# US 7,607,650 B2 · Sheet-bundle spine treatment apparatus, sheet-bundle treatment apparatus, and image-forming apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,607,650 B2 - Document ID: US7607650B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/435,600 - Filed: 2006-05-17 - Published: 2006-11-23 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2005-05-19 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Atsuteru Oikawa; Kenichi Hayashi; Toshimasa Suzuki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7607650B2 ## CPC - B42C 5/00: Preparing the edges or backs of leaves or signatures for binding - B65H 45/18: Oscillating or reciprocating blade folders (carried on rotary members B65H45/16) - B65H 2301/51232: for flattening - B65H 2701/13212: Fold, spine portion of folded article - B42C: BOOKBINDING (cutting or perforating machines, devices or tools B26; folding sheets or webs B31F; ornamenting books B44) - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES ## Abstract A sheet-bundle spine treatment apparatus includes upper and lower press-rollers for adjusting a crease shape by moving while pinching front and rear surfaces of a spine of a folded sheet-bundle therebetween and a flattening roller for flattening a back of the sheet-bundle by moving while pushing the back of the spine of the sheet-bundle. At least one of the upper and lower press-rollers and the flattening roller is selected so as to allow it to operate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image-forming apparatus comprising: an image-forming portion configured to form images on a sheet; and a sheet-bundle treatment apparatus configured to fold the sheet having the images formed by the image-forming portion in bundles and treats a spine of the folded sheet-bundle, the sheet-bundle treatment apparatus including: a crease treatment unit configured to press a crease of a folded sheet-bundle while moving along a spine of the sheet-bundle in order to perform a spine crease treatment for fortifying the crease of the folded sheet-bundle; a back treatment unit configured to push a back of the spine of the folded sheet-bundle while moving along the spine of the sheet-bundle in order to perform a flattening treatment for flattening the back of the spine of the sheet-bundle; and a selection portion facilitating selecting operation of at least one of the crease treatment unit and the back treatment unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image-forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the crease treatment unit includes a pair of pinching members that pinch the front and rear surfaces of the spine therebetween while moving along the spine, and wherein the back treatment unit includes a pushing member that pushes the back of the spine while moving along the spine. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image-forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a common movable body supporting the pair of pinching members and the pushing member and being movable along the spine. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The image-forming apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a moving portion which moves the pushing member between a pushing position, where the back of the spine is pushed, and an evacuated position evacuated from the pushing position, wherein responsive to the selection portion selecting the back treatment unit, the moving portion moves the pushing member to the pushing position from the evacuated position. ### Claim 5 A sheet-bundle spine treatment apparatus comprising: a crease treatment unit configured to press a crease of a folded sheet-bundle while moving along a spine of the folded sheet-bundle in order to perform a spine crease treatment for fortifying the crease of the folded sheet-bundle; a back treatment unit configured to push a back of the spine of the folded sheet-bundle while moving along the spine of the folded sheet-bundle in order to perform a flattening treatment for flattening the back of the spine; and a controller configured to control the crease treatment unit and the back treatment unit so as to selectively perform the spine crease treatment and the flattening treatment, wherein the crease treatment unit includes a pair of pinching members that pinch front and rear surfaces of the spine therebetween while moving along the spine, wherein the back treatment unit includes a pushing member that pushes the back of the spine while moving along the spine, and wherein the pair of pinching members and the pushing member are supported on a common movable body and the common movable body is movable along the spine. ### Claim 6 A sheet-bundle spine treatment apparatus comprising: a crease treatment unit configured to press a crease of a folded sheet-bundle while moving along a spine of the folded sheet-bundle in order to perform a spine crease treatment for fortifying the crease of the folded sheet-bundle; a back treatment unit configured to push a back of the spine of the folded sheet-bundle while moving along the spine of the folded sheet-bundle in order to perform a flattening treatment for flattening the back of the spine; and a controller configured to control the crease treatment unit and the back treatment unit so as to selectively perform the spine crease treatment and the flattening treatment, wherein the crease treatment unit includes a pair of pinching members that pinch front and rear surfaces of the spine therebetween while moving along the spine, wherein the back treatment unit includes a pushing member that pushes the back of the spine while moving along the spine, wherein the pushing member is moved by a moving portion between a pushing position, where the back of the spine is pushed, and an evacuated position evacuated from the pushing position, and wherein when the flattening treatment is selected, the moving portion moves the pushing member to the pushing position from the evacuated position. ### Claim 7 A sheet-bundle spine treatment apparatus comprising: a crease treatment unit configured to press a crease of a folded sheet-bundle while moving along a spine of the folded sheet-bundle in order to perform a spine crease treatment for fortifying the crease of the folded sheet-bundle; a back treatment unit configured to push a back of the spine of the folded sheet-bundle while moving along the spine of the folded sheet-bundle in order to perform a flattening treatment for flattening the back of the spine; a controller configured to control the crease treatment unit and the back treatment unit so as to selectively perform the spine crease treatment and the flattening treatment; and a stopper which receives the back of the spine of the sheet-bundle at a position where the back treatment unit can push the back. ### Claim 8 A sheet-bundle spine treatment apparatus comprising: a crease treatment unit configured to press a crease of a folded sheet-bundle while moving along a spine of the folded sheet-bundle in order to perform a spine crease treatment for fortifying the crease of the folded sheet-bundle; a back treatment unit configured to push a back of the spine of the folded sheet-bundle while moving along the spine of the folded sheet-bundle in order to perform a flattening treatment for flattening the back of the spine; a controller configured to control the crease treatment unit and the back treatment unit so as to selectively perform the spine crease treatment and the flattening treatment; and a stopper which receives the sheet-bundle and is movable to a first position where the sheet-bundle is pinched by the crease treatment unit and to a second position where the sheet-bundle is pushed by the back treatment unit. ### Claim 9 A sheet-bundle treatment apparatus comprising: a folding unit configured to fold a sheet-bundle; and a sheet-bundle spine treatment apparatus configured to treat a spine of the sheet-bundle folded by the folding unit, the sheet-bundle spine treatment apparatus including: a crease treatment unit configured to press a crease of a folded sheet-bundle while moving along a spine of the sheet-bundle in order to perform a spine crease treatment for fortifying the crease of the folded sheet-bundle; a back treatment unit configured to push a back of the spine of the folded sheet-bundle while moving along the spine of the sheet-bundle in order to perform a flattening treatment for flattening the back of the spine of the sheet-bundle; and a controller configured to control the crease treatment unit and the back treatment unit so as to selectively perform the spine crease treatment and the flattening treatment, wherein the crease treatment unit includes a pair of pinching members that pinch front and rear surfaces of the spine therebetween while moving along the spine, wherein the back treatment unit includes a pushing member that pushes the back of the spine while moving along the spine, and wherein the pair of pinching members and the pushing member are supported on a common movable body and the common movable body is movable along the spine. ### Claim 10 A sheet-bundle treatment apparatus comprising: a folding unit configured to fold a sheet-bundle; and a sheet-bundle spine treatment apparatus configured to treat a spine of the sheet-bundle folded by the folding unit, the sheet-bundle spine treatment apparatus including: a crease treatment unit configured to press a crease of a folded sheet-bundle while moving along a spine of the sheet-bundle in order to perform a spine crease treatment for fortifying the crease of the folded sheet-bundle; a back treatment unit configured to push a back of the spine of the folded sheet-bundle while moving along the spine of the sheet-bundle in order to perform a flattening treatment for flattening the back of the spine of the sheet-bundle; and a controller configured to control the crease treatment unit and the back treatment unit so as to selectively perform the spine crease treatment and the flattening treatment, wherein the crease treatment unit includes a pair of pinching members that pinch front and rear surfaces of the spine therebetween while moving along the spine, wherein the back treatment unit includes a pushing member that pushes the back of the spine while moving along the spine, wherein the pushing member is moved by a moving portion between a pushing position, where the back of the spine is pushed, and an evacuated position evacuated from the pushing position, and wherein when the flattening treatment is selected, the moving portion moves the pushing member to the pushing position from the evacuated position. ### Claim 11 A sheet-bundle treatment apparatus comprising: a folding unit configured to fold a sheet-bundle; a sheet-bundle spine treatment apparatus configured to treat a spine of the sheet-bundle folded by the folding unit, the sheet-bundle spine treatment apparatus including: a crease treatment unit configured to press a crease of a folded sheet-bundle while moving along a spine of the sheet-bundle in order to perform a spine crease treatment for fortifying the crease of the folded sheet-bundle; a back treatment unit configured to push a back of the spine of the folded sheet-bundle while moving along the spine of the sheet-bundle in order to perform a flattening treatment for flattening the back of the spine of the sheet-bundle; and a controller configured to control the crease treatment unit and the back treatment unit so as to selectively perform the spine crease treatment and the flattening treatment; and a stopper which receives the back of the spine of the sheet-bundle at a position where the back treatment unit can push the back. ### Claim 12 A sheet-bundle treatment apparatus comprising: a folding unit configured to fold a sheet-bundle; a sheet-bundle spine treatment apparatus configured to treat a spine of the sheet-bundle folded by the folding unit, the sheet-bundle spine treatment apparatus including: a crease treatment unit configured to press a crease of a folded sheet-bundle while moving along a spine of the sheet-bundle in order to perform a spine crease treatment for fortifying the crease of the folded sheet-bundle; a back treatment unit configured to push a back of the spine of the folded sheet-bundle while moving along the spine of the sheet-bundle in order to perform a flattening treatment for flattening the back of the spine of the sheet-bundle; and a controller configured to control the crease treatment unit and the back treatment unit so as to selectively perform the spine crease treatment and the flattening treatment; and a stopper which receives the sheet-bundle and is movable to a first position where the sheet-bundle is pinched by the crease treatment unit and to a second position where the sheet-bundle is pushed by the back treatment unit. ### Claim 13 An image-forming apparatus comprising: an image-forming portion configured to form images on a sheet; and a sheet-bundle treatment apparatus comprising: a folding unit configured to fold a sheet-bundle; and a sheet-bundle spine treatment apparatus configured to treat a spine of the sheet-bundle folded by the folding unit, the sheet-bundle spine treatment apparatus including: a crease treatment unit configured to press a crease of a folded sheet-bundle while moving along a spine of the sheet-bundle in order to perform a spine crease treatment for fortifying the crease of the folded sheet-bundle; a back treatment unit configured to push a back of the spine of the folded sheet-bundle while moving along the spine of the sheet-bundle in order to perform a flattening treatment for flattening the back of the spine of the sheet-bundle; and a controller configured to control the crease treatment unit and the back treatment unit so as to selectively perform the spine crease treatment and the flattening treatment. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The image-forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the crease treatment unit includes a pair of pinching members that pinch front and rear surfaces of the spine therebetween while moving along the spine, and wherein the back treatment unit includes a pushing member that pushes the back of the spine while moving along the spine. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The image-forming apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a common movable body supporting the pair of pinching members and the pushing member and being movable along the spine. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The image-forming apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a moving portion which moves the pushing member between a pushing position, where the back of the spine is pushed, and an evacuated position evacuated from the pushing position, wherein responsive to the selection portion selecting the back treatment unit, the moving portion moves the pushing member to the pushing position from the evacuated position.