JPS6123145B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a sorter for processing sheets discharged from a copying machine such as an electrophotographic copying machine.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a sorter is known that sequentially feeds sheets of paper ejected from a copying machine or the like into a plurality of paper trays, and stacks the sheets on each tray in page order.

In such a sorter, the same page of transfer paper is fed into each paper tray in sequence, so when the stacked transfer papers are taken out from each paper tray after copying is completed, the number of pages must be the same. It is convenient because it can be bound immediately.

In order for the number of pages of the transfer paper stacked on each tray to be the same, it is necessary to load the original into the copying machine, for example, once.
When copying pages sequentially, a single-sided copying machine needs to stack the copies on each tray with the copy side facing down, and a double-sided copying machine needs to copy the previous page (for example, page n-1). ) is on the bottom and the next page (for example, page n) is on the top, and it is necessary to send the pages to each tray and stack them.

However, depending on the model of the copying machine, if it is a single-sided copying machine, the top side of the ejected paper is the copy side;
In some double-sided copying machines, the top side of the paper output is the previous page and the bottom side is the next page. In such a case, it is necessary to take out the copy sheets from each tray of the copying machine and arrange them in the order of the pages one by one, and the more pages or copies there are, the more time and effort is required.

Even if the performance of a copying machine is improved and the copying time is shortened, if it takes a long time to bind the book after copying, it will not improve the efficiency of the copying work overall.

The present invention provides a sorter with a simple structure in which the lower surface of the transfer paper fed into each paper tray is the copy side in the case of single-sided copying, and the previous page in the case of double-sided copying, and can be bound immediately. The purpose is to

This purpose is to connect a paper conveying means consisting of a belt that rotates in the vertical direction and a first passage connected to this paper conveying means, or to convert the front and back sides of the fed paper and communicate with the first passage. a guide means for selectively guiding the paper to a second passage, and a conveying roller provided in the second passage and rotating only in a direction to convey the paper in the opposite direction to the first passage; ,
A sorter comprising an auxiliary conveying means comprising an auxiliary plate that guides the paper, which is released from the conveying roller and falls under its own weight after being fed into the second passage, toward the first passage. It will be achieved.

According to the present invention, it is possible to easily guide the paper discharged from the copying machine to the paper tray as it is, or to convert the front and back sides of the paper discharged from the copying machine and guide it to the paper tray. Therefore, after copying, the transfer sheets stacked on each paper tray can be bound into a book with the pages in the same order. Furthermore, since the structure is simple, there is little risk of jamming. Furthermore, since the rotation direction of the conveyance roller of the auxiliary conveyance means for feeding the paper into the second path to reverse the paper is unidirectional, the control mechanism of the apparatus is simplified.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows an example in which the sorter of the present invention is coupled to an electrophotographic copying machine. In the figure, numeral 1 indicates an electrophotographic copying machine, and 2 indicates a sorter. The sorter 2 includes a horizontal conveyance device 4 having an endless belt 3 rotating in the direction of the arrow to receive the transfer paper discharged from the electronic copying machine 1 and convey it to a predetermined position.
A vertical conveyance device 5 is provided next to this horizontal conveyance device and conveys the transfer paper in the vertical direction through a first path 12, and a vertical conveyance device 5 is provided vertically above and communicates with this first path. a second path 13 and a further transport device 6 for feeding the transfer paper to a distribution mechanism, not shown.
and a plurality of paper trays 7 for storing transfer paper arranged at an angle.

In order to ensure the feeding of the transfer paper on the endless belt 3, a paper pressing member 8 is provided which is lightly placed on the upper part of the endless belt 3 by its own weight. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the first passage 12, the second passage 13, and the vicinity of the guide means 14 which can selectively take either of these passages of the sorter according to the present invention.

The endless belt 9 is stretched between a pair of rollers 10 and 11 so as to be movable in the direction of the arrow. The rollers 10 and 11 are attached to a stationary substrate (not shown).

The guide means 14 includes a first guide plate 1 curved along the upper part of the belt wound around the roller 10.
4a and a second guide plate 14b having a symmetrical shape back to back with the first guide plate 14a are combined and fixed to a vertically movable sliding member 14c, and the end portion of this sliding member 14d is connected to the plunger 15a of the electromagnetic solenoid 15 via a spring 17.

Near the exit end of the second guide plate 14b, there is provided an auxiliary conveying means consisting of a conveying roller 18 that rotates in the direction of the arrow and an auxiliary plate 19 that is biased so as to lightly contact the conveying roller 18. .

The first passage 12 extends from the outlet end of the first guide plate 14a and the lower end of the auxiliary plate 19 to the endless belt 9.
The second passage 13 is a space between the first passage member 13a extending above the upper end of the channel 20 and the conveying roller 18. and a second passage member 13b extending upward. A bent portion 13c is formed at the upper end of the second passage 13 so as to reach a dead end, and the lower ends of the passage members 13a, 13b are sloped so as to smoothly transport the paper.

The sliding member 14c is fixed with a pin (not shown) and is engaged with a long hole (not shown) vertically drilled in the immovable substrate, and the electromagnetic solenoid 15 is fixed to the immovable substrate (not shown). Electrical connections are made to the power supply and activation button.

Now, when the sorter of the present invention is connected to a copying machine whose image surface is the top surface of the ejected paper,
When the electromagnetic solenoid 15 is excited by an operation button not shown in FIG. Since the first guide plate individually attached to the sliding member 14c is also pulled up, the paper conveyed by the endless belt 3 of the lateral conveyance device 4 is conveyed in the direction of the arrow shown by A, and is moved to the first guide plate. 14a and a portion 9a of the endless belt 9 that rotates in the vertical direction and is wound around the upper roller 10.
The ball enters between the balls 21 and 12, descends vertically through the first passage 12, is held between the balls 21 and the belt 9, and is transferred to the intra-sorter conveyance device 6 (FIG. 1). Then, the leading edge of the paper rises vertically and is moved to the paper tray 7 in the opposite direction to the direction in which it is transported by the horizontal transport device 4.
(Fig. 1) and is placed there. Therefore, paper saucer 7
(FIG. 1), the image side of the paper placed on the bottom side will be aligned in page order.

If the copy side of the paper to be ejected next is the bottom side, the electromagnetic solenoid 1 is activated by pressing the operation button (not shown).
5 is demagnetized, in FIG. 2b, the plunger 15a protrudes, the sliding plate 14c is lowered, and the second guide plate 14b fixed to the sliding plate 14c also lowers, so that the fixed guide plate 16 and the second Information board 1
4b, and the paper conveyed by the endless belt 3 of the horizontal conveyance device 4 enters in the direction of the arrow shown by B, and passes through the conveyance roller 18 and the auxiliary plate 19.
It is caught in the middle.

Since the conveyance roller 18 is rotating in the direction of the arrow, the paper is conveyed vertically upward (direction c). When the trailing edge of the paper passes the conveying roller 18, the paper no longer loses its conveying force and is guided by the auxiliary plate 19 by its own weight and falls (in the D direction). The fallen paper passes through the first path 12 and further descends in the vertical direction, and is then transferred to the paper tray 7 by the same conveyance method as described above.
(Fig. 1).

At this time, the paper conveyed in the second path 13 is reversed with its leading and trailing edges in a so-called "cutting process".
When you exercise, the paper is turned upside down, so
When passing through the first passage 12, the image side is conveyed upward. In this way, the image side of the paper placed on the paper tray 7 (FIG. 1) becomes the bottom side, and the pages are arranged in the same order. The leading and trailing edges of the transfer paper will be reversed, but they are all aligned in the same direction, so there is no problem at all.

The same applies even if the copying machine combined with the sorter according to the present invention is a double-sided copying machine.

In other words, if the paper is to be ejected with the previous page (for example, page n-1) on the top and the subsequent page (for example, page n) on the bottom, the electromagnetic solenoid 15 is energized by the operation button and the paper is guided to the first guide. If the paper is to be ejected with the previous page at the bottom and the next page at the top, the electromagnetic solenoid 15 is demagnetized and the paper is inserted into the second plate 14a. It is sufficient to enter between the guide plate 14b and the fixed guide plate 16.

Another embodiment of the auxiliary conveyance means is shown in FIG. In other words, the end 19a of the auxiliary plate 19 that contacts the conveyance roller 18 does not protrude from the roller circumferential surface toward the second passage side, but the auxiliary plate end 19a is bent, and the end 19a of the auxiliary plate 19 is bent from the perpendicular line drawn from the outer diameter end of the roller. It is configured to move backward by a. A feature of this configuration is that when the trailing edge of the paper is released from the grip between the conveyance roller 18 and the auxiliary plate end 19, it easily falls, and there is no risk that the trailing edge of the paper will get caught on the auxiliary plate. It is.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a sorter according to the present invention coupled to a copying machine, FIG. Figure b is a partial cross-sectional view of the same when the electromagnetic solenoid is demagnetized, and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the auxiliary conveyance means. 1... Copying machine, 2... Sorter, 5... Vertical conveyance device,
7... Paper tray, 12... First passage, 13... Second passage, 14... Guide means, 15... Electromagnetic solenoid.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A sorter having paper trays provided in a plurality of stages, a distribution mechanism for distributing paper to the paper trays, and a conveying mechanism, comprising: a paper conveying means disposed in the vertical direction; a first passageway connected to a conveyance means; a second passageway connected to the first passageway for converting the front and back sides of the fed paper; and paper in either the first passageway or the second passageway. a guide means for selectively guiding the paper; a conveying roller provided in the second passage and rotating only in a direction in which the paper is conveyed in the opposite direction to the first passage; and an auxiliary conveyance means comprising an auxiliary plate that guides the paper, which is released from the conveyance of the conveyance roller and falls under its own weight by being fed, toward the first path, and is fed. A sorter that is capable of selectively converting the front and back sides of paper.