Patent ID: 8013272

Claim:
A sheet processing apparatus comprising: a laser processing unit configured to cut a sheet by irradiating the sheet with a laser beam; a controller configured to control an operation of the laser processing unit; a collecting portion provided below a laser processing position of the laser processing unit, the collecting portion being configured to collect a scrap of the sheet produced when the laser processing unit cuts the sheet; a detecting portion configured to detect the scrap of the sheet reaching a predetermined height in the collecting portion; and a region detecting portion configured to detect the scrap present in a region from the detection position of the detecting portion to the laser processing position, wherein the laser processing unit comprises a scanning portion configured to scan a laser beam, wherein a detection position of the detecting portion is set lower than a processing range of the laser beam irradiated by the laser processing unit, the processing range being a range where cutting by the laser beam is possible, and wherein the controller drives the scanning portion so that an irradiation region of the laser beam matches a sheet conveying region when the scrap is detected by the region detecting portion.