The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 23, 2001
Filed:
Jul. 22, 1998
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
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.