Patent ID: 8262086

Claim:
A sheet processing system comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet; a sheet stack unit that lowers along a moving route set in advance, as more sheets are stacked on the sheet stack unit, the sheets each having an image formed thereon by the image forming unit, the sheets being transported through a first transporting route; a processing unit that is provided in a housing, and that applies processing to a sheet having an image formed thereon by the image forming unit, the sheet being transported through a second transporting route; a cover member that is provided so that a part of the housing is openable, that partially reaches a position in the moving route when the part of the housing is opened, and that allows a user to operate the processing unit by opening the part of the housing; a jam detecting unit that detects an abnormality in transportation of sheets; a position identifying unit that identifies a position of the sheet stack unit in an up and down direction along the moving route when the abnormality in transportation has been detected; a sheet detecting unit that detects absence of sheets on the sheet stack unit upon detection of the abnormality by the jam detecting unit, and when the position of the sheet stack unit is identified in a position where the sheet stack unit interferes with the cover member; and a moving unit that moves the sheet stack unit to a position where the sheet stack unit does not interfere with the cover member, when the sheet detecting unit detects absence of sheets on the sheet stack unit.