JPH0624624A - Paper storage device in image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To store paper compactly by arranging a stacker means, which has a hanger part for bending the paper in the shape of a reverse U in the discharge direction, and supporting it, and a shifting means, which biases the posture of the paper from one side of the hanger part to the other side. CONSTITUTION:A paper storage device B is arranged to face the paper discharge port 11 of an image forming device A, and in this, an inlet 13 ranging from the paper discharge port 11 and a plurality of courses 14 and 15 capable of being changed over selectively with a changeover flapper 16 are formed, respectively. Moreover, on the extension of one course 14, a stacker means 1 for large-sized paper ranging from this is arranged, and a hanger 1a for bending and supporting paper in the shape of a reverse U is annexed to this. Furthermore, between the stacker means 1 and each carry roller 22 and 23, a paper guide means 25, a shift means 24 for biassing paper from front side to rear side through the hanger part 1a, a holding means 26 for holding paper in the stacker means 1, and others are arranged. The shift means 24 is pivoted capably of rocking.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a storage device for printed sheets in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer or a plotter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in this type of device, a tray for sequentially stacking and storing sheets of paper is extended at a sheet discharge port of an image forming apparatus, and the sheets fed out from the sheet discharge port are stacked and stored on the tray. Are known.

There is also known a sorter device in which a plurality of paper storage trays are provided at the top and bottom to collect the papers from the paper discharge port in page order.

[0004]

However, all of the conventional storage devices stack and store paper in a substantially flat tray provided at the discharge port, so that the image forming apparatus forms an image on a large plate size paper. As a storage device when doing, there is no choice but to increase the size.

Taking, for example, a plotter for forming an image on paper of Japanese Industrial Standards A0, A1 etc., a storage device for these papers is an inconvenient device requiring an extremely large installation area and not suitable for practical use. There is.

In view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, the present invention was made based on the knowledge that large size sheets of a predetermined size or larger are folded and stored in a U shape.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet storage device capable of storing sheets ejected from an image forming apparatus at a predetermined speed in a relatively small space in a compact manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a sheet storage device which can be attached to the sheet discharge port of various image forming apparatuses and can surely bend and store sheets discharged at various speeds. In offer.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, first, a stacker having a hanger portion for bending and supporting a sheet in a substantially U-shape is provided at a sheet discharge port of an image forming apparatus, and a sheet is discharged. It is characterized in that a shift means for displacing the orientation direction of the sheet is provided on the other side of the hanger portion at the substantially central portion of the sheet discharged from the mouth at an arbitrary speed and entering the one side of the hanger portion. With this configuration, the sheet fed out from the sheet discharge port at a predetermined speed enters from one end to one side of the hanger portion of the stacker means, and the sheet discharge attitude direction is displaced to the other side of the hanger portion by the shift means at approximately the center. The paper is sent out to the other side beyond the hanger portion, so that the paper from the paper exit is folded and supported by the hanger portion of the stacker means at the substantially central portion and is compactly stored in a substantially inverted U shape. .

According to another aspect of the invention of the present application, in the above-mentioned configuration, the leading end of the sheet discharged from the sheet discharge port at an arbitrary speed is detected, and a timer means that operates after a predetermined time or the discharged amount of the sheet is detected to detect the preceding period. It is characterized in that the shift means of the construction is operated to make the paper proud of the hanger portion of the stacker means.

With such a structure, regardless of the length of the sheet carried out from the sheet discharge port, the strength of the sheet, the curl of the sheet, etc., the sheets are stacked by the shift means at a predetermined timing and the hanger parts are prudently stacked and stored in the stacker means. Will be done.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The construction will be described in detail below based on the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows a case where the present invention is applied to an image forming apparatus (A) composed of a raster plotter, and a storage device (B) constituted by a unit separate from the image forming apparatus (A).
Is an embodiment attached to the sheet discharge port of the image forming apparatus (A).

In the figure, (1) is a stacker means having a hanger part (1a), and (2) and (3) are storage trays for small size sheets.

An image forming apparatus (A) shows a thermal plotter as an example in order to explain its structure in FIG.
(4) is a roll-shaped thermal paper, which is wound around a drum (5) and stored.

This thermal paper (4) is cut into a predetermined length by a cutter means (6).

In (7), a pair of sheet conveying rollers directs the roll-shaped thermal paper toward a printing point, and a platen (8) is prepared at the printing point and is pressed against the platen (8). A heating head (9) is then provided.

The sheet printed by the heating head (9) is discharged from the sheet discharge port (11) at a predetermined speed.

FIG. 12 shows a stand of the image forming apparatus which supports the above-mentioned image forming section.

In the conventional thermal plotter as described above, the transport roller (7) for feeding the roll-shaped thermal paper, the roll platen (8) and the discharge roller (10) feed the paper (5) at a predetermined speed in synchronization with each other. It is connected to a drive motor (not shown) so as to convey the sheet, and the sheet feeding control is performed.

An application controller is electrically connected to the thermal head (9) and a computer or other drawing command is converted into raster data and the platen (8) is converted.
The thermal printing is designed to be synchronized with the paper speed of the part.

Such an image forming apparatus is usually a well-known thermal plotter, and instead of this, the present invention may be an electrostatic image forming apparatus.

The electrostatic image forming apparatus (A) is a laser scanning unit or LE known as an optical printer.
The structure of an ordinary optical printer may be adopted in which an image is formed on the photoconductor by the D light emitting unit, toner ink is electrically attached and developed, and the image on the photoconductor is transferred to paper and then fixed.

In the electrostatic image forming apparatus (A), a method is also known in which the paper itself uses static electricity which is sensitive to static electricity, and an image is formed on the surface of the paper with an electrostatic head, and then toner ink is attached and developed to fix the toner ink. The present invention can also be applied to such a method of mounting.

A paper storage device (B) is attached to the paper discharge port (11) of the above-mentioned image forming apparatus as follows.

The storage means (B) is provided with an inlet (13) connected to the paper outlet (11).
3) to route (14) and route (15) shown in FIG. 1 are provided, and the switching flapper (16) selectively guides the paper in two directions.

The switching of the flapper (16) receives paper size information from the image forming apparatus (A) as an electric signal, and the paper is stored in the small size paper storage trays (2) and (3) connected to the path (15). Is selected and the sheet is guided to the stacker means (1) for large-sized sheets connected to the path (14).

The path (15) is further switched to the path (18) and the path (20) via the switching guide (17), and the path (18) is accommodated in the storage tray (2) via the discharge roller (19). However, the storage tray (3) is extended in the path (20) via the discharge roller (21).

The storage tray (2) is configured to accommodate sheets of JIS A1 size and A3 size, and the storage tray (3) is configured to accommodate sheets of JIS A4 size or smaller, The switching guide (17) is selectively switched according to the above-mentioned sheet size information and accommodated in a storage tray corresponding to the size.

Therefore, large-sized sheets are stacked on the stacker means (1) through the path (14) in a substantially inverted U shape.

The sheet switched and guided by the flapper (16) is nipped by the pair of conveying rollers (22) and (23).

Although the driving means will be described later, the driving motor (M2) is connected to the roller (22) through an appropriate sliding means, and the paper discharge roller (10) of the image forming apparatus (A) has a predetermined speed (V). _The paper discharged at ( ₀ ) is made slightly faster than this speed (V ₀ ) (V ₁ ), for example, the peripheral speed is increased by 10%, and at the same time the paper is discharged to the discharge roller (10) and the conveying roller (2).
2) In the state of being constrained by both (23) and (23), slippage occurs between the roller (22) and the drive motor (M1) so that the sheet is conveyed at the speed (V ₀ ). .

Stacker means (1) is provided on the extension of the path (14), and the stacker means (1) folds and supports the paper in a substantially inverted U-shape and supports the hanger portion (1).
a) has been formed.

In the illustrated example, the hanger portion (1a) is formed on the upper part of the standing stand (27) with a curved supporting surface, and the hanger portion (1a) is attached to the side frame (28) of the apparatus. It may be configured by supporting an arm-shaped rod, and the cross-sectional shape of the hanger portion (1a) may be appropriately selected such as a mountain fold shape or a semi-elliptical shape.

Between the stacker means (1) and the above-mentioned conveying rollers (22) and (23), a movable paper guide means (25) and a paper sheet are passed from the front side in the paper discharge direction through the hanger portion (1a). A shift means (24) biased to the side and a holding means (26) for holding the sheets on the stacker means (1) are provided.

The guide means (25) is a conveying roller (22).
It is provided with a guide surface (25a) for guiding the sheet sent by nipping to (23) to the front side of the hanger part (1a), that is, the side indicated by the arrow (a) in FIG. The device frame (28) is movably supported between the retracted position shown in FIG.

Similarly, the shift means (24) is movably supported by the device frame (28) between the retracted position shown in FIG. 5 (a) and the shift position shown in FIG. 5 (c).

The paper holding means (26) is also shown in FIG.
It is movably supported between the retracted position and the hold position shown in FIGS.

These drive systems will be described with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4. In the apparatus of the embodiment, all drive mechanisms are performed by the forward and reverse rotations of two motors, and FIG.
3 is an explanatory diagram of a motor (M1) of FIG. The forward / reverse control of the motor (M1) causes the swing of the holding means (26), the swing of the shift means (24), the swing of the paper guide means (25), and the swing of the switching guide (17). It is like this. In the figure (37), a motor (M
It is an encoder for rotation control of 1).

When the motor (M1) is rotated in the forward direction indicated by the solid arrow in the figure, it is connected via a torque limiter which is driven and rotated when the rotational torque exceeds a preset rotational torque. That is, the holding means (26) via the torque limiter (38), the shift means (24) via the torque limiter (39), the paper guide means (25) via the torque limiter (40), and the switching guide ( 1
7) are connected to the motor (M1) by a timing belt via a torque limiter (41). In particular,
Motor (M1) by adjusting the torque of the torque limiter
When the starting torque rises when the sheet rotates, the sheet guide means (25) firstly moves to the hold means (2).
6) Finally, the shift means (24) is adapted to be driven to rotate. When the motor (M1) is rotated in the reverse direction, the drive torque is sequentially cut off and the motor returns to the home position. Each of these mechanisms sets the state of FIG. 1 to the home position. Although not shown, a mechanism for returning to the home position may use an urging spring. A second motor (M2) is shown in FIG. 4, and the motor (M2) is controlled by its forward / reverse rotation to drive and rotate the conveying roller (22), swing the switching flapper (16) at the sheet receiving port, and move the motor as described above. The transport rollers (29) for transporting the sheets to the storage trays (2) and (3) are driven and rotated.

As shown in the figure, the motor (M2) is driven by a torque limiter (31) for transmitting only one-direction rotation to the conveying roller (22), and the switching flapper (1
6) is transmitted through a torque limiter (32) which rotates in both the forward and reverse directions and causes a slip at a predetermined angle or more.

The motor (M2) is drivingly transmitted to the conveying rollers (19) and (21) through the one-way clutch (34), and the forward rotation of the motor (M2) is indicated by the solid and broken arrows. The switching flapper (16) is shown in FIG.
Then, the torque limiter (32) causes a slip and then stands still at that position.

At the same time, the transport roller (22) is rotated in the forward direction by being connected by the torque limiter (31).

When the motor (M2) is reversed, the flapper (1
6) closes the route (14) in FIG. 1 and routes (15)
To the open position, and then the torque limiter (3
2) A slip occurs and it stands still.

At the same time, the discharge rollers (19) and (20) rotate in the paper discharge direction. In this rotation direction, the transport roller (2
2) does not rotate due to the slip of the torque limiter (31).

In the figure, reference numeral (35) is an encoder for controlling the motor speed.

Based on this structure, the paper (4) from the paper discharge port (11) of the image forming apparatus (A) is sorted and conveyed by a flapper (16) into a path and a path (15) according to the size information of the paper. As a matter of fact, the sheet that has flown into the path (14) is nipped by the transport rollers (22) and (23). At this time, since the peripheral velocity (V1) of the transport roller (22) is 10% faster than the velocity (V0) of the ejected paper, the torque limiter (31) slips and the transport roller (2)
2) decelerates and its speed changes to (V ₀ ).

The encoder (36) detects the change from V1 to V2 and the leading edge of the paper is moved by the roller (22).
A controller cpu that detects that the sheet is nipped between (23) and thereafter, the roller (22) rotates in synchronization with the sheet speed (V0) and calculates that the sheet has reached a predetermined central portion.
Is provided.

As an alternative to this method, the sheet ejection speed (V0) information and the sheet size information are received as electrical signals from the image forming apparatus (A), and the signal from the sheet leading edge detection sensor (S) shown in FIG. 1 is received. It is also possible to configure the controller with an actuation circuit for activating the timer means to determine when the paper reaches a predetermined central portion.

To explain the operation, the motor (M2) is rotated in either the forward or reverse direction upon receiving the size signal of the discharged paper and the discharge instruction signal from the image forming apparatus (A).
In the case of the large size paper, the one shown in the drawing is rotated counterclockwise in FIG.

Motor (M2) for large size paper
When the flapper (16) is displaced to the position shown in FIG. 1 by the counterclockwise rotation, the sheet that has come to rest and has entered the receiving port (13) is guided to the path (14), and at the same time, the transport rollers (22) (23).
Rotates according to the rotation of the motor (M2).

Paper discharge roller (10) of the image forming apparatus (A)
When the sheet carried out from the sheet is nipped by the rollers (22) and (23), the sheet is pulled by the roller (22) due to the speed difference between the sheet discharge roller (10) and the conveying roller (22), but the sheet is pulled by the torque limiter (31). Due to the slip, the roller (22) is synchronized with the speed (V0) of the paper discharge roller (10). At this time, the discriminating circuit of the device controller (not shown) operates so as to recognize that the leading edge of the paper has reached between the rollers (22) and (23) while catching the decrease in the number of pulses generated by the encoder (36).

In other words, the pulses generated by the encoder (36) are counted by the counter means, and when the generated pulses decrease, the reset circuit operates and the paper discharge speed (V
0), the number of pulses after synchronization is counted, and the predetermined length set by the paper size signal from the image forming apparatus, which is one half of the paper discharge direction dimension in the figure, is the predetermined length. The controller is composed of a comparison circuit with the number of pulses corresponding to.

Simultaneously with the rotation of the motor (M2), the motor (M2) receives a paper discharge instruction signal from the image forming apparatus.
When 1) is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 3, the guide (25),
The shift means (24) and the hold means (26) are set to the state shown in FIG.

Then, the paper which has reached the transport rollers (22) and (23) is guided to the front side in the transport direction of the hanger portion (1a) of the stacker means (1) along the guide (25a) of the guide (25).

When this sheet enters the side indicated by the arrow a in FIG. 1 by a predetermined amount, the substantially central portion of the sheet is counted by the pulse from the encoder (36) of the conveying roller (22) and is discriminated by the comparison circuit to perform the following operation. Do.

The substantially central portion of the paper is the side transport roller (22).
When the position (23) is reached, the motor (M2) is momentarily stopped.

Then, the rollers (22) and (23) are stopped, the leading edge side of the sheet is stationary, and the trailing edge side of the sheet fed out by the continuous rotation of the sheet discharge roller (10) is curvedly loosened.

When the motor (M1) is rotated clockwise in FIG. 3 with the motor (M2) stopped, the torque limiters (40) (39) are respectively applied to the motor (M1).
The guide (25), the shift means (24), and the hold means (26) connected via (38) are sequentially displaced in the procedure shown in FIG.

First, the guide means (25) moves from the guide position shown in FIG. 5 (a) to the retracted position shown in FIG. 5 (b), and the sheet stands still in the posture of being suspended by the rollers (22) and (23).

Next, the hold means moves from the retracted position (a) to the hold position (b) to press and hold the leading edge of the paper between the stacker means (19). This pressing force produces an appropriate pressing force by the rotation of the motor (M1) and the torque limiter (38).

When the motor (M2) is rotated after the holding means (26) presses and holds the paper, the paper is delivered by the transport rollers (22) and (23).

Before and after the restart of the motor (M2), the shift means (24) moves from the retracted position of FIG. 5 (b) to the shift position of (c), and the movement of the shift means (24) causes the rollers to move. (22) The paper fed out by (23) and held at the leading end by the holding means (26) draws a loop and gets over the hanger portion (1a) of the stacker means (1).

Guide from the stop of the above roller (22)
(25), the movement of the hold means (26) and the shift means (24) and the restart of the roller (22) are executed in a relatively short time.

When the sheet is fed out, the shift means (24) gradually forms a loop over the sheet by the action of the torque limiter (39) to get over the hanger portion (1a).
The shift means (24) stops in the state of (c). During this time, the pressing force of the shift means on the sheet is always applied to the sheet by the rotation of the motor (M1) and the torque limiter (39).

While the paper is continuously fed out, the paper forms a loop as shown by the dotted line in FIG.
Go over a) and the trailing edge of the paper is the rollers (22) (23)
When it is removed from the stack, the paper will be stacked under its own weight (1).
1 (b), the paper is suspended and held in the hanger portion (1a) in a substantially inverted U shape.

When the paper is shifted to the front stage of the hanger (1a), the holding means (26) is brought into pressure contact with the front end of the paper stopped, and then the shift means (24) is engaged with the paper. The reason why the sheet is moved to is to prevent the sheet being moved from being pressed by the holding means (26) to cause distortion (skew) due to wrinkles or partial contact on the sheet.
After the front end side of the paper is held by the holding means (26), the shift means (24) is engaged with the paper in order to prevent the posture of the front end of the paper from being disturbed by the hold means by the shift means (24). Is.

[0068]

The present invention has the following effects.

Even for large-sized paper, the paper is folded and held in a substantially inverted U shape by the hanger portion (1a) of the stacker means (1), and is stacked and stored on the hanger portion (1a) one by one. It is possible to make it relatively small and reduce the installation area of the paper storage device.
The device can be made compact. Further, existing sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus at various speeds are detected at various speeds by detecting the amount of feeding the sheet between the discharge port and the stacker means and determining the bent portion of the sheet. It can be attached to the image forming apparatus.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory sectional view showing the whole of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective explanatory view in which the sheet storage device of the present invention is connected to a plotter.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a driving device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing another driving device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of an operating state of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A image forming apparatus B paper storage device 1 stacker means 1a hanger section 24 shift means 26 hold means

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A paper storage device that is adjacent to a paper discharge port of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, and sequentially stores and discharges paper discharged from the paper discharge port at a predetermined speed. In a substantially central portion of the sheet which is provided between the stacker means and the sheet discharge port and which has entered into one side of the hanger portion. A sheet storage device in an image forming apparatus, comprising a shift means for displacing a paper discharge posture direction on the other side of the hanger portion. 2. A stacker means provided with a hanger portion which is disposed below a sheet discharge port of an image forming apparatus and which bends and supports a sheet in a sheet discharge direction in a substantially U-shape, the stacker means and the sheet discharge means. A guide means which is provided between the paper mouth and guides the paper to one of the front and rear sides of the hanger portion, and a paper ejection posture to the other side of the hanger portion at the substantially central portion of the paper that has entered one side of the hanger portion. A sheet storage device in an image forming apparatus, comprising: shift means for displacing a direction; and holding means for holding a sheet on a stacker means when the shift means displaces a sheet discharge attitude direction. 3. A rotating body which is disposed between a sheet discharge port of an image forming apparatus and a stacker means and which is driven by contacting a sheet discharged from the sheet discharge port at a predetermined speed, and a rotation amount of the rotating body. 3. The sheet storage device in an image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a calculating unit that detects the amount of the discharged sheet to be fed out and a control unit that controls the shift unit by a signal from the calculating unit. 4. A sensor, which is arranged between a sheet discharge port of an image forming apparatus and a stacker means, detects a leading edge of a sheet discharged from the sheet discharge port at a predetermined speed, and is activated by a signal from this sensor. 3. The sheet storage device in the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a timer and a control unit that controls the shift unit with a signal from the timer. 5. The shift means is constituted by a roller pair which is arranged between a sheet discharge port of an image forming apparatus and a stacker means, nips a sheet from the sheet discharge port, and is movable in the sheet discharge direction back and forth. A sheet storage device in the image forming apparatus described in 1 or 2.