Sheet processing device, image forming apparatus, and post-processing apparatus

Abstract

A sheet processing device includes a collecting part configured to collect multiple sheets that are carried in; multiple lower-end-receiving members with which lower ends of the sheets collected to the collecting part are brought into contact, the lower ends being downstream ends in a carry-in direction; a binder configured to perform different kinds of binding on a part of an end portion of a sheet batch, the sheet batch being the multiple sheets collected to the collecting part, the end portion including the lower ends; and a mover-supporter supporting the binder and configured to move the binder around the end portion of the sheet batch in such a manner as to stop the binder at multiple stop positions including multiple binding positions, in which one of the multiple lower-end-receiving members is provided on a movable member that is movable in a widthwise direction that intersects the carry-in direction, in which the one lower-end-receiving member is provided with a conjugate movement mechanism configured to move the one lower-end-receiving member in conjunction with a movement of the binder, in which in response to the binder moving in a specific direction toward a predetermined one of the binding positions, the conjugate movement mechanism moves the one lower-end-receiving member in an opposite direction from a normal position by a predetermined distance, the opposite direction being opposite to the specific direction, and in which in response to the binder moving by a distance greater than the predetermined distance, the conjugate movement mechanism returns the one lower-end-receiving member to the normal position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sheet processing device comprising:
 a collecting part configured to collect a plurality of sheets that are carried in;   a plurality of lower-end-receiving members with which lower ends of the sheets collected to the collecting part are brought into contact, the lower ends being downstream ends in a carry-in direction;   a binder configured to perform different kinds of binding on a part of an end portion of a sheet batch, the sheet batch being the plurality of sheets collected to the collecting part, the end portion including the lower ends; and   a mover-supporter supporting the binder and configured to move the binder around the end portion of the sheet batch in such a manner as to stop the binder at a plurality of stop positions including a plurality of binding positions,   wherein one of the plurality of lower-end-receiving members is provided on a movable member that is movable in a widthwise direction that intersects the carry-in direction,   wherein the one lower-end-receiving member is provided with a conjugate movement mechanism configured to move the one lower-end-receiving member in conjunction with a movement of the binder,   wherein, in response to the binder moving in a specific direction toward a predetermined one of the binding positions, the conjugate movement mechanism moves the one lower-end-receiving member in an opposite direction from a normal position by a predetermined distance, the opposite direction being opposite to the specific direction, and   wherein, in response to the binder moving by a distance greater than the predetermined distance, the conjugate movement mechanism returns the one lower-end-receiving member to the normal position.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet processing device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, during a movement of the binder past the one lower-end-receiving member in a direction opposite to the specific direction, the conjugate movement mechanism leaves the one lower-end-receiving member unmoved.   
     
     
         3 . The sheet processing device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the plurality of lower-end-receiving members are three lower-end-receiving members arranged separately from one another at three respective normal positions where the lower-end-receiving members are supposed to come into contact with a lower end of a sheet having a smallest possible width in a carry-in orientation of the sheet.   
     
     
         4 . The sheet processing device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the predetermined distance is a distance from the normal position of the one lower-end-receiving member to at least an avoiding position where the one lower-end-receiving member avoids hindering the binder from stopping at the predetermined binding position and performing a binding operation.   
     
     
         5 . The sheet processing device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the binder includes two binders, and   wherein the conjugate movement mechanism is activated in response to at least one of the two binders moving in the specific direction to the predetermined binding position.   
     
     
         6 . The sheet processing device according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the two binders are a stapling binder and a stapleless binder, the stapling binder being configured to bind a part of the end portion of the sheet batch in a stapling manner, the stapleless binder being configured to bind a part of the end portion of the sheet batch in a stapleless manner.   
     
     
         7 . The sheet processing device according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the mover-supporter supports the stapling binder and the stapleless binder while allowing the stapling binder and the stapleless binder to move in a depthwise direction heading from a front side toward a rear side of the sheet processing device in an installed orientation, and   wherein the stapling binder is located on the front side relative to the stapleless binder.   
     
     
         8 . The sheet processing device according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the plurality of lower-end-receiving members are three lower-end-receiving members arranged separately from one another at three respective normal positions where the lower-end-receiving members are supposed to come into contact with a lower end of a sheet having a smallest possible width in a carry-in orientation of the sheet, and   wherein the one lower-end-receiving member is a rear lower-end-receiving member located at a rearmost position among the three lower-end-receiving members in the sheet processing device in an installed orientation.   
     
     
         9 . The sheet processing device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the conjugate movement mechanism includes a rotatable lever; a swingable lever; a rotation urging member; and a movement urging member,   wherein the rotatable lever includes a first bearing portion rotatably attached to a first shaft; a first contact portion extending from the first bearing portion toward one side and being designed to come into contact with a portion of the binder that is moving; and a second contact portion extending from the first bearing portion toward an other side opposite the first contact portion and being in contact with the swingable lever,   wherein the swingable lever includes a second bearing portion rotatably attached to a second shaft located at a position away from the first shaft and, relative to the first shaft, on the other side toward which the second contact portion of the rotatable lever extends; a cam portion extending from the second bearing portion in a direction toward the first shaft and being in contact with the second contact portion; and a pushing portion extending from the cam portion toward a side opposite the second bearing portion, the pushing portion being in contact at a distal end with the movable member and configured to push the movable member in the opposite direction,   wherein the rotation urging member is configured to apply to the rotatable lever an urging force that causes the rotatable lever to rotate in a direction opposite to a direction in which the rotatable lever is to be rotated, and   wherein the movement urging member is configured to apply to the movable member an urging force that moves the one lower-end-receiving member back to the normal position.   
     
     
         10 . The sheet processing device according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the cam portion of the swingable lever includes a cam surface that is a curved surface extending from the second bearing portion to a position close to the first shaft, and   wherein the second contact portion of the rotatable lever swings the swingable lever by coming into contact with the cam surface of the cam portion of the swingable lever at a part of the cam surface that is close to the second shaft, the second contact portion swinging the swingable lever in conjunction with the portion of the binder that is moving coming into contact with the first contact portion.   
     
     
         11 . The sheet processing device according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the second contact portion and the cam portion are configured such that an amount of swing of the swingable lever is greater in a first half of the swing than in a second half of the swing, the swing occurring with the portion of the binder that is moving coming into contact with the first contact portion and rotating the rotatable lever.   
     
     
         12 . The sheet processing device according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the first contact portion and the pushing portion are shaped such that a gap is produced between the first contact portion and the pushing portion while the portion of the binder that is moving is out of contact with the first contact portion, the gap being widened in a direction away from the first shaft.   
     
     
         13 . The sheet processing device according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the mover-supporter while moving the binder reduces a speed of travel of the binder before the portion of the binder comes into contact with the first contact portion of the rotatable lever.   
     
     
         14 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a housing;   an image forming section provided inside the housing and configured to form an image on a sheet; and   the sheet processing device according to  claim 1 , the sheet processing device being provided inside the housing and configured to perform a binding operation on the sheet outputted from the image forming section.   
     
     
         15 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a housing;   an image forming section provided inside the housing and configured to form an image on a sheet; and   the sheet processing device according to  claim 2 , the sheet processing device being provided inside the housing and configured to perform a binding operation on the sheet outputted from the image forming section.   
     
     
         16 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a housing;   an image forming section provided inside the housing and configured to form an image on a sheet; and   the sheet processing device according to  claim 3 , the sheet processing device being provided inside the housing and configured to perform a binding operation on the sheet outputted from the image forming section.   
     
     
         17 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a housing;   an image forming section provided inside the housing and configured to form an image on a sheet; and   the sheet processing device according to  claim 4 , the sheet processing device being provided inside the housing and configured to perform a binding operation on the sheet outputted from the image forming section.   
     
     
         18 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the plurality of lower-end-receiving members are three lower-end-receiving members,   wherein the binder includes two binders,   wherein the mover-supporter supports the two binders while allowing the two binders to move in a depthwise direction heading from a front side toward a rear side of the image forming apparatus in an installed orientation, and   wherein the one lower-end-receiving member is a rear lower-end-receiving member located at a rearmost position among the three lower-end-receiving members.   
     
     
         19 . The image forming apparatus according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the sheet processing device includes a covering that is separate from the housing, and   wherein the covering includes a top face serving as an accommodation part that is capable of accommodating the sheet transported through and outputted from the image forming section.   
     
     
         20 . A post-processing apparatus comprising:
 the sheet processing device according to  claim 1 ,   wherein the post-processing apparatus is provided outside an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet and is connected as a separate apparatus to the image forming apparatus, and   wherein the post-processing apparatus is configured to introduce into the sheet processing device the sheet outputted from the image forming apparatus and to perform a binding operation on the sheet.