Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Tadahiro Ando

Kaoru Suzuki

Masayoshi Nakabayashi

Tomonori Ohata

Hiroshi Naka

Hiroshi Miura

Mitsutoshi Sawada

Eiiti Ando

A transport path is branched into a main pass and a bypass. A deflector is provided at a branch point, for switching the path either to the bypass or to the main pass. Sheet detection switches are respectively provided along the bypass and the main pass, and also on a stapler plate, for controlling the rotation of a transfer roller. In this way, a first sheet being transported through the main pass and a second sheet being transported through the bypass can be discharged onto the stapler plate at the same time. As a result, the problem of the device being made larger or reducing the quality of the sheets can be prevented, and a faster process after copying can be achieved.

Device for further processing after copying

A sheet finishing and stacking apparatus includes a sheet transport path which stacks sheets onto a stapler tray, the stack is finished by a stapler, and a discharge roller and a pushed out member transport the stack onto a discharge tray. The discharge tray is driven in a vertical direction as stacks of sheets are deposited thereon. While the push-out member is delivering the stack to the discharge tray, an auxiliary lower discharge plate extends along a direction of the push-out member to prevent the stack from buckling. In another embodiment, the discharge tray is temporarily lowered and then raised back to an upper limit as the push-out member delivers the stack to the discharge tray.

A transport path is branched into a main pass and a bypass. A deflector is provided at a branch point, for switching the path either to the bypass or to the main pass. Sheet detection switches are respectively provided along the bypass and the main pass, and also on a stapler plate, for controlling the rotation of a transfer roller. In this way, a first sheet being transported through the main pass and a second sheet being transported through the bypass can be discharged onto the stapler plate at the same time. As a result, the problem of the device being made larger or reducing the quality of the sheets can be prevented, and a faster process after copying can be achieved. If a second sheet of a next set is not detected on the bypass within a predetermined time period, the sheet in the main pass is discharged.

Growing community of inventors

Nara, Japan

Tadahiro Ando