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EP0266739A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

A sheet finisher

Assignee: Canon Inc
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Filing: 1987-11-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-11-03
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Abstract

Abstract A sheet finisher apparatus (U) includes a stacker (5) for stacking sheets, a stapler (6) for stapling sheets, switching device for receiving sheets and conveying them selectively to the sheet stacker (5) or to the stapler (6), a counter for counting number of sheets to the stapler (6), and controller for controlling the switching device to convey the sheets to the stapler (6) until a count of the counter reaches a predetermined, and for conveying the sheets to the stacker (5) thereafter.

Inventors

  • 👤 Koichi Murakami

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 16:11
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/65; G03G15/6538; G03G15/6541; B; B42; B42C; B42C1/00; B42C1/12; B65; B65H; B65H31/00; B65H31/04; B65H31/08; B65H31/12; B65H31/18; B65H45/00; B65H45/12; B65H45/14; B65H45/142; G03G15/6582; B65H2801/00; B65H2801/24; B65H2801/27; G03G2215/00; G03G2215/00362; G03G2215/00367; G03G2215/00417; G03G2215/00421; G03G2215/00426; G03G2215/00535; G03G2215/00556; G03G2215/00789; G03G2215/00822; G03G2215/00827; G03G2215/00877; G03G2215/00919; G03G2215/00936

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim 78 words
A sheet finisher apparatus, comprising: means for stacking sheets; means for stapling sheets; switching means for receiving sheets and conveying them selectively to said sheet stacking means or to said stapling means; means for counting number of sheets to said stapling means; and control means for controlling said switching means to convey the sheets to said stapling means until a count of said counting means reaches a predetermined, and for conveying the sheets to said stacking means thereafter.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 78 words
A sheet finisher apparatus, comprising: means for stacking sheets; means for stapling sheets; switching means for receiving sheets and conveying them selectively to said sheet stacking means or to said stapling means; means for counting number of sheets to said stapling means; and control means for controlling said switching means to convey the sheets to said stapling means until a count of said counting means reaches a predetermined, and for conveying the sheets to said stacking means thereafter.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 51 words
An apparatus according to Claim 1, further comprising a conveying passage for conveying the sheets from said switching means to said stapling means, wherein said counting means includes detecting means for detecting the sheets passing through said conveying passage and counts the number of sheets detected by the sheet detecting means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 49 words
An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said apparatus is used with an image forming apparatus for forming images of originals on the sheets which is received by said switching means, wherein said counting means counts number of originals to count the number of sheets to said stapling means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 22 words
An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein said stapling means includes a tray for stacking the sheets coming from said switching means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 44 words
An apparatus according to Claim 3, wherein said image forming apparatus is provided with an original feeding device including means for accommodating originals and means for feeding the originals from said accommodating means, and the images of the originals are formed on the sheets.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 74 words
A sheet finisher apparatus, comprising: means for stacking sheets; means for stapling sheets; switching means for receiving sheets and conveying the sheets selectively to said stacking means or to said stapling means; means for detecting a malfunction of said stapling means and producing a signal representing the malfunction; and control means for controlling said switching means in response to the signal from said detecting means to convey the sheets to said sheet stacking means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 74 words
A sheet finisher apparatus, comprising: means for stacking sheets; means for stapling sheets; switching means for receiving sheets and conveying the sheets selectively to said stacking means or to said stapling means; means for detecting a malfunction of said stapling means and producing a signal representing the malfunction; and control means for controlling said switching means in response to the signal from said detecting means to convey the sheets to said sheet stacking means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 22 words
An apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein said stapling means includes a staple accommodating portion for accommodating staples for stapling the sheets.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 25 words
An apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein said detecting means produces the malfunction signal in response to absence of the staple in the accommodating portion.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 60 words
An apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein said stapling means includes a main stapling assembly movable between an operative position and an inoperative position, wherein said malfunction detecting means produces the malfunction signal when said stapling means does not return from the operative position to the inoperative position in a predetermined period of time after start of a stapling operation.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 74 words
An image forming apparatus, comprising: means for forming images on sheets; stapling means for stapling the sheets on which images are formed by said image forming means; instruction means for giving said image forming means instructions including forming same images on two or more sheets continuously and producing a signal representing the instruction is produced; and means for prohibiting operation of said stapling means in response to the signal produced by said instruction means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 74 words
An image forming apparatus, comprising: means for forming images on sheets; stapling means for stapling the sheets on which images are formed by said image forming means; instruction means for giving said image forming means instructions including forming same images on two or more sheets continuously and producing a signal representing the instruction is produced; and means for prohibiting operation of said stapling means in response to the signal produced by said instruction means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 30 words
An apparatus according to Claim 10, further comprising means for prohibiting image forming operation by said image forming means when said staple prohibiting means prohibits operation of said stapling means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 24 words
An apparatus according to Claim 10, further comprising means for producing a warning signal when said prohibiting means prohibits operation of said stapling means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 92 words
A sheet finisher apparatus, comprising: means for aligning sheets received by said sheet finisher apparatus to form an aligned bundle of sheets; stapling means for stapling the bundle of sheets aligned by said aligning means; means for detecting an image formation mode to which an image forming apparatus used with said sheet finisher apparatus is set and in which mode formation of same images on two or more sheets of the bundle is included; and means for prohibiting operation of said stapling means in response to said detecting means detecting the mode.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 92 words
A sheet finisher apparatus, comprising: means for aligning sheets received by said sheet finisher apparatus to form an aligned bundle of sheets; stapling means for stapling the bundle of sheets aligned by said aligning means; means for detecting an image formation mode to which an image forming apparatus used with said sheet finisher apparatus is set and in which mode formation of same images on two or more sheets of the bundle is included; and means for prohibiting operation of said stapling means in response to said detecting means detecting the mode.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 88 words
A sheet aligning apparatus, comprising: a tray for receiving sheets; a sheet aligning member movable between a waiting position which is away from a lateral end of the sheets on the tray and an operative position wherein it abuts the lateral end of the sheet to position it to a predetermined position; means for producing a signal representing a size of the sheet to be received by said receiving means; and control means for controlling the waiting position in response to the signal from said signal generating means.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 88 words
A sheet aligning apparatus, comprising: a tray for receiving sheets; a sheet aligning member movable between a waiting position which is away from a lateral end of the sheets on the tray and an operative position wherein it abuts the lateral end of the sheet to position it to a predetermined position; means for producing a signal representing a size of the sheet to be received by said receiving means; and control means for controlling the waiting position in response to the signal from said signal generating means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 18 words
An apparatus according to Claim 14, wherein said signal producing means includes means for selecting sizes of sheets.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 34 words
An apparatus according to Claim 14, wherein said sheet aligning apparatus is used with an apparatus including means for forming images on the sheets and means for supplying sheets to said image forming means.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 46 words
An apparatus according to Claim 16, wherein said sheet supplying means includes a sheet container for containing the sheets, and wherein said signal generating means detects the size of the sheet contained in the sheet container to produce the signal representing the size of the sheets.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 66 words
A sheet holding apparatus, comprising: means for folding a sheet; means for conveying the sheet from said sheet folding means to a predetermined position; means for switching to convey the sheet selectively to the predetermined position or to said sheet folding means; and control means for detecting a size of the sheet and for controlling said switching means in accordance with a result of the detection.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 66 words
A sheet holding apparatus, comprising: means for folding a sheet; means for conveying the sheet from said sheet folding means to a predetermined position; means for switching to convey the sheet selectively to the predetermined position or to said sheet folding means; and control means for detecting a size of the sheet and for controlling said switching means in accordance with a result of the detection.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 74 words
A sheet finisher apparatus, comprising: means for folding a sheet; means for conveying the sheet from said sheet folding means to a predetermined position; switching means for conveying a sheet selectively to said sheet folding means or to the predetermined position; means for detecting a size of the sheet and for producing a signal representing the size of the sheet; and control means responsive to said signal generating means to control said switching means.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 74 words
A sheet finisher apparatus, comprising: means for folding a sheet; means for conveying the sheet from said sheet folding means to a predetermined position; switching means for conveying a sheet selectively to said sheet folding means or to the predetermined position; means for detecting a size of the sheet and for producing a signal representing the size of the sheet; and control means responsive to said signal generating means to control said switching means.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 40 words
An apparatus according to Claim 19, wherein said apparatus is used with an image forming apparatus including image forming means for forming an image on the sheet and sheet supplying means for supplying the sheet to the image forming means.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 46 words
An apparatus according to Claim 20, wherein said sheet supplying means includes a sheet container for containing the sheet, and wherein said signal generating means detects a size of the sheet contained in said sheet container and produces the signal representing the size of the sheets.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 68 words
A sheet finisher apparatus, comprising: sheet folding means for folding sheets; means for receiving sheets which are not folded or folded by said folding means; stacking means for stacking the sheets discharged from said discharging means; means for moving said stacking means substantially vertically; means for controlling said moving means to effect control of said moving means in different manners for the folded sheets and for unfolded sheets.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim 68 words
A sheet finisher apparatus, comprising: sheet folding means for folding sheets; means for receiving sheets which are not folded or folded by said folding means; stacking means for stacking the sheets discharged from said discharging means; means for moving said stacking means substantially vertically; means for controlling said moving means to effect control of said moving means in different manners for the folded sheets and for unfolded sheets.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim 26 words
An apparatus according to Claim 22, wherein said control means provides different amounts of movements of said stacking means for the folded sheets and unfolded sheets.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim 108 words
An image forming apparatus, comprising: means for supplying sheets; means for forming means on the sheets supplied by said sheet supplying means; means for stacking the sheets on which images have been formed; means for stapling the sheets; switching means for receiving sheets from said image forming means and conveying them selectively to said sheet stacking means or to said stapling means; means for counting number of sheets to said stapling means; and control means for controlling said switching means to convey the sheets to said stapling means until a count of said counting means reaches a predetermined, and for conveying the sheets to said stacking means thereafter.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim 108 words
An image forming apparatus, comprising: means for supplying sheets; means for forming means on the sheets supplied by said sheet supplying means; means for stacking the sheets on which images have been formed; means for stapling the sheets; switching means for receiving sheets from said image forming means and conveying them selectively to said sheet stacking means or to said stapling means; means for counting number of sheets to said stapling means; and control means for controlling said switching means to convey the sheets to said stapling means until a count of said counting means reaches a predetermined, and for conveying the sheets to said stacking means thereafter.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim 18 words
An apparatus according to Claim 24, wherein said image forming means forms images of originals on the sheets.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim 51 words
An apparatus according to Claim 1, further comprising a conveying passage for conveying the sheets from said switching means to said stapling means, wherein said counting means includes detecting means for detecting the sheets passing through said conveying passage and counts the number of sheets detected by the sheet detecting means.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim 45 words
An apparatus according to Claim 24, wherein said counting means includes sheet detecting means for detecting the sheets supplied from said sheet supplying means and counts the number of sheets detected by the detecting means to count the number of sheets to said stapling means.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim 47 words
An apparatus according to Claim 25, further comprising means for accommodating originals and means for feeding the originals from said accommodating means, wherein said counting means counts number of originals fed out of said original feeding means to count the number of sheets to said stapling means.

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