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US 5,330,170 AGranted
Finisher for an image forming apparatus which rotates about a stapling position
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorsKunihiro Uotani, Yoshihide Sugiyama, Fumitaka Hyodou, Akira Hirose, Takashi Fujii
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A finisher for an image forming apparatus and capable of changing the binding angle of a staple relative to a sheet stack to be bound, as desired. A stapler is rotatable substantially about the binding position thereof to change the angle thereof relative to a sheet stack. This maintains the binding position substantially constant in both of parallel binding and inclined binding.
Claims16
A finisher for an image forming apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of bins arranged one above another:
- clamping and moving means operable with any one of said plurality of bins for clamping a stack of sheets distributed to the bin and then moving said stack to a stapling position;
- stapling means rotatable substantially about the stapling position for stapling the stack of sheets brought to the stapling position;
- and
- control means for controlling said clamping and moving means and said stapling means such that said stapling means is variable in angle relative to the stack of sheets distributed to the bin.
2 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- an image forming portion for forming images on a plurality of sheets and sequentially driving out said plurality of sheets;
- a plurality of distribution rollers for distributing said plurality of sheets driven out of said image forming portion to a plurality of bins arranged one above another;
- a clamper, operable with any one of said plurality of bins, for clamping at least a stack of sheets distributed to said one of said plurality of bins and then moving said stack of sheets distributed to said one of said plurality of bins to a stapling position;
- a stapler rotatable substantially about the stapling position for stapling said part of said stack of sheets brought to the stapling position;
- and
- a controller for controlling said clamper and said stapler such that said stapler is variable in angle relative to said part of said stack of sheets distributed to the bin and the binding position of a staple is variable in angle relative to said stack of sheets distributed to the bin.
3 more elements
A method for providing images on a plurality of sheets, said method comprising the steps of:
- forming images on a plurality of sheets in an image forming portion;
- sequentially driving said plurality of sheets out of the image forming portion;
- distributing said plurality of sheets driven out of said image forming portion to a plurality of bins arranged one above another;
- clamping at least a stack of sheets distributed to one of said plurality of bins;
- moving said at least said stack of sheets distributed to said one of said plurality of bins to a stapling position;
- rotating a stapler substantially about the stapling position and stapling said at least said stack of sheets moved to the stapling position;
- and
- controlling said steps of clamping, moving and rotating such that said stapler is variable in angle relative to said stack of sheets distributed to the bin and the binding position of a staple is variable in angle relative to said stack of sheets distributed to the bin.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.