US 11,866,283 B2
Sheet stacking apparatus
Lodewijk T. Holtman, Venlo (NL); Fabian T. Rosenboom, Venlo (NL); and Hermanus M. Kuypers, Venlo (NL)
Assigned to CANON PRODUCTION PRINTING HOLDING B.V., Venlo (NL)
Filed by Canon Production Printing Holding B.V., Venlo (NL)
Filed on Aug. 18, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/405,360.
Claims priority of application No. 20193966 (EP), filed on Sep. 1, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0063949 A1, Mar. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. B65H 31/26 (2006.01); B65H 29/10 (2006.01); B65H 29/04 (2006.01); B65H 31/34 (2006.01)
CPC B65H 31/26 (2013.01) [B65H 29/10 (2013.01); B65H 31/34 (2013.01); B65H 2301/331 (2013.01); B65H 2301/4211 (2013.01); B65H 2301/4212 (2013.01); B65H 2301/44712 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sheet stacking apparatus comprising:
a sheet alignment mechanism configured for aligning a sheet in a predetermined reference position;
a gripper arrangement downstream of the sheet alignment mechanism and configured to grip the aligned sheet at at least two spaced-apart points of the sheet and to release the sheet on a stack; and
a holder configured to hold the sheet in position on the stack while the gripper arrangement releases the sheet,
wherein the gripper arrangement is movable along a predetermined trajectory for moving the sheet from the reference position to a stacking position,
wherein the gripping arrangement comprises two opposed gripping surfaces having an open position to receive the sheet and a closed position to retain the sheet, the gripping surfaces moving toward one another to move from the open position to the closed position,
wherein the gripper arrangement is adapted to be moved unidirectionally along a closed path,
wherein the gripper arrangement has a first end between the sheet alignment mechanism and the stack; and
wherein a sheet flipping mechanism is provided upstream of the sheet alignment mechanism.