JPS63139879A - Image formation device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To specify an optional bin and distribute an image form thereto by providing bin specifying keys, a bin operation means capable of discharging sheets from a single bin and a specific control means. CONSTITUTION:When a bin operation key 6 has first been pressed, a bin is specified by numerical keys 5 for specifying an ordinary print number. For example, the number (7) is specified by the keys 5, assignment can be made to a bin B7 at the 7th place from the uppermost position. By pressing again the bin operation key 6, an operation signal is outputted to a driving motor 20 from a micro computer 9 and only the bin B7 is capable of receiving a print paper sheet through the operation of a guide member via a wire. Thereafter, predetermined print paper sheets are discharged and stored in the assigned bin B7 by an ordinary print operation. When the operation key 6 is not pressed, of course, the ordinary print operation can be made.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (A) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a laser printer equipped with a sorter having a plurality of bins.

(b) Prior Art As mentioned above, copying machines equipped with a sorter having a plurality of bins are known. A sorter is a device that obtains a large number of copies from one original document and sorts them by distributing them one by one into divided bins.

It has been proposed that copies are normally distributed in order from the first bin, or if this is inconvenient, a start bin and an end bin are designated (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 147154/1983).

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, with these conventional copying machines, it is not possible to distribute copies to specific bins. If it is not possible to specify and distribute copies to arbitrary bins, the operability cannot be said to be good.

Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can arbitrarily designate a bin and distribute an image-formed product thereto.

(d) Means and operation for solving the problems This invention provides a sorter having a plurality of bins attached to a paper discharge section of an image forming apparatus main body, and a bin designation key for designating one bin of the sorter. an image forming apparatus comprising: a bin operating means for setting one bin of the sorter to a state in which sheets can be ejected; and a control means for outputting an operating signal to the bin operating means for one bin specified by a designation key. It is.

That is, the present invention is provided with a bin designation key, a bin operating means capable of setting one bin to a state in which sheets can be ejected, and a specific control means, so that a bin can be arbitrarily designated using a simple 11I configuration. The image forming material can be distributed therein.

(e) Examples The present invention will be described in detail below based on examples shown in the drawings. Note that this invention is not limited to this.

First, in Figures 1 and 2, this laser printer l is
A printer main body 2 and a plurality of bins Bl, B2 . A sorter 4 having B3..., a numeric keypad 5 as a bin designation key for specifying one bin of this sorter, a bin operation key 6, and a bin operating means for setting one bin of the sorter into a state where it can discharge sheets. 7 and a microcomputer 9 as a control means.

Note that the printer main body 2 diagram shows the paper feed section lO1 transfer section 11,
The fixing section 12 and the paper discharge section 3 are provided, and the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 16 by the electrostatic system 14 and the charging system 15 is converted into a toner image corresponding to the document by the developing section 17. Developed.

This toner image is transferred by a transfer section 11 to a print sheet fed by the paper feed section IO, and fixed by a fixing section 12. The print paper on which the toner image has been fixed in this manner is transferred from the paper discharge section 3 to the sorter 4.

The bin operating means 7 includes a guide member 18 that guides the print paper to a designated bin (for example, B7), a wire 19 that moves this guide member, and a drive motor 20 that drives this wire (not shown in FIG. 2). ) and becomes the main character. Next, the microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as microcomputer) 9 is composed of a CPO 21, ROM 22, and RAM 23, and 24 inputs signals from the keyboard 25 to the microcomputer 9, and sends the signals from the microcomputer 9 to the guide member 18 via the wire 19. This is an I10 boat that outputs output to the drive motor 20 for movement and various printing mechanisms 26 of the printer main body 20. The microcomputer 9 calls programs stored in the ROM 22 in response to various printing conditions input from the keyboard 25 and controls various printing mechanisms 26, and also receives signals from the keychain 25, that is, the bin operation keys 6.
One bin (for example, B7) specified by the numeric keypad 5 after operating the bin operation key 6 based on the operation signal of
The controller performs control such as outputting an operating signal to the drive motor 20. The rank [7] of bin B7 is displayed on the liquid crystal display 27. The operation of such a configuration will be explained below using the flowchart shown in FIG. 3A.

First, when the bin operation and key 6 are pressed, the bin can be specified using the numeric keypad 5, which normally specifies the number of prints.

For example, by specifying [7] with the numeric keypad 5, the seventh bin B7 from the top can be specified, and by pressing the bin operation key 6 again, an activation signal is output from the drive motor 20 and the microcontroller 9, and the signal is sent to the drive motor 20 via the wire 19. The guide member 18 allows only the bin B7 to receive printed paper.

Thereafter, the predetermined print paper is ejected by normal printing operations and stored in the designated bin B7. Of course, if the bin operation key 6 is not pressed, normal printing operations are possible.

Unlike the above embodiments, the bin operation key can also be used as a bin operation key. For example, in Figure 3B, when the bin operation key is pressed (first operation), a bin of a specific rank is specified, and when the bin operation key is pressed continuously (final operation), the number of consecutive operations (first operation) is specified. The configuration may also be such that bins of rankings beyond the specific ranking corresponding to (from to the final) can be specified. In this case, one bin can be designated by operating the bin operation key, but at the same time, an actuation signal is output to the drive motor for each operation to move the guide member to the designated bin.

(f) Effects of the invention According to this invention, specific! One bin can be designated and the imaging material distributed thereto.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the overall configuration, Fig. 3A is a flowchart, and Fig. 3B is a flowchart of another embodiment. , 2...Printer body, 3...Paper output section, 4...Sorter, 5...Bin designation key, 6...Bin operation key, 7...
・Bin operating means, 9...Microcomputer, Bl, B2...Bin. Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sorter with a plurality of bins attached to a paper discharge section of an image forming apparatus main body, a bin designation key for designating one bin of the sorter, and a bin designation key for designating one bin of the sorter, and a sorter for discharging one bin of the sorter. A bin actuating means for putting the paper in a ready state and one designated by a designated key.
An image forming apparatus comprising: a control means for outputting an actuation signal to a bin actuation means for each bin. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the bin designation key is a numeric keypad for designating the number of sheets to be formed, and the control means outputs an activation signal to the bin activation means for one bin designated by the numeric keypad. Image forming device. 3. The control means, based on the final operation signal of the bin designation key, outputs an activation signal to the bin activation means for the bin in the next rank corresponding to the number of consecutive operations up to the final operation. The image forming apparatus described in .