# US 2008/0185773 A1 · Sheet processing apparatus and sheet processing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0185773 A1 - Document ID: US20080185773A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/670,085 - Filed: 2007-02-01 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2007-02-01 - Assignees: Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Mikio Yamamoto - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080185773A1 ## CPC - B65H 31/26: Auxiliary devices for retaining articles in the pile - B65H 31/3081: {by acting on edge of the pile for moving it along a surface, e.g. by pushing} - B65H 31/36: Auxiliary devices for contacting each article with a front stop as it is piled - B65H 43/06: detecting, or responding to, completion of pile (B65H43/08 takes precedence) - G03G 15/6538: {Devices for collating sheet copy material, e.g. sorters, control, copies in staples form} - G03G 15/6552: {Means for discharging uncollated sheet copy material, e.g. discharging rollers, exit trays} - B42C 1/12: Machines for both collating or gathering and permanently attaching together the sheets or signatures - B65H 2301/42266: by acting on edge of the pile for moving it along a surface, e.g. pushing - B65H 2404/1114: Paddle wheel - B65H 2511/15: Height, e.g. of stack - B65H 2513/40: Movement - B65H 2801/27: Devices located downstream of office-type machines - B65H 2801/31: Devices located downstream of industrial printers - G03G 2215/00911: Detection of copy amount or presence in discharge tray - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY - B42C: BOOKBINDING (cutting or perforating machines, devices or tools B26; folding sheets or webs B31F; ornamenting books B44) ## Abstract A sheet processing apparatus of the invention includes a post-processing unit that applies post-processing to sheets supplied from an image forming apparatus, a conveying tool that guides the sheets subjected to the post-processing to a discharge port, a sheet discharge tray that receives the sheets discharged from the discharge port, and a control unit that controls an operation of the conveying tool and stops a discharge operation for new sheets, when a quantity of the sheets stacked on the sheet discharge tray reaches a full state set in advance. The sheet processing apparatus further includes a pressing unit that temporarily prevents movement of the sheet on the conveying tool, when a sheet is present on the conveying tool in the full state. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sheet processing apparatus comprising: a post-processing unit configured to apply post-processing to sheets supplied from an image forming apparatus; a sheet discharging unit configured to have a conveying tool that guides the sheets subjected to the post-processing by the post-processing unit to a discharge port; a sheet discharge tray that receives the sheets discharged from the discharge port; a control unit configured to control an operation of the sheet discharging unit and stop a discharge operation for new sheets, when a quantity of the sheets stacked on the sheet discharge tray reaches a full state set in advance; and a pressing unit configured to temporarily prevent movement of the sheet on the conveying tool, when a sheet is present on the conveying tool in the full state. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a rotating shaft arranged to be opposed to the conveying tool and in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of the sheets; and a paddle attached to the rotating shaft and also serving as the pressing unit, wherein the paddle includes a receiving unit configured to receive an end of a sheet supplied from the image forming apparatus and a sending unit configured to be arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to the receiving unit and feed the sheet to the post-processing mechanism, and the paddle presses, in the full state, the sheet on the conveying tool onto the conveying tool with the sending unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit rotates the paddle a predetermined angle and controls the pressing unit to press the sheet on the conveying tool, when the sheets stacked on the sheet discharge tray reach a predetermined quantity. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit rotates the paddle the predetermined angle at speed lower than speed at normal time, when the sheets stacked on the sheet discharge tray reach the predetermined quantity. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the sheet discharge tray to rise to a standby position and rotates the paddle to bring the paddle into an initial state set in advance, when the sheet placed on the sheet discharge tray is removed in the full state. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls a height position of the sheet discharge tray such that a sheet on an uppermost surface placed on the sheet discharge tray is at a predetermined height position and fixes the height position of the sheet discharge tray, when the sheets stacked on the sheet discharge tray reach a predetermined quantity. ### Claim 7 A sheet processing apparatus comprising: a sheet conveying path that brings in sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus and guides the sheets to a standby tray; a processing tray that is provided below the standby tray and is capable of receiving the sheets supplied from the standby tray and placing the sheets thereon; a post-processing unit configured to apply post-processing to the sheets placed on the processing tray; a sheet discharging unit configured to have a conveying tool that discharges the sheets subjected to the post-processing by the post processing mechanism; a paddle that is attached to a rotating shaft arranged in a direction orthogonal to a conveying direction of the sheets and for guiding the sheets supplied from the standby tray to the processing tray, the paddle including a receiving unit that receives an end of a sheet supplied from the standby tray and a sending unit that is arranged at a predetermined angle with respect to the receiving unit and sends the sheets on the processing tray to the post-processing mechanism; a sheet discharge tray that receives the sheets discharged from the discharge port; a tray control unit that controls a height position of the sheet discharge tray such that a sheet on an uppermost surface of the sheets stacked on the sheet discharge tray is in a predetermined height position; a discharge control unit that controls an operation of the sheet discharging unit and stops discharge of new sheets, when a quantity of the sheets stacked on the sheet discharge tray reaches a full state set in advance; and a paddle control unit that rotates the paddle a predetermined angle and temporarily presses the sheet on the conveying tool with the pressing unit, when a sheet is present on the conveying tool in the full state. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a first sensor that detects an uppermost surface of the sheets stacked on the sheet discharge tray, wherein the tray control unit controls a height position of the sheet discharge tray in response to a result of the detection by the first sensor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a second sensor that detects that sheets are stacked on the sheet discharge tray, wherein the discharge control unit counts a quantity of sheets discharged to the sheet discharge tray, from a point when the stack of the sheets is detected by the second sensor. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the paddle control unit rotates the paddle a predetermined angle at speed lower than speed at a normal time and rotates, when the sheets stacked on the sheet discharge tray reach the full state, and the paddle to bring the paddle into an initial state set in advance, when the sheets placed on the sheet discharge tray are removed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the paddle is formed by attaching, in a radial shape around the rotating shaft, the receiving unit configured to receive an end of a sheet supplied from the standby tray, a patting unit configured to pat down a sheet separated from the receiving unit to the processing tray, and the sending unit configured to send the sheets in the processing tray to the post-processing mechanism. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the pressing unit of the paddle is made of an elastic member. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the post-processing unit applies staple processing or sort processing to the sheets. ### Claim 14 A sheet processing method comprising: sending sheets supplied from an image forming apparatus to a post-processing unit with a paddle having a rotatable sending unit; discharging the sheets subjected to post-processing by the post-processing unit from a discharge port using a conveying tool; receiving the sheet discharged from the discharge port with a sheet discharge tray; controlling a height position of the sheet discharge tray such that a sheet on an uppermost surface of the sheets stacked on the sheet discharge tray is at a predetermined height position; stopping an operation of the conveying tool when a quantity of the sheets stacked on the sheet discharge tray reaches a full state set in advance; and rotating the paddle a predetermined angle when a sheet is present on the conveying tool in the full state and temporarily pressing the sheet on the conveying tool with the sending unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A sheet processing method according to claim 14, wherein the height position of the sheet discharge tray is returned to a standby position and the paddle is rotated to be brought into an initial state set in advance when the sheets placed on the sheet discharge tray are removed.