JP4157640B2 - Output storage device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a paper discharge storage device connected to an image forming apparatus such as a printing apparatus or a copying machine.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, image forming apparatuses such as printing apparatuses and copiers are provided with a paper discharge tray on which sheets on which images are formed are stacked together. The paper discharge tray is provided integrally with the image forming apparatus main body, is provided so as to be storable inside the image forming apparatus main body, or is fixed to the image forming apparatus main body by screwing or engagement. Some are provided detachably.
[0003]
Among the above, an image forming apparatus in which a paper discharge tray is detachably attached to the apparatus main body can be provided with a paper discharge storage device that performs sheet sorting after installation. As this paper discharge storage device, a device in which a bin tray unit that distributes and stores paper into a plurality of bin trays and a single paper discharge tray on which paper is stacked is known in the vertical direction. An example of this paper discharge storage device is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 6-78358, and this paper discharge storage device is provided with a swingable paper conveyance means, and the paper is placed on the bin tray unit side during sorting and the paper is used in non-sorting. The paper transporting means is configured to be swung so as to be stored in the paper discharge tray side.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When the above-described paper discharge storage device is attached to the image forming apparatus, the paper discharge tray is removed from the apparatus main body and the paper discharge storage apparatus is connected to the paper discharge port of the apparatus main body, but the removed paper discharge tray is stored. As a result, there arises a problem that a storage place must be secured.
[0005]
Further, since the paper discharge storage device side has a paper discharge tray, the paper discharge storage device is removed from the image forming apparatus and the paper discharge tray is attached to the image forming apparatus even when the paper is not sorted. Since there is no need to perform work and the work is troublesome, there is a problem that once the paper discharge storage device is attached, the paper discharge tray on the image forming apparatus side is wasted.
[0006]
Further, the paper discharge tray provided in the paper discharge storage device is often arranged in a place where it is difficult to see from the outside and difficult to operate due to layout problems. For this reason, when the paper size is changed on the image forming apparatus side, it is difficult to change the size of the side fences and end fences, and it is easy to forget to change them. In addition to the problem of being caught on the paper tray and causing a paper discharge jam, there was a problem that the paper discharge tray was pulled out during paper discharge to cause a paper discharge jam.
[0007]
The present invention solves each of the above-mentioned problems, and can prevent the occurrence of paper discharge jamming and a paper discharge storage device that can use a paper discharge tray on the image forming device side when connected to the image forming device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a paper discharge storage device that can do this.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a main body connectable to an image forming apparatus to which a paper discharge tray is detachable, and a bin tray provided in the main body for sorting and stacking sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus are arranged in a vertical direction. In Multiple In the paper discharge storage device having the bin tray unit disposed, The bin tray is loaded with paper with the image side down, When the main body is connected to the image forming apparatus Before A tray mounting portion for mounting the paper discharge tray removed from the image forming apparatus. The bin tray unit and the paper discharge tray are accommodated inside the main body while being provided below the bin tray unit. It is characterized by that.
[0009]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the paper discharge storage device according to the first aspect, further comprising tray moving means for vertically moving the paper discharge tray mounted on the tray mounting portion.
[0010]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the paper discharge storage device according to the first or second aspect, the tray mounting portion further supports the paper discharge tray so that the paper discharge tray can be pulled out with respect to the main body. And a drawer prohibiting means for prohibiting the withdrawal of the paper discharge tray from the main body while the paper is being discharged.
[0011]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the paper discharge storage device according to the third aspect, the tray further includes tray detection means for detecting that the paper discharge tray is mounted at a predetermined position of the tray mounting portion. The paper discharge to the paper discharge tray is permitted when the detecting means detects the mounting of the paper discharge tray.
[0012]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the discharge storage device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the discharge tray further includes an end fence and a side fence, and the end fence And a control unit that moves the side fence in accordance with sheet size information from the image forming apparatus side.
[0013]
【Example】
FIG. 1 shows a paper discharge storage apparatus employing one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a paper discharge storage device 1 is integrally connected to a stencil printing device 2 as an image forming device.
First, the stencil printing apparatus 2 to which the paper discharge storage apparatus 1 is connected will be schematically described. The stencil printing apparatus 2 includes a plate cylinder 16 that is rotationally driven, a press roller 15 that presses the paper conveyed by the paper feeding device 14 against the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 16, and a peeling claw that peels the paper from the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 16. 17, a paper discharge section 3 for discharging the paper to the outside of the apparatus.
[0014]
A porous cylindrical plate cylinder 16 around which a master made on the outer peripheral surface is wound is rotatably supported by the apparatus main body by a central shaft that also serves as an ink supply pipe, and is driven to rotate by a plate cylinder driving means (not shown). Is done. Inside the plate cylinder 16, a well-known ink supply means (not shown) having an ink roller, a doctor roller and the like is disposed. The press roller 15 and the peeling claw 17 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 16 so as to avoid interference with protrusions on the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder such as a master locking means (not shown) provided on the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 16. On the other hand, it is provided so as to be able to move in and out and to move forward and backward.
[0015]
The paper discharge unit 3 is disposed in the vicinity of the inside of the paper discharge port a of the apparatus main body, and sucks paper onto the pair of rollers 18, an endless belt 19 wound around each roller 18, and the belt 19. When a driving unit (not shown) drives the endless belt 19 via the roller 18, the sheet is discharged from the discharge port a.
[0016]
The stencil printing device 2 and the paper discharge storage device 1 are placed on the same floor surface 4. In the paper discharge storage device 1, the paper discharge unit facing position A is aligned with the paper discharge unit 3 of the stencil printing device 2, and the connection substrate 10 (see FIG. 2) is attached to a main body frame (not shown) of the stencil printing device 2. Are integrally coupled to each other.
[0017]
The paper discharge storage device 1 includes a frame body 5 that is a rectangular tower-shaped main body movable on the floor surface 4, and a bin tray unit 7 and a paper discharge tray 9 are detachably supported inside the frame body 5. A tray mounting unit 25 that moves up and down, a lifting mechanism 8 as a tray moving unit that moves the tray mounting unit 25 up and down, an intake unit transport unit 11 that transports paper in the loading direction X, a distribution unit transport unit 12, and an intake unit transport unit 11. A switching drive means 13 (see FIG. 4) for switching and holding is provided.
[0018]
The frame 5 is mainly composed of a bottom frame 21, a plurality of vertical frames 22 integrally coupled to the bottom frame 21 and extending in the vertical direction, and a plurality of horizontal frames 23 connecting them. An outer plate P (see FIG. 2) is disposed at a suitable position outside the member. A bin tray unit 7 having a plurality of bin trays 6 and a distribution unit conveying means 12 for distributing sheets to the bin trays 6 are disposed in the upper part of the frame 5.
[0019]
The bin tray unit 7 is arranged between a pair of vertical frames 24 integrally connected between the upper and lower horizontal frames 23 of the frame body 5 and the vertical frames 24 and is equally arranged in the vertical direction. And a plurality of bin trays 6. Each bin tray 6 is provided with attachment portions (not shown) at both left and right ends (front end portion and back end portion in FIG. 1), and is attached to a support portion (not shown) of the vertical frame 24 via the attachment portions. The bin trays 6 are provided so that the inlet side end portions 601 are aligned in the vertical direction, and the vertical interval b at the inlet side end portions 601 of the bin trays 6 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction is predetermined for each bin tray 6. The interval is set so that the number of sheets can be stacked. The portions on the frame 5 that surround the outer peripheral portions of the plurality of bin tray groups are open, so that the operator can easily stack the sheets stacked on the bin trays 6 just by standing in front of the paper discharge storage device 1. Can be taken out.
[0020]
As shown in FIG. 1, the distribution unit conveying means 12 provided in the bin tray unit 7 is provided at a position facing the inlet side end 601 of each bin tray 6. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the distribution unit transport means 12 includes a pair of distribution unit vertical frames 26, a distribution unit horizontal frame 27 that interconnects them, and a pair of distribution unit vertical frames 26 near the upper and lower ends. Upper and lower rollers 28 and 29 pivoted through bearing members (an example shown by a broken line as B in FIG. 2), and a plurality of (here, four) endless belts 30 wound around the rollers 28 and 29 The indexer 31 that deflects the paper that is disposed inside the rotation area of the endless belt 30 and is conveyed in the vertical direction toward the upper surface side of the predetermined bin tray 6, and the endless belt 30 through the space e (see FIG. 1). A pair of upper and lower suction fans 32 disposed opposite to each other, and an outer wall member 33 that supports the suction fan 32 and separates the space e and the endless belt 30 side from the outside.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 3, each endless belt 30 is made of synthetic resin, rubber, or the like, and has a large number of through holes h formed on the surface thereof. During driving of the suction fan 32, air is sucked from the through holes h and is being transported. Hold the paper in Each of the upper roller 28 as a driven roller and the lower roller 29 as a driving roller is formed with four enlarged diameter portions r, and the endless belt 30 is wound around the enlarged diameter portions r facing each other vertically. Yes. A gap c is secured between the endless belts 30 adjacent to each other, and a deflection protrusion 34 of the indexer 31 is loosely fitted in each gap c. As shown in FIG. 2, a drive gear 35 is integrally attached to one end of the lower roller 29, and the drive gear 35 is connected to a drive motor 37 via a reduction gear train 36.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 3, the indexer 31 for deflecting the sheet conveyed in the vertical direction by the endless belt 30 toward the upper surface side of the predetermined bin tray 6 is provided on the upper and lower sides provided near the rollers 28 and 29. The indexer horizontal frames 38 and 39, the indexer horizontal frames 38 and 39 are connected to each other, the pair of indexer vertical frames 40 and 41 arranged in parallel in the vicinity of the pair of distributing unit vertical frames 26, the indexer vertical frames 40, A pair of longitudinal feed shafts 42 and 43 that are juxtaposed along the indexer horizontal frames 38 and 39 and are pivotally supported by the indexer lateral frames 38 and 39, and are integrally coupled to a portion protruding from the indexer lateral frame 38 at the upper ends of the vertical feed shafts 42 and 43 Driven gears 44, 45, a driven gear 48 for driving the driven gears 44, 45 via intermediate gears 46, 47, an indexer motor 49 for driving the driven gear 48, Both sides of the longitudinal feed shafts 42 and 43 are screwed together, and both ends of the movable frame 50 are loosely fitted into the inner grooves of the indexer vertical frames 40 and 41, and the gap c between the endless belts 30 that are integrally coupled to the movable frame 50 and adjacent to each other. It is mainly composed of the protruding deflection protrusion 34 and the like.
[0023]
The indexer 31 holds the deflecting protrusion 34 at a reference position for sorting sheets in the lowermost bin tray 6 when not operating. From this state, when a signal for sorting paper is input to the second bin tray 6 from the bottom in the sort mode, the indexer motor 49 is driven by an amount corresponding to one pitch, and the deflecting protrusion 34 is moved upward and conveyed. The coming paper is discharged to the second bin tray 6 from the bottom by the deflecting protrusion 34. Thereafter, the sorting process of sequentially distributing and storing the sequentially conveyed sheets in this way to the designated bin tray 6 is performed, and after the designated number of sorting operations, the indexer motor 49 is reversed, and the deflecting protrusion 34 is returned to the reference position to complete the operation.
[0024]
Note that the upper and lower gaps between the pair of distributor vertical frames 26 and the pair of indexer vertical frames 40 and 41 inside thereof and the rotation range of the plurality of endless belts 30 are covered with a partition wall (not shown). Thus, the passage of the air sucked by the suction fan 32 is restricted, and the suction force received by the paper in the rotation region of the endless belt 30 is configured to act reliably.
[0025]
Inside the frame 5 and immediately below the bin tray unit 7 and the distribution unit conveyance unit 12, the sheet is conveyed toward the distribution unit conveyance unit 12 or the paper discharge tray 9 disposed below the frame 5. An intake section conveying means 11 is disposed. The intake section transport means 11 takes in and transports the paper from the paper discharge section 3 at the paper discharge section facing position A, and includes an inflow side transport path switching section 51 and an outflow side transport section 52 as paper transport means. ing.
[0026]
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the inflow-side transport path switching unit 51 is swingable in the vertical direction on the connecting substrate 10 integrally coupled to the vertical frame 22 and the horizontal frame 23 of the frame 5. It is supported. The inflow side conveyance path switching unit 51 includes a flat box-like base 511 supported inside the pair of connection substrates 10, a driving pulley 53 and a driven pulley 54 pivotally supported inside the base 511, each pulley 53, A plurality of (here, three) endless belts 55 that are wound around 54 and exposed on the upper surface of the base 511, and a suction fan 59 that is attached to the lower wall of the base 511 and sucks the paper onto the endless belt 55. Etc. are mainly composed.
[0027]
The driving pulley 53 is driven to rotate by receiving a rotational driving force from a driving means (not shown) by a driving force transmission mechanism such as a chain and a sprocket (not shown). The endless belt 55 is made of synthetic resin or rubber, and has a large number of through holes h. The endless belt 55 sucks and holds the sheet being conveyed on the upper surface when the suction fan 59 is operated.
[0028]
On the left and right outer walls of the inflow side end of the base 511, a pivot pin 56 is provided so as to extend in the horizontal direction along the same center line as the rotation center of the drive pulley 53. When the pivot pin 56 is pivotally supported by the connecting board 10, the inflow side end of the endless belt 55 and the base 511 is always held at the discharge portion facing position A, and the outflow side end of the base 511 is It can swing in the vertical direction. The switching drive means 13 (see FIG. 4) is connected to a lower wall surface (not shown) of the outflow side end of the base 511.
[0029]
The switching drive means 13 switches the support position of the inflow side transport path switching section 51 and selectively swings the inflow side transport path switching section 51 around the pivot pin 56. In this case, the switching drive unit 13 forms the sorting conveyance path by holding the inflow side conveyance path switching unit 51 at the sort position P1 indicated by the solid line in FIG. The inflow side conveyance path switching unit 51 is held at a non-sort position P2 that is opposed to the paper discharge tray 9 and indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG.
[0030]
The switching drive means 13 is formed on a bracket 58 projecting from the lower wall surface of the base 511, a pair of pinions 60 pivotally supported by the bracket 58 via a pivot shaft 62, and the left and right connecting boards 10, and the respective pinions mesh with each other. It mainly comprises a rack 61, a worm wheel 63 integrally coupled to the central portion of the pivot 62, a worm 64 meshing with the worm wheel 63, a motor 65 (see FIG. 2) for driving the worm 64, and the like. The pair of racks 61 are formed in a fan shape with the center line of the pivot pin 56 as the center.
[0031]
The swinging of the inflow side conveyance path switching unit 51 to the sorting position P1 and the non-sorting position P2 is performed by a control means 166 in which a signal sent from the stencil printing apparatus 2 is provided inside the paper discharge storage apparatus 1 (see FIG. 1). ) And a signal from the control means 166 is input to the motor 65. In the paper discharge storage device 1, a first position sensor 66 that issues a motor stop command when the inflow side conveyance path switching unit 51 reaches the sort position P1, and a motor stop command when the non-sort position is reached. A second position sensor 67 is provided. The motor 65 is configured to rotate the pinion 60 forward and backward in accordance with the motor stop command of each sensor 66 and 67 and selectively switch and hold the inflow side transport path switching unit 51 between the sort position and the non-sort position.
[0032]
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5, the outflow side conveyance unit 52 includes a box-shaped base 68, a pair of pulleys 69 and 70 that are pivotally supported inside the base 68, and a loop between each pulley. These are mainly composed of an endless belt 71 that is partially exposed on the upper surface of the base 68, a suction fan 72 that is attached to the lower wall surface of the base 68 and sucks the paper onto the endless belt 71, and the like. The pulleys 69 and 70 are driven by a driving mechanism (not shown) such as a chain, sprocket, or motor. Further, the base 68 is fixed substantially horizontally to the pair of vertical frames 24, and the outflow side transport unit 52 causes the sheet from the inflow side transport path switching unit 51 at the sort position to be fed by the deflection piece 68a on the outflow end side. After being deflected upward, it is conveyed to the lower end of the distribution unit conveying means 12. The endless belt 71 is also made of a member such as synthetic resin or rubber, has a large number of through holes h, and sucks and holds a sheet that is in the middle of conveyance when the suction fan 72 is driven.
[0033]
1, 2, and 5 show the outflow side conveyance unit 52 directly fixed to the pair of vertical frames 24, the vertical frame 24 on the front side F (see FIG. 2) is excluded, etc. The front side F of the outflow side transport unit 52 is opened by adjusting the layout on the frame body 5 side, and the outflow side transport unit 52 is supported so that it can be pulled out to the frame body 5 side via a rail member (not shown) extending to the front side F. It is good also as a structure to be made. In this case, when a jam occurs in the outflow side transport unit 52 or the distribution unit transport means 12, the outflow side transport unit 52 can be pulled out to the front side F to facilitate the jam processing.
[0034]
As shown in FIG. 6, the tray mounting portion 25 that detachably supports the paper discharge tray 9 is supported by a vertical support frame 77 disposed below the frame body 5 so as to be movable up and down via an elevating mechanism 8. ing. The tray mounting portion 25 includes a mounting portion main body 57 supported by the lifting mechanism 8 via the lifting frame 79, rail members 119 and 120 fixed to the upper surface of the mounting portion main body 57, and a bracket 132 on the lower surface of the mounting portion main body 57. It is mainly composed of a solenoid 146 serving as a drawer prohibiting means attached via the tray detection means 100 and the like.
[0035]
One end of a link member 153 is attached to the plunger 146a of the solenoid 146 so that the substantially central portion thereof is rotatably supported by the bracket 132. The other end of the link member 153 is formed in the mounting portion main body 57. One end of a rod 154 fitted to the through hole so as to be movable up and down is attached. A compression spring 155 is attached to the plunger 146a, and the rod 154 protruding upward when the solenoid 146 is turned on is moved downward by the urging force of the compression spring 155 when the solenoid 146 is turned off. It is comprised so that. The operation of the solenoid 146 is controlled by the control means 166.
[0036]
The tray detection means 100 including a detector such as a limit switch, a proximity sensor, or a photoelectric sensor is an end portion of the mounting portion main body 57 on the back side in the tray pulling direction, and interferes with the paper discharge tray 9 when the paper discharge tray 9 is pulled out. This is detected when the paper discharge tray 9 is mounted at a predetermined position on the mounting portion main body 57 for receiving the discharged paper, and a tray mounting signal is output to the control means 166. .
[0037]
As shown in FIG. 6, the paper discharge tray 9 is detachably supported on the upper portion of the tray mounting portion 25. The paper discharge tray 9 includes a paper discharge tray main body 73, an end fence 74 erected on the downstream side in the paper conveyance direction on the paper discharge tray main body 73, side fences 75 erected on both sides of the paper discharge tray main body 73, Mainly composed of 76 etc.
[0038]
Cutout portions 78a and 78b shown in FIG. 7 are formed at the center of the upstream end of the sheet discharge tray 73 in the sheet conveyance direction and the front corner of the downstream end in the same direction. Two engaging brackets 159 are fixed to both side edges on the side. Further, sliders 156 and 157 that are slidable with respect to the rail members 119 and 120 are screwed to the lower surface of the discharge tray main body 73 by four screws 158, respectively. A hole (not shown) into which the other end of the rod 154 protruding when the solenoid 146 is turned on can be fitted is formed.
[0039]
The side fence 75 is provided so as to be able to rise and fall in the direction indicated by the white arrow in FIGS. 7 and 8, and is slidably supported by a rail 82 attached to the paper discharge tray body 73 via a slider 81. ing. The rail 82 has a gap on both sides thereof, and both ends thereof are integrally coupled to the paper discharge tray body 73. The slider 81 includes a sliding body 81a that is slidably fitted to the rail 82, an inverted U-shaped pivot member 81b that is disposed so as to sandwich both sides of the sliding body 81a, and rising portions at both ends of the pivot member 81b. The pivot 83 that pivotally supports the prismatic bearing 80 formed at the lower center portion of the side fence 75 and elastically presses the bearing 80 against the upper surface of the rail 82 via the pivot 81b. Two compression springs 84 are provided. With this configuration, the side fence 75 can take an upright position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 8 and an outward position indicated by a two-dot chain line. The side fence 76 is configured in the same manner as the side fence 75, and each side fence 75, 76 has a well-known configuration (not shown) that moves in conjunction with each other.
[0040]
The paper discharge tray 9 is attached to the stencil printing apparatus 2 in the state shown in FIG. 9 when the paper discharge storage apparatus 1 is detached from the stencil printing apparatus 2 and the stencil printing apparatus 2 is used alone. That is, in the paper discharge tray 9, after removing the screws 158 and removing the sliders 156 and 157, the engagement brackets 159 are engaged with the two engagement pins 164 protruding from both side plates of the main body of the stencil printing apparatus 2, respectively. The upstream end of the sheet conveying direction is supported by contacting the stay 165 fixed to the main body of the stencil printing apparatus 2.
[0041]
As shown in FIG. 6, the elevating mechanism 8 that elevates and lowers the tray mounting unit 25 mainly includes a motor 85, a worm 86, a worm wheel 87, a pinion 88, upper and lower limit switches 89 and 90, and the like.
[0042]
The motor 85 is attached to the vertical support frame 77, and a worm 86 is attached to the tip of the output shaft. A worm wheel 87 meshes with the worm 86, and the worm wheel 87 is pivotally attached to the vertical support frame 77 via a shaft 91. The worm wheel 87 is integrally coupled with a pinion 88 pivotally supported by a shaft 91, and the pinion 88 is provided so as to mesh with a rack 92 formed on the lifting frame 79. Upper and lower limit switches 89 and 90 are attached to the vertical support frame 77 and output upper and lower limit position signals of the paper discharge tray main body 73. The driving of the motor 85 is controlled by the control means 166.
[0043]
Hereinafter, the operation of the paper discharge storage device 1 in this embodiment will be described.
When an operator presses a not-shown plate-making start key on an operation panel (not shown) provided in the stencil printing apparatus 2, a used master (not shown) wound on the plate cylinder 16 is peeled off, and then stencil printing is performed. A perforating plate making is performed on a master (not shown) by a plate making means (not shown) of the apparatus 2. The master made by plate making is conveyed to the plate cylinder 16 by a conveying means (not shown), and its leading end is locked by a master locking means (not shown) on the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 16.
[0044]
At the same time that a master (not shown) is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 16, the control means 166 determines whether or not the paper discharge tray 9 is mounted at a predetermined position on the mounting portion main body 57 from the tray detection means 100. Check by signal. When the paper discharge tray 9 is not mounted at a predetermined position, the control unit 166 displays a message to that effect on a display device (not shown) on an operation panel (not shown). The means 166 sends an operation command to the motor 85 and moves the paper discharge tray 9 to the upper limit position indicated by reference numeral u1 in FIG. When the elevating frame 79 comes into contact with the upper limit switch 89 and operates it, the motor 85 is stopped by the command from the control means 166 and the paper discharge tray 9 is positioned at the upper limit position u1. At the same time, the solenoid 146 is turned on by a command from the control means 166, the plunger 146 a is pulled into the position shown in FIG. 6, and the other end of the rod 154 is fitted into a hole (not shown) formed in the slider 156.
[0045]
Further, the control means 166 determines whether or not the inflow side transport path switching unit 51 is at the non-sort position P2 based on the output of the second position sensor 67, and when the inflow side transport path switching unit 51 is not at the non-sort position P2. Rotates the motor 65 of the switching drive means 13 to move the inflow side conveyance path switching unit 51 to the non-sort position P2 facing the paper discharge tray 9.
[0046]
Next, the paper feeding device 14 is activated, and a sheet of paper is fed between the plate cylinder 16 and the press roller 15 that are rotationally driven at a predetermined peripheral speed that is lower than the printing speed. The paper is pressed against the plate cylinder 16 by the press roller 15 to transfer the ink, and then peeled off from the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 16 by the peeling claw 17 and sent to the paper discharge unit 3. The sheet conveyed while being sucked onto the endless belt 19 by the suction fan 20 is discharged from the discharge port a to the outside of the apparatus, and is placed on the discharge tray 9 via the inflow side transfer path switching unit 51 and is printed on the plate. The attaching process is completed. Then, when the rotation of the plate cylinder 16 stops, this information is sent from the control means (not shown) provided in the stencil printing apparatus 2 to the control means 166, and the control means 166 that receives the information sends a command to the solenoid 146 to send this command. Turn off. When the solenoid 146 is turned off, the plunger 146a is moved upward by the urging force of the compression spring 155, whereby the fitting of the other end of the rod 154 and the slider 156 is released, and the discharge tray 9 can be pulled out. .
[0047]
The operator pulls out the paper discharge tray 9 and visually confirms the image of the paper discharged onto the paper discharge tray 9. If the image confirmation result in the printing process is good, the printing process is started. First, the non-sort mode in which the sheets are discharged onto the discharge tray 9 at once without being sorted will be described.
When the sort mode for sorting on the operation panel (not shown) is not selected, the control means (not shown) of the stencil printing apparatus 2 is in the non-sort mode when the operator presses a print start key (not shown) on the operation panel. And a signal indicating the non-sort mode is output to the control means 166. The control means 166 that has received the signal indicating that it is in the non-sort mode determines from the output of the second position sensor 67 whether or not the inflow-side transport path switching unit 51 is in the non-sort position P2, and the discharge tray 9 is in the non-sort position. If not in P2, the motor 65 of the switching drive means 13 is driven to rotate, and the inflow side transport path switching unit 51 is moved to the non-sorting position P2 facing the paper discharge tray 9.
[0048]
Further, the control unit 166 confirms that the paper discharge tray 9 is mounted at a predetermined position on the mounting unit main body 57 by a signal from the tray detection unit 100, and then drives the motor 85 to move the paper discharge tray 9. While positioning to the upper limit position u1, the solenoid 146 is turned on and the other end of the rod 154 is fitted to the slider 156. When the paper discharge tray 9 is not mounted at a predetermined position on the mounting unit main body 57, the control unit 166 displays that effect on a display device (not shown) on an operation panel (not shown), and the printing operation is interrupted. After the printing operation is interrupted, when a print start key (not shown) is pressed again after the paper discharge tray 9 is mounted at a predetermined position, the printing operation is resumed.
[0049]
When the inflow side conveyance path switching unit 51 is positioned at the non-sort position P2, the plate cylinder 16 and the roller 18 are driven to rotate, and at the same time, the driving pulley 53 is driven to rotate. When the plate cylinder 16, the roller 18, and the drive pulley 53 are driven to rotate, the paper feeding device 14 is operated in the same manner as in the plate making process, and between the plate cylinder 16 and the press roller 15 that are driven to rotate at high speed. A sheet of paper is fed to the front. The paper to which the ink has been transferred by being pressed against the plate cylinder 16 by the press roller 15 is peeled off from the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 16 by the peeling claw 17 and then sent to the paper discharge unit 3 and out of the machine from the paper discharge port a. And is stacked on the discharge tray 9 via the inflow side transfer path switching unit 51.
[0050]
When the sheet moves to the inflow side conveyance path switching unit 51 through the discharge port a of the stencil printing apparatus 2, the sheet is conveyed from the endless belt 19 having a conveyance function to the endless belt 55. Even if the relative positional accuracy between the endless belt 19 and the endless belt 55 is somewhat low, the sheet is reliably conveyed, the occurrence of a jam is surely prevented, and the sheets are sequentially stacked on the discharge tray 9.
[0051]
At this time, the control means and control means 166 (not shown) of the stencil printing apparatus 2 also function as a discharge tray driving means in cooperation with the motor 85. That is, the control means and control means 166 (not shown) drive-controls the motor 85 so as to gradually lower the mounting portion main body 57 toward the lower limit position u2 (see FIG. 1) according to the sheet count. At this time, the height H (see FIG. 1) between the leading edge of the sheet discharged from the inflow side conveyance path switching unit 51 and the uppermost sheet stacked on the discharge tray main body 73 is set at a constant interval. Since the sheet can be stably stacked on the sheet discharge tray 9 by keeping the sheet, the sheet to be discharged comes into contact with the sheet stacked on the sheet discharge tray 9. Problems can be prevented. In the control of the motor 85, for example, it is appropriate to lower the mounting portion main body 57 by 1 to 2 mm every time about 10 sheets are printed. The interval of H varies depending on the size and type of printing paper, but is preferably about 30 to 60 mm.
[0052]
When the printing operation for the set number of sheets is completed, the rotation of the plate cylinder 16 is stopped, and when the rotation of the plate cylinder 16 is stopped, a signal is sent from the control means 166 to the solenoid 146 and the solenoid 146 is turned off.
[0053]
When taking out the paper stacked on the paper discharge tray 9, the paper discharge tray main body 73 is first pulled out to the front side, and the side fence 75 is tilted to the front side as indicated by white arrows in FIGS. The right hand is inserted into the cutout portion 78a of the discharge tray main body 73 and the left hand is inserted into the cutout portion 78b so that the paper stacked with both hands is grasped and pulled out to the front side so as not to obstruct the takeout operation. be able to. Further, even if a paper take-out operation is performed in the same manner as described above without tilting the front side fence 75, the side fence 75 is easily pushed down by the printing paper and falls down easily. Printing paper can be easily removed.
[0054]
Next, a sort mode in which the paper is sorted and discharged onto the plurality of bin trays 6 will be described.
When the sort mode for sorting on the operation panel (not shown) is selected, when the operator presses a print start key (not shown) on the operation panel, the control means (not shown) of the stencil printing apparatus 2 is in the sort mode. Determination is made and a signal indicating the sort mode is output to the control means 166. The control means 166 that has received a signal indicating that the mode is the sort mode determines from the output of the first position sensor 66 whether or not the inflow side transport path switching unit 51 is at the sort position P1, and the inflow side transport path switching unit 51 When not in the sort position, the motor 65 of the switching drive means 13 is driven to rotate, and the inflow side transport path switching unit 51 is moved to the sort position P1 facing the outflow side transport unit 52. At this time, the solenoid 146 is off, and the discharge tray 9 can be always pulled out from the tray mounting portion 25.
[0055]
When the inflow side conveyance path switching unit 51 is positioned at the sort position P1, the plate cylinder 16 and the roller 18 are rotationally driven at high speed, and further, the drive pulley 53, the drive motor 37 of the distribution unit conveyance unit 12, and the outflow side conveyance unit 52. The drive mechanism (not shown) is activated, and the endless belts 55, 30, 71 start moving.
[0056]
As in the case of non-sorting, the sheet fed by the sheet feeding device 14 and pressed by the press roller 15 to the plate cylinder 16 to transfer the ink, and discharged from the sheet discharge unit 3 through the sheet discharge port a is the sorting position P1. Is conveyed by the inflow-side conveyance path switching unit 51 positioned at, and is conveyed to the distribution unit conveyance means 12 via the outflow-side conveyance unit 52. Thereafter, the sheet transported upward by the distribution unit transporting unit 12 is deflected and placed toward the upper side surface of the bin tray 6 by the deflecting protrusion 34 of the indexer 31.
[0057]
Thereafter, the indexer motor 49 operates in accordance with the number of sorting units set on the operation panel (not shown), and the indexer 31 is divided by one pitch from the reference position corresponding to the first bin tray 6 and the deflecting protrusion 34. The paper that is sequentially moved up and deflected is deflected and sorted and stacked on each bin tray 6.
[0058]
As described above, since the tray mounting portion 25 is used with the paper discharge tray 9 removed from the stencil printing apparatus 2, the normal printing operation is performed without requiring an extra paper discharge tray and an extra storage place. In addition, the sorting printing operation can be performed. In addition, since the tray mounting portion 25 is disposed below the frame body 5 of the paper discharge storage device 1, a degree of freedom in layout can be secured. By securing a sufficient vertical movement area, the capacity of the paper discharge tray 9 can be set large. In this case, the end fence 74 and the side fences 75 and 76 are also set to a sufficient height.
[0059]
Further, in the non-sort mode, the solenoid 146 prohibits pulling out of the paper discharge tray 9 during the printing operation, so that the occurrence of paper discharge jam is prevented, and the lifting mechanism 8 is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 9. Since the sheet discharge tray is lowered according to the number of sheets, the sheets can be stably stacked on the sheet discharge tray 9, and the occurrence of deviation and rubbing dirt can be prevented. In the sort mode, the tray detection unit 100 can detect whether or not the paper discharge tray 9 is mounted at a predetermined position of the tray mounting portion 25, so that the paper discharge tray 9 is not mounted at the predetermined position. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of paper discharge jams, paper stack defects, and the like.
[0060]
Further, in the sort mode, the solenoid 146 is turned off and the paper discharge tray 9 can be pulled out at all times. Therefore, when printing is performed in the sort mode after printing in the non-sort mode, the paper is discharged during the printing operation. It is possible to pull out the tray 9 and take out the printed matter in the non-sort mode, so that the printing efficiency can be improved.
[0061]
FIG. 10 shows a modification of the above embodiment. In this modified example, an electric paper discharge tray 167 is used instead of the paper discharge tray 9, the tray mounting portion 25 has a connector 168 that supplies electric power to the electric paper discharge tray 167, and the control means 166 is electric. The only difference is in controlling the discharge tray 167, and the other configuration is the same.
[0062]
An electric discharge tray 167 having a pair of side fences 169 and end fences 170 is not shown in accordance with a paper size signal from the stencil printing apparatus 2 side, for example, similar to that disclosed in JP-A-10-1254. The fence moving means is driven, and each side fence 169 and the end fence 170 are automatically moved. The electric discharge tray 167 is provided with a harness 171 for supplying power to a fence moving means (not shown), and a connector 172 is attached to the tip thereof. The electric paper discharge tray 167 is configured to be detachable from the stencil printing apparatus 2 in the same manner as the paper discharge tray 9 by an engagement bracket 159.
[0063]
The tray mounting portion 25 has a connector 168 that can be fitted to the connector 172 on the vertical support frame 77. A harness 173 is connected to the connector 168, and the harness 173 is connected to the control means 166 via a control board (not shown).
[0064]
With the above-described configuration, when the paper size used for printing is selected on the operation panel (not shown) on the stencil printing apparatus 2 by the operator prior to the printing operation, the control means 166 is controlled by the control means (not shown) of the stencil printing apparatus 2. The paper size information is sent to the control unit 166, and a control command is sent from the control unit 166 to the electric discharge tray 167, and a fence moving unit (not shown) is driven to move the side fences 169 and the end fence 170 to predetermined positions.
[0065]
With this configuration, the side fence and end fence are automatically positioned even if the printing paper size is changed, so it is possible to prevent discharged paper from colliding with each fence and causing paper discharge jams, thus improving work efficiency. Can be improved. Further, the paper discharge tray can be arranged at a place where it is difficult to operate each fence from the outside, and the layout can be expanded.
[0066]
In the above-described embodiments and modifications, the tray mounting unit 25 is disposed below the intake unit transport unit 11 that is a sheet transport unit. However, the layout of the tray mounting unit is not limited thereto. As disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. Gazette, the tray mounting portion of the present invention may be applied to a paper discharge tray disposed above the paper conveying means. In the above-described embodiments and modifications, the stencil printing apparatus is used as the image forming apparatus. However, an electrophotographic copying apparatus, a printer, or the like may be employed as the image forming apparatus. Obtainable.
[0067]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the tray mounting portion is used by mounting the paper discharge tray removed from the image forming apparatus, it is possible to perform normal operation without requiring an extra paper discharge tray and an extra storage place. Printing operations and sorting printing operations can be performed.
[0068]
According to the second aspect of the invention, since the tray moving means moves the discharge tray up and down, the discharge tray can be lowered according to the number of sheets discharged onto the discharge tray. By stably loading the sheets on the top, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of misalignment and rubbing dirt.
[0069]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, the drawer prohibiting means prohibits the drawer tray from being pulled out from the main body while the sheet is being ejected to the sheet discharge tray.
[0070]
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the discharge of the paper to the paper discharge tray is allowed when the tray detection unit detects the mounting of the paper discharge tray at the predetermined position, the paper discharge tray is at the predetermined position. Thus, it is possible to reliably prevent the occurrence of a paper discharge jam, a paper stack defect, and the like that occur when the paper is not attached to the paper.
[0071]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the control unit moves the side fence and the end fence of the paper discharge tray according to the information from the image forming apparatus side, so that the discharged paper collides with each fence and is discharged. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of paper jam and improve the work efficiency, and it is possible to arrange the paper discharge tray at a place where it is difficult to operate each fence from the outside, and the layout can be expanded.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic front sectional view of a paper discharge storage device and a stencil printing device adopting an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic plan cross-sectional view illustrating an intake section transport unit of a paper discharge storage device used in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional side view illustrating a distribution unit transport unit of a paper discharge storage device used in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view illustrating an inflow-side conveyance path switching unit of a paper discharge storage device used in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating an outflow side transport unit of the paper discharge storage device used in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a front view of an essential part for explaining a tray mounting portion and a lifting / lowering means of a paper discharge storage device used in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view of a paper discharge tray used in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a partial side view of a paper discharge tray used in an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a mounted state of the paper discharge tray used in the embodiment of the present invention in the image forming apparatus.
FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of a paper discharge tray and a tray mounting portion used in a modification of one embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Discharge storage device
2 Image forming device (stencil printing device)
5 Body (frame)
6 Bin tray
7 Bin tray unit
8 Tray moving means (elevating mechanism)
9 Output tray
25 Tray mounting part
100 Tray detection means
146 Pull-out prohibition means (solenoid)
166 Control means
167 Paper discharge tray (Electric paper discharge tray)
169 Side fence
170 End fence

Claims (5)

A body connectable to the image forming apparatus sheet discharge tray is detachable, the bin tray unit in which a plurality arranged bin trays for stacking and sorting the sheets in the vertical direction to be discharged from the image forming apparatus is provided in the body In a paper discharge storage device having
The bin tray is loaded with paper image plane as the lower, the tray mounting portion for mounting the sheet discharge tray has been removed from the previous SL image forming apparatus when the body is connected to the image forming apparatus bin tray A paper discharge storage device having the unit below the unit and containing the bin tray unit and the paper discharge tray inside the main body . The paper discharge storage device according to claim 1.
A paper discharge storage device comprising a tray vertical movement means for moving the paper discharge tray mounted on the tray mounting portion up and down . The paper discharge storage device according to claim 1 or 2,
The tray mounting portion includes a drawer prohibiting unit that supports the paper discharge tray so that the paper discharge tray can be pulled out with respect to the main body, and prohibits the paper tray from being pulled out of the main body while discharging the paper to the paper discharge tray. A paper discharge storage device characterized by the above . The paper discharge storage device according to claim 3.
A tray detection unit that detects that the discharge tray is mounted at a predetermined position of the tray mounting unit; and the discharge tray is detected when the tray detection unit detects mounting of the discharge tray. A paper discharge storage device that allows the paper to be discharged to the paper. In the paper discharge storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The paper discharge tray has an end fence and a side fence, and has a control unit that moves the end fence and the side fence according to paper size information from the image forming apparatus side. Storage device.

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