JPH0240575B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a collating device (hereinafter also referred to as a sorter) for distributing and sorting various types of paper (hereinafter also referred to as sheets) in a copying machine, a printing machine, etc., and particularly relates to a collating device (hereinafter also referred to as a sorter) for distributing and sorting various types of paper (hereinafter also referred to as sheets), such as a copying machine or a printing machine. This invention relates to a collating device that can prevent the floating of objects.

Conventionally, sheets inserted into multiple bins such as a sorter had a straight inner wall at the bin entrance, so once the stacked sheets were loaded, they were susceptible to external winds, vibrations, shocks, etc. entering from the sheet outlet. This may cause sheets to rise up and block the entrance of the bin, preventing the next sheet from entering, or preventing the bin from overflowing (hereinafter referred to as full bin status) when the bin is full of sheets. There were various inconveniences such as the condition being detected.

The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned disadvantages of the conventional example, and an object of the present invention is to provide a collating device that can prevent sheets stacked in a bin from lifting up and can accurately detect a full bin state. do.

That is, the configuration of the present invention that can achieve the above object is as follows:
In a collating device that sequentially stacks and stores sheets in a plurality of bin member groups and organizes them, in the vicinity of each sheet insertion opening of the bin member, a bin front wall extending in the sheet loading height direction and on the sheet insertion opening side. a protrusion extending from the bottom in the sheet insertion direction; and a recess provided below the protrusion and between the protrusion and the bottom of the bin member to prevent the leading edge of the sheets stacked on the bottom from lifting up. , a slope part provided on the upper surface of the protrusion and guiding the inserted sheet downward to the bottom of the bin member; and a detection part built into the protrusion and arranged in a side direction of the slope part. and detecting means for detecting a full bin by being blocked by stacked sheets.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an apparatus to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, 1 is a laser beam printer (hereinafter referred to as LBP), and 2 and 3 are sorters of the same type. LBP1 photosensitive drum 4
Recorded image information formed by a laser device, deflection device, electrostatic photographic device, etc. (not shown above) is transferred onto a sheet, which is then conveyed along the direction of arrow A, and fixed by a pair of rollers 5, ₅₁ . The paper is fixed by the printer and further discharged in the direction of arrow B by the discharge rollers 6, ₆₁ . At this time, the sheet is detected by rotating the lever ₇₁ of the paper discharge sensor 7 in the direction of arrow C. This ejected sheet is then guided to the sorter 2, and horizontal conveyance rollers 8, 8 ₁ , 9,
9 ₁ , 10, 10 ₁ , 11, 11 ₁ and horizontal guides 12, 12 ₁ , 13, 13 ₁ , 14, 14 ₁ , 15,
15 ₁ and transported horizontally. The passing position of the sheet along the horizontal conveyance path is detected by the light source 16 and the light receiving element ₁₆₁ , which are timing detectors. The sheet that has passed the horizontal conveyance rollers 11, ₁₁₁ is guided to vertical conveyance by the normal position (solid line position) of the sorter switching guide 17. The sheet guided by the vertical guides 18, 18 ₁ then passes through the vertical transport rollers 19, 19 ₁ , 20, 21,
22, 22 ₁ , 23, 24, 25 _{, 25 1} , 26,
27, 28, 28 ₁ Vertical guides 29, 30, 31 provided between the vertical conveyance rollers and bin switching claws 32, 33 operated by the switching means.
34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 4
1 and corresponding bins 32
₁ , 33 ₁ , 34 ₁ , 35 ₁ , 36 ₁ , 37 ₁ , 38 ₁ ,
39 ₁ , 40 ₁ , 41 ₁ . Vertical conveyance rollers 19, 19 ₁ , 22, 22 ₁ , 25, 25
₁ and 28, 28 ₁ are anti-pressure rollers,
It functions to guide the sheet upward. Bin entrance sensors 42 and 43 are provided at the positions shown in the figure to detect the insertion of sheets into the bin group, and the light from the lamp 42 passes between the bin entrance and the vertical conveyance roller group in the direction of arrow D and reaches the light receiving element. 43.

When the sorter switching guide 17 is switched to the chain line position under the control of a solenoid or the like, the sheets are guided directly from the discharge port 44 of the first sorter 2 to the second sorter 3. The second sorter 3 is also similar to the first sorter 2, and its explanation will be omitted. Note that 45 is a drive motor that drives the vertical conveyance roller group and the horizontal conveyance roller group by means of a transmission means such as a belt (not shown).

Next, a mechanism for detecting whether the bins are full or empty of sheets stacked in the bin group will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIGS. 2 and 3 are partially enlarged sectional views thereof. In the figure, a sheet sent in the direction of arrow E is guided by the bin switching pawl 32, which is rotated in advance by a solenoid 45, and the vertical conveyance rollers 19, ₁₉₁ , and is sent in the direction of arrow F. , through the inlet 46 of the bin 32 ₁ to the bin bottom 3
2 Send it to ₂ . Then, the sheets further slide down in the direction of arrow G along the bin bottom 32 ₂ and are stacked below the protrusion 47 . The light from the LED (light emitting diode) 48 is blocked by the placed sheet and does not reach the detector 49 (FIG. 2).
Subsequently, the sheets are stacked and passed over the protrusion 47.
When the light from the LED 50 is blocked, the detector 49 can detect that the bottle ₃₂₁ is full (FIG. 3). Now the sheet is in bin 3
Although it is detected that the bin 32 ₁ is loaded and the bin 32 ₁ is full, a slope portion 51 is provided with a distance S between the top sheet and the entrance 46 of the bin 32 1 to leave a margin. This is because several sheets have already been printed when a full bin is detected, and there is a possibility that all of these sheets will be loaded into the bin ₃₂₁ , which is now full. This is to secure space. 52
LED48 is the optical filter of the detector,
It transmits light of 50 wavelengths. The detector 49 is provided to face the LED 48 which is far away, and is provided somewhat obliquely to the LED 50 which is close to the detector 49 to adjust the amount of light. In addition, the LED 50 is located at the bin entrance 46.
The LED 50 and the LED 48 are provided in a protruding portion 47 having a nearby inner slope portion 51, and the LED 50 and the LED 48 are connected by a flexible substrate 53. Note that the bins 33 ₁ , 34 ₁ and other bins have similar configurations, and the sheets are inserted into each bin by being switched by a solenoid using the bin switching claws 32 , 33 , etc. Become.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line H-H in FIG. 2, and the sheets loaded in the bin 32 ₁ can be taken out from the take-out port 54 in the direction of arrow I. 55 ₁ , 55 ₂ , 55 ₃ , 5
6 ₁ , 56 ₂ , 56 ₃ are reinforcing ribs of the bottles 32 ₁ , 33 ₁ , and the ribs 57 ₁ , 57 ₂ which are closer to the outlet than the detector 49 are inclined inward as shown in the figure, so that the light entering from the outlet 54 is This prevents external light from hitting the detector 49.

Since the present invention has the above-described configuration, it is possible to prevent sheets stacked in a group of bins from floating up, and it is also possible to accurately detect whether a bin is full or empty.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a device to which the present invention is applied;
3 are enlarged partial cross-sectional views of the bottle member, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line H--H in FIG. 2. In the figure, 46 is an inlet, 47 is a protrusion, and 51
is the slope part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a collating device that sequentially stacks and stores sheets in a plurality of bin member groups and organizes them, in the vicinity of the sheet insertion opening of each of the bin members, a sheet extending in the sheet loading height direction A protrusion extending from the front wall of the bin on the insertion opening side in the sheet insertion direction; and a sheet provided below the protrusion and between the protrusion and the bottom of the bin member and loaded on the bottom. a recessed portion for preventing the tip from lifting up; a sloped portion provided on the upper surface of the protruding portion to guide the inserted sheet downward to the bottom of the bottle member; A collating device comprising: a detection unit having a detection unit facing toward the side of the slope portion and detecting a full bin by being blocked by stacked sheets.