Systems, devices and methods for receiving an item in a receptacle are disclosed. Features are disclosed for receiving and guiding an item in a receiving space of a receptacle so as to attenuate or remove the impact force of the item on the receptacle. Some embodiments of the disclosure include a bumper having an impact surface which absorbs most or all of the impact force of the item and thereby mitigates or removes the imposition of cyclic impact loads on the receptacle from repeated receipt of items. The bumper may be structurally and/or functionally de-coupled or otherwise physically separated from the receptacle such that an advantageous division of labor is created between absorbing the impact and receiving the item. This disclosure may be useful, for example, in modern industrial operations where a high volume of items are received daily, such as in mail sorting and handling operations.

A fold-enhancing device includes a pressing member, at least one retaining member, and a moving mechanism. The pressing member presses against a fold line of a recording-medium bundle folded into a booklet shape. The recording-medium bundle is obtained by stacking multiple sheets of recording media. The retaining member retains the recording-medium bundle and is provided at a position located away from the fold line in a direction intersecting the fold line and not in contact with the pressing member. The moving mechanism moves the pressing member and the retaining member in a direction extending along the fold line.

A paper-made staple binds a sheet bundle subjected to folding processing by a folding blade and a folding roller. The paper-made staple includes a pair of leg portions inserted into the sheet bundle and then bent inward; and a connection portion that connects the leg portions in a staple longitudinal direction. The connection portion has, at an edge portion thereof, a cut in a direction crossing the longitudinal direction so as to correspond to a predetermined folding position of the sheet bundle for the purpose of facilitating the folding of the connection portion, and the cut is formed inward from the edge portion so as to have a substantially triangular shape and is provided on both edge portions of the connection portion of the paper-made staple.

A printing apparatus capable of producing a product having the optimum image layout dependent on a discharge destination even when saddle-stitching is canceled due to input of image data for sheets in excess of a limit of a saddle-stitchable number of sheets. The number of output sheets per one copy is calculated based on image data. When the number of output sheets per one copy exceeds a saddle-stitchable number of sheets, it is selected whether to perform the center folding processing on the sheets on which images are printed without performing the saddle stitching processing thereon or to perform neither the saddle stitching processing nor the center folding processing on the sheets on which images are printed.

A sheet processing device that bonds sheets to one another and then folds a resultant sheet bundle. The sheet processing device includes a stacker section that sequentially stores sheets moved thereto, an adhesive-binding unit that applies an adhesive onto sheets sequentially stored in the stacker section one by one in a sheet moving direction to bond the sheets to one another, a moving member that moves the sheets to an application position of the adhesive-binding unit, and a folding processing section that folds a sheet bundle formed by the bonded sheets at a predetermined folding position. When the number of sheets to be bonded by the adhesive-binding unit applying the adhesive onto the sheets exceeds a predetermined number, the adhesive is applied at two positions separated from each other across the folding position.

An accumulator for an automatic sheet media punching and collating system includes a proximal end, having a shoulder, a distal end, and a moveable collating belt, disposed below the shoulder, extending from the proximal end to the distal end. The collating belt has an upwardly extending lower stop with an accumulating position opposite the shoulder, defining a drop region. The lower stop is configured to contact a lower edge of sheets of media sequentially received at the proximal end, whereby the sheets stop and accumulate in the drop region in a lift in a book order. The collating belt is selectively moveable to discharge the lift as a unit toward the distal end.

Systems, devices and methods for receiving an item in a receptacle are disclosed. Features are disclosed for receiving and guiding an item in a receiving space of a receptacle so as to attenuate or remove the impact force of the item on the receptacle. Some embodiments of the disclosure include a bumper having an impact surface which absorbs most or all of the impact force of the item and thereby mitigates or removes the imposition of cyclic impact loads on the receptacle from repeated receipt of items. The bumper may be structurally and/or functionally de-coupled or otherwise physically separated from the receptacle such that an advantageous division of labor is created between absorbing the impact and receiving the item. This disclosure may be useful, for example, in modern industrial operations where a high volume of items are received daily, such as in mail sorting and handling operations.

A printing apparatus capable of producing a product having the optimum image layout dependent on a discharge destination even when saddle-stitching is canceled due to input of image data for sheets in excess of a limit of a saddle-stitchable number of sheets. The number of output sheets per one copy is calculated based on image data. When the number of output sheets per one copy exceeds a saddle-stitchable number of sheets, it is selected whether to perform the center folding processing on the sheets on which images are printed without performing the saddle stitching processing thereon or to perform neither the saddle stitching processing nor the center folding processing on the sheets on which images are printed.

An image forming apparatus includes: a transport member that transports a medium; a storage that is disposed below the transport member in a gravitational direction, and that stores the medium which is delivered by the transport member and falls into the storage; a supporter that is provided in the storage, and that has an upper end disposed below the transport member in a gravitational direction, and that allows the medium to be stored with a front end of the medium in a discharge direction matching a lower end of the medium in a gravitational direction; and a guidance member that is disposed in the supporter with the medium interposed between the guidance member and the supporter, and that guides the medium which falls to the supporter.

An accumulator for an automatic sheet media punching and collating system includes a proximal end, having a shoulder, a distal end, and a moveable collating belt, disposed below the shoulder, extending from the proximal end to the distal end. The collating belt has an upwardly extending lower stop with an accumulating position opposite the shoulder, defining a drop region. The lower stop is configured to contact a lower edge of sheets of media sequentially received at the proximal end, whereby the sheets stop and accumulate in the drop region in a lift in a book order. The collating belt is selectively moveable to discharge the lift as a unit toward the distal end.