JP3421159B2 - Sorting device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sorting device in which a plurality of box-shaped stacking portions for sorting and storing objects such as transfer materials are detachably attached to the apparatus main body.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram of a general sheet sorting mechanism.

The transfer material image-formed by the image forming apparatus A advances along the conveying path B, and the discharging section (here, N) selected based on the signal from the computer via the apparatus main body.
In order to be discharged to the
The branch claw n is operated by the power of a solenoid (not shown) or the like, and the transfer material is guided to the discharge portion N.

By the way, in recent years, as a person who has used the image forming apparatus, it is often used as an output terminal connected to a computer. Among them, in a relatively large-scale mass processing apparatus, a plurality of people often share and use one apparatus.

Therefore, those devices are equipped with a sorting device having the above-mentioned basic functions, and each person is provided with one
Each output is set to prevent the output from being mixed.

However, in that case, what becomes a problem is the confidentiality of the output of each individual, and if the output is not immediately taken to the device, others can see it. However, depending on the importance of the content, it may cause a problem.

Therefore, the paper must be picked up each time it is output, which may reduce the efficiency of the work.

[0008] In addition, when one person outputs a plurality of types of output depending on the case, in order to prevent the output from being mixed, it is necessary to allocate that number of discharge units. There is a problem that the sharing rate of the device is reduced.

To solve such a problem, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 358638 proposes that a box-shaped discharge portion is detachably attached to the main body to maintain confidentiality.

Further, JP-A-1-176772 and JP-A-1-176772
Japanese Patent No. 288567 and the like propose a technique for sorting sheets on one bin by changing the position of a bin (ejection part) by a mechanism incorporated in the apparatus body.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-358638, even if the paper is accommodated in the box-shaped discharge section, an unspecified number of people can pull out the discharge section, so that the confidentiality of the contents is maintained. There was a problem that it could not be said that.

Further, JP-A-1-176772 and JP-A-1-176772
Also in the 288567 publication, there is a problem that the confidentiality cannot be maintained because the bottle is opened to the outside.

Incidentally, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-131268 discloses a means for locking the paper output tray with a cover, but in this example, confidentiality for a specific person can be maintained. However, the device cannot be shared by multiple persons.

It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional example and to provide a sorting apparatus capable of maintaining the confidentiality of sorted objects (mainly transfer materials of image forming apparatuses). .

A first object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable sorting device capable of maintaining the confidentiality of the contained objects for each independent laminated portion.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable sorting apparatus which can prevent others from taking away the whole stacking section.

A third object of the present invention is to provide a sorting device capable of sorting sheets in the stacking portion while keeping the confidentiality of the objects to be stored in the stacking portion and reducing the number of stages of the stacking portion. To provide.

A fourth object of the present invention is to facilitate the attachment / detachment of the electrical coupling portions (connectors) and the attachment / detachment of the laminated portion and the apparatus main body, and even if the laminated portion is located away from the home position. An object of the present invention is to provide a sorting device that can improve the operation reliability without the electric connection between the two connectors being released.

[0019]

A first and a third object of the present invention are to provide a plurality of box-shaped laminated portions for separately accommodating an object to be accommodated such as a transfer material separately, and to provide the laminated portions with an apparatus. in sorting apparatus provided detachably with respect to the main body, each lamination portion, provided openable lid for taking out the inside of the contained object independently, and provided locking means in the lid, device Projection outward from the home position inside the body
A driving means for moving the laminated portion to a position,
The position of the laminated portion with respect to the apparatus main body is moved by the driving means.
This is achieved by the first means in which a plurality of types are variable .

The second and third objects are to provide a plurality of box-shaped laminated portions for separately accommodating an object to be accommodated such as a transfer material, and the laminated portions can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body. In the sorting device provided in the device, a locking means for prohibiting the withdrawal of each laminated portion from the device body is provided .
From the home position to the outward protruding position,
A drive means for moving is provided, and the drive means allows the device to move.
A second type in which the position of the laminated portion with respect to the main body is variable
It is achieved by means of.

[0021]

The third object is achieved by the third means in the first or second means, wherein the moving direction of the laminated portion is a direction substantially perpendicular to the contained object discharge direction.

A fourth object of the present invention is that, in the first or second means, the laminated portion is provided with an electric coupling portion for receiving a power source for driving and a signal from the main body of the apparatus, and an electrical coupling portion is provided. The connecting part is slidable in the connecting direction.
4 means.

[0024]

[Action] In the first, third means, a state in which each separate laminated portion is closed, and the lid member for taking out the contained object (opening) Ri Oh subjected to locking, and laminating unit
By making the position variable at a plurality of positions, the confidentiality of the contained object is maintained for each independent laminated portion.

In the second and third means, the laminated portion is locked to the main body of the apparatus , and the laminated portion is
By making the position variable at a plurality of positions, it is possible to prevent another person from taking away the entire laminated portion.

[0026]

In the fourth means, since the two connectors can be brought into contact with and separated from each other in the moving direction of the laminated portion, the connectors can be easily attached and detached and the laminated portion and the apparatus main body can be easily attached and detached. Even if the part is located away from the home position, the biasing means (spring) does not release the electrical connection between the two connectors.

[0028]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sheet sorting apparatus according to the embodiment. In the figure, 1 is an apparatus main body, 2 is a box-shaped stacking section, and the stacking sections 2 for accommodating sheets inside are stored in multiple stages in the apparatus main body 1 and can be inserted and removed in the front direction.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the laminated portion. As shown in FIG. 2, the stacking unit 2 has a box shape with an open upper surface, and one side surface of the stacking unit 2 is provided with an opening 3 through which a sheet enters.
Further, in this example, the handle 4 for inserting / removing and the laminated portion 2
Each has a space for attaching a label 5 or the like for enabling identification. Returning to FIG. 1 again, 6 is a transport roller provided in the vertical transport path of the apparatus main body 1, and 7 is each stacking unit 2
Is a branching claw that guides the sheet to the opening 3.

In such a structure, the sheet on which the image is formed in the image forming section is conveyed by the conveying roller 6, and the branching claw 7 which moves in conjunction with the operation of a solenoid (not shown) selected by a signal from the computer moves. As a result, it is guided by the branch claw 7 and accommodated in the designated laminated portion 2.

A known locking mechanism interlocking with the handle 4 is adopted so that the laminated portion 2 cannot be pulled out from the apparatus main body 1 by locking.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the laminated portion 2. A lid 8 that can be opened and closed around one side edge is provided on the upper surface of the laminated portion 2, and locking means 9 is provided at the end opposite to the center of rotation. As a result, it is possible to prevent others from opening the lid 8 and viewing or removing the paper inside. Further, when a certain stacking unit 2 is pulled out from the apparatus main body 1, the sheets in the stacking unit 2 therebelow are shielded by the lid 8, so that the confidentiality of the stacking unit 2 can be maintained.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a laminated portion provided with wheels, and FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a driving mechanism of the laminated portion shown in FIG.
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a sensor for detecting the home position and the presence / absence of the laminated portion. Drive wheel 1 for stacking section 2
0 and driven wheel 11 are arranged. As shown in FIG. 5, the drive wheel 10 is configured to obtain power from a stepping motor 12. On the other hand, a sensor 13 is arranged at the insertion portion of the laminated portion 2 of the apparatus body 1 and can detect the position of the laminated portion 2. According to the above configuration, the stacking unit 2 is driven by the stepping motor 12 until the sensor 13 detects the home position of the stacking unit 2.
To move. Then, by setting a plurality of values for the number of steps input to the stepping motor 12 with the position as a reference, the position of the laminated portion 2 can be moved accordingly.

It goes without saying that the sensor and the general motor may have the same function, or the same function may be obtained by using another power mechanism such as a solenoid, regardless of the present example.

The sensor 13 shown in FIG. 6 can be regarded as a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the laminated portion 2, as described above. When it is determined that the stacking unit 2 is not in the proper position and the computer instructs the output to the corresponding unit, the printing itself is not performed and a signal indicating that there is no stacking unit 2 is sent to the computer side. Control to send. As a result, it is possible to perform output without the laminated portion 2 and prevent the secret from coming into contact with the eyes of a third party.

In this embodiment, the sensor 13 shown in FIG.
Although the functions of the home position sensor and the presence detection sensor are provided in the above, separate sensors may be provided depending on the mechanism.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the connectors on the apparatus body side and the laminated portion side. The first connector 14a is arranged on the inner side of the insertion portion of the laminated portion 2 of the apparatus body 1, and the positioning pin 15 slidably arranged on the laminated portion 2 on the opposite side of the laminated portion 2 on the opposite side. The second connector 14b held by the spring 16 is arranged. The stacking unit 2 is attached to the device body 1
The connectors 14a and 14b are guided by the positioning pin 15 to be joined by being pushed into the spring 16
The stacking portion 2 is pushed by the force of and is placed at a fixed position. When the laminated portion 2 is moved in the direction of C in the drawing by the driving force, the spring 16 is deformed.
Since 4a and 14b are pressed against each other by the reaction force of the spring 16, the movement of the laminated portion 2 does not break the electrical coupling. Further, even when the laminated portion 2 is moved in the direction opposite to the arrow C direction, that is, in the pull-out direction, the spring 16 causes the second connector 14b to move to the first position.
By urging the connector 14a side, the electrical connection between the two can be maintained.

In the above-described embodiment, each of the laminated portions 2 is provided with an independently openable / closable lid body for taking out the contained object, and the lid body is locked. Since the means is provided, each of the independent laminated parts 2 is in a closed state, and the lid (opening part) for taking out the contained object is locked. It is possible to maintain the confidentiality of objects and provide a highly reliable sorting device.

Further, in the above embodiment, each laminated portion 2
Since the stacking section 2 is locked to the apparatus body because the locking means for prohibiting the drawing out from the apparatus body is provided, it is possible to prevent the stacking section 2 from being taken away by another person. In the same manner as described above, it is possible to provide a highly reliable sorting device.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the driving means for moving the stacking section 2 from the home position in the apparatus main body to the outward projecting position is provided, and the driving section moves the position of the stacking section 2 with respect to the apparatus main body. Since multiple types are variable,
Further, since the moving direction of the stacking unit 2 is set to a direction substantially perpendicular to the discharged direction of the contained object, the stacking unit 2 is variable in a plurality of positions to keep the confidentiality of the contained object in the stacking unit 2. However, since the sheets can be sorted in the stacking unit 2, the number of stages of the stacking unit 2 can be reduced.

Further, in the above embodiment, the laminated portion 2 is provided with an electric coupling portion for receiving a power supply for driving and a signal from the main body of the apparatus, and the electric coupling portion is coupled with the electric coupling portion. Since it is slidable in the direction, the two connectors can be brought into contact with and separated from each other in the moving direction of the laminated portion 2.
It becomes easy to attach / detach the electrical coupling portions (connectors) to each other and detach / attach the laminated portion 2 from the main body of the apparatus, and even if the laminated portion 2 is located away from the home position, two urging means (springs) are used. Since the electrical connection of the connector is not released, the reliability of operation can be improved.

[0042]

According to the first and third aspects of the present invention, each of the independent laminated portions is in a closed state, and the lid (opening portion) for taking out the contained object is locked.
By changing the stacking part to multiple positions,
Inside the layered part while keeping the confidentiality of the contained objects in the layered part
Paper can be sorted with, so the number of layers in the stacking section
And a highly reliable sorting device that can reduce
Can be offered.

According to the second and third aspects of the invention, since the laminated portion is locked with respect to the apparatus main body,
By changing the stacking section to multiple positions, it is possible for
It is possible to prevent it from being taken away, and the laminated part
Use inside the stack while maintaining the confidentiality of the contained objects
Since the paper can be sorted, the number of stacking layers can be reduced.
And provide a highly reliable sorting device.
You can

[0044]

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since the two connectors can be brought into contact with and separated from each other in the moving direction of the laminated portion, the electrical coupling portions (connectors) are detached from each other and the laminated portion and the apparatus main body are detached from each other. The attachment / detachment is facilitated, and the electrical connection between the two connectors is not released by the urging means (spring) even when the laminated portion is located away from the home position, so the reliability of the operation is improved. be able to.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sheet sorting apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a general configuration of a laminated portion.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of a specific configuration of a laminated portion.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a laminated portion provided with wheels.

5 is a plan view showing a drive mechanism of the laminated portion shown in FIG. 4. FIG.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a sensor for detecting the home position and the presence / absence of the laminated portion.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the connectors on the apparatus main body side and the laminated portion side.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram of a general sheet sorting mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 device body 2 Laminated part 3 openings 4 handles 5 labels 6 transport rollers 7 branched claws 8 lid 9 Locking means 10 drive wheels 11 driven wheel 12 stepping motor 14a First connector 14b Second connector

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A sorting apparatus in which a plurality of box-shaped laminated portions for sorting and accommodating articles to be accommodated such as transfer materials are independently provided, and the laminated portions are detachably attached to the apparatus main body, for each stacking unit, provided independently openable lid for taking out the inside of the contained object and the locking means in the lid is provided, from the home position in the apparatus body to the protruding position of the outward
Drive means for moving the stacking portion is provided, and the drive means
Allows multiple types of position of the laminated part with respect to the device body
Sorting device characterized by strange things. 2. A sorting device in which a plurality of box-shaped stacking portions for sorting and storing objects such as transfer materials are provided independently of each other, and the stacking portions are detachably attached to the apparatus main body. Locking means for prohibiting pulling out of each laminated part from the device body is provided , from the home position in the device body to the outward protruding position.
Drive means for moving the stacking portion is provided, and the drive means
Allows multiple types of position of the laminated part with respect to the device body
Sorting device characterized by strange things. 3. The sorting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the moving direction of the stacking portion is a direction substantially perpendicular to a contained object discharge direction. 4. The electrical connection section according to claim 1 , wherein the laminated section is provided with an electrical coupling section for receiving a power supply for driving and a signal from the apparatus main body, and the electrical coupling section is provided with the electrical coupling section. A sorting device characterized by being slidable in a coupling direction.