# US 10,689,221 B2 · Sheet processing apparatus and image forming system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,689,221 B2 - Document ID: US10689221B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/150,499 - Filed: 2016-05-10 - Published: 2016-11-24 - Granted: 2020-06-23 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-22 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Koki Sakano; Nobuyoshi Suzuki; Hidehiko Fujiwara; Yuusuke Shibasaki; Wataru Takahashi; Katsuhiro Kosuge; Makoto Hidaka; Shohichi Satoh; Akira Kunieda; Takuya Morinaga; Yohsuke Haraguchi - Inventors: Koki Sakano; Nobuyoshi Suzuki; Hidehiko Fujiwara; Yuusuke Shibasaki; Wataru Takahashi; Katsuhiro Kosuge; Makoto Hidaka; Shohichi Satoh; Akira Kunieda; Takuya Morinaga; Yohsuke Haraguchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10689221B2 ## CPC - B65H 37/04: for securing together articles or webs, e.g. by adhesive, stitching or stapling (adhering replacement to expiring web during change of web roll B65H19/18) - B42B 2/00: Permanently attaching together sheets, quires or signatures by stitching with filamentary material, e.g. textile threads (discontinuously B42B4/00) - G03G 15/6541: {Binding sets of sheets, e.g. by stapling, glueing} - G03G 15/6582: {Special processing for irreversibly adding or changing the sheet copy material characteristics or its appearance, e.g. stamping, annotation printing, punching} - B65H 2301/51611: involving at least a binding element traversing the handled material, e.g. staple - B65H 2301/51616: involving simultaneous deformation of parts of the material to be bound - B65H 2408/1222: movable transversely to direction of transport - B65H 2801/27: Devices located downstream of office-type machines - G03G 2215/00831: Stitcher - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - 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) - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A sheet processing apparatus includes: a conveying unit configured to convey a sheet along a sheet conveyance path; a conveyance-path supporting unit configured to support both ends of the sheet conveyance path with respect to a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction; a first stitching unit configured to stitch the sheets conveyed; a second stitching unit configured to stitch the sheets conveyed; a first moving unit configured to move the first stitching unit in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction; and a second moving unit configured to move the second stitching unit in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, wherein any one of the first stitching unit and the second stitching unit is movable to outside of the conveyance-path supporting unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image forming system comprising: an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet; and a sheet processing apparatus configured to stitch a bundle of sheets, on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus, the sheet processing apparatus including a sheet stacker configured to stack thereon multiple sheets; a staple-containing stitching unit configured to stitch the sheets using one or more staples; a staple-free stitching unit configured to stitch the sheets without using a staple; a first drive source configured to drive the staple-containing stitching unit; a second drive source separate from the first drive source and configured to drive the staple-free stitching unit; a frame including at least a first frame member and a second frame member respectively disposed outside both ends of the sheet stacker in a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying direction in which the sheets enter the sheet stacker, the first frame member being disposed on a side where the staple-containing stitching unit is disposed, the second frame member being disposed on a side where the staple-free stitching unit is disposed, and the second frame member including a hole section; and an outer cover including at least a first cover member and a second cover member respectively disposed further outside the first and second frame members in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, wherein the staple-free stitching unit is disposed on a back side of the sheet processing apparatus, and the staple-containing stitching unit is disposed on a front side of the sheet processing apparatus, at least a part of the first cover member is openable and closable, and at least a part of the second cover member is detachable, and the staple-free stitching unit located between the second frame and the second cover member when the staple-free stitching unit stands by at a home position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein a whole of the staple-free stitching unit is movable to a position located between the second frame member and the second cover member in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein a part of the staple-free stitching unit is movable to a position located between the second frame member and the second cover member in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein at least a stitching member, which stitches a sheet bundle, of the staple-free stitching unit is located between the second frame member and the second cover member in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein a moving range of the staple-containing stitching unit and a moving range of the staple-free stitching unit at least partially overlap in the sheet conveying direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image forming system according to claim 1, further comprising a movable guide member that is movable in a thickness direction of the sheets, the movable guide member being disposed above the sheets. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The image forming system according to claim 6, wherein when the movable guide member is positioned at the lowermost position, a gap between the tip of the movable guide member and the sheet stacker is equal to or smaller than a height of a stitching opening of the staple-free stitching unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image forming system according to claim 1, further comprising: a first guide member configured to guide the staple-containing stitching unit such that the staple-containing stitching unit moves in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction; and a second guide member configured to guide the staple-free stitching unit such that the staple-free stitching unit moves in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein at a time of maintenance, repair, or failure of the staple-free stitching unit, the staple-free stitching unit is movable from a position located within the frame to a position located outside the frame between the second frame member and the second cover member through the hole section of the second frame member.