Sheet processing apparatus with a sheet binding function

摘要

A sheet processing apparatus having a sorting unit to distribute the sheets among a plurality of bins, a binding unit to bind the sheets and a transporting unit to sequentially transport the sheets contained in each of the bins to the binding unit. The sheet processing apparatus allows the selection of either a first mode to control the binding unit in conjunction with the transporting unit or a second mode to independently control the binding unit regardless of the transporting unit. Further, the operation in the second mode is inhibited either when the first mode is selected, when the binding unit and the transporting unit are in operation in the first mode, or while the sorting operation of the sorting unit is in progress. In the second mode, the binding unit is actuated upon detecting that sheets have been inserted into the binding unit.