# US 11,999,584 B2 · Post-processing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,999,584 B2 - Document ID: US11999584B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/104,810 - Filed: 2023-02-02 - Published: 2023-07-13 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2022-01-07 - Assignees: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Kikuo Mizutani - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11999584B2 ## CPC - B65H 31/10: and applied at the top of the pile - B65H 29/18: and introducing into a pile - B65H 31/02: with stationary end support against which pile accumulates - B65H 43/00: Use of control, checking, or safety devices, e.g. automatic devices comprising an element for sensing a variable - G03G 15/6552: {Means for discharging uncollated sheet copy material, e.g. discharging rollers, exit trays} - B65H 2301/4212: of articles substantially horizontal - B65H 2301/4213: of a limited number of articles, e.g. buffering, forming bundles - B65H 2405/11151: with surface inclined upwardly in transport direction - B65H 2405/113: Front, i.e. portion adjacent to the feeding / delivering side - B65H 2513/10: Speed - B65H 2513/512: Starting; Stopping - B65H 2513/52: Age; Duration; Life time or chronology of event - B65H 2553/40: using optical, e.g. photographic, elements - B65H 2553/61: Mechanical means, e.g. contact arms - B65H 2701/1311: leading edge - B65H 2801/06: Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers - 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 post-processing apparatus includes a conveyance unit, a discharge port, a tray, an elevation unit, a detection unit, and a control unit. The conveyance unit conveys a print medium supplied from an image forming apparatus. The discharge port discharges the print medium conveyed by the conveyance unit. The tray is stacked with the print medium discharged from the discharge port and can be raised and lowered in a vertical direction. The elevation unit raises and lower the tray in the vertical direction. The detection unit detects a top surface of an uppermost print medium of one or more sheets of print media stacked on the tray. The control unit controls the conveyance unit and the elevation unit and hold a relative position of the top surface with respect to the discharge port if the print medium is discharged from the discharge port at a first position. The control unit causes the conveyance unit to convey the print medium at a first speed if a discharge time from a first timing indicating the timing relating to discharge of the print medium from the discharge port to a second timing indicating the timing when the print medium is detected by the detection unit is a first time and causes the conveyance unit to convey the print medium at a second speed different from the first speed if the discharge time is a second time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A post-processing apparatus, comprising: a conveyance component configured to convey a print medium supplied from an image forming apparatus; a discharge port that discharges the print medium conveyed by the conveyance component; a tray on which the print medium discharged from the discharge port is stacked and which is raisable and lowerable in a vertical direction; an elevation component configured to raise and lower the tray in the vertical direction; a detector configured to detect a top surface of an uppermost print medium of one or more sheets of print media stacked on the tray; and a controller configured to control the conveyance component and the elevation component and hold a relative position of the top surface with respect to the discharge port at a first position, wherein the controller is further configured to determine if a predetermined number of sheets of print medium are discharged from the discharge port, if the detector detects the top surface of an uppermost print medium, lower the tray to a lowermost position, raise the tray until the detector detects the top surface of an uppermost print medium, move the tray so that the top surface is at the first position, and if one or more sheets of the print medium are not stacked on the tray, set a first speed as a speed at which a bundle pawl drive mechanism conveys the print medium; or if one or more sheets of print medium are stacked on the tray, read speed information stored in a storage component. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to store information indicating a speed at which a bundle pawl drive mechanism conveys the print medium in a storage component as speed information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to read speed information stored in a storage component. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to set the speed indicated by the speed information read as the speed at which the bundle pawl drive mechanism conveys the print medium. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to cause a speed at which the conveyance component conveys the print medium to reach a first speed while changing the speed in two or more steps if a discharge time is a first time and cause a speed at which the conveyance component conveys the print medium to reach a second speed while changing the speed in two or more steps if the discharge time is a second time. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to specify a discharge time each time the print medium is supplied from the image forming apparatus and change a speed at which the conveyance component conveys the print medium according to a specified discharge time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to store speed information indicating a speed at which the conveyance component conveys the print medium finally supplied from the image forming apparatus in a storage component if the image forming apparatus ends supply of the print medium. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The post-processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to read the speed information from the storage component and set a speed indicated by the read speed information as the speed at which the conveyance component conveys the print medium if the image forming apparatus starts supplying the print medium and if one or more sheets of print media are stacked on the tray. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyance component is configured to include a belt for conveying the print medium supplied from the image forming apparatus to the discharge port, a motor for rotating the belt, and a bundle pawl provided on the belt and pushes the print medium located on the belt outward from the discharge port in response to rotation of the belt. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The post-processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a first timing indicates the timing at which the bundle pawl starts to move. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller, if the print medium is discharged from the discharge port, lowers the tray to a second position and then raises the tray until the top surface is detected by the detector, and after that, if the top surface is detected by the detector, lowers the tray by a first lowering amount, thereby holding a relative position of the top surface with respect to the discharge port at the first position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector includes an actuator that protrudes from a surface on which the tray is provided in a discharge direction, in which the print medium is discharged from the discharge port, and is pushed by the uppermost print medium in a direction opposite to the discharge direction, and detect the top surface if the actuator is pushed in the direction opposite to the discharge direction. ### Claim 13 An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image forming component; a conveyance component configured to convey a print medium; a discharge port that discharges the print medium conveyed by the conveyance component; a tray on which the print medium discharged from the discharge port is stacked and which is raisable and lowerable in a vertical direction; an elevation component configured to raise and lower the tray in the vertical direction; a detector configured to detect a top surface of an uppermost print medium of one or more sheets of print media stacked on the tray; and a controller configured to control the conveyance component and the elevation component and hold a relative position of the top surface with respect to the discharge port at a first position, wherein the controller is further configured to determine if a predetermined number of sheets of print medium are discharged from the discharge port, if the detector detects the top surface of an uppermost print medium, lower the tray to a lowermost position, raise the tray until the detector detects the top surface of an uppermost print medium, move the tray so that the top surface is at the first position, and if one or more sheets of the print medium are not stacked on the tray, set a first speed as a speed at which a bundle pawl drive mechanism conveys the print medium; or if one or more sheets of print medium are stacked on the tray, read speed information stored in a storage component. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to store information indicating a speed at which a bundle pawl drive mechanism conveys the print medium in a storage component as speed information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to read speed information stored in a storage component. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to set the speed indicated by the speed information read as the speed at which the bundle pawl drive mechanism conveys the print medium. ### Claim 17 A method of post-processing a print medium supplied from an image forming apparatus, comprising: discharging the print medium conveyed by a conveyance component from a discharge port onto a tray on which the print medium is stacked and which is raisable and lowerable in a vertical direction by an elevation component configured to raise and lower the tray in the vertical direction; detecting a top surface of an uppermost print medium of one or more sheets of print media stacked on the tray; controlling the conveyance component and the elevation component and holding a relative position of the top surface with respect to the discharge port at a first position; determining if a predetermined number of sheets of print medium are discharged from the discharge port; if the top surface of an uppermost print medium is detected, lowering the tray to a lowermost position; raising the tray until the top surface of an uppermost print medium is detected; and moving the tray so that the top surface is at the first position, and if one or more sheets of the print medium are not stacked on the tray, setting a first speed as a speed at which a bundle pawl drive mechanism conveys the print medium; or if one or more sheets of print medium are stacked on the tray, reading speed information stored. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, further comprising: storing information indicating a speed at which a bundle pawl drive mechanism conveys the print medium as speed information. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, further comprising: reading speed information stored. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the controller is further configured to setting the speed indicated by the speed information read as the speed at which the bundle pawl drive mechanism conveys the print medium.