Patent ID: 7389979
Filing Date: 2008-06-24
Classification: B42C,B65H

Abstract:
1. A sheet processing apparatus, comprising: a receiving device configured to receive sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus one after another and to convey the sheets, the receiving device including a discharge roller pair to discharge the sheets in a first direction from the receiving device one after another; a binding tray configured to receive the sheets discharged from the receiving device one after another to be stacked one on top of another thereon, the binding tray including a widthwise jogging device configured to move between a jogging position and a criterion position to jog each sheet received on the binding tray, as the sheet is received thereon, at widthwise sides of the sheet in a direction in which the sheet has been conveyed by the receiving device; a binding device configured to bind a set of the sheets received, stacked, and jogged on the binding tray; a discharge device configured to discharge the bound set of the sheets from the binding tray; a binding tray moving mechanism for moving the binding tray about a support axis between a receiving position and a discharging position, wherein the binding tray is moved to the receiving position when receiving the sheets discharged from the receiving device one after another thereon to be stacked one on top of another and jogging each sheet received on the binding tray with the widthwise jogging device as the sheet is received thereon and when the set of the sheets has been received, stacked, and jogged on the binding tray and bound by the binding device, the binding tray is rotated in a vertical direction with respect to the first direction in which the sheet has been conveyed by the receiving device, to the discharging position for discharging the bound set of the sheets from the binding tray, and returned to the receiving position after the bound set of the sheets has been discharged from the binding tray; and a sheet holding device including a moving mechanism for moving the sheet holding device in the first direction in which the sheet is conveyed by the receiving device, to a holding position in a path between the discharge roller pair of the receiving device and the binding device and in a reverse direction to a non-holding position outside of the path between the discharge roller pair of the receiving device and the binding device and configured to receive sheets, discharged from the receiving device one after another after the binding device has started binding the set of the sheets on the binding tray and before the binding tray has returned from the discharging position to the receiving position, one after another to be stacked one on top of another and to be held thereon, and to release the held sheets to be fallen and received on the binding tray after the binding tray has returned from the discharging position to the receiving position.