US 12,404,141 B2
Medium processing apparatus, image forming system, medium processing method, and non-transitory recording medium
Yuta Yanai, Kanagawa (JP); and Yuji Susaki, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Filed by Yuta Yanai, Kanagawa (JP); and Yuji Susaki, Kanagawa (JP)
Filed on Jun. 28, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/343,043.
Claims priority of application No. 2022-121881 (JP), filed on Jul. 29, 2022; and application No. 2023-086434 (JP), filed on May 25, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0034592 A1, Feb. 1, 2024
Int. Cl. B65H 37/04 (2006.01)
CPC B65H 37/04 (2013.01) [B65H 2301/43828 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A medium processing apparatus comprising:
a conveyor including a conveyance roller configured to convey a sheet-shaped medium in a conveyance direction;
a tray configured to hold the medium conveyed by the conveyor;
a conveyance-direction fence configured to contact a downstream end, in the conveyance direction, of the medium placed on the tray and aligns a position, in the conveyance direction, of the medium;
a crimp binder disposed to face the downstream end, in the conveyance direction, of the medium placed on the tray to press and deform a binding position on a plurality of media, including the medium, of which the position in the conveyance direction is aligned by the conveyance-direction fence, to bind the plurality of media;
a pair of width-direction fences configured to contact opposed ends, in a main scanning direction, of the plurality of media and move in the main scanning direction to align a position, in the main scanning direction, of the plurality of media, the main scanning direction being orthogonal to each of the conveyance direction and a thickness direction of the medium placed on the tray; and
circuitry configured to control operations of the conveyor, the conveyance-direction fence, and the crimp binder,
the conveyance-direction fence and the crimp binder being movable in the main scanning direction,
the circuitry being configured to:
determine whether the conveyance-direction fence overlaps the binding position when the tray is viewed in the thickness direction;
move the conveyance-direction fence in the main scanning direction to a position away from the binding position while the plurality of media is fixed to the tray, in a case where the circuitry determines that the conveyance-direction fence overlaps the binding position when the tray is viewed in the thickness direction; and
cause the crimp binder to crimp and bind the plurality of media, and
the circuitry being further configured to move the conveyance-direction fence in the main scanning direction while the opposed ends of the plurality of media contact the pair of width-direction fences.