JPS636461B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a so-called sorter or collator, which automatically sorts recording sheets on which images have been sequentially formed, in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine.

Conventionally, in devices that record images at high speed, such as high-speed copying devices, in order to improve the efficiency of sorting the recording sheets after images have been formed, sorters or collators that automatically perform this sorting work have been used. . FIG. 1 shows an example in which such a conventional automatic sorting device is applied to a copying machine.

In FIG. 1, 1 is the main body of the copying machine, 2 is an automatic document feeder, and 3 is a sorter. The procedure up to the copy paper sorting process when equipped in this manner is as follows. First, when several originals to be copied are placed on tray 2' of the automatic document feeder, the first sheet of the original is
This feeding device feeds the image onto the platen of the copying machine 1. In the copying apparatus 1, a necessary number of copies are made for each original document, and the copy sheets on which images have been formed are fed into a sorter through an ejection port of the copying apparatus 1. Then, the copy sheets are sequentially stored in each storage section 3' in the sorter from the upper stage to the lower stage. The same operation is performed on the second and subsequent documents, and finally, the required number of copy sheets are stored in the sorter. Nowadays, sorters are installed in medium-speed and even low-speed image forming apparatuses, allowing for more efficient work. However, medium-speed and low-speed image forming devices are smaller in size than high-speed image forming devices, so it is difficult to apply the relatively large sorters used in high-speed devices, and even if it is possible to use them, the size of the device itself is too large. However, the sorter itself is large, which reduces the advantages of a compact device such as space saving. So currently, medium speed,
Sorters that can be applied to low-speed image forming devices have been developed, but due to the size limitations mentioned above, it is difficult to store as many recording sheets as high-speed machines. It is only used to store recording sheets. In addition, if you need a large number of recording sheets, 2
I am working on it in more than one installment. One possible way to compensate for these shortcomings is to use two or more sorters that can store small quantities in series, but this is extremely wasteful in terms of space saving and cost. It's a method.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic sorting device that is small in size, can accommodate a large number of recording sheets, and is inexpensive.

Therefore, the present invention provides an automatic sorting device that can be applied to large sorters for high-speed machines and can further increase the number of items stored therein.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which an automatic sorting device (hereinafter referred to as a sorter) according to the present invention is applied to a copying machine will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 shows a copying machine equipped with a sorter according to the present invention. 4 is a main body of the copying apparatus, 5 is an automatic document feeder, and 6 is a sorter of the present invention. First, the configuration of the sorter 6 will be explained. Reference numeral 7 denotes a copy paper storage shelf, which is a stack of storage shelves 7 ₁ to _{7 8} of the same shape. These storage shelves 7 are engaged at their ends 7a with guide grooves 9 cut in the outer frame 8 of the sorter, and at their opposite ends 7b, they are inserted into the outer frame 8 in the direction of arrow A. They are engaged with the guide plate 10 which is movably installed through a pin (not shown), and 7 ₁ to 7 ₈ are each movably installed in the direction of arrow B. Further, a shaft 11 is fixed to the terminal 7 ₈ b of the storage shelf 7 ₈ , and the shaft 11 is engaged with the belt 12 so as to be slidable in the direction of arrow A. The belt 12 is suspended between a pulley 13 rotatably attached to a shaft fixed to the outer frame 8 and a pulley 15 fixed to the output shaft of a pulse motor 14. On the other hand, the guide plate 10 is engaged at its end 10a with a shaft 18 on a disc 17 fixed to the output shaft of another pulse motor 16. A long groove is formed in this end 10a, so that when the disc 17 rotates, only the component of the rotational force in the direction of the inner arrow A is transferred to the guide plate 10.
0 is now accepted. Reference numeral 19 denotes a copy paper discharge roller, which is rotated by a drive source (not shown).

The configuration of the sorter, which is one of the embodiments of the present invention, has been described above. Next, how this sorter performs the work of sorting copy sheets will be described. First, to simplify the explanation, we will obtain 16 copies of two manuscripts. When the first document is sent to the copying device 4 by the automatic document feeder 5, the copying operation is started. When the first sheet of copy paper is discharged onto the storage shelf _7-1 of the sorter 6, the pulse motor 14 rotates by a predetermined angle, thereby moving the storage shelf 7 onto the storage shelf _7-8 to which the shaft 11 is attached. Since they are only stacked on top of each other, the whole moves by a certain amount in the upward direction of arrow B via the pulley 15, belt 12, and shaft 11. This amount is the amount by which the storage shelf 7 ₂ is placed in the position of the storage shelf 7 ₁ in the figure. This movement is performed before the second copy paper reaches the ejection roller 19, and the storage shelf ₇₂ waits for the second copy paper. Thereafter, similar operations are performed up to the storage shelves ₇₈ . When the storage shelves 7 to ₈ receive the copy paper, the pulse motor 16
starts rotating, and the disk 17 fixed thereto stops at a position rotated 180 degrees from the position shown in the figure. As a result, the storage shelf 7 is moved forward in the direction of arrow A via the shaft 18 and the guide plate 10 by the amount of movement of the shaft 18 in this direction. This movement is performed before the ninth copy paper reaches the discharge roller 19, and the storage shelf ₇₈ waits for the ninth copy paper at a position different from that of the eighth copy paper. When the storage shelf _7-8 receives the ninth sheet of copy paper, the pulse motor 15 rotates in the opposite direction and the same angle as the previous rotation, and the storage shelf _7-7 receives the ninth sheet of copy paper.
The storage shelf 7 moves to the position where it receives the th sheet of copy paper. Thereafter, the same operation is performed up to the storage shelf ₇₁ . When the storage shelf ₇₁ receives the 16th copy paper, the pulse motor 16 rotates 180 degrees again. As a result, storage shelf 7 returns to its initial position, and 2
You will be waiting for a copy of the original manuscript. Thereafter, the same operation as for the first copy sheet is performed on the second sheet of copy paper, and the copying and sorting operations are completed. In the above explanation, the storage shelf 7 first moves upward in the direction of arrow B, then moves in the direction of arrow A, then moves downward in arrow B, and finally returns to its original position. The pulse motor 15,
It is also possible to adopt another movement form by changing the control method of 16. To give one example, after moving upwards with arrow B, immediately moving downwards with arrow B, then moving in front of arrow A, and then moving upwards with arrow B. There is. In any case, the movement mode is pulse motors 15, 16.
It may be arbitrarily selected by selecting the control method. In addition, in this embodiment, a method was explained in which a sorter with 8 storage shelves is used as 16 sorters, but if the rotation angle of the pulse motor 16 is controlled to be smaller, the position of the storage shelves 7 in the direction of arrow A can be changed to several stages. Needless to say, it can be set up to be used as a sorter with even more storage shelves.

Next, Figure 3 shows that during the sorting work mentioned earlier,
This shows the state of copy paper stored in the storage shelf 7. As shown in the figure, the copy paper is sorted into parts, so the operator can easily divide the copy paper into parts by pinching both ends of the copy paper in each storage shelf and pulling them apart. If this is to be made easier, the stroke of the shaft 18 in the direction of arrow A shown in FIG. 2 may be increased, and the amount of overlap between the various parts may be reduced. If space is available, each part can be completely divided.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a sorter in which the storage shelves move vertically was shown, but it can also be applied to a sorter in which the storage shelves are fixed in the vertical direction like the sorter shown in FIG. It is clear that this method can also be applied. That is, each storage shelf 3' may be moved laterally (in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the figure) using the mechanism shown in FIG. 2 or the like, either individually or as a whole.

As described above, even if the automatic recording sheet sorting device according to the present invention has only 8 storage shelves as shown in the embodiment, it can be expanded to 16 storage shelves, which is twice that number, and even 3 storage shelves. This will greatly increase its storage capacity by double... Moreover, since the size of the device can be configured to be similar to that of a small-volume storage type, it also has the advantage of space saving, and does not need to occupy a large space unlike the conventional large-volume storage type. Furthermore, the mechanism requires only one motor and a simple mechanism to be added to the small quantity storage type, so it is possible to replace the conventional large quantity storage type or small quantity storage type with two.
Storage capacity can be improved at a much lower cost than when connected together.

Therefore, by making it possible to distribute sheets within a storage shelf, the present invention that sorts recording sheets makes it possible to provide an automatic sorting device that is small, low cost, and can store a large number of sheets.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of a conventional automatic sorting device applied to a copying machine, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the automatic sorting device according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a sorting device according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a storage state of recording sheets in FIG. 1... Copying device main body, 2... Automatic document feeder, 3... Sorter, 4... Copying device main body, 5...
... Automatic document feeder, 6 ... Sorter, 7 ... Storage shelf, 8 ... Outer frame, 9 ... Guide groove, 10 ... Guide plate, 11 ... Shaft, 12 ... Belt, 13 ...
Pulley, 14...Pulse motor, 15...Pulley, 16...Pulse motor, 17...Disc, 1
8... Axis.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of movable seat storage shelves ₇₁ to ₇₈ provided in multiple stages are moved so that one storage shelf faces the sheet introduction port in sequence, and sheets are placed on each sheet storage shelf. In an automatic sorting device for recording sheets to be distributed, the guide means 9 supports the sheet storage shelves 7 ₁ to _{7 8} so as to be movable in a direction intersecting the sheet introduction direction, and the guide means 9 moves the sheet storage shelves in the intersecting direction. driving means 16, 17, 18, 10 for shifting the position of the sheet storage shelf relative to the sheet introduction port 19; an automatic sorting device for recording sheets, comprising driving means 12 and 14 for sequentially moving the sheet storage shelves in the opposite direction of the multi-stage so that the sheets can be distributed after the positions of the sheets have been shifted.