SHEET PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS

Abstract

A pressing member pressed against a sheet stack portion can be moved to both a retracting portion where alignment of the sheet by the aligning portion is not prevented and a pressing position where the aligned sheet S1 is pressed against the sheet stack portion. Moreover, a regulation member for regulating upward movement of the end of the aligned sheet in a conveyance direction can be moved in association with movement of the pressing member to both a retracting portion where alignment of the sheet S1 by the aligning portion is not prevented and a regulating position where upward movement of the end of the aligned sheet S1 in a conveyance direction is regulated.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus provided with the sheet processing apparatus of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an illustration for describing the configuration of the above sheet processing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the above sheet processing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the above sheet processing apparatus.

FIG. 5 is an illustration for describing the configuration of an intermediate sheet stack portion set to the above sheet processing apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view for describing the configuration of a pressing unit set to the above intermediate sheet stack portion.

FIG. 7 is a side view for describing the configuration of the above pressing unit.

FIG. 8 is an illustration for describing operations of the above pressing unit.

FIG. 9 is an illustration showing the schematic configuration of an intermediate sheet stack portion set to the sheet processing apparatus of a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view for describing another configuration of the above intermediate sheet stack portion.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view for describing still another configuration of the above intermediate sheet stack portion.

FIG. 12 is an illustration showing a schematic configuration of the sheet processing apparatus of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is an illustration showing the schematic configuration of an intermediate sheet stack portion set to the above sheet processing apparatus.

FIG. 14 is a first illustration for describing the sheet pressing operation of the pressing unit of third embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 15A and 15B are second illustrations for describing the sheet pressing operation of the above pressing unit.

FIG. 16 is a third illustration for describing the sheet pressing operation of the pressing unit;

FIG. 17 is a fourth illustration for describing the sheet pressing operation of the pressing unit;

FIG. 18 is a top view for describing the sheet pressing operation of the pressing unit.

FIG. 19 is an illustration showing the schematic configuration of an intermediate sheet stack portion set to the sheet processing apparatus of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is an illustration showing the schematic configuration of an intermediate sheet stack portion set to the sheet processing apparatus of a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is an illustration for describing the configuration of a conventional sheet processing apparatus;

FIG. 22 is an illustration for describing the configuration of an intermediate sheet stack portion set to a conventional sheet processing apparatus.

FIG. 23 is an illustration for describing a state when a conventional sheet processing apparatus aligns the rear end position of a sheet whose rear end is curled.

FIG. 24 is a front view of the intermediate sheet stack portion of a conventional sheet processing apparatus.

FIG. 25 is an illustration for describing another configuration of an intermediate sheet stack portion set to a conventional sheet processing apparatus.

Claims

1. A sheet processing apparatus comprising: a sheet stack portion onto which a sheet to be processed is conveyed;a sheet conveying portion which conveys a sheet to the sheet stack portion;an aligning portion which aligns the sheets conveyed to said sheet stack portion;a pressing member capable of moving to both a retracting portion where alignment of the sheet by said aligning portion is not prevented and a pressing position where the aligned sheet is pressed against the sheet stack portion; anda regulation member capable of moving to both a retracting portion where alignment of the sheet by the aligning portion is not prevented and a regulating position where upward movement of an end of the aligned sheet in a sheet conveyance direction is regulated,wherein the regulation surface of the regulation member at the regulating position is located above the pressure-contact face of the pressing member to be pressed against the aligned sheet, andwherein said regulation member operates in association with a movement of said pressing member.

2. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said regulation member regulates at the regulating position upward movement of the end of the aligned sheet in the conveyance direction so that the aligned sheet is not prevented from conveying a subsequent sheet.

3. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the regulation surface of said regulation member at the regulating position can elastically move upward along with a lift of the end of the sheet.

4. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a binding unit which binds sheets aligned by the aligning portion, wherein the regulation surface of said regulation member is located close to the binding position of the binding unit.

5. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said regulation member is provided outside a sheet conveying region in which a sheet is conveyed by the sheet conveying portion and the regulation surface is provided on the binding unit side from the pressure-contact face.

6. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the aligning portion has a first aligning portion for aligning an end of a sheet conveyed to the sheet stack portion in a conveyance direction and a second aligning portion for aligning an end of the sheet conveyed to the sheet stack portion in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction.

7. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said regulation member is provided along the aligning position of the first aligning portion and the regulation surface of the regulation member is provided on the binding unit side from said pressing member.

8. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: a driving unit which integrally moves said regulation member and said pressing member to a retracting portion.

9. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, including the regulation member and the pressing member integrally.

10. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member is constituted of an elastic body having a hollow portion and at least a part of the pressing member contacts with the aligned sheet and then the pressing member is elastically pressed against the sheet in a face contact state.

11. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressing member is set with an elastic member in-between.

12. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: a holding member which holds said pressing member,wherein the holding member is set with an elastic member in-between.

13. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the pressing members are provided along a sheet conveyance direction.

14. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pressing member and said regulation member move substantially vertically with regard to the aligned sheet.

15. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming portion which forms an image; anda sheet processing apparatus which processes a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming portion,wherein said sheet processing apparatus includes: a sheet stack portion onto which a sheet to be processed is conveyed;a sheet conveying portion which conveys a sheet to the sheet stack portion;an aligning portion which aligns the sheet conveyed to the sheet stack portion;a pressing member capable of moving to both a retracting portion where alignment of the sheet by the aligning portion is not prevented and a pressing position where the aligned sheet is pressed against the sheet stack portion; anda regulation member capable of moving to both a retracting portion where alignment of the sheet by the aligning portion is not prevented and a regulating position where upward movement of the end of the aligned sheet is regulated in a conveyance direction,wherein said regulation member operates in association with movement of said pressing member.

16. An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said regulation member regulates at the regulating position upward movement of the upstream side of the end of the aligned sheet in the conveyance direction so that the aligned sheet is not prevented from conveying a subsequent sheet.

17. An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the regulation surface of the regulation member at the regulating position is located above the pressure-contact face of the pressing member pressed against a sheet.

18. An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the regulation surface of said regulation member at the regulating position can be elastically moved upward by the lift of the end of the sheet.

19. An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said pressing member is constituted of an elastic body having a hollow portion and at least a part of the pressing member contacts with the aligned sheet and then the pressing member is pressed against the sheet in a face contact state.

20. An image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a plurality of pressing members are provided along a sheet conveyance direction.