Sheet post-processing apparatus

A sheet post-processing apparatus comprising:

• a processing tray being included;
• a discharge tray being inclined in the same direction as said processing tray, for stacking thereon discharged sheets, said discharge tray being capable of selectively moving between a processing mode position corresponding to a processing mode and a non-processing mode position corresponding to a non-processing mode by adjusting an inclined angle and a height position thereof;
• tray drive means for switching a position of said discharge tray between the processing mode position and the non-processing mode position by adjusting the inclined angle and the height position of said discharge tray;
• post-processing means for post-processing sheets stacked on said processing tray;
• discharge means for moving the processed sheets along said processing tray to be discharged onto said discharge tray through a sheet discharge section and for discharging the non-processed sheets onto said discharge tray through the sheet discharge section;
• and
• control means for controlling said tray drive means such that when the processing mode is selected in which the processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the processing mode position, while when the non-processing mode is selected in which the non-processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the non-processing mode position,
• wherein:
• said sheet discharge section is composed of a first discharge section formed on a discharge end of said processing tray for discharging therethrough processed sheets and a second discharge section for discharging therethrough non-processed sheets.

A sheet post-processing apparatus comprising:

• a processing tray being inclined;
• a discharge tray being inclined in the same direction as said processing tray, for stacking thereon discharged sheets, said discharge tray being capable of selectively moving between a processing mode position corresponding to a processing mode and a non-processing mode position corresponding to a non-processing mode by adjusting an inclined angle and a height position thereof;
• tray drive means for switching a position of said discharge tray between the processing mode position and the non-processing mode position by adjusting the inclined angle and the height position of said discharge tray;
• post-processing means for post-processing sheets stacked on said processing tray;
• discharge means for moving the processed sheets along said processing tray to be discharged onto said discharge tray through a sheet discharge section and for discharging the non-processed sheets onto said discharge tray through the sheet discharge section;
• and
• control means for controlling said tray drive means such that when the processing mode is selected in which the processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the processing mode position, while when the non-processing mode is selected in which the non-processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the non-processing mode position,
• wherein:
• said discharge tray includes a sheet stacking section composed of a divisional section to be divided into a plurality of pieces in a sheet discharge direction wherein at least two of said plurality of pieces, whose surface angles can be adjusted, form a movable divisional section, and
• said drive means drives the movable divisional section.

A sheet post-processing apparatus comprising:

• a processing tray being inclined;
• a discharge tray being inclined in the same direction as said processing tray, for stacking thereon discharged sheets, said discharge tray being capable of selectively moving between a processing mode position corresponding to a processing mode and a non-processing mode position corresponding to a non-processing mode by adjusting an inclined angle and a height position thereof;
• tray drive means for switching a position of said discharge tray between the processing mode position and the non-processing mode position by adjusting the inclined angle and the height position of said discharge tray;
• post-processing means for post-processing sheets stacked on said processing tray;
• discharge means for moving the processed sheets along said processing tray to be discharged onto said discharge tray through a sheet discharge section and for discharging the non-processed sheets onto said discharge tray through the sheet discharge section;
• and
• control means for controlling said tray drive means such that when the processing mode is selected in which the processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the processing mode position, while when the non-processing mode is selected in which the non-processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the non-processing mode position,
• wherein said tray drive means includes:
• a tray drive motor;
• a drive member which is selectively moved between a processing mode position for moving a sheet stacking section of said discharge tray to the processing mode position and a non-processing mode position for moving said sheet stacking section of said discharge tray to the non-processing mode position by said tray drive motor;
• and
• tray position detection means for detecting a position to which said drive member is moved.

A sheet post-processing apparatus comprising:

• a processing tray being inclined;
• a discharge tray being inclined in the same direction as said processing tray, for stacking thereon discharged sheets, said discharge tray being capable of selectively moving between a processing mode position corresponding to a processing mode and a non-processing mode position corresponding to a non-processing mode by adjusting an inclined angle and a height position thereof;
• tray drive means for switching a position of said discharge tray between the processing mode position and the non-processing mode position by adjusting the inclined angle and the height position of said discharge tray;
• post-processing means for post-processing sheets stacked on said processing tray;
• discharge means for moving the processed sheets along said processing tray to be discharged onto said discharge tray through a sheet discharge section and for discharging the non-processed sheets onto said discharge tray through the sheet discharge section;
• control means for controlling said tray drive means such that when the processing mode is selected in which the processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the processing mode position, while when the non-processing mode is selected in which the non-processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the non-processing mode position;
• and
• sheet detection means for detecting whether or not a sheet exists on said discharge tray,
• wherein said control means prohibits a mode switching operation for said discharge tray by said tray drive means when said sheet detection means detects that a sheet exists on said discharge tray.

A sheet post-processing apparatus comprising:

• a processing tray being inclined;
• a discharge tray being inclined in the same direction as said processing tray, for stacking thereon discharged sheets, said discharge tray being capable of selectively moving between a processing mode position corresponding to a processing mode and a non-processing mode position corresponding to a non-processing mode by adjusting an inclined angle and a height position thereof;
• tray drive means for switching a position of said discharge tray between the processing mode position and the non-processing mode position by adjusting the inclined angle and the height position of said discharge tray;
• post-processing means for post-processing sheets stacked on said processing tray;
• discharge means for moving the processed sheets along said processing tray to be discharged onto said discharge tray through a sheet discharge section and for discharging the non-processed sheets onto said discharge tray through the sheet discharge section;
• control means for controlling said tray drive means such that when the processing mode is selected in which the processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the processing mode position, while when the non-processing mode is selected in which the non-processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the non-processing mode position;
• and
• sheet detection means for detecting whether or not a sheet exists on said discharge tray,
• wherein said control means prohibits a mode switching operation for raising said discharge tray by said tray drive means when said sheet detection means detects that a sheet exists on said discharge tray.

A sheet post-processing apparatus comprising:

• a processing tray being inclined;
• a discharge tray being inclined in the same direction as said processing tray, for stacking thereon discharged sheets, said discharge tray being capable of selectively moving between a processing mode position corresponding to a processing mode and a non-processing mode position corresponding to a non-processing mode by adjusting an inclined angle and a height position thereof;
• tray drive means for switching a position of said discharge tray between the processing mode position and the non-processing mode position by adjusting the inclined angle and the height position of said discharge tray;
• post-processing means for post-processing sheets stacked on said processing tray;
• discharge means for moving the processed sheets along said processing tray to be discharged onto said discharge tray through a sheet discharge section and for discharging the non-processed sheets onto said discharge tray through the sheet discharge section;
• control means for controlling said tray drive means such that when the processing mode is selected in which the processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the processing mode position, while when the non-processing mode is selected in which the non-processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the non-processing mode position;
• and
• sheet detection means for detecting whether or not a sheet exists on said discharge tray,
• wherein said control means controls said tray drive means such that when said sheet detection means detects that a sheet exists on said discharge tray, a mode switching operation for said discharge tray is carried out at a lower speed than said sheet detection means detects that no sheets exist on said discharge tray.

A sheet post-processing apparatus comprising:

• a processing tray being inclined;
• a discharge tray being inclined in the same direction as said processing tray, for stacking thereon discharged sheets, said discharge tray being capable of selectively moving between a processing mode position corresponding to a processing mode and a non-processing mode position corresponding to a non-processing mode by adjusting an inclined angle and a height position thereof;
• tray drive means for switching a position of said discharge tray between the processing mode position and the non-processing mode position by adjusting the inclined angle and the height position of said discharge tray;
• post-processing means for post-processing sheets stacked on said processing tray;
• discharge means for moving the processed sheets along said processing tray to be discharged onto said discharge tray through a sheet discharge section and for discharging the non-processed sheets onto said discharge tray through the sheet discharge section;
• control means for controlling said tray drive means such that when the processing mode is selected in which the processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the processing mode position, while when the non-processing mode is selected in which the non-processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the non-processing mode position;
• and
• sheet detection means for detecting whether or not a sheet exists on said discharge tray,
• wherein said control means said tray drive means such that when said sheet detection means detects that a sheets exists on said discharge tray, a mode switching operation for raising said discharge tray is carried out at lower speed than a mode switching operation for lowering said discharge tray.

A sheet post-processing apparatus comprising:

• a processing tray being inclined;
• a discharge tray being inclined in the same direction as said processing tray, for stacking thereon discharged sheets, said discharge tray being capable of selectively moving between a processing mode position corresponding to a processing mode and a non-processing mode position corresponding to a non-processing mode by adjusting an inclined angle and a height position thereof;
• tray drive means for switching a position of said discharge tray between the processing mode position and the non-processing mode position by adjusting the inclined angle and the height position of said discharge tray;
• post-processing means for post-processing sheets stacked on said processing tray;
• discharge means for moving the processed sheets along said processing tray to be discharged onto said discharge tray through a sheet discharge section and for discharging the non-processed sheets onto said discharge tray through the sheet discharge section;
• control means for controlling said tray drive means such that when the processing mode is selected in which the processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the processing mode position, while when the non-processing mode is selected in which the non-processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the non-processing mode position;
• and
• sheet amount detection means for detecting an amount of sheets stacked on said discharge tray,
• wherein said control means prohibits a mode switching operation for said discharge tray by said tray drive means when said sheet amount detection means detects that more than a predetermined amount of sheets is stacked on said discharge tray.

A sheet post-processing apparatus comprising:

• a processing tray being inclined;
• a discharge tray being inclined in the same direction as said processing tray, for stacking thereon discharged sheets, said discharge tray being capable of selectively moving between a processing mode position corresponding to a processing mode and a non-processing mode position corresponding to a non-processing mode by adjusting an inclined angle and a height position thereof;
• tray drive means for switching a position of said discharge tray between the processing mode position and the non-processing mode position by adjusting the inclined angle and the height position of said discharge tray;
• post-processing means for post-processing sheets stacked on said processing tray;
• discharge means for moving the processed sheets along said processing tray to be discharged onto said discharge tray through a sheet discharge section and for discharging the non-processed sheets onto said discharge tray through the sheet discharge section;
• control means for controlling said tray drive means such that when the processing mode is selected in which the processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the processing mode position, while when the non-processing mode is selected in which the non-processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the non-processing mode position;
• and
• sheet amount detection means for detecting an amount of sheets stacked on said discharge tray,
• wherein said control means prohibits a mode switching operation for raising said discharge tray by said tray drive means when said sheet amount detection means detects that more than a predetermined amount of sheets is stacked on said discharge tray.

A sheet post-processing apparatus comprising:

• a processing tray being inclined;
• a discharge tray being inclined in the same direction as said processing tray, for stacking thereon discharged sheets, said discharge tray being capable of selectively moving between a processing mode position corresponding to a processing mode and a non-processing mode position corresponding to a non-processing mode by adjusting an inclined angle and a height position thereof;
• tray drive means for switching a position of said discharge tray between the processing mode position and the non-processing mode position by adjusting the inclined angle and the height position of said discharge tray;
• post-processing means for post-processing sheets stacked on said processing tray;
• discharge means for moving the processed sheets along said processing tray to be discharged onto said discharge tray through a sheet discharge section and for discharging the non-processed sheets onto said discharge tray through the sheet discharge section;
• control means for controlling said tray drive means such that when the processing mode is selected in which the processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the processing mode position, while when the non-processing mode is selected in which the non-processed sheets are discharged by said discharge means, said discharge tray is set in the non-processing mode position;
• and
• sheet amount detection means for detecting an amount of sheets stacked on said discharge tray,
• wherein said control means controls said tray drive means such that a mode switching operation for said discharge tray is carried out at a speed according to an amount of sheets detected by said sheet amount detection means.

The sheet post-processing apparatus comprising:

• a processing tray being inclined;
• post-processing means for post-processing sheets stacked on said processing tray;
• discharge tray having formed thereon a sheet receiving face, a horizontal face, an auxiliary tray and auxiliary tray drive means, said discharge tray being inclined in the same direction as said processing tray, for stacking thereon discharged sheets and being recessed from a virtual plane extended from an upper surface of said processing tray, said horizontal section being formed on a trailing edge of said sheet receiving face on a side of said processing tray, said auxiliary tray being provided so as to be freely coming in and out of said sheet receiving face and said auxiliary tray being selectively moved between a position at which an upper surface thereof is on the virtual plane and a position at which the upper surface thereof is on said sheet receiving face;
• and
• control means for controlling said auxiliary tray drive means such that in the processing mode, the upper surface of said auxiliary tray is on the virtual plane, while in the non-processing mode, the upper surface of said auxiliary tray is on the sheet receiving face.

A sheet post-processing apparatus comprising:

• a processing tray being inclined;
• post-processing means for post-processing sheets stacked on said processing tray;
• discharge tray having formed thereon a sheet receiving face, a horizontal face, an auxiliary tray and auxiliary tray drive means, said discharge tray being inclined at the same direction as said processing tray, for stacking thereon discharged sheets and being recessed from a virtual plane extended from an upper surface of said processing tray, said horizontal section being formed on a trailing edge of said sheet receiving face on a side of said processing tray, said auxiliary tray being provided so as to be freely coming in and out of said sheet receiving face and said auxiliary tray being selectively moved between a position at which an upper surface thereof is on the virtual plane and a position at which the upper surface thereof is on said sheet receiving face;
• first tray upper limit detection means for detecting an upper limit position of said discharge tray where the processed section of the upper surface of the top sheet placed on said sheet receiving face is set in a vicinity of a virtual plane including said sheet receiving face;
• second tray upper limit detection means for detecting an upper limit position of said discharge tray where a non-processed section of the upper surface of the top sheet placed on said sheet receiving face is set in a vicinity of a virtual plane including said sheet receiving face;
• and
• control means for controlling said auxiliary tray drive means by said auxiliary tray such that detection signals from the first and second upper limit detection means are identical.