# US 8,146,909 B2 · Sheet aligning device, sheet processing device, 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 8,146,909 B2 - Document ID: US8146909B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/379,224 - Filed: 2009-02-17 - Published: 2009-09-17 - Granted: 2012-04-03 - Earliest claimed: 2008-03-17 - Assignees: Ricoh Company, Ltd. - Inventors: Hiroyuki Kuno - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8146909B2 ## CPC - 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 31/38: Apparatus for vibrating or knocking the pile during piling - G03G 15/6538: {Devices for collating sheet copy material, e.g. sorters, control, copies in staples form} - B65H 2301/162: Normal or offset stacking mode - B65H 2301/4213: of a limited number of articles, e.g. buffering, forming bundles - B65H 2404/232: Blade, plate, finger - B65H 2511/10: Size; Dimensions - B65H 2511/30: Numbers, e.g. of windings or rotations - B65H 2513/50: Timing - B65H 2801/27: Devices located downstream of office-type machines - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A conveying unit receives a sheet from an upstream unit and conveys the sheet on a conveying path. A stacking unit stacks the sheet conveyed from the conveying unit. An aligning unit sets the sheet back in a direction opposite to a sheet conveying direction and aligns the sheet by bumping the sheet against a reference wall. A sheet discharging unit discharges the sheet aligned on the stacking unit. When a predetermined condition is satisfied, a control unit sets a timing for discharging the sheet by the sheet discharging unit earlier than a normal sheet discharge timing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sheet aligning device comprising: a conveying unit that receives at least one sheet from an upstream unit and conveys the at least one sheet on a conveying path; a stacking unit that stacks the at least one sheet conveyed from the conveying unit; a first aligning unit that sets the at least one sheet back in a direction opposite to a sheet conveying direction and aligns the at least one sheet by bumping the at least one sheet against a reference wall; a sheet discharging unit that discharges the at least one sheet from the stacking unit in the sheet conveying direction; and a control unit that, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, sets a timing for the discharging unit to discharge the at least one sheet as the first aligning unit is setting the at least one sheet back in the direction opposite to the sheet conveying direction but prior to the first aligning unit successfully completing the bumping of the at least one sheet against the reference wall. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The sheet aligning device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is a property of the at least one sheet stacked on the stacking unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The sheet aligning device according to claim 2, wherein the property of the at least one sheet is an actual number of sheets stacked on the stacking unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The sheet aligning device according to claim 2, wherein the property of the at least one sheet is a thickness of the at least one sheet stacked on the stacking unit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The sheet aligning device according to claim 2, wherein the property of the at least one sheet is a folded status of the at least one sheet stacked on the stacking unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The sheet aligning device according to claim 3, wherein the number of sheets is one. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The sheet aligning device according to claim 2, wherein the property of the at least one sheet is a size of the at least one sheet stacked on the stacking unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The sheet aligning device according to claim 1, further comprising a second aligning unit that aligns the at least one sheet in a direction substantially perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The sheet aligning device according to claim 8, wherein the second aligning unit sorts the at least one sheet stacked on the stacking unit by shifting an aligning position of the at least one sheet in the direction substantially perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The sheet aligning device according to claim 8, wherein the control unit sets the timing for discharging the at least one sheet by the sheet discharging unit to occur directly following the second aligning unit finishing either one of an aligning operation and a sorting operation. ### Claim 11 A sheeting processing device comprising: a sheet aligning device that includes a conveying unit that receives at least one sheet from an upstream unit and conveys the at least one sheet on a conveying path, a stacking unit that stacks the at least one sheet conveyed from the conveying unit, a first aligning unit that sets the at least one sheet back in a direction opposite to a sheet conveying direction and aligns the sheet by bumping the at least one sheet against a reference wall, a sheet discharging unit that discharges the at least one sheet from the stacking unit in the sheet conveying direction, and a control unit that, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, sets a timing for the discharging unit to discharge the at least one sheet as the first aligning unit is setting the at least one sheet back in the direction opposite to the sheet conveying direction but prior to the first aligning unit successfully completing the bumping of the at least one sheet against the reference wall. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The sheet processing device of claim 11, wherein the predetermined condition is a property of the at least one sheet stacked on the stacking unit, the property being one or more of a sheet size, a sheet thickness, a sheet folded status and an actual number of sheets. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The sheet processing device of claim 11, further comprising: a second aligning unit that aligns the at least one sheet in a direction substantially perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, wherein the second aligning unit sorts the at least one sheet stacked on the stacking unit by shifting an aligning position of the at least one sheet in the direction substantially perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, wherein the control unit sets the timing for discharging the at least one sheet by the sheet discharging unit to occur directly following the second aligning unit finishing either one of an aligning operation and a sorting operation. ### Claim 14 An image forming apparatus comprising: a sheeting processing device that includes a sheet aligning unit, the sheet aligning unit including a conveying unit that receives at least one sheet from an upstream unit and conveys the at least one sheet on a conveying path, a stacking unit that stacks the at least one sheet conveyed from the conveying unit, a first aligning unit that sets the at least one sheet back in a direction opposite to a sheet conveying direction and aligns the at least one sheet by bumping the at least one sheet against a reference wall, a sheet discharging unit that discharges the at least one sheet from the stacking unit in the sheet conveying direction, and a control unit that, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, sets a timing for the discharging unit to discharge the at least one sheet as the first aligning unit is setting the at least one sheet back in the direction opposite to the sheet conveying direction but prior to the first aligning unit successfully completing the bumping of the at least one sheet against the reference wall. ### Claim 15 (depends on 2) The sheet aligning device according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined condition is that there is only one sheet stacked on the stacking unit, the single sheet is at least one of A4 size or letter size, the single sheet is a normal thickness and the single sheet has not been subjected to a folding process. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The image forming apparatus of claim 14, wherein the predetermined condition is a property of the at least one sheet stacked on the stacking unit, the property being one or more of a sheet size, a sheet thickness, a sheet folded status and an actual number of sheets. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The image forming apparatus of claim 14, further comprising: a second aligning unit that aligns the at least one sheet in a direction substantially perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, wherein the second aligning unit sorts the at least one sheet stacked on the stacking unit by shifting an aligning position of the at least one sheet in the direction substantially perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction, wherein the control unit sets the timing for discharging the at least one sheet by the sheet discharging unit to occur directly following the second aligning unit finishing either one of an aligning operation and a sorting operation.