Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Tomonori Ohata

Kaoru Suzuki

Masayoshi Nakabayashi

Hiroshi Naka

Tadahiro Ando

Eiiti Ando

Hiroshi Miura

Mitsutoshi Sawada

Susumu Murakami

Toshiya Mikita

Koji Katamoto

Kazuya Hamaguchi

Naoya Okamura

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 post-processing apparatus is provided with a discharge tray which can be selectively moved between a processing mode position corresponding to a processing mode and a non-processing mode position corresponding to a non-processing mode. The apparatus is also provided with a control device which controls a tray drive unit which drives so as to set the discharge tray in the processing mode position when the processing mode is selected, while in the non-processing mode position when the non-processing mode is selected. The apparatus offers an improved discharging efficiency of processed sheets from a processing tray to the discharge tray in the processing mode and an improved aligning facility of sheets discharged on the discharge tray in the non-processing mode.

Sheet post-processing apparatus

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 sheet post-processing apparatus is arranged such that in the non-staple mode, the leading edges of the sheets transported from the transport rollers are directed so as to be sandwiched between the upper and lower discharge rollers by a movable sheet guide in a non-staple mode position and the sheets are discharged onto a stacking tray through the upper and lower discharge rollers. In the staple mode, the leading edges of the sheets is directed to a discharge opening formed between the upper discharge roller and the movable sheet guide by the movable sheet guide in the staple mode position so as to be dropped onto the staple tray. After being processed by the stapler, the sheets are pushed by a pushing member through the discharge opening onto the stacking tray. As a result, the movements of the upper and lower discharge rollers are stabilized, and the sheets can be prevented from being stuck between the upper and lower discharge rollers and or being slanted when being discharged, thereby achieving a desirable discharge of the sheets in the non-staple mode.

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.

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Osaka, Japan

Tomonori Ohata