Sheet processing apparatus, finishing apparatus and sheet guide method

Abstract

A sheet processing apparatus of an embodiment includes a spring member which supports a support leg provided on an end bottom of a finishing apparatus at a side of an image forming apparatus and is extendable in a height direction, a sheet feed port which is formed in the finishing apparatus to be opposite to a sheet discharge port of the image forming apparatus and has a width wider than a width of the sheet discharge port in the height direction, sheet discharge guides which are arranged to be opposite to each other at an exit of the sheet discharge port and sandwich a conveyance path of the sheet in the image forming apparatus, sheet feed guides which are arranged to be opposite to each other at an inlet of the sheet feed port and sandwich a conveyance path of the sheet in the finishing apparatus, electromagnets provided at ends of the sheet feed guides at a side of the sheet feed port, and magnetic members which are rotatably provided to ends of the sheet discharge guides at a side of the sheet discharge port and are attracted by the electromagnets.

1 . A sheet processing apparatus for guiding a sheet from an image forming apparatus to a finishing apparatus, comprising:
 a support leg provided on an end bottom of the finishing apparatus at a side of the image forming apparatus;   a spring member to support the support leg and extendable in a height direction;   a sheet feed port which is formed in the finishing apparatus to be opposite to a sheet discharge port of the image forming apparatus and has a width wider than a width of the sheet discharge port in the height direction;   sheet discharge guides which are arranged to be opposite to each other at an exit of the sheet discharge port and sandwich a conveyance path of the sheet in the image forming apparatus;   sheet feed guides which are arranged to be opposite to each other at an inlet of the sheet feed port and sandwich a conveyance path of the sheet in the finishing apparatus;   electromagnets provided at ends of the sheet feed guides at a side of the sheet feed port;   magnetic members which are rotatably provided to ends of the sheet discharge guides at a side of the sheet discharge port and are attracted by the electromagnets; and   a control section which drives the electromagnets in a state where the image forming apparatus is connected to the finishing apparatus, and causes the electromagnets to attract the magnetic members to provide a taper-shaped expansion.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the support leg is a castor provided on the bottom of the finishing apparatus, and the castor is supported by the spring member, and   if the image forming apparatus and the finishing apparatus are connected to each other, and if height positions of the sheet discharge port and the sheet feed port are different from each other, the spring member contracts or extends according to a difference between the height positions.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein
 a second castor is provided on the end bottom of the finishing apparatus at an opposite side to the image forming apparatus, and the second castor is supported by a second spring member.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a projection provided on one of the image forming apparatus and the finishing apparatus as a height index at time of connection; and a reception port provided on the other, into which the projection is inserted.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the electromagnets are excited if power is turned on in a state where the image forming apparatus and the finishing apparatus are connected to each other.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 if an interval between the sheet discharge guides is L 1 , and an interval between the sheet feed guides is L 2 , L 1 <L 2  is established.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the magnetic members are supported by link members provided at the ends of the sheet discharge guides at the side of the sheet discharge port, the link members and the magnetic members are parallel to the conveyance path of the sheet if power is not applied to the electromagnets, and the link members and the magnetic members are bent into a crank shape if power is applied to the electromagnets.   
     
     
         8 . A finishing apparatus for finishing a sheet discharged from an image forming apparatus, comprising:
 a support leg which is provided on an end bottom at a side of the image forming apparatus and supports a finishing section;   a spring member to support the support leg and extendable in a height direction;   a sheet feed port which is formed to be opposite to a sheet discharge port of the image forming apparatus and has a width wider than a width of the sheet discharge port in the height direction;   sheet feed guides which are arranged to be opposite to each other at an inlet of the sheet feed port and sandwich a conveyance path of the sheet;   electromagnets which are provided at ends of the sheet feed guides at a side of the sheet feed port and attract magnetic members rotatably provided at an exit of the sheet discharge port of the image forming apparatus; and   a control section which drives the electromagnets in a state of connection to the image forming apparatus, and causes the electromagnets to attract the magnetic members to provide a taper-shaped expansion.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein
 the support leg is a castor provided on the bottom of the finishing apparatus, the castor is supported by the spring member,   at time of connection to the image forming apparatus, if height positions of the sheet discharge port and the sheet feed port are different from each other, the spring member contracts or extends according to a difference between the height positions.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein
 a second castor is provided on the end bottom at an opposite side to the image forming apparatus, and the second castor is supported by a second spring member.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a reception port into which a projection as an index of connection to the image forming apparatus is inserted.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein
 the electromagnets are excited if the finishing apparatus is connected to the image forming apparatus and power is turned on.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein
 if an interval between sheet discharge guides is L 1 , and an interval between the sheet feed guides is L 2 , L 1 <L 2  is established.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein
 the magnetic members are supported by link members provided at ends of sheet discharge guides at a side of the sheet discharge port, the link members and the magnetic members are parallel to the conveyance path of the sheet if power is not applied to the electromagnets, and the link members and the magnetic members are bent into a crank shape if power is applied to the electromagnets.   
     
     
         15 . A sheet guide method for guiding a sheet from an image forming apparatus to a finishing apparatus, comprising:
 supporting a support leg provided on an end bottom of the finishing apparatus at a side of the image forming apparatus by a spring member extendable in a height direction;   forming a sheet feed port in the finishing apparatus, which is opposite to a sheet discharge port of the image forming apparatus and has a width wider than a width of the sheet discharge port in the height direction;   arranging sheet discharge guides which are opposite to each other at an exit of the sheet discharge port and sandwich a conveyance path of the sheet in the image forming apparatus;   arranging sheet feed guides which are opposite to each other at an inlet of the sheet feed port and sandwich a conveyance path of the sheet in the finishing apparatus;   providing electromagnets at ends of the sheet feed guides at a side of the sheet feed port, rotatably providing magnetic members to ends of the sheet discharge guides at a side of the sheet discharge port, and attracting the magnetic members by the electromagnets to provide a taper-shaped expansion.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein
 the support leg is a castor provided on the bottom of the finishing apparatus, and the castor is supported by the spring member, and   if the image forming apparatus and the finishing apparatus are connected to each other, and if height positions of the sheet discharge port and the sheet feed port are different from each other, the spring member contracts or extends according to a difference between the height positions.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein
 a projection is provided on one of the image forming apparatus and the finishing apparatus as a height index at time of connection, and the projection is inserted into a reception port provided on the other.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein
 the electromagnets are excited if power is turned on in a state where the image forming apparatus and the finishing apparatus are connected to each other.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein
 if an interval between the sheet discharge guides is L 1 , and an interval between the sheet feed guides is L 2 , L 1 <L 2  is established.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein
 the magnetic members are supported by link members provided at the ends of the sheet discharge guides at the side of the sheet discharge port, the link members and the magnetic members are parallel to the conveyance path of the sheet if power is not applied to the electromagnets, and the link members and the magnetic members are bent into a crank shape if power is applied to the electromagnets.   
     
     
         21 . A sheet processing apparatus for guiding a sheet from an image forming apparatus to a finishing apparatus, comprising:
 a sheet feed port which is formed in the finishing apparatus to be opposite to a sheet discharge port of the image forming apparatus and has a width wider than a width of the sheet discharge port in a height direction;   sheet discharge guides which are arranged to be opposite to each other at an exit of the sheet discharge port and sandwich a conveyance path of the sheet in the image forming apparatus;   sheet feed guides which are arranged to be opposite to each other at an inlet of the sheet feed port and sandwich a conveyance path of the sheet in the finishing apparatus;   a castor provided on an end bottom of the finishing apparatus at a side of the image forming apparatus; and   a spring member to support the castor and extendable in the height direction, if the image forming apparatus and the finishing apparatus are connected to each other, and if height positions of the sheet discharge port and the sheet feed port are different from each other, the spring member contracts or extends according to a difference between the height positions.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein
 a second castor is provided on the end bottom of the finishing apparatus at an opposite side to the image forming apparatus, and the second castor is supported by a second spring member.   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 a projection provided on one of the image forming apparatus and the finishing apparatus as a height index at time of connection; and a reception port provided on the other, into which the projection is inserted.