IP Library Granted Patent US 9,139,398
Granted Patent B2
US 9,139,398 · App. 14/151,955 · Granted Sep 22, 2015

Sheet processing apparatus and image forming system

Inventors: Kiyoshi Hata (Tokyo, JP); Keisuke Sugiyama (Tokyo, JP); Tomomichi Hoshino (Kanagawa, JP); Atsushi Kikuchi (Kanagawa, JP); Satoshi Saito (Kanagawa, JP); Makoto Hidaka (Tokyo, JP); Takuya Sano (Kanagawa, JP); Takao Watanabe (Kanagawa, JP); Shohichi Satoh (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Ricoh Company, LTD.
B65H45/18B31F1/00B31F1/0006B31F1/0035B65H37/04B65H45/04B65H45/12B65H2301/51232B65H2701/13212B65H2801/27
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,139,398
App. No.
14/151,955
Granted
Sep 22, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sheet processing apparatus includes a flexure forming unit configured to flex sheets to include a portion on which no fold line is formed in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction; a first pressing member pair configured to press a flexure portion of the flexed sheets to form a fold line thereon; and a moving unit configured to move a pressing position of the first pressing member pair in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction.

Claims (24)

1. A sheet processing apparatus, comprising:

a flexure forming unit configured to flex sheets to include a portion on which no fold line is formed in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction;

a first pressing member pair, which is next to the flexure forming unit, configured to press a flexure portion of the flexed sheets to form a fold line thereon; and

a moving unit configured to move a pressing position of the first pressing member pair in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction.

2. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the flexure forming unit includes a second pressing member pair including pressing members that partially press the sheets in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction to form a fold line on a pressed portion of the sheets and that flex the sheets not to form a fold line on a portion other than the pressed portion.

3. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein a width of a portion of the sheets pressed by the second pressing member pair is equal to or smaller than half of a sheet width.

4. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the flexure forming unit includes an abutment member pair including abutment members, and

the abutment member pair is configured to abut on the sheets with the abutment members separated from each other to flex the sheets not to form a fold line on the sheets.

5. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the second pressing member pair is configured to press the sheets on insides of both ends of the sheets in a sheet width direction.

6. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the second pressing member pair is installed with a predetermined distance apart from each of the pressing members.

7. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the flexure forming unit is a roller pair including a pair of roller members arranged to sandwich the sheets therebetween, and

edge portions of the roller members have round shapes, respectively.

8. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the first pressing member pair is configured to start a pressing operation from a predetermined position within a sheet width, and

a position on the sheets pressed by the flexure forming unit during flexing of the sheets includes the predetermined position.

9. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the first pressing member pair is a roller pair having an axis line in a direction orthogonal to a sheet width direction and including a pair of roller members arranged to sandwich a fold line of the sheets therebetween,

the first pressing member pair is configured to press the fold line of the sheets from a predetermined position within a sheet width to one end of the sheets in the sheet width direction, and then press a portion of the fold line not pressed in a previous pressing operation while moving in an opposite direction of the sheet width direction.

10. An image forming system, comprising:

an image forming apparatus configured to form images on sheets, respectively;

a sheet processing apparatus configured to perform a folding process on the sheets each having the image formed by the image forming apparatus; and

the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2014
From: HATA, KIYOSHI; SUGIYAMA, KEISUKE; HOSHINO, TOMOMICHI; KIKUCHI, ATSUSHI; SAITO, SATOSHI; HIDAKA, MAKOTO; SANO, TAKUYA; WATANABE, TAKAO; SATOH, SHOHICHI
To: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 031941/0648 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2013-007078 · Jan 18, 2013 · national
JP 2013-228148 · Nov 1, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140206516A1 · Jul 24, 2014