Patent Publication Number: US-2022214638-A1

Title: Finisher with manual binding/folding structure

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     A finisher is a device for receiving a sheet-type medium (e.g., a print medium) from a printing apparatus (e.g., a copier or a printer) and performing a post-process (e.g., a side stitching process, a saddle stitching process, or a folding process) on the sheet-type medium. The side stitching process refers to a process of aligning a plurality of sheets of a print medium and binding the print medium by inserting staples into a side of the print medium in a length direction. The saddle stitching process refers to a process of aligning a plurality of sheets of a print medium and binding the print medium by inserting staples into a middle portion of the print medium. The saddle stitching process is also called a saddle stitch stapling process. The folding process refers to a process of folding one or more sheets of a print medium one or more times. 
     In general, the finisher is connected to a printing apparatus to configure an image forming apparatus, and performs a post-process on a print medium on which a printing process is completely performed by the printing apparatus. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an example of an image forming apparatus. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an example of a finisher. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing an example of a structure for exposing a manual supply slot. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a state in which a door is open in the example of the structure for exposing the manual supply slot and illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a schematic view of an example of a folder. 
         FIG. 6  shows an example of an offline post-process using the finisher illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a finisher showing an example of a structure for exposing a manual supply slot, and shows a state in which a post-processor is located at an accommodation position. 
         FIG. 8  shows a state in which the post-processor is located at a taken-out position in the example of the finisher illustrated in  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic view of an example of an image forming apparatus. 
         FIG. 10  is a schematic view of an example of a connection structure between a finisher and a printing apparatus in the example of the image forming apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of an example of the finisher illustrated in  FIG. 9 . 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view showing a state in which a door is open in the example of the finisher illustrated in  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES 
     Hereinafter, examples of a finisher and an image forming apparatus will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals denote like elements, and the size or thickness of each element may be exaggerated for clarity of explanation. 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an example of an image forming apparatus. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the image forming apparatus may include a printing apparatus  1  for printing an image on a sheet-type medium, e.g., a print medium P, and a finisher  2  for receiving the print medium P from an external device, e.g., the printing apparatus  1 , and performing a post-process on the print medium P. 
     The printing apparatus  1  prints an image on the print medium P supplied from a feeder. The feeder may include, for example, a main cassette feeder  11  mounted under the printing apparatus  1 , a secondary cassette feeder  12  mounted under the main cassette feeder  11 , a high capacity feeder  13  mounted under the main cassette feeder  11  or the secondary cassette feeder  12 , and a high capacity feeder  14  mounted at a side of the printing apparatus  1 . Although not shown in  FIG. 1 , the feeder may be a multi-purpose tray (MPT). 
     The printing apparatus  1  may print an image on the print medium P based on various printing methods such as electrophotography, inkjet printing, thermal transfer printing, and thermal sublimation printing. For example, the image forming apparatus of the current example prints a color image on the print medium P based on electrophotography. The above-mentioned printing methods are well known in the art and thus a detailed description thereof is not provided herein. 
     The image forming apparatus may further include a scanner  3  for reading an image recorded on a sheet-type medium used as a document. The scanner  3  may be of various types, e.g., a flatbed type by which a document is located at a fixed position and a reading member reads an image while moving, a document feed type by which a reading member is located at a fixed position and a document is fed, or a combination thereof. The operating principle and structure of the scanner  3  are well known in the art and thus a detailed description thereof is not provided herein. 
     The finisher  2  may be mounted on the printing apparatus  1  as a module of the image forming apparatus.  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an example of the finisher  2 . Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the finisher  2  may include a post-processor  21 , an online supplier  22 , and a housing  23 . 
     The post-processor  21  may include a binding path  100 , a binding unit  200  for performing at least one of a saddle stitching process and a folding process on the print medium P on the binding path  100 , and a manual supply slot  300  for manually being supplied with the print medium P to supply the print medium P towards the binding path  100 . The online supplier  22  receives the print medium P from the printing apparatus  1  and supplies the print medium P to the binding path  100 . The post-processor  21  and the online supplier  22  are accommodated in the housing  23 . The housing  23  includes an online supply slot  24  from which the online supplier  22  receives the print medium P from the printing apparatus  1 . 
     The online supplier  22  may be located on the post-processor  21 . The online supplier  22  may discharge the print medium P output from the printing apparatus  1 , without performing a post-process. Although not shown in detail in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the online supplier  22  may have a structure capable of stapling or punching through a side of the print medium P. The online supplier  22  may discharge the print medium P after stapling or punching through a side of the print medium P output from the printing apparatus  1 . The online supplier  22  may supply, to the binding path  100 , the print medium P output from the printing apparatus  1 . 
     The binding unit  200  may include at least one of a saddle stitcher  400  for saddle-stitching, e.g., saddle-stitch-stapling, the print medium P on the binding path  100 , and a folder  500  for folding the print medium P on the binding path  100  one or more times. The binding unit  200  of the current example includes the saddle stitcher  400  and the folder  500 . The binding unit  200  may further include a position aligner  600  for supporting a front side of the print medium P on the binding path  100  and aligning the print medium P at a saddle stitching position and a folding position. The saddle stitching position is a position where a middle portion of the print medium P faces the saddle stitcher  400 . The folding position is a position where a portion of the print medium P to be folded faces the folder  500 . 
     The structure capable of stapling or punching through a side of the print medium P and the structure of the saddle stitcher  400  are well known in the art and thus a detailed description thereof is not provided herein. An example of the folder  500  will be described below with reference to  FIG. 5 . 
     Configuration information, e.g., the size of the print medium P, the type of a post-process, and information indicating whether to perform the post-process, may be input through an inputter to the image forming apparatus. The inputter may include, for example, a manipulation panel  4  including a plurality of buttons, and/or a touchscreen  5 . When the inputter is implemented by the manipulation panel  4 , the manipulation panel  4  may include a display. The manipulation panel  4  and/or the touchscreen  5  may be provided on the printing apparatus  1 . An additional manipulation panel  6  may be provided on the finisher  2 . 
     By the above-described configuration, the print medium P discharged from the printing apparatus  1  is supplied through the online supply slot  24  to the finisher  2 . The print medium P supplied through the online supply slot  24  to the online supplier  22  may be discharged from the finisher  2  without a post-process, be discharged from the finisher  2  after a process of stapling or punching through a side of the print medium P, or be supplied to the binding path  100  for a saddle stitching process or a folding process. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , as described above, the finisher  2  of the current example includes the manual supply slot  300  capable of manual supply of the print medium P to the binding path  100 . The manual supply slot  300  is accommodated in the housing  23 . Therefore, when the finisher  2  is attached to the printing apparatus  1  in the form of a module, the manual supply slot  300  is not exposed. To supply the print medium P through the manual supply slot  300  to the binding path  100 , the manual supply slot  300  needs to be exposed. 
     The manual supply slot  300  may be exposed by various structures.  FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing an example of a structure for exposing the manual supply slot  300 .  FIG. 4  is a perspective view showing a state in which a door  233  is open in the example of the structure for exposing the manual supply slot  300  and illustrated in  FIG. 3 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the post-processor  21  is movable between an accommodation position where the post-processor  21  is accommodated in the housing  23  (see  FIG. 2 ), and a manual supply position where the post-processor  21  is taken out of the housing  23  to expose the manual supply slot  300  (see  FIG. 3 ). The housing  23  may include a first side  231  in a width direction W of the print medium P, and a second side  232  facing the printing apparatus  1  and including the online supply slot  24 . The post-processor  21  may slide in the width direction W of the print medium P to move between the accommodation position and the manual supply position. 
     As an example, the housing  23  may include the door  233  moving between the accommodation position and the manual supply position together with the post-processor  21 . The door  233  serves as a part of the first side  231  of the housing  23 . The door  233  may be attached to a side of the post-processor  21 . By the above-described configuration, the post-processor  21  may be moved to the manual supply position by pulling the door  233  in the width direction W and be moved to the accommodation position by pushing the door  233  in the width direction W. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the door  233  may open or close the side of the post-processor  21  to clear a jam of a print medium, such as a paper jam. For example, the door  233  may be mounted on the side of the post-processor  21  to be rotatable between an open position (see  FIG. 4 ) and a closed position (see  FIG. 3 ). The door  233  may also rotate to the open position when the post-processor  21  is located at the accommodation position. When the door  233  is open, a jam release knob  211  provided on the side of the post-processor  21  may be exposed. The jam release knob  211  may be connected to, for example, folding rollers  520  (see  FIG. 5 ) and discharge rollers  560  (see  FIG. 5 ) to be described below and rotate the folding rollers  520  and the discharge rollers  560 . As such, a paper jam that occurred in a folding process may be cleared. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the finisher  2  may further include a door  234  for opening or closing a side of the online supplier  22 . The door  234  may be connected to the housing  23  to be rotatable between an open position and a closed position. The door  234  may serve as the first side  231  of the housing  23  together with the door  233 . When the door  234  is located at the open position, a paper jam that occurred in the online supplier  22  may be cleared through the side of the online supplier  22 . 
     By the above-described configuration, when the post-processor  21  is located at the manual supply position, the manual supply slot  300  may be exposed and the print medium P may be supplied through the manual supply slot  300  to the binding path  100 . 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic view of an example of the folder  500 . Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the folder  500  may include the folding rollers  520  and a folding blade  550 . 
     The folding rollers  520  are located on the binding path  100 . The folding rollers  520  may be located at a downstream side of the saddle stitcher  400  with respect to the binding path  100 . The folding rollers  520  include first and second rollers  521  and  522  rotating in contact with each other to form a folding nip N. The first roller  521  is located at an upstream side and the second roller  522  is located at a downstream side with respect to the binding path  100 . The folding blade  550  moving between an insertion position for pushing the print medium P on the binding path  100  into the folding nip N (see a dashed line of  FIG. 5 ), and a retreat position retreated from the binding path  100  (see a solid line of  FIG. 5 ) is provided at an entrance of the folding nip N. The folding blade  550  pushes a portion to be folded between a front end and a rear end of the print medium P, into the folding nip N. The folding blade  550  moves between the insertion position and the retreat position by, for example, a folding blade driver  551 . The folding blade driver  551  may have various structures. As an example, the folding blade driver  551  may have a slider-crank structure. The folding blade driver  551  may include a rotating member  551 - 2  being rotatable, a slider  551 - 3  having the folding blade  550  mounted thereon and being linearly movable, and a crank  551 - 4  for connecting the rotating member  551 - 2  to the slider  551 - 3 . 
     The position aligner  600  supports a front end PF of the print medium P on the binding path  100  and moves between an alignment position for aligning the print medium P (see a dashed line of  FIG. 5 ) and a folding position for aligning a fold position of the print medium P with a position corresponding to the folding nip N (see a solid line of  FIG. 5 ). As described above, the position aligner  600  may move to a binding position for aligning a middle portion of the print medium P with the saddle stitcher  400 . The front end PF of the print medium P transported along the binding path  100  is supported by the position aligner  600  located at the alignment position. The position aligner  600  is moved by a lifting member  601  between the alignment position and the folding position. The folding position may include at least an initial fold position of the print medium P. The folding position may further include subsequent fold positions of the print medium P. A position of the position aligner  600  may be detected by a position detection sensor (not shown). The lifting member  601  may include, for example, a linear motor. The lifting member  601  may be implemented by various structures, e.g., a combination of a rotary motor and a linear transport mechanism, or a combination of a rotary motor and a rotary belt or a chain. 
     By the above-described configuration, the print medium P may be folded once. For example, one or more sheets of the print medium P discharged from the printing apparatus  1  are transported along the binding path  100 , and the front end PF thereof is supported by the position aligner  600  located at the alignment position as indicated by a dashed line in  FIG. 5 . The position aligner  600  moves to the folding position as indicated by a solid line in  FIG. 5 , to align the fold position of the print medium P with the position corresponding to the folding nip N. Thereafter, the folding blade  550  moves to the insertion position to push the middle portion of the print medium P into the folding nip N. Then, the print medium P is pushed into the folding nip N, is folded once, and comes out from an exit of the folding nip N. The folded print medium P is discharged by the discharge rollers  560 . As such, a V-fold is enabled. The fold position may be determined by the position aligner  600 . 
     The folder  500  of the current example may include a guide path for guiding the print medium P having passed through the folding nip N, back to the binding path  100  and returning the print medium P toward the entrance of the folding nip N, and a switching member  530  located at the exit of the folding nip N to selectively guide the print medium P to the discharge rollers  560  or the guide path. The guide path may be provided near at least one of the first and second rollers  521  and  522 . In the current example, the guide path includes a first guide path  561  and a second guide path  562  respectively provided near the first and second rollers  521  and  522 . 
     The switching member  530  includes a first switching member  531  for selectively guiding the print medium P to the first guide path  561 , and a second switching member  532  for selectively guiding the print medium P to the second guide path  562 . Although not shown in  FIG. 5 , an actuator for driving the first and second switching members  531  and  532  may be provided. The actuator may be, for example, a solenoid actuator. Although not shown in  FIG. 5 , first and second sensors for detecting the print medium P may be respectively provided on the first and second guide paths  561  and  562 . The first and second sensors may provide a reference for determining a second or subsequent fold timing, i.e., a second or subsequent driving timing of the folding blade  550 . Driven rollers provided near the first and second rollers  521  and  522  along the first and second guide paths  561  and  562  and not indicated by reference numerals are in contact with the first and second rollers  521  and  522  to transport the print medium P along the first and second guide paths  561  and  562 . The print medium P having passed through the folding nip N is wound around the first or second roller  521  or  522  along the first or second guide path  561  or  562  and is returned to toward the entrance of the folding nip N. 
     As such, the print medium P may be folded twice by returning the print medium P folded once, toward the entrance of the folding nip N along the first or second guide path  561  or  562  and pushing the print medium P into the folding nip N again by using the folding blade  550 . A simple 4-fold is enabled by folding a middle portion of the folded print medium P once again. A 3-fold such as a C-fold or a Z-fold is enabled by folding the print medium P twice by using the first or second guide path  561  or  562 . A double gate fold, a roll fold, a W-fold, or the like is enabled by folding the print medium P three times by passing the print medium P sequentially through the first and second guide paths  561  and  562 . 
     When a saddle-stitched document is to be scanned or copied, saddle stitches may be removed, each sheet of the document may be scanned using the scanner  3 , and image information may be stored in a memory device (not shown) or be transmitted to and printed using the printing apparatus  1 . A general finisher not including the manual supply slot  300  may perform only an online post-process for receiving the print medium P supplied from the printing apparatus  1  connected to the finisher, and thus may not saddle-stitch a document by using a binding unit of the finisher. Furthermore, when a document is printed using an image forming apparatus, a user may forget to configure a binding or folding process. In this case, the general finisher not including the manual supply slot  300  may not bind or fold a plurality of sheets of the print medium P discharged from the image forming apparatus without a post-process, and thus the user needs to print the document again through an online post-process after configuring the image forming apparatus to perform a binding or folding process. 
     The finisher  2  of the current example illustrated in  FIGS. 1 to 5  may perform a saddle stitching process and/or a folding process in an offline mode.  FIG. 6  shows an example of an offline post-process using the finisher  2  of the current example. An example of an offline post-process using the finisher  2  will now be described with reference to  FIGS. 1 to 6 . In  FIG. 6 , the structure of the post-processor  21  is schematically illustrated. Although the print medium P will be described below as an example of a sheet-type medium to be post-processed, the sheet-type medium to be post-processed may be, for example, a document. 
     Configuration information of a post-process, e.g., the size of the print medium P, information indicating whether to perform a saddle stitching process, information indicating whether to perform a folding process, and the type of the folding process, is input through the manipulation panel  4  or the touchscreen  5  of the image forming apparatus. Alternatively, the configuration information may be input through the manipulation panel  6  of the finisher  2 . The position aligner  600  moves an appropriate receiving position based on the configuration information. For example, the receiving position may be a saddle stitching position. A side fence  700  for aligning the print medium P in the width direction W may be located at an appropriate position based on the configured size information of the print medium P. The inputting of the configuration information may also be performed after the post-processor  21  moves to a manual supply position. 
     The post-processor  21  is located at the manual supply position by pulling the post-processor  21  in the width direction W of the print medium P as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Then, the manual supply slot  300  is exposed. As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , process (a), the print medium P is manually supplied through the exposed manual supply slot  300  to the binding path  100 . A front end of the print medium P is supported by the position aligner  600 . Thereafter, a post-process start command is input through the manipulation panel  4  or the touchscreen  5 . The post-process start command may be input by, for example, pressing a start button on the manipulation panel  4  or touching a start icon displayed on the touchscreen  5 . Alternatively, the post-process start command may be input through the manipulation panel  6  of the finisher  2 . 
     The side fence  700  aligns the print medium P in the width direction W by reciprocating between a position slightly spaced apart from an edge of the print medium P in the width direction W and an alignment position corresponding to the edge of the print medium P in the width direction W. When a saddle stitching process is to be performed, the position aligner  600  moves to the saddle stitching position to align a middle portion of the print medium P in a length direction with the saddle stitcher  400  as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , process (b). In this state, the saddle stitcher  400  completes the saddle stitching process by inserting staples into the middle portion of the print medium P in the length direction. When a folding process is not to be performed, the position aligner  600  may move from the saddle stitching position toward the manual supply slot  300  to discharge the print medium P through the manual supply slot  300  as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , process (c). A user may hold the print medium P exposed through the manual supply slot  300  and take the print medium P out of the binding path  100 . 
     When a folding process is to be performed after the saddle stitching process, the position aligner  600  moves to a folding position as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , process (d). For example, for a V-fold, the folding position may be a position where the middle portion of the print medium P faces the folding nip N (see  FIG. 5 ). In this state, the folding blade  550  moves to an insertion position to push the middle portion of the print medium P into the folding nip N. Then, the print medium P is pushed into the folding nip N, is folded once, and comes out from an exit of the folding nip N. The folded print medium P is discharged by the discharge rollers  560 . As such, a V-fold is enabled. 
     When a folding process is to be performed without performing the saddle stitching process, when the print medium P is supplied through the manual supply slot  300  to the binding path  100  as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , process (a), the position aligner  600  moves to a folding position as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , process (d). For example, for a V-fold, the folding position may be a position where the middle portion of the print medium P faces the folding nip N (see  FIG. 5 ). The side fence  700  aligns the print medium P in the width direction W by reciprocating between a position slightly spaced apart from an edge of the print medium P in the width direction W and an alignment position corresponding to the edge of the print medium P in the width direction W. In this state, the folding blade  550  moves to an insertion position to push the middle portion of the print medium P into the folding nip N. Then, the print medium P is pushed into the folding nip N, is folded once, and comes out from an exit of the folding nip N. The folded print medium P is discharged by the discharge rollers  560 . As such, a V-fold is enabled. 
     The folding process may be of various types. The folder  500  may fold the print medium P one or more times based on the configured type of the folding process. For example, the print medium P may be folded twice by returning the print medium P folded once, toward an entrance of the folding nip N along the first or second guide path  561  or  562  (see  FIG. 5 ) and pushing the print medium P into the folding nip N again by using the folding blade  550 . A simple 4-fold is enabled by folding a middle portion of the folded print medium P once again. A 3-fold such as a C-fold or a Z-fold is enabled by folding the print medium P twice by using the first or second guide path  561  or  562 . A double gate fold, a roll fold, a W-fold, or the like is enabled by folding the print medium P three times by passing the print medium P sequentially through the first and second guide paths  561  and  562 . 
     When the folding process is completed, the print medium P is discharged from the finisher  2  by the discharge rollers  560 . 
     As described above, according to the finisher  2  of the current example, the finisher  2  being capable of performing an offline post-process, a binding or folding process may be performed on a sheet-type medium used as a document, the print medium P output without a post-process, etc. Therefore, separate offline binding equipment is not required and thus installation costs and spaces for office machines may be reduced. In addition, waste of the print medium P due to reprinting for a post-process may be reduced. 
       FIGS. 7 and 8  are perspective views of the finisher  2  showing an example of a structure for exposing the manual supply slot  300 , and  FIG. 7  shows a state in which the post-processor  21  is located at an accommodation position, whereas  FIG. 8  shows a state in which the post-processor  21  is located at a manual supply position. Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , the post-processor  21  is movable between an accommodation position where the post-processor  21  is accommodated in the housing  23  (see  FIG. 7 ) and a manual supply position where the post-processor  21  is taken out of the housing  23  to expose the manual supply slot  300  (see  FIG. 8 ). The housing  23  may include the first side  231  in the width direction W of the print medium P, and the second side  232  facing the printing apparatus  1  and including the online supply slot  24 . The housing  23  includes a door  235  for opening or closing the first side  231 . The door  235  may rotate between a position for opening the first side  231  and a position for closing the first side  231 . The post-processor  21  may slide in the width direction W of the print medium P to move between the accommodation position and the manual supply position. 
     By the above-described configuration, the post-processor  21  may be moved to the manual supply position by opening the door  235  and pulling the post-processor  21  in the width direction W, and be moved to the accommodation position by pushing the post-processor  21  in the width direction W. When the door  235  is open, the jam release knob  211  provided on a side of the post-processor  21  may be exposed. The jam release knob  211  may be connected to, for example, the folding rollers  520  and the discharge rollers  560  described above and rotate the folding rollers  520  and the discharge rollers  560 . As such, a paper jam that occurred in a folding process may be cleared. When the door  235  is located at an open position, a paper jam that occurred in the online supplier  22  may be cleared through a side of the online supplier  22 . 
     By the above-described configuration, when the post-processor  21  is located at the manual supply position, the manual supply slot  300  may be exposed and the print medium P may be supplied through the manual supply slot  300  to the binding path  100 . A binding and/or folding process using the finisher  2  illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8  is the same as that described above in relation to  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 9  is a schematic view of an example of an image forming apparatus.  FIG. 10  is a schematic view of an example of a connection structure between the finisher  2  and the printing apparatus  1 .  FIG. 11  is a perspective view of an example of the finisher  2 .  FIG. 12  is a perspective view of an example of the finisher  2  in a state in which the door  235  is open. 
     Initially, referring to  FIG. 11 , the housing  23  may include the first side  231  in the width direction W of the print medium P, and the second side  232  facing the printing apparatus  1  and including the online supply slot  24 . The manual supply slot  300  is exposed through the second side  232  of the housing  23 . When the finisher  2  is attached to the printing apparatus  1 , the manual supply slot  300  is not exposed. To expose the manual supply slot  300 , the finisher  2  of the current example is detached from the printing apparatus  1 . In this regard, the finisher  2  may be detachably connected to the printing apparatus  1  as illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , the finisher  2  is detachably connected to the printing apparatus  1  by a connector  800 . The connector  800  may include, for example, an engaging member  810  provided on the printing apparatus  1 , and a release member  820  switchable between a connection position where the release member  820  is engaged with the engaging member  810  to connect the finisher  2  to the printing apparatus  1  (see a solid line of  FIG. 10 ), and a disconnection position where the release member  820  is disengaged from the engaging member  810  to disconnect the finisher  2  from the printing apparatus  1  (see a dashed line of  FIG. 10 ). The engaging member  810  may be inserted into the finisher  2  through a insertion hole  236  provided in the second side  232  of the finisher  2 . The release member  820  may be provided on the finisher  2  and rotate about a hinge  830  between the connection position and the disconnection position. The release member  820  may include a hook  821  engaged with the engaging member  810 , and a lever  822  for switching the release member  820  between the connection position and the disconnection position. 
     By the above-described configuration, the release member  820  may be switched to the disconnection position to detach the finisher  2  from the printing apparatus  1 . When the finisher  2  is detached from the printing apparatus  1 , the manual supply slot  300  may be exposed through the second side  232  of the housing  23 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the housing  23  may include the door  235  for opening or closing the first side  231 . The door  235  may rotate between a position for opening the first side  231  and a position for closing the first side  231 . When the door  235  is open, the jam release knob  211  provided on a side of the post-processor  21  may be exposed. A paper jam that occurred in a folding process may be cleared using the jam release knob  211 . When the door  235  is located at an open position, a paper jam that occurred in the online supplier  22  may be cleared through a side of the online supplier  22 . In addition, when the door  235  is located at the open position, the lever  822  of the release member  820  may be exposed. Therefore, by opening the door  235 , holding the lever  822  and rotating the release member  820  to the disconnection position, the finisher  2  may be detached from the printing apparatus  1  and the manual supply slot  300  may be exposed. 
     The finisher  2  may include the manipulation panel  6  for configuring an offline post-process. Configuration information, e.g., the size of the print medium P, the type of a post-process, and information indicating whether to perform the post-process, may be input through the manipulation panel  6  to the finisher  2 . 
     By the above-described configuration, the print medium P may be supplied through the manual supply slot  300  to the binding path  100 . A binding and/or folding process using the finisher  2  illustrated in  FIGS. 9 to 12  is the same as that described above in relation to  FIG. 6 . 
     It should be understood that examples described herein should be considered in a descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. Descriptions of features or aspects within each example should typically be considered as available for other similar features or aspects in other examples. While one or more examples have been described with reference to the figures, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope as defined by the following claims.