JPH10109815A - Sheet stacking device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To elevate a wing without attaching an electric mechanism. SOLUTION: A storage part 13 involves a conveyance part 12 on one side surface of a device body 11, and is equipped with a sorter tray 7 and a multi- sheets storage tray 3 on the opposite side surface. A wing 15 is provided so as to rotate freely with a rotating axis 15a being centered, on the delivery side of the conveyance part, and a protrusion 15c is formed at the front side in a sheet conveying direction in the wing. A guide hole 12b is formed in a casing 12a of the conveyance part, the front end of the protrusion is passed through the guide hole to regulate the rotational angle range of the wing. This protrusion is capable of being brought into contact with an energizing member 18 provided on a frame body 17 of the storage part, which is capable of vertical movement. During the use of the tray 7, the energizing member and the protrusion are separated from each other, the upper surface 15b of the wing is lower than the conveyance surface. When the frame body and the energizing member are lifted so as to use the multi-sheets storage tray, the protrusion is pushed up, and the wing is also raised, and is positioned above the conveyance surface.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet stacking apparatus, and more specifically, to a sheet stacking apparatus, which is mounted on a discharge side of an image forming apparatus such as a printing machine or a copying machine and discharged from the image forming apparatus. The present invention relates to a sheet stacking apparatus provided with a plurality of types of trays such as a multi-sheet storage tray for storing a large number of sheets and a tray for receiving a small number of sheets.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A tray (also referred to as a "bin") for receiving discharged sheets is mounted on a sheet discharge side of an image forming apparatus such as a printing machine or a copying machine. Such trays include a multi-sheet storage tray capable of stacking and storing 100 or more sheets at a time in addition to a normal tray for stacking several to several tens (small number) of sheets. . In addition, there is also provided a sorter that prepares a plurality of the normal trays having a small number of sheets that can be stacked at one time, moves them up and down in accordance with the sheet discharge timing, and sorts the discharged sheets into a predetermined tray. is there. A sheet stacking apparatus is provided with one or more of these various trays.

FIG. 9A shows an example of a conventional sheet stacking apparatus. In this example, a tray for storing a large number of sheets and a group of trays for a sorter are provided. As shown in FIG. 1, a transport unit 2 is provided at a central portion in the height direction on one side of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped device main body 1.
On the side surface of the apparatus main body 1 opposite to the side, a storage unit 3 for receiving a discharged sheet is provided. Then, an image forming apparatus (not shown) is arranged on the transport unit 2 side.

The transport section 2 receives a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus, transports the sheet on the transport surface 4 and discharges the sheet to the storage section 3 side. The conveying force for the sheet is sandwiched from above and below by, for example, a pair of upper and lower discharge rollers provided near the discharge port or an endless belt (not shown).
By rotating them, a conveying force directed forward in the conveying direction is applied to the sheet.

Further, a pair of wings 5 are provided on both side edges near the discharge port of the transport section 2. The wing 5 is located at a first position protruding above the transport surface 4 as shown by a solid line in FIG. 4B and below the transport surface 4 shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. It is possible to reciprocate between the second positions. Specifically, each wing 5 is arranged in parallel along the transport direction, and the opposite side edges of both wings are set as the rotation axis 5a, and can be moved between the two positions by rotating forward and backward. ing. The solenoid 6 is provided as a driving source for the movement.

That is, the solenoid 6 is connected near the outside of the bottom surface of the wing 5 (side edge opposite to the center of rotation), and when the solenoid 6 is energized, the outside of the wing 5 is urged upward to rotate. It is rotated around the shaft 5a and positioned at the first position. On the other hand, by shutting off the power supply to the solenoid 6, the wing 5 is rotated in the opposite direction to the above,
It is located at the second position.

When the wing 5 is at the first position, the upper surface 5b of the wing 5 rises forward in the transport direction as shown in FIG. 1A and gradually rises outward. It becomes an inclined surface which rises.
When it is located at the second position, it becomes a horizontal surface and the transport surface 4
And are located on substantially the same plane. further,
The upper surface 5b of the wing 5 comes into contact with the lower side surface of the sheet moving on the conveying surface 4.

Thus, when the wing 5 is at the first position, both side edges of the sheet in the advancing direction of the sheet are positioned on the upper surface 5 of the wing 5.
Each of them is lifted and stiffened along the line b, and is maintained in a state of extending straight along the traveling direction. That is, it is not bent at the middle part in the traveling direction and the front part hangs down. Moreover, since the sheet is discharged obliquely upward, the sheet can be skipped over a relatively long distance. On the other hand, when the wing 5 is at the second position, the seat is not sunk in a flat state,
Discharged horizontally.

The storage section 3 includes a tray (bin) 7 capable of stacking a small number of sheets arranged in multiple stages and a multi-sheet storage tray 8 for storing a large number of sheets. The trays 7 are provided in an inclined shape such that the front side in the sheet conveyance direction is upward, and the trays 7 are arranged in a line in the vertical direction at a predetermined distance from each other. Each tray 7 can be moved up and down in a lump by the elevating device in the apparatus main body 1.

In order to increase the storage capacity, the multi-sheet storage tray 8 is formed relatively deep, has side walls 8a on both side edges, and has an upright locking wall 8b. When the multi-sheet storage tray 8 is used, the actual sheet receiving position is lower than the sheet discharging position by a predetermined distance, so that the discharged sheets fall by the distance and are stacked. Become. Therefore, by setting the wing 5 to the first position, the wing 5 is seated and discharged obliquely upward. As a result, the discharged sheet does not bend immediately in front of the sheet and does not immediately go down, but the sheet can be blown relatively far while being straightened. Then, the seat is connected to the locking wall 8.
b, while being guided by the side wall 8a, a large number of sheets are sequentially stacked on the storage tray 8.

On the other hand, when sheets are stacked on the tray 7 for a small number, if the wing 5 is left at the first position,
Since the sheet is discharged in a state where both sides are lifted, it is necessary to make a frontage between the upper and lower trays 7 large, which leads to an increase in the size of the apparatus and a reduction in the number of trays that can be mounted.
In addition, since it is easy to fly relatively far, there is a possibility that it will fly out from the front of the tray 7. Therefore, the wing 5 is set to the second position, and the sheet is discharged while the sheet is flat. Thereby, the frontage between the trays can be reduced. Further, since the tray 7 is for loading a small number,
Since the falling distance from the sheet discharge port to the receiving surface of the tray 7 is short, even if the sheet is discharged in the horizontal direction, the sheet can be stacked on the tray 7 neatly.
In this way, the power supply to the solenoid 6 is controlled according to the tray to be used, and the wing 5 is brought into a desired state.

As another example of a conventional sheet stacking apparatus, as shown in FIG. 10, a multi-sheet storage tray 8 'is provided with a wing function. Specifically, the wing 5 'is integrally attached to the sheet discharge port side of the multi-sheet storage tray 8'. This wing 5 '
Similar to the wing 5 located at the first position shown in FIG. 9,
The inclined surface rises as it goes forward in the transport direction and gradually rises as it goes further outward.
When the sheet is conveyed, it is seated by the upper end of the wing 5 'and stored in the multi-sheet storage tray 8'. In such a configuration, there is no need to raise and lower the wings 5 'according to the tray to be used, so that the apparatus is simplified and the control is facilitated.

[0013]

However, the above-described conventional sheet stacking apparatus has the following problems. That is, in the case of the structure shown in FIG. 9, it is necessary to perform control to energize or de-energize the solenoid 6 according to the use state, and the control becomes complicated. Moreover, wing 5
Is moved up and down by an electric mechanism such as the solenoid 6 and its energizing device, so that a space for providing the electric mechanism is required and the cost is increased. In addition, a failure of the control system may occur, causing a malfunction.

On the other hand, in the case of the structure shown in FIG. 10, the multi-sheet storage tray 8 'is set so as to protrude forward in the sheet discharging direction by the thickness of the wing 5' (thickness in the discharging direction). The size of the entire apparatus is increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and has as its object to solve the above-mentioned problems, to reduce the size of the apparatus at low cost, and to provide a simple mechanism. An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet stacking apparatus capable of moving a wing up and down according to a tray used for control.

[0016]

In order to achieve the above object, in a sheet stacking apparatus according to the present invention, a multi-sheet storage tray capable of stacking a large number of sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus; A tray capable of stacking a small number of sheets is arranged up and down, and the multi-sheet storage tray and the tray are moved up and down so as to be located at a sheet ejection site. Assuming a sheet stacking device in which wings capable of lifting both side edges upward are arranged so as to be vertically movable, a multi-sheet storage tray and a biasing member which moves up and down in conjunction with the vertical movement of the tray are provided. Then, a biasing force can be transmitted upward or downward from the biasing member to the wing by a mechanical mechanism, and the vertical movement of the wing is controlled by the biasing force (claim 1).

Further, the same sheet stacking device is assumed, and the characteristic portion may be configured as follows. That is, an urging member that moves up and down in conjunction with the vertical movement of the multi-sheet storage tray and the tray is provided. Then, when the multi-sheet storage tray is located at the discharge portion, the urging member directly or indirectly urges the wing to raise the wing and protrude above the sheet conveying surface. When the tray is located at the discharge portion, the urging force on the wing from the urging member is released, the wing descends, and the tray is positioned below the transport surface. (Claim 2).

When the wing protrudes above the transport surface,
Both side edges of the discharged sheet are lifted upward by the wings and seated. As a result, the discharged sheet can be made to fly relatively far in a taut state without the front portion hanging down immediately.
Therefore, when the multi-sheet storage tray is used, the wing is made to protrude (in this embodiment, this state is referred to as the “first position”).
The sheet is discharged while being stretched straight to a relatively long distance, and can be stacked on the multi-sheet storage tray located a predetermined distance below the discharge portion without bending while falling. On the other hand, when a small number of trays are used, the wing is positioned below the transport surface (this state is referred to as a “second position” in the embodiment). As a result, the sheet is discharged onto the tray located near the discharge portion without sitting down.

The control of the vertical movement of the wing according to the tray to be used is performed as follows in the present invention. The multi-sheet storage tray and the tray are moved up and down to position the tray to be used at the discharge site. Then, the urging member that moves integrally therewith also moves up and down. And
The urging member can directly or indirectly urge the wing in a predetermined direction (in the embodiment, upward) by a mechanical mechanism.

Therefore, if the wing is located at the second position when the urging force is not received from the urging member, for example, the direction of the urging force finally applied to the wing is increased, and When the tray for use is not used, the urging member is moved up and down following the tray only by moving the tray up and down,
The wing can be brought into a desired state according to the tray to be used. In other words, since the urging force is not applied to the wings while the small number of trays are being used, the wing is located at the second position. Therefore, the urging member that moves up and down following the urging force urges the wing upward, and the wing can be positioned at the first position.

Conversely, if the wing is located at the first position when the urging force is not received from the urging member (this can be realized, for example, by defining In addition, the direction of the urging force finally applied to the wings is lowered, and the urging force is not applied during use of the multi-sheet storage tray. Then, since the biasing force is not applied to the wing while the multi-sheet storage tray is in use, the first
When a small number of trays are used, the multi-sheet storage tray and the trays are moved up and down prior to the use. , The wing can be located in the second position.

In the former case (positioned at the second position when there is no urging force), the wing is lowered by its own weight by appropriately setting the weight balance of the wing.
The second position can be maintained by merely providing a means for preventing further lowering at an appropriate position, so that not only the apparatus configuration is simplified, but also the number of trays for a small number can be set arbitrarily. In other words, not only the case where the number of trays for a small number is one, but also a case where a plurality of trays can be provided to constitute a sorter. On the other hand, the latter case (which is located at the first position when there is no urging force) can be easily applied particularly to a device having both a small number of trays and a large number of storage trays.

The vertical movement of the wing is performed by mechanically transmitting the urging force generated by the urging member, so that an electric drive source is not required as in the prior art, and the apparatus can be downsized. In addition, in the case of the electric drive, in addition to the process of positioning a desired tray (including a multi-sheet storage tray) at the sheet discharge portion, the position of the tray is sensed, and the tray is moved up and down at a predetermined timing. However, in the present invention, simply moving the desired tray can automatically bring the wing into a state suitable for the type of tray to be used. , Control becomes simple.

On the other hand, as a structure for directly transmitting the urging force from the urging member to the wing, for example, a projection protruding toward the urging member is formed integrally with the wing, as defined in claim 3. This can be realized by setting the projection and the urging member to be in contact with each other. This can be applied to a structure in which the multi-sheet storage tray is disposed below the tray for the small number (claim 3). By providing the projections in this manner, even in the case where the wing is surrounded by the housing 12a as in the embodiment, it is possible to ensure that only the projections protrude from the housing to assure the up and down of the wing. Can control movement. In the present invention, the configuration for directly applying the urging force of the urging member to the wing is not limited to that of the third aspect. For example, the urging member may directly hit the lower surface of the wing without providing a projection. , And various configurations can be adopted.

Further, as a structure for indirectly transmitting the urging force from the urging member to the wing, for example, one end contacts the urging member and the other end contacts the wing. It is possible to further provide a power transmission mechanism that comes into contact with the wing, and to apply the urging force of the urging member to the wing via the power transmission mechanism. In the case of such a configuration, there is no limitation on the vertical positional relationship between the multi-sheet storage tray and the small number tray as in the third aspect. In the embodiment, the power transmission mechanism is realized by the rotating plate 20. In the present invention, not only the case where such a single component is used, but also the case where a power transmission mechanism is formed by connecting a plurality of members is included. In any case, it is sufficient that the force applied from the urging member mechanically transmits each member and finally acts on the wing.

Still further, on the premise of the apparatus described in the above claims, an elastic means is connected to the wing, and the elastic force from the elastic means is such that the elastic force from the elastic wing is projected from the conveying surface or from the conveying surface. It is also possible to configure so as to be added in the direction located below (claim 5). And
By providing such elastic means, when the urging force from the urging member is released, it is possible to reliably return to the original state. Note that the direction in which the wings return may be either a direction in which the wing protrudes from the transport surface or a direction in which the wing is located below the transport surface.

Definition of Terms In the present invention, a tray for loading a "small number" of sheets,
"Small" / "many", which specifies the type of tray, such as a multi-sheet storage tray for loading "many" sheets, is a relative thing, and many sheets need to be seated by wings. And those that do not need to be seated are used as trays for a small number.

As described in the embodiment, the term “positioned below the transfer surface”, which is one of the states of the wing, refers to the case where the wing is flush with the transfer surface and the lower position further lowered. This is a broad concept that includes both the case where it is positioned above and the case where it is positioned above the transport surface by a slight amount that does not allow the squatting.

[0029]

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state where it is connected to an image forming apparatus. As shown in FIG. 1, a sheet stacking apparatus 10 of the present invention is attached to and integrated with a sheet discharge port of an image forming apparatus 9 such as a printing machine, a copying machine, and a printer.

The sheet stacking apparatus 10 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped apparatus main body 11, a conveying section 12 provided at a central portion of the apparatus main body 11 in the height direction on the side of the image forming apparatus 9, and an opposite side of the conveying section 12. A storage unit 13 provided on a side surface of the apparatus main body 11 is provided. The transport section 12 does not necessarily need to be physically attached to the apparatus main body 11, but is attached to, for example, the image forming apparatus 9, and the leading end thereof is inserted and arranged in the apparatus main body 11. May be.

The transport section 12 has a transport surface 14 at the center in the height direction, and a wing 15 which can move up and down at the end of the storage section 13. The sheet sent from the image forming apparatus 9 moves on the transport surface 14 and is sent to the storage unit 13 side. Here, the conveying force for the sheet to be transferred on the conveying surface 14 is given by rotating a pair of rotating rollers provided at the discharge port of the image forming apparatus 9 and sandwiching the sheet from above and below, or A pair of rotating rollers and an endless belt are placed above and below
As a result, a sheet positioned on the conveying surface 14 may be sandwiched and rotated in a predetermined direction to apply a conveying force to the sheet. Of course, both may be provided.

The wing 15 is provided on the transfer surface 14 as in the prior art.
Are provided along both outer edges (see FIG. 1B). The wing 15 has a substantially triangular longitudinal section perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. Then, the vertex of the triangle is located on the opposite side of both wings 15. The vertical section parallel to the sheet conveyance direction is also substantially triangular, and the apex of the triangle is located on the rear side in the traveling direction (see FIG. 3A). In other words, the wings 15 have such a shape that they become thicker toward the outside and thicker toward the front in the traveling direction.

The side edges of the two wings 15 on the opposite side serve as a rotation shaft 15a, which rotates forward and backward within a predetermined angle range. By rotating in this manner, the wing 15 is positioned such that the upper surface 15b of the wing 15 projects above the transport surface 14 and the upper surface 15b of the wing 15 is located below the transport surface 14 as shown in FIG. Located in the second
It is possible to reciprocate between positions. Further, from the relation of the balance of the center of gravity of the wing 15, when the urging force or the like is not applied from the outside, the wing 15 is set to rotate so as to descend outside by its own weight and to be located at the second position.

Here, in the sheet stacking apparatus according to the present invention, the projection 15c is integrally formed below the front surface of the wing 15 in front of the sheet conveying direction. This projection 15c
Are formed so as to protrude outside the housing 12a of the transport unit 12. That is, most of the wing 15 is housed in the housing 12a.

As shown in FIG. 2B, the upper part of the front surface of the casing 12a in the sheet conveying direction is open above the conveying surface 14 so that the sheet can be discharged. Are provided with two guide holes 12b, 12b curved in an arc at predetermined positions. Then, the wings 15, 15 described above are inserted through the guide holes 12 b, 12 b.
The tip of the projection 15c provided on the projection 15 projects outside. Further, the radius of curvature of the guide hole 12b and the movement trajectory of the projection 15c associated with the forward / reverse rotation of the wing 15 are substantially matched. As a result, the projection 15c is
2b guides and moves. In other words, the allowable movement range of the protrusion 15c and thus the wing 15 is regulated by the guide hole 12b. That is, when the projection 15c is located at the lower end of the guide hole 12b as shown in FIG.
b when the projection 15c is located at the upper end of the wing 15
Is the first position that has risen the most.

In the present embodiment, the storage section 13 includes a tray 7 for storing a small number of sheets to be discharged, and a multi-sheet storage tray 8 for storing a large number of sheets. And tray 7
Prepares a plurality of them and arranges them in multiple stages vertically so that they can be used as a sorter. Of course, it is also used when discharging sheets to a predetermined tray 7 without using it as a sorter. The tray 7 and the multi-sheet storage tray 8 are attached to the frame 17 and can be moved up and down integrally. Note that the specific configurations of the tray 7 and the multi-sheet storage tray 8 are the same as those of the conventional one, and thus detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The plurality of trays 7 and the multi-sheet storage tray 8 together with the frame 17 can be moved up and down by the lifting drive housed in the apparatus main body 11. As described above, the tray 7 and the multi-sheet storage tray 8 are moved in the vertical direction, and the position of the predetermined tray 7 or the multi-sheet storage tray 8 is adjusted to the sheet conveyance surface of the conveyance unit 12.
Receiving the discharged sheet, it can be stacked.

Here, in the present invention, the transport section 12 of the frame 17 is
A biasing member 18 is attached to a predetermined position on the side surface of the side.
The urging member 18 has a substantially inverted L-shape, and is attached so that one side protrudes toward the unloading unit 12 so that one side is substantially orthogonal to the moving direction of the storage unit 13. The length of this side is longer than at least the distance between the tip of the projection 15c and the frame 17, so that the urging member 18 and the projection 15c can come into contact with each other. The other side of the urging member 18 is fixed to the frame 17 such that the front end faces downward.
This causes the urging member 18 to move the projection 15c as described later.
And the reaction force generated when pushing it up acts on the urging member 18 in the direction of pressing it against the frame 17, so that the two members 17 and 18 can be firmly joined and integrated.

The mounting position of the urging member 18 is substantially equal to the height position of the multi-sheet storage tray 8, and when the multi-sheet storage tray 8 comes to the sheet discharging position, the urging member 1 is moved.
8 is set so as to be in a relative positional relationship such that the projection 8 contacts the projection 15c and can push it up. Furthermore, in this example, the biasing member 18 is configured using a leaf spring.

Next, the operation of the sheet stacking apparatus according to this embodiment will be described. 2 to 4 show an operation from a state where sheets are stacked and stored on the tray 7 to a state where sheets are stored on the multi-sheet storage tray 8. As shown in FIG. 2, when a predetermined tray 7 is used for discharging and stacking a sorter or a small number of ordinary sheets, the urging member 18 and the projection 15c are separated from each other. Therefore, the projection 1 formed integrally with the wing 15
Since no force is applied to 5c, the wing 15 descends under its own weight, and the projection 15c is supported at the lower end of the guide hole 12b, whereby further lowering is prevented, and the wing 15 is moved to the illustrated second position. To stand still.
As a result, since the upper surface 15b of the wing 15 is located at the same level as or below the sheet conveying surface 14, the conveying surface 14
The sheet conveyed above is discharged while being straightened and flat, and is stacked on a predetermined tray 7.

When switching to the multi-sheet storage tray 8 from this state, the frame 17 is raised. Along with this,
The multi-sheet storage section 8 moves up, and the urging member 18 also moves up. The upper surface of one side of the urging member 18 protruding in the direction of the transport unit 12 corresponds to the lower surface of the projection 15c. When the frame body 17 and the urging member 18 are further raised, the urging force (push-up force) from the urging member 18 to the projection 15c is directed upward.
Is added. Then, the projection 15c also works to move upward with the urging force. That is, an upward force is applied to the leading end of the wing 15 integrally formed with the projection 15c in the sheet conveyance direction via the projection 15c. Then, since the wing 15 only holds the second position by its own weight, the wing 15 rotates around the rotation shaft 15a by the urging force and rises outside (see FIG. 3).

When the projection 15c reaches the uppermost portion of the hole 12b, the projection 15c hits the upper end of the hole 12b, and further elevation is suppressed. Further, the lowering of the projection 15 c is prevented by the urging member 18. This allows
The wing 15 is located at the first position, and the upper surface 15b of the wing 15 protrudes upward from the transport surface 14 and becomes an inclined surface that intersects the transport surface 14 at a predetermined angle (see FIG. 4).

As a result, the sheet conveyed on the conveying surface 14 has both side edges abutting on the upper surface 15b of the wing 15 to bend upward and to be seated. In other words, the angle formed by the upper surface 15a of the wing 15 and the transport surface 14 when the wing 15 is located at the first position is an angle suitable for stiffening the sheet. Therefore, the discharged sheets do not drop immediately, and can be stacked in the multi-sheet storage tray 8 in a stable state.

On the other hand, when switching from using the multi-sheet storage tray 8 shown in FIG. That is, when the frame 17 is moved downward from the state of FIG. 4, the urging member 18 integrally formed with the frame 17 also moves down. Accordingly, the projection 15c supported by the urging member 18 also descends, and the wing 15 formed integrally with the projection 15c also rotates in the opposite direction, and the outside thereof descends. FIG. 5 shows a state in the middle of the downward movement.

Then, from the state of FIG.
When the (biasing member 18) is lowered, the projection 15c is further lowered. When the projection 15c abuts on the lower end of the guide hole 12b, further lowering is suppressed. As a result, the wing 15 returns to the second position where the upper surface 15a thereof is flush with or lower than the transport surface 14. When the frame 17 is further lowered from this state, the urging member 18 is moved to the protrusion 15c.
(Fig. 6). Then, when the predetermined tray 7 is adjusted to the height position of the sheet conveying surface 14, the switching process ends.

As described above, in conjunction with the vertical movement of the frame 17, that is, the multi-sheet storage tray 8, the urging member is moved up and down, so that the wing 15 is mechanically interlocked.
Can be raised and lowered. This eliminates the necessity of providing a wing driving means such as a solenoid, which is indispensable in the past, and eliminates the need for special sensing and control for raising and lowering the wing.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the urging member 18 is formed of a leaf spring, even if the urging member 18 slightly rises from the first position, the leaf spring is elastically deformed.
An excessive force can be prevented from being applied to the projection 15c (wing 15) while allowing the frame 17 (multi-sheet storage tray 8) to rise.

FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment of the sheet stacking apparatus according to the present invention.
Is shown. In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the configuration of the storage unit 13 is applied to a type in which the multi-sheet storage tray 8 is disposed above the normal small number tray 7 (tray group). As a result, as shown in FIG. 3B, while the tray 7 is in use, the multi-sheet storage tray 8 is located above the transport section 12, so that the storage section is opposite to the first embodiment. 13 biasing member 1 provided on frame 17
8 moves downward, the wing 15 'rises and the first
It is configured to be located at the position. Specifically, the configuration is as follows.

That is, the shape of the biasing member 18 attached to the side surface of the frame 17 is an inverted L-shape, which is the same as that of the first embodiment. Further, the shape of the wing 15 ′ provided in the transport unit 12 is the same as the wing 15 of the first embodiment except that the projection 15 c is removed, and the structure of the part that exhibits the basic function as the wing is the first embodiment. And similar. In other words, the upper side 15'b is formed as an inclined surface by increasing the thickness of each of the wings 15 'at the opposite side edges as the center of rotation and going outward and forward in the transport direction.

Further, on the front side of the transport section 12 in the transport direction,
A rotary plate 20 as a power transmission mechanism having a rotary shaft 20a in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction is provided. This rotating plate 20
Has one end (the front side in the transport direction) protruding outside through a guide hole (not shown) formed in the front surface of the housing 12a, and can contact the urging member 18 on the top surface of the tip. Then, the vertical movement range of one end side is regulated by the guide hole. The other end of the rotating plate 20 is connected to a wing 15 '.
Is in contact with the outside of the lower surface.

When no downward urging force is applied to one end of the rotary plate 20, the rotary plate 20 is in a free state, and the outer portion of the wing 15 'is lowered by its own weight. The rotating plate 20 also rotates counterclockwise in the drawing. When the one end of the rotating plate 20 abuts on the upper end of the guide hole, further rotation is prevented, and the wing 15 '
Also stops descending. At this time, the upper surface 1 of the wing 15 '
5'b is the second
Position.

When a downward urging force is applied to one end of the rotating plate 20, the rotating plate 20 rotates clockwise in the drawing, and the other end of the rotating plate 20 moves the lower surface of the wing 15 'upward. Push up. As a result, the outer side of the wing 15 ′ is raised, and the upper surface 15 ′ b is set to be located at the first position protruding above the conveying surface 14 at a predetermined inclination angle.

Therefore, when switching from using the tray 7 shown in FIG. 7B to using the multi-sheet storage tray 8, the frame 17 and thus the urging member 18 are moved downward, and the urging member is moved. By urging one end of the rotating plate 20 downward at 18, as shown in FIG.
5 'is located at the first position. Thereby, the transport unit 12
Is discharged from the upper surface 15 'of the wing 15'.
The sheet is discharged while being seated by b, and can be skipped over a relatively long distance, and can be stacked on the multi-sheet storage tray 8 neatly.

On the other hand, when switching from that state to the use of the tray 7, the frame 17 is raised and the urging member 18 is used.
Is separated from the rotating plate 20. Then, the downward force applied to one end of the rotating plate 20 disappears, so that the wing 15 'descends, and as shown in FIG.
5 'is located at the second position. Therefore, since the upper surface 15'b of the wing 15 'is located below the sheet conveying surface 14, the sheets are stacked on the predetermined upper surface of the tray 7 without being seated.

In the above-described embodiment, the rotation center 15a is provided on the side opposite to the wings 15 and 15 '. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. A rotation shaft 15d may be provided on the rear side in the direction, and may be rotated forward and reverse around an axis in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, so that the front side of the wing 15 ″ may protrude and retract from the conveyance surface 14.

In each of the above-described embodiments and modifications, the wing is returned to the second position by utilizing the natural fall of its own weight. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The elastic member (elastic restoring force) of an elastic member such as rubber or rubber may be used to reliably return to the second position.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which a plurality of trays 7 for a small number are provided and applied to an apparatus having a sorter function, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to a sheet stacking apparatus provided with one tray 7 and one multi-sheet storage tray 8. In such a case, an urging member is provided near the multi-sheet storage tray as in the above-described embodiment, and the urging member can be urged to finally raise the wing. It goes without saying that the configuration can be applied as it is, but it can also be applied as the reverse configuration. In other words, although not shown, the urging member is installed near the tray for a small number, and is positioned at the first position where the wing projects when no urging force is applied. In addition, in order to maintain the state of the first position as described above, for example, the elastic force of the elastic member can be used.

Thus, when the multi-sheet storage tray is used, since the wings are kept protruding, the tray can be discharged while being seated. On the other hand, when a small number of trays are used, a biasing member that moves with the vertical movement of the tray or the like biases the wing downward, and positions the wing at the second position. As a result, the sheet can be discharged without squatting.

[0059]

As described above, in the sheet stacking apparatus according to the present invention, by simply moving the multi-sheet storage tray and the tray up and down, the load is mechanically transmitted from the urging member that moves up and down following the movement. Since the wing can be raised or lowered by the force, an electric drive device for raising and lowering the wing is not required, the configuration of the device is simplified, the entire device is reduced in size, and control can be easily performed. Further, cost can be reduced. Further, the possibility of failure is suppressed as much as possible, and maintenance becomes easy.

Further, since it is not necessary to provide a wing function on the multi-sheet storage tray side, the multi-sheet storage tray is not formed in a shape protruding in the sheet conveying direction, and the apparatus is not enlarged.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a sheet stacking apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining the operation of the first embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining the operation of the first embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a diagram (part 3) for explaining the operation of the first embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram (part 4) for explaining the operation of the first embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a diagram (part 5) for explaining the operation of the first embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 7A is a diagram illustrating a state of an apparatus for storing sheets in a multi-sheet storage tray in a sheet stacking apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating a state of the sheet stacking device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, which stores sheets in a small number of trays.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of a wing.

FIG. 9A is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of a conventional sheet stacking apparatus. (B) is a diagram showing a structure for raising and lowering the wing.

FIG. 10A is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of a conventional sheet stacking apparatus. (B) is a diagram of the multi-sheet storage tray as viewed from the sheet conveyance direction.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 7 tray 8 multi-sheet storage tray 10 sheet stacking device 15, 15 'wing 15c protrusion 20 rotating plate (power transmission mechanism)

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A multi-sheet storage tray on which a large number of sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus can be stacked, and a tray on which a small number of discharged sheets can be stacked, and the multi-sheet storage tray And a sheet stacking device in which the tray is moved up and down to be positioned at a sheet discharge portion, and wings capable of lifting both side edges of the sheet upward are arranged at the discharge portion so as to be vertically movable. In the above, a biasing member which moves up and down in conjunction with the vertical movement of the multi-sheet storage tray and the tray is provided, and a biasing force can be transmitted upward or downward from the biasing member to the wing by a mechanical mechanism. And a vertical movement of the wing is controlled by the urging force. 2. A multi-sheet storage tray capable of stacking a large number of sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus and a tray capable of stacking the small number of discharged sheets, and the multi-sheet storage tray. And a sheet stacking device in which the tray is moved up and down to be positioned at a sheet discharge portion, and wings capable of lifting both side edges of the sheet upward are arranged at the discharge portion so as to be vertically movable. In the multi-storage tray and a biasing member that moves up and down in conjunction with the vertical movement of the tray, when the multi-storage tray is located at the discharge portion,
The urging member directly or indirectly urges the wing to raise the wing so as to protrude above the sheet conveying surface. When the tray is located at the discharge portion, A sheet stacking apparatus, wherein the urging force from the urging member to the wing is released and the wing is lowered to be located below the transport surface. 3. The multi-sheet storage tray is arranged below the tray, and a projection protruding toward the urging member is provided on the wing, and the projection can be brought into contact with the urging member. 3. The sheet stacking device according to claim 1, wherein the urging force from the urging member is transmitted to the wing via the protrusion. 4. 4. A power transmission mechanism, one end of which contacts the urging member and the other end of which contacts the wing, so that the urging force of the urging member is applied to the wing via the power transmission mechanism. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein
A sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1. 5. An elastic means is connected to the wing, and an elastic force from the elastic means is applied in a direction in which the wing projects from the conveying surface or in a direction below the conveying surface. The sheet stacking device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.