JPH0524687Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Industrial Application Field The present invention is capable of handling a large number of sheets sequentially discharged from, for example, a copying machine, a simple printing machine, etc., using a plurality of sheets mounted in a stacked state adjacent to the sheet discharge position. The present invention relates to a sheet sorting device that stores sheets in a sorted state so that they can be collated into a tray.

Conventional technology This type of sheet sorting device includes, for example,
-There is one disclosed in Publication No. 21147.

In this device, the trays are stacked at regular intervals from the start end to the end end to allow sheets to be inserted, and each tray has a vertical length with each screw block attached to the end end. It is screwed onto a long screw shaft and supported in a cantilevered state,
This screw shaft is connected to a motor via a power transmission means such as a cam device or a pulley device, and each tray is moved up and down by rotating the screw shaft by driving the motor in forward or reverse rotation.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, the above-mentioned conventional technology has the following problems.

(1) Since each tray has a cantilevered state with the terminal end supported and the starting end free, the mechanical strength against warping and bending is poor.
There is a risk that the lifting operation and sheet insertion may become uncertain.

(2) The trays are stacked at regular intervals from the start end to the end end, and if this distance is increased to make it easier to insert sheets, extra space will be created in the height direction. As a result, the equipment becomes larger.

(3) The tray lifting device and its drive mechanism are complicated and require a large installation space.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a sheet sorting device that can solve these problems of the prior art.

Means for Solving the Problems In the sheet sorting device of the present invention, a plurality of trays 17 are installed in a stacked state adjacent to a sheet discharge position, and each of these trays 17 is connected by a link that operates in synchronization with sheet discharge. The tray is moved up and down one step at a time by a drive device and a tray lifting mechanism linked to it.
The starting end side entrance of each tray 17 is sequentially aligned with the sheet ejection position, and each ejected sheet is transferred to each tray 1.
This is a sheet sorting device that stores sheets in a sorted state so that they can be collated into sheets 1, and each of the trays 17 is moved in the vertical direction by engaging a side portion on the starting end side with a tray guide 2 provided on a frame 1. The upper and lower trays 1 are freely supported and extended to the terminal side, and the side surfaces of the intermediate portion are connected by separate link plates 20.
The link driving device includes rotating members 5 and 7 that are driven by a motor 13 and rotate forward or backward at a predetermined angle. One end of the swingable arm 23 supported by the rotary member 5 is pivotally connected to the middle side of the uppermost tray, and the other end of the link plate 24, whose one end is pivotally connected to the rotating member 5, is attached to the other end of the arm 23. A lever type link in which each lower tray 17 is interlocked when the arm 23 sequentially pulls up or down the middle part of the uppermost tray via a link plate 24 which is pivotally connected and interlocked with the rotating member 5 of the link drive device. A and a link plate 9 whose middle part is supported by the frame 1 and whose one end supports the terminal end side bottom part of the lowermost tray, and whose one end is pivotally connected to the rotating member 7. A state in which the support member 10 has the other end pivotally connected to the other end of the support member 10, and the terminal end side of each tray is interlocked with the lever-type link A through a link plate 9 which is interlocked with the rotating member 7 of the link drive device. It consists of a lever type link B that is sequentially raised or lowered by

Embodiments Hereinafter, the sheet sorting device of the present invention will be described in detail based on illustrated embodiments.

This sheet sorting device includes a frame body 1 disposed adjacent to a sheet ejection position of a copying machine (not shown), and a frame body 1 that is engaged with this frame body 1 and disposed between the frame bodies 1 in a stacked state. Each tray 17, a tray lifting mechanism using lever type links A and B that moves each tray 17 up and down one step at a time to sequentially align the starting end side entrance with the sheet discharge position, and synchronizes this tray lifting mechanism with sheet discharge. The link driving device C includes a rotating member for driving the link in a state of rotation and a motor 13 serving as a driving source.

The frame bodies 1 are erected in parallel along both sides of the longitudinal direction of each tray 17, and a notch 3 is provided in the wall surface of the intermediate part, and the frame bodies 1 A pair of left and right tray guides 2 are vertically provided on the inner wall surface on the starting end side.

Between the frames 1, on the starting end side adjacent to the sheet ejection position on the copying machine side, there is a sheet insertion slot 28 for guiding the ejected sheet, and a pair of upper and lower sheets for holding the sheet and feeding it out to the tray 17 side. Insertion rollers 29 and 30 are provided.

Further, below the middle of the frame 1, a horizontal shaft 4 whose both ends are pivotally connected to the frame 1 is installed horizontally, and one shaft of the horizontal shaft 4 projects outward from the frame 1. A rotating member is attached to the end, and
Although not shown, a similar rotating member is also attached to the other shaft end of the horizontal shaft 4 protruding from the frame 1 on the opposite side.

Furthermore, below the middle of the frame 1, a support shaft 12 is horizontally installed, each of which has both ends fixed to the frame 1.

The tray 17 is formed in the shape of a rectangular box with an open top, and a plurality of trays 17 (five in this embodiment) are stacked and arranged with the starting end adjacent to the sheet discharge position. Ru. Each of these trays 17
, slide protrusions 18 are provided protrudingly on both sides of the starting end side, and by inserting and fitting the slide protrusions 18 into the tray guide 2 provided on the frame 1, the starting end side can be moved in the vertical direction. It is movably supported and extends in an upwardly inclined manner toward the terminal end, and the terminal end is a free end.

In addition, studs 19 are protruded from both sides of the intermediate portion of each tray 17, and separate link plates 20 are attached to the studs 19 in a pivotal manner to connect the vertically adjacent trays 17, 17. There is. Each tray 17 connected by this separate link board 20
As shown by the solid line in the lower part of the figure, the upper and lower trays 17, 17 are
Two states are possible: a state in which the upper and lower trays 17 are in contact with each other, and a state in which the upper and lower trays 17 are spaced apart as shown by the imaginary line above. become separated.

The link drive device C includes a motor 13 as a drive source.
and a drive transmission plate 15 attached to the output shaft 14 of this motor 13, and a transmission plate 5 and a drive receiving plate 7 with which the lever type links A and B are respectively linked.
and a drive transmission means 16 that interlocks the drive transmission plate 15 and the rotation member.

As in the case of a known sheet sorting device, the motor 13 is controlled by a drive control means provided on the copying machine side, for example, and is intermittently driven in the forward or reverse direction in synchronization with sheet ejection. Ru.

The drive transmitting plate 15 and the drive receiving plate 7 are constituted by, for example, a pulley or a sprocket, and the drive transmitting means 16 is constituted by, for example, a belt, a chain, or the like. Further, the transmission plate 5 and the drive receiving plate 7, which are rotating members, are pivotally attached to the horizontal shaft 4 and rotate together in conjunction with each other.

Therefore, the link drive device C operates the motor 1 in synchronization with sheet ejection by the drive control means.
3 is intermittently driven in the normal or reverse direction, the transmission plate 5 and drive receiving plate 7, which are rotating members, are rotated in the normal or reverse direction by a predetermined angle. Note that these rotating members are set within a rotation angle range that does not rotate one rotation at most, and in this embodiment, they are configured to rotate forward or reverse within a range of 180 degrees at maximum.

The tray lifting mechanism includes a lever type link A that acts on the intermediate portion of each tray 17 in the extending direction, and a lever type link A that acts on the intermediate portion of each tray 17
7 and a lever type link B that acts on the terminal end side of 7.

The lever type link A includes a straight long arm 23 whose intermediate portion is pivotally connected by a support shaft 22 attached to the frame 1 and is swingable, and this arm 2.
A long arc-shaped link plate 2 whose one end side is pivotally connected to one end side of 3 by a pin 25, and whose other end side is pivotally connected via a protrusion 6 provided on the transmission plate 5.
4, one end side is fixed to the intermediate side surface of the uppermost tray of each tray 17 via a protrusion 21, and the other end side is fixed to the above-mentioned arm 23 via a pin 27.
A link plate 26 is pivotally attached to the other end. Although not shown, the frame 1 on the opposite side
A similar lever type link A is also provided on the side.

The lever type link B has one end supporting the terminal end side bottom surface of the lowest tray of each tray 17, and
A support member 10 having a dogleg shape and swingable in such a manner that the bent portion of the intermediate portion is supported on the support shaft 12.
And, one end side is a pin 1 on the other end side of this support member 10.
1, and an L-shaped link plate 9 whose other end is pivotally connected via a pin 8 provided on the drive receiving plate 7. Although not shown, a similar lever type link A is also provided on the opposite side of the frame 1.

In the sheet sorting device having the above configuration, for example, when the required number of copies is set on the copying machine side, as in the case of known sheet sorting devices, the copied sheets are sequentially discharged from the copying machine, and the sheets are ejected from the sheet insertion slot 2.
8 and the insertion roller 29 to the tray 17 side, and a control signal is given to the motor 13 from the drive control means on the copying machine side to perform desired drive control in synchronization with the ejection of the sheet. .

This drive control means first gives a control signal to drive the motor 13 in the reverse direction (counterclockwise), and when the motor 13 is driven to rotate,
The rotating members, that is, the drive receiving plate 7 and the transmission plate 5 are intermittently driven in the reverse direction by a predetermined angle via a drive transmission plate 15 attached to the output shaft 14 and a drive transmission means 16 stretched thereon. For this purpose, the lever type link A that constitutes the tray lifting mechanism is
The link plate 24 is pulled down and the arm 23
is successively oscillated clockwise about the support shaft 22, and the intermediate portion of the uppermost tray connected to one end of the arm 23 via the link plate 26 is pulled upward in stages. The intermediate portions of the lower trays interconnected via the separate link plates 20 are also pulled up in sequence.

Further, the lever type link B, which cooperates with the lever type link A to configure the tray lifting mechanism, is connected to the link plate 9.
is pushed out to the right, and the support member 10 sequentially swings and rotates counterclockwise around the support shaft 12, and one end of the support member 10 pushes up the terminal end of the lowest tray in stages, so that The terminal ends of all the trays 17 placed on the top are pushed up one after another.

Therefore, the starting end of each tray 17 is guided by the tray guide 2 and is moved in stages from the lower position shown by the solid line to the upper position shown by the imaginary line while maintaining a substantially constant posture, and passes through the sheet discharge position. Each sheet is fed and stored in the corresponding tray in a state where the sheet is temporarily stopped immediately before.

When each tray 17 is sequentially raised and receives the set number of sheets, the drive control means then gives a control signal to drive the motor 13 in the normal direction (clockwise). Motor 1
3 is driven to rotate, each tray 17 sequentially descends in a reverse operation to the above and receives a set number of sheets, and repeats this operation for a predetermined number of sheets until the sheets are ready for collation. being classified.

Note that the separate link board 20 is installed in advance so that a gap of about one tray at most is provided between the trays that receive sheet feeding sequentially and the trays that have already been fed and moved upward or downward. The length is set.

Effects of the invention In the sheet sorting device of the invention, since the starting end, middle part, and ending end of each tray are supported respectively, there is no lack of mechanical strength against warping and bending, and there is no need for lifting/lowering operations or sheet sorting. can be ensured.

In addition, the terminal end of each tray is stacked in contact with each other, and the starting end is spaced sufficiently apart only when sheets are inserted, so extra space in the height direction is not required. The device can be made smaller without any problems, and sheets can be easily inserted.

Furthermore, the mechanism for raising and lowering the tray and its driving mechanism is simple and can be installed in a small space.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawing is a side view of a sheet sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Explanation of symbols, 1... Frame, 2... Tray guide, 3... Notch, 4... Horizontal shaft, 5... Transmission plate,
6, 21... Convex element, 7... Drive receiving plate, 8, 1
1, 25, 27...pin, 9...L-shaped link plate,
10... Support member, 12, 22... Support shaft, 13...
... Motor, 14 ... Output shaft, 15 ... Drive transmission plate, 16 ... Drive transmission means, 17 ... Tray, 1
8...Slide protrusion, 19...Stud, 20...
...Separate link plate, 23...Arm, 24, 26...
...Link board, 28...Sheet insertion slot, 29, 30
...Insertion roller, A, B...Lever type link, C...
…Link drive.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A plurality of trays 17 are installed in a stacked state adjacent to the sheet discharge position, and a link drive device C operates each of these trays 17 in synchronization with sheet discharge.
The tray is moved up and down one stage at a time by a tray lifting mechanism linked to this, and the starting end side entrance of each tray 17 is sequentially aligned with the sheet discharge position, and each discharged sheet is sorted so that it can be collated into each tray 17. The trays 17 are stored in a sheet sorting apparatus in which the trays 17 are stored in a state in which the starting end side thereof is engaged with a tray guide 2 provided on the frame 1 and supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction. The upper and lower trays 17 are separably connected by connecting the side surfaces of the intermediate portions with separate link plates 20, and the link driving device C is driven by the motor 13 to rotate at a predetermined angle. The tray elevating mechanism includes rotating members 5 and 7 that rotate in the normal or reverse direction, and includes a swingable arm 2 whose intermediate portion is supported by the frame 1.
One end of the link plate 24 is pivotally connected to the intermediate side of the uppermost tray, and the other end of the link plate 24, which has one end pivotally connected to the rotating member 5, is pivotally connected to the other end of the arm 23. When the arm 23 sequentially pulls up or down the intermediate portion of the uppermost tray via the link plate 24 interlocked with the rotating member 5, the lever type link A to which each of the lower trays 17 interlocks, and the intermediate portion is connected to the frame. One end of the swingable supporting member 10 supported by the rotary member 1 supports the terminal end side bottom part of the lowermost tray, and one end of the link plate 9 is pivotally connected to the rotating member 7.
The other end of the support member 10 was pivotally connected to the other end of the support member 10, and the support member 10 interlocked the terminal end side of each tray with the lever type link A through a link plate 9 that was interlocked with the rotating member 7 of the link drive device. 1. A sheet sorting device comprising a lever type link B that sequentially pulls up or down the sheet sorting device.