JP2005306587A - Sheet sorter and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet sorter and an image forming device having this sheet sorter, capable of shortening bin moving time by delivering an unclassified printed sheet with every user to an empty bin closest from a bin existing in a position corresponding to a present sheet delivery port, by detecting the empty bin from a plurality of bins. <P>SOLUTION: When pressing down a start button, the bin existing in a position corresponding to a position of the present sheet delivery port is detected. When this bin is a main tray, the printed sheet is delivered to the main tray. When this bin is a bin except for the main tray, a sheet storage state of the bin, that is, the empty bin is detected in close order from a detected bin. When detecting the empty bin, printing processing is performed after moving a bin group until a position of the empty bin becomes a position of a sheet delivery port by controlling driving of a sheet sorter driving part. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet sorting apparatus including a plurality of bins that classify and store printed sheets discharged from a sheet discharge port for each user, and an image forming apparatus including the sheet sorting apparatus, and more particularly to the plurality of bins. Efficient sheet discharge is achieved by detecting empty bins and discharging printed sheets that are not classified by user to the closest empty bin from the bin corresponding to the current sheet discharge port. The present invention relates to a sheet sorting apparatus and the image forming apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art Image forming apparatuses such as copiers and fax machines include models equipped with a sorter for sorting printed sheets according to the sheet attributes (for example, for each user or for each print job). In such an image forming apparatus, a plurality of bins are provided to accommodate printed sheets to be discharged, and it is possible to sort printed sheet discharge destinations for each sheet attribute as described above. It has become. This function is generally called a mailbox system. As an apparatus adopting this mailbox system, for example, a printing apparatus (an example of the image forming apparatus) disclosed in Patent Document 1 can be cited. In this printing apparatus, the presence or absence of a printed sheet in the bin is detected by a detector unit in a bin open state detector provided in each of a plurality of bins included in the mailbox, and the sheet is detected by the detector unit. The sheet printed in the next print job is discharged to a bin where no toner is detected, that is, a bin not containing a sheet. However, since the arrangement of the plurality of bins is fixed in the printing apparatus, when a printed sheet is accommodated in the bin, a sheet sorting gate provided near the entrance of the bin for accommodating the sheet is opened. Therefore, complicated control has been performed in which the compiler / stapler device is moved to the vicinity of the bin that accommodates the sheet. Such a problem can be solved by adopting the plurality of movable bins. That is, the number of printed sheet discharge ports is one, and the plurality of bins are moved so that the position of the sheet discharge port corresponds to the position of the bin in which the printed sheet is accommodated. Processing in the sorting apparatus can be simplified. As an image forming apparatus employing such a technique, for example, there is an image forming apparatus as disclosed in Patent Document 2. In this image forming apparatus, a large-capacity tray is separately provided below the tray group (an example of the plurality of bins). Therefore, the tray group employs the above-described mailbox system and discharges printed sheets to the large-capacity tray when a large amount of printing is performed. As a result, the moving distance of the tray group is shortened.
By the way, some image forming apparatuses using the above-mentioned mailbox system are assigned a user to be used for each of a plurality of bins provided in the image forming apparatus. In such a model, when a certain user operates an external device such as a personal computer to make a print request to the image forming apparatus, the printed sheet can be discharged to the bin assigned to the user. it can. On the other hand, when copying with the image forming apparatus, or when printing with the image forming apparatus by operating the external device without selecting the bin for discharging the printed sheet, It is discharged to a different bin from the bin. In general, this bin is called the main tray. For example, in the case of Patent Document 2, the lowermost tray corresponds to that among a large number of trays.
JP-A-6-329328 JP-A-10-291724

On the other hand, in such an image forming apparatus, when a printed sheet is discharged, the position of a bin or a main tray (hereinafter referred to as a bin group) serving as a sheet discharge destination is associated with the position of the sheet discharge port. In addition, the bin group is moved up and down. In this case, there are many cases where the initial position of the bin group, that is, the home position is set to correspond to the position of the main tray and the position of the sheet discharge port. Further, in the image forming apparatus as described above, generally, a printing process (hereinafter referred to as a bin-specified printing process) in which a bin from which a printed sheet is discharged from an external apparatus capable of communicating with the image forming apparatus is designated is performed. Then, the bin group is not moved until the next printing process is performed by the image forming apparatus or the auto-clear or the like for returning the bin group to the home position is performed. This is because the printed sheet may be discharged into the same bin when the next bin designation printing process is performed.
However, when the bin used for the previous bin designation printing process is at a position away from the main tray, the image forming apparatus performs copying after the bin designation printing process, or the printed sheet from the external apparatus When the printing process is performed in which the bins to be discharged are not designated (hereinafter referred to as bin non-designated printing process), it takes a long time to move the bin group in order to discharge the printed sheets to the main tray. There was a problem that would become. In addition, when the above-described movement of the bin group is frequently performed, there is a problem that an excessive load is applied to the drive unit involved in the movement of the bin group. Here, in the case of the image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2, the moving distance of the tray group at the time of large-volume printing is surely shortened, but copying is performed using the image forming apparatus after the bin designation printing process. In addition, the above-mentioned problems that occur when the bin non-designated printing process is performed are not solved.
Further, it solves the problem that when the image forming apparatus is instructed to perform print processing from an external device such as a terminal located away from the image forming apparatus that performs print processing, the discharge bin of the sheet that has undergone the print processing is unknown. It is necessary.
Further, when the user himself / herself goes to the image forming apparatus and operates the operation unit of the image forming apparatus to perform the printing process, the user is in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus, so that the user can operate the image forming apparatus. Considering the fact that it is not necessary to fix the discharge destination of the sheet at that time to the main tray because the printed sheet as a result of the above is naturally recognized in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus near the bin. can do.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems and the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to detect an empty bin from the plurality of current bins and to cope with the current sheet discharge port. The time for moving the bin by discharging the printed sheet without classification for each user (that is, the copied sheet or the sheet printed by the bin non-designated printing process) to the empty bin closest to the bin at the position is It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet sorting apparatus that can be shortened and an image forming apparatus including the sheet sorting apparatus. That is, even if copying or the bin non-designated printing process is performed after the bin designated printing process, it is not always necessary to fix the discharge destination of the printed sheet at that time to the main tray. As a result, the time for moving the bin group can be shortened, and an excessive load is not applied to the drive unit involved in the movement of the bin group. The present invention is intended to provide a sheet sorting apparatus as described above and the sheet sorting apparatus.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a plurality of bins that classify and store sheets discharged from a sheet discharge port of an image forming apparatus for each user, and positions each bin to a position corresponding to the sheet discharge port. In a sheet sorting apparatus including a bin driving unit that moves up and down, an empty bin detecting unit that detects an empty bin in which a sheet is not stored among the plurality of bins, and an empty bin detected by the empty bin detecting unit. Of these, a nearby empty bin detection means for detecting an empty bin closest to the bin currently located at the position corresponding to the sheet discharge port, and the vicinity empty bin detection when discharging a sheet not classified for each user from the discharge port. Provisional bin driving means for controlling the bin driving means to move the empty bin detected by the means to a position corresponding to the sheet discharge port; Be provided configured as a sheet sorting apparatus according to claim.
In this case, when the neighboring empty bin detecting means detects empty bins at the same distance in the upper and lower directions, the temporary bin driving means is the one of the two empty bins that is closer to the bin used in the next job. It is desirable to move the bin to a position corresponding to the sheet discharge port. Alternatively, when empty bins are detected at the same upper and lower distances by the neighboring empty bin detecting means, the temporary bin driving means corresponds to the upper one of the two empty bins as the sheet discharge port. It is desirable to move it to a position.

  Further, the sheet sorting apparatus may include information output means for outputting information notifying that when the empty bin is moved by the temporary bin driving means.

  Furthermore, a tray for storing sheets not classified for each user may be further provided. In this case, when the tray is closer to the nearest empty bin detected by the neighboring empty bin detecting means, the temporary bin driving means moves the tray to a position corresponding to the sheet discharge port. Is preferable.

  The sheet sorting apparatus may be used for a sheet sorting apparatus provided in the image forming apparatus. In this case, the image forming apparatus preferably includes information display means for displaying information relating to the image forming apparatus, and displays information output by the information output means on the information display means.

As described above, according to the present invention, the sheet sorting apparatus includes the empty bin detecting means, the adjacent empty bin detecting means, and the temporary bin driving means. That is, after the empty bin detecting means and the adjacent empty bin detecting means detect the empty bin closest to the bin currently disposed at the position corresponding to the sheet discharge port, the provisional bin driving means detects the bin. The drive unit is controlled to move the nearest empty bin to a position corresponding to the sheet discharge port. Accordingly, for example, when the image forming apparatus performs the copy process or the non-bind print process after the bin designated print process, a place far from the currently disposed bin at the position corresponding to the sheet discharge port. Even if there is a tray that accommodates sheets that are not classified for each user (that is, the main tray), the sheet that has been subjected to the copy process or the bin non-designated print process is closest to the currently disposed bin. Since the bins are accommodated, it is not necessary to move the plurality of bins to the main tray. Therefore, the travel time can be shortened. In addition, since the moving distance of the plurality of bins including the main tray is shortened, the problem of overloading the driving unit (that is, the bin driving means) involved in the movement of the plurality of bins is also solved.
Here, in the above sheet sorting apparatus, when the next bin designated printing process is determined when empty bins are detected at the same vertical distance, the one closer to the bin used in the next bin designated printing process is determined. The moving time is further shortened by moving the bin to a position corresponding to the sheet discharge port. Further, the sheet sorting apparatus uses the fact that the sheet sorting apparatus itself moves slightly faster than it moves upward. When empty bins are detected at the same upper and lower distances, the next bin designation printing is performed. If processing is not determined, the upper bin of the two empty bins may be moved to a position corresponding to the sheet discharge port. Even in this case, the travel time can be shortened.
When the image forming apparatus performs copy processing, the user is in the vicinity of the image forming apparatus, so that the user can visually recognize which bin the printed sheet has been discharged to. However, when the non-bind printing process is performed using an external device in the image forming apparatus, there is a problem that the user cannot know in which bin the printed sheet is discharged. Therefore, in the present invention, the information output from the information output means is displayed on the information display means. Thus, the user can easily know in which bin the printed sheet is discharged.

Hereinafter, embodiments and examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings so that the present invention can be understood. It should be noted that the following embodiments and examples are examples embodying the present invention, and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the main part of the control system of the image forming apparatus X according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as the present embodiment), and FIG. 2 is a sheet provided in the image forming apparatus X. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a home position state of the sorting apparatus S. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a sheet sorting apparatus S executed by the control unit 5 included in the image forming apparatus X when the user operates the display operation unit 1 to perform copy processing. 4 is a flowchart showing the movement processing of the plurality of bins 10a to 10e and the main tray 11, and FIG. 4 shows the non-bind printing process in the image forming apparatus X performed by the control unit 5 included in the image forming apparatus X. 6 is a flowchart showing a movement process of a plurality of bins 10a to 10e and a main tray 11 provided in the sheet sorting apparatus S when performing.
The image forming apparatus X according to this embodiment may be monochrome development or color development.

First, the configuration of the image forming apparatus X including the sheet sorting apparatus S will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The image forming apparatus X has at least a function of performing print processing based on input of print information and a print instruction from the display operation unit 1 to be described later. As other functions, for example, a personal computer via a network is used. A multifunctional image forming apparatus in which a printing process is performed by receiving a data signal from an external terminal or the like may be used. Although the case where the plurality of bins 10a to 10e and the main tray 11 move simultaneously is described here, the plurality of bins 10a to 10e and the main tray 11 may be moved separately.
As shown in FIG. 1, on the main body side of the image forming apparatus X, the display operation unit 1 (information display in the present invention) for displaying information about the image forming apparatus X and performing appropriate operations on the image forming apparatus X is displayed. An example of means), an image reading unit 2 for reading a document image placed on a document table (not shown), an image processing unit 3 for performing appropriate processing on image data of the document image read by the image reading unit 2 An image forming unit 4 that prints an image based on the image data processed by the processing unit 3 on a sheet, a control unit 5 that performs various controls in the entire image forming apparatus X, and the like are provided. The control unit 5 includes a CPU (not shown), a semiconductor memory, and the like that perform various arithmetic processes. A predetermined program (neighboring empty bin detection function 6, provisional bin drive function 7, When the information output function 14 or the like is executed, the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 is performed. Details will be described later.
As shown in FIG. 2, a sheet sorting apparatus S is provided on the side of the image forming apparatus main body on the sheet conveying direction P side. The sheet sorting apparatus S is provided in a vertical direction with respect to the sheet sorting apparatus S, and the sheets discharged from the sheet discharge port 20 through which printed sheets are discharged are classified for each sheet attribute (for example, for each user). A plurality of bins 10a to 10e (an example of bins in the present invention) that are classified and accommodated, and sheets that are provided below the plurality of bins 10e and are not classified for each user (for example, copying processing or printing from an external device) Printing in the main tray 11 (an example of the tray in the present invention) and bins 10a to 10e for storing a printing process (hereinafter, referred to as a bin non-designated printing process) in which the bin from which the sheet is discharged is not designated. A contact type, a reflective type, or a transmission type that is provided at a position for detecting a completed sheet and detects a sheet stored in the bins 10a to 10e. The sheet sorting apparatus is composed of sensors 12a to 12e (an example of empty bin detecting means in the present invention), motors that move the bins 10a to 10e and the main tray 11 based on information transmitted from the control unit 7. The unit 13 (an example of the bin driving means in the present invention) is configured. Here, in this embodiment, the case where five bins are provided in the sheet sorting apparatus S is described, but the number of bins is not limited to this. In addition, although the bins 10a to 10e are provided above the main tray 11, the present invention can be applied even when the bins 10a to 10e are provided below the main tray 11. Since the technology for detecting this sheet is well known, detailed description thereof is omitted here.
Each of the above-described devices can be transmitted and received between the devices by being connected by a predetermined bus.

When the document image is fixed on the sheet on the main body side of the image forming apparatus, so-called post-processing such as stapling and punching is performed by a device (not shown) included in the sheet sorting device S. Thereafter, the sheet is discharged from the sheet discharge port 20.
For example, when the image forming apparatus X is turned on or when an auto-clear operation is performed by the user, the position of the sheet discharge port 20 corresponds to the position of the main tray 11 as shown in FIG. That is, the bins 10a to 10e and the main tray 11 (hereinafter collectively referred to as a bin group) are at the home position.
In this state, as described above, when the image forming apparatus X performs the printing process in which the bin from which the printed sheet from the external apparatus is discharged is designated (hereinafter referred to as the bin designation printing process), Before the printed sheet reaches the sheet discharge port 20, the designated bin among the bins 10 a to 10 e is moved to a position corresponding to the sheet discharge port 20 by the sheet sorting device driving unit 13. That is, for example, when the bin designation printing process for storing the printed sheets discharged from the sheet discharge port 20 in the bin 10c when the bin group is at the home position, the control unit 5 sorts the sheets. A signal for associating the position of the sheet discharge port 20 with the position of the bin 10 c is sent to the apparatus driving unit 13. Based on this signal, the sheet sorting device driving unit 13 moves the bin group downward, and stops the bin group at a position where the position of the sheet discharge port 20 corresponds to the position of the bin 10c. As a result, the printed sheet is stored in the designated bin 10c. The sheet sorting device drive unit 13 for driving the bin group is provided with a rotation detector such as a rotary encoder for detecting the rotation amount of a motor (not shown). Thus, movement control of the bin that moves to the position of the sheet discharge port 20 is performed. Since such a technique is publicly known, a description thereof is omitted here.
On the other hand, as described above, the bins 10a to 10e are provided with the sensors 12a to 12e, respectively. For example, in the case where the sensors 12a to 12e are reflection type sensors integrally provided with a light emitter and a light receiver, the fact that a printed sheet is stored in the bins 10a to 10e is determined based on the amount of light received by the light receiver. Detect from change. When the sensors 12a to 12e are transmissive sensors, light emitted from the light emitters is received at a position (for example, the bottom side of the bin) facing the light emitters included in the transmissive sensors in the sheet sorting apparatus S. An optical receiver is provided. For this reason, it is detected that the printed sheets are stored in the bins 10a to 10e based on the amount of light received by the light receiver. Further, when the sensors 12a to 12e are contact type sensors, it is detected that printed sheets are stored in the bins 10a to 10e by contact of the sheets with the sensors 12a to 12e. In the present embodiment, the sensors 12a to 12e may be of any type as long as it detects whether printed sheets are stored in the bins 10a to 10e.
When the bin designation printing process as described above is performed in the image forming apparatus X, the printed sheet is accommodated in the bin 10c. Therefore, as long as the printed sheet is not removed from the bin 10c, the printed sheet is always detected by the sensor 12c. In this state, when another user performs copying using the image forming apparatus X, the printed sheets discharged from the sheet discharge port 20 are accommodated in bins in which the sensors 12a to 12e do not detect the sheets. . Details of this processing will be described later.

Next, referring to the flowchart of FIG. 3, a plurality of bins included in the sheet sorting apparatus S when the user operates the display operation unit 1 to perform copy processing, which is performed by the control unit 5 included in the image forming apparatus X. The movement process of the movement process of 10a to 10e or the main tray 11 (hereinafter referred to as a bin group) will be described.
In this process, for example, when a copy process is performed in the image forming apparatus X, each bin includes a bin that does not contain a sheet that is closest to the bin that is currently arranged at a position corresponding to the sheet discharge port 20. While detecting by the sensor, the detected sheet is moved to a position corresponding to the sheet discharge port 20 in the uncontained bin, and the sheet is discharged into the uncontained bin.
Here, as a premise of this processing, it is assumed that the image forming apparatus X is provided with a plurality of bins 10a to 10e and a main tray 11. In this process, the bin currently disposed at the position corresponding to the sheet discharge port 20 is counted from the main tray 11 as the Nth bin. Note that the processing for determining whether or not the next bin designation printing processing is transmitted from the external device in this processing is omitted here because the conventional technology is used.
This process is started when a start button (not shown) provided in the display operation unit 1 is pressed, for example.
S1, S2,... Described in the following description represent processing procedure (step) numbers.

When it is detected from the input signal that the start button provided on the display operation unit 1 is pressed by the user (YES side of S1), the bin located at the position corresponding to the position of the sheet discharge port 20 by the control unit 5 Is detected (S2). In this process, the bin at the position corresponding to the position of the sheet discharge port 20 is, for example, the Nth bin counted from the main tray 11. When the bin detected in the process of step S2 is the 0th bin (main tray 11) counted from the main tray 11, that is, the bin group of the image forming apparatus X is shown in FIG. If it is in the home position (YES side of S3), the image based on the document placed on the document table (not shown) and read by the image reading unit 2 is printed on the sheet, and the printed sheet is displayed. The sheet is discharged to the main tray 11 and the present process is terminated (S9).
On the other hand, when the Nth bin detected in the process of step S2 is a bin other than the main tray 11, that is, one of the bins 10a to 10e (NO side of S3), the control unit 5 The accommodation state of the sheet of the Nth bin is detected using the sensor provided in the Nth bin among the sensors 12a to 12e (S4). For example, the accommodation state of the sheet is represented by a bit signal such as 0 when the sheet is not accommodated and 1 when the sheet is accommodated, so that the accommodation state of the sheet is determined based on the bit signal. Also good. Further, the storage state of the sheet in each bin may be stored in a storage unit (not shown) included in the image forming apparatus X. That is, a configuration may be adopted in which a table or the like indicating the sheet storage state is provided in the storage unit, and the table is updated each time a change in the sheet storage state in the bin is detected by each sensor. In this case, the control unit 5 obtains the sheet accommodation state in each bin from the table, so that it is determined whether or not the sheet is accommodated in each bin. For obtaining the sheet accommodation state, a conventional technique such as that used in the printing apparatus of Patent Document 1 may be used.

Hereinafter, a case will be described in which it is determined in the process of step S4 that the control unit 5 determines that a printed sheet is stored in the Nth bin.
If it is determined that a printed sheet is stored in the Nth bin (YES side of S4), whether or not the bin provided one step below the Nth bin is the main tray 11 Is discriminated (S5). If it is determined that the lower bin of the Nth bin is the main tray 11 (YES side of S5), the printed sheet is placed on the main tray 11 as in the conventional image forming apparatus. Discharge. That is, the control unit 5 drives and controls the sheet sorting device driving unit 13, moves the bin group to the home position (S8), performs the processing of step S9, and then ends the processing. Also, in the process of step S5, it is determined that the lower bin of the Nth bin is not the main tray 11 (NO side of S5), and further, the sheet storage state of all bins provided in the image forming apparatus X is detected. When the process is completed (YES side of S6), since the sheets are stored in all the bins provided in the image forming apparatus X, the control unit 5 performs the process after performing the processes of steps S8 and S9. Terminate. On the other hand, if it is determined in the process of step S6 that the detection of the sheet storage state has not been completed for all bins included in the image forming apparatus X (NO side of S6), the Nth bin The process returns to the above-described step S4 with the bin one step up or one step down as a processing target (S7). In the process of step S6, the number of bins measured by the counter is measured by, for example, measuring the number of bins in which the sheet storage state is detected by a counter (not shown) provided in the image forming apparatus X. May be determined whether the number of all bins included in the image forming apparatus X has been reached.
As described above, in the image forming apparatus X according to the present embodiment, the sheet storage state of bins, that is, the detection of empty bins, is performed in the order from the Nth bin that is currently disposed at a position corresponding to the sheet discharge port 20. Is done.

Next, a description will be given of the case where it is determined in the process of step S4 that the control unit 5 determines that no sheet is stored in the bin currently being processed.
In the process of step S10, the number of bins that do not contain sheets is determined. When it is determined that the number of bins that do not contain sheets is one (NO side of S10), the control unit 5 controls the drive of the sheet sorting device drive unit 13 to check the bins that do not contain sheets. The bin group is moved until the position becomes the position of the sheet discharge port 20 (S11), and after performing the process of step S9, the present process is terminated.
If it is determined in the process of step S10 that the number of bins that do not contain sheets is two (NO side of S10), the control unit 5 receives the next bin designation print process from the external device. Is determined. When the next bin designation printing process has not been received (NO side of S12), the control unit 5 controls the driving of the sheet sorting device driving unit 13, and the bins provided above the two bins are controlled. The bin group is moved until the position becomes a position corresponding to the sheet discharge port 20 (S14), and after performing the process of step S9, the present process is terminated. If the next bin designated printing process has been received (YES in S12), the control unit 5 controls the drive of the sheet sorter driving unit 13, and sets the sheet discharge destination in the next bin designated printing process. The bin group is moved until the position of the bin where the sheet on the side where the designated bin is provided is not accommodated corresponds to the sheet discharge port 20 (S13), and the process of step S9 is performed. Then, this process is terminated. Note that the processing in steps S3 to S7 and S10 in the present processing is the neighboring empty bin detection function 6 (an example of the neighboring empty bin detection means in the present invention), and the processing in steps S8, S11, S13, and S14. Is implemented by using the temporary bin driving function 7 (an example of the temporary bin driving means in the present invention) by the control unit 5.

The above is a description of the bin group moving process of the sheet sorting apparatus S when the user operates the display operation unit 1 to perform the copy process.
From here, using the flowchart of FIG. 4, the bin group included in the sheet sorting apparatus S when the bin non-designated printing process is performed in the image forming apparatus X performed by the control unit 5 included in the image forming apparatus X. The moving process of the moving process will be described.
In this process, for example, when the bin non-designated printing process is performed in the image forming apparatus X, the bins that are not accommodated in the sheets that are closest to the bin that is currently disposed at the position corresponding to the sheet discharge port 20 are respectively stored. And the detected sheet is moved to a position corresponding to the sheet discharge port 20 to discharge the sheet after copying to the unaccommodated bin. It is.
Here, as a premise of this processing, it is assumed that the image forming apparatus X is provided with a plurality of bins 10a to 10e and a main tray 11. In this process, the bin currently disposed at the position corresponding to the sheet discharge port 20 is counted from the main tray 11 as the Mth bin. In this process, the process for determining whether or not the bin non-designated print process or the next bin designated print process is transmitted from the external device uses the conventional technique, and the description thereof is omitted here. In addition, information regarding whether or not a bin for discharging printed sheets is designated (hereinafter referred to as bin designation determination information) is added to the bin non-designated printing process or the bin designated printing process. To do.
In this process, for example, a signal (hereinafter collectively referred to as a print process instruction signal) indicating that the bin non-designated print process or the bin designated print process transmitted from the external apparatus is to be executed in the image forming apparatus X is used as the control unit 5. Fired when detected.
S20, S21,... Described in the following description represent processing procedure (step) numbers. Steps S22 to S34 are the same as the processes of steps S1 to S10, and a description thereof will be omitted.

When the control unit 5 detects the print processing instruction signal transmitted from the external device (YES side of S20), it is determined whether or not a bin for discharging the printed sheet is designated based on the bin designation determination information. Determine. When the bin for discharging the printed sheet is designated, that is, when execution of the bin designation printing process is instructed (NO side of S21), the control unit 5 controls the drive of the sheet sorting device driving unit 13. Then, the bin group is moved until the bin specified as the sheet discharge destination in the bin specifying printing process is moved to the position corresponding to the sheet discharge port 20 (S37), and the process of step S9 is performed. Then, this process is terminated (NO side of S37 → S29 → S35). Further, when the bin for discharging the printed sheet is not specified in the process of step S21, that is, when execution of the bin non-designated printing process is instructed (YES side of S21), the control unit 5 The processes of steps S2 to S14 as described above are performed.
On the other hand, in the process of step S35, it is determined again whether the process performed by the control unit 5 is the bin non-designated print process or the bin designated print process. This determination is performed based on the bin designation determination information, for example. Alternatively, when the printing process instructed in the process of step 21 is determined, the printing process to be performed in the appropriate storage unit provided in the image forming apparatus X is the bin non-designated printing process. It may be determined based on the flag by holding a flag or the like whether it is the bin designation printing process.
If it is determined in the process of step S35 that the bin non-designated printing process has been performed (YES side of S35), information on the bin from which the sheet has been discharged is displayed on the display operation unit 1 (S36). Terminate. Thus, even when printing is instructed from an external device located far from the image forming apparatus, when the user comes to pick up the sheet to the image forming apparatus, the printed sheet is placed in which bin. You can easily know if it was discharged. The information regarding the bin from which the sheet has been discharged is desirably a bin number.
Note that the processing in steps S22 to S27 and S30 in this processing is the neighborhood empty bin detection function 6 (an example of the neighborhood empty bin detection means in the present invention), and the processing in steps S28, S31, S33, and S34. The control unit 5 uses the provisional bin drive function 7 (an example of the provisional bin drive unit in the present invention) and the information output function 14 (an example of the information output unit in the present invention) for the processing in step S36. The

  In the embodiment described above, when the relation information (hereinafter referred to as correspondence information) between the external device and the corresponding bin number, that is, the bin designation print processing or the bin non-designation print processing is transmitted from the external device. Information regarding the designation of the bin for discharging the printed sheet is stored on the external device side, and the bin information is transmitted from the external device to the image forming apparatus based on the correspondence information. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the correspondence information is stored on the image forming apparatus side, and when the bin designation print processing or the bin non-designation print processing is transmitted from the external device, the post-print The information on the bin for discharging the sheet may be acquired on the image forming apparatus side.

FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram of a main part in a control system of an image forming apparatus X according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a home position state of a sheet sorting apparatus S provided in the image forming apparatus X. The control unit 5 included in the image forming apparatus X performs a movement process of the plurality of bins 10a to 10e or the main tray 11 included in the sheet sorting apparatus S when the user operates the display operation unit 1 to perform the copy process. Flow chart represented. The control unit 5 included in the image forming apparatus X performs the movement process of the plurality of bins 10a to 10e or the main tray 11 included in the sheet sorting apparatus S when the non-bind printing process is performed in the image forming apparatus X. The flowchart showing a movement process.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Display operation part 2 ... Image reading part 3 ... Image processing part 4 ... Image formation part 5 ... Control part 6 ... Neighboring empty bin detection function 7 ... Temporary bin drive function 10a-10d ... Bin 11 ... Main tray 12a-12d ... Sensor 13 ... Sheet sorting device drive unit 14 ... Information output function 20 ... Sheet discharge port P ... Sheet conveying direction S ... Sheet sorting device

Claims (8)

A plurality of bins for storing sheets discharged from the sheet discharge port of the image forming apparatus for each user;
In a sheet sorting apparatus comprising bin driving means for moving each bin up and down to a position corresponding to the sheet discharge port,
Empty bin detecting means for detecting an empty bin in which a sheet is not accommodated among the plurality of bins;
Among the empty bins detected by the empty bin detecting means, a neighboring empty bin detecting means for detecting an empty bin closest to the bin currently located at the position corresponding to the sheet discharge port;
Temporarily controlling the bin driving means so as to move the empty bin detected by the adjacent empty bin detecting means to a position corresponding to the sheet discharging port when discharging a sheet not classified for each user from the discharge opening. A sheet sorting apparatus comprising bin driving means.   When the neighboring empty bin detecting means detects empty bins at the same upper and lower distances, the temporary bin driving means selects the bin that is closer to the bin used in the next job from the two empty bins. The sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet sorting apparatus is moved to a position corresponding to the sheet discharge port.   When the adjacent empty bin detecting means detects empty bins at the same vertical distance, the temporary bin driving means moves the upper bin of the two empty bins to a position corresponding to the sheet discharge port. The sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 1 to be moved.   4. The sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising information output means for outputting information notifying when the empty bin is moved by the temporary bin driving means.   The sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a tray for storing sheets not classified for each user.   6. The provisional bin driving means moves the tray to a position corresponding to the sheet discharge port when the tray is closer to the nearest empty bin detected by the neighboring empty bin detecting means. The sheet sorting apparatus described.   An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 1.   8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising information display means for displaying information relating to the image forming apparatus, wherein information output from the information output means is displayed on the information display means.

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