# US 10,865,064 B2 · Sheet stacker, image forming apparatus, and image system

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- Number: US 10,865,064 B2
- Document ID: US10865064B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/260,324
- Filed: 2019-01-29
- Published: 2019-08-01
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-31
- Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Masaaki Kawasaki; Takahiro Itou; Hiroshi Hirako
- Inventors: Masaaki Kawasaki; Takahiro Itou; Hiroshi Hirako
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10865064B2

## CPC

- B65H 29/245: {Air blast devices}
- B65H 1/04: adapted to support articles substantially horizontally, e.g. for separation from top of pile
- B65H 29/14: and introducing into a pile
- B65H 31/02: with stationary end support against which pile accumulates
- B65H 29/125: {between two sets of rollers}
- B65H 31/10: and applied at the top of the pile
- B65H 31/38: Apparatus for vibrating or knocking the pile during piling
- B65H 33/08: Displacing whole batches, e.g. forming stepped piles
- B65H 2301/4212: of articles substantially horizontal
- B65H 2301/42192: forming a pile of articles in zigzag fashion
- B65H 2301/4461: by blowing air towards handled material
- B65H 2405/1122: movable linearly, details therefor
- B65H 2406/12: producing gas blast
- B65H 2406/122: Nozzles
- B65H 2406/14: with selectively operated air supply openings
- B65H 2511/15: Height, e.g. of stack
- B65H 2801/06: Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers
- B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES

## Abstract

A sheet stacker includes a sheet ejector, a sheet stack portion, and air blowers. The sheet ejector ejects a sheet. The sheet stack portion stacks the sheet ejected by the sheet ejector. The air blowers blow air from blow ports toward the sheet ejected from the sheet ejector. Each of the air blowers includes an air generator, an air guide, a first blow portion, a second blow portion, and a switcher. The air generator generates the air. The air guide guides the air to each of the blow ports. The first blow portion blows the air toward the sheet. The second blow portion blows the air in a direction different from a direction in which the first blow portion blows the air. The switcher performs switching so that the air guide guides the air to one of the first blow portion and the second blow portion.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A sheet stacker, comprising:
a sheet ejector to eject a sheet;
a sheet stack portion to stack the sheet ejected by the sheet ejector; and
a plurality of air blowers to blow air from a plurality of blow ports toward the sheet ejected from the sheet ejector,
each of the plurality of air blowers including:
an air generator to generate the air;
an air guide to guide the air to each of the plurality of blow ports;
a first blow portion to blow the air toward the sheet;
a second blow portion to blow the air in a direction different from a direction in which the first blow portion blows the air; and
a switcher to perform switching so that the air guide guides the air to one of the first blow portion and the second blow portion,
wherein the switcher is an air flow regulating member having a plurality of protrusions and configured such that an opposing interval of the protrusions decreases from upstream in an air flow direction toward downstream in the air flow direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet stacker according to claim 1.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

An image system comprising:
an image forming apparatus; and
the sheet stacker according to claim 1 to operate in conjunction with the image forming apparatus.

### Claim 4

A sheet stacker, comprising:
a sheet ejector to eject a sheet;
a sheet stack portion to stack the sheet ejected by the sheet ejector; and
a plurality of air blowers to blow air from a plurality of blow ports toward the sheet ejected from the sheet ejector,
each of the plurality of air blowers including:
an air generator to generate the air;
an air guide to guide the air to each of the plurality of blow ports;
a first blow portion to blow the air toward the sheet;
a second blow portion to blow the air in a direction different from a direction in which the first blow portion blows the air; and
a switcher to perform switching so that the air guide guides the air to one of the first blow portion and the second blow portion,
wherein the second blow portion is disposed in middle of a conveyance path toward sheet ejection in the sheet ejector and blows the air toward the sheet under conveyance before being ejected in the sheet ejector.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet stacker according to claim 4.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

An image system comprising:
an image forming apparatus; and
the sheet stacker according to claim 4 to operate in conjunction with the image forming apparatus.