| US 7,520,504 B2 | ||
| Paper processing device, paper processing method and image forming apparatus | ||
| Yasushi Matsutomo, Nara (Japan); Haruo Sayama, Yamatokoriyama (Japan); Kiwamu Morita, Osaka (Japan); Michihiro Yamashita, Nara (Japan); Yuriko Kamei, Nara (Japan); and Yasuhiro Takai, Sakurai (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Nov. 01, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/555,298. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2005-325382 (JP), filed on Nov. 09, 2005. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0102874 A1, May 10, 2007 | ||
| Int. Cl. B65H 31/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 271—207 [414/791.2] | 10 Claims |
| 1. A paper processing device, comprising:
a processing unit which performs predetermined processing upon sheets of paper which are being conveyed one at a time along
a paper conveyance direction;
a paper ejection roller which discharges the sheets of paper, after completion of processing by the processing unit, in the
paper conveyance direction;
a sorting mechanism which shifts the paper ejection roller to and fro along a rotation shaft between an initial position and
a sorting position in a direction which is orthogonal to the paper conveyance direction;
a paper overlapping mechanism which superimposes, between the processing unit and the paper ejection roller in the paper conveyance
direction, a predetermined number of sheets of paper upon which processing has been completed; and
a control unit which is adapted to control the operation of the sorting mechanism and the paper overlapping mechanism;
wherein the paper overlapping mechanism comprises a plurality of retention units which branch off along the paper conveyance
direction from between the processing unit and the paper election roller; and, after each of a plurality of sheets of paper,
upon which processing by the processing unit has been completed, has been stored by a corresponding one of the plurality of
retention units, they are discharged by each of the plurality of retention units into the paper conveyance direction between
the processing unit and the paper election roller as mutually superimposed; and
wherein the control unit is adapted to superimpose a predetermined number of sheets of paper by operating the paper overlapping
mechanism, before shifting the paper ejection roller from the initial position to the sorting position with the sorting mechanism.
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