Sheet conveying device, image forming apparatus, and image forming system

Abstract

A sheet conveying device includes a sheet stacker, a width-direction conveyor, and circuitry. The sheet stacker stacks multiple sheets including a sheet to form a sheet bundle on the sheet stacker. The width-direction conveyor conveys the sheet bundle on the sheet stacker in a width direction of the sheet. The circuitry is to control the width-direction conveyor to convey the sheet bundle on the sheet stacker to a given position in the width direction at a first speed or a second speed slower than the first speed, based on sheet information including a length of the sheet and a processing condition related to forming the sheet bundle.

1 . A sheet conveying device comprising:
 a sheet stacker to stack multiple sheets including a sheet to form a sheet bundle on the sheet stacker;   a width-direction conveyor to convey the sheet bundle on the sheet stacker in a width direction of the sheet; and   circuitry configured to control the width-direction conveyor to:   convey the sheet bundle on the sheet stacker to a given position in the width direction at:
 a first speed; or 
 a second speed slower than the first speed, 
 based on sheet information including: 
 a length of the sheet; and 
 a processing condition related to forming the sheet bundle. 
   
     
     
         2 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the circuitry is further configured to:   acquire:
 the sheet information from an image forming apparatus that forms an image on the sheet as an image forming process; and 
 image processing conditions of the image forming process of the image forming apparatus; 
   convey the sheet bundle at the first speed when no sheet of the multiple sheets in the sheet bundle satisfies any of the image processing conditions in addition to the length of the sheet in the sheet information; and   convey the sheet bundle at the second speed when any one of the sheet of the multiple sheets in the sheet bundle satisfies any of the image processing conditions in addition to the length of the sheet.   
     
     
         3 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a sheet binder to bind the sheet bundle on the sheet stacker at a binding position as a biding operation,
 wherein the circuitry is further configured to convey the sheet bundle in the width direction to cause the binding position of the sheet bundle to face the sheet binder when the sheet binder performs a binding operation on the sheet bundle.   
     
     
         4 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the circuitry is further configured to:   determine a conveyance amount of the sheet bundle based on:
 the sheet information; 
 the image processing conditions; and 
 binding information related to the binding position; and 
   convey the sheet bundle:   at the first speed when no sheet of the multiple sheets in the sheet bundle satisfies any of the conveyance amount and the image processing conditions in addition to the length of the sheet in the sheet information; and   at the second speed when any one of the sheet of the multiple sheets in the sheet bundle satisfies any of the conveyance amount and the image processing conditions in addition to the length of the sheet.   
     
     
         5 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processing condition includes an image forming face of the sheet.   
     
     
         6 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processing condition includes an image ratio of an image formed on the sheet.   
     
     
         7 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processing condition includes a number of the multiple sheets to form the sheet bundle on the sheet stacker.   
     
     
         8 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processing condition includes a position of an image formed on the sheet.   
     
     
         9 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sheet information includes a type or a thickness of the sheet.   
     
     
         10 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the sheet stacker includes a conveyance-direction aligner to align an end in a conveyance direction, and   a determination reference based on a length of the sheet is that the length of a part of the sheet in contact with the width-direction conveyor longer than the length of the sheet in contact with the conveyance-direction aligner.   
     
     
         11 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the circuitry is further configured to decrease a speed of the sheet bundle conveyance to be slower than the first speed according to a length of the sheet exceeding a length of the conveyance-direction aligner when the length of the sheet in the conveyance direction corresponds to the determination reference.   
     
     
         12 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the circuitry is further configured to perform the sheet bundle conveyance at a third speed faster than the first speed when the length of the sheet conveyed from an image forming apparatus does not correspond to a reference condition included in the processing condition.   
     
     
         13 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the circuitry is further configured to:   increase an acceleration time of the first speed, a speed of the first speed, or both; and   convey the sheet at the third speed.   
     
     
         14 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the circuitry is further configured to:   decrease an acceleration time of the first speed, a speed of the first speed, or both; and   convey the sheet at the second speed.   
     
     
         15 . The sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a setting of whether to change the sheet bundle conveyance speed based on sheet information related to a length of the sheet in the conveyance direction, a sheet bundle conveyance amount, a printing condition and a reference condition are adjustable via an operation unit included in an image forming apparatus.   
     
     
         16 . An image forming apparatus comprising:
 a housing;   an image forming device included in the housing to form an image on a sheet of a sheet bundle; and   the sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 ,   the sheet conveying device detachably attached to the housing to convey the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming device, to a given position.   
     
     
         17 . An image forming system comprising:
 an image forming apparatus to form an image on a sheet; and   the sheet conveying device according to  claim 1 , coupled to the image forming apparatus.