Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Nisca Corporation

Jinichi Nagata

Toyoaki Nanba

Hideo Yoshikawa

Naofumi Okada

Toshiki Ohgita

Kiyoshi Tokishige

Shigeki Hayashi

Yasunobu Ohkawa

Kouzou Yamaguchi

Tomomi Tanaka

Hidetoshi Kaneko

Shin Tsugane

Yoshitaka Matsumoto

Susumu Hashimoto

Toshiki Ogita

Takehiko Josako

Yasuhiro Takai

Kazuhito Shimura

Tomohisa Shimizu

Masahiro Kanezaki

Masaki Saka

Mamoru Akiyama

Sei Takahashi

Mitsuo Matsuda

Hironori Takada

Keiji Tanaka

Takashi Matsuda

Masaru Tsuji

Tsutomu Yoshimoto

Takahiro Fukunaga

Yukio Kanaoka

Toshiya Mikita

Kenzo Yoshida

Syouichirou Yoshiura

Kiwamu Morita

Makoto Shimura

Masayuki Nagatani

Toshiro Kurishita

Toshirou Kurishita

Kozo Yamaguchi

A post-processing device includes an introductory conveying path, a processing tray, a paper receiving tray, an upper paper discharge roller, a lower paper discharge roller and a control section. The upper paper discharge roller and the lower paper discharge roller are disposed at an edge portion on the paper receiving tray's side of the processing tray. The upper paper discharge roller is capable of coming into contact with and away from the lower paper discharge roller. The control section causes the upper paper discharge roller to start a descending motion with a timing such that the upper paper discharge roller comes into contact with paper before the paper comes into contact with the paper receiving tray if the paper belongs to a second kind, where the paper of the second kind is lighter weight than that of a first kind.

Post-processing device and paper processing apparatus

A cover support mechanism regulates an opening angle of an openable cover with respect to a chassis of an electronic device. The cover constitutes a portion of the chassis. The mechanism has a cord shaped or tape shaped stopper, and a support unit. The stopper has a first end portion and a second end portion, the first end portion being fixed to the cover. The support unit supports the second end portion of the stopper. The support unit is provided to the electronic device. The support unit has a receiving portion, a biasing member, and a braking unit. The receiving portion has a space for pulling in the second end portion of the stopper. The biasing member applies force to the stopper for pulling in the stopper into the receiving portion. The braking unit applies frictional force to the stopper when the cover is opened.

Cover support mechanism and image forming apparatus incorporating the same

An image forming apparatus in which an original reading portion is disposed in an upper portion of the apparatus main body, a feed portion is disposed in a lower portion of the apparatus main body, and a printing portion is disposed between the original reading portion and the feed portion as an image forming system, is configured as follows. A paper post-processing portion that can perform a plurality of types of paper post-processing for recording paper transported from the apparatus main body after printing by the printing portion is finished, and a discharge portion to which recording paper is discharged after paper post-processing by the paper post-processing portion is finished, are disposed in a space of the apparatus main body formed by the original reading portion, the printing portion, and the feed portion.

Image forming apparatus with switchback transport path in the stapling unit

A sheet processing apparatus, comprising: a sheet introduction port for feeding a sheet to inside from outside of the sheet processing apparatus; a sheet exit port for ejecting the sheet from inside to outside of the sheet processing apparatus; a sheet carrying part having a sheet carrying passage that communicates the sheet introduction port and the sheet exit port; a fold processing part disposed in a middle of the sheet carrying passage, for arbitrarily folding the sheet; a sheet stacking part that stacks the sheet ejected from the sheet exit port; and a detector that detects whether a height of a bundle of sheets stacked on the sheet stacking part reaches a prescribed height and outputs an OFF signal for turning off a drive of the sheet carrying part, wherein the detector performs detection at a first detection level for detecting the prescribed height of the bundle of sheets folded when the fold processing part is set in a drive state, and at a second detection level for detecting the prescribed height of the bundle of sheets not folded when the fold processing part is in a stop state, with the first detection level and second detection level differentiated from each other.

Sheet processing apparatus and image forming apparatus provided with the same

A toner supply device including: a toner bottle filled with toner; and a toner supply assembly mounting mechanism having the toner bottle mounted thereon and feeding toner discharged from the toner bottle to a developing unit and supplying toner to the developing unit in accordance with the amount of toner consumed in the developing unit for the process of printing, further comprises: a toner bottle releasing mechanism which, when the amount of toner left in the toner bottle has been reduced to a predetermined level or lower, causes the toner bottle to move in the direction opposite to the direction in which the toner bottle is set into the toner supply assembly mounting mechanism and separate from the toner feed device.

Toner supply device, image forming apparatus and toner shortage detecting method

In one embodiment of the present invention, a sheet post-processing apparatus includes an ejection path that successively feed sheets each with an image found thereon from an ejection outlet. A processing tray is disposed under the ejection outlet to temporarily store sheets fed from the ejection path. A port processing unit performs post processing such as binding and punching. The post processing unit is located under the ejection path and is provided with a cooling fan that sends air toward the post processing unit.

Sheet post-processing apparatus and image formation apparatus

In one embodiment, a charge removal member, which removes static electricity built up on paper waste, is disposed in a collecting containerused for collecting the punch wastegenerated by punching transported paper. The charge removal memberis disposed in an open top portion of the collecting container, in a location corresponding to a hole-punching punchdisposed in the punching unit, with a proximal end portionof the charge removal membersupported by the collecting containerand the distal end portion of the charge removal memberforming charge removal comb-shaped needlesextending towards the central portion of the collecting container.

Punching apparatus

An image forming apparatus in which an original reading portion is disposed in an upper portion of the apparatus main body, a feed portion is disposed in a lower portion of the apparatus main body, and a printing portion is disposed between the original reading portion and the feed portion as an image forming system, is configured as follows. A paper post-processing portion that can perform a plurality of types of paper post-processing for recording paper transported from the apparatus main body after printing by the printing portion is finished, and a discharge portion to which recording paper is discharged after paper post-processing by the paper post-processing portion is finished, are disposed in a space of the apparatus main body formed by the original reading portion, the printing portion, and the feed portion. The paper post-processing portion is provided such that it can slide relative to the apparatus main body. In a front face of the paper post-processing portion, a cover is provided that covers this front face. The discharge portion is provided such that it can be raised or lowered according to the quantity of stacked recording paper.

Image forming apparatus

A paper feeder includes a storage section, a feed path, a delivery section, and a receiving section. The storage section is configured to store therein plural sheet members to be fed to a processing apparatus which is operative to perform processing on the sheet members. The feed path allows each of the plural sheet members fed from the storage section to pass therethrough in a feed direction toward the processing apparatus. The delivery section is located most downstream on the feed path in the feed direction. The feed path is open to exterior in the delivery section. The receiving section is located upstream of the feed path in the feed direction for communication with a delivery section of a separate paper feeder having an identical construction with the present paper feeder when the separate paper feeder is disposed upstream of the present paper feeder in the feed direction.

Paper feeder

An apparatus is provided with a processing trayto mount sheets ejected from an image formation section, aligning means (aligning plates, etc.) for aligning end portions of a sheet ejected on the processing tray, a post-processing apparatusthat performs binding processing on the sheets aligned by the aligning means, and moving means (unit moving motor, etc.) for moving the post-processing apparatusto a plurality of post-processing positions set to perform the binding processing at different binding processing target position on the sheets, and moves the sheets to a post-processing undergoing position corresponding to the post-processing position substantially in parallel with a travel direction of the post-processing apparatus. It is thereby possible to perform the binding processing on the ejected sheets appropriately while implementing the apparatus compact in size.

Sheet post-processing apparatus and image formation apparatus provided with the same

The purpose is to provide a control method of driving toner containers for use in an apparatus including a plurality of toner containers each filled with toner and detachably mounted thereinto from a toner container covering structure; and a toner supply device for supplying toner to a developing unit while rotating the plurality of toner container. This method includes the step of detecting a first toner container whose toner has run out, among the plurality of toner containers. When the first toner container has been detected, this method makes a control including the steps of: opening the toner container covering structure; stopping the rotational motion of the first toner container; and continuing the rotational motion of a second toner container or containers other than the first toner container.

Control method of driving toner containers and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus includes a scanner section, an image forming section, and a functional unit. The scanner section is configured to read image information by scanning an image bearing side of a document sheet. The image forming section is located above or below the scanner section with a space section provided therebetween and is configured to perform image formation processing on a recording medium based on the image information read. The space section has at least one open vertical side. The functional unit is removably fitted into the space section through the open side.

A sheet feeding device is adapted to be placed beside a sheet processing apparatus by being lifted on a side close to the sheet processing apparatus for engagement with the sheet processing apparatus. The sheet feeding device includes a housing, casters, and an elastic member. The housing stores therein sheets to be supplied to the sheet processing apparatus. Provided for supporting the housing, the casters are mounted on a bottom portion of the housing and include a first caster and a second caster. The first caster is located close to the sheet processing apparatus so as to be movable upward and downward. The second caster is located far from the sheet processing apparatus. The elastic member applies a downward force to the first caster.

Sheet feeding device

In an image forming apparatus in which an original reading portion is disposed in an upper portion of the apparatus main body, a feed portion is disposed in a lower portion of the apparatus main body, and a printing portion is disposed between the original reading portion and the feed portion as an image forming system, a paper post-processing portion that can perform a plurality of types of paper post-processing for recording paper transported from the apparatus main body after printing by the printing portion is finished, and a discharge portion to which recording paper is discharged after paper post-processing by the paper post-processing portion is finished, are disposed in a space of the apparatus main body formed by the original reading portion, the printing portion, and the feed portion, and the paper post-processing portion is controlled according to print conditions selected when a print request is made.

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Osaka, Japan

Jinichi Nagata