JPH0476908B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a paper storage device, and more specifically, it is attached to an image recording device, etc., and is used to direct paper discharged from the image recording device to a predetermined storage device. Accordingly, the present invention relates to a paper storage device configured to be able to store paper.

[Prior Art] A paper storage device such as a sorter attached to a conventional image recording device has a plurality of storage stages, and paper is stored in each storage stage sequentially from the first stage, and the storage stages are sequentially switched. The structure was such that when the required number of copies had been stored, a new sheet of paper would be stored in the first storage shelf.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, when it is desired to store paper ejected from an image recording device or the like in an arbitrary stage, the image recording device side must be provided with information regarding the storage stage in which the paper is stored when the paper is ejected. It must be equipped with the ability to process In particular, when multiple paper storage devices are connected to one image recording device, all processing functions such as commands from the image recording device and responses from the storage device must be provided on the image recording device side. As a result, the process becomes complicated and the burden on the image recording apparatus increases.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and its purpose is to store paper conveyed from an image recording device in an arbitrary storage device without performing complicated processing, and to store paper conveyed from an image recording device. To provide a paper storage device that can lighten the burden.

[Means and operations for solving the problem] That is, the present invention includes a plurality of storage means 5, 6, and 7 for storing sheets conveyed from the image recording device 1, a control means 12 for controlling the storage operation of the sheets, 13,1
A paper storage device 2, 3, 4 comprising:
For the image recording device 1, the paper storage device 2,
In the paper storage device which can be used by connecting two or more paper sheets 3 and 4, the control means 12 and 13
determines whether or not paper can be stored in the own trays 2 and 3 (step 23), and also determines whether or not paper can be stored in the paper storage devices 3 and 3 in the subsequent stages.
Based on the information (status) indicating the paper storage availability state of the downstream paper storage devices 3 and 4, which is transmitted from the control means 13 and 14 of the downstream paper storage device 4, the paper storage availability status of the downstream paper storage devices 3 and 4 is determined (steps 28 and 29). ),
When the own trays 2, 3 and the subsequent paper storage devices 3, 4 are capable of storing paper, storage of the own trays 2, 3 is transmitted from the control means 11, 12 of the image recording device 1 or the preceding paper storage device 2. The paper is stored in the storage means 5 and 6 of the own stage 2 and 3 based on the information regarding the paper storage position for the means 5 and 6 (steps 35, 36,
39, 40), information regarding the paper storage position relative to the storage means 6, 7 of the rear paper storage devices 3, 4 is transmitted to the control means 13, 14 of the rear paper storage devices 3, 4 (steps 36, 37, 42, 43), when the rear paper storage devices 3, 4 cannot store paper, the transmission of information regarding the paper storage position to the control means 13, 14 of the rear paper storage devices 3, 4 is prohibited (steps 37, 38). ) An object of the present invention is to provide a paper storage device characterized by the following.

Thereby, the control means of the paper storage device determines the paper storage availability state of the own stage and the paper storage availability state of the subsequent stage, and controls the transmission of information related to the paper storage position for the own stage and the paper storage position for the subsequent stage.

[Example] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of the present invention.
In this embodiment, an example is adopted in which three paper storage devices 2 to 4 are connected to the image recording device 1.

Each of the paper storage devices 2 to 4 is provided with a plurality of storage stages of 5 to 7, respectively, and a paper transport path 8 is provided between the image recording device 1 and the paper storage device 2 and between each of the paper storage devices. connected.

The paper ejected from the image recording device 1 passes through a conveyance path 8 to each storage stage 5 to 7 of the paper storage devices 2 to 4.
sent to.

Figure 2 shows the image recording device 1 and the paper storage device 2.
4 is a block diagram showing the flow of electrical signals between the control circuits 11 to 14 using the microcomputer provided in the image recording device 1, and 15 to 17 are a paper storage device and storage device for storing the paper ejected from the image recording device 1. This is a signal line that transmits information regarding the stage from the control device 11 to 12, from 12 to 13, or from 13 to 14. Further, 18 to 20 transmit information regarding the status of each paper storage device and paper storage stage from the control device 14 to 1.
3, 13 to 12, or 12 to 11.

FIGS. 3 to 6 are flowcharts for explaining the operation of the control device under the above structure. The case where paper is stored is shown as an example.

When the device starts for the first time, the steps
In step 21, initial setup of each control device is performed, and in step 22, initial setup is performed. In step 23, a device number unique to each storage device preset by a switch or the like is set in the control device. These are the steps.

Subsequently, each control device self-checks the current operating state of its respective storage device in step 24, and if the operating state is normal, it performs a self-check in step 27.
Set the status to normal information. If the operating state is not normal, abnormality information is created in step 25, and abnormality is set in the status in step 26. If the device is not operating normally, the device stops operating and the program ends. In step 27, if the self-check is ok and the status is set to normal, the process moves to the next step. These are the steps.

After passing the self-check, it is detected in step 28 whether or not there is a succeeding device, and if there is a succeeding device, the status of the succeeding paper storage device is detected in step 29. When the status of the succeeding device is detected and found to be operating normally, the information is set as the content of the status, and each device sets that it is in the ready state in step 30,
Enter the next stage.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step 28 that there is no subsequent device, information indicating that it is the last device is set in step 31, and this information is set as the content of the status in step 32. If it is determined in step 29 that the status of the subsequent device is not normal, abnormality information is created in step 33, and the abnormal state is set in the status in step 32. This is the step stage,
If it is determined in step 30 that everything is normal, the process moves to main routine step 34 shown in FIG.

When the pre-processing stage is thus completed and the control device 11 receives the storage location information, it is checked in step 35 against the unique device number read in step, and in step 36 it is determined whether the information is for itself. These are the steps.

In this example, since the paper storage device 3 is designated, the control device 11 determines that it is not the designated device, and jumps to step 37, where the content of the status of the subsequent device is determined. If the contents of the status are OK, the process branches to a step, and in the step shown in FIG. 6, information is transmitted to the control device 12.

If the status of the subsequent device is not OK in step 37, the paper is stored in the sample tray provided in the own device in the storage stage in step 38. This state is a step.

On the other hand, the paper storage device 2 performs the same processing as described for the control device 11, and in step the control device 12 transmits information to the control device 13 of the paper storage device 3. At this time, when the designated storage stage of the subsequent device is full, the paper is stored in the sample tray of the own device, that is, the paper storage device 2, as in the case where the status of the subsequent device is NG.

The other control device 13 determines in that step that the storage device 3 is designated, and moves to the step. In step 39, it is determined from the transmitted information whether the storage stage in which the paper is to be stored is full or not, and if there is room, the paper is stored in the designated storage stage in step 40, and the process returns to the main routine 34.

If the designated storage bin is full, the step
In step 41, the information is set in the status and the paper is stored. After that, return to the step and wait for new paper and its storage information.

In the above description, it is assumed that each paper processing device can store at least one more sheet of paper in each storage stage after the control device detects that each storage stage is full. It is also assumed that each paper processing device is equipped with a sample tray in addition to the paper storage stage, or a specific storage stage is used as the sample tray.

FIG. 6 explains the steps and shows the stage after the status of the subsequent device is determined to be OK in step 37. That is, the status of the subsequent paper storage device is detected in step 42, and if it is determined that the storage stage is full, the process moves to step 38, and if it is determined that there is room, storage information is transmitted to the subsequent device in step 43. Then return to the step.

FIG. 5 shows the abnormality processing flow from step 25 shown in FIG. In step 45, the contents of the abnormal status are transmitted to the previous and succeeding control devices, and in step 46, the operation of the device is stopped, and the step
The program ends at 47. This stage is a step.

Through the steps described above, it is possible to supply paper to a predetermined storage stage of one selected from a plurality of paper processing devices through extremely simple processing, and moreover, it is possible to supply paper to a predetermined storage stage of one selected from a plurality of paper processing devices. The load on the device is small, and all control devices can be of the same type.

In the above description, the number of paper storage devices is three, but it may be only two, or four or more.

Further, although the image recording apparatus 1 is configured to receive information regarding the paper storage device and the storage stage in which the paper is to be stored from the outside, this information may be generated within the image recording apparatus 1.

It is also possible to use the steps in the control device 11 to store paper in a paper storage space provided in the image recording device even when no paper storage device is connected. good. Of course, assuming such a case, it is necessary to provide such a storage space on the image recording apparatus side.

By the way, the status of each paper storage device,
, is monitored by the control device of the immediately preceding storage device, but this information may be further transmitted to the previous control device, and the control device may perform the monitoring.

[Effects of the Invention] A control means is provided in a paper storage device capable of connecting multiple stages in cascade, and the paper storage device determines whether or not the paper can be stored in the own stage and the paper can be stored in the subsequent stage, and adjusts the paper storage position for the own stage and the paper storage position for the subsequent stage. Since the transmission of such information is controlled, it becomes possible to store the paper conveyed from the image recording apparatus in any storage device without performing complicated processing, and to lighten the burden on the image recording apparatus.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figure explains one embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a block diagram of the control circuit, and FIGS. 3 to 6 are flowcharts for explaining the control method. 1... Image processing device, 2-4... Paper storage device, 5
~7...Storage stage, 8...Paper transport device, 11-14...
Control device, 15-20...signal line.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A paper storage including a plurality of storage means 5, 6, 7 for storing sheets conveyed from the image recording device 1, and control means 12, 13, 14 for controlling the storage operation of the sheets. In the paper storage device which is a device 2, 3, 4 and can be used by connecting the paper storage device 2, 3, 4 in multiple stages to the image recording device 1, the control means 12, 13 comprises: , determines whether paper can be stored in the own trays 2, 3 (step 23), and controls the control means 13,
Based on the information (status) indicating the paper storage availability status of the downstream paper storage device 14 transmitted from the downstream paper storage device 14, the paper storage availability status of the downstream paper storage devices 3 and 4 is determined (steps 28 and 29); 3 and the subsequent paper storage devices 3 and 4 are capable of storing paper, the storage means 5 and 6 of the own stages 2 and 3 are transmitted from the control means 11 and 12 of the image recording device 1 or the previous paper storage device 2. The paper is stored in the storage means 5 and 6 of the own trays 2 and 3 based on the information regarding the paper storage position (step 35,
36, 39, 40), as well as the rear paper storage device 3, 4
The control means 13 and 1 of the subsequent paper storage devices 3 and 4 transmit information related to the paper storage devices for the storage means 6 and 7 of
4 (steps 36, 37, 42, 43), and if the subsequent paper storage devices 3, 4 cannot store paper, the control means 13, 1 of the subsequent paper storage devices 3, 4
A paper storage device characterized in that transmission of information relating to the paper storage position to the paper storage position is prohibited (steps 37 and 38).