With Edge Aligner Patents (Class 270/58.16)
  • Patent number: 11358825
    Abstract: A post-processing apparatus includes a binding device, a closing device, a driver, and a changeover switch. The binding device binds a sheet bundle. The closing device closes an entrance to a binding position at which the binding device binds the sheet bundle. The driver moves the closing device to a closing position to close the entrance. The switch performs switching to implement a state in which the binding device is able to bind the sheet bundle when the closing device moves to the closing position. The closing device includes an avoidance operation portion to move to the closing position to operate the switch, and a drive coupler coupled to the avoidance operation portion to move the avoidance operation portion to the closing position. A coupling state between the avoidance operation portion and the drive coupler is released when movement of the avoidance operation portion to the closing position is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Nagayasu Yoshida, Akihiro Tsuno
  • Patent number: 9016681
    Abstract: To provide a sheet storage apparatus for enabling sheets that are carried out of an image formation apparatus or the like on the upstream side to be loaded and stored in a predetermined position with a correct posture neatly at high speed, a sheet discharge roller and a reverse roller spaced a distance are disposed in a sheet discharge outlet and a tray, a kick member is provided to be swingable in a vertical direction passing a sheet discharge path of a sheet discharged from the sheet discharge outlet, and a posture of the kick member is controlled by shift means. The shift means controls the kick member among a waiting posture retracted upward from the sheet discharge path, an engagement posture for imposing a load on the sheet to engage, and an actuation posture dropping onto the tray together with the sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Mizubata, Naoya Nakayama, Daiki Komiyama, Hisashi Osada, Kenji Yoshida, Eiji Fukasawa
  • Patent number: 9010743
    Abstract: When information about weight of a sheet indicates weight less than a predetermined weight, a sheet stacking apparatus configured to align sheets to be stacked on a stacking tray discharges the sheet onto the stacking tray while overlapping the sheet with another sheet by an overlapping unit, and, when the information about the weight of the sheet indicates weight not less than the predetermined weight, the sheet stacking apparatus discharges the sheet onto the stacking tray without overlapping the sheet with another sheet by the overlapping unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyake, Mitsuhiko Sato, Shunsuke Nishimura, Takashi Yokoya, Hiromasa Maenishi, Yutaka Ando, Nozomi Kumakura, Akihiro Arai
  • Patent number: 8794617
    Abstract: A finisher is provided with a transport paddle and a control portion. The transport paddle freely moves to a first position where the transport paddle is on standby while protruding above a lower stack tray, a second position where the transport paddle sandwiches the sheet in between and, at the same time, is transported to abut the sheet against the abutment portion, and a third position where the transport paddle retracts in a finisher body 400. The control portion makes the transport paddle be on standby at the first position at least at the start of a job, moves the transport paddle between the first position and the second position for each discharge of the sheet by the bundle discharge roller pair, and moves the transport paddle to the third position after termination of the alignment processing for a last sheet of the job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Naoto Tokuma
  • Patent number: 8720880
    Abstract: A post-processing device includes a transport section transporting a sheet; a load section loading the sheet thereon; a first aligner moving the sheet while being in contact with a surface thereof to align the sheet; a second aligner moving the sheet while being in contact with an edge thereof to align the sheet; an alignment controller controlling the aligners to align the sheet based on a first mode in which they simultaneously align the sheet, and based on a second mode, for every predetermined number of sheets, in which one aligner aligns the sheet after the other aligner completes the alignment process; and a transport controller causing the transport section to transport the sheet at a reduced speed for every predetermined number of sheets so that the sheet reaches the load section after completion of the second-mode alignment process performed after a previous sheet is loaded on the load section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroaki Awano
  • Patent number: 8714538
    Abstract: When information about weight of a sheet indicates weight less than a predetermined weight, a sheet stacking apparatus configured to align sheets to be stacked on a stacking tray discharges the sheet onto the stacking tray while overlapping the sheet with another sheet by an overlapping unit, and, when the information about the weight of the sheet indicates weight not less than the predetermined weight, the sheet stacking apparatus discharges the sheet onto the stacking tray without overlapping the sheet with another sheet by the overlapping unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Toshiyuki Miyake, Mitsuhiko Sato, Shunsuke Nishimura, Takashi Yokoya, Hiromasa Maenishi, Yutaka Ando, Nozomi Kumakura, Akihiro Arai
  • Patent number: 8708325
    Abstract: Disclosed is a paper clamping apparatus for an office machine adapted to clamp a paper bundle outputted from the office machine while the paper bundle is being moved. A movable body adapted to move along a shaft by means of belt driving is included; a shaft holder connected to an end of the shaft at an end of the movable body and adapted to move along the shaft by means of a movement of the movable body; a base connected to the shaft at the other end of the movable body and adapted to move along the shaft by means of a movement of the movable body; and a clamp member adapted to operate so that, when the movable body moves, the paper bundle is clamped or released by means of link driving.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Assignee: Sindoh Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: In Su Hwang, Jung Hwan Yoon
  • Patent number: 8672313
    Abstract: A sheet processing device for stacking one or more sheets temporarily on a stacking unit, and stapling the sheets by a stapling unit after aligned by an alignment unit. The device includes a shift unit that shifts the sheet in both a sheet conveying direction and a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction, and a control unit that controls a shift amount of the shift unit so that an alignment distance of a width direction alignment unit to align the sheet in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction is constant regardless of a staple position and a sheet size, when stacking the sheets on the stacking unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2014
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventor: Kentaroh Fukami
  • Patent number: 8585033
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a guide portion, a command input unit, a post-processing unit, and a guide controller. The guide portion guides a sheet bundle including the sheet carried from a carry-in portion to the processing position. The command input unit that accepts input of a manual execution command. The post-processing unit performs a predetermined post-process on the sheet bundle disposed at the processing position based on the manual execution command input through the command input unit. The guide controller is connected to the image forming apparatus in a signal-receivable manner to receive sheet size information in an image formation period of the image forming apparatus and to control driving of the guide portion to change a guide size based on the received sheet size information so as to match the guide size with sheet bundles having different sheet sizes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Kyocera Document Solutions Inc.
    Inventor: Ryuichi Ishizu
  • Patent number: 8540229
    Abstract: The alignment unit includes: an upstream-side pressing portion that presses a side edge of the sheet; and a downstream-side pressing portion that presses the side edge of the sheet. The downstream-side pressing portion includes: a first pressing portion that is arranged downstream of the center of gravity of a predetermined-size sheet and upstream of the downstream edge of the predetermined-size sheet and that presses the predetermined-size sheet; and a second pressing portion that is arranged downstream of the downstream edge of the predetermined-size sheet and downstream of the center of gravity of a large-size sheet having twice or more than twice the length of the predetermined-size sheet and that presses the large-size sheet. The second pressing portion is formed to protrude further toward the center side in the width direction than the first pressing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroharu Tsuji
  • Patent number: 8251362
    Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus, including: a stacking section which stacks sheets; a sorting section which changes an ejecting position of the sheet in the stacking device to sort the sheets; an aligning section which aligns the sheet sorted by the sorting section and ejected onto the stacking section; a shifting section which shifts the aligning section based on the ejecting position changed by the sorting section in the stacking section; and a control section which controls at least the aligning section and the shifting section; wherein when the number of sheets as a sheet unit to be sorted by the sorting section is plural, the control section controls the aligning section to align the sheets as the sheet unit, and when the number of sheets is singular, the control section controls at least the aligning section and shifting section not to align the single sheet in the sheet unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Konishi
  • Patent number: 8251361
    Abstract: In a sheet processing apparatus that, for example, sorts or staples sheets after image formation, when preceding finishing is not completed on a processing tray, a third sheet fed anew into awaiting tray of a sheet placing member configuring a sheet waiting unit, which temporarily puts a sheet conveyed thereto on standby, is stacked to be shifted such that leading ends of second and third sheets are located further on a conveying direction upstream side than a leading end of a first sheet. Consequently, longitudinal alignment in the processing tray after that is surely performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Taki, Yasunobu Terao, Toshiaki Oshiro, Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Mikio Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8223378
    Abstract: A printing system capable of increasing the working efficiency of an operator engaged in a post-process necessary after printing can be provided. For this purpose, the user interface unit can execute a display which allows the operator to explicitly input, for each job, instruction information in consideration of a post-process necessary after a printing process in a job requiring a printing process by a printing apparatus in a printing system capable of stacking, on a stacking unit, printed materials having undergone the printing process. When the job to be processed is a job for which the operator inputs the instruction information via the display, printed materials of the job for which the operator inputs the instruction information are stacked on the stacking unit while the printed materials are classified every printed materials on the basis of the instruction information input by the operator for the job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyuki Okada, Kazuhiko Ushiyama
  • Publication number: 20120146279
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes a pair of first aligning members movable in a sheet conveyance direction and a sheet width direction, a pair of second aligning members to align lateral sides of a bundle of sheets, a stapler movable in the sheet width direction to staple a trailing end portion of the bundle, a driving unit to move the first aligning members, and a controller. The first aligning members include a stack portion to contact and support a trailing edge of the bundle. When the stapler staples the bundle at two positions symmetrically relative to a center position in the sheet width direction, the controller selects either first positions inside the two stapled positions or second positions outside the two stapled positions in accordance with multiple stapling-related variables, and the first aligning members are set at the selected positions to align the trailing edge of the bundle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Publication date: June 14, 2012
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Furuhashi, Keisuke Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 8196915
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a staple tray on which sheets are stacked temporarily and stapled after being aligned together and from which the stapled sheets are discharged to a discharge tray; a discharger to discharge the sheets to the staple tray; a rear end reference against which rear ends of the sheets are abutted to be aligned together; a returner to return the sheets discharged by the discharger and to align the sheets together in a conveying direction based on the rear end reference fence; a lifter to lift and lower the returner with respect to a sheet; and a guide configured to guide the sheets toward the rear end reference fence when the sheets are returned and to be lifted and lowered in synchronization with the lifting and lowering by the lifter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takeshi Hirabayashi, Shigefumi Soga, Terumitsu Azuma, Kentaro Fukami, Shinji Tanoue, Hiroki Yoshida, Toshikazu Satoh, Daishi Watanabe, Kazumasa Takeuchi
  • Patent number: 8162307
    Abstract: In a sheet processing apparatus that, for example, sorts or staples sheets after image formation, when preceding finishing is not completed on a processing tray, a third sheet fed anew into a waiting tray of a sheet placing member configuring a sheet waiting unit, which temporarily puts a sheet conveyed thereto on standby, is stacked to be shifted such that leading ends of second and third sheets are located further on a conveying direction upstream side than a leading end of a first sheet. Consequently, longitudinal alignment in the processing tray after that is surely performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Taki, Yasunobu Terao, Toshiaki Oshiro, Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Mikio Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 8162306
    Abstract: A sheet aligning apparatus includes an alignment surface formed in a planar shape and that presses an end of a sheet to move and align the sheet; and a holding unit that holds the end of the sheet at a position contacting the alignment surface in a state that a curled end of the sheet contacts the alignment surface and the sheet is thus pressed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Limited
    Inventors: Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Masahiro Tamura, Shuuya Nagasako, Naohiro Kikkawa, Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Tomohiro Furuhashi, Hitoshi Hattori, Junichi Tokita, Takashi Saito, Akira Kunieda, Ichiro Ichihashi, Atsushi Kuriyama, Hiroshi Maeda
  • Patent number: 8136807
    Abstract: In a sheet aligning apparatus, a pair of sheet aligning members stops at three positions such that when a sheet aligning operation is not conducted, the pair of sheet aligning members is stopped at the first position of an upper level so as not to come in contact with sheets discharged from a discharging section, when the sorting section shifts for sorting, the pair of sheet aligning members is stopped at the second position of a middle level lower than the first position so as not to come in contact with sheets stacked on the tray, and when a sheet aligning operation is conducted, the pair of sheet aligning members is stopped at the third position of a lower level so as to come in contact with the top surface of the tray or the upper surface of the sheets stacked on the tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Masaaki Uchiyama, Hitoshi Tamura, Hiroyuki Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 8104758
    Abstract: A sheet finisher includes: a stacking section having a stacking surface arranged to be tilted, and a stopper located below the stacking surface; a sheet finishing section which post-processes for a sheet bundle that hits the stopper and is stacked on the stacking section; a conveying section which sends two sheets to the stacking section under the condition that the two sheets are shifted each other in a conveyance direction and are superimposed; an input section in which sheet type information is inputted; and a controller which adjusts a shift amount between the two sheets so that the sheet on a lower side precedes toward the stopper by a prescribed amount, when a conveyance condition of the conveyance section is changed based on the inputted sheet type information inputted, and the two sheets are conveyed to the stacking section with the two sheets superimposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Yu Tanaka, Hiroyuki Wakabayashi, Masaaki Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 8083227
    Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a sheet alignment apparatus that is excellent in alignment properties in the conveyance direction and operates stably without being affected by various conditions, and a sheet post-processing apparatus having therein the sheet alignment apparatus. Alignment members are constructed so that alignment surfaces of the alignment members arranged to be in a form where a distance between the alignment surfaces grows greater toward the downstream side, or the direction of movement of the alignment member is made to be an oblique direction pointing to the stopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2011
    Assignee: Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Tsuyoshi Mizubata, Hisao Hosoya, Satoru Shimizu, Tsuyoshi Shiokawa
  • Patent number: 7980544
    Abstract: A sheet hold flap 18 is arranged on an upper side of a vicinity of a rear end portion of a sheet table 7 to which a sheet is continuously supplied from a copier or the like. The sheet hold flap is switched to an upper initial position and a sheet holding position by a solenoid 17. There is carried out a control of holding a rear end portion of a sheet P by driving the sheet hold flap to the sheet holding position after taking in a sheet to the sheet table and returning the sheet hold flap to the initial position to escape from a sheet path in taking in a successive sheet. Sheet jamming by floating up the sheet is prevented by holding a sheet on the sheet table until immediately before taking in the successive sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2011
    Assignee: Max Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuaki Baba, Atsushi Kurabayashi, Toru Yoshie
  • Patent number: 7976004
    Abstract: A finishing device with an output unit that outputs a recorded sheet on which an image is recorded, a sheet stacker that receives the recorded sheet from the output unit and on which the recorded sheet is stacked, and a reference surface against which the recorded sheet on the sheet stacker is aligned. A binding unit binds a bundle of the recorded sheets aligned against the reference surface and a sheet pressing member presses an end portion of the recorded sheet toward the sheet stacker. The end portion is closer to the reference surface, and a first moving and pressing unit moves the recorded sheet toward the reference surface while the sheet pressing member presses the end portion of the recorded sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masatoshi Kimura
  • Patent number: 7942407
    Abstract: The invention provides a sheet processing apparatus in which a controller transports a sheet, delivered to a process tray, by a predetermined distance by a transport member for contacting a stopper, and selects the distance according to a friction on the lower surface of the sheet by detecting at least either of stack information on the process tray and sheet information of the sheet transported by the transport member, thus selecting the distance larger for a larger frictional force.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Finetech Inc.
    Inventors: Osamu Someya, Naoyasu Funada
  • Patent number: 7933035
    Abstract: A printing system capable of increasing the working efficiency of an operator engaged in a post-process necessary after printing can be provided. For this purpose, the user interface unit can execute a display which allows the operator to explicitly input, for each job, instruction information in consideration of a post-process necessary after a printing process in a job requiring a printing process by a printing apparatus in a printing system capable of stacking, on a stacking unit, printed materials having undergone the printing process. When the job to be processed is a job for which the operator inputs the instruction information via the display, printed materials of the job for which the operator inputs the instruction information are stacked on the stacking unit while the printed materials are classified every printed materials on the basis of the instruction information input by the operator for the job.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideyuki Okada, Kazuhiko Ushiyama
  • Patent number: 7874553
    Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet stacking apparatus which has a pair of lower discharge rollers which discharges a sheet, a processing tray which stacks the sheet discharged from the pair of lower discharge rollers, a trailing end stopper which aligns the trailing end portion in the conveying direction of the sheet bundle stacked on the processing tray, and pull-in paddles which drop the sheet discharged from the pair of lower discharge rollers on the processing tray and conveys the sheet to abut against the trailing end stopper where the pull-in paddles rotate at a first rotating speed so that the sheet discharged from the pair of lower discharge rollers is dropped on the processing tray and the pull-in paddles rotate at a second rotating speed, slower than the first rotating speed, so that the sheet abuts against the trailing end stopper.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2011
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Hideki Kushida, Hitoshi Fujimoto, Toshiyuki Iwata
  • Patent number: 7850161
    Abstract: A pressing member pressed against a sheet stack portion can be moved to both a retracting portion where alignment of the sheet by the aligning portion is not prevented and a pressing position where the aligned sheet S1 is pressed against the sheet stack portion. Moreover, a regulation member for regulating upward movement of the end of the aligned sheet in a conveyance direction can be moved in association with movement of the pressing member to both a retracting portion where alignment of the sheet S1 by the aligning portion is not prevented and a regulating position where upward movement of the end of the aligned sheet S1 in a conveyance direction is regulated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Masayoshi Fukatsu, Atsushi Ogata, Junichi Sekiyama, Hiroharu Tsuji, Kimihiko Nagano
  • Patent number: 7841589
    Abstract: After an image was formed, a position in the width direction of the sheet stacked on a stacking portion is aligned by fixing one of aligning plates which can independently be driven and moving the other aligning plate in one direction. When the image is formed onto the sheet, a side edge of the sheet on the side which is come into contact with the aligning plate on the side fixed as a reference wall upon aligning is used as a reference and the image is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Wataru Kawata
  • Patent number: 7762542
    Abstract: Tray means for stacking sheets, pickup means for separating and for conveying sheets into a single sheet on the tray means, and sheet conveyance means for conveying a sheet separated by the pickup means to a predetermined processing position are provided. Projecting guide means project from a sheet support surface of the tray means into a notched opening of the sheet is provided; and an oblique surface is formed to prevent a trailing side edge of the opening from catching on a leading side edge of the opening of a lower sheet when feeding an uppermost sheet to the projecting guide means. This makes it possible to feed only the uppermost sheet downstream without an opening edge formed in the uppermost sheet from interfering with an opening edge of a lower sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignees: Canon Finetech Inc., Nisca Corporation
    Inventors: Yoichi Tagawa, Takuya Sakamoto, Toshiya Sato
  • Patent number: 7753368
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus comprises: an first stack portion which temporarily stacks a sheet thereon; a first stack portion which is disposed under the first stack portion and stacks thereon a sheet discharged from the first stack portion; a second stack portion which is disposed above the first stack portion and stacks a sheet thereon; a stack reference wall which serves as an abutment reference at an end of the sheet on the second stack portion; and an alignment reference wall which is disposed more upstream in the sheet conveyance direction than the stack reference wall and serves as an abutment reference at an end of the sheet on the first stack portion; wherein the second stack portion has such a length that an end of the sheet stacked on the first stack portion cannot project from the second stack portion, as viewed from above in a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Junichi Sekiyama, Masayoshi Fukatsu, Atsushi Ogata, Hiroharu Tsuji
  • Patent number: 7726639
    Abstract: When a new paper sheet is supplied onto a compiling tray, a sub-paddle holds down paper sheets having already been stacked on the compiling tray until a leading edge of the new paper sheet S touches the stacked paper sheets. Thereafter, the sub-paddle gets apart from the sheets stacked on the compiling tray with timing, with which the rear edge of the new paper sheet falls on the compiling tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Ryuichi Sato
  • Patent number: 7690638
    Abstract: A printing system is configured to be able to use a plurality of types of stacking units. The printing system comprises a first controller configured to execute operations to stack printed material which is printed by a printing unit to a stacking unit such that the printed material is stacked in a state shifted a defined amount as to other printed material stacked on the stacking unit. The printing system further includes a second controller configured to inhibit the operations based on information relating to a specified type of the stacking unit in the plurality of types of stacking units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hiroshi Kikuchi
  • Patent number: 7624975
    Abstract: In a finishing apparatus, as would be used with a printer or copier, sheets to be stapled are accumulated in a compiler tray. A set of pivotably-mounted fingers are pressed, by their own weight, against a top sheet as sheets enter the compiler tray. The mount on which the fingers are mounted can be moved to accommodate a growing stack and maintain a parallel contact between the fingers and the top of the stack. The even distribution of pressure from the fingers avoids curling or buckling of the sheets in the stack prior to stapling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2009
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Robert James Douglas Reeves, Mark Sparano, Giovanni Forte, Martyn Mitchell
  • Patent number: 7607652
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus has: a plurality of conveying paths which convey sheets; and front and back aligning members which perform width alignment in the direction which crosses the sheet conveying direction of the sheets conveyed from the conveying paths. Standby positions when the front and back aligning members approach side edges of the sheets from the standby positions and perform the width alignment of the sheets at the width aligning position are made different every sheet on the basis of discharge position information of the sheets to the plurality of conveying paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideki Kushida
  • Patent number: 7552917
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a buffer unit which stores plural supplied sheets with upstream edges in a conveying direction thereof aligned; a processing tray on which sheets discharged from the buffer unit are stacked; and an oscillation roller pair and a return roller which convey the sheet stacked on the processing tray to bring the sheet into abutment against a stopper for receiving the upstream edge of the sheet. The buffer unit is adapted to align the upstream edges of only sheets to be stored before a sheet to be supplied last among the sheets to be stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2009
    Assignees: Canon Finetech Inc., Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Hayashi, Tomokazu Nakamura, Naoto Watanabe, Yusuke Obuchi, Hitoshi Kato, Shunsuke Nishimura, Tetsuya Terada, Yasutaka Iwasa, Daisuke Matsukura, Norio Motoi, Masayoshi Kubo
  • Patent number: 7547009
    Abstract: So as to more effectively prevent each sheet from being caught, a guide member is provided in a region that extends from an intermediate stacking portion to a staple cartridge portion across a stapler portion main body in a binding portion that performs a binding operation on sheets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichirou Isobe, Junichi Sekiyama, Hiroharu Tsuji, Naonori Kayama
  • Patent number: 7490822
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus has: a plurality of conveying paths which convey sheets; and front and back aligning members which perform width alignment in the direction which crosses the sheet conveying direction of the sheets conveyed from the conveying paths. Standby positions when the front and back aligning members approach side edges of the sheets from the standby positions and perform the width alignment of the sheets at the width aligning position are made different every sheet on the basis of discharge position information of the sheets to the plurality of conveying paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideki Kushida
  • Patent number: 7472901
    Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet processing apparatus comprising a sheet holding device capable of storing supplied sheets, a first sheet stacking tray on which sheets are stacked at a downstream side of the sheet holding device in a sheet conveying direction and on which the sheets are subjected to processing, a sheet discharging device for discharging the sheets stacked on the first sheet stacking tray, a second sheet stacking tray on which the sheets discharged by the sheet discharging device are stacked, and a controller for controlling the sheet discharging device and the sheet holding device if sheet jam occurs at an upstream side of the sheet holding device, in such a manner that, after the sheets on the first sheet stacking tray are discharged onto the second sheet stacking tray, the sheets stored in the sheet holding device are discharged onto the first sheet stacking tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2009
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shunsuke Nishimura, Yoshinori Isobe, Masatoshi Yaginuma, Naoto Watanabe, Masahiro Yonenuma
  • Publication number: 20080308991
    Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus includes a stacking tray on which sheets are stacked, an aligning unit that aligns the sheets stacked on the stacking tray, a stapler that staples the sheets aligned by the aligning unit using two members provided on one surface side and the other surface side in a thickness direction of the sheets, first conveying rollers arranged in a position on an upstream side along a conveying direction after stapling of the sheets and in contact with one end of the sheets and driven to rotate after the stapling by the stapler, and second conveying rollers arranged in a position on a downstream side along the conveying direction of the sheets and in contact with the other end of the sheets and driven to rotate at rotation speed different from that of the first conveying rollers after the stapling by the stapler.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2008
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Applicants: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA TEC KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Katsuya Sasahara, Yoshiaki Sugizaki, Katsuhiko Tsuchiya
  • Publication number: 20080164648
    Abstract: A machine that is operable to create a series of holes in at least one sheet of paper includes a base, a punch mechanism positioned on the base, and a tray coupled to the base. The tray includes a first guide and a second guide. The tray is configured to move between a first position and a second position. Movement of the tray between the first position and the second position adjusts a position of the first guide and a position of the second guide relative to the punch mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2008
    Publication date: July 10, 2008
    Applicant: ACCO BRANDS USA LLC
    Inventor: Colin Knight
  • Patent number: 7389980
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus has: a plurality of conveying paths which convey sheets; and front and back aligning members which perform width alignment in the direction which crosses the sheet conveying direction of the sheets conveyed from the conveying paths. Standby positions when the front and back aligning members approach side edges of the sheets from the standby positions and perform the width alignment of the sheets at the width aligning position are made different every sheet on the basis of discharge position information of the sheets to the plurality of conveying paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Hideki Kushida
  • Patent number: 7354034
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus is provided with a processing tray on which sheets are to be stacked and subjected to a processing, a stack tray provided in the downstream of the processing tray with respect to the sheet conveying direction on which sheets are to be stacked, an oscillation roller pair for conveying the sheets stacked on the processing tray to the stack tray, and a trailing edge assist for conveying the sheet stacked on the processing tray toward the stack tray. The sheets stacked on the processing tray are discharged to the stack tray by the oscillation roller pair and the trailing edge assist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignees: Canon Finetech Inc., Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomokazu Nakamura, Yoshinori Isobe, Toshimasa Suzuki, Masatoshi Yaginuma, Masahiro Yonenuma, Atsushi Takada, Norio Motoi
  • Patent number: 7354036
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a buffer unit which stores plural supplied sheets with upstream edges in a conveying direction thereof aligned; a processing tray on which sheets discharged from the buffer unit are stacked; and an oscillation roller pair and a return roller which convey the sheet stacked on the processing tray to bring the sheet into abutment against a stopper for receiving the upstream edge of the sheet. The buffer unit is adapted to align the upstream edges of only sheets to be stored before a sheet to be supplied last among the sheets to be stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Assignees: Canon Finetech Inc., Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Hayashi, Tomokazu Nakamura, Naoto Watanabe, Yusuke Obuchi, Hitoshi Kato, Shunsuke Nishimura, Tetsuya Terada, Yasutaka Iwasa, Daisuke Matsukura, Norio Motoi, Masayoshi Kubo
  • Patent number: 7331573
    Abstract: A sheet treating apparatus for treating a sheet having an image formed thereon is provided, which includes a pair of transport rollers for transporting the sheet upward, a sheet post-treating portion having an intermediate treatment tray, provided to execute post-treatment such as sheet stitching or punching while holding the sheet in a substantially vertical state, and a sheet delivery portion arranged above the sheet post-treating portion. Also, an image forming apparatus is provided, which includes an image reading portion for reading an image, an image forming portion arranged below the image reading portion to form an image on a sheet, a delivery space portion provided in an apparatus housing between the image reading portion and the image forming portion to deliver the sheet, sheet treating portion for treating the sheet while holding it in a substantially vertical state, and an in-body transportation path for transporting the sheet treated by the sheet treating means to the delivery space portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yoshimi Mizuta, Toshimasa Suzuki, Masaaki Inoo, Daisaku Kamiya, Hiromichi Tsujino, Junichi Moteki, Shunsuke Nishimura
  • Patent number: 7328894
    Abstract: A sheet finishing apparatus of the present invention has a gate for taking in sheets of paper ejected from an image forming apparatus through a taking-in port and switching to either of a conveying path for post processing or a conveying path for non-post processing to convey the sheets of paper and a tray attached to the upper part of the sheet finishing apparatus by a link mechanism, and the tray can rotate between the height position for storing sheets of paper and the height position away from the upper part and keeps the angle of inclination thereof constant at either of the height positions, and furthermore, sheets of paper taken in from the taking-in port are clamped and conveyed by a pair of rollers, and one of the pair of rollers is supported by a sheet guidance member, and the sheet guidance member rotates in connection with the link mechanism and can cope with paper jamming, if any.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yasunobu Terao, Tomomi Iijima, Mikio Yamamoto, Takahiro Kawaguchi, Hiroyuki Taki
  • Patent number: 7281708
    Abstract: When the rear end of a sheet bundle S is brought to reach the clamping portion between a rocking roller and a rear end aligning wall by conveyance means, the individual timings, at which the rocking roller and the rear end aligning wall move to the escape position, are controlled to drop said sheet bundle S onto a stack tray, and then the rear end aligning wall is moved from the escape position to the support position thereby to register the rear end of the sheet bundle S dropped on the stack tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 16, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Mitsushige Murata, Hiromichi Tsujino, Yuzo Matsumoto, Takako Hanada
  • Patent number: 7264237
    Abstract: The sheet stacking-aligning apparatus or the sheet processing apparatus includes a substantially horizontal stacking tray, a rear end aligning unit for aligning a rear end of a sheet bundle on the stacking tray, and a control unit for controlling an operation of the rear end aligning unit for aligning the sheet bundle when it is in an upstream position of the stacking tray, and the stacking tray is provided substantially horizontally. It is thus made possible to increase the stacking space, thereby increasing the number of stackable sheets and to achieve the alignment of the rear end of the sheet bundle with a simple configuration, thereby improving the stacking-aligning property of the sheet bundle on the stacking tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Katsuhito Kato, Daisaku Kamiya, Daiju Yoshino
  • Patent number: 7216863
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus, which is configured in a simple construction and at low cost, includes a first sheet stacking portion for temporarily stacking a sheet discharged thereon, an alignment member for aligning the sheet discharged on the first sheet stacking portion, a sheet processing member for performing a predetermined process on the sheet stacked on the first sheet stacking portion, and a second sheet stacking portion located substantially vertically below the first sheet stacking portion. The alignment member acts to cause the aligned sheet to drop to the second sheet stacking portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takashi Kuwata, Yasuyoshi Hayakawa, Kaoru Sato
  • Patent number: 7198261
    Abstract: A sheet stacking apparatus which is capable of reliably sandwiching or catching sheets, and also capable of providing control so as to ensure reliable conveyance of succeeding sheets during the catching operation. A stack tray is provided downstream of a processing tray that stacks sheets. A position on the stacking surface of the stack tray at which the leading end of a sheet having its trailing end passing a discharging section, which discharges sheets toward the processing tray, contacts the stacking surface is lower in level than the highest portion of the processing tray. A swinging arm that discharges the sheets stacked on the processing tray to the stack tray is capable of selectively assuming a catching state in which a sheet discharged to the processing tray is caught by the swinging arm, and a non-catching state in which a sheet discharged to the processing tray is not caught by the swinging arm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuzo Matsumoto, Hiromichi Tsujino, Mitsushige Murata, Takako Hanada
  • Patent number: 7192020
    Abstract: A sheet processing apparatus includes: a buffer unit which stores plural supplied sheets with upstream edges in a conveying direction thereof aligned; a processing tray on which sheets discharged from the buffer unit are stacked; and an oscillation roller pair and a return roller which convey the sheet stacked on the processing tray to bring the sheet into abutment against a stopper for receiving the upstream edge of the sheet. The buffer unit is adapted to align the upstream edges of only sheets to be stored before a sheet to be supplied last among the sheets to be stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignees: Canon Finetech Inc., Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenichi Hayashi, Tomokazu Nakamura, Naoto Watanabe, Yusuke Obuchi, Hitoshi Kato, Shunsuke Nishimura, Tetsuya Terada, Yasutaka Iwasa, Daisuke Matsukura, Norio Motoi, Masayoshi Kubo
  • Patent number: 7055815
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a delivery processing apparatus for delivering a sheet after implementing a prescribed sheet processing upon aligning the sheet, and includes an aligning device for aligning a sheet, a conveying device for conveying the sheet to the aligning device and a bundle delivering device disposed on an upstream side of the aligning device in a sheet conveyance direction for delivering a sheet bundle being done with a sheet processing. The bundle delivering device is able to choose a conveyable state for conveying the sheet upon nipping the sheet and a non-conveyable state for not conveying the sheet, wherein when a first sheet among a plurality of sheets to be conveyed to the aligning device by the conveying device is conveyed the conveyable state is chosen, and wherein when a second or later sheet is conveyed the non-conveyable state is chosen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kaoru Sato, Mitsuhide Takamura