JPH07172674A - Sheet sorting housing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce a non-loading space (an interval) between housing members (trays) of a sheet sorting housing device, and house even a thick sheet bundle. CONSTITUTION:A housing member driving means is arranged to move respective trays of a housing part respectively to a housing position to receive a sheet and a sheet bundle and a retreat position to preserve the sheet and the sheet bundle. In this constitution, a non loading space (an interval D1) in the retreat position of trays 64a and 64b is set small, and when the sheet bundle Sa is housed, the designated tray 64b is moved to the housing position by a housing member driving means, and an interval between the trays 64a and 64b can be expanded to D2. Thereby, the non-loading space can be reduced, and even the thick sheet bundle can be housed. A sheet housing quantity of the trays or the number of trays can be also increased in a liminted device space.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet sorting / accommodating apparatus, and more specifically, for example, a copying machine having a reading device, a fax which is a communication system, a printer connected to a computer, a binding device (stapler, gluing device). Sheet sorting and storing device for sorting and storing discharged sheets.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a sheet sorting and storing device for sorting and storing sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus into a plurality of storing members such as trays, the discharged sheets are sandwiched and lifted by a lifting / conveying device to obtain a desired tray. There is proposed a method of introducing the sheet into the tray and a method of guiding the discharged sheet to a desired tray designated by a plurality of branching paths corresponding to the height positions of the trays for sorting.

FIG. 17 is a front view of a main portion of a sheet sorting and storing device according to a conventional example. As shown in the figure, the sorting and storing device is configured to sandwich and raise the sheet bundle Sa discharged from the image forming apparatus (not shown) by the elevating and lowering transporting body 63 and store it in a desired tray 64b. It is a thing.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, each tray 64 of a plurality of vertically arranged trays is used.
A non-loading space (distance D) larger than the thickness t of the sheet bundle Sa must be provided between a and 64b, and therefore, in the limited device space. Then, it was necessary to reduce the number of trays or the number of trays.

The present invention has been proposed to solve this problem, and the non-loading space between the storage members can be reduced.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet sorting and storing device capable of storing a thick sheet bundle.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, in the sheet sorting and storing device (6) according to the present invention, each storing member (64) of the storing portion (64A) is provided with a sheet and a sheet bundle. The storage member driving means (70, 72, 74, 75, 77) for moving the storage position for receiving and the retreat position for storing the sheet and the sheet bundle is provided.

[0007]

According to the above construction, the non-loading space (interval between the storage members) at the retracted position of the storage member (64) is set to be small, and when storing the sheets and the sheet bundle, the designated storage member is The storage member driving means (70, 72, 74,
75, 77) to move to the storage position to increase the space between the storage members. Therefore, the non-loading space can be reduced, and a thick sheet bundle can be stored.

The reference numerals in parentheses refer to the drawings and do not limit the structure of the present invention.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. <Embodiment 1> FIG. 1 is a front view showing a configuration of an entire system including a sheet sorting and storing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view showing a configuration of a sheet sorting and storing apparatus in the first embodiment.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a document reading device including an optical system, 2 is a paper feeding device including a deck, a cassette, and the like, 3
Is an image forming apparatus including a laser scanner 3a, a photosensitive drum 3b, and a binding device (not shown), and 3a is a writing device for the photosensitive drum, which receives an image read by a reading device through a memory and communicates from a network. Through the memory by a laser beam or the like to the photosensitive drum 3
The image is written in b. 4 is a binding device (finisher) including a stapler, a paper discharge tray and the like, 5 is a bookbinding device including a gluing section 5a, an elevator 5b and a paper discharge stacker 5c, and 6 is a sheet sorting and storing device according to the present invention.

Next, the sheet sorting and storing device 6 will be described in detail.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 61 denotes a sheet entrance portion, and this sheet entrance portion 6 is one sheet conveyed from the binding device 4 connected to the main body or a sheet bundle bound with staples, blue binder, or the like. Is received and guided in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction via the flappers 65a and 65b. Then, in the sheet inlet portion 61, one sheet or a sheet bundle having a predetermined thickness or less (approximately 8 sheets or less),
A pair of inlet rollers 6 for guiding upward or downward (transport vertical path 62, which will be described later), and a sheet bundle having a predetermined thickness or more (approximately 9 sheets or more) in the horizontal direction (elevating transport body 63, which will be described later).
1a, an exit roller pair 61b, a straight path 65, and flappers 65a and 65b operated by a solenoid. One of the pair of entrance rollers 61a is a drive roller, and the other is configured to be separated by a solenoid when a sheet bundle having a predetermined thickness or more enters, and after the sheet bundle enters. , A driven roller that holds the sheet bundle. The exit roller pair 61
b is also configured similarly to the pair of entrance rollers 61a.

Reference numeral 62 is a conveyance vertical path located on the downstream side of the sheet entrance portion 61. The transport vertical path 62 transports one sheet or a small number of sheet bundles branched upward or downward at the sheet inlet portion 61 upward or downward, and includes trays (storage members) 64a to 64j. A plurality of flappers 62a to 62g operated by solenoids are provided at positions corresponding to the height of the flaps. The flappers 62a to 62g are configured to change the direction of one sheet or a bundle of sheets having a predetermined thickness or less and guide the sheets to the up-and-down conveying body 63. Further, the conveyance vertical path 62 is provided with a plurality of pairs of vertical feed rollers 62i to 62q whose intervals in the conveyance direction are narrower than the sheet length of the minimum size. Further, a conveyance guide 62r for guiding one sheet or a sheet bundle having a predetermined thickness or less is provided in a substantially vertical direction, and branch paths 66a to 66j, which are bent sheet guides, are provided at the installation portions of the flappers 62a to 62g. ing.

Reference numeral 63 denotes a branch path 66a of the transport vertical path 62.
It is an elevating / conveying body that is located on the downstream side of 66 i and that nips and conveys one sheet or a small number of sheet bundles branched and guided by the sheet inlet portion 61 and the conveyance vertical path 62. When the thick sheet bundle bound by the binding device 4 on the upstream side is fed horizontally from the sheet inlet portion 61, the elevating / lowering conveyance body 63 receives the thick sheet bundle, and a plurality of roller pairs 63a to 63c are received.
And then lifts and lowers to the designated height of the trays 64a to 64j. Therefore, the elevating / conveying body 63 has a driving roller on the lower side, and the conveying belt 6 is provided between two or more lower rollers.
3d is wound and a driven roller is provided on the upper side. When a sheet bundle having a predetermined thickness or more enters, the driven roller separates upward by a driving source such as a motor, and after the sheet bundle enters a predetermined amount, the driven roller stops the separation and holds the sheet bundle. Further, the lifting / lowering carrier 63 is
Equipped with a stepping motor that drives the conveyor belt 63d, the same speed as the main body process speed (400 to 1000 mm
/ Sec).

The reference numeral 64A designates a storage section in which a plurality of trays 64a to 64j are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, and this is for receiving and storing one image-formed sheet or sheet bundle from the elevating / conveying body 63. is there. Each tray 64a-64
j is movable in the depth direction, that is, the front-back direction,
The user can pull out the trays 64a to 64j designated by him / herself and take out the sheet S and the sheet bundle. In addition, even when sheets of different sizes are mixed, the tray 64 is used to align the sheets.
a to 64j are arranged with a slope to the left.

67 is located below the sheet inlet portion 61 and receives a sheet bundle from the bookbinding device 5 such as a glue binder connected to the upstream side or the binding device 4 such as a finisher, and conveys the sheet bundle to the elevating / conveying body 63. This is the second seat entrance. By providing the second sheet inlet portion 67, the glue binder or finisher connected to the upstream side does not need to raise the processed and bound sheet bundle to the sheet inlet portion 61, and the upstream side bookbinding portion The transport paths of the device 5 and the binding device 4 can be greatly simplified. 67a is a pair of introducing rollers composed of a driving roller and a driven roller. This introducing roller pair 67a is similar to the driven rollers for the driving rollers of the roller pairs 61a and 61b in order that the driven roller facilitates entry of the sheet bundle. It is configured so that it can be separated and contacted. 67b is a straight pass.

Next, the storage member driving means provided in the sheet sorting storage device 6 will be described with reference to the plan view of FIG. 3 and the front view of FIG. The tray drive means is a drive means for moving each tray 64 (64a to 64j) of the storage section 64A to a storage position for receiving the sheets and the sheet bundle and a retracted position for storing the sheets and the sheet bundle.

As shown in the figure, the tray 64 is slidably attached to a slide rail 70, and the rear end of the slide rail 70 is fixed to a column 73. Tray 64
The rack 71 is provided with a drive source for sliding the tray 64, for example, a stepping motor 72 (including a pinion) meshes with the rack 71. A home position lever 71a is provided at the tip of the rack 71, and a home position sensor 80 is provided at the fixed portion of the ride rail 70.

As a result, the tray 64 designated to be stored is moved (advanced) by a predetermined amount from the home position (retracted position) by the stepping motor 72 and held at the stored position. Then, when the storage of the sheets and the sheet bundle is completed, the stepping motor 72
Retreat (retract) to the home position.

Then, as shown in the operation explanatory view of FIG.
By moving the sheets of the elevating and lowering transporting body 63, the tray at the designated position where the sheet bundle is transported, for example, the tray 64b, from the home position P1 to the storage position P2 by the tray driving means, the trays between the home positions P1, here the trays. The non-loading space (space D1) between 64a and 64b can be expanded to space D2.

That is, the non-loading space can be reduced, and a thick sheet bundle Sa can be stored. In addition, it is possible to increase the number of trays or the number of trays that can be stored in a limited device space.

Next, the sheet sorting and storing device 6 having the above structure
6 will be described with reference to the operation explanatory diagrams of FIGS.

(For one sheet) Here, the sheet S is stored in the tray 64h of the storage portion 64A.

First, as shown in FIG.
Stops at a height position facing the tray 64h of the corresponding storage portion 64A. At this time, the inlet of the lifting / lowering transport body 63 faces the branch path 66g. Tray 64h
Moves to the storage position as described above. The flapper 62f switches so as to guide the sheet S to the branch path 66g. The flapper 65b switches so as to guide the sheet to the lower side of the conveyance vertical path 62. Therefore, the sheet S is guided to the tray 64h via the pair of entrance rollers 61a, the conveying vertical path 62, the branching path 66g, and the elevating / conveying body 63.

Similarly, when the sheets S are stored in the tray 64g, the elevating / conveying body 63 is stopped in accordance with the height position thereof, and the conveying vertical path 62 corresponding to the stop height of the elevating / conveying body 63. The flapper 62e is switched. Further, the tray 64g moves to the storage position.

As a result, one sheet S can be sorted into vertically adjacent trays. Even if the sheets S are bound by the binding device 4, when the sheet bundle is a small number of sheets, the trays 64a to 64 operate in the same manner as described above.
It can be sorted and stored in j.

(When binding a large number of sheets by the binding device 4) As shown in FIG. 7, the elevating / conveying body 63 is stopped so as to fit the straight path 65. Flappers 65a, 65
b is switched to a position where the sheet bundle Sa is guided to the straight path 65. Therefore, the sheet bundle Sa is moved up and down by the lifting / lowering conveyance body
The three roller pairs 63a to 63c sandwich the rollers as shown in FIG. In this case, the roller pairs 63a to 63c are
Each driven roller is separated from each drive roller by a solenoid in accordance with the thickness of the sheet bundle Sa, and is returned to the original state with the sheet bundle Sa having entered a predetermined amount to sandwich the sheet bundle Sa.

After this, as shown in FIG.
3 rises and stops at a height corresponding to the desired tray, eg tray 64b. Further, the tray 64b moves to the storage position. And the roller pair 63 of the lifting / lowering transport body 63
a to 63c and the conveyor belt 63d rotate to discharge the sheet bundle Sa to the tray 64b.

In FIG. 10, the elevating / conveying body 63 has the sheet bundle Sa.
Shows the state in which the tray 64b has returned to the retracted position after the discharge of. After that, the elevating / conveying body 63 descends, stops at a position facing the straight path 65, and stands by until the next sheet bundle is loaded.

In this way, each tray 64a-64j
Sheet bundles can be sorted and stored.

(When binding a large number of sheet bundles by the bookbinding device 5) The sheet bundle bound by the gluing part 5a of the bookbinding device 5 of FIG. 1 is transferred to the elevator 5b and normally discharged to the stacker part 5c. Loaded. When the sheets are sorted and stored in the trays 64a to 64j of the sheet sorting apparatus 6, the elevator 5b descends to the lowest position and the belt rotates at that position to move the sheet bundle to the right. The sheet bundle that has moved to the right enters between the separated roller pairs 67a of the sheet sorting and storage device 6 (see FIG. 2), and is then sandwiched by the roller pair 67a and the roller pair 6a.
By the rotation of 7a, it moves to the right and is guided to the straight path 67b. At the same height position as the straight path 67b, the elevating / conveying body 63 is opposed and stopped, and the sheet bundle conveyed from the straight path 67b is sandwiched by the roller pairs 63a to 63c as described above. After that, the elevating / lowering transport body 63 is lifted up to a desired tray position. Then, the belt 63d is rotated at that position to eject the sheet bundle to a desired tray.

As a method of using the storage unit 4, the addresses of the output trays 64a to 64j may be fixed (fixed address) or variable (floating address) as follows. (Usage like a mailbox) When a tray is set in advance as unique to an individual or organization, and a user wants to distribute a copy, by designating the tray of the distribution destination, the copy can be made to the specified individual tray. It is stored. This allows individuals or organizations to receive emails addressed to themselves from the tray. (Use by client) Set the tray in advance as individual peculiarity to each individual, and let the individual command the computer terminal of the network to output the created copy and processed sheet bundle to his or her tray. You can As a result, it is possible to prevent the output paper from being mistaken in spite of the remote operation under the network. (Others) The address of the tray may not be fixed to the individual, but may be specified by the address user each time it is output, or the tray in which the image forming apparatus is empty may be automatically selected and output to that tray. As a result, even if a plurality of users perform remote control at the same time under the network, it is possible to prevent mistaking of the output paper.

In the sheet sorting and storing device 6 having the above construction, it is possible to receive a single sheet, a stapled sheet bundle, and a glue-bound sheet bundle and sort and store them without lowering storage efficiency and operation efficiency of the main body. You can <Embodiment 2> FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the structure of the storage member driving means in Embodiment 2, and FIG. 12 is a front view showing the same structure.

As shown in the figure, the tray 64 is slidably attached to a slide rail 70, and the rear end of the slide rail 70 is fixed to a column 73.

The spring (biasing member) 74 is attached to the column 73.
The tray 64 is hung between the tray 64 and the tray 64, and the tray 64 is always attracted to and held in the retracted position. The holding force of the spring 74 is a force that can withstand the full amount of stored sheets.

On the other hand, a hook lever 75 is provided on the elevating / conveying body 63, which is rotated by a stepping motor (not shown) to engage with a pin 76 provided on the tray 64. Then, by further rotating, as shown in the operation explanatory view of FIG. 13, the tray 64 is pulled out to the storage position. When the hook lever 75 rotates in the opposite direction, the tray 64 returns to the retracted position by the holding force of the spring 74.

With the tray driving means having this structure, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained. <Third Embodiment> FIG. 14 is a plan view showing the structure of the storage member driving means in the third embodiment, and FIG. 12 is a front view showing the same structure.

As shown in the figure, a lever 77 having a hook 77a at its tip is provided in the elevating / conveying unit 63 so as to be movable in parallel, and a rack 77b is provided on the lever 77.
The drive is transmitted to the lever 77 by a stepping motor (not shown) and a pinion 78.
Further, the tray 64, the rail 70, and the spring 74 have the same structure as in the second embodiment.

In this structure, as shown in FIG. 15, the elevating and lowering carrier 63 moves to a position near the designated position of the tray 64 by a predetermined amount, and then, as shown in the operation explanatory view of FIG. 16 (a). In addition, the lever 77 projects toward the designated tray 64 by the rotation of the stepping motor and the pinion 78. Next, as shown in the operation explanatory view of FIG. 16B, the elevating and lowering carrier 63 descends to a predetermined position facing the designated tray 64, whereby the hook 7 at the tip of the lever 77.
7a engages the pin 76 of the tray 64. And FIG.
As shown in the operation explanatory view of (c), the rotation of the stepping motor and the pinion 78 causes the lever 77 to retract in the direction opposite to the previous direction and pull out the tray 64 to the storage position. Further, by the operation reverse to this, the tray 64 returns to the retracted position by the holding force of the spring 74.

With the tray driving means having this structure, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0041]

As described above, according to the sheet sorting and accommodating apparatus of the present invention, since the accommodating member driving means is provided, the non-loading space between accommodating members can be reduced, and a thick sheet bundle can also be accommodated. be able to. In addition, it is possible to increase the number of trays or the number of trays that can be stored in a limited device space.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of the entire system including a sheet sorting and storing device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of the sheet sorting and storing device according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the configuration of the storage member driving means in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the configuration of the same storage member driving means.

FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory view of the tray by the same storage member driving means.

FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory diagram of the sheet sorting and storing apparatus according to the first embodiment when conveying one sheet.

FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory diagram of the same sheet sorting and storing device when a sheet bundle is conveyed.

FIG. 8 is an operation explanatory diagram following FIG. 7;

9 is an operation explanatory diagram following FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory diagram following FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the configuration of a storage member driving means according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a front view showing the configuration of the same storage member driving means.

FIG. 13 is an operation explanatory view of the same storage member driving means.

FIG. 14 is a plan view showing the configuration of a storage member driving means according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a front view showing the configuration of the same storage member driving means.

16 (a), (b), and (c) are operation explanatory views of the same storage member driving means.

FIG. 17 is a front view of a main portion of a sheet sorting and storing device in a conventional example.

[Explanation of Codes] 6 Sheet Sorting / Storing Device 61 Sheet Inlet 62 Transport Vertical Path 63 Elevating Transport 64, 64a-64j Tray (Storage) 64A Storage 70 Slide Rail (Storage Member Drive Means) 72 Stepping Motor (Same) 74 Spring (Biasing Member, Same) 75 Hook Lever (Storage Member Driving Means) 77 Lever (Same) S Seat Sa Sheet Bundle

Front page continuation (72) Inventor Yutaka Ota 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Kozo Sakakibara 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Toshihiko Kusumoto 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A sheet sorting storage device for transporting and storing one sheet or a sheet bundle to a plurality of storage members provided side by side, and a storage position for receiving the sheets and the sheet bundle, respectively. A sheet sorting and storing device, characterized in that the sheet sorting and storing device is provided with a storage member drive means for moving the sheet and a stack of sheets to a retracted position. 2. A sheet inlet part having a conveying means for receiving and conveying one sheet or a sheet bundle, and a branching means for changing the direction of the one sheet or sheet bundle, and a downstream side of the sheet inlet part. A transport guide that is continuously located and extends in a substantially vertical direction, a transport vertical path having a plurality of transport means, and a plurality of branch means, and substantially corresponding to the height position of each branch means of the transport vertical path. A storage unit having a plurality of storage members that are provided side by side, and is installed between the transport vertical path and the storage unit so as to be able to move up and down, and transports the one sheet or sheet bundle to the storage member at the designated position. In a sheet sorting and storing device including an elevating and lowering transporter, a sheet and a sheet stack of the elevating and lowering transporter, a storage member at a designated position of the storage section, which is a destination of sheet bundle transfer, a storage position for receiving a sheet and a sheet stack, a sheet, Sheet sorting and containing apparatus comprising the housing member driving means for moving into a retracted position to save the over sheet bundle. 3. As the storage member driving means, a lever for rotating or translating the storage member to move the storage member from the retracted position to the storage position is provided as the storage member driving means, and the storage member is provided with the lever. 3. The sheet sorting and storing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a biasing member for biasing the sheet from the storage position to the retracted position. 4. The lever of the elevating / conveying body rotates or moves parallel to the designated accommodating member when the elevating / conveying body moves to a position in the vicinity of the designated accommodating member, and the elevating / conveying body has the above-mentioned structure. 4. The specified storage member is moved from the retracted position to the storage position by rotating or moving in parallel in the opposite direction when the specified storage member is moved to a predetermined position facing the specified storage member. Sheet sorting and storage device.