Patent ID: 7784246

Claim:
A sheet processing apparatus including a plurality of units each having a processing unit to sort, process, and store sheets in a main body, the sheet processing apparatus comprising: a door, disposed in at least one of the units, configured to be opened and closed when accessing the processing unit arranged in the unit; and a door opening-closing detection device configured to detect the opening and closing of the door; an operation display device having an input device to enable input by an operator and a display device to notify the operator; a conveying path to convey the sheets; a sheet check device to discriminate the sheets conveyed by the conveying path; a stacking device, disposed in at least one of the processing units, having a stacking storage to stack the sheets based on the discrimination results of the sheet check device and a stacking storage cover to protect the stacked sheets; a sealing device to seal the stacked sheets stacked in the stacking device; an electromagnetic locking device to lock and unlock the stacking storage cover; a cover opening-closing permission display to indicate permission to open the stacking storage cover; and a controller to control the electromagnetic locking device to lock or unlock the stacking storage cover based on the detection results of the door opening-closing detection device, wherein, upon a condition occurs for gaining access to and servicing the stacking device: the electromagnetic locking device is turned off to unlock the stacking storage cover, the opening-closing detection device detects when the door of the corresponding unit door has been opened, in response to detecting that the unit door is open, maintain the electromagnetic device in the unlocked state to enable access to the stacking device, the opening-closing detection device detects whether the unit door of the detecting that the unit door has remained open, when the stacking storage cover is closed, and in response to detecting that the unit door is open while the stacking storage cover is closed, the electromagnetic locking device is turned on to lock the stacking storage cover and disable access to the stacking device.