JP3807067B2 - Sorting device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sorting device that sorts and discharges sheet materials such as paper into a plurality of discharge trays.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Some facsimile apparatuses, copiers, and the like are provided with a sort device in response to the necessity of sorting recorded recording paper into facsimile reception paper and copying paper, or sorting according to the size of the recording paper. As a sort device, a plurality of stages of discharge trays are moved stepwise up and down to the downstream side of the recording unit in the apparatus so as to be connected to the position of the recording unit discharge port, and the recorded recording paper is discharged to each tray. Etc. of the mechanism.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional sorting apparatus as described above requires a mechanism for raising and lowering the entire plurality of discharge trays, which increases the size and cost of the apparatus, and further complicates the apparatus, thereby causing a conveyance trouble such as a paper jam. There was a problem that it was easy.
[0004]
The object of the present invention is to eliminate such drawbacks of the prior art, and reliably convey the recorded recording paper with a simple configuration to a plurality of discharge sections in response to the need to sort the recording paper according to the size of the recording paper. An object of the present invention is to provide a sorting apparatus that can sort.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a sorting device that sorts and discharges recording papers to a plurality of discharge trays from the downstream side of the recording unit, and can swing around a recording paper discharge side of the recording unit as a fulcrum. And a plurality of guide bodies extending radially from the path switching guide to each of the plurality of discharge trays. In addition, a pair of discharge rollers is provided at the downstream end of each guide body. Further, the path switching guide swings around the upstream opening portion as a fulcrum.
[0006]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a sorting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an image forming apparatus to which a sorting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a path switching guide of the sorting apparatus of FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the path switching guide of FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the guide body downstream end of the guide unit and the discharge roller used in the sorting apparatus of FIG. 1.
[0007]
First, the configuration of the route switching guide D used in the sorting apparatus of the present invention will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. The path switching guide D is a cylindrical body that has an elongated plate member d1 and d1 disposed above and below and a side wall d2 that connects the short side d11 of the elongated plate member d1 and that is open on the upstream and downstream sides. The opening d3 on the downstream side of the path switching guide D is narrower in the paper thickness direction than the opening d4 on the upstream side. In other words, the opening d3 side is formed as a narrow portion d5, and the other opening d4 side is formed as a wide portion d6.
[0008]
d7 is an engagement piece composed of a pair of claws d71 and d72 provided at a substantially central portion of the edge d22 of the side wall d2 on the wide portion d6 side. In addition, d8 shown in FIG. 1 is a pair of pins provided to protrude inwardly on the inner surfaces of both side walls of the apparatus main body. The pin d8 is engaged between the pair of claws d71 and d72 of the engagement piece d7, and the path switching guide D is configured to be able to swing up and down around the pin d8. The path switching guide D is swung by driving means (not shown) so that it can be stopped stepwise toward one of the plurality of discharge trays 13.
[0009]
Next, the configuration of the guide portion A used in the sorting apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference mainly to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 1, the guide portion A is composed of a plurality of cylindrical guide bodies a extending radially. The upstream opening A1 of each guide body a is configured to be continuous with the opening d3 of the above-described path switching guide D. Further, the downstream opening A2 of each guide body a is configured to face one discharge tray 13 of the plurality of discharge trays 13,.
[0010]
FIG. 4 shows a distal end side portion of the guide body a extending radially. The guide body a connects both end portions of the flat plate-like upper plate portion 1a and lower plate portion 1b with vertical plate-like side plate portions 1c and 1d, and the downstream end side forms an opening A2. A discharge roller driving shaft 2 and a discharge roller driven shaft 3 are rotatably supported with respect to the guide portion A in the vicinity of the outside of the opening A2, and rubber, synthetic resin, etc. are discharged to both the shafts 2 and 3, respectively. Rollers 4 and 5 are provided so that the outer circumferences of the discharge rollers 4 and 5 are in contact with each other. The recording paper passes between the discharge rollers 4 and 5 (nip portion).
[0011]
A transmission mechanism for the discharge roller drive shaft 2 is provided on the one side plate portion 1c side of the guide portion A. That is, a roller gear 9 that rotates integrally with the discharge roller drive shaft 2 is provided at the shaft end of the discharge roller drive shaft 2, and a gear 8 that is rotatably provided on one side plate portion 1 c of the guide portion A and meshes with the roller gear 9. Is provided. Further, the side plate portion 1c is provided with a gear 7 that meshes with the gear 8, and the gear 7 meshes with a drive gear (not shown).
[0012]
By driving the gear trains 7, 8, and 9, the discharge roller drive shaft 2 and the discharge roller 4 are driven. Then, due to the frictional force of the discharge rollers 4 and 5, the discharge roller 5 in contact therewith rotates with the discharge roller driven shaft 3, and the recording paper passing between the discharge rollers 4 and 5 is discharged to the discharge tray 13 on the downstream side. To do.
[0013]
As a transmission mechanism for the discharge roller drive shaft 2, there are other methods such as a method of winding a chain, a method of using a pulley instead of a sprocket, and a method of using a belt instead of the chain.
[0014]
The recording apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is an embodiment in which such a sort apparatus having a path switching guide D and a guide portion A is applied to a recording paper discharge mechanism. This recording apparatus may be applied as a single printer, or may be applied as a recording unit of a facsimile apparatus or a copying machine.
[0015]
The configuration of this recording apparatus will be described. A plurality of discharge trays 13, 13... Are attached to the outside of one end of the apparatus body 12 in the vertical direction, and the discharge ports C, C. Forming.
[0016]
A recording paper cassette 14 that can store recording paper is attached to the bottom of the apparatus main body 12, and one sheet of the uppermost recording paper stored in the recording paper cassette 14 is separated by a paper feed roller 15. Then, it is conveyed along the conveyance guide 16 on the upstream side of the recording unit.
[0017]
The recording paper conveyed along the recording unit upstream conveyance guide 16 is carried into the transfer unit 26 in the recording unit 27 by the conveyance roller 17 provided at the abutting portion. The recording unit 27 includes a toner unit 18, an LED head 19, a drum set 20, and the like. On the surface of the photosensitive drum 20 a of the drum set 20, the LED head 19 is based on facsimile reception information and copy original content. Is applied to form an electrostatic latent image. Further, with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 20 a, toner is supplied from the toner unit 18, the toner image is visualized on the surface thereof, and the toner image is transferred onto the recording paper passing through the transfer unit 26.
[0018]
After passing through the transfer unit 26, the recording paper is guided into the conveyance guide 21 on the downstream side of the recording unit, and is transferred to the nip portion between the heating and fixing roller 22 a and the platen roller 23 of the heating and fixing device 22. The image is heat-fixed. Then, the recording paper is discharged from the recording unit 27 through the downstream discharge rollers 24 and 25.
[0019]
The route switching guide D of the sorting device is provided so as to guide the recorded recording paper discharged from the discharge rollers 24 and 25 to switch the route in a predetermined discharge tray direction among the plurality of discharge trays 13. ing. The wide portion d6 of the path switching guide D is opposed to the discharge rollers 24 and 25. The path switching guide D swings around the pin 8 so that it can be stopped stepwise. The narrow portion d5 is selectively directed to one upstream side of the guide body a of the guide portion A.
[0020]
The recording sheet whose path is switched by the path switching guide D is alternatively sent to the downstream end of the predetermined guide body a of the guide section A. Further, the recording paper is reliably guided in the direction of the discharge tray by the guide body a, and is reliably conveyed to the discharge tray 13 by the discharge rollers 4 and 5 provided on the guide body a and discharged.
[0021]
The path switching guide D may be swung up and down automatically or manually. Further, the recording contents may be automatically swung toward the designated discharge tray 13 based on the determination whether the recorded content is facsimile reception or copying.
[0022]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the recording paper recorded by the recording unit is one of the plurality of discharge units by the path switching guide in response to the necessity of sorting the recording contents or the sorting of the recording paper according to the size of the recording paper. It becomes possible to discharge selectively. Further, the recording paper is reliably guided by the plurality of guide bodies extending radially from the swinging path switching guide to each of the plurality of discharge trays, and discharged to the discharge tray. Furthermore, since the pair of discharge rollers is provided at the downstream end of the guide body, the recording paper is more reliably discharged to the discharge tray. As described above, the apparatus has a simple configuration and can realize cost reduction.
[0023]
In addition, since the path switching guide swings around the upstream opening as a fulcrum, even if the path switching guide swings, the upstream opening hardly moves with respect to the discharge side of the recording unit. Therefore, the recording paper can be transported smoothly and jamming and the like are prevented.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an image forming apparatus to which a sorting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a path switching guide used in the sorting apparatus of FIG. 1;
3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the path switching guide of FIG. 2;
4 is a perspective view showing a guide body downstream side of a guide portion used in the sorting device of FIG. 1 and a discharge roller. FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
4 discharge roller 5 discharge roller 13 discharge tray 27 recording section A guide section a guide body C discharge section D path switching guide d4 upstream opening d8 pin (fulcrum)

Claims (3)

A sorting device that sorts and discharges recording paper from a downstream side of a recording unit to a plurality of discharge trays, and is capable of swinging around a recording paper discharge side of the recording unit as a fulcrum, and a plurality of discharges from the path switching guide. A sorting apparatus comprising a plurality of guide bodies extending radially on each of the trays. The sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a pair of discharge rollers is provided at a downstream end portion of each guide body. The sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the path switching guide swings around an opening on the upstream side as a fulcrum.

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