Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Keiji Tanaka

Toyoaki Nanba

Jinichi Nagata

Tomomi Tanaka

Takehiko Josako

A sheet post-processing device of the present invention conducts post processing on sheets and then ejects the sheets on an offset tray. Upon the ejection, the sheets are sorted by a sorting drive section reciprocating the offset tray horizontally. The sheets are aligned at the trailing edges thereof by a plurality of sheet edge stopper columns erected freely rotatable. The offset tray is moved vertically along the sheet edge stopper columns by, for example, a lifting and lowering motor. Friction rollers are provided as linking means for rotating the sheet edge stopper columns in accordance with a horizontal movement of the offset tray. As to the horizontal movement and a vertical movement of the offset tray, the friction rollers transmit a driving force to the sheet edge stopper columns only when the offset tray is moved horizontally. Consequently, the stack disturbance of the sheets can be prevented both when the offset tray is moved horizontally and when the offset tray is moved vertically.

Sheet receiving apparatus for sorting and stacking sheets on a tray with friction-free horizontal reciprocation

A sheet ejecting mechanism is provided with a sheet ejecting sensor which detects a sheet to be ejected onto an offset tray and an upper-surface position-regulating section which regulates the position of the upper surface of the sheets in accordance with the position of an arm which is in contact with the upper surface of the sheets on the offset tray. When the sheet ejecting sensor detects a sheet to be ejected, a CPU of the upper-surface position-regulating section turns on a solenoid so as to remove a contact between an arm and the upper surface of the sheets. Meanwhile, when the sheet ejecting sensor detects no sheet to be ejected, the CPU turns off the solenoid. With this operation, the arm is allowed to come into contact with the upper surface of the sheets so as to regulate the position of the upper surface of the sheets.

Growing community of inventors

Fukayasu-gun, Japan

Keiji Tanaka