Sheet finishing apparatus

• US 7,591,455 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• 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, Hajime, Sugizaki, Yoshiaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): NICHOLSON III, LESLIE AUGUST
• Application Number:
  US12/048,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20080211161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 270/58.08, 270/58.11, 270/58.12, 270/58.13, 270/58.14, 270/58.18, 271/189, 271/190, 271/191, 271/192, 399/410
• US Class Current: 270/58.11
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 1/12 Machines for both collating or gathering and permanently attaching together the sheets or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/422615 from opposite part-support elements, e.g. operated simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/34 from supports slid from under the articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/24 multiple or compartmented, e.d. for alternate, programmed, or selective filling
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/26 Auxiliary devices for retaining articles in the pile
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 31/3018 from opposite part-support elements, e.g. operated simultaneously

Abstract

In a sheet finishing apparatus of the present invention, when temporarily loading a plurality of sheets of paper on a standby tray until a processing tray finishes processing, to prevent a sheet of paper loaded first from being pressed out by a sheet of paper ejected later, a chuck for retaining the rear ends of the sheets of paper is installed on the downstream side of the standby tray, and for curled sheets of paper, a standby tray guide and an arm member for suppressing curling of the central part of the sheets of paper are installed, thus matching on the standby tray is stabilized.

Claims

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

a pair of paper supply rollers configured to receive and convey sheets of paper ejected from an image forming apparatus;

a standby tray configured to make said sheets of paper ejected from said paper supply rollers stand by;

a processing tray arranged under said standby tray and configured to load said sheets of paper dropped and supplied from said standby tray and/or said sheets of paper ejected from said image forming apparatus not via said standby tray;

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

a paper ejection tray configured to load said post-processed sheets of paper ejected from said processing tray;

a standby tray guide extending over the standby tray and configured to control movement and posture of said sheets of paper ejected from said paper supply rollers to said standby tray, the standby tray guide being born rotatably on a side of said standby tray and a front end of the standby tray guide being rounded so as to crush upward curls of said sheets of paper; and

an assist arm configured to prevent a rear end side of said sheets of paper conveyed from said paper supply rollers from rising and to press the rear end of said sheets of paper to the standby tray, a side of said assist arm in contact with said sheets of paper having a weight heavier than a weight of the sheets of paper to prevent the sheets of paper from unexpected movement,

wherein said standby tray is composed of at least a pair of tray members for respectively supporting both sides of said sheets and configured to slide and move said tray members to drop and feed said sheets onto said processing tray.

2. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a chuck configured to retain said rear ends of said sheets of paper and installed on the downstream side of said standby tray.

3. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said standby tray guide is arranged on a left side and on a right side of said sheets of paper almost in accordance with a width of said sheets of paper.

4. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said assist arm is arranged between said right side and left side standby tray guides.

5. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of said assist arms each of a similar or same shape is arranged and adjacent assist arms are connected mutually.

6. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said assist arm is born rotatably by a mounting shaft of said paper supply rollers.

7. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said assist arm is in a lever shape.

8. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing mechanism is a stapler configured to bundle the plurality of sheets loaded on said processing tray.

9. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said paper ejection tray is configured to load said sheets ejected from said standby tray not via said processing tray.

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

means for receiving and conveying sheets of paper ejected from an image forming apparatus;

means for making said sheets of paper ejected from said means for receiving and conveying sheets stand by;

means for loading said sheets of paper dropped and supplied from said means for making sheets standby and/or said sheets of paper ejected from said image forming apparatus not via said means for making sheets standby, arranged under said means for making sheets means for post-processing said sheets of paper loaded on said means for loading sheets;

means for loading said post-processed sheets;

means for controlling movement and posture of said sheets of paper ejected from said means for receiving and conveying sheets to said means for making sheets standby, extending over said means for making sheets standby and born rotatably on a side of said means for making sheets standby, having a front end thereof being rounded so as to crush upward curls of said sheets of paper; and

means for preventing a rear end side of said sheets of paper conveyed from said means for receiving and conveying from rising by pressing rear ends of said sheets of paper to said means for making sheets standby, a side of the means for preventing a rear end side of said sheets of paper from rising being in contact with said sheets of paper and having a weight heavier than a weight of the sheets of paper to prevent the sheets of paper from unexpected movement,

wherein said means for making sheets standby is composed of at least a pair of tray members for respectively supporting both sides of said sheets and slides and moves said tray members to drop and feed said sheets onto said means for loading sheets.

11. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein further comprising a chuck configured to retain said rear ends of said sheets of paper and installed on the downstream side of said means for making sheets standby.

12. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said means for controlling is arranged on a left side and on a right side of said sheets of paper almost in accordance with a width of said sheets of paper.

13. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said means for pressing is arranged between said right side and left side means for controlling.

14. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein a plurality of said means for pressing each of a similar or same shape is arranged and adjacent means for pressing are connected mutually.

15. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said means for pressing is born rotatably by a mounting shaft of said means for receiving and conveying sheets.

16. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said means for pressing is in a lever shape.

17. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said means for post-processing is a stapler configured to bundle the plurality of sheets loaded on said means for loading sheets.

18. The sheet finishing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said means for loading post-processed sheets loads said sheets ejected from said means for making sheets standby not via said means for loading sheets.