# US 11,111,098 B2 · Sheet folding system 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 11,111,098 B2 - Document ID: US11111098B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/715,608 - Filed: 2019-12-16 - Published: 2020-07-30 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2019-01-30 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Michitaka Suzuki; Tomohiro Furuhashi; Tomomichi Hoshino; Fumiharu Yoneyama; Makoto Hidaka; Koki Sakano; Akira Kunieda; Takahiro Watanabe; Takuya Morinaga; Yohsuke Haraguchi - Inventors: Michitaka Suzuki; Tomohiro Furuhashi; Tomomichi Hoshino; Fumiharu Yoneyama; Makoto Hidaka; Koki Sakano; Akira Kunieda; Takahiro Watanabe; Takuya Morinaga; Yohsuke Haraguchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11111098B2 ## CPC - B65H 37/06: for folding - B65H 29/125: {between two sets of rollers} - B65H 45/14: Buckling folders - 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 2301/51232: for flattening - B65H 2403/942: Bidirectional powered handling device - B65H 2404/632: Wedge member - B65H 2513/42: Route, path - B65H 2513/51: Sequence of process - B65H 2801/27: Devices located downstream of office-type machines - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A sheet folding system includes a plurality of sheet folding apparatuses configured to receive and perform a folding process on a sheet and circuitry configured to distribute sheets to the plurality of sheet folding apparatuses. Each of the plurality of sheet folding apparatuses includes a folding device configured to fold the sheet, a first conveyance passage configured to convey the sheet downstream in a sheet conveyance direction without passing through the folding device, a second conveyance passage configured to convey the sheet to the folding device, a third conveyance passage configured to convey the sheet from the folding device downstream in the sheet conveyance direction, and a junction between the first conveyance passage and the third conveyance passage. The circuitry controls sheet conveyance to prevent an interference, at the junction, between the sheet conveyed from the first conveyance passage and the sheet conveyed from the third conveyance passage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sheet folding system comprising: a plurality of sheet folding apparatuses configured to receive and perform a folding process on sheets, each of the plurality of sheet folding apparatuses including: a folding device configured to fold the sheet, a first conveyance passage configured to convey the sheets downstream in a sheet conveyance direction without passing through the folding device, a second conveyance passage configured to convey the sheets to the folding device, and a third conveyance passage configured to convey the sheets from the folding device downstream in the sheet conveyance direction; and circuitry configured to: distribute the sheets to the plurality of sheet folding apparatuses, and control sheet conveyance to inhibit an interference, at a junction between the first conveyance passage and the third conveyance passage, between ones of the sheets conveyed from the first conveyance passage and ones of the sheets conveyed from the third conveyance passage by temporarily retaining at least one of the sheets within at least one of the second conveyance passage and the third conveyance passage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sheet folding system according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of sheet folding apparatuses includes at least one of a first retainer and a second retainer disposed in at least one of the second conveyance passage and the third conveyance passage, and wherein the circuitry is configured to cause the at least one of the first retainer and the second retainer to temporarily retain the sheet. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sheet folding system according to claim 2, further comprising a stacking area leading from the first retainer, wherein the circuitry is configured to cause the first retainer to stack the sheet in the stacking area. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The sheet folding system according to claim 2, comprising, as the second retainer, a sheet conveyor configured to convey the sheet and disposed at extreme downstream in the third conveyance passage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The sheet folding system according to claim 2, comprising, as the second retainer, a fold-enforcing device configured to enforce a fold on the sheet folded by the folding device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The sheet folding system according to claim 2, further comprising a sheet detector on an upstream side in the first conveyance passage in the sheet conveyance direction, the sheet detector configured to detect the sheet, wherein the circuitry is configured to cancel retention of the sheet by the at least one of the first retainer and the second retainer in response to a signal from the sheet detector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The sheet folding system according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of sheet folding apparatuses includes an upstream sheet folding apparatus and a downstream sheet folding apparatus disposed downstream from the upstream sheet folding apparatus in the sheet conveyance direction, and wherein the upstream sheet folding apparatus is configured to convey the sheet folded in the upstream sheet folding apparatus to the downstream sheet folding apparatus, and wherein the downstream sheet folding apparatus performs the folding process on the folded sheet. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sheet folding system according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of sheet folding apparatuses have an identical structure. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The sheet folding system according to claim 1, wherein the respective first conveyance passages of the plurality of sheet folding apparatuses are connected in series. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) An image forming system comprising: an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet; and the sheet folding system according to claim 1, configured to perform the folding process on the sheet on which the image is formed. ### Claim 11 A first sheet folding apparatus, comprising: a folding device configured to fold sheets; a first conveyance passage configured to convey the sheets downstream in a sheet conveyance direction without passing through the folding device; a second conveyance passage configured to convey the sheets to the folding device; a third conveyance passage configured to convey the sheets from the folding device downstream in the sheet conveyance direction; and circuitry configured to: distribute the sheets to the first sheet folding apparatus and a second sheet folding apparatus connected thereto, and control sheet conveyance to inhibit an interference, at a junction between the first conveyance passage and the third conveyance passage, between ones of the sheets conveyed from the first conveyance passage and ones of the sheets conveyed from the third conveyance passage by temporarily retaining at least one of the sheets within at least one of the second conveyance passage and the third conveyance passage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The first sheet folding apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a portion of at least one of the second conveyance passage and the third conveyance passage is configured as a retainer, and the circuitry is configured to control the sheet conveyance such that the at least one of the sheet is temporarily retained by the retainer. ### Claim 13 A method of operating a sheet folding system including a plurality of sheet folding apparatuses configured to receive and perform a folding process on sheets, the plurality of sheet folding apparatuses each including a folding device configured to fold the sheets, a first conveyance passage configured to convey the sheets downstream in a sheet conveyance direction without passing through the folding device, a second conveyance passage configured to convey the sheets to the folding device and a third conveyance passage configured to convey the sheets from the folding device downstream in the sheet conveyance direction, the method comprising: distribute the sheets to the plurality of sheet folding apparatuses; and control sheet conveyance to inhibit an interference, at a junction between the first conveyance passage and the third conveyance passage, between ones of the sheets conveyed from the first conveyance passage and ones of the sheets conveyed from the third conveyance passage by temporarily retaining at least one of the sheets within at least one of the second conveyance passage and the third conveyance passage. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of operating the sheet folding system according to claim 13, wherein a portion of at least one of the second conveyance passage and the third conveyance passage is configured as a retainer, and the controlling controls the sheet conveyance such that the at least one of the sheet is temporarily retained by the retainer.