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:
Dec. 25, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 29, 2000
Nobuyoshi Seki, Okazaki, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A finisher system for an image formed sheet transported from an image forming apparatus. A finisher finishes the image formed sheet. A direct sheet feeding path feeds the image formed sheet to a sheet stacker. The sheet finishing path is branched from the direct sheet path for transporting the image forming sheet to the sheet stacker by way of the finisher, and the sheet finishing path can include a turning point. A sheet piling system set in the sheet finishing path piles up the image formed sheets. Further, a stopper is set in the finishing path for temporarily trapping the image formed sheets. The sheet piling system can include plural sheet suspending paths which each suspend a transported sheet and which each include a sheet transport device, and such that the stopper is set between the turning point and the sheet transport devices. The direct sheet feeding path can also be straight and the stopper may be configured to be positioned into and out of the sheet finishing path.