Strike down mechanism for sheet processing device

• US 7,159,860 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasahara, Katsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): MACKEY, PATRICK HEWEY
• Application Number:
  US11/008,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20060066021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 270/58.08, 270/58.11, 270/58.12, 270/58.14, 270/58.16, 270/58.18, 271/189, 271/190, 271/191, 271/192, 399/410
• US Class Current: 270/58.14
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 1/12 Machines for both collating or gathering and permanently attaching together the sheets or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/4222 Squaring-up piles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/422615 from opposite part-support elements, e.g. operated simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/44 Members oscillated in arcuate paths
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/3018 from opposite part-support elements, e.g. operated simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/32 Auxiliary devices for receiving articles during removal of a completed pile

Abstract

A waiting tray is provided at some midpoint of a conveying path, and a sheet is caused to be in a waiting state when a post-process is required. Before performing the post-process, a processing tray receives the sheet conveyed from the waiting tray and the sheet conveyed from a conveying path without passing through the waiting tray. The waiting tray is formed by waiting tray parts which are arranged at a predetermined interval, and a strike-down mechanism is operated. Therefore, a bundle of paper loaded on the waiting tray is caused to fall down on the process tray.

Claims

1. A sheet post-process apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of rollers configured to receive and convey sheets conveyed from an MFP main body;

a waiting tray which is provided at some midpoint of a conveying path, and is configured to cause a sheet conveyed from the rollers to be in a waiting state when a post-process is required, the waiting tray including a pair of waiting tray parts arranged at a predetermined interval in a transverse direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction;

an adjustment mechanism for adjusting the predetermined interval between the pair of waiting tray parts in accordance with a width of the sheet, the predetermined interval being set to a first width smaller than a width of the sheet orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction for loading the sheet being in the waiting state and to a second width larger than the width of the sheet;

a processing tray configured to receive the sheet conveyed from the waiting tray and a sheet conveyed from the rollers without staying at the waiting tray having the pair of waiting tray parts set to the second width before performing the post-process;

a strike-down mechanism provided above the waiting tray and configured to strike the sheet loaded in the waiting tray down on the processing tray, the strike-down mechanism comprising;

a strike-down member for giving a downward force at a center portion of the sheet to make the sheet bent and fall down to the processing tray by a self weight of the sheet;

a solenoid; and

a plunger which is sucked and ejected in accordance with magnetic excitation and non-excitation of the solenoid,

wherein the strike-down member is supported at one end of the plunger while freely rotated;

an alignment mechanism configured to align sheets on the processing tray to form a bundle of sheets;

a post-process mechanism configured to perform the post-process of the bundle of sheets aligned on the processing tray;

a sheet conveying unit configured to convey the bundle of sheets to which the post-process has been performed from the processing tray; and

a storage tray configured to load the conveyed bundle of sheets thereon.

2. A sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the waiting tray and the processing tray are obliquely arranged.

3. A sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the alignment mechanism has a longitudinal alignment mechanism and a transverse mechanism.

4. A sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein widths in the sheet conveying directions of the waiting tray and the processing tray are smaller than the width in the conveying direction of the sheet.

5. A sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet is loaded across the processing tray and the storage tray when the sheet falls down on the processing tray.