# US 10,369,829 B2 · Sheet processing apparatus and image forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,829 B2 - Document ID: US10369829B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/867,944 - Filed: 2018-01-11 - Published: 2018-05-17 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-12-10 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Yusuke Obuchi; Hideto Abe - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369829B2 ## CPC - B42B 5/00: Permanently attaching together sheets, quires or signatures otherwise than by stitching (by deformation thereof B31F; by adhesive peculiar to bookbinding B42C9/00) - B31F 5/02: by crimping or slotting {or perforating} - B42B 4/00: Permanently attaching together sheets, quires or signatures by discontinuous stitching with filamentary material, e.g. wire {(by stapling B25C5/00; staples F16B15/00)} - B42C 5/00: Preparing the edges or backs of leaves or signatures for binding - B42F 3/003: {Perforated or punched sheets} - B31F 2201/0754: The tools being other than rollers, e.g. belts or plates - B65H 2301/51616: involving simultaneous deformation of parts of the material to be bound - G03G 2215/00852: Temporary binding - B42B: PERMANENTLY ATTACHING TOGETHER SHEETS, QUIRES OR SIGNATURES OR PERMANENTLY ATTACHING OBJECTS THERETO (nailing or stapling in general B25C, B27F; machines for both collating or gathering and permanently attaching together sheets or signatures B42C1/12; temporarily attaching sheets together B42F) - B31F: MECHANICAL WORKING OR DEFORMATION OF PAPER, CARDBOARD OR MATERIAL WORKED IN A MANNER ANALOGOUS TO PAPER (making layered products not composed wholly of paper or cardboard B32B) - B42C: BOOKBINDING (cutting or perforating machines, devices or tools B26; folding sheets or webs B31F; ornamenting books B44) - B42F: SHEETS TEMPORARILY ATTACHED TOGETHER; FILING APPLIANCES; FILE CARDS; INDEXING (reading desks A47B19/00; book rests A47B23/00) - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A staple-less binding unit including a pair of upper and lower teeth binds a sheet bundle which is discharged to an intermediate processing tray by a sheet discharge portion and whose one edge abuts against a rear edge stopper. A control portion switches a binding mode of the staple-less binding unit that implements the binding process on the sheet bundle in a first binding mode of binding the sheet bundle without any staple such that the pair of upper and lower teeth bite across an edge of the sheet bundle and in a second binding mode of binding the sheet bundle without any staple such that the pair of upper and lower teeth do not bite across any edge of the sheet bundle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sheet processing apparatus, comprising: a supporting portion on which sheets are supported; a binder including a first member with a first surface on which a concave-convex portion is provided and a second member with a second surface on which a concave-convex portion is provided and which is engaged with the first surface, the binder being configured to bind the sheets disposed between the first and second members by crimping the sheets using the first and second surfaces; and a controller configured to execute a plurality of modes including first and second modes, an area of the sheets being deformed by being crimped by the first and second surfaces including an edge of the sheets in a case where the first mode is executed, and an area of the sheets being deformed by being crimped by the first and second surfaces not including an edge of the sheets in a case where the second mode is executed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the edge of the sheets deformed by being crimped by the first and second surfaces in the first mode is a first edge, and the area of the sheets being deformed by being crimped by the first and second surfaces in the first mode does not include a second edge neighboring the first edge. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the edge of the sheets deformed by being crimped by the first and second surfaces in the first mode is a first edge, and the area of the sheets being deformed by being crimped by the first and second surfaces in the first mode includes both the first edge and a second edge neighboring the first edge. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a positioner configured to position the sheets supported on the supporting portion by contacting at least one edge of the sheets, wherein the binder is configured to bind the sheets, which is positioned by the positioner, by crimping the sheets using the first and second surfaces, and wherein a relative position between the first surface and the positioner in the first mode is different from that in the second mode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a positioner configured to position the sheets supported on the supporting portion by contacting at least one edge of the sheets, wherein the binder executes a binding operation such that at least one of the first and second surfaces approaches the other of the first and second surfaces and the first and second surfaces crimp the sheets which is positioned by the positioner, and wherein a relative position between the first surface and the positioner in a direction along a surface of the sheets on the supporting portion at a time when the binding operation is executed in the first mode is different from that at a time when the binding operation is executed in the second mode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a position of the binder in the direction along the surface of the sheets on the supporting portion at the time when the binding operation is executed in the first mode is different from that at the time when the binding operation is executed in the second mode, and wherein a position of the first member in the direction along the surface of the sheets on the supporting portion at the time when the binding operation is executed in the first mode is same with that at the time when the binding operation is executed in the second mode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a position of the binder in the direction along the surface of the sheets on the supporting portion at the time when the binding operation is executed in the first mode is same with that at the time when the binding operation is executed in the second mode, and wherein a position of the first member in the direction along the surface of the sheets on the supporting portion at the time when the binding operation is executed in the first mode is different from that at the time when the binding operation is executed in the second mode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a positioner configured to position the sheets supported on the supporting portion by contacting at least one edge of the sheets, wherein the binder is configured to bind the sheets which is positioned by the positioner by crimping the sheets using the first and second surfaces, and wherein a position of the positioner in the first mode is different from a position of the positioner in the second mode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a positioner configured to position the sheets supported on the supporting portion by contacting at least one edge of the sheets, wherein the binder is configured to bind the sheets which is positioned by the positioner by crimping the sheets using the first and second surfaces, and wherein a position of the first member at a time when the sheets positioned by the positioner is bound in the first mode is different from that in the second mode. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the positioner includes an aligning member provided to be movable in a width direction and configured to align a widthwise position of the sheets. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the positioner includes an aligning member provided to be movable in a width direction and configured to align a widthwise position of the sheets. ### Claim 12 (depends on 5) The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising: a conveyance path through which a sheet is conveyed; a discharger configured to discharge the sheet conveyed through the conveyance path to the supporting portion; and a mover configured to rotate while contacting with an uppermost sheet of the sheets on the supporting portion and to move the uppermost sheet in a moving direction, wherein the positioner includes a member against which a downstream end, in the moving direction, of the sheet moved by the mover abuts. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising: a conveyance path through which a sheet is conveyed; a discharger configured to discharge the sheet conveyed through the conveyance path to the supporting portion; and a mover configured to rotate while contacting with an upper most sheet of the sheets on the supporting portion and to move the uppermost sheet in a moving direction, wherein the positioner includes a member against which a downstream end, in the moving direction, of the sheet moved by the mover abuts. ### Claim 14 An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet; a supporting portion on which sheets, each of which has an image formed thereon by the image forming portion, are supported; a binder including a first member with a first surface on which a concave-convex portion is provided and a second member with a second surface on which a concave-convex portion is provided and which is engaged with the first surface, the binder being configured to bind the sheets disposed between the first and second members by crimping the sheets using the first and second surfaces; and a controller configured to execute a plurality of modes including first and second modes, an area of the sheets being deformed by being crimped by the first and second surfaces including an edge of the sheets in a case where the first mode is executed, and an area of the sheets being deformed by being crimped by the first and second surfaces not including an edge of the sheets in a case where the second mode is executed. ### Claim 15 A sheet processing apparatus, comprising: a supporting portion on which sheets are supported; a first member with a first surface on which a concave-convex portion is provided; a second member with a second surface on which a concave-convex portion is provided; and a positioner configured to position the sheets supported on the supporting portion by contacting at least one edge of the sheets, wherein the first and second surfaces crimp and bind the sheets which are positioned by the positioner and disposed between the first and second members, wherein a relative position between the first surface and the positioner can be set such that an area of the sheets being deformed by being crimped using the first and second surfaces includes an edge of the sheets, and wherein the relative position between the first surface and the positioner can be set such that an area of the sheets being deformed by being crimped using the first and second surfaces does not include the edge of the sheets.