Sheet-shaped medium treatment apparatus

A sheet-shaped medium treatment apparatus comprising:

• a discharging means for discharging a sheet-shaped medium conveyed thereinto;
• a piling means for piling the sheet-shaped medium discharged by the discharging means;
• an arranging means for performing an arranging action by interposing a first end and a second end of the sheet-shaped medium piled onto the piling means, said first end and said second end of the sheet-shaped medium are in parallel with a discharge direction of the sheet-shaped medium by said discharging means;
• and
• a returning means for performing a returning action to return the sheet-shaped medium until it collides against a vertical wall disposed on an upstream end of said piling means in the discharge direction by being rotated with being in contact with the sheet-shaped medium, said returning means comprising a rotating body which can move closely to or remotely from the sheet-shaped medium,
• wherein said returning means is adapted to be moved in said discharge direction from a home position to a press/return position in which said returning means can grab a rear end portion of said discharged sheet-shaped medium in said discharge direction, and
• wherein said returning means is adapted to perform a pressing action for pressing itself onto the sheet-shaped medium on said piling means before a subsequently discharged sheet-shaped medium discharged from said discharging means falls on said piling means, and
• wherein when a leading end of the subsequently discharged sheet-shaped medium contacts a top surface of the sheet-shaped medium already piled on said piling means, said returning means is situated at said press/return position and acts upon said already piled sheet-shaped medium to retain it in a proper position, and after said subsequently discharged sheet-shaped medium falls on said piling means, said fallen subsequently discharged sheet-shaped medium is aligned by being collided against said vertical wall by said returning action of said returning means, thereafter, said subsequently discharged sheet-shaped medium is arranged by said arranging action of said arranging means.

A sheet-shaped medium treatment apparatus comprising:

• a discharging means for discharging a sheet-shaped medium conveyed thereinto;
• a piling means for piling the sheet-shaped medium discharged by the discharging means;
• an arranging means for performing an arranging action by interposing a first end and a second end of the sheet-shaped medium piled onto the piling means, said first end and said second end of the sheet-shaped medium are in parallel with a discharge direction of the sheet-shaped medium by said discharging means;
• a sorting means for sorting the sheet-shaped medium by displacing said piling means or said arranging means by a predetermined amount in a shift direction perpendicular to the discharge direction of the sheet-shaped medium by said discharging means;
• and
• a returning means for performing a returning action to return the sheet-shaped medium until it collides against a vertical wall disposed on an upstream end of said piling means in the discharge direction by being rotated with being in contact with the sheet-shaped medium, said returning means comprising a rotating body which can move closely to or remotely from the sheet-shaped medium,
• wherein said returning means is adapted to be moved in said discharge direction from a home position to a press/return position in which said returning means can grab a rear end portion of said discharged sheet-shaped medium in said discharge direction, while said returning means is adapted to perform a pressing action for pressing the sheet-shaped medium with being in contact with the sheet-shaped medium,
• wherein when the sheet-shaped medium is discharged from said discharging means to be sorted by said sorting means, when a leading end of said discharged sheet-shaped medium gets contact with a top surface of a previously discharged sheet-shaped medium already piled on said piling means, said returning means is situated at said press/return position and acts upon said already piled previously discharged sheet-shaped medium to retain it in proper position, thereafter, said sorting means is actuated to perform sorting before said discharged sheet-shaped medium falls on said piling means, and
• wherein after said discharged sheet-shaped medium falls on said piling means, said sheet-shaped medium is aligned by being collided against said vertical wall by said returning action of said returning means, thereafter, said sheet-shaped medium is arranged by said arranging action of said arranging means.

A sheet-shaped medium after-treatment apparatus comprising:

• a conveyance means for conveying a sheet-shaped medium received from an image forming apparatus;
• a means for aligning and stapling a plurality of sheet-shaped media conveyed continuously by said conveyance means;
• a discharging means for discharging the sheet-shaped medium conveyed by said conveyance means and a sheet-shaped medium bundle stapled by said stapling means;
• a piling means for piling the sheet-shaped medium discharged by said discharging means;
• a returning means for aligning the sheet-shaped medium by moving it toward a vertical wall and colliding it against said vertical wall under contact condition with the sheet-shaped medium right after its discharge, said returning means being able to move closely to or remotely from the sheet-shaped medium discharged on said piling means;
• and
• a return controlling means for controlling when said returning means is moved to contact with or remotely from the sheet-shaped medium discharged on said piling means,
• wherein said return controlling means controls said returning means so that said returning means is retained remotely from a top surface of said sheet-shaped medium discharged from said discharging means based on the discharged sheet-shaped medium being a sheet-shaped medium bundle having one stapled spot.

A sheet-shaped medium treatment apparatus comprising:

• a discharging device configured to discharge a sheet-shaped medium conveyed thereinto;
• a piling device configured to pile the sheet-shaped medium discharged by the discharging device;
• an arranging device configured to perform an arranging action by interposing a first end and a second end of the sheet-shaped medium piled onto the piling device, said first end and said second end of the sheet-shaped medium are in parallel with a discharge direction of the sheet-shaped medium by said discharging device;
• and
• a returning device configured to perform a returning action to return the sheet-shaped medium until it collides against a vertical wall disposed on an upstream end of said piling device in the discharge direction by being rotated with being in contact with the sheet-shaped medium, said returning device comprising a rotating body which can move closely to or remotely from the sheet-shaped medium,
• wherein said returning device is adapted to be moved in said discharge direction from a home position to a press/return position in which said returning device can grab a rear end portion of said discharged sheet-shaped medium in said discharge direction, and
• wherein said returning device is adapted to perform a pressing action for pressing itself onto the sheet-shaped medium on said piling device while a subsequently discharged sheet-shaped medium is discharged from said discharging device and before said subsequently discharged sheet-shaped medium falls on said piling device.

A sheet-shaped medium treatment apparatus comprising:

• a discharging device configured to discharge a sheet-shaped medium conveyed thereinto;
• a piling device configured to pile the sheet-shaped medium discharged by the discharging device;
• an arranging device configured to perform an arranging action by interposing a first end and a second end of the sheet-shaped medium piled onto the piling device, said first end and said second end of the sheet-shaped medium are in parallel with a discharge direction of the sheet-shaped medium by said discharging device;
• and
• a returning device configured to perform a returning action to return the sheet-shaped medium until it collides against a vertical wall disposed on an upstream end of said piling device in the discharge direction by being rotated with being in contact with the sheet-shaped medium, said returning device comprising a rotating body which can move closely to or remotely from the sheet-shaped medium,
• wherein said returning device is adapted to be moved in said discharge direction from a home position to a press/return position in which said returning device can grab a rear end portion of said discharged sheet-shaped medium in said discharge direction,
• wherein said returning device is adapted to perform a pressing action for pressing itself onto the sheet-shaped medium on said piling device before a subsequently discharged sheet-shaped medium discharged from said discharging device falls on said piling device, and
• wherein when a leading end of the subsequently discharged sheet-shaped medium contacts a top surface of the sheet-shaped medium already piled on said piling device, said returning device is situated at said press/return position and acts upon said already piled sheet-shaped medium to retain it in a proper position, and after said subsequently discharged sheet-shaped medium falls on said piling device, said fallen subsequently discharged sheet-shaped medium is aligned by being collided against said vertical wall by said returning action of said returning device, thereafter, said subsequently discharged sheet-shaped medium is arranged by said arranging action of said arranging device.

A sheet-shaped medium treatment apparatus comprising:

• a discharging device configured to discharge the sheet-shaped medium conveyed thereinto;
• a piling device configured to pile the sheet-shaped medium charged by the discharging device;
• an arranging device configured to perform an arranging action by interposing a first end and a second end of the sheet-shaped medium piled onto the piling device, said first end and said second end of the sheet-shaped medium are in parallel with a discharge direction of the sheet-shaped medium by said discharge device;
• a sorting device configured to sort the sheet-shaped medium by displacing said piling device or said arranging device by a predetermined amount in a shift direction perpendicular to the discharge direction of the sheet-shaped medium by said discharging device;
• and
• a returning device configured to perform a returning action to return the sheet-shaped medium until it collides against a vertical wall disposed on an upstream end of said piling device in the discharge direction by being rotated with being in contact with the sheet-shaped medium, said returning device comprising a rotating body which can move closely to or remotely from the sheet-shaped medium,
• wherein said returning device is adapted to be moved in said discharge direction from a home position to a press/return position in which said returning device can grab a rear end portion of said discharged sheet-shaped medium in said discharge direction, while said returning device is adapted to perform a pressing action for pressing the sheet-shaped medium with being in contact with the sheet-shaped medium,
• wherein when the sheet-shaped medium is discharged from said discharging device to be sorted by said sorting device, when a leading end of said discharged sheet-shaped medium contacts a top surface of a previously discharged sheet-shaped medium already piled on said piling device, said returning device is situated at said press/return position, and acts upon said already piled previously discharged sheet-shaped medium to retain it in proper position, thereafter, said sorting device is actuated to perform sorting before said discharged sheet-shaped medium falls on said piling device, and
• wherein after said discharged sheet-shaped medium falls on said piling device, said sheet-shaped medium is aligned by being collided against said vertical wall by said returning action of said returning device, thereafter, said sheet-shaped medium is arranged by said arranging action of said arranging device.

A sheet-shaped medium after-treatment apparatus comprising:

• a conveyance device configured to convey the sheet-shaped medium received from an image forming apparatus;
• a device configured to align and staple a plurality of sheet-shaped media conveyed continuously by said conveyance device;
• a discharging device configured to discharge the sheet-shaped medium conveyed by said conveyance device and a sheet-shaped medium bundle stapled by said stapling device;
• a piling device configured to pile the sheet-shaped medium discharged by said discharging device;
• a returning device configured to align the sheet-shaped medium by moving it toward a vertical wall and colliding it against said vertical wall under contact condition with the sheet-shaped medium right after its discharge, said returning device configured to be able to move closely to or remotely from the sheet-shaped medium discharged on said piling device;
• and
• a return controlling device configured to control when said returning device is moved to contact with or remotely from the sheet-shaped medium discharged on said piling device,
• wherein said return controlling device controls said returning device so that said returning device is retained remotely from a top surface of said sheet-shaped medium discharged from said discharging device based on the discharged sheet-shaped medium being a sheet-shaped medium bundle having one stapled spot.

An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet-shaped medium after-treatment apparatus, said sheet-shaped medium after-treatment apparatus including:

• a conveyance means for conveying a sheet-shaped medium received from an image forming apparatus;
• a means for aligning and stapling a plurality of sheet-shaped media conveyed continuously by said conveyance means;
• a discharging means for discharging the sheet-shaped medium conveyed by said conveyance means and a sheet-shaped medium bundle stapled by said stapling means;
• a piling means for piling the sheet-shaped medium discharged by said discharging means;
• a returning means for aligning the sheet-shaped medium by moving it toward a vertical wall and colliding it against said vertical wall under contact condition with the sheet-shaped medium right after its discharge, said returning means being able to move closely to or remotely from the sheet-shaped medium discharged on said piling means;
• and
• a return controlling means for controlling when said returning means is moved to contact with or remotely from the sheet-shaped medium discharged on said piling means,
• wherein said return controlling means controls said returning means so that said returning means is retained remotely from a top surface of said sheet-shaped medium discharged from said discharging means based on the discharged sheet-shaped medium being a sheet-shaped medium bundle having one stapled spot.

An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet-shaped medium after-treatment apparatus, said sheet-shaped medium after-treatment apparatus including:

• a conveyance device configured to convey a sheet-shaped medium received from an image forming apparatus;
• a device configured to align and staple a plurality of sheet-shaped media conveyed continuously by said conveyance device;
• a discharging device configured to discharge the sheet-shaped medium conveyed by said conveyance device and a sheet-shaped medium bundle stapled by said stapling device;
• a piling device configured to pile the sheet-shaped medium discharged by said discharging device;
• a returning device configured to align the sheet-shaped medium by moving it toward a vertical wall and colliding it against said vertical wall under contact condition with the sheet-shaped medium right after its discharge, said returning device configured to be able to move closely to or remotely from the sheet-shaped medium discharged on said piling device;
• and
• a return controlling device configured to control when said returning device is moved to contact with or remotely from the sheet-shaped medium discharged on said piling device,
• wherein said return controlling device controls said returning device so that said returning device is retained remotely from a top surface of said sheet-shaped medium discharged from said discharging device based on the discharged sheet-shaped medium being a sheet-shaped medium bundle having one stapled spot.