JPS60252563A - 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 [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to a sorter that is installed online in a copying machine that is equipped with an interrupt or manual copying function.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems] Recently, for example, copying machines have been developed that can be equipped with various additional devices, and these additional devices include, for example, a sorter or a document feeder. There is. Among these, the sorter is attached to the copying machine in place of the paper discharge tray, and is very convenient because it sorts, collates, and stores the sheets copied by the copying machine into a plurality of bins. In such a sorter, when paper is being sorted, an interrupt or manual copying is performed, and each time the copied paper is stored in a bin in the middle of the saw 1, the user It is necessary to take out the paper from the bin in the middle of sorting.

In addition, if the sorter is equipped with a function that moves paper to an interrupt bin designated to store paper for interrupt or manual copying in response to an interrupt or manual copying request, interrupt or manual copying may occur while the bin is moving. For a sorter that does not detect a mid-term cancellation or a repeat request, it is necessary to move to the interrupt bin or the bin position before the interrupt or manual copy request and then move again, which is very inconvenient for the user. There was a problem.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to prevent the saw 1 from taking out the paper from the bin in the middle of the saw 1 during interruption or manual copying. It is an object of the present invention to provide an extremely convenient sorter that eliminates the hassle of copying and can quickly respond to interruptions or midway cancellations or re-requests for manual copying.

[Summary of the Invention] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention detects a request during interruption or manual copying and stores the paper in a specific bin designated to store the paper for interruption or manual copying. Furthermore, the system detects an interruption or the end of manual copying and returns the bin to the position before the interruption or manual copying request.

[Embodiment of the Invention] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a copying machine equipped with a sorter according to the present invention. That is, 1 is a housing of a copying machine, and on one side of this housing 1 is a non-feed paper cassette 2 that stores paper P.
An overprint paper cassette 3 is removably provided, and a manual paper feed tray 4 is provided for manually feeding paper P during manual copying. Furthermore, a paper discharge tray 5 is detachably provided on the other side of the housing 1. A document table 6 is fixed to the upper part of the housing 1, and an exposure lamp 7 and a mirror 8 are used to transfer the document set thereon.
The mirrors 9 and 10 reciprocate in synchronization with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 11 while moving to keep the optical path length constant. The original set on the original platen 6 is illuminated by the exposure lamp 7, and the reflected light is reflected by the mirrors 8, 9, and 10, passes through the lens system 12, is further reflected by the mirror 13, and illuminates the surface of the photoreceptor drum 11. image is formed. The charging device 14 is disposed near the photoreceptor drum 11 and charges the surface of the photoreceptor drum 11. This electrification becomes a latent image that is partially erased by the illumination during image formation, and is developed by the developing device 15. The paper P in the lower wheel paper cassette 2 is taken out one by one by the sketch paper roller 16, and the paper P is taken out one by one by the sketch paper roller 16,
The developed toner image on the photosensitive drum 11 is transferred onto the paper P by a transfer charger 19. The paper P on which this toner image has been transferred is peeled off from the surface of the photoreceptor drum 11 by the action of a peeling charger 20, and then guided by a conveyor belt 21 to a heat roller 22 as a fixing device, where the toner image is transferred. After the toner image is fixed, the paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray 5 by the paper discharge roller 23. On the other hand, the surface of the photoreceptor drum 11 after the transfer is cleaned by a cleaner 24, residual charges are erased by a discharge lamp 25, and the photoreceptor drum 11 returns to the charger 14 for charging. Note that when the overprint paper cassette 3 is selected, paper is fed by the overprint paper roller 26 in the same manner as in the case of the non-feeding paper cassette 2. Further, the paper P fed from the manual paper feed table 4 is guided to the registration rollers 17 by the manual paper feed roller 27 . Furthermore, the paper ejection switch 28 detects the paper P to be ejected, and the door switch 29 detects the opening/closing of a front door for maintenance and inspection (not shown), and activates a safety device and the like.

FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) show the state in which the sorter is attached to the above-mentioned copying machine and its details.

This sorter can be installed in place of the paper discharge tray 5 shown in FIG. 1 by removing it, and its general configuration will be described below. The copied paper P discharged from the copying machine by the paper discharge roller 23 is guided through a guide path 32 formed in the housing 31.
and guided to the conveyance rollers 33. A paper detection switch 34 is provided in front of the conveyance roller 33 to detect that the paper P has been fed into the sorter. The conveyance roller 33 conveys the paper P sent through the guide path 32 and sends it to the bin group 35 . This bin group 35 includes a plurality of bins, for example, 10 bins 351 to 3, each containing the paper P.
510 are provided spaced apart in the vertical direction at predetermined intervals. One end of each of the bottles 351 to 351o in the longitudinal direction is a free end, and each other end is a roller 3.
It is fixed at 61-3610. Each of these rollers 36
1 to 361o are provided in a line in a vertically vertically slidable manner within an elongated groove 37 formed in the vertical direction.

A bin moving cam 38 is provided near the transport roller 33 at approximately the center of the groove 37 in the vertical direction. Further, the roller 361o at the lowest position of each of the rollers 36t to 361o is always urged in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure (upward) by a spring or the like (not shown). This state (the state shown in the figure) is the initial state. When the bin moving cam 38 rotates, one roller falls into a recess 39° 39 formed opposite to each other on the outer circumferential surface of the cam 38 by the biasing force of the spring, so that the bottle moving cam 38 is rotated. Each roller 3 rotates every half rotation of the cam 38.
The bins 61 to 3610 (that is, the bins 351 to 351o) are moved one by one in the vertical direction. In addition, 40
41 is a cam position switch for detecting the position of the bin moving cam 38, and 41 is the home position where the bin group 35 is at its initial position)
home position switch for detecting that the
is a support member for supporting one end of the lowermost bin 351o. In such a configuration, the copied paper P passes through the paper ejection roller 23 and the paper ejection switch 28,
When the leading edge reaches the paper detection switch 34, the sorter detects this and rotates the conveyance roller 33, causing the bin group 35
・'\Send paper P. When the trailing edge of the paper P passes the paper detection switch 34, the rotation of the +a feed roller 33 is stopped after a certain period of time.

By the way, the sorter has three operating modes: a non-sort l-mode, which functions in the same way as the paper output tray 5;
There is a sort mode in which a number of page-aligned copies are created from a manuscript consisting of a plurality of sheets arranged in page order, and a group mode in which there are many manuscripts to be copied and the copies are classified by manuscript. These modes are selected by the user by operating a mode switch provided in the operation panel of the sorter (not shown). Further, as will be described later, if it is not used for a certain period of time (approximately 30 seconds), it returns to the initial state, that is, the non-sort mode, along with the number of copies.

Therefore, when the sorter is in the non-sort mode, all the sheets P are stored in the topmost bin 351, and the bin group 3
5 movement is not performed. When the sorter is in the sort mode, when the paper P is stored in the bin group 35, the bin moving cam 38 is rotated in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure, and the cam position switch 40 is turned on and off once. is 1
Detects when the object moves. In this state, when a plurality of copies are made for one document, the sorter performs sorting by moving the bin group 35 one by one in a fixed direction until the last sheet P is stored. Then, when the last sheet P is stored in the bin group 35, the bin moving cam 38. The rotation direction of the original is set in the opposite direction, and the copies of the next original are sorted. When the sorter is in group mode, one or more copies of a single document are made;
When the paper P after R is stored in the bin group 35, the bin moving cam 38 is rotated in the direction of the arrow to move the bin group 35 by one. Note that when the sorter operation mode is changed or the initial setting operation is performed, the bin group 35 is moved to the lowest position by rotating the bin moving cam 38 in the direction opposite to the arrow direction until the home position switch 41 is turned on. (initial state).

Next, an example of a control means for controlling the operations of the copying machine and sorter configured as described above will be explained with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG. First, the copying machine control unit 51 receives signals from a copying switch 52 and other switches/detection units 53 provided in the operation panel of the copying machine (not shown), and controls the drive system/process system 54 and the copying machine (not shown). It controls the display unit 55 provided in the operation panel and controls the entire copying operation. This copying machine control section 51 mainly consists of a micro combi coater and its peripheral circuits, and has a built-in memory (ROM).
It operates according to programs stored in advance and performs various controls.

The display section 55 is for displaying illustrations of various operating states, and uses a liquid crystal display panel as shown in FIG. 4 as an example. The display section 55 includes a symbol 61 indicating the outer shape of the housing 1, a symbol G2 indicating the photosensitive drum 11, a symbol 63 indicating the paper feed force cellars 1 to 2.3, a symbol 64 indicating that the copy is possible, and a symbol G2 indicating the photosensitive drum 11. Each of them has a symbol 65 or the like indicating a disabled state as a display ceramic h.

Next, the sorter control unit 56 controls the paper detection switch 34,
It receives signals from the cam position switch 40, the home position switch 41, the mode switch 57 provided in the operation panel of the sorter (not shown), etc.
3, a motor 59 that drives the bin moving cam 38, and a display section 60 provided in the operation panel of the sorter (not shown) for displaying operating status, jams, etc. It is in charge of overall control. This sorter control section 56 is also mainly composed of a microcomputer and its peripheral circuits, and operates according to a program preliminarily stored in a built-in memory to perform various controls.

The copying machine control section 51 and the sorter control section 56 are connected by 13 ink face lines that are connected when the sorter is attached to a copying machine.

For copying, the control unit 51 outputs a sorter initial setting signal 5-INIT, an interrupt copy 1 word INTRPT, a bin initialization signal QB-CLR1 a copying operation signal C-RUN, a jam release signal J-CLR1, and a paper discharge signal. EXIT and final copy signal C-END are output, respectively, and these signals are input to the sorter control section 56, respectively. The signal 5-INIT is turned on when the power of the copying machine is off, when it is in the power saving state, and when the operating state is initialized by the idle timer or the like. All the displays on the display section 60 are turned off, and the motors 58 and 59 are turned off. Also, when this signal S-I N I T turns from on to off,
The sorter control unit 56 initializes the operating state and bin position. The signal INTRPT is turned on when the copying machine enters the interrupt copying state (including manual copying by manual paper feed), and this causes the sorter control unit 56 to control whether paper P other than the interrupt copy is being stored in the group mode. After storing it, move the bin to the top position, bin 351.
and stores the paper P for interruption copying.

Also, when this signal INTRPT turns from on to off,
The sorter control unit 56 returns the bin group 35 to the position before entering the interrupt copying state, allowing operation to resume in group mode. The signal B-CLR is turned on for a certain period of time when the copy number setting is changed or the copy number is cleared in the copying machine.
~ mode, the bin group 35 is moved to the initial state. The signal C-RUN is turned on when the copying machine is in the process of copying, and as a result, the sorter control section 56 does not accept a signal from the mode switch 57 for changing the operation mode of the sorter, and changes the operation mode. No changes made. Signal J
-CLR is turned on when the front door of the copying machine is opened (and the door switch 29 is turned off).This causes the sorter control section 56 to release the jammed state of the sorter and also causes the motor 58. 59 is turned off.The signal EXIT is turned on while the paper P passes through the paper ejection switch 28 of the copying machine, so that the sorter control unit 56 is turned on for a certain period of time after this signal EXIT is turned on. If the paper detection switch 34 is not turned on within a certain period of time, or if the M detection switch 34 is not turned off within a certain period of time after this signal EXIT is turned off, it is determined that a jam has occurred in the sorter.The signal C-END is , is turned on for a certain period of time while the copying machine is ejecting the last sheet P of continuous copying or the sheet P of one sheet of copying, and this allows the sorter control section 56 to set the number of copies to be sorted and to set the number of copies to be sorted when in the sorting mode. The moving direction of the group 35 is reversed, and the bin group 35 is moved in the group mode.

On the other hand, the sorter control unit 56 sends a sorter operation signal MS-B.
USY, sorter jam signal S-JAM, sorter mode signal S, -IVI OD E O, S-MO
D El, paper storage signal C-RCV, sorter connection signal 5
-AVAIL are respectively output, and these signals are respectively input to the copying machine control section 51. signal 5-susy
When the mode is changed by operating the mode switch 57 for changing the mode of the sorter, when the power of the sorter is turned off, when there is an interrupt copying request from the copying machine, or when a jam occurs. It is turned on when something happens.

As a result, the copying machine control unit 51 interrupts the copying operation if it is in progress, flashes the copying enabled symbol 64 and the copying disabled symbol 65 on the display unit 55, and disables the copying operation from starting. The signal S-JAM is turned on when a jam occurs in the sorter, causing the copying machine control section 51 to interrupt the copying operation, and the signal S-JAM is turned off. The copy operation cannot be started until Signals 5-MoDEO and 5-MoDEl indicate the operating status of the sorter and the allowable number of bins to the copying machine control unit 5.
1. This signal S-, M ODE
○, signal 5-I is used to determine whether 5-MoDEl indicates the operating state of the sorter or the allowable number of bins.
Using NIT, signal 8-INIT is on to indicate the number of bins allowed for scraping, and when off to indicate the operating state of the sorter. Accordingly, when the number of copies is set to be greater than the allowable number of bins while the sorter is in the sort mode, the copying machine control section 51 causes the number of copies display to blink and disables the start of the copying operation. The signal (RCVI) is turned on for a certain period of time when the trailing edge of the paper P is correctly stored in the bin group 35. This signal causes the copy control section 51 to know the number of sheets P that are correctly stored in the sorter. , corrects the number of copies when the sorter is in a jam state.Signal 5-AVA
IL confirms that the sorter is connected to the copier control unit 5.
1, and the copying machine control unit 51 selects a program so as to have a control sequence including a sorter.

By the way, when interrupt copying or manual copying is performed in a copying machine, the sorter control unit 56 detects this using the signal INTRPT, and moves the bin group 35 to the interrupt designated to store the paper P for the interrupt or manual copying. Select the bin you want to use.

At this time, the sorter control unit 56 checks the signal INTRPT every time the bin group 35 moves by one, and checks the signal INTRPT.
If the signal INTRPT remains on, the movement is performed in the direction of the interrupt bin, and if the signal INTRPT is turned off, the movement is performed in the direction of the bin position before the interruption or manual copying. Similarly, when the sorter control unit 56 detects that the signal INTRPT is turned off after an interruption or manual copying is performed and moves to the bin position before the interruption or manual copying, the same applies. The sorter control unit 56 outputs a signal I every time the bin group 35 moves by one.
The NTRP block is checked and the moving direction of the bin group 35 is determined. For this operation, move the interrupt bin to the top bin 3.
FIG. 5 shows a flowchart when it is set to 51. Note that when the sorter for which the interrupt bin is designated as the uppermost bin 351 is in the sort mode and the sorting for one document is completed, and the bin group 35 is in a position other than the uppermost bin 351, an interrupt is generated. Alternatively, when manual copying is performed and the copying is completed and the interrupt or manual copying state is canceled, the sorting is performed even if sorting is restarted from the topmost bin 35z without moving the bin group 35. There is no problem at all above.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, according to the present invention, at the time of interruption or manual copying, the request is detected and the paper is placed in a specific bin designated to store the paper for interruption or manual copying. In addition, the end of interruption or manual copying is detected and the bin position is returned to the position before the interruption or manual copying was requested. It is possible to provide an extremely convenient sorter that eliminates the hassle of taking out copies and can quickly respond to interruptions or mid-way cancellations or re-requests for manual copying.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional front view of a copying machine, Fig. 2 is a side view showing a state in which a sorter is attached for copying, and Fig. 3 is a control FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the means, FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of the display section, and FIG. 1゜P...paper, 1...copying machine housing, 6...document stand, 7...exposure lamp, 11... ...Photoreceptor drum, 15...
...Developer, 22...Heat roller, 31...
... Sorter housing, 35 ... Bin group, 35
1 to -3510... Bin, 351...
- Uppermost position bin (specific bin), 38... Bin movement cam, 51... Copying machine control unit, 56.
... Sorter control unit, INTRPT ... Interrupt copy signal. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] (1) It is installed in a copying machine with a function of interrupt copying or manual copying, and selectively moves a plurality of bins to sort and store copies of paper in the bins. A means for detecting an interrupt or manual copying request in a sorter that moves the bin to select a specific bin designated to store the interrupt or manual copying sheet; 1. A sorter comprising means for detecting when the sorter is finished and moving the bin to select the bin position before an interrupt or manual copy request. (2> Even if the machine is moving to a specific bin due to a request for loading or manual copying, when the cancellation of the request is detected, the bin will be moved to select the bin position before the interrupt or manual copying request. The sorter according to claim 1, characterized in that: (3) Even if the interrupt or manual copying is completed and the user is moving from a specific bin to the bin position before the interruption or manual copying request, the interrupt or manual copying is not performed. 2. The sorter according to claim 1, wherein when a re-request is detected, the sorter moves the bins in order to select a specific bin.