Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Yoshiaki Ushirogata

Minoru Hattori

Terumitsu Azuma

Hiroyuki Ishizaki

Shinji Asami

Tetsuji Watanabe

Kazuya Tsutsui

Masatoshi Hosoi

Yuichi Fujii

Nobuyoshi Seki

Yuji Ueno

Mitsuru Ichikawa

Shinzi Asami

A sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet conveying path for receiving a sheet conveyed from the outside and conveying the sheet therethrough to be discharged, a stack tray for stacking a plurality of the conveyed sheets for stapling, a stapler for stapling the plurality of the sheets stacked on the stack tray, and an output tray for receiving the discharged sheets. The sheet conveying path includes a first conveying path for guiding the conveyed sheet to the stack tray for stapling, and a second conveying path for guiding the conveyed sheet to the output tray bypassing the stack tray. The sheet processing apparatus further includes a discharging member for discharging the conveyed sheet or the sheets guided by the first conveying path or second conveying path, a discharging member switching device which selectively switches the discharging member to a closed condition for discharging the sheet or sheets by sandwiching them or to an open condition for discharging the sheet or sheets without sandwiching them, and a controller configured to control the discharging member switching device to switch the discharging member to the open condition before a tip end of the sheet being conveyed through the first conveying path reaches the discharging member.

Sheet processing apparatus with open/close switchable sheet discharging member

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 sheet finisher for automatically stapling, punching, folding or otherwise finishing a stack of sheets sequentially driven out of an image forming apparatus and positioned is disclosed. The finisher is capable of finishing the sheets at any desired position in an intended direction of sheet transport and in a direction perpendicular thereto. A device for driving the finisher is simple in construction.

Sheet finisher

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.

Paper turning device for an image forming apparatus

A finisher for binding paper sheets sequentially driven out of an image forming apparatus. A finisher moves along an edge of a stack of sheets and curves around a corner. A pair of individualy operated gripper fingers grabs the stack of sheets and moves the stack into position for finishing.

Movable finisher device with multiple stack gripping fingers

A clamping and transporting assembly is provided which is particularly suitable for clamping a stack of articles, such as sheet-like articles. The clamping assembly moves from a retracted position to an extended position at which clamping jaws automatically assume a clamped position. Thereafter, the assembly transports the clamped stack of sheet-like articles to a treatment device, for example a binding device. After treatment, such as binding, the transport assembly returns the articles to their original position, with the clamping assembly then retracted while automatically releasing the articles from the jaws.

Clamping and transporting device

A sheet transporting device applicable to a sorter of the type having a plurality of bins arranged one above another for receiving sheets sequentially driven out of an image forming apparatus includes a top tray disposed above an uppermost one of the bins. A sheet stack is pulled out from each bin, transported upward, and then discharged onto the top tray. This not only promotes easy take-out of sheet stacks from the sorter but also allows the number of sheet stacks greater than the number of bins to be produced without interruption.

Sheet transporting device for a sorter

A sheet feeder for an electrophotographic copier or like image forming apparatus includes a structure for aligning the trailing edges of a large amount of paper sheets which are stacked on a tray. The structure includes a back fence mounted on a transmission member which is stretched in the widthwise direction of the sheets. The back fence is movable in the widthwise direction of the sheets between an operative position for aligning the trailing edges of the sheets and an inoperative direction for facilitating the supply of sheets onto the tray. The movement of the back fence between the operative and inoperative positions is interlocked with the upward and downward movements of the tray.

Sheet feeder

A sorter for use with a copier and others and having a function of binding a stack of copy sheets. The sorter includes a single stapler which is shared by all bins of the sorter, and a single bin drive unit adapted to move any of the bins loaded with copy sheets to a prescribed position where the stapler is to drive a staple. The stapler and the bin drive unit are moved in an interlocked motion to positions which correspond to the respective bins, thereby sequentially binding copy sheets which are stacked in the bins.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Yoshiaki Ushirogata