Finisher with a punching function and a stapling function, and sheet punching/stapling method

Claim 2

A finisher for handling sheets ejected from an image forming machine, the finisher comprising: a punching mechanism for punching a sheet on a point at a specified distance from a reference side of the sheet; and a stapling mechanism for stapling sheets by hitting a staple into sheets at a corner portion near the reference side of the sheets such that at least one end of the staple is located between the punched point and the reference side.

Claim 3

A finisher as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the punching mechanism has a plurality of punching sticks to make a plurality of punch holes in one line in a sheet; and the stapling mechanism hits a staple into sheets such that the staple is substantially perpendicular to the line of punch holes.

Claim 4

A finisher for handling sheets ejected from an image forming machine, the finisher comprising: a punching mechanism for punching a sheet on a point at a specified distance from a reference side of the sheet; a first transport roller pair for transporting a sheet from the image forming machine to the punching mechanism; a second transport roller pair for transporting a sheet from the punching mechanism, the second transport roller pair stopping from a time immediately before a trailing edge of a sheet passes through the first transport roller pair to a time immediately after the punching mechanism punches the sheet; a sheet piling section in which sheets transported by the second transport roller pair are piled; a stapling mechanism for stapling sheets piled in the sheet piling section by hitting a staple in the sheets at a corner portion near the reference side of the sheets such that at least one end of the staple is located between the punched point and the reference side.

Claim 5

A finisher for handling sheets ejected from an image forming machine, the finisher comprising: a punching mechanism for punching a sheet on a point at a specified distance from a reference side of the sheet; a first transport roller pair for transporting a sheet from the image forming machine to the punching mechanism; a second transport roller pair for transporting a sheet from the punching mechanism, the second transport roller pair stopping from a time immediately before a trailing edge of a sheet passes through the first transport roller pair to a time immediately after the punching mechanism punches the sheet; a sheet piling section in which sheets transported by the second transport roller pair are piled; a stapling mechanism for stapling sheets piled in the sheet piling section by hitting a staple in the sheets at a corner portion near the reference side of the sheets such that at least one end of the staple is located between the punched point and the reference side.

Claim 6

A finisher as claimed in claim 3, wherein: the punching mechanism has a plurality of punching sticks to make a plurality of punch holes in one line in a sheet; and the stapling mechanism hits a staple into sheets such that the staple is substantially perpendicular to the line of punch holes.

Claim 7

A finisher as claimed in claim 3, wherein: the first transport roller pair continues rotating while the second transport roller pair stops; and while the second transport roller pair stops, a sheet hits a trailing edge against the first transport roller pair and is punched by the punching mechanism at a trailing portion.

Claim 8

A finisher as claimed in claim 3, further comprising: a reference plate for regulating a side of a sheet transported to the sheet piling section; and an aligning rod for pushing a sheet transported to the sheet piling section toward the reference plate from a time immediately after a trailing edge of the sheet comes into the sheet piling section to a time immediately before a leading edge of a next sheet comes into the sheet piling section.

Claim 9

A finisher as claimed in claim 3, wherein: the sheet piling section has a plurality of bins; and the bins are wholly moved upward and downward step by step such that sheets piled in the bins are fed to the stapling mechanism in order.

Claim 10

A finisher as claimed in claim 7, further comprising: a bin moving mechanism for, every time a sheet has been received by a bin, moving the bins by one step such that a next bin can receive a next sheet; a reference plate for regulating a side of a sheet transported to each bin; and an aligning rod for pushing a sheet received by a bin toward the reference plate after movement of the bins by one step after a trailing edge of the sheet comes into the bin and before a leading edge of a next sheet comes into a next bin.

Claim 13

A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein: the punching mechanism makes a plurality of punch holes in one line in a sheet; and the stapling mechanism hits a staple in sheets such that the staple is substantially perpendicular to the line of punch holes.

Claim 14

A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein: the first transport roller pair continues rotating while the second transport roller pair stops; and while the second transport roller pair stops, a sheet hits a trailing edge against the first transport roller pair and is punched by the punching mechanism at a trailing portion.

Claim 15

A method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising the step of: pushing a sheet transported to the sheet piling section toward a reference plate which regulates a side of a sheet by an aligning rod after a trailing edge of the sheet comes into the sheet piling section and before a leading edge of a next sheet comes into the sheet piling section.

Claim 16

A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein: the sheet piling section has a plurality of bins; and the bins are wholly moved upward and downward step by step such that sheets piled in the bins are fed to the stapling mechanism in order.

Claim 17

A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein: every time a sheet is received by a bin, the bins are wholly moved by one step such that a next bin can receive a next sheet; and a sheet received by a bin is pushed by an aligning rod toward a reference plate which regulates a side of a sheet after movement of the bins by one step after a trailing edge of the sheet comes into the bin and before a leading edge of a next sheet comes into a next bin.