JPH0363671A - Image forming device provided with sorter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively utilize an idle sorter by allowing the use of a sorter other than a sorter in use before interruption and inhibiting the use of the sorter when all the sorters are in use in the case of performing sorting in the middle of interruption. CONSTITUTION:In the case of interruption, a used sorter number, the state of a bin which is in use, copying density, the number of sheets and variable power rate, etc., before interruption are stored in a RAM 6 by a CPU 4. By depressing a sorting mode selection key, the CPU 4 examines the RAM 6 and checks whether the sorter utilized before the interruption is the 1st sorter 7. When the 1st one is used, the CPU 4 examines the 2nd sorter 8. When the 2nd one is not used, the CPU 4 transmits a control signal expressing that the sorter 8 should be used to the sorters 7 and 8. When the sorter 7 is not used, it is to be used. Whether all the sorters are in use is successively examined. When all the sorters are in use, a sorting inhibition signal is transmitted to the sorter 7. When a mode before interruption is not the sorting mode, the sorting is freely performed without selecting the sorter. Thus, the idle sorter is effectively utilized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus with a sorter, such as a copying machine, which is equipped with a plurality of sorters.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in a copying machine equipped with, for example, three sorters, when a certain document is being copied, there are cases where it is desired to interrupt the copying process and copy another document.

By the way, if the new copy wants to use a sorter, conventionally, the following sorters are used in order to avoid confusion in sorter usage.

One method is to prohibit the use of the sorter during an interrupt when the sorter is being used before the interrupt.

Another method is to find an empty bin and use that empty bin to sort, even if a sorter is used before the interrupt.

[Problem M to be Solved by the Invention] However, the former method has a problem in that if even - sheets are being sorted, sorting cannot be performed during an interrupt even though most of the bins are empty.

Also, in the latter method, an empty bin is found and used, so for example, up to the 5th bin of the first sorter is used before the interrupt, and the second sorter is completely empty. If they are not being used, the sorting during the interrupt will first use the remaining bins after bin 6 of the first sorter, and then use the second sorter as many times as necessary. There is a problem that copies of different types of originals are mixed in the first sorter, which tends to confuse the operator. Another problem is that the control mechanism becomes complicated.

The present invention aims to solve the problems of the prior art.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides an image forming apparatus that includes a plurality of sorters and has an interrupt function, in which pre-interrupt information such as sorters in use before the interrupt is sent in accordance with an interrupt instruction from an interrupt instruction means. In response to the stored storage means, an instruction from the interrupt instruction means, and a sort instruction during the interrupt, if there is a sorter other than the in-use sorter stored in the storage means, a permission signal is sent to permit the use of the sorter. output,
The image forming apparatus with a sorter includes a determination unit that outputs a prohibition signal for prohibiting the use of the sorters when all the sorters are in use.

[Operations] In an image forming apparatus that is equipped with a plurality of sorters and has an interrupt function, when sorting is performed during an interrupt, if there is a sorter other than the one in use before the interrupt, the use of the sorter is permitted. However, if all sorters are in use, use of the sorter is prohibited.

[Embodiments] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

The operation unit 1 includes a print start key, a numeric keypad density instruction key, an interrupt instruction key 1a, a variable magnification instruction key, and a sort mode selection key! b. Various instruction keys such as a paper size selection key, and the display unit 2 uses elements such as liquid crystals and LEDs to indicate the number of copies, density, variable magnification, paper size, interrupt mode, and sort mode. It is a means of displaying information, etc. These operation section 1 and display section 2 are attached to a panel that is normally provided in front of a contact glass on which a document is placed in the main body of the copying machine.

The CPU 4 is the central processing unit of the microcomputer, and includes a read-only memory ROM 5 and a rewritable memory R.
This is a means of realizing functions such as those described later using software using AM6.

The first, second,... n-th sorters 7, 8, 9 are independent sorters, and for example, as shown in FIG. A table is provided. The sorter 7 immediately in front is provided with a conveyance path 10 above for guiding discharged copy paper inside, and a switching pawl 11 is rotatably attached downstream of the conveyance path 10, and the pawl 11 is rotated upward in the drawing. By moving to , the copy paper is conveyed downward.

The copy paper conveyed downward is transferred to the switching claw 12.
13, . . . are sorted into bins 14, 15, . . . as appropriate. Note that in the non-sort mode, copy sheets are discharged onto the non-sort bin 16.

Further, when the switching claw 11 is moved downward, the copy paper that has passed through the conveyance path 10 does not go directly downward, but is carried into the conveyance path 22 in the adjacent second sorter 8. . Since the switching claw 17 is moving upward, the switching claw 18.1 is guided downward.
9, it is sorted into bins 20 and 21. Note that in the non-sort mode, copy sheets are discharged onto the non-sort bin 23.

In this way, according to the control signal from the CPU 4 of the copying machine main body 30, the first sorter 7 and the second sorter 8 are configured to obtain the amount to be used as appropriate.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be explained in accordance with the above embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation.

5 bins from the top of the first sorter 7 (14, 15,...)
Suppose you are sorting using .

It is assumed that an interrupt key on the operation unit l is pressed and an interrupt occurs while the copy sheets are being discharged to the top two bins 14 and 15 (step 55). In that case, the CPU 4 stores the copy status such as the number of the sorter in use, the status of the bin in use, the copy density, the number of copies, and the magnification ratio before the interruption in the RAM storage means 6 (step S2).

Furthermore, when interrupting copying, if you want to sort the data, press the key to select the sort mode (step S3).
), the CPU 4 (determination means) checks the contents of the storage means 6 to see if the pre-interrupt sort mode has been encountered (step S4). If a pre-interrupt sorter is used, check whether it is the first sorter 7 (step 5).
5) 0 In this example, the empty bottle (
Check whether another second sorter 8 is being used even though there is a second sorter 8 (from the sixth bin onward) (step S6),
Since the second sorter 8 is not in use, the second sorter 8 will be used, so a control signal to that effect is sent to the first and second sorters 7.8 (step S15);
That is, the switching claw 11 of the first sorter 7 is moved downward, the switching claw 17 of the second sorter 8 is moved upward, and the bins 20, 21, . Sort the copy paper accordingly.

Note that if the first sorter 7 is not used, the first sorter 7 is used (step 514).

Furthermore, if the second sorter 8 is also in use, it is checked whether all other sorters are in use. Then, if the nth sorter is not used (step S7),
The nth sorter is used (step 916). If all sorters are in use, a prohibition signal is sent to the first sorter 7 to prohibit sorting (step S8
, S9). As a result, the switching claw 11 moves upward,
Further, the switching claws 12, 13, . . . all move upward, and all copy sheets are discharged to the non-sort bin 16 at the lowest position.

In step S4, if the mode before the interrupt is not the sort mode, sorting can be performed freely without selecting a sorter (step S13).

Also, in step S3, if the sorter is not used during an interrupt, and the mode before the interrupt is non-sort mode,
Processing is performed using a sort bin other than the non-sort bin that has been used (step 5ll). Furthermore, if the mode before the interrupt is sort mode, processing is performed using a non-sort bin (step 512).

Although the above embodiments have been described using a copying machine as an example, the present invention is applicable to other image forming apparatuses.

Furthermore, in the present invention, the sort mode includes not only a sort mode in a narrow sense but also a so-called group mode.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the image forming apparatus with a sorter according to the present invention performs sorting using an unused sorter when a sorter is used before an interrupt occurs, and replaces an empty sorter with a sorter. If there is no copy paper at all, the use of the sorter is prohibited and the image is formed in non-sort mode, so the empty sorter can be used effectively and the inconvenience of having different types of copy paper mixed in the same sorter can be avoided. I can do it.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a sorter portion of the embodiment, and FIG. 3 is an operation of the embodiment. It is a flowchart for explaining.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an image forming apparatus including a plurality of sorters and having an interrupt function, a storage means stores pre-interrupt information such as a sorter in use before an interrupt in accordance with an interrupt instruction from an interrupt instruction means, and an instruction from the interrupt instruction means. and upon receiving a sort instruction during an interrupt, if there is a sorter other than the in-use sorter stored in the storage means, output a permission signal to permit its use, and if all sorters are in use, 1. An image forming apparatus with a sorter, comprising: determining means for outputting a prohibition signal for prohibiting use of the sorter.