# US 9,751,714 B2 · Post-processing device and image forming system provided with the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,751,714 B2 - Document ID: US9751714B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/694,441 - Filed: 2015-04-23 - Published: 2015-10-29 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2014-04-23 - Assignees: Canon Finetech Nisca Inc. - Applicants: Takashi Saito - Inventors: Takashi Saito - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751714B2 ## CPC - B65H 43/00: Use of control, checking, or safety devices, e.g. automatic devices comprising an element for sensing a variable - B42C 19/02: starting with single sheets - B42C 19/08: Conveying between operating stations in machines (conveyors in general B65G) - B65H 29/125: {between two sets of rollers} - B65H 29/14: and introducing into a pile - B65H 31/3027: {by the nip between moving belts or rollers (pile being formed between belts or rollers B65H29/145)} - B65H 31/36: Auxiliary devices for contacting each article with a front stop as it is piled - B65H 29/145: {the pile being formed between the two, or between the two sets of, tapes or bands or rollers} - B65H 2301/4212: of articles substantially horizontal - B65H 2301/4213: of a limited number of articles, e.g. buffering, forming bundles - B65H 2301/4214: of articles on edge - B65H 2301/42194: forming a pile in which articles are offset from each other in the delivery direction - B65H 2403/942: Bidirectional powered handling device - B65H 2404/1441: involving controlled actuator - B65H 2511/22: Distance - B65H 2511/414: of mode of operation - B65H 2513/10: Speed - B65H 2801/27: Devices located downstream of office-type machines - B65H 2801/48: Bookbinding - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - B42C: BOOKBINDING (cutting or perforating machines, devices or tools B26; folding sheets or webs B31F; ornamenting books B44) ## Abstract A sheet fed from an image forming device to a path carry-in port is guided to a first accumulating section along a straight path or guided to a second accumulating section along a branch path branched from the straight path. A buffer path section is formed so as to make the sheet temporarily stay between a first sheet discharge roller pair disposed on the straight path side of the branch path at a position downstream of a branch portion and a second sheet discharge roller pair disposed in the branch path. The sheet staying in the buffer path section is conveyed to the first accumulating section by rotation of the first and second conveying rollers in one direction and to the second accumulating section by rotation of the first and second conveying rollers in an opposite direction to the one direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A processing device, comprising: first and second different accumulating sections; a conveying path along which a sheet is fed from a carry-in port to the first accumulating section; a branch path branched from the conveying path at a branch portion, along which the sheet is fed to the second accumulating section; a first conveying roller disposed in the conveying path at a position downstream of the branch portion; a second conveying roller disposed in the branch path at a position downstream of the branch portion; and a controller that controls the first and second conveying rollers, wherein a buffer path section for a sheet to temporarily stay at a portion between the first and second conveying rollers is disposed in the conveying path and the branch path, the controller makes a plurality of sheets sequentially fed to the carry-in port temporarily stay in the buffer path section and selectively conveys the plurality of sheets to the first accumulating section by rotating the first and second conveying rollers in one direction and to the second accumulating section by rotating the first and second conveying rollers in an opposite direction to the one direction, the first conveying roller is constituted by a pair or rollers separable from each other or capable of reducing press-contact force therebetween, and the controller reduces the press-contact force between the roller pair or separates the roller pair from each other when conveying the sheet made to stay in the buffer path section in the same direction as that in which the sheet is fed from the carry-in port. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The processing device according to claim 1, wherein the buffer path section is an area where the sheet is made to stay between the first and second conveying rollers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The processing device according to claim 1, wherein the branch path is disposed such that the sheet fed from the conveying path while reversing a conveying direction is directed toward the second accumulating section. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The processing device according to claim 1, wherein when conveying the sheet made to stay in the buffer path section to the first accumulating section, the controller conveys the sheet simultaneously with a succeeding sheet fed to the carry-in port in a direction same as the conveying direction of the succeeding sheet, and when conveying the sheet made to stay in the buffer path section to the second accumulating section, the controller conveys the sheet simultaneously with the succeeding sheet in a direction opposite to the conveying direction of the succeeding sheet. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An image forming system comprising: an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet; and a processing device that accumulates and performs post-processing for the sheet fed from the image forming device, wherein the processing device is the device as claimed in claim 1. ### Claim 6 A processing device, comprising: first and second different accumulating sections; a conveying path along which a sheet is fed from a carry-in port to the first accumulating section; a branch path branched from the conveying path at a branch portion, along which the sheet is fed to the second accumulating section; a first conveying roller disposed in the conveying path at a position downstream of the branch portion; a second conveying roller disposed in the branch path at a position downstream of the branch portion; and a controller that controls the first and second conveying rollers, wherein a buffer path section for a sheet to temporarily stay at a portion between the first and second conveying rollers is disposed in the conveying path and the branch path, the controller makes a plurality of sheets sequentially fed to the carry-in port temporarily stay in the buffer path section and selectively conveys the plurality of sheets to the first accumulating section by rotating the first and second conveying rollers in one direction and to the second accumulating section by rotating the first and second conveying rollers in an opposite direction to the one direction, when conveying the sheet made to stay in the buffer path section to the first accumulating section, the controller brings the second conveying roller into press-contact, and when conveying the sheet made to stay in the buffer path section to the second accumulating section, the controller reduces press-contact force at the second conveying roller or separates the second conveying roller. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The processing device according to claim 6, wherein the buffer path section is an area where the sheet is made to stay between the first and second conveying rollers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The processing device according to claim 6, wherein the branch path is disposed such that the sheet fed from the conveying path while reversing a conveying direction is directed toward the second accumulating section. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The processing device according to claim 6, wherein when conveying the sheet made to stay in the buffer path section to the first accumulating section, the controller conveys the sheet simultaneously with a succeeding sheet fed to the carry-in port in a direction same as the conveying direction of the succeeding sheet, and when conveying the sheet made to stay in the buffer path section to the second accumulating section, the controller conveys the sheet simultaneously with the succeeding sheet in a direction opposite to the conveying direction of the succeeding sheet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) An image forming system comprising: an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet; and a processing device that accumulates and performs post-processing for the sheet fed from the image forming device, wherein the processing device is the device as claimed in claim 6. ### Claim 11 A processing device, comprising: first and second different accumulating sections; a conveying path along which a sheet is fed from a carry-in port to the first accumulating section; a branch path branched from the conveying path at a branch portion, along which the sheet is fed to the second accumulating section; a first conveying roller disposed in the conveying path at a position downstream of the branch portion; a second conveying roller disposed in the branch path at a position downstream of the branch portion; and a controller that controls the first and second conveying rollers, wherein a buffer path section for a sheet to temporarily stay at a portion between the first and second conveying rollers is disposed in the conveying path and the branch path, the controller makes a plurality of sheets sequentially fed to the carry-in port temporarily stay in the buffer path section and selectively conveys the plurality of sheets to the first accumulating section by rotating the first and second conveying rollers in one direction and to the second accumulating section by rotating the first and second conveying rollers in an opposite direction to the one direction, when conveying the sheet made to stay in the buffer path section to the first accumulating section, the controller brings the first conveying roller into press-contact, and when conveying the sheet made to stay in the buffer path section to the second accumulating section, the controller reduces press-contact force at the first conveying roller or separates the first conveying roller. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The processing device according to claim 11, wherein when conveying the plurality of sheets made to stay in the buffer path section to the first accumulating section, the controller conveys the sheets in a bundle, and when conveying the plurality of sheets made to stay in the buffer path section to the second accumulating section, the controller conveys the sheets one by one in the order that they are made to stay in the buffer path section. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The processing device according to claim 11, wherein the buffer path section is an area where the sheet is made to stay between the first and second conveying rollers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The processing device according to claim 11, wherein the branch path is disposed such that the sheet fed from the conveying path while reversing a conveying direction is directed toward the second accumulating section. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) An image forming system comprising: an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet; and a processing device that accumulates and performs post-processing for the sheet fed from the image forming device, wherein the processing device is the device as claimed in claim 11. ### Claim 16 A processing device, comprising: first and second different accumulating sections; a conveying path along which a sheet is fed from a carry-in port to the first accumulating section; a branch path branched from the conveying path at a branch portion, along which the sheet is fed to the second accumulating section; a first conveying roller disposed in the conveying path at a position downstream of the branch portion; a second conveying roller disposed in the branch path at a position downstream of the branch portion; and a controller that controls the first and second conveying rollers, wherein a buffer path section for a sheet to temporarily stay at a portion between the first and second conveying rollers is disposed in the conveying path and the branch path, the controller makes a plurality of sheets sequentially fed to the carry-in port temporarily stay in the buffer path section and selectively conveys the plurality of sheets to the first accumulating section by rotating the first and second conveying rollers in one direction and to the second accumulating section by rotating the first and second conveying rollers in an opposite direction to the one direction, a sheet discharge roller is disposed in the branch path at a position downstream of the second conveying roller, and when conveying the plurality of sheets made to stay in the buffer path section to the second accumulating section, the controller rotates the sheet discharge roller while reducing press-contact force of the second conveying roller or separating the second conveying roller. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The processing device according to claim 16, wherein the buffer path section is an area where the sheet is made to stay between the first and second conveying rollers. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The processing device according to claim 16, wherein the branch path is disposed such that the sheet fed from the conveying path while reversing a conveying direction is directed toward the second accumulating section. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The processing device according to claim 16, wherein when conveying the plurality of sheets made to stay in the buffer path section to the first accumulating section, the controller conveys the sheets in a bundle, and when conveying the plurality of sheets made to stay in the buffer path section to the second accumulating section, the controller conveys the sheets one by one in the order that they are made to stay in the buffer path section. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) An image forming system comprising: an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet; and a processing device that accumulates and performs post-processing for the sheet fed from the image forming device, wherein the processing device is the device as claimed in claim 16.