Sheet post-process apparatus

• US 20060066029A1
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Taki, Hiroyuki, Yamamoto, Mikio, Yamamoto, Hajime, Sugizaki, Yoshiaki, Terao, Yasunobu
• Granted Patent: US 7,172,187 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 270/58.110
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 37/04 for securing together articles or webs, e.g. by adhesive, stitching or stapling adhering replacement to expiring web during change of web roll B65H19/18

Abstract

A waiting tray is provided in a sheet-conveying path and holds sheets if the sheets need to be post-processed. A processing tray receives sheets conveyed from the waiting tray. It may receive sheets conveyed through the sheet-conveying path and coming not via the waiting tray, before the sheets are post-processed. A conveying mechanism is provided, which causes the sheets to fall, due to gravity, from the waiting tray onto a processing tray. A sheet-aligning mechanism aligns the sheets on the processing tray, at their transverse edges and longitudinal edges. On the processing tray, the sheets are post-processed, forming a bundle. The conveying mechanism conveys the bundle of sheets to a storage tray. A control mechanism controls the speed of sheet-feeding rollers provided at upstream of the waiting tray, thereby to the place sheets at a preset position on the waiting tray.

Claims

1. A sheet post-process apparatus comprising:

a plurality of rollers which receive sheets from an MFP and convey the sheets forward;

a waiting tray which is provided in a conveying path and holds the sheets conveyed from the rollers when the sheets need to be post-processed;

a control mechanism which controls a speed of sheet-feeding rollers included in the plurality of rollers and provided at upstream of the waiting tray, thereby to place sheets at a preset position on the waiting tray;

a processing tray which holds the sheets conveyed from the waiting tray and the sheets conveyed via the conveying path without being conveyed to the waiting tray, before the sheets are post-processed;

a conveying mechanism which causes the sheets to fall, due to gravity, from the waiting tray onto the processing tray;

a sheet-aligning mechanism which aligns the sheets with one another on the processing tray, at transverse edge and longitudinal edge, thereby forming a bundle of sheets;

a post-process mechanism which performs a post-process on the bundle of sheets on the processing tray;

sheet-conveying means for conveying the bundle of sheets from the processing tray; and

a storage tray which holds the bundle of sheets conveyed from the processing tray.

2. The sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control mechanism comprises:

first detecting means for detecting sheet information supplied from the MFP;

second detecting means provided between the first detecting means and the waiting tray, for detecting a leading edge of a sheet; and

control means for generating a control signal for controlling a speed of the sheet-feeding rollers, from the sheet information and the leading edge detected by the first and second detecting means, respectively.

3. The sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control mechanism controls the speed of sheet-feeding rollers in accordance with job information supplied from the MFP.

4. The sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control mechanism controls the speed of the sheet-feeding rollers in accordance with information representing a size of the sheets.

5. The sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control mechanism controls the speed of the sheet-feeding rollers in accordance with information representing a thickness of the sheets.

6. A sheet post-process apparatus comprising:

first means for receiving sheets from an MFP and conveying the sheets forward;

second means provided a conveying path, for holding the sheets conveyed from the rollers when the sheets need to be post-processed;

third means for controlling a speed of sheet-feeding rollers included in the first means and provided at upstream of the second means, thereby to place sheets at a preset position on the second means;

fourth means for holding the sheets conveyed from the second means and the sheets conveyed via the conveying path without being conveyed to the second means, before the sheets are post-processed;

fifth means for causing the sheets to fall, due to gravity, from the second means onto the fourth means;

sixth means for aligning the sheets with one another on the fourth means, at transverse edge and longitudinal edge, thereby forming a bundle of sheets;

seventh means for performing a post-process on the bundle of sheets on the fourth means;

eighth means for conveying the bundle of sheets from the fourth means; and

ninth means for holding the bundle of sheets conveyed from the fourth means.

7. The sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the third means comprises:

first detecting means for detecting sheet information supplied from the MFP;

second detecting means provided between the first detecting means and the second means, for detecting a leading edge of a sheet; and

control means for generating a control signal for controlling a speed of the sheet-feeding rollers, from the sheet information and the leading edge detected by the first and second detecting means, respectively.

8. The sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the third means controls the speed of sheet-feeding rollers in accordance with job information supplied from the MFP.

9. The sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the third means controls the speed of the sheet-feeding rollers in accordance with information representing a size of the sheets.

10. The sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the third means controls the speed of the sheet-feeding rollers in accordance with information representing a thickness of the sheets.