Waiting tray for sheet processing tray

• US 7,300,045 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2004
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Taki, Hiroyuki, Ise, Tokihiko, Iizuka, Chiaki, Yamamoto, Mikio, Yamamoto, Hajime, Iijima, Tomomi, Murakami, Reiji, Sugizaki, Yoshiaki, Terao, Yasunobu, Sasahara, Katsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): HESS, DOUGLAS A
• Application Number:
  US11/008,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20060066033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 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: 270/58.08
• 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 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 sheet post-process apparatus includes a waiting tray and a processing tray. The waiting tray is provided in the middle of a conveying path and makes standby sheets in the case where a post-process is required. The processing tray has a function which causes the sheets made standby on the waiting sheet to be dropped by self-weight. With this function, the processing tray receives the sheets moved to be dropped and the sheets conveyed from the conveying path without intervening the waiting tray, before carrying out the post-process. Sheet bundles formed on the processing tray are stacked on a storage tray by a sheet conveying mechanism after they have been post-processed.

Claims

1. A sheet post-process apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of rollers which receive and convey sheets conveyed from a multi-function peripheral;

a waiting tray which is provided in a conveying path, and holds some of the sheets conveyed from the rollers when a bundle of sheets needs to be post-processed;

a processing tray which receives the sheets from the waiting tray and other sheets forming the bundle of sheets, before the bundle of sheets is post-processed;

a post-process mechanism which carries out a post-process on the bundle of sheets on the processing tray; and

a storage tray which stacks the bundle of sheets conveyed and provided adjacent to the waiting tray and the processing tray in a horizontal direction.

2. The sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing tray is positioned vertically downwardly of the waiting tray.

3. The sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a conveying mechanism which causes the sheets on the waiting tray to be conveyed to the processing tray.

4. The sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sheet-conveying mechanism which conveys the post-processed bundle of sheets from the processing tray to the storage tray.

5. The sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the waiting tray includes two tray parts that move in a horizontal direction.

6. The sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing tray holds the other sheets conveyed via the convening path without being conveyed to the waiting tray before the bundle of sheets is post-processed.

7. The sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the waiting tray includes an alignment mechanism.

8. The sheet post-process apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing tray an alignment mechanism.

9. A method for post-processing sheets, comprising:

receiving sheets from a multi-function peripheral;

conveying the sheets forward through a conveying path;

holding some of the sheets conveyed from the multi-function peripheral on a waiting tray;

receiving the sheets from the waiting tray and other sheets forming a bundle of sheets before the bundle of sheets is post-processed on a processing tray;

carrying out a post-processing operation on the bundle of sheets; and

storing the bundle of sheets on a storage tray which is arranged adjacent to the waiting tray and the processing tray in a horizontal direction.

10. The method for post-processing sheets according claim 9, further comprising causing the sheets on the waiting tray to be conveyed to the processing tray.

11. The method for post-processing sheets according to claim 9, further comprising conveying the post-processed bundle of sheets from the processing tray to the storage tray.

12. The method for post-processing sheets according to claim 11, further comprising stacking the bundle of sheets conveyed from the processing tray on the storage tray.

13. The method for post-processing sheets according to claim 9, further comprising holding the other sheets conveyed via the conveying path without being conveyed to the waiting tray before the bundle of sheets is post-processed on the processing tray.

14. The method for post-processing sheets according to claim 9, further comprising aligning the sheets on the waiting tray.