Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Terumitsu Azuma

Minoru Hattori

Yoshiaki Ushirogata

Hiroki Yoshida

Shigefumi Soga

Takeshi Hirabayashi

Hiroyuki Ishizaki

Kentaro Fukami

Shinji Asami

Shinji Tanoue

Kazumasa Takeuchi

Daishi Watanabe

Toshikazu Satoh

Shinzi Asami

A sheet processing apparatus includes a fixed tray and a movable tray. The fixed tray is fixed at its downstream portion in a sheet transport direction and includes a sheet loading surface. A downstream portion of the sheet loading surface of the fixed tray is positioned at a higher level than an upstream portion thereof. The movable tray is pivotally supported, at its upstream portion, by a pivot support provided on the fixed tray. An angle between a sheet loading surface of the movable tray and a horizontal direction is more gentle than an angle between the sheet loading surface of the fixed tray and the horizontal direction.

Sheet stacker and image forming apparatus

A paper processing apparatus includes: a discharging unit that discharges the paper onto a staple tray; a paper returning unit that reverses the paper discharged by the discharging unit and performs alignment in a conveying direction by abutting the paper against a rear end reference fence; a supporting unit that supports the discharging unit in a state capable of coming in contact with or separating from the paper; a contact and separation unit by which the discharging unit comes in contact with or separates from the paper; and a pressurizing unit that is moved by the contact and separation unit, does not load the discharging unit in a standby state where the discharging unit is held apart from the paper, and applies contact pressure in a state where the discharging unit is in contact with the paper.

Paper processing apparatus and image forming apparatus

A sheet processing apparatus includes: a staple tray on which sheets are stacked temporarily and stapled after being aligned together and from which the stapled sheets are discharged to a discharge tray; a discharger to discharge the sheets to the staple tray; a rear end reference against which rear ends of the sheets are abutted to be aligned together; a returner to return the sheets discharged by the discharger and to align the sheets together in a conveying direction based on the rear end reference fence; a lifter to lift and lower the returner with respect to a sheet; and a guide configured to guide the sheets toward the rear end reference fence when the sheets are returned and to be lifted and lowered in synchronization with the lifting and lowering by the lifter.

Sheet returning unit for post processing apparatus

A method and an apparatus for corrugating the output of a reproduction device such as a photocopier includes a guiding arm for guiding an image carrying medium in a predetermined path towards a destination output bin and a projection for corrugating the image carrying medium as it is being guided by the guiding arm. The current corrugation device is suitable for a multiple tray sorter unit since it does not require additional corrugation members.

Path guide for selectively corrugating an output medium

A paper path switching mechanism including a plurality of feeding rollers which feed a page when the page is pressed against the feeding rollers by guide members of a switching guide. The switching guide has long guide members which press the paper against the feeding rollers and short guide members positioned near the edges of the page. The short guide members guide the page without imparting too much resistance at the edges of the page in order to reduce the frequency of paper jams. The longer guide members are tapered in width at portions near the periphery of the feeding rollers in order to reduce the size of the contact area of the page to the long guide members which reduces resistance on the page and consequently reduces paper jams. After the page passes between the switching guide and feeding rollers, its direction of travel is reversed and the page again contacts the switching guide but moves along a different edge of the guide members and along a different paper path in order to invert pages.

Paper path switching mechanism usable with a page inverter

In an image forming apparatus, a device for turning a paper of the present invention has a transport roller constantly rotatable in a predetermined direction for paper transport. A reverse transport member is positioned downstream of the transport roller in the predetermined direction, and transports the paper, transported by the transport roller, in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction. A turn guide has a first guide face for guiding the paper toward the transport roller, and a second guide face for guiding in a paper discharge direction the paper being transported by the reverse transport member in the direction opposite to the predetermined direction. The end portion of the first and second guide faces close to the reverse transport member extends in the direction in which the end portion intersects the periphery of the transport roller. Hence, the end portion is angularly retracted by the paper, being guided by the first guide face, to a position coincident with a line tangential to the transport roller. The end of the turn guide is configured such that the first and second guide portions are tapered. The device is miniature and reduces resistance to act on the incoming paper and surely urges it against the transport roller to generate a driving force. As a result, the paper is prevented from being skewed or caught or from jamming the path.

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Aichi, Japan

Terumitsu Azuma