Sheet collating device for accumulating sheets from at least one hopper, comprising: a lower transport path and an upper transport path; a switchable guide for directing the sheets from the at least one hopper to the lower or the upper transport path; left and right upper drive shafts connected to a right and a left upper drive pulleys supporting a pair of upper belts, a drive direction of the pair of upper belts being changed dependent on what transport path of the upper and lower transport paths is selected; first and second lower drive shafts connected to a right and a left lower drive pulleys supporting first and second pairs of lower belts; and a first series of right paddles mounted on the first pair of lower belts and a first series of left paddles mounted on the second pair of lower belts for registering a collated set of sheets.

A printing system includes a printing unit, a determination unit, and a switching unit. The printing unit prints an image on a recording medium. The determination unit compares a prestored reference image and a read image corresponding to a reading result of a printed document in which the image is printed on the recording medium and determines whether a result of the comparison satisfies a predetermined condition. The switching unit switches a discharge destination of the recording medium based on a result of the determination. The switching unit switches a conveyance path of the recording medium based on whether the determination is performed.

A recording apparatus includes: a recording unit that performs recording on a medium; a medium discharging section that discharges the medium on which recording has been performed; a medium receiving section that receives the medium discharged by the medium discharging section; a face-down discharge path that guides, to the medium discharge section, the recorded medium with a recorded side thereof facing downward; a document movement path that is provided at an upper part of a housing constituting an outer casing of the recording apparatus and along which a document moves; and a reading unit provided in the document movement path to read the document. The medium receiving section also serves as a support tray that supports the document to be inserted into the document movement path or the document exiting from the document movement path.

This paper sheet processing device (100) for processing paper sheets is provided with: an identification unit (55) for identifying paper sheets; stacking units (60, 210) for stacking paper sheets on the basis of the content of classification types identified by the identification unit (55); and a control unit (50, 135, 550) that reads, from a memory unit (56, 136, 560) in which an upper limit of paper sheets to be stacked by the stacking units (60, 210) are stored in association with the content of classification types, the upper limit for paper sheets that correspond to the content of the classification types of the paper sheets stacked by the stacking units (60, 210), and sets the upper limit for paper sheets to be stacked by the stacking units (60, 210).

A recording apparatus includes: a recording unit that performs recording on a medium; a medium discharging section that discharges the medium on which recording has been performed; a medium receiving section that receives the medium discharged by the medium discharging section; a face-down discharge path that guides, to the medium discharge section, the recorded medium with a recorded side thereof facing downward; a document movement path that is provided at an upper part of a housing constituting an outer casing of the recording apparatus and along which a document moves; and a reading unit provided in the document movement path to read the document. The medium receiving section also serves as a support tray that supports the document to be inserted into the document movement path or the document exiting from the document movement path.

A printing control apparatus configured to control a binding unit configured to perform a binding processing for binding sheets without using a staple includes a control unit that controls the biding unit to divide sheets subjected to printing into sheet groups in units of a number of sheets bindable by the binding unit, and to apply the binding processing to each of sheet groups or controls another binding unit to bind the sheets subjected to printing using a staple.

The invention provides a paper path structure that is able to perform the following four functions: pass a sheet of paper through the paper path structure with is original orientation maintained; pass a sheet of paper through the paper path structure with its original orientation reversed; stack a sheet of paper in a stack repository with its original orientation maintained; and stack a sheet of paper in the stack repository with its original orientation reversed. The invention also provides a method to operate said paper path structure as well as a stacker and a printer comprising said paper path structure.

An image forming apparatus includes a sensor that acquires first and second data groups of paper characteristics by measuring a recording medium; a processor that determines a parameter for controlling at least one of image formation and conveyance of a recording medium on a conveyance path based on the first and second data groups acquired by the sensor; an image former that forms an image on a recording medium conveyed on the conveyance path based on the parameter. The processor compares the first and second paper characteristic data groups, the first paper characteristic data group has been measured at a first time period and the second paper characteristic data group has been measured at a second time period nearer to a present time than the first time period, and the processor controls the image formation based on a the comparison result.

A recording apparatus includes: a recording unit that performs recording on a medium; a medium discharging section that discharges the medium on which recording has been performed; a medium receiving section that receives the medium discharged by the medium discharging section; a face-down discharge path that guides, to the medium discharge section, the recorded medium with a recorded side thereof facing downward; a document movement path that is provided at an upper part of a housing constituting an outer casing of the recording apparatus and along which a document moves; and a reading unit provided in the document movement path to read the document. The medium receiving section also serves as a support tray that supports the document to be inserted into the document movement path or the document exiting from the document movement path.

A printing system includes a printing unit, a determination unit, and a switching unit. The printing unit prints an image on a recording medium. The determination unit compares a prestored reference image and a read image corresponding to a reading result of a printed document in which the image is printed on the recording medium and determines whether a result of the comparison satisfies a predetermined condition. The switching unit switches a discharge destination of the recording medium based on a result of the determination. The switching unit switches a conveyance path of the recording medium based on whether the determination is performed.