A binding device includes a receptacle, an aligner, a moving mechanism, first and second binders, and a guide. The aligner aligns a bundle of recording media in a width direction thereof on the receptacle. The moving mechanism moves the aligner in the width direction. A maximum thickness of the bundle of recording media boundable in the second binder is smaller than that in the first binder. The guide is movable conforming to the maximum thickness of the bundle of recording media boundable in the first binder, and conforming to that in the second binder, to guide and direct the bundle of recording media to a receiving portion of the first binder when the first binder binds the bundle of recording media, and to a receiving portion of the second binder when the second binder binds the bundle of recording media, respectively. The guide is movable in conjunction with the aligner.

A sheet binding device according to an embodiment includes a tape attachment unit and a sheet support unit. The tape attachment unit includes a tap holding unit configured to hold tape that is to be applied to an edge portion of a sheet bundle at a tape attachment region of the edge portion. The sheet support unit holds the sheet bundle in a state where multiple sheets forming the sheet bundle are shifted relative to each other in the edge portion when the tape is applied by the tape attachment unit. The sheet support unit also presses, in a sheet bundle thickness direction, a pressing region of the edge portion different from the tape attachment region so that there is substantially no slack along the edge portion of the sheet bundle between the pressing region and the tape attachment region.

A sheet processing device includes a standby tray, a sheet post-processing unit, a first pressing member, a second pressing member, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to control the first pressing member to press a first sheet conveyed into the standby tray at a first location, cause the first sheet to be conveyed upstream to a first position, control the second pressing member to press the first sheet at a second location, cause a second sheet to be conveyed on top of the first sheet while the first sheet is no longer pressed by the first pressing member but is still pressed by the second pressing member, press the second sheet at the first location, and cause the first sheet to be conveyed upstream to a second position that is offset from the first position.

A sheet transport apparatus according to an embodiment includes a roller having a surface formed from an elastic material. The roller transports a sheet. A rotation mechanism rotated the roller around an axis of the roller. A twist mechanism selectively twists the roller with respect to the axis. When the roller is twisted and the rotation mechanism rotates the roller, a sheet transported by the roller is transported in a first direction perpendicular to the axis and in a second direction parallel to the axis. When the roller is not twisted and the rotation mechanism rotates the roller, a sheet transported by the roller is transported in the first direction and not in the second direction.

A sheet transport apparatus according to an embodiment includes a roller having a surface formed from an elastic material. The roller transports a sheet. A rotation mechanism rotated the roller around an axis of the roller. A twist mechanism selectively twists the roller with respect to the axis. When the roller is twisted and the rotation mechanism rotates the roller, a sheet transported by the roller is transported in a first direction perpendicular to the axis and in a second direction parallel to the axis. When the roller is not twisted and the rotation mechanism rotates the roller, a sheet transported by the roller is transported in the first direction and not in the second direction.

There is provided a sheet processing apparatus with improved visibility of a sheet bundle discharged without post-processing thereto. The CPU circuit receives the conveyed sheet, drives and controls the sheet-returning paddle, the rack part, the rear end regulation part, the alignment plate and the like and forms sheet bundle comprising of a plural number of sheets as received. Further, the CPU circuit drives and controls the alignment plate when discharging the sheet bundle S from the processing tray, the sheet bundle S exceeding the number of sheets which can be post-processed by the stapler. Therefore, the sheet bundle S which includes sheets equal to the allowable number of sheets for post-processing of the sheet processing unit is discharged to the second discharge position which is different from the first discharge position.

A sheet processing device includes a standby tray, a sheet post-processing unit, a first pressing member, a second pressing member, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to control the first pressing member to press a first sheet conveyed into the standby tray at a first location, cause the first sheet to be conveyed upstream to a first position, control the second pressing member to press the first sheet at a second location, cause a second sheet to be conveyed on top of the first sheet while the first sheet is no longer pressed by the first pressing member but is still pressed by the second pressing member, press the second sheet at the first location, and cause the first sheet to be conveyed upstream to a second position that is offset from the first position.

A sheet processing apparatus is provided with a carry-in path for guiding a sheet from a carry-in entrance, a shift roller provided in the carry-in path to transport the sheet, while shifting, a carry-in roller positioned on the downstream side of the shift roller to carry the sheet from the carry-in path toward a collection tray, and a punch shift unit provided on the upstream side of the carry-in roller to process an end portion of the sheet in a processing position. The punch shift unit shifts in the same direction as the shift roller, a shift amount of the punch shift unit is set to be equal to a shift amount of the shift roller or more, and the end portion processing unit is thereby already positioned in an end portion processing position or a position near the processing position after shifting the sheet.

A sheet processing apparatus includes a carry-in path for guiding a sheet from a carry-in entrance, a shift roller provided in the carry-in path to relay and transport the sheet, a first transport path positioned on the downstream side of the relay roller to transport the sheet from the carry-in path to a first collection tray, and a second transport path branched off from the carry-in path to transport the transported sheet to a second collection tray. The relay roller shifts the sheet in the direction crossing the transport direction, while the shift by the relay roller is performed after the sheet front end enters the first transport path or second transport path. Thus, it is possible to provide a relatively compact sheet processing apparatus capable of shifting in sorting and shifting sheets, without increasing the carry-in path.

According to one embodiment, a sheet separator has a first driving roller and a pressing body. The first driving roller rotates about a first rotation shaft. The first driving roller conveys a sheet bundle including a plurality of sheets. The pressing body is capable of approaching the first driving roller. The first driving roller is rotatable in a first direction with the sheet bundle sandwiched between the first driving roller and the pressing body. The pressing body pivots in the first direction about the first rotation shaft with the sheet bundle sandwiched between the first driving roller and the pressing body to cause the plurality of sheets to deviate from one another at edges.