IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,722,925
Granted Patent B2
US 12,722,925 · App. 18/356,342 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Post-processing device and image forming apparatus

Inventors: Hideki Kayashima (Kanagawa, JP); Taku Kiyomasa (Kanagawa, JP); Takayuki Uchiyama (Kanagawa, JP); Takuya Makita (Kanagawa, JP); Takumi Uegane (Kanagawa, JP); Shota Saito (Kanagawa, JP); Kenya Sumida (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: FUJIFILM Business Innovation Corp.
B65H5/36B65H5/26B65H2404/741B65H2513/42B65H2801/27
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,722,925
App. No.
18/356,342
Granted
Sep 1, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A post-processing device includes: a unit that performs post-processing; a guide unit that guides the unit to a position at which the unit performs the post-processing, and has a first guide portion extending in a width direction of a medium, a second guide portion that is disposed at an end portion of the first guide portion, is inclined with respect to the width direction of the medium, and guides the unit to a corner of the medium, a third guide portion that is disposed at the end portion of the first guide portion and branches off from the second guide portion to extend, and a fourth guide portion that connects the second guide portion to the third guide portion; and a branching unit that is disposed at a portion at which the second guide portion and the third guide portion branch off from each other, guides the unit from the first guide portion toward the second guide portion, and guides the unit from the third guide portion toward the first guide portion.

Claims (46)

1 . A post-processing device comprising:

a unit that performs post-processing;

a guide unit that guides the unit to a position at which the unit performs the post-processing, and has a first guide portion extending in a width direction of a medium, a second guide portion that is disposed at an end portion of the first guide portion, is inclined with respect to the width direction of the medium, and guides the unit to a corner of the medium, a third guide portion that is disposed at the end portion of the first guide portion and branches off from the second guide portion to extend, and a fourth guide portion that connects the second guide portion to the third guide portion; and

a branching unit that is disposed at a portion at which the second guide portion and the third guide portion branch off from each other, guides the unit from the first guide portion toward the second guide portion, and guides the unit from the third guide portion toward the first guide portion,

wherein the branching unit is elastically biased toward a branch position that guides the unit from the first guide portion toward the second guide portion, and wherein, during movement of the unit from a standby position toward a post-processing position, the unit directly contacts and elastically deforms the branching unit to permit the unit to pass the branching unit and enter the first guide portion without using a motor or solenoid.

2 . The post-processing device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the branching unit is movable about a support portion between a first branch position at which the unit is guided from the first guide portion toward the second guide portion and a second branch position at which the unit is guided from the third guide portion toward the first guide portion.

3 . The post-processing device according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a biasing unit that elastically biases the branching unit toward the first branch position.

4 . The post-processing device according to claim 3 ,

wherein the unit is disposed to be inclined with respect to a horizontal direction such that a self-weight of the unit acts in a direction in which the unit is pressed against the branching unit moved to the first branch position.

5 . The post-processing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a second unit that performs post-processing different from the post-processing of the unit, and is movable in the width direction of the medium by being guided by the first guide portion.

6 . The post-processing device according to claim 5 , further comprising:

a fifth guide portion that is disposed at an end portion of the first guide portion on a side opposite to the second guide portion, is inclined with respect to the width direction of the medium to guide the unit to an opposite corner of the medium, and allows the second unit to stand by during the post-processing of the unit.

7 . A post-processing device comprising:

a unit that performs post-processing;

a guide unit that guides the unit to a position at which the unit performs the post-processing, and has a first guide portion extending in a width direction of a medium, a second guide portion that is disposed at an end portion of the first guide portion, is inclined with respect to the width direction of the medium, and guides the unit to a corner of the medium, a third guide portion that is disposed at the end portion of the first guide portion and branches off from the second guide portion to extend, and a fourth guide portion that connects the second guide portion to the third guide portion; and

a branching unit that is disposed at a portion at which the second guide portion and the third guide portion branch off from each other, and is movable between a first branch position at which the unit is guided from the first guide portion toward the second guide portion and a second branch position at which the unit is guided from the third guide portion toward the first guide portion,

wherein the branching unit is elastically biased toward a branch position that guides the unit from the first guide portion toward the second guide portion, and wherein, during movement of the unit from a standby position toward a post-processing position, the unit directly contacts and elastically deforms the branching unit to permit the unit to pass the branching unit and enter the first guide portion without using a motor or solenoid.

8 . An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image recording device that records an image on a medium; and

the post-processing device according to claim 1 that performs post-processing on the medium on which the image is recorded by the image recording device.

9 . An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image recording device that records an image on a medium; and

the post-processing device according to claim 2 that performs post-processing on the medium on which the image is recorded by the image recording device.

10 . An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image recording device that records an image on a medium; and

the post-processing device according to claim 3 that performs post-processing on the medium on which the image is recorded by the image recording device.

11 . An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image recording device that records an image on a medium; and

the post-processing device according to claim 4 that performs post-processing on the medium on which the image is recorded by the image recording device.

12 . An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image recording device that records an image on a medium; and

the post-processing device according to claim 5 that performs post-processing on the medium on which the image is recorded by the image recording device.

13 . An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image recording device that records an image on a medium; and

the post-processing device according to claim 6 that performs post-processing on the medium on which the image is recorded by the image recording device.

14 . An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image recording device that records an image on a medium; and

the post-processing device according to claim 7 that performs post-processing on the medium on which the image is recorded by the image recording device.

15 . A post-processing device comprising:

a unit that performs post-processing;

guiding means for guiding the unit to a position at which the unit performs the post-processing, the guiding means having a first guide portion extending in a width direction of a medium, a second guide portion that is disposed at an end portion of the first guide portion, is inclined with respect to the width direction of the medium, and guides the unit to a corner of the medium, a third guide portion that is disposed at the end portion of the first guide portion and branches off from the second guide portion to extend, and a fourth guide portion that connects the second guide portion to the third guide portion; and

branching means for guiding the unit from the first guide portion toward the second guide portion, and guiding the unit from the third guide portion toward the first guide portion, the branching means being disposed at a portion at which the second guide portion and the third guide portion branch off from each other,

wherein the branching means is elastically biased toward a branch position that guides the unit from the first guide portion toward the second guide portion, and wherein, during movement of the unit from a standby position toward a post-processing position, the unit directly contacts and elastically deforms the branching means to permit the unit to pass the branching means and enter the first guide portion without using a motor or solenoid.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 21, 2023
From: KAYASHIMA, HIDEKI; KIYOMASA, TAKU; UCHIYAMA, TAKAYUKI; MAKITA, TAKUYA; UEGANE, TAKUMI; SAITO, SHOTA; SUMIDA, KENYA
To: FUJIFILM BUSINESS INNOVATION CORP.
Reel/Frame 064337/0079 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2023-006119 · Jan 18, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240239622A1 · Jul 18, 2024
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