# US 10,800,631 B2 · Sheet stacking 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 10,800,631 B2 - Document ID: US10800631B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/271,216 - Filed: 2019-02-08 - Published: 2019-08-15 - Granted: 2020-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-09 - Assignees: Canon Finetech Nisca Inc. - Applicants: Mamoru Kubo; Hiroto Akiyama; Ichitaro Kubota; Hiroki Honmochi; Takashi Saito; Kota Hihara - Inventors: Mamoru Kubo; Hiroto Akiyama; Ichitaro Kubota; Hiroki Honmochi; Takashi Saito; Kota Hihara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10800631B2 ## CPC - B65H 31/02: with stationary end support against which pile accumulates - B41J 13/106: {for the sheet output section} - B65H 31/12: Devices relieving the weight of the pile or permitting or effecting movement of the pile end support during piling - G03G 15/5029: {by measuring the copy material characteristics, e.g. weight, thickness} - G03G 15/6544: {Details about the binding means or procedure} - B65H 31/36: Auxiliary devices for contacting each article with a front stop as it is piled - B65H 2301/4212: of articles substantially horizontal - B65H 2301/4213: of a limited number of articles, e.g. buffering, forming bundles - B65H 2404/1114: Paddle wheel - B65H 2405/11151: with surface inclined upwardly in transport direction - B65H 2511/30: Numbers, e.g. of windings or rotations - B65H 2513/11: angular - B65H 2515/10: Mass, e.g. mass flow rate; Weight; Inertia - B65H 2515/30: Forces; Stresses - B65H 2515/70: Electrical or magnetic properties, e.g. electric power or current - B65H 2801/06: Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers - B65H 2801/27: Devices located downstream of office-type machines - G03G 2215/00915: Detection of weight of copies - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract To enable a bunch of sheets to be reliably discharged to a stack tray, also in the case where weight of the bunch of sheets formed on a processing tray is large, a post-processing control section receives information on an ink discharge amount, the number of sheets, sheet type, and printing mode (two-side/one-side) in printing on sheets from a main body control section of an image forming unit A, in forming a bunch of sheets on the processing tray. The control section thereby recognizes weight of a bunch of sheets formed on the processing tray, and when the section determines that the weight is heavier than predetermined weight, decreases a rotation velocity of a drive motor of a sheet bunch transport means, or increases a current amount applied to the drive motor. By this means, torque of the motor is increased, and the bunch of sheets is reliably discharged to the first stack tray. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sheet stacking apparatus for receiving sheets subjected to printing processing in an image forming apparatus and forming a bunch of sheets to discharge, comprising: a first sheet placement section adapted to place a sheet; a sheet bunch forming section adapted to form a bunch of sheets including the sheet in a state in which the sheets are supported on the first sheet placement section; a sheet bunch shift section adapted to shift the bunch of sheets formed by the sheet bunch forming section in a predetermined shift direction; a drive section adapted to drive the sheet bunch shift section; a second sheet placement section adapted to place the bunch of sheets shifted by the sheet bunch shift section; a control section adapted to receive information on an ink discharge amount in performing the printing processing on the sheet from an image forming apparatus side, and control the drive section to increase a transport force per unit time in shifting the bunch of sheets with the sheet bunch shift section, when the ink discharge amount is larger than a predetermined amount, as compared with a case that the ink discharge amount is smaller than the predetermined amount. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a read section adapted to read a printed sheet, wherein the recognizing section recognizes weight of the bunch of sheets, using a read result in the read section. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a moisture content detecting section adapted to detect a moisture content of the sheet provided with the printing processing, wherein the recognizing section recognizes weight of the bunch of sheets, using a detection result in the moisture content detecting section. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein further based on information on the number of sheets of a bunch of sheets formed at a time, sheet type and/or the presence or absence of two-side printing, the control section is adapted to control the drive section. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a weight detecting section adapted to detect weight of a bunch of sheets, in a sheet placement portion of the first sheet placement section, wherein the recognizing section recognizes weight of the bunch of sheets, using a detection result in the weight detecting section. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive section includes a motor to shift the sheet bunch shift section, and when the ink discharge amount is larger than a predetermined amount, the control section increases a current amount applied to the motor, as compared with the case that the ink discharge amount is smaller than the predetermined amount. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the drive section includes a motor to shift the sheet bunch shift section, and when the ink discharge amount is larger than a predetermined amount, the control section decreases a rotation velocity of the motor, as compared with the case that the ink discharge amount is smaller than the predetermined amount. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) An image forming system comprising: an image forming section adapted to perform the printing processing on the sheet; and the sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1. ### Claim 9 A sheet stacking apparatus for receiving sheets subjected to printing processing in an image forming apparatus and forming a bunch of sheets to discharge, comprising: a first sheet placement section adapted to place a sheet; a sheet bunch forming section adapted to form a bunch of sheets including the sheet in a state in which the sheets are supported on the first sheet placement section; a sheet bunch shift section adapted to shift the bunch of sheets formed by the sheet bunch forming section in a predetermined shift direction; a drive section adapted to drive the sheet bunch shift section; a second sheet placement section adapted to place the bunch of sheets shifted by the sheet bunch shift section; and a control section adapted to receive printing image information in performing the printing processing on the sheet from an image forming apparatus side, calculate an ink discharge amount in performing the printing processing on the sheet from the printing image information, and control the drive section to increase a transport force per unit time in shifting the bunch of sheets with the sheet bunch shift section, when the ink discharge amount is larger than a predetermined amount, as compared with a case that the ink discharge amount is smaller than the predetermined amount. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 9, wherein further based on information on the number of sheets of a bunch of sheets formed at a time, sheet type and/or the presence or absence of two-side printing, the control section is adapted to control the drive section. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the drive section includes a motor to shift the sheet bunch shift section, and when the ink discharge amount is larger than a predetermined amount, the control section increases a current amount applied to the motor, as compared with the case that the ink discharge amount is smaller than the predetermined amount. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) An image forming system comprising: an image forming section adapted to perform the printing processing on the sheet; and the sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 9.