JPH028147A - Paper feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Industrial Application Field The present invention relates to a paper feeding device disposed in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or printer to supply sheets. The present invention relates to a paper feeding device that is sorted based on presence or absence.

(B) Prior Art Conventionally, a paper feeding device that supplies sheets of paper or the like has only the function of sequentially feeding out sheets stacked in a sheet storage unit such as a stacker.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention By the way, when sheets to be reused are loaded on a stacker in order to reuse sheets that have been used twice, the reusable sheets are loaded upside down on the stacker and sent out as they are. There is a drawback that a surface that has already been used is used again, such as printing on a surface that has already been used. Further, even if used sheets are mixed in on both the front and back sides, there is a drawback that there is no way to remove them.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to sort sheets based on the presence or absence of blank pages, thereby solving the above-mentioned problems.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances. For example, as shown in FIG. a sending unit (5) that sends out S);
In the paper feeding device (1) which is separated into the feeding section (5) and the separate discharging section (9), there is a detecting means (6) for detecting whether the sheet (S) is blank or not; A reversing means (7) which inverts the sheet S) and sends it back to the detecting means (6);
S) to the sending section (5), the reversing means (7) or the discharging section (9
), and based on the detection by the detection means (6), if the sheet (S) is blank, the sheet (S) is distributed to the delivery section (5). , If the sheet (S) is not blank, the sheet (S) is distributed to the reversing means (7), and the sheet (S) is reversed by the reversing means (7) and sent back to the detecting means (6). If the sheet (S) is blank, the sheet (S) is distributed to the sending section (5),
In addition, the detection means (6) is turned over by the reversing means (7).
and control means (X) for controlling the sheet (S) and distribution means (10) so as to distribute the sheet (S) to the discharge section (9) if the sheet (S) sent back is not blank. It is characterized by:

(f) Effect Based on the above-described configuration, when the sheet (S) is fed to, for example, a copying machine, the detection means (6) detects whether the sheet (S) is blank or not. Then, when the sheet (S) is detected to be blank, the sheet (S) is transferred to the sheet distributing means (
10) to the output section (5), and the output section (5)
From there, the paper is fed to, for example, a predetermined section of a copying machine. Further, when it is detected that the sheet (S) is not blank, the sheet (S) is not blank.
S) is distributed by the sheet distributing means (10) to the reversing means (7), and is reversed by the reversing means (7) and sent to the detecting means (6) in a reversed state. Detects whether the sheet (S) is blank or not, and when it is detected that the sheet (S) is blank, the sheet is distributed to the delivery section (5) by the sheet distribution means (10), and the sheet is distributed from the delivery section (5). Paper is fed to a predetermined section. On the other hand, in the above-mentioned upside down state, the detection means (
When it is detected that the sheet (S) sent to step 6) is not blank, the sheet (S) is distinguished from a sheet (S) having a blank surface by the sheet distributing means, and the sheet (S) is separated from the sheet distributing section (5) and separately installed. The paper is discharged to the discharge section (9) of the printer, and is discarded without being fed to a predetermined section of a copying machine, for example.

Note that the above symbols are shown for reference and do not limit the configuration in any way.

(f) Example Embodiments of the present invention will be described below along with the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a paper feed device 1 disposed in a copying machine includes a stacker 2, and a large number of sheets S are stacked on the stacker 2. Further, a pickup roller 3 is arranged facing the stacker 2, and the pickup roller 3 takes out the sheets S stacked on the stacker 2 one by one and sends them along a feed line 15. A scanner 6 is disposed on the feed line 15, and the scanner 6 scans the sheet S fed along the feed line 15 to detect whether the scanned surface is blank. Further, on the downstream side of the scanner 6, a three-way distribution device 10 equipped with, for example, a deflection plate is disposed, and the sheet S sent along the feed line 15 is transferred to a control unit (CP).
According to instructions from U), the feed line 16 branches into three directions,
17.21 will be distributed. A delivery section 5 is provided downstream of the delivery line 16, and the sheet S having a blank, unused surface is delivered to the delivery section 5 along the delivery line 16. Further, on the downstream side of the feed line 21, the above-mentioned thread feeding section 5 and a separate discharge section 9 are provided.
is provided, and sheets S that cannot be used because there is no blank surface in the discharge section 9 are discharged along the feed line 21. Further, an inverter 7 for inverting the sheet S is disposed downstream of the feed line 17, and the inverter 7 inverts the sheet S fed along the feed line 17 from front to back, and converts the sheet S to the downstream side. The image is sent to the scanner 6 along a feed line 19.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control system of the paper feeder W1, in which the single-line arrow indicates the feeding line of the sheet S, and the double-line arrow indicates each part of the paper feeder 1 and the control unit (CPU). 11
Indicates the communication relationship between

On the other hand, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. A control means X is provided which is programmed to control the three-way distribution device 10 to deliver either one of the three-way distributors 10, the control means X being stored in the ROM 12.

Note that when the control unit 11 executes the program, the RAM
13 is used as a work area, and the RAM 13 is provided with a surface state flag area 13a for storing the state of the scanned surface of the sheet scanned by the scanner 6.

The paper feeding device 1 of this embodiment has the above-mentioned configuration, and its operation will be described in detail below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, turn on the power and instruct to supply one sheet S.
In step S1, the surface state flag 13a of the sheet S is cleared to 0. Next, in step S2, the pickup roller 3 is instructed to take out one sheet S from the stacker 2, and the taken out sheet S is sent to the scanner 6. In step S3, the entire surface of the sheet S is scanned by the scanner 6, and the number of pixels determined to be black is set as the black bit number and the CPU
Return to 11. Next, in step S4, the value of the number of bits is compared with a preset constant value, and if the number of black bits is greater, 1 is added to the surface state flag in step S5, and the process proceeds to step S7. If it is determined in step S4 that the number of black bits is smaller, the process proceeds to step S6, where the sheet surface condition flag is cleared to O, and the process proceeds to step S7.

In step S7, the sheet surface condition flag is checked, and if it is ○, the process proceeds to step 312, where the three-way distribution device 10 sends the sheet S to the delivery section 5, and step 31
3, the sheet S is sent out from the delivery section 5 to each part of the copying machine main body.

If the surface condition flag is 1 in step S7, the process proceeds to step S8, where the three-way distribution device 10 sends the sheet S to the inverter 7, and in step S9, the sheet S is turned over by the inverter 7 and returned to the scanner 6. Then, the process returns to step S3.

Further, if the surface state flag is set to 2 in step S7, the process proceeds to step SIO, where the three-way distribution device 10 sends the sheet S to the discharge section 9, and at step S1, the sheet S is discharged by the discharge section 9, and the process ends.

Note that the constant value to be compared with the number of black bits mentioned above is the ROM12
It may be stored in the memory, or it may be determined by external input.

Further, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which sheets are fed one by one, but the present invention is not limited to this, and sheets may be fed continuously by repeating the above-described operation.

Also, in this embodiment, sheets were fed in batches, but
The present invention is not limited to this, and continuous processing may be performed by connecting with other devices.

Furthermore, the discharge section 9 may be equipped with a shredder or may be directly connected to an incinerator.

(G) As described in detail, according to the present invention, there is provided a detection means for detecting whether or not a sheet is blank, a reversing means for reversing the sheet from front to back and sending it back to the detection means, and a sending unit for transporting the sheet. , a sheet distributing means for distributing sheets to either the reversing means or the ejecting section, and a sheet distributing means for distributing sheets having a blank side to the discharging section based on detection by the detecting means, and for sending sheets having no blank side to the discharging section. and a control means for controlling the dispensing means, it is possible to prevent the mistake of overlapping the used sheets even when reusing sheets that have been used once. The sheet can be easily reused and the amount of sheet consumption can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a paper feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a block diagram of this control system, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a control flowchart. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Paper feeding device, 5... Sending part 6... Detection means (scanner)

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a paper feeding device that separates sheets into a delivery section that sends out the sheets depending on whether or not they have a blank surface, and a discharge section that is separate from the delivery section, the sheet feeding device has the following features: a detecting means for detecting whether the sheet is a sheet, a reversing means for reversing the sheet and sending it back to the detecting means; a sheet distributing means for distributing the sheet to either the sending section, the reversing means, or the ejecting section; Based on the detection by the detection means, if the sheet is blank, the sheet is distributed to the delivery section; if the sheet is not blank, the sheet is distributed to the reversing means, and the reversing means If the sheet that has been reversed front and back and sent back to the detection means is blank, the sheet is distributed to the delivery section, and if the sheet that has been reversed front and back and sent back to the detection means by the reversal means is not blank. A sheet feeding device comprising: a control means for controlling the sheet distributing means so as to distribute the sheet to the discharge section.