The present invention is directed to providing a bill-separating-and-stacking unit with a simplified power-transmission structure by integrating driving units of a push plate and a shutter into a single unit. The bill-separating-and-stacking unit includes a sheet roller configured hit bills entering a bill-stacking space with a sheet, which is rotated, and configured to guide the bills to be stacked, a push plate configured to perform reciprocation and support the bills which are stacked in the bill-stacking space, a shutter which is rotated in one direction to be located in a stacking position so that the sheet of the sheet roller is rotatable to an upper side of the bill-stacking space when the bills are stacked, and is rotated in a direction opposite the one direction to be located in a separating position so that the sheet is prevented from protruding to the upper side of the bill-stacking space when the bills are separated, and a push-plate-and-shutter driving unit having a single driving source so that the push plate and the shutter are worked in conjunction with each other.

The present invention is directed to providing a bill-separating-and-stacking unit with a simplified power-transmission structure by integrating driving units of a push plate and a shutter into a single unit. The bill-separating-and-stacking unit includes a sheet roller configured hit bills entering a bill-stacking space with a sheet, which is rotated, and configured to guide the bills to be stacked, a push plate configured to perform reciprocation and support the bills which are stacked in the bill-stacking space, a shutter which is rotated in one direction to be located in a stacking position so that the sheet of the sheet roller is rotatable to an upper side of the bill-stacking space when the bills are stacked, and is rotated in a direction opposite the one direction to be located in a separating position so that the sheet is prevented from protruding to the upper side of the bill-stacking space when the bills are separated, and a push-plate-and-shutter driving unit having a single driving source so that the push plate and the shutter are worked in conjunction with each other.

A post-processing apparatus includes a storing unit in which plural recording media are stored for performing post-processing and a transport member that transports a recording medium to the storing unit as a result of rotating while being in contact with a surface of the recording medium. The transport member includes a blade that comes into contact with a recording medium and a reinforcing portion that reinforces a strength of a portion of the blade that does not come into contact with the recording medium.

A post-processing apparatus includes a storing unit in which plural recording media are stored for performing post-processing and a transport member that transports a recording medium to the storing unit as a result of rotating while being in contact with a surface of the recording medium. The transport member includes a blade that comes into contact with a recording medium and a reinforcing portion that reinforces a strength of a portion of the blade that does not come into contact with the recording medium.

A single sheet handling device (14a to 14d, 30, 200, 252, 270, 350) for the input and the output of rectangular single sheets (38) respectively into and out of a container (12a to 12d). These rectangular single sheets can in particular be banknotes (38). The single sheet handling device (14a to 14d, 30, 200, 252, 270, 350) has a feeding device with feeding elements for the sheet-by-sheet feeding of single sheets (38) and for storing these single sheets (38) in a stack (36) of single sheets in the container (12a to 12d). Further, the single sheet handling device has a separating device with separating elements for the sheet-by-sheet removal of single sheets (38) of the stack (36) from the container (12a to 12d). The feeding elements and the separating elements are arranged separately from the container (12a to 12d).

A sheet discharging apparatus includes a first detecting portion provided in an apparatus body and configured to detect a move of a movable member in a state where a movable tray is at an upper limit position in a moving direction of the movable tray, wherein a detection result of the first detecting portion changes depending on a position of the movable tray in the moving direction. In addition, a second detecting portion detects the position of the movable tray in the moving direction, and a control portion, in a case where the second detecting portion detects that the movable tray is at the upper limit position, determines whether a sheet is present on the movable tray based on the detection result of the first detecting portion. When the second detecting portion does not detect that the movable tray is at the upper limit position, the control portion determines that a sheet is present on the movable tray regardless of the detection result of the first detecting portion.

A sheet feeder includes an apparatus main body, a sheet housing unit, and a sheet feeding unit. The sheet housing unit includes a housing space, a lift plate, an elevating mechanism, and a side fence. The elevating mechanism includes a pair of first wires, a pair of second wires, first pulleys, second pulleys, a reel, and a pair of first connecting members. The reel winds up the pair of first wires and the pair of second wires. The pair of first connecting members are connected to be relatively movable with respect to the lift plate in a vertical direction, causes a relative position to vary with respect to the lift plate in a vertical direction in accordance with a weight of the plurality of sheets loaded on the lift plate, and causes the lift plate to move upward when the weight is lighter than a predetermined value.

According to one embodiment, a sheet post-processing apparatus has a sheet discharge tray, a drive motor, a power transmission breaker, a first power transmitter, a second power transmitter, and a load reducer. The sheet discharge tray stacks sheets. The drive motor raises and lowers the sheet discharge tray. The power transmission breaker can cut off power transmission from the drive motor to the sheet discharge tray when an upward external force is applied to the sheet discharge tray. The load reducer provides a reverse load to the sheet discharge tray in a reverse direction to the load generated on the sheet discharge tray due to stacking of the sheets. The load reducer is connected to the first power transmitter.

According to one embodiment, a sheet post-processing apparatus has a sheet discharge tray, a drive motor, a power transmission breaker, a first power transmitter, a second power transmitter, and a load reducer. The sheet discharge tray stacks sheets. The drive motor raises and lowers the sheet discharge tray. The power transmission breaker can cut off power transmission from the drive motor to the sheet discharge tray when an upward external force is applied to the sheet discharge tray. The load reducer provides a reverse load to the sheet discharge tray in a reverse direction to the load generated on the sheet discharge tray due to stacking of the sheets. The load reducer is connected to the first power transmitter.

A sheet discharging apparatus includes an apparatus body, a sheet discharge member provided in the apparatus body, and a movable tray including a sheet supporting surface. A movable member in the movable tray is moved by being pressed by the sheet supported on the sheet supporting surface, and a detecting portion detects a presence of the sheet supported on the sheet supporting surface in response to a position of the movable member. The movable member includes an extension portion extending out of the movable tray toward the apparatus body, and the apparatus body is provided with an opening portion through which the extension portion extends. The opening portion is formed such that the extension portion is movable along a moving direction of the movable tray within the apparatus body, and the detecting portion detects a position of the movable member by detecting the extension portion.