Patent ID: 8393621
Filing Date: 2013-03-12
Classification: B65H,G03G

Abstract:
1. A sheet stacking apparatus, comprising: a conveyance portion configured to convey a sheet, including a holding portion configured to move in a sheet conveying direction while holding a downstream end of the sheet in the sheet conveying direction; a first sheet stacking portion, having a first stacking surface which moves down depending on increase of stacked sheets thereon, configured to stack a sheet conveyed by the conveyance portion; a second sheet stacking portion, having a second stacking surface which moves down depending on increase of stacked sheets thereon, configured to stack a sheet conveyed by the conveyance portion, and to be arranged downstream of the first sheet stacking portion in the sheet conveying direction of the conveyance portion; and a controller configured to determine one of the first and second sheet stacking portions as a destination of the sheet, based on sheet information of the sheet to be stacked, the controller controlling movement of the holding portion so that the holding portion firstly conveys, to the second sheet stacking portion, a sheet to be stacked, and then conveys, to the first sheet stacking portion, a sheet to be stacked, when a total number of sheets to be stacked for a given job, as the sheet information, exceeds a number of sheets which can be stacked on one of the first and second sheet stacking portions, wherein when the sheet to be stacked on the second sheet stacking portion passes over the first sheet stacking portion, an upstream end of the sheet in the sheet conveying direction is guided along stacking surface, on which a sheet is not stacked, of the first sheet stacking portion while the downstream end of the sheet is held by the holding portion.