Sheet finishing apparatus

• US 7,328,894 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Iijima, Tomomi, Terao, Yasunobu, Taki, Hiroyuki, Yamamoto, Mikio, Kawaguchi, Takahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NICHOLSON III, LESLIE AUGUST
• Application Number:
  US11/085,264
• Publication Number:
  US 20060214345A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,057 Days
• Field of Search: 270/58.08, 270/58.09, 270/58.1, 270/58.11, 270/58.12, 270/58.13, 270/58.14, 270/58.15, 270/58.16, 270/58.17, 270/58.19, 270/58.28, 399/124, 399/125, 399/407, 399/408, 399/410
• US Class Current: 270/58.15
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2402/30 Supports; Subassemblies; Mountings thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2402/441 movable for facilitating access to area inside the housing, e.g. pivoting or sliding
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2601/11 Clearing faulty handling, e.g. jams
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2801/27 Devices located downstream of office-type machines
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/52 Stationary guides or smoothers
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/60 diverting the stream into alternative paths B65H29/62 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/24 multiple or compartmented, e.d. for alternate, programmed, or selective filling

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.

Claims

1. A sheet finishing apparatus for post-processing sheets of paper after image forming, comprising:

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 first conveying path for post processing or a second conveying path for non-post processing to convey said sheets of paper;

a tray attached to an upper part of said sheet finishing apparatus by a link mechanism which can rotate between a first height position for storing said sheets of paper ejected via said second conveying path and a second height position away from said upper part and has an angle of inclination substantially the same at either of said height positions;

a sheet guidance member for supporting rollers for clamping and conveying said sheets of paper passing said first conveying path and rotating between a first position where said one roller makes contact with another roller and a second position away from said another roller;

a connection member for connecting said link mechanism and said sheet guidance member so as to set said sheet guidance member at said first position when said tray is at said first height position and set said sheet guidance member at said second position when said tray is at said second height position,

a processing mechanism for post-processing said sheets of paper conveyed via said first conveying path and

an ejection mechanism for ejecting said sheets of paper post-processed by said processing mechanism,

wherein said link mechanism has a first fixing member attached at an opposite position of said taking-in port on said upper part of said post processing apparatus body, a second fixing member attached to said tray, and a first and a second link member arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval so as to connect said first and second fixing members and

wherein said first and second link members, when said tray is at said first height position, the link members are parallel with each other and substantially horizontal and when said tray is at said second height position, the link members are parallel with each other and substantially vertical.

2. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein to avoid sudden rotation when said tray rotates from said first height position to said second height position, a damper mechanism is installed additionally.

3. A sheet finishing apparatus for post-processing sheets of paper after image forming, comprising:

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 first conveying path for post processing or a second conveying path for non-post processing to convey said sheets of paper;

a tray attached to an upper part of said sheet finishing apparatus by a link mechanism which can rotate between a first height position for storing said sheets of paper ejected via said second conveying path and a second height position away from said upper part and has an angle of inclination substantially the same at either of said height positions;

a sheet guidance member for supporting rollers for clamping and conveying said sheets of paper passing said first conveying path and rotating between a first position where said one roller makes contact with another roller and a second position away from said another roller;

a connection member for connecting said link mechanism and said sheet guidance member so as to set said sheet guidance member at said first position when said tray is at said first height position and set said sheet guidance member at said second position when said tray is at said second height position,

a processing mechanism for post-processing said sheets of paper conveyed via said first conveying path and

an ejection mechanism for ejecting said sheets of paper post-processed by said processing mechanism,

wherein said sheet guidance member can rotate at an end, as a fulcrum, on an opposite side of said taking-in port, and when said tray is at said first height position, is on a side of said another roller, and when said tray is at said second height position, rises substantially in a vertical direction.

4. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein to avoid sudden rotation when said tray rotates from said first height position to said second height position, a damper mechanism is installed additionally.

5. A sheet finishing apparatus for post-processing sheets of paper after image forming, comprising:

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 first conveying path for post processing or a second conveying path for non-post processing to convey said sheets of paper;

a tray attached to an upper part of said sheet finishing apparatus by a link mechanism which can rotate between a first height position for storing said sheets of paper ejected via said second conveying path and a second height position away from said upper part and has an angle of inclination substantially the same at either of said height positions;

a sheet guidance member for supporting rollers for clamping and conveying said sheets of paper passing said first conveying path and rotating between a first position where said one roller makes contact with another roller and a second position away from said another roller;

a connection member for connecting said link mechanism and said sheet guidance member so as to set said sheet guidance member at said first position when said tray is at said first height position and set said sheet guidance member at said second position when said tray is at said second height position,

a processing mechanism for post-processing said sheets of paper conveyed via said first conveying path and

an ejection mechanism for ejecting said sheets of paper post-processed by said processing mechanism,

wherein rollers for clamping and conveying said sheets of paper passing said first conveying path are composed of upper and lower inlet rollers installed in the neighborhood of said taking-in port and upper and lower paper supply rollers for leading said sheets of paper requiring said post process to said processing mechanism.

6. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein to avoid sudden rotation when said tray rotates from said first height position to said second height position, a damper mechanism is installed additionally.