Sheet processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, and image forming system

Abstract

A sheet processing apparatus includes a binder, a mover, and a posture changer. The binder binds a sheet bundle of multiple sheet media including a sheet medium conveyed to the binder in a conveyance direction. The mover moves the binder in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction. The posture changer changes a posture of the binder that faces the sheet bundle, according to a change in a relative position between the posture changer and the binder in the orthogonal direction by a movement of the binder in the orthogonal direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sheet processing apparatus comprising:
 a binder to bind a sheet bundle of multiple sheet media including a sheet medium conveyed to the binder in a conveyance direction;   a mover to move the binder in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction; and   a posture changer to change a posture of the binder that faces the sheet bundle, according to a change in a relative position between the posture changer and the binder in the orthogonal direction by a movement of the binder in the orthogonal direction.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising multiple binders including the binder,
 wherein the mover moves each of the multiple binders including a first binder and a second binder, and   the posture changer is disposed between the first binder and the second binder in the orthogonal direction by the movement of the first binder and the second binder.   
     
     
         3 . The sheet processing apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the posture changer moves with the first binder in the orthogonal direction to change the relative position between the first binder and the second binder to change the posture of each of the multiple binders.   
     
     
         4 . The sheet processing apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the posture changer is configured to adjust a degree of change of the posture according to a contact position of the posture changer contacting with the second binder.   
     
     
         5 . The sheet processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 multiple binders including the binder; and   a posture adjuster to adjust a position of the posture changer in the sheet processing apparatus in the orthogonal direction,   wherein the mover moves each of the multiple binders, and   the posture changer changes a posture of one of the multiple binders according to a relative position between the posture changer, the position of which is adjusted by the posture changer, and one of the multiple binders.   
     
     
         6 . The sheet processing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the posture changer is configured to:   change the posture from a first posture to a second posture when a direction of a movement of the posture changer relative to the binder is a first direction; and   change the posture from the second posture to the first posture when the direction of the movement of the posture changer relative to the binder is a second direction that is opposite to the first direction.   
     
     
         7 . The sheet processing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the posture changer is configured to change a position at which the binder starts changing the posture.   
     
     
         8 . The sheet processing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the posture changer changes the relative position between the posture changer and the binder in an area outside a binding area of the binder to bind the sheet bundle to change the posture of the binder.   
     
     
         9 . The sheet processing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the posture changer includes a cam mechanism to rotate the binder.   
     
     
         10 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a housing;   an image forming device included in the housing to form an image on a sheet medium; and   the sheet processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , detachably attached to the housing to bind a sheet bundle including sheet media, on each sheet medium of which the image is formed by the image forming device.   
     
     
         11 . An image forming system comprising:
 an image forming apparatus to form an image on a sheet medium; and   the sheet processing apparatus according to  claim 1  coupled to the image forming apparatus.