JPH037586B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a paper sheet (hereinafter referred to as a sheet) such as copying machine paper or recording paper that is conveyed after an image is formed by an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, printing machine, or other recording device. The present invention relates to a paper sheet handling device (hereinafter referred to as a sorter) that performs distribution, storage, etc.

In general, a sorter has 10 to 20 or more sheet storage stands (tray groups), and the sheets that are continuously delivered from a device such as a copying machine at a fixed interval are transported by a conveyor using a belt, Alternatively, the sheets are sequentially conveyed and stored in a predetermined tray by a plurality of roller means or a conveyance means combining these.

By the way, some sorters distribute and store sheets by sequentially moving a group of trays at an exit of a device such as a copying machine.

Such a sorter operates as a sorter even when copying only one sheet, raising or lowering a group of trays, which wastes time if the copying machine and sorter are controlled interactively. Moreover, since the tray group is repeatedly raised and lowered, mechanical durability is also disadvantageous.

Furthermore, when such a sorter is connected to a copying machine capable of interrupt copying, if interrupt copying is performed during sorting, it becomes impossible to know in which tray the sheets resulting from interrupt copying are stored.

This causes the inconvenience that interrupt copying cannot be performed during sorting.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and its purpose is to relatively move the tray to enable interstitial image formation during the storage operation of paper sheets,
Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet handling device that can store sheets of paper for which an interrupted image is to be formed separately from other sheets of paper and that can quickly form an interrupted image.

That is, the present invention provides a plurality of trays 4 ₁ to 4 ₁₀ for storing paper sheets, and a paper sheet discharge port and the trays for sequentially storing paper sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus 24 into the plurality of trays. moving means 10, 11, 12, 13 for relatively moving paper sheets for the interrupt image formation from among the plurality of trays in response to an interrupt image formation signal (IRPT) from the image forming apparatus; control means (CPU) for controlling the moving means to select a specific tray for storing the body; The present invention provides a paper sheet handling device characterized in that, before the first paper sheet related to image formation is carried out, a tray next to the tray in which the paper sheet to be carried out is stored is selected.

According to the present invention, after inputting an interrupt image forming signal, and before unloading the first sheet related to interrupt image formation, the tray next to the tray in which the sheet to be discharged is stored is selected and the tray is Since the sheet of paper related to the formation of an embedded image is stored, it becomes possible to store the sheet of paper related to the formation of the interstitial image separately from the previous sheet of paper. Furthermore, since the amount of relative movement of the trays for this tray selection can be minimized, it is possible to quickly form an interrupt image.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a sorter to which the present invention is applied.

In the figure, the sheets to be distributed are conveyed from a copying machine (not shown) after forming images, and are conveyed to the conveyance guide 1 of the sorter.
will be introduced in Then, by a carrying means consisting of two movable rollers 2 and 3, the paper is stored in a corresponding tray _4-6 , for example. The tray group is _4-1 , _4-2 ... _4-
5 , _4-6 ... _4-9 , _4-10 are fixed to the tray frame 5,
Moreover, it is fixed to the elevating member 6. The elevating member 6 can move up and down along the guide groove 8 of the support column 7 at least by a distance corresponding to the distance from tray _4-1 to tray _4-10 .

A chain (or wire, etc.) 10 is fixedly attached to the upper end of the chain receiving member 9 fixed to the lifting member 6, and the chain 10 is deflected by an idler 11 located above, and is connected to a sprocket 13 at the shaft end of a motor 12 located below. The other end of the chain 10 is fixed to the lower end of the chain receiving member 9 via a spring 14. This spring 14 is for absorbing changes in the length of the chain 10 and shocks. Therefore, if the motor 12 is rotated clockwise, the tray groups 4 _-1 , 4 _-2 . . . 4 _-10 will rise as one. Furthermore, notch grooves 15 are provided in the elevating member 6 at equal intervals between the trays, and the support columns 7
When a position detection sensor 16 fixedly installed detects an arbitrary notched groove 15, the sheet receiving opening of the tray corresponding to this notched groove 15 coincides with the position of the nip portion of the movable rollers 2 and 3. Further, sheet detection sensors 17 and 18 are arranged between the nip portions of the movable rollers 2 and 3 and the trays across the sheet conveyance path, and detect when a sheet is stored in one of the tray groups. I can do it.

Next, the operation of the sorter will be explained.

First, by the rotation of the motor 12, the tray group 4 _-1
... _4-10 rises and reaches the top, and when the tray upper end position detection sensor 20 detects that the sheet receiving opening of tray _4-1 has come to the position corresponding to the nip portion of the movable rollers 2 and 3, the motor 12 is stopped, and an electromagnetic brake BK, which will be described later, is applied. Subsequently, the sheet on which the image has been formed is conveyed to tray _4-1 by movable rollers 2 and 3. The movable rollers 2 and 3 are rotated by a motor operated by a paper feed signal from the main body of the copying machine, which will be described later. When the rear end of the sheet is detected by the sheet detection sensors 17 and 18, the motor 12 is rotated counterclockwise.
When it is detected that the sheet receiving opening of tray _4-2 has come to a position corresponding to the nip portion of movable rollers 2 and 3, that is, when the notch groove 15 corresponding to tray _4-2 is detected by the position sensor 16, the motor is activated. 12 stopped;
The brakes are applied again. Tray _4-2 then becomes ready to receive sheets.

Thereafter, after the above-described operation is repeated a necessary number of times, the initial state is returned by a return signal.

Figure 2 shows a control circuit composed of a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as CPU). this
The CPU is, for example, a 4-bit microcomputer μCOM43 manufactured by NEC Corporation. These input terminals _I0 to _I2 receive signals SON, BCR, and
INTC enters. Further, input terminals I ₃ to I ₆ receive a signal S ₁ from the sheet detection sensor 17, a signal S ₂ from the tray position detection sensor 16, a signal S ₃ from the tray lower end position detection sensor 19, and a tray upper end position detection sensor. A signal S ₄ from 20 is input. Also, the output terminal
From _O0 , a sorter standby signal STBY is output to the copying body. In addition, the output terminals O ₁ and O ₂ are connected to the motor M ₁ (first
(equivalent to motor 12 in the figure) is connected, and the output terminal O ₃
A motor _M2 for driving rollers 2 and 3 is connected to.

FIG. 3 shows a control flowchart according to the present invention.
Figure 4 shows the timing chart. The operation will be explained below.

In step 1, it is checked whether the sorter start signal SON from the copying machine 24 is being input to the input terminal _I0 of the CPU, and if so, the process proceeds to step 2.

In step 2, the sorter operation is changed depending on whether or not the interrupt signal IRPT from the copying machine is received.
The interrupt signal IRPT causes the copying machine to temporarily interrupt the current copying process upon receiving the interrupt request, and after completing the copying requested by the interrupt request, resumes the interrupted copying process. Jump to this moment.

The timing chart in FIG. 4 shows the case where when copying 5 sheets, there is an interrupt request for 2 sheets copying after the completion of 2 sheets copying, this is executed, and the remaining 3 sheets are sorted. Proceed to step 3 at time _t1 .

At step 3, a sorter return signal is sent from the copying machine 24.
When BCR is output, a drive signal is output from output terminal _O1 so that tray _4-1 comes to the nip between movable rollers 2 and 3, and motor _M1 is driven via driver SSRU to move the tray group. raise. This _signal BCR is used to continue sorting as in the case of jam, no paper etc.
The copying machine main body controls whether or not to perform sorting. When the tray upper end detection sensor 20 detects the tray _4-10 , the signal _S4 becomes "1". This causes motor _M1 to stop. Also, a CPU for memorizing the position of tray groups.
Counter CNT1 configured in RAM (not shown) in
Set to 1.

Note that the motor _M1 has an electromagnetic type brake, which operates when the motor is not energized to prevent the tray group from falling by itself due to a power outage or the like.

In step 4, the sorter standby signal STBY is output from the output terminal _O0 of the CPU to the copying machine. As a result, the copying machine 24 starts feeding paper. or,
A drive signal is output from the output terminal _O3 of the CPU, turning on the motor _M2 that drives the movable rollers 2 and 3.
In step 5, the sheet detection sensor 17 detects the leading edge of the sheet at time t ₃ and the signal S ₁ rises, and then finishes detecting the trailing edge at time t ₄ and the signal S ₁ falls. In order to set tray group _4-2 until it has entered tray group _4-1 into the nip portion of movable rollers 2 and 3, motor _M1 is turned on via driver SSRD to lower the tray group. As the tray group moves downward in step 6, the position detection sensor 16
The output signal _S2 changes from on to off, and turns on again when the next tray _4-2 is detected.The motor _M1 is turned off to stop the tray group from lowering. and
The contents of the counter CNT1, which is configured in the CPU's RAM and stores the position of the tray group, is increased by 1 to 2. Sorter start signal again in step 7
Check for SON and see if the paper is being sent. In the timing chart of FIG. 4, an interrupt is applied to the main unit at time _t5 , but the copier does not turn off the signal SON until the copying process is completed. Therefore, one more copy will come out, so the process returns to step 4 and the second sheet is processed in steps 4-6. At this time, the counter is CNT1
=3. That is, after the interrupt processing, the operation starts from tray group _4-3 . Step 7
At time _t8 , the signal SON turns off, which causes the process to proceed to step 8, where the sorter standby signal is turned off.
STBY is also turned off, motor _M2 is also turned off, the sorter stops operating, and returns to step 1. and here
Since IRPT is ON, proceed to steps 1, 2, 3 and step 9.

At step 9, the tray group stops moving due to interrupt copying and only accepts sheets. That is, the motor _M2 is turned on to rotate the rollers 2 and 3, and the STBY signal is sent to the main body to start paper feeding.
In the timing chart shown in FIG. 4, two sheets are interruptedly copied, and these two sheets are stored in tray _4-3 .

Upon completion of the interrupt copy, wait for the next control signal in the loop of step 1. At the next copy signal
The SON signal turns on and the process proceeds to steps 2 and 3. Since step 3 is a copy after an interrupt, the BCR signal is not output, so the process jumps to step 4. From then on,
From step 4, the same operation as described above is performed from the third copy, and the copies are sequentially stored in trays _{4-3, 4-4,} and _4-5 , and the copying of the five copies is completed.

In addition, a tray that can store sheets of paper size larger than other trays is provided in the tray group.
It can also be configured such that when a large paper size is selected based on a paper size signal from the copying machine, it is stored in this tray.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the sorter, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the control section of the sorter, FIG. 3 is a control flowchart of the sorter, and FIG. 4 is a timing chart of the sorter. 2 and 3 are movable rollers, 4 _-1 to 4 _-10 are trays,
16 is a tray position detection sensor, 17 and 18 are sheet detection sensors, 19 is a tray top edge detection sensor, 2
0 is a tray bottom edge detection sensor, and 24 is a copying machine.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A plurality of trays 4 ₁ to 4 ₁₀ for storing paper sheets, and a paper sheet discharge port and a paper sheet discharge port for sequentially storing paper sheets discharged from the image forming device 24 into the plurality of trays. Moving means 1 for relatively moving the tray
0, 11, 12, 13, a specific tray for storing paper sheets related to the interrupt image formation from among the plurality of trays in response to an interrupt image formation signal (IRPT) from the image forming apparatus; control means (CPU) for controlling the moving means to select a tray; the control means selects the first paper sheet for the interrupt image formation as the specific tray after inputting the interrupt image formation signal; 1. A paper sheet handling device that selects a tray next to a tray in which a paper sheet to be transported is stored before transporting the paper sheet.