JP2554039B2 - Sorter device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a sorter device that sorts sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a system in which a copying machine and a sorter apparatus are interlocked with each other, it has been necessary to design the conveying speed of the sorter apparatus to be suitable for the process speed of the copying machine. Therefore, when the process speed of the copying machine is different, the same sorter device cannot be installed, and conversely, the same kind of copying device can be installed for the sorter device having a different process speed. Nakatsuta.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks and to be easily connectable to various image forming apparatuses that discharge sheets at respective conveying speeds, and to receive sheets at conveying speeds that match the respective discharging speeds. The purpose is to provide a sorter device that can perform.

To achieve this object, the present invention relates to a sorter device that sorts sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet, and a receiving unit that receives the sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus. Transporting means for transporting the sheets received by the receiving part, and sorting means for sorting the sheets transported by the transporting means,
Two detecting units arranged between the receiving unit and the conveying unit at a predetermined interval in the sheet conveying direction to detect passage of the sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus, and the two detecting units. And a control unit that changes the sheet conveyance speed by the conveyance unit according to the sheet discharge speed of the image forming apparatus obtained from the result.

 Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Practical Example FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram in which a sorter apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a copying apparatus which is an image forming apparatus. Here, 1 indicates a copying apparatus, and a portion 2 indicated by a broken line indicates a transfer paper conveyance path. Reference numeral 3 is a paper discharge roller, and 4 is a sorter device according to the present invention. The portion indicated by C1 is the first conveyance path conveyed at the discharge speed by the discharge rollers 3 of the copying apparatus 1, C2
The portion indicated by is the second transport path transported by the drive source of the sorter device 4. Reference numerals 8 and 9 respectively denote a first sensor and a second sensor for detecting passage of copy paper. Here, the sensors 8 and 9 can be constructed by an optical sensor, a micro switch, or other well-known techniques.

FIG. 2 shows the overall configuration of the control means included in the sorter device to which the present invention is applied. Here, 18 and 19 are buffer circuits, which introduce the output signals of the sensors 8 and 9 and send the sensor output signals 8A and 8B to a controller, for example, a microprocessor 20. From this controller 20, various control signals 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30 are transmitted. 3
2 is for transporting the transfer paper inside the sorter,
This is an AC type conveyance motor that rotates in response to a control signal 22. Reference numeral 34 is a solid state relay for applying an AC voltage to the motor 32. 36,38,40 and 42
Indicates a clutch for switching gears in order to change the transfer paper conveyance speed. Various known interfaces 44, 46, 48, 50 and 52 are connected between the controller 32 and the motor 32 and the clutches 36 to 42 described above.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a sequence for determining the transport speed of the transfer paper in the control means shown in FIG.

The operation will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. First, when the transfer paper discharged from the copying machine 1 is sent to the sorter device 4, the first sensor 8 at the entrance of the sorter device 4 detects it in step S1 and the next step is detected.
S2 sets the timer. Furthermore, the transfer paper is the first transport path C1.
Next, the second sensor 9 detects the transfer sheet at step S3, and at step S4, the second sensor 9 detects the transfer sheet.
The value of the timer set by is stored in the memory, and then the timer is reset (see step S5).

Then, in response to the time T (that is, the value stored in the above-mentioned memory) for the transfer sheet to pass between the first sensor 8 and the second sensor 9, the determination in step S6 is made. If T = A, the clutch 1 is turned on in step S7, and if T ≠ A, the process proceeds to step S8. If T = B, the clutch 2 is turned on at step S9, and T ≠ B
Then proceed to step S10. At step S10, T = C
Then, in step S11, the clutch 3 is turned on.
Thereafter, similarly, the process proceeds to step S12.

In this way, by measuring the time for the transfer paper sent from the copying machine 1 to pass a predetermined distance, the conveying speed of the second conveying path C2 in the sorter device is changed, and the process of the copying machine 1 is also changed. Store the transfer paper in the sorter at a speed suitable for the speed.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the speed of the transfer paper sent from the copying apparatus is detected inside the sorter apparatus, but it is also possible to perform the speed detection between the copying apparatus 1 and the sorter apparatus 4. is there. In this case, the copying machine 1 has the first sensor 8
The second sensor 9 is provided near the entrance of the sorter device 4.
Therefore, the first transport path C1 shown in FIG. 1 is unnecessary.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the sorter is conveyed by an AC motor and the clutch is switched to switch the speed. However, the present invention can be applied to the case where the sorter is conveyed by the DC motor. That is, by controlling the speed of this DC motor, it is possible to perform speed switching according to the conveyance speed of the copying machine main body. Fig. 4 shows a block diagram of the control system.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, 60 is a speed detection sensor,
62 is a sorter control unit, 64 is a speed switching signal, 66 is a speed control circuit using a PLL (phase lock loop), 68 is a DC motor drive circuit, 70 is a DC motor, 72 is an encoder, and 74 is an encoder signal. Here, since the conveyance speed is detected in the same manner as when the AC motor is used, the description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the speed control circuit in the embodiment shown in FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 5, 80 is a control unit (CPU), 82 is an oscillator that generates a reference frequency (F _S ), 84 is a reference frequency signal, and 86 is a PL with a pitch controller.
L., 88 is the output signal of PLL86, 90 is the DC motor drive circuit,
92 is a DC motor, 94 is a pulse encoder, 96 is a motor encode input signal, 98 is an UP signal sent from the control unit 80,
100 also indicates a DOWN signal. Here, the PLL 86 with a pitch controller controls the motor speed at a constant speed by comparing the reference frequency F _S with the frequency of the pulse encoder input signal F _G. That is, it is an IC in which a PLL circuit is integrated, and also has a function of changing the speed of the motor to be controlled by supplying the UP signal and the DOWN signal sent from the control unit 80.

By using these circuits described above, it becomes possible to easily and inexpensively change the transport speed of the sorter. Thus, the object of the present invention is achieved.

Effect As described above, according to the present invention, the passage of the sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus is detected at a predetermined interval between the image forming apparatus and the conveying unit in the sheet conveying direction. The sorter device to which the present invention is applied has two detecting means, and changes the sheet conveying speed by the conveying means according to the sheet discharging speed of the image forming apparatus obtained from the detection results of the two detecting means. The sheet can be received from the image forming apparatus at a conveyance speed that is automatically adapted to the sheet discharging speed of the image forming apparatus. As described above, the present invention can provide a sorter device with high versatility.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a sorter device according to the present invention is mounted on a copying machine, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the control means provided in the sorter device shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. A flow chart showing a control procedure for determining the transfer speed of the transfer paper in the sorter, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is used in the embodiment shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows a speed control circuit. 1 ... Copying device, 2 ... Transfer paper transport path, 3 ... Paper discharge roller, 4 ... Sorter device, C1 ... First transport path, C2 ... Second transport path, 8 ... First sensor , 9 ... second sensor, 8A ... first sensor output signal, 9A ... second sensor output signal, 18 ... buffer circuit, 19 ... buffer circuit, 20 ... controller, 22-30 ... control signal , 32 ...... Motor, 34 ...... Solid state relay, 36 ~ 42 ...... Clutch, 44 ~ 52 ...... Interface, S1 ~ S12 ...... Step, 60 ...... Speed detection sensor, 62 ...... Sorter controller , 64 ...... Speed switching signal, 66 ...... Speed control circuit using PLL etc., 68 ...... DC motor drive circuit, 70 …… DC motor, 72 …… Encoder, 74 …… Encoder signal, 80 …… Control section (CPU), 82 ... reference frequency oscillator, 84 ... reference frequency signal 86, PLL with pitch controller, 88 ... Force signal, 90 ...... DC motor driving circuit, 92 ...... DC motors, 94 ...... pulse encoder, 96 ...... motor encode input signals, 98 ...... UP signal, 100 ...... DOWN signal.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A sorter device that sorts sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet, a receiving unit that receives the sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus, and a sheet that is received by the receiving unit. Transporting means for transporting the sheets, sorting means for sorting the sheets transported by the transporting means, arranged at a predetermined interval in the sheet transporting direction between the receiving part and the transporting means, and Two detection units that detect the passage of the discharged sheet, and the sheet conveyance speed of the conveyance unit are changed according to the sheet ejection speed of the image forming apparatus obtained from the detection results of the two detection units. And a control means.