# US 8,740,211 B2 · Sheet post-processing apparatus that carries out stapling process on sheet bundle and control method therefor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,740,211 B2 - Document ID: US8740211B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/755,172 - Filed: 2013-01-31 - Published: 2013-08-01 - Granted: 2014-06-03 - Earliest claimed: 2012-01-31 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Hitoshi Kato - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8740211B2 ## CPC - B65H 39/00: Associating, collating, or gathering articles or webs (combinations of piling and depiling operations, of interest apart from the single operation of piling or depiling B65H83/00; machines for both collating or gathering and permanently attaching together sheets or signatures B42C1/00) - B42B 4/00: Permanently attaching together sheets, quires or signatures by discontinuous stitching with filamentary material, e.g. wire {(by stapling B25C5/00; staples F16B15/00)} - B42C 1/12: Machines for both collating or gathering and permanently attaching together the sheets or signatures - B65H 31/02: with stationary end support against which pile accumulates - B65H 37/04: for securing together articles or webs, e.g. by adhesive, stitching or stapling (adhering replacement to expiring web during change of web roll B65H19/18) - B65H 39/10: Associating articles from a single source, to form, e.g. a writing-pad {(laminating B32B37/00, B32B38/00)} - B65H 45/18: Oscillating or reciprocating blade folders (carried on rotary members B65H45/16) - G03G 15/6541: {Binding sets of sheets, e.g. by stapling, glueing} - B65H 2220/02: indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output - B65H 2220/11: indicating that the input or output entities exclusively relate to machine elements - B65H 2301/4213: of a limited number of articles, e.g. buffering, forming bundles - B65H 2301/42146: by introducing articles from above - B65H 2301/42194: forming a pile in which articles are offset from each other in the delivery direction - B65H 2402/10: Modular constructions, e.g. using preformed elements or profiles - B65H 2408/12: stapler arrangement - B65H 2511/20: Location in space - B65H 2511/24: Irregularities, e.g. in orientation or skewness - B65H 2511/514: Particular portion of element - B65H 2553/22: Magnetic detectors, e.g. Hall detectors - B65H 2553/23: Capacitive detectors, e.g. electrode arrangements - B65H 2553/61: Mechanical means, e.g. contact arms - B65H 2601/12: Compensating; Taking-up - B65H 2701/1829: Bound, bundled or stapled stacks or packages - B65H 2801/27: Devices located downstream of office-type machines - G03G 2215/00827: Stapler - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - B42B: PERMANENTLY ATTACHING TOGETHER SHEETS, QUIRES OR SIGNATURES OR PERMANENTLY ATTACHING OBJECTS THERETO (nailing or stapling in general B25C, B27F; machines for both collating or gathering and permanently attaching together sheets or signatures B42C1/12; temporarily attaching sheets together B42F) - B42C: BOOKBINDING (cutting or perforating machines, devices or tools B26; folding sheets or webs B31F; ornamenting books B44) - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A sheet post-processing apparatus which is capable of preventing a stapling position and a folding position from being out of alignment when a stapling process is carried out. A sheet bundle, which is stacked in a housing guide, is stapled by a stapler using a staple at the stapling position. The sheet bundle is folded at a position of the staple after the stapling. After the stapling, the sheet bundle is moved from the stapling position to the folding position. During the movement, the staple is detected using a staple sensor disposed at a predetermined location between the stapling position and the folding position. Based on a moving distance of the sheet bundle before the staple is detected after the stapling process, a position of the sheet bundle with respect to the stapler for stapling on a subsequent sheet bundle is corrected. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A sheet post-processing apparatus that carries out a stapling process on a plurality of sheets, comprising: a sheet stacking unit configured to have the plurality of sheets stacked thereon as a sheet bundle; a sheet stapling unit configured to stapling the sheet bundle, stacked on said sheet stacking unit, using a binding needle at a stapling process position at which the stapling process is carried out; a folding process unit configured to, after the stapling process, carry out a folding process in which the sheet bundle is folded at a position of the binding needle; a binding needle detection unit configured to be disposed at a predetermined location between the stapling process position and a folding process position at which the folding process is carried out, and detect the binding needle; a sheet bundle moving unit configured to move the sheet bundle from the stapling process position to the folding process position; and a correction unit configured to, based on a moving distance of the sheet bundle before the binding needle is detected by said binding needle detection unit after the stapling process by said sheet stapling unit, corrects a position of a subsequent sheet bundle with respect to said sheet stapling unit in the stapling process for the subsequent sheet bundle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said correction unit corrects the position of the sheet bundle based on a difference between the moving distance and a reference distance. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the reference distance is a distance between a reference position of said sheet stapling unit and said binding needle detection unit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) A sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an abnormality notification unit configured to, when the difference becomes greater than a predetermined value, provide notification that deviation of a stapling position has occurred. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an abnormality notification unit configured to provide notification of an abnormality when the binding needle is not detected by said binding needle detection unit until the sheet bundle is moved from the stapling process position to the folding process position by said sheet bundle moving unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) A sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a discharging and conveying unit configured to convey the sheet bundle to a discharging unit after the folding process is carried out; and a discharge control unit configured to, when the difference becomes greater than a predetermined value, drive said discharging and conveying unit for a time period that is a predetermined time period longer than in a case where the difference is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a discharging and conveying unit configured to convey the sheet bundle to a discharging unit after the folding process is carried out; and a discharge control unit configured to, when the binding needle is not detected by said binding needle detection unit until the sheet bundle is moved from the stapling process position to the folding process position by said sheet bundle moving unit, drive said discharging and conveying unit for a time period that is a predetermined time period longer than in a case where the binding needle is detected by said binding needle detection unit. ### Claim 8 A control method for a sheet post-processing apparatus that has a sheet stacking unit having a plurality of sheets stacked thereon as a sheet bundle; carries out a stapling process on the sheet bundle, comprising: a sheet stapling step of driving a stapler to staple the sheet bundle, stacked on the sheet stacking unit, using a binding needle at a stapling process position at which the stapling process is carried out; a folding process step of carrying out a folding process in which the sheet bundle is folded at a position of the binding needle after the stapling process; a moving step of, after the stapling process, moving the sheet bundle from the stapling process position to the folding process position; a binding needle detection step of, during the movement in said moving step, detecting the binding needle using a binding needle sensor disposed at a predetermined location between the stapling process position and a folding process position at which the folding process is carried out; and a correction step of, based on a moving distance of the sheet bundle before the binding needle is detected by the binding needle sensor after the stapling process, correcting a position of the sheet bundle with respect to the stapler in the stapling process for a subsequent sheet bundle.