Patent ID: 7766322
Filing Date: 2010-08-03
Classification: B65H

Abstract:
1. A sheet transfer direction changing apparatus to be connected to an image forming apparatus, comprising: a plurality of discharge sections, orientated in three different discharge directions in a top view of the sheet transfer direction changing apparatus in a plane substantially, to discharge the sheet in one of three directions which are deviated 90 degrees, 180 degrees and 270 degrees from a transfer direction of the sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus; a sheet feeding section to carry in a sheet discharged from a discharge section of the image forming apparatus; a direction changing device to change a sheet direction, from a sheet direction when the sheet is originally fed from the image forming apparatus, wherein the sheet fed from the sheet feeding section is stored and held in a vertical state once then turned 90 degrees clockwise direction or anticlockwise direction in a top view of the sheet transfer direction changing apparatus; a discharge sheet transfer device to horizontally transfer the sheet transferred from the direction changing device in which the sheet is held in a vertical state to one of the discharging sections, while changing sheet transfer directions from a sheet transfer direction when the sheet is originally fed from the image forming apparatus, wherein the sheets are transferred in one of a face-up and in a face-down state respectively in each of the sheet transfer directions, at least in a state that the sheet direction is turned substantially 90 degrees clockwise direction, anticlockwise direction and not turned in respect to the sheet direction when the sheet has been originally fed from the image forming apparatus; and a control device to control the direction changing device and the discharge sheet transfer device, wherein a post-process apparatus can be connected with one of the plurality of the discharge sections which are in a different transfer direction from the transfer direction of the sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus.