JPH0725471B2 - Sorter - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sorter capable of processing and storing a recording sheet recorded and discharged by a recording device such as a copying machine or a printer.

<Prior Art> Conventionally, in a copying machine, a printer, etc., a tray capable of storing the maximum size of a recording sheet that the machine has is provided behind a pair of paper ejection guides and is conveyed by a pair of paper ejection rollers. It is configured to store the recording sheet in the tray.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, since a tray matching the recording sheets must be provided, (1) a tray should be provided for a long recording sheet whose length exceeds A1 size. It is difficult to form, and it is necessary to secure a wider space around the machine. (2) The recording sheet may be damaged or bent, (3) Recording sheet with a length exceeding A1 size When B5 size or A4 size recording sheets are stored in the same tray, it is difficult to take out a small recording sheet from the tray. (4) When manually winding the recording sheet, the user completely records it. Had to be attached to the machine until the end of (5) was discharged, and (5) it was very difficult to store when continuously recording a large number of long sheets having a length exceeding A1 size.

The present invention solves the above problems and provides an apparatus configured so that a recording sheet on which an image discharged by a discharge roller is recorded can be wound up and stored as needed. .

<Means for Solving the Problems> The means for solving the above-described problems is a sheet introducing port for introducing a sheet, and an arc portion for winding up the sheet introduced from the sheet introducing port. A plurality of sheet winding and storing means including a sheet take-out section for taking out the sheet wound around the arc section from the arc section,
Small size sheet storage means for storing a small size sheet and the sheet winding storage means are sequentially positioned at the sheet discharge port, or retracted from the sheet discharge position and the sheet enters the small size sheet storage means. The present invention relates to a sorter configured by providing a driving means for operating the sorter.

<Operation> According to the above means, a plurality of sheet winding and storing means capable of winding and storing a large size sheet and a plurality of these sheet winding means are sequentially positioned at the sheet discharging position. Since the driving means for providing the large size sheet is provided, the large size sheet can be sequentially wound around the plurality of sheet winding parts and stored therein, so that a large number of large size sheets can be automatically processed. .

Further, since the small size sheet storage portion is provided separately, the small size sheet can be stored separately from the large size sheet in this sheet storage portion.

Therefore, the sorter of the present invention can eliminate the need for a large tray or a space for installing this tray as in the prior art, and can prevent the discharged recording sheet from protruding from the tray and being damaged. Depending on the size of the recording sheets to be ejected, they can be stored separately in different storage sections.

<Example> Next, an example of a winding device to which the above means is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional explanatory view showing a main part of a sorter embodying the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective explanatory view thereof, FIG. 3 is a sectional explanatory view showing a main part of a sorter of another example, and FIG. Perspective explanatory view, fifth
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing control of the sorter, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart thereof.

First, in FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a paper discharge roller provided in a paper discharge portion of a recording device (not shown) such as a printer or a copying machine. The formed recording sheet can be supplied to the sorter according to the present invention. Reference numeral 3 is a sheet winding device, which is constructed by connecting winding boxes 3a, 3b, 3c capable of winding three large-sized (for example, A1 size or larger) recording sheets 2 vertically. There is. These take-up boxes 3a, 3b, 3c each have an inlet 4 for introducing and introducing the recording sheet 2 on the lower side thereof, and the recording sheet introduced from the inlet 4 inside thereof. It has an arcuate inner wall surface 5 for automatically bending and winding 2 and an openable / closable opening / closing portion for taking out the wound recording sheet 2. A rack 6 is attached to the side of the sheet winding device 3 having the inlet 4 and is engaged with a pinion 8 driven by a pinion drive motor 7 and is vertically arranged by a driving force of the pinion 7. Move up and down along the rail 9,
Each of the take-in boxes 3a, 3b, 3c is configured so that the respective inlets thereof can be brought into correspondence with the discharge rollers 1. 10 is each winding box 3
It is a sensor that can detect the position of a, 3b, 3c, and each winding box 3a, 3b, 3c based on the information detected by this sensor 10.
The position of each inlet 4 can be controlled accurately. Reference numeral 11 denotes a storage tray that can store the small-sized (for example, A1 size or smaller) recording sheets 2 by dropping them as they are, and is disposed below the sheet winding device 3.

Next, the operation of the above sorter will be described. When a large size recording sheet 2 of A1 or more is selected, the operation of the motor 7 and the pinion 8 causes the first winding box 3a of the winding device 3 to operate.
Of the recording sheet 2 discharged from the sheet discharge roller 1 is introduced into the arc-shaped inner wall surface 5 from the sheet discharge roller 1 along the inner wall surface 5 thereof. And gradually advances to be wound up along the inner wall surface. First
When a predetermined number of recording sheets 2 have been wound around the take-up box 3a, the take-up device 3 rises as a whole, and this time, the introduction port 4 of the second take-up box 3b is made to correspond to the discharge roller 1. When the large-sized recording sheet 2 is wound on the winding box 3b and further wound on the second winding box 3b, it can be wound on the winding box 3c in the same manner as described above. Since the take-up box in which the winding of the recording sheet 2 has already been completed can be taken out by opening the opening / closing portion even while the winding of the recording sheet 2 is progressing to another winding box. When the winding is completed on the third winding box 3c, the winding on the first winding box 3a can be started again. Small size recording sheet 2 of A1 or smaller
Is selected, the winding device 3 rises until the winding device 3 is removed to a position corresponding to the discharge roller 1 by the operation of the motor 7 and the pinion 8, so that the recording sheet 2 is provided below by its own weight. It is stored as it is in the stored storage tray 11.

In the above embodiment, the winding device 3 has three winding boxes 3a, 3b,
Although 3c is provided, this winding box can be increased or decreased as needed.

In the above-described embodiment, the sheet winding device 3 is constructed by connecting several winding boxes vertically, but the sheet winding device 12 is composed of two winding boxes as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Shelf-like elevators 13a, 13b are attached to a rack 6 in two steps, upper and lower tiers, and these elevators 13a, 13b have the same inlet 4 and arcuate inner wall surface 5 and winding sheet as the above-mentioned winding boxes 3a, 3b, 3c. A take-up box 14 having a take-out section is detachably attached, and an elevator is driven by a motor 7 via a pinion 8 and a rack 6.
By moving the sheet winding device 12 including 13a and 13b up and down, the large size recording sheets 2 can be sequentially wound and stored in the upper and lower winding boxes 14.

In the case of this embodiment, since the take-up box 14 is detachably attached to the elevators 13a and 13b, the take-up box 14 that has been wound up is taken out from the elevators 13a and 13b and is wound inside the recording sheet. 2 is taken out, and while the recording sheet 2 is being wound up by the other winding box 14, the elevators 13a, 13b
The recording sheet 2 can be continuously wound up by installing the recording sheet 2 in the original state.

Next, a method of controlling the sorter according to the present invention described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

First, FIG. 5 is a block diagram, and the operation unit 15 of the recording apparatus to which the sorter is attached is means for inputting the document size, the magnification, and the number of sheets. The CPU 16 determines the optimum paper size and the number of prints based on the information input from the operation unit 15 and sends the information to the printer control unit 17. The printer control section 17 controls each section of the sorter such as the pinion drive motor 7 and the position detection sensor 10 of the winding box and each section of the printer based on the information of the optimum paper size and the number of recorded sheets sent from the CPU 16.

Next, the flow of the control method will be specifically described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In step S1, the user inputs the document size through the operation unit 15, and then in step S2, the enlargement / reduction ratio is input. In step S3, the number of recording sheets is designated and input as necessary.

In step S4, the CPU 16 determines the optimum paper size and its number based on the above information. If the optimum paper size is a small size (for example, A1 or smaller), step S5
In step S5, the introduction port 4 of the lowermost take-up box 3c is located above the ejection port of the ejection roller 1 for ejecting to the storage tray 11, and accordingly, the recording sheet to be ejected. The drive motor 7 rotates to move the winding device 3 upward as a whole so that the sheet 2 falls into the storage tray 11 by its own weight. The position is detected by the signal from the sensor 10. After the above steps are completed, small-sized paper is ejected, and the process ends.

Next, if it is determined in step S4 that the optimum paper size is large and long (eg, width 594 mm and length 5 m) and the number of sheets is one, the process proceeds to step S6.

In step S6, since only the take-up box 3a is used, the sensor 10 and the drive motor 7 are controlled so that the introduction port 4 of the take-up box 3a is aligned with the position of the discharge port of the discharge roller 1, and the large size When one long sheet is ejected, it is the “end”.

Next, in step S4, when it is determined that the optimum paper size is the large size and the length and the number of sheets is plural (in this embodiment, 2).
Sheet and 3 sheets), proceed to step S7.

In step S7, the first sheet is discharged in the same manner as in step S6 described above. When the discharge of the first sheet is completed in step S7, the process proceeds to step S8.

In step S8, the take-up box 3b is raised to the position of the paper ejection roller 1 by the drive motor operating before the second paper ejection is started, the second recording sheet 2 is wound up, and the process proceeds to step S9. proceed.

In step S9, it is determined whether the number of discharged sheets is three.
If it is NO, it means that the paper has been discharged
If YES, the process proceeds to step S10.

In step S10, as in step S8, the take-up box 3c is raised and the third recording sheet 2 is taken up and discharged. At this point, the paper discharge ends, and the process ends.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, the sorter according to the present invention is capable of sequentially introducing and winding a large-sized recording sheet into a plurality of sheet winding devices, and storing a small-sized recording sheet separately. Can be stored in a tray. For this reason, unlike the conventional case, a large tray is not required, so that the recording sheets discharged from the sheet discharging section can be processed in a small space, and large and small size recording sheets can be smoothly processed by separate storing means. Can be stored in.

Further, in order to enter the recording sheet into the small size sheet storing means, it is only necessary to retract the sheet winding and storing means from the discharge position, so that the configuration is simplified, the control system is simplified, and the sheet is also taken out. It will be easy.

As a result, there is an effect that it is possible to prevent the occurrence of breakage, bending, etc. of the recording sheet protruding from the tray as in the conventional case.

Further, when a large size recording sheet is taken out, the stored sheet can be taken out easily by opening and closing the arc portion. Further, by making the sheet winding and accommodating means detachable from the apparatus, it becomes possible to take out the sheet more easily.

Therefore, remove the storage means that has been wound up from the device, take out the wound sheet inside it, and attach the removed storage means to the original position while the sheet is being wound by another storage means. This makes it possible to continuously wind a plurality of large size sheets.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional explanatory view showing a main part of a sorter embodying the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective explanatory view thereof, FIG. 3 is a sectional explanatory view showing a main part of a sorter of another example, and FIG. Perspective explanatory view, fifth
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing control of the sorter, and FIG. 6 is a flow chart diagram thereof. 1 is a discharge roller, 2 is a recording sheet, 3 and 12 are sheet winding devices, 3a, 3b, 3c and 14 are winding boxes, 4 is an inlet, 5 is an arc-shaped inner wall surface, 6 is a rack, and 7 is Motor, 8 is a pinion, 10 is a sensor, 11 is a storage tray, 13a and 13b are elevators, 15
Is an operation unit, and 16 is a CPU.

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-50-75062 (JP, A) JP-A-58-22256 (JP, A) JP-A-62-269837 (JP, A) Actual development 62-2560 (JP , U) Actual development Sho 62-8261 (JP, U)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A sheet introducing port for entering a sheet, an arc portion for winding a sheet introduced from the sheet introducing port, and a sheet for winding the sheet wound around the arc portion from the arc portion. A plurality of sheet winding / storing means, a small size sheet storing means for storing a small size sheet, and the sheet winding / storing means sequentially positioned to the sheet discharge port, or A sorter comprising: a drive unit for retracting the sheet from the sheet discharge position and allowing the sheet to enter the small-size sheet storage unit. 2. The sorter according to claim 1, wherein the sheet take-out portion is an opening / closing member having an arc portion. 3. The sorter according to claim 1, wherein each of the sheet winding and accommodating means is independently attachable and detachable.