Sheet finishing apparatus

• US 7,407,156 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Iizuka, Chiaki, Sasahara, Katsuya, Hirano, Takahisa, Takahashi, Takahide, Tsuchihasi, Hiroyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NICHOLSON III, LESLIE AUGUST
• Application Number:
  US11/085,251
• Publication Number:
  US 20060214347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,232 Days
• Field of Search: 270/58.08, 270/58.11, 270/58.12, 270/58.14, 270/58.18, 399/410, 271/189, 271/190, 271/191, 271/192
• US Class Current: 270/58.11
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2405/11161 by at least a protruding portion arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2801/27 Devices located downstream of office-type machines
• 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 includes a gate for conveying sheets of paper ejected from an image forming apparatus by switching to a first conveying path requiring post processing or to a second conveying path requiring no post processing and a manual introduction unit for post-processing the sheets of paper conveyed via the first conveying path by a processing mechanism and ejecting them to a first paper ejection tray and manually leading sheets of paper requiring post processing to the processing mechanism, and when the post process is executed in a manual mode, switches the gate to the second conveying path, and when sheets of paper are taken in from the image forming apparatus, ejects the sheets of paper to a second paper ejection tray via the second conveying path.

Claims

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

a gate configured to take in sheets of paper ejected from an image forming apparatus through a taking-in port and to switch 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 processing tray configured to load said sheets of paper conveyed through said first conveying path or sheets of paper manually inserted,

a processing mechanism configured to post-process said sheets of paper loaded on said processing tray,

an ejection mechanism configured to eject said sheets of paper post-processed by said processing mechanism from said processing tray,

a first paper ejection tray configured to receive said post-processed sheets of paper ejected from said ejection mechanism,

a second paper ejection tray configured to receive sheets of paper requiring no post processing ejected via said second conveying path,

a manual introduction unit having a paper ejection opening formed to eject post-processed sheets of paper from said ejection mechanism to said first paper ejection tray, configured to manually load sheets of paper requiring post processing on said processing tray via said paper ejection opening and leading said sheets of paper to said processing mechanism, and

a mode setting unit configured, in a manual mode in which said post process is executed via said manual introduction unit, to switch said gate to said second conveying path and when sheets of paper are taken in said taking-in port, to eject said sheets of paper to said second ejection unit via said second conveying path and in an automatic stapling process mode in which sheets of paper fed through said taking-in port are stapled and another mode in which sheets of paper are not stapled, to switch said gate to said first conveying path and eject sheets of paper to said first paper ejection tray via said first conveying path wherein;

said processing mechanism is a stapler, has a sensor configured to detect insertion of sheets of paper requiring said post processing into said stapler, in said manual mode, switches said gate in response to detection results of said sensor, and when sheets of paper are taken in said taking-in port, ejects said sheets of paper to said second paper ejection tray via said second conveying path.

2. A sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said second paper ejection tray is a fixing tray installed on an upper part of said post processing apparatus and said first paper ejection tray is a movable tray moving up and down which is installed under said fixing tray.

3. A sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

said second conveying path conveys sheets of paper from said taking-in port upward inside said post processing apparatus and conveys said sheets of paper to said second paper ejection tray.

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

a gate configured to take 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 and a second conveying path for non-post processing to convey said sheets of paper,

a processing tray configured to load said sheets of paper conveyed through said first conveying path or sheets of paper manually inserted,

a stapler configured to staple said sheets of paper loaded on said processing tray,

an ejection mechanism configured to eject said sheets of paper post-processed by said stapler from said processing tray,

a first paper ejection tray configured to receive said post-processed sheets of paper ejected from said stapler,

a second paper ejection tray configured to receive sheets of paper requiring no post processing ejected via said second conveying path,

a manual introduction unit having a paper ejection opening formed in an ejection unit of sheets of paper from said ejection mechanism to said first paper ejection tray configured to manually load sheets of paper requiring post processing on said processing tray via said opening and leading said sheets of paper to said stapler, and

a mode setting unit configured, when said stapling process is executed via said manual introduction unit, to switch said gate to said second conveying path and when sheets of paper are taken in said taking-in port, to eject said sheets of paper to said second ejection unit via said second conveying path and in an automatic stapling process mode in which sheets of paper fed through said taking-in port are stapled and another mode in which sheets of paper are not stapled to switch said gate to said first conveying path and eject sheets of paper to said first paper ejection tray via said first conveying path,

wherein said stapler has a sensor configured to detect insertion of sheets of paper requiring said post processing into said stapler, in said manual mode, switches said gate in response to detection results of said sensor, and when sheets of paper are taken in said taking-in port, ejects said sheets of paper to said second paper ejection tray via said second conveying path.

5. A control method for a sheet finishing apparatus, comprising:

selecting a manual stapling process mode or an automatic stapling process mode or other mode in which sheets of paper are not to be stapled;

switching a gate 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;

inserting sheets of paper by a manual operation to be stapled, detecting insertion of sheets of paper by a sensor configured to detect insertion of sheets of paper and switching said gate to said second conveying path when sheets of paper are taken in a taking-in port, and ejecting sheets of paper to a second ejection unit via said second conveying path in the manual stapling process mode; and

feeding sheets of paper through said taking-in port to be stapled and switching said gate to said first conveying path and ejecting sheets of paper to a first ejection unit via said first conveying path in the automatic stapling process mode and in another mode in which sheets of paper are not be stapled.