Standby tray having curl correction

• US 7,243,913 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Issued: 07/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Taki, Hiroyuki, Yamamoto, Hajime, Murakami, Reiji, Ise, Tokihiko, Terao, Yasunobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NICHOLSON III, LESLIE AUGUST
• Application Number:
  US11/085,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20060066040A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 270/58.08, 270/58.11, 270/58.12, 270/58.13, 270/58.14, 270/58.18, 399/410, 271/189, 271/190, 271/191, 271/192, 271/209, 271/224
• US Class Current: 270/58.08
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/34 from supports slid from under the articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/52 Stationary guides or smoothers

Abstract

A sheet post-process apparatus of the present invention, when sending sheets of paper collected on a standby tray to a processing tray, has a standby tray realizing an improved lining capacity of sheets of paper and a pair of tray members for loading ejected sheets of paper is formed so as to project from the wall face of the standby tray.

Claims

1. A sheet post-process apparatus, comprising:

a standby tray for making sheets ejected from an image forming apparatus stand by;

a processing tray arranged under the standby tray for loading sheets dropped and fed from the standby tray and/or sheets ejected from the image forming apparatus not via the standby tray;

a processing mechanism for post-processing the sheets loaded on the processing tray; and

a paper ejection tray for loading the sheets ejected from the processing tray after ending of the post process,

wherein the standby tray is formed of a pair of tray members for loading ejected sheets from the image forming apparatus, and

wherein the tray members slide in parallel causing the sheets to drop to the processing tray.

2. The sheet post-process apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sensor for detecting a curling amount of the sheets, wherein rotation of the pair of tray members corresponds to a curling tendency of the sheets or output of the sensor and is driven by a stepping motor.

3. The sheet post-process apparatus of claim 1, wherein the standby tray has a standby stopper for controlling a rear end side of the sheets.

4. The sheet post-process apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a standby tray roller to move the sheets toward the standby stopper.

5. The sheet post-process apparatus of claim 1, wherein the standby tray is tilted at an acute angle.

6. The sheet post-process apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a conveying mechanism to convey the sheets to the paper ejection tray.

7. A sheet post-processing method of a sheet post-process apparatus including a pair of tray members forming a standby tray for making sheets ejected from an image forming apparatus stand by, comprising the steps of:

detecting a curling direction of the sheets ejected and conveyed by the standby tray,

setting the tray members upward when the sheets are curled downward,

setting the tray members downward when the sheets are curled upward, and

sending the sheets from the standby tray to a processing tray.

8. The sheet post-processing method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of:

detecting a curling direction and a curling amount.

9. A The sheet post-processing method according to claim 7, wherein:

the image forming apparatus or the sheet post-process apparatus has information of curling tendencies according to sheet kinds and sets an initial position of the tray members.

10. The sheet post-process method of claim 7, further comprising controlling a rear end side of the sheets with a standby stopper.

11. The sheet post-process method of claim 10, further comprising moving the sheets toward the standby stopper.

12. The sheet post-process method of claim 7, further comprising tilting the standby tray at an acute angle.

13. The sheet post-process method of claim 7, further comprising conveying the sheets to an ejection tray.

14. The sheet post-process method of claim 7, further comprising post-processing the sheets loaded on the processing tray.

15. A sheet post-process apparatus, comprising:

a standby tray for making sheets ejected from an image forming apparatus stand by;

a processing tray arranged under the standby tray for loading sheets dropped and fed from the standby tray and/or sheets ejected from the image forming apparatus not via the standby tray;

means for post-processing the sheets loaded on the processing tray; and

a paper ejection tray for loading the sheets ejected from the processing tray after ending of the post process,

wherein the standby tray is formed of a pair of tray members for loading ejected sheets from the image forming apparatus, and

wherein the tray members slide in parallel causing the sheets to drop to the processing tray.

16. The sheet post-process apparatus of claim 15, wherein the standby tray has a standby stopper for controlling a rear end side of the sheets.

17. The sheet post-process apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a standby tray roller to move the sheets toward the standby stopper.

18. The sheet post-process apparatus of claim 15, wherein the standby tray is tilted at an acute angle.

19. The sheet post-process apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a conveying mechanism to convey the sheets to the paper ejection tray.