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:
May. 15, 2012
Filed:
Aug. 06, 2008
Naohiro Kikkawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Masahiro Tamura, Kanagawa, JP;
Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Tokyo, JP;
Shuuya Nagasako, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Tomohiro Furuhashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiroshi Maeda, Aichi, JP;
Tomoichi Nomura, Aichi, JP;
Makoto Hidaka, Tokyo, JP;
Hitoshi Hattori, Tokyo, JP;
Junichi Tokita, Kanagawa, JP;
Akira Kunieda, Tokyo, JP;
Ichiro Ichihashi, Aichi, JP;
Naohiro Kikkawa, Kanagawa, JP;
Masahiro Tamura, Kanagawa, JP;
Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Tokyo, JP;
Shuuya Nagasako, Kanagawa, JP;
Kazuhiro Kobayashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Tomohiro Furuhashi, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiroshi Maeda, Aichi, JP;
Tomoichi Nomura, Aichi, JP;
Makoto Hidaka, Tokyo, JP;
Hitoshi Hattori, Tokyo, JP;
Junichi Tokita, Kanagawa, JP;
Akira Kunieda, Tokyo, JP;
Ichiro Ichihashi, Aichi, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A sheet processing apparatus and associated method are provided. The sheet processing apparatus includes a sheet conveying path, a sheet stack tray, a sheet discharging member, a sheet guide member, and a sheet contact portion. The sheet conveying path is configured to convey a sheet, the sheet discharging member discharges the sheet to the sheet stack tray, and the sheet stack tray receives the sheet. The sheet guide member is movable from a first position that guides the sheet discharged from the sheet discharging member to a second position that opens a sheet discharge path of the sheet discharging member. The sheet contact portion is arranged at an upstream side of the sheet discharging member with respect to the sheet conveying path, and responds to the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveying path in order to move the sheet guide member between the first and second positions.