JPS5943768A - Sorter - 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 The present invention relates to a sorter connected to a copying machine, a printing machine, etc.

In general, sorters can be used in sort mode and stack mode.

Sort mode is a mode in which a specified number of originals are sorted into sorter bins, and stack mode is a mode in which each original is stored in one bin for the number of copies.

In the conventional sorting mode, if the sorter uses 10 bins from 1st to 10th, even if all the bins are additional bins, the paper stored in these 10 bins must be removed before the next It was not possible to use sort mode. Therefore, even if the total number of bins is an additional bin sorter, it will essentially only have the function of a 10-bin sorter, and the 11th to 10th bins will not be effectively utilized in terms of sort mode. become. These 11th to additional bins are used only in stack mode.

In other words, in the conventional sorting mode, when copying 5 sheets at a time and sorting from a document with a bin storage capacity of 70 sheets and a bin number addition pin of 100 sheets, ■ Set 100 sheets of document on the copying machine ■ Number of copies per copy When the 70th document is copied, the number of sheets that can be stored in the bin of the sorter becomes 70, and the copying operation is stopped.

■ Remove the stored paper from inside the sorter (pins 1 to 5).

■ Start copying again and copy the original from the 71st page.

■ End of sorting Follow the steps.

All sorting operations that exceed the number of bins stored will be interrupted midway.
2. Paper had to be removed from the sorter.

The present invention has been made in view of the drawbacks of conventional sorting modes in sorters, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sorter that can effectively utilize all bins of the sorter even when in sorting mode. be.

The present invention will be explained below based on an illustrated embodiment.

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the sorter.

The operating mechanism of this device will be explained below. The paper feeding path 8 starting from the paper insertion port 2 and the receiving roller 7 of the paper feeding device A includes a paper straightening device 13 having diagonal rollers 9, intermediate rollers 10. [Deflection Guide] Following the deflection guide 1, a vertical conveyance unit C is provided. In addition, the paper storage section J) has storage bins 21a in the vertical direction.
, 21b...21rl are provided at appropriate intervals. The vertical conveyance unit C consists of a conveyance bell) 20, a suction tank 30, a separating claw 31, and a driving device thereof formed by a solenoid 34, and is mounted on shafts 39 and 40 horizontally supported under the unit frame, respectively. Two conveyor belts (1.2 conveyor belts) are placed between two conveyor belts 19a and x9b. The pulley 19a is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow by a drive source (not shown).

It rotates from top to bottom along the receiving fill of 21b...21n. Storage bin 21 of conveyor belt 20. a...2
A suction tank 30 is provided in contact with the back surface in the 1n range.

The inside of the thinning tank 30 is held in a negative field, and the paper is attracted to the surface of the conveyor belt through slits provided in the wall in contact with the conveyor belt and small holes provided at equal intervals on the conveyor belt, and the paper is conveyed. The friction between the belt and the belt ensures that it is transported downward.

Each storage bin 2 is located between the two conveyor belts 20 and on both sides.
A paper separation claw 31 is provided at a position corresponding to 1a, 21b, . . . 2111, fixed to a support shaft 32 rotatably supported on the unit frame. Name support shaft: One end of 32 has a corresponding solenoid 3 fixed to the unit frame.
- A lever 33 whose other end is connected to one plunger via a spring 35 is fixed. When a certain solenoid 34 (for example, solenoid 34a in FIG. 3) is energized and its plunger is attracted by a command from a deflection command device (not shown), the lever 33 rotates clockwise by an angle α, and the stopper 44 The separation claw 31a protrudes through the conveyor belt and is positioned.
The separation is activated.

In addition, when the solenoid 34 is de-energized, the tip of the separation claw 31 is lowered by its own weight or by the spring when pressed, the lever 33 is still in contact with the stopper 43, and the tip of the separation claw 31 is aligned with the surface where the conveyor belt is applied. It also serves as a direction for vertical conveyance of paper. The separation claw 31 protrudes from the surface of the conveyor belt 20 at the above-mentioned separation operation position (
The upper surface of the ridge portion has a concave curved shape suitable for smoothly guiding the paper into the storage bin 21.

Since this device is configured as described above, when a certain solenoid (for example, the top solenoid 34a) is energized by a command W from a deflection command device (not shown) and enters the suction state during sorter operation, the separation claw 31a Rotate clockwise by angle α 1. The sheet is brought to an operating position protruding from the surface of the conveyor belt 2f), is sucked by the conveyor belt 20 by the action of the suction tank 30, and is conveyed vertically downward, and is conveyed by the separating claw 31a. The bottle 21a is separated from the belt and smoothly moves along the concave curved guide surface.
will be introduced in When a detection device (not shown) detects that the trailing edge of the paper has come off the separation claw 31a, the detection signal cuts off the current to the solenoid 34a and puts it in a non-excited state, causing the deflection claw 31a to move νitE away from the separation claw 31a. It is brought into the inactive position shown by the dashed line in FIG.

Then, the solenoid corresponding to the bin into which the next paper is to be inserted is energized, and the above operation is repeated 1, thus.
According to the instructions, the paper is inserted into each storage bin, and T-cutting is performed 2).

Bins 21a, 21b, 21c, ---21
The paper stored in n is sent to bin sensors 45a and 45b.
The presence or absence of paper in the bins 21a is determined.

The number of sheets stored in each bin is determined by counting the number of times each solenoid 34 is activated by a bin stock counter (described later).

In the top view, 46a and 46b are discharge sensors,
It detects jams.

Of course, these sort mode selection keys, stack mode keys, etc. are provided on a copying machine not shown in the figure.
k).

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of sorter control.

In the figure, 47 is an operation keyboard provided on the printer (copying machine), which has a number set key, a print start key, a first sort mode key (hereinafter referred to as 80T key), and a second key.
Sort mode keys (hereinafter referred to as 5OT2 keys) are arranged, and the pressing of each key is controlled by a key manual control circuit 48.

The input data for each key is stored in the printer control circuit 49 on the printer side. A comparison calculation circuit 50 on the sorter side connected by an interface processes the data in accordance with the operation of the sorter side. The uneven thickness portion drive circuit 52 is connected to each bin 21a.

Solenoids 34a, 34 corresponding to 21b...
b..., which drives the solenoid designated by the comparison calculation circuit 50, and the home position instruction signal output from the comparison calculation circuit and the sheet rear end detection circuit 54.
It is turned on by the output signal from.

The bin stock counter 51 has each bin 21a, 2
They are provided corresponding to the solenoids 34a, 34b, . . . of the sheets 1b, . The bin stock counter 51 is reset by the output signal of the bin sheet detection circuit 53.

Next, the operation of effectively using all the bins in such a sorter will be explained based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

Now, let us explain by assuming that the total number of bins in the sorter is n and the number of sheets that can be stored in the bin is N.

(2) When performing a collation operation, it is impossible to collate a number of copies that is greater than the total number of bins n of the sorter, so whether the collation operation is possible is determined based on the number of copies 01.

■ In the case of (n), collation is impossible, so copying is prohibited.

(2) When n1≦n in (2), the first bin (hereinafter referred to as the home position) in which the collation work starts is set to the first bin at the top, which is the first bin from the top of the bin...the n-th bin.

- When the print switch of the printer is turned on, collation work is performed from the first bin to the nth bin, and the copy paper is stored.

■ Add 1 to only the bottle stock counter for each bottle whose solenoid is turned on.

(2) Determine whether the contents N1 of the bin stock counters from the 1st bin to the 01st bin are smaller than the number N of sheets that can be stored in the bins.

If NI<N, return to ■ and wait.

■ If N in ■, ≧N, determine whether collation work can be continued. That is, the content of the bin stock counter of the +1 bin is checked to see if there is paper in the 7th +t pin.

(2) If there is paper in the -H+1 bin in (2), it is impossible to continue the collation operation, so copying is prohibited.

■ Waits in the inhibited state until the paper in all bins is removed.

■ If the paper in all bins is removed, all bin stock counters for each bin are reset, ■ Stand by in the initial state.

If there is no paper in the +1 bin at O■, it is determined that the collation work can be continued, and the number of copies 02 is checked.

In this case, the number of unstored bins is n/2, so n2 and "
Compare /2.

If Ont>”/2, collation is impossible, so copying is prohibited until the number of copies is corrected to n, ≦n/2 or until the paper in the bin is removed. .

0 If the copy is removed, go to [phase], reset and wait.

[Phase] If the condition 02≦n/2 is satisfied in (1), move the home position to the 7th+1 bin.

[Phase] When the printer's print switch is turned on,
The paper is collated from the first +1 bin to the (2) 10th bin and then stored.

◎ Among the bottle stock counters of each bottle, add 1 to the bottle stock counters of the first +1 bottle, ... and the second +n2 bottle whose solenoid was turned on.

[Phase] Determine whether the contents Nt of the bin trough counters from the first +1 bin to the first +1 bin are smaller than the number N of sheets that can be stored in the storage bin.

N, (If H, return to 0 and continue collating work.

If N, ≧N, go to ■ and prohibit copying.

The present invention is as described above, and in particular, when the number of copies is less than 1Σ in total number of bins, all the bins can be used effectively even if the number of originals in one set is greater than the number of sheets that can be stored in the bin. This method has the effect that the work can be done in one sort mode.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a simplified side view of a sorter used in the present invention, FIG. 2 is a control block diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart thereof. 21... Bin, 48... Key human control circuit, 50... Comparison calculation circuit. A・1 Fig.β 1 2nd Fig. 47 1/l Tahort -Input←1st r Pisonter circuit φτ rotation Δθ 妓operating circuit and non-1 medium EAL2 嬶fJ
circuit f4 times 14
Counter 52 times 5 / 3rd grade figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] The key includes means for comparing the required number of copies to be stored in the bin with the number of sheets that can be stored in the bin by a human control circuit, and means for determining the total number of bins as n and the contents of the center. A sorter characterized in that, when the number of sheets exceeds the number of sheets that can be stored, the remaining number of copies required is controlled to continue to execute the sorting mode in the bins below -"-n + 1st.