Sheet processing apparatus including shift unit capable of shifting sheet

A sheet processing apparatus comprising:

• an intermediate tray on which a sheet is to be stacked;
• a stapler configured to execute stapling processing on the sheet stacked on the intermediate tray;
• a discharge tray on which the sheet, subjected to the stapling processing by the stapler and discharged from the intermediate tray, is to be stacked;
• a control unit configured to control the stapler;
• and
• a shift unit configured to shift the sheet to a position on the intermediate tray along a direction parallel to a stacking surface of the intermediate tray and orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the sheet, wherein the position is outside of a range in which the stapling processing is to be executed, and the shift unit includes a conveyance member configured to be movable along a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the sheet and to convey the sheet to the intermediate tray,
• wherein, in a case where a first sheet is subject to the stapling processing and a second sheet is not subject to the stapling processing, the control unit causes the shift unit to shift the second sheet on which the stapling processing is not executed, and causes the stapler to execute the stapling processing on the first sheet in a state where the first sheet and the second sheet are stacked on the intermediate tray, and
• wherein, when the conveyance member conveys the second sheet to the intermediate tray with respect to a position on the intermediate tray to which the conveyance member conveys the first sheet, the conveyance member moves along the orthogonal direction and then conveys the second sheet to the intermediate tray to shift a position of the second sheet with respect to the first sheet.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet;
• an intermediate tray on which a sheet having the image formed thereon by the image forming unit is to be stacked;
• a stapler configured to execute stapling processing on the sheet stacked on the intermediate tray;
• a discharge tray on which the sheet, subjected to the stapling processing by the stapler and discharged from the intermediate tray, is to be stacked;
• a control unit configured to control the stapler;
• and
• a shift unit configured to shift the sheet to a position on the intermediate tray along a conveyance direction of the sheet, wherein the position is outside of a range in which the stapling processing is to be executed, and the shift unit includes an alignment member configured to align the position of the sheet stacked on the intermediate tray along the conveyance direction of the sheet,
• wherein, in a case where a first sheet is subject to the stapling processing and a second sheet is not subject to the stapling processing, the control unit causes the shift unit to shift the second sheet on which the stapling processing is not executed, and causes the stapler to execute the stapling processing on the first sheet in a state where the first sheet and the second sheet are stacked on the intermediate tray,
• wherein, in a case where the first sheet is conveyed to the intermediate tray, the alignment member aligns a position of the first sheet, and
• wherein, in a case where the second sheet is conveyed to the intermediate tray, the alignment member shifts a position of the second sheet with respect to the first sheet by not aligning the position of the second sheet.