of both surfaces of each recording sheet, a first plate-like member, arranged opposite the pair of rollers, that moves between a feeding position allowing the predetermined portion of each recording sheet to be pinched with a nip portion of the pair of rollers and a standby position being distant from the nip portion, a transport processing unit that causes the recording sheets to be sequentially transported such that the predetermined portion of each recording sheet intervenes between the first plate-like member and the pair of rollers and to be folded by the pair of rollers, and a post-processing unit bundles the recording sheets on each of which the fold has been formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2010
    Publication date: June 23, 2011
    Applicant: KONICA MINOLTA BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Koichi MITANI
  • Publication number: 20110140335
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus comprises: a conveying portion which contacts a doubled up booklet and conveys the booklet; an end conveying portion which abuts against an open end of the booklet and pushes out the booklet, thereby conveying the booklet; a stopper which abuts against a back of the booklet to position the booklet; a holding portion which holds the booklet which abuts against the stopper; a processing portion which processes the booklet held by the holding portion; wherein the conveying portion can come into contact with and separate from the booklet, the conveying portion separates from the booklet, or a pressure for bringing the conveying portion into contact with the booklet is reduced before the back of the booklet abuts against the stopper, the back of the booklet is abutted against the stopper by the end conveying portion and then, the holding portion holds the booklet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2010
    Publication date: June 16, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Hideto Abe
  • Patent number: 7959145
    Abstract: A method for loading a folded sheet bundle provided from a sheet bundle provider with a folded edge of the folded sheet bundle in the lead, including: supporting an undersurface of the folded sheet bundle so that the folded edge is lower than a trailing edge of the folded sheet bundle by a hill, the hill including a slope between a folded edge support and the sheet bundle provider, the hill further including a valley wall declined steeper than the slope from the higher side to the lower side between the slope and the folded edge support; supporting the folded edge of the folded sheet bundle by the folded edge support; and moving the folded edge support without rotation in a direction declined from a higher side near the sheet bundle provider to a lower side farther from the sheet bundle provider than the higher side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shoichi Dobashi, Yasunobu Terao
  • Patent number: 7954796
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus of the invention includes a folding mechanism that includes paired folding rollers, presses a sheet to a nip portion of the paired folding rollers from a direction orthogonal to a transport direction, and folds the sheet by rotating the paired folding rollers. Further, there are provided a drive motor capable of making positive rotation and reverse rotation, a variable speed mechanism to convert a rotation force of the drive motor into a rotation output in a single direction and with a low speed or a high speed by changing a rotation direction of the drive motor, a transmission mechanism to transmit the rotation output in the single direction to the paired folding rollers, and a control unit to control the rotation direction of the drive motor and to change the rotation speed of the paired folding rollers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Katsuya Sasahara
  • Patent number: 7954795
    Abstract: A post-processing unit of an image forming apparatus includes a vertical conveying path and a horizontal conveying path. A stapling mechanism and a folding mechanism are arranged in the horizontal conveying path. When saddle processing is carried out, paper sheets sent into the horizontal conveying path are struck against a trailing end stopper and, after the number of sheets to be bound is accumulated, the center of the paper sheets is stapled and folded double. A movable tray projected to the outside of a housing is provided at a terminal end of the horizontal conveying path. The movable tray functions as a tray for discharging paper sheets that pass through a saddle stitcher and also functions as a supporting member that supports a leading end side of the paper sheets at the time of the saddle processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshiaki Oshiro
  • Patent number: 7950641
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Naohiro Kikkawa, Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Makoto Hidaka, Hitoshi Hattori, Takashi Saito, Junichi Tokita, Akira Kunieda, Atsushi Kuriyama, Hiroshi Maeda, Ichiro Ichihashi
  • Patent number: 7950646
    Abstract: For determining a setting of an apparatus for folding documents to be inserted into windowed envelopes, a tentative folding setting is determined. Then, an overlay image representing the envelope and at least a portion of a side of the folded document that would be visible through the envelope window after folding of the specimen of the documents in accordance with the tentative folding setting and insertion of the folded specimen into the envelope is displayed. If the overlay image is not satisfactory, another tentative folding setting is inputted and an accordingly changed overlay image is generated. If the overlay image is satisfactory, the current tentative folding setting is selected as the folding setting to be applied for folding documents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Neopost Technologies
    Inventors: Rene Scheltes, Jan Jacobus Peter Remijnse
  • Patent number: 7950644
    Abstract: A sheet finisher of the invention includes a saddle stitch unit configured to stitch a center of a sheet bundle in which printed sheets are bundled, a fold unit configured to fold the center stitched by the saddle stitch unit and to form a fold line, and a fold reinforcing unit configured to reinforce the fold line formed by the fold unit, the fold reinforcing unit includes a roller unit that includes a reinforce roller with a structure for preventing an occurrence of a wrinkle, and moves along a direction of the fold line while applying pressure by the reinforce roller to the fold line of the sheet bundle transported from the fold unit, and a drive unit configured to move the roller unit along the direction of the fold line from a standby position located at a position separate from an end of the sheet bundle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Katsuya Sasahara, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Katsuhiko Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7950642
    Abstract: A sheet finishing apparatus including a finishing unit configured to perform finishing on a sheet conveyed from an image forming apparatus, a sensor group including device sensors that are operated by a power source voltage supplied from the image forming apparatus and detect states of a plurality of devices in the sheet finishing unit, and sheet sensors that are for detecting the sheet in the finishing unit, and a control unit to control the plurality of devices in response to detection results of the sensor group. While a first finishing is being executed in the finishing unit, the control unit keeps the sheet sensor in an operable state, stops execution of another finishing, and stops operation of the device sensor for the another finishing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Taki, Mikio Yamamoto, Shinichiro Mano, Toshiaki Oshiro
  • Patent number: 7946564
    Abstract: There is provided a technique in which in a case where a sheet folding process or a staple process is performed, even in the case where the size precision of a sheet used is not satisfactory, the high-precision staple process and folding process can be performed to the sheet. In a sheet processing method of a sheet processing apparatus to perform a specified process to a sheet, a relatively moved sheet is detected, the size of the sheet is calculated based on the detection result, and a position where the specified process is performed to a bundle of sheets as an object of the specified process is adjusted based on the calculated sheet size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Chiaki Iizuka, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Shinichiro Mano
  • Patent number: 7946568
    Abstract: A saddle stitching portion which can bind the center portion in the conveying direction of a sheet bundle by a stapler and fold it by a pair of folding rollers and a pushout member, includes an end stopper which receives the downstream end of a sheet conveyed by a first conveying roller in a first receiving position on the downstream of the first conveying roller by a length not buckling the sheet on the downstream of the stapler or the downstream end of the sheet conveyed by a second conveying roller in a second receiving position on the downstream of the second conveying roller by the length on the further downstream, wherein the receiving position of the downstream end stopper is selected according to the length in the conveying direction of the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Hayashi, Daisaku Kamiya
  • Patent number: 7946563
    Abstract: A post-processing apparatus for transferring sheets from a sheet carry-in port to a first post-processing section and a second post-processing section to execute post-processing such as stapling and sheet folding on the sheets, includes a sheet carry-in path located in a substantially horizontal direction. The sheets fed to the carry-in port are sequentially transferred to a predetermined sheet discharging port. A first switchback conveying path branches off from the sheet carry-in path so as to reverse a sheet conveying direction. The first post-processing section connected to the first switchback conveying path executes the post-processing on the sheets. A second switchback conveying path branching off from between the carry-in port and sheet discharging port of the sheet carry-in path is upstream of the first switchback conveying path so as to reverse the sheet conveying direction. The second post-processing section is located downstream of the second switchback conveying path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Eiji Fukasawa, Ichitaro Kubota, Kenichi Matsuno
  • Patent number: 7946569
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limted
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Makoto Hidaka, Hitoshi Hattori, Shohichi Satoh, Akira Kunieda, Hiroshi Maeda, Tomoichi Nomura, Ichiro Ichihashi
  • Patent number: 7942396
    Abstract: A sheet finisher of the invention includes a saddle stitch unit configured to stitch a center of a sheet bundle in which printed sheets are bundled, a fold unit configured to fold the center stitched by the saddle stitch unit and to form a fold line, and a fold reinforcing unit configured to reinforce the fold line formed by the fold unit, the fold reinforcing unit includes a roller unit that includes a first roller and a second roller, nips the fold line of the sheet bundle transported from the fold unit between the first roller and the second roller, and moves along a direction of the fold line while pressing, and a drive unit configured to move the roller unit along the direction of the fold line from a standby position located at a position separate from an end of the sheet bundle, and the first roller and the second roller are separate from each other at the standby position, and approach each other to nip the fold line in a region where the fold line of the sheet bundle exists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Katsuya Sasahara, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Katsuhiko Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7938388
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a folding apparatus which folds a sheet bundle, a switching portion which switches a nipping pressure of the folding apparatus against the sheet bundle, and a flattening apparatus which presses and flattens a folded-back portion of the folded sheet bundle. The switching portion operates such that the nipping pressure of the folding apparatus against the sheet bundle when the flattening processing is executed becomes weaker than that of the folding apparatus when the flattening processing is not executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takayuki Fujii, Manabu Yamauchi, Shunsuke Nishimura, Toshiyuki Miyake, Hidenori Matsumoto, Yushi Oka
  • Patent number: 7931259
    Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus includes a sheet supporting member which has an inclined surface to support a stack of sheets, a sheet position adjuster which adjusts a position of the stack of sheets along the inclined surface, a sheet pressing unit which presses the stack of sheets from a lower side of the stack of sheets to an upper side of the stack of sheet, and a folding unit which folds the stack of sheets pressed by the sheet pressing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Taguchi, Yasunobu Terao, Shinichiro Mano, Takahiro Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 7926798
    Abstract: A saddle-stitched brochure comprising a collated sheet stack (P1 to P3) folded in two at its center portion and stitched with wire at least two positions spaced from each other on the folding line (1a), characterized in that a small printed material (2, 2a) is arranged between the adjacent sheets (P2, P3) of the sheet stack (P1 to P3) and inserted between the adjacent stitched portions (3, 3) on the folding line (1a) and folded along the folding line (1a) together with the sheet stack (P1 to P3) so as to be held in the brochures (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Horizon International Inc.
    Inventors: Yasuo Taketsugu, Hisahiro Hirayama
  • Patent number: 7926799
    Abstract: In a sheet post-processing apparatus that folds a sheet bundle, a folding roller drive motor that drives folding rollers is PWM driven such that its speed is varied in each control during the period until a blade contacts the sheet bundle, during the period when the sheet bundle is conveyed to a discharge port, during discharge operation, and during return of the motor to its home position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Ken Iguchi
  • Patent number: 7926800
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes an aligning member configured to align an end of a bundle of sheets including a folded sheet by engaging with the edge of the bundle of sheets, and a sheet processing unit configured to process the bundle of sheets having the end aligned by the aligning member. The end of the bundle of sheets engaged with the aligning member is opposite to a folded portion of the folded sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Atsuteru Oikawa, Kenichi Hayashi, Kenichi Tamura, Takashi Sugiura, Hitoshi Kato, Wataru Kawata, Keiko Fujita, Youichi Chikugo
  • Patent number: 7922162
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus staples a bundle of sheets, folds the sheets into two to make a book, and presses the folded sheets. A stitch bookbinding unit moves a press unit having press rollers and, a press holder, and the like constituting a creasing unit along the fold of a bundle of sheets subjected to the folding process by the press rollers and so as to reliably nip-press the fold by the nip between the moving press rollers and for pressing it. The press holder performs intermittent movement in which it is stopped during movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Daisaku Kamiya
  • Patent number: 7922161
    Abstract: A sheet finisher of the invention includes a saddle stitch unit configured to stitch a center of a sheet bundle, in which printed sheets are bundled, with a staple, a fold unit configured to fold the center stitched by the saddle stitch unit and to form a fold line, and a fold reinforcing unit configured to reinforce the fold line formed by the fold unit, the fold reinforcing unit includes a roller unit that includes a reinforce roller and moves along a direction of the fold line while applying pressure by the reinforce roller to the fold line of the sheet bundle transported from the fold unit, a drive unit configured to move the roller unit along the direction of the fold line, and a control unit configured to control a movement speed of the roller unit, and the control unit causes the roller unit to move at a first speed in an outside of a specified range including the edge of the staple, and causes the roller unit to move at a second speed not higher than the first speed in the specified range including th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Katsuya Sasahara, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Katsuhiko Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7922160
    Abstract: A sheet finisher of the invention includes a saddle stitch unit configured to stitch a center of a sheet bundle in which printed sheets are bundled, a fold unit configured to fold the center stitched by the saddle stitch unit and to form a fold line, and a fold reinforcing unit configured to reinforce the fold line formed by the fold unit, and the fold reinforcing unit includes a placement table on which the sheet bundle transported from the fold unit is placed, a band-like elastic member that is extended to face the fold line of the placed sheet bundle and is formed to be longer than the length of the fold line, and a roller unit that includes a reinforce roller and moves the reinforce roller along the direction of the fold line while pressing it to the fold line through the intervening elastic member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Katsuya Sasahara, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Katsuhiko Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7918442
    Abstract: A bookmaking apparatus includes a first path to convey a sheet bundle, a second path intersecting the first path to convey a cover sheet, a joining stage disposed at an intersection of the first path and the second path, a gripping conveyance device arranged for gripping and conveying the sheet bundle along the first path, an adhesive application device for applying adhesive to a bottom side edge of the sheet bundle, a backup member arranged to support the cover sheet at the joining stage, and a folding conveyance device for folding and conveying the cover sheet and sheet bundle. After the cover sheet and the sheet bundle are adhered together and before the backup member retracts from the first path to a position outside the first path, the gripping conveyance device is retracted to separate a bottom edge of the sheet bundle from the backup member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Keiichi Nagasawa, Akihiko Tsukui, Katsumasa Takagi, Hiroshi Nakagomi
  • Patent number: 7918441
    Abstract: A sheet finisher of the invention includes: a fold unit that forms a fold line with a fold rollers; a roller unit that moves a first roller and a second roller along the fold line while pressing the fold line; a drive unit that moves the roller unit along the fold line from a standby position separate from an end of the sheet bundle; a drive motor that separates the first and the second rollers in a thickness direction at the standby position; and a nipping unit that places the sheet bundle on a first nip plate, and nips it by the first and the second nip plates. Both positions of the nip of the fold rollers and a nip of the first and second rollers are disposed to be substantially coincident with a position on an imaginary plane extending from a surface of the first nip plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Katsuya Sasahara, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Katsuhiko Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7913988
    Abstract: A crease forming apparatus includes a crease forming member, an insertion groove and a drive unit. The crease forming member extends along a given line of a recording member for forming the crease in the given line. The insertion groove is formed in a portion disposed opposed to the crease forming member and that allows insertion of the crease forming member thereinto. The drive unit drives the crease forming member in such a manner that the crease forming member advances and retreats between a wait position and a crease forming position, and that inserts the crease forming member situated at the wait position into the insertion groove up to the crease forming position against a holding force to the recording member in such a manner that a peripheral portion of the given line of the recording member is set along the crease forming member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Awano
  • Patent number: 7909316
    Abstract: A sheet folding apparatus includes: a fold roller pair which forms a nipping portion and inserts the center of a sheet bundle into the nipping portion to form a fold in the sheet bundle; a folding blade which moves from a standby position and presses the center of the sheet bundle against the nipping portion when the fold is formed, and returns to the standby position after the pressing of the nipping portion is completed; and a protection member which prevents an access to a front edge of the folding blade in a longitudinal direction of the front edge when the folding blade is located at the standby position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Takahiro Kawaguchi
  • Patent number: 7905473
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Masahiro Tamura, Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Shuuya Nagasako, Naohiro Kikkawa, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Makoto Hidaka, Junichi Tokita, Takashi Saito, Hitoshi Hattori, Akira Kunieda, Hiroshi Maeda, Ichiro Ichihashi, Atsushi Kuriyama
  • Patent number: 7905474
    Abstract: A sheet finisher of the invention includes a fold reinforcing unit that reinforces the fold line. The fold reinforcing unit includes a roller unit, a drive unit that has a single motor and moves the roller unit along the direction of the fold line from a standby position; and a nip unit. The nip unit includes a first nip plate and a second nip plate. The first nip plate and the second nip plate are opened in a thickness direction of the sheet bundle when the roller unit is located at the standby position, and are closed to nip the sheet bundle when the roller unit reinforces the fold line after the sheet bundle is transported to between the first and the second nip plate. The second nip plate is driven to be opened and closed in the thickness direction of the sheet bundle by the single motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Ken Iguchi, Katsuya Sasahara, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Hiroyuki Taguchi, Katsuhiko Tsuchiya
  • Patent number: 7896328
    Abstract: A postprocessing unit of a postprocessing device performs a postprocess including a preset folding process at a set folding position, with respect to recording sheets. A setting unit of the postprocessing device sets an adjustment amount of the folding position on the basis of a target value of the folding position, a measured value of the folding position after the folding process, and sheet quality information of the recording sheets. An adjusting unit of the postprocessing device adjusts the folding position of the postprocessing unit on the basis of the adjustment amount set by the setting unit. An adjustment control unit of the postprocessing device controls the adjustment by the adjusting unit on the basis of the adjustment amount set by the setting unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2011
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Michihiro Kawamura, Kenji Kawana, Takashi Aoki, Daisuke Nagasaka, Kazuhisa Makita
  • Publication number: 20110037215
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus staples a bundle of sheets, folds the sheets into two to make a book, and presses the folded sheets. A stitch bookbinding unit moves a press unit having press rollers and, a press holder, and the like constituting a creasing unit along the fold of a bundle of sheets subjected to the folding process by the press rollers and so as to reliably nip-press the fold by the nip between the moving press rollers and for pressing it. The press holder performs intermittent movement in which it is stopped during movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2010
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: DAISAKU KAMIYA
  • Publication number: 20110031673
    Abstract: A sheet finishing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a main body to fold a sheet bundle and to form a booklet, a base plate which is inclined downward and extends from a side wall of the main body and stacks plural booklets successively discharged from an outlet provided in the side wall, an upper arm which is provided above the base plate and substantially in parallel to a stacking surface of the base plate and a base end of which is rotatably supported at an upper part of the outlet of the side wall, a fore arm which extends from a front end of the upper arm to the stacking surface to be substantially perpendicular to the base plate and receives a leading edge of the booklet stacked on the base plate, and an alignment roller which is provided at the front end of the upper arm, presses an upper surface of the booklet stacked on the base plate and rotates in a direction of urging the booklet to the fore arm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2010
    Publication date: February 10, 2011
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Yoshiaki SUGIZAKI