Sheet folding apparatus and image forming system
AssigneeRicoh Company, Ltd.
InventorNoriaki Sekine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sheet folding apparatus includes a first folding unit that folds a sheet of recording medium along first folds that extend orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction, a second folding unit that folds the sheet along a second fold that extends orthogonal to the first fold, a folded-sheet conveying unit that conveys the sheet folded by the first folding unit to the second folding unit, and a stacker unit. The stacker unit is arranged above the folded-sheet conveying unit. The sheet folding apparatus has a first exit through which a non-folded sheet is output, a second exit through which a fan-folded sheet is output, and a third exit through which a cross-folded sheet is output. Sheets output from the first exit and the second exit are stacked in the stacker unit.
Claims11
A sheet folding apparatus for use in folding a sheet of recording medium, the sheet folding apparatus comprising:
- a first folding unit configured to fold a sheet along at least one first fold that extends orthogonal to a direction of conveyance of the sheet;
- a second folding unit configured to fold a sheet along at least one second fold that extends orthogonal to the first fold;
- a first exit configured to output a sheet having not been folded by any one of the first folding unit and the second folding unit;
- a second exit configured to output a sheet folded by the first folding unit;
- a third exit configured to output a sheet folded by the first folding unit and the second folding unit;
- a folded-sheet conveying unit configured to convey a sheet folded by the first folding unit to the second folding unit;
- and
- a first stacker unit in which sheets are to be stacked, the first stacker unit being arranged above the folded-sheet conveying unit, wherein
- the sheet output from the first exit is stacked in the first stacker unit.
An image forming system comprising
- an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet of recording medium;
- and
- a sheet folding apparatus configured to receive the sheet and fold the sheet, the sheet folding apparatus including
- a first folding unit configured to fold a sheet along at least one first fold that extends orthogonal to a direction of conveyance of the sheet;
- a second folding unit configured to fold a sheet along at least one second fold that extends orthogonal to the first fold;
- a first exit configured to output a sheet having not been folded by any one of the first folding unit and the second folding unit;
- a second exit configured to output a sheet folded by the first folding unit;
- a third exit configured to output a sheet folded by the first folding unit and the second folding unit;
- a folded-sheet conveying unit configured to convey a sheet folded by the first folding unit to the second folding unit;
- and
- a first stacker unit in which sheets are to be stacked, the first stacker unit being arranged above the folded-sheet conveying unit, wherein
- the sheet output from the first exit is stacked in the first stacker unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.