JP3166677B2 - Paper sorting device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet sorting apparatus which is installed on a sheet discharge side of an image forming apparatus such as a facsimile, a printer, a copying machine, etc., and sorts discharged sheets in units of documents.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION When a document is printed out by an image forming apparatus such as a facsimile, a printer, a copying machine, etc., sheets are sequentially discharged onto one tray and stacked. At this time, there is no problem if the sheet bundle is taken out from the tray when the printout of one document is completed. However, a plurality of documents may be continuously discharged and stacked on one tray. In such a case, if the documents are sorted and discharged in units of a document, the position of the separation between the documents can be easily determined at the time of removal.

[0003] As a sorting device for identifying such a break position, there is, for example, a device having an offset function. This is to shift the position for discharging the paper for each document. As a result, the position is shifted little by little in a unit of a sheet bundle constituting the same document, so that it can be understood that the portion where the position is shifted becomes a document break.

[0004] Further, there is a printer having a function of inserting a ribbon or the like between documents. However, in such an apparatus, a ribbon is placed on the sheet discharged onto the tray, the next sheet is discharged from above, and the ribbon is inserted between the sheets. When the ribbon is supplied, the tray is discharged. Since the processing is temporarily stopped, a processing time for inserting a ribbon or the like is required, and productivity is deteriorated. Further, since the ribbon or the like is only sandwiched between the sheets, the ribbon or the like may fall off when the sheet bundle is taken out of the tray, and there is a problem that the sorting position becomes unclear.

[0005] Furthermore, there is a method of preparing a plurality of trays and changing the tray to be discharged for each document. However, doing so increases the size of the apparatus and increases the cost. And it cannot be mounted on small machines.

[0006] The same problem as described above also occurs when discharging sheets continuously read by the document reading apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above background, and an object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problem and to separate a plurality of documents onto one tray even if the documents are stacked and discharged. Can be easily understood, the sorting operation can be performed in a short time and accurately, the attachment of the tag to the paper can be easily and reliably performed in a short time, and the configuration can be realized with a simple and small configuration. It is an object of the present invention to provide a paper sorting apparatus capable of reducing costs.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a paper sorting apparatus according to the present invention is provided on a paper discharge side of an image processing apparatus, and adheres a tag to a predetermined paper to be discharged. A drawing device (corresponding to the drawing rollers 20 and 45 in the embodiment) for continuously drawing a band-shaped tape having one side edge coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive;
Cutter means for manufacturing the tag by cutting the end of the belt-shaped tape drawn by the drawing means; and means for guiding the manufactured tag to a predetermined position on the sheet (in the embodiment, the guide 26, the tag sticking means) Roller 48, a sticky nip roller 49, etc.), and conveying means (rollers, belts) for sandwiching the sticky note and the paper from both sides in a partially superposed state and applying a conveying force. It is assumed that the sticky note and the sheet pass through the means and are pressed with a predetermined force to adhere the sticky note to the sheet via the pressure-sensitive adhesive.

Here, the image processing apparatus may be of any type as long as it has a function of continuously discharging printed paper or paper as a read original. More specifically, the image processing apparatus includes an image forming apparatus having a function of printing and outputting an image on a sheet, such as a printer, a facsimile, a copying machine, and a printing machine, and a scanner, an OCR, a copying machine, a facsimile, and the like. There is an image reading device having a function of reading the original. Further, as is apparent from the illustrated apparatus, for example, a device having both an image forming function and an image reading function, such as a copying machine and a facsimile, may be provided. A paper sorting device may be provided or one of them may be provided.

Then, the sheets discharged from the image processing apparatus are sequentially stacked on a tray. A sticky note is supplied during the unloading of the sheet, and the sticky note and the sheet are passed through in a partially overlapped state by a conveying means such as a pair of rollers. At this time, at least the pressure-sensitive adhesive provided on the tag is made to contact the paper.
Then, the paper and the sticky note are pressurized when passing between the transporting means, so that the sticky note is adhered to a predetermined position of the paper by the adhesive action of the pressure-sensitive adhesive.

Therefore, the sheets can be sorted using the tag as a mark. That is, for example, in the case of outputting a plurality of documents, by attaching a tag to the first or last sheet of each document, it is possible to easily visually recognize the break of the document.
The sorting method is not limited to this. And
Since the sticky note is adhered to the paper with an adhesive, the possibility that the tag itself is unintentionally detached and the sorting position becomes unclear is suppressed as much as possible. Further, since the paper and the sticky note that are being conveyed are sandwiched and conveyed by the conveying means, the sticky note can be attached without temporarily stopping the conveyance of the paper, and the workability is improved.

Under the above-mentioned premise, according to the present invention, the transporting means takes a first position in which both sides of the sheet and the tag are in contact with each other, and a second position in which at least one side is separated,
When the sticky note is attached to the paper, the first position is set. When the sticky note is not attached to the paper, the second position is set.
Position. An example of a more specific configuration in this case is as follows. When the transporting unit includes a pair of rollers (one or both of which are belts), for example, at least one of the rollers is moved so that both rollers can be separated from each other. The pair of rollers may be brought into contact with each other when the sticky note is attached to the paper, and the pair of rollers may be separated when the sticky note is not attached to the paper (other than that is also possible).

That is, in this case, when the sticky note is not attached, the conveying means such as a roller and a belt for applying the sticky note are separated from the paper, so that an unnecessary load is not applied and stable conveyance can be performed. In addition, wasteful consumption can be reduced.

In such a case, switching between the position at which the conveying force is applied by the conveying device and the position at which the conveying force is released is performed in conjunction with the operation of the cutter device, and the cutter device cuts the strip tape. When carrying out, it is good to make it the position which gives the said conveyance force. As an example of a specific structure corresponding to the present invention, for example, when the transporting means includes a pair of rollers, a belt, or the like, at least one of the pair of rollers or the like moves in conjunction with the operation of the cutter means. The two rollers can be brought into contact with each other when performing the processing of cutting the band-shaped tape by the cutter means.

That is, in order to attach a tag, it is necessary to operate the cutter means as a pre-process before moving the cutter blade forward to cut the strip tape. Therefore, by changing the state (presence or absence of a conveying force) of the conveying means following the operation of the means of the cutter, the pair of rollers can be brought into contact simply and reliably only when necessary. In the embodiment, for example, it is realized by the action of the link arm 55, the torsion spring 56, the push rod 58 and the like.

The attachment surface of the tag to the sheet may be on the upper side or the lower side, but it is preferable that the tag is bonded to the lower side of the sheet. With such a configuration, in a state where the sheet to which the sticky note is adhered is discharged onto the tray, the attached portion of the sticky note is covered with the sheet. Therefore, there is no danger that the next sheet to be ejected hits the bonding portion between the already ejected sheet and the sticky note, and the sticky note is peeled off, or the sheet conveyance / stacking posture is lost.

Further, there is provided a mark printing means for printing a mark such as a predetermined color pattern or a character on the tag, and a control means for controlling the operation of the mark printing means. May be configured so that the same mark is printed on the sheets constituting the document and different marks are printed on the sheets constituting the different documents.

The mark printing means may be, for example, an ink jet unit or a bubble jet unit having a plurality of nozzles capable of ejecting different colors, a stamper which can be used by switching different color patterns, and various other types. A configuration can be adopted. Then, when a mark such as a color pattern is printed at a predetermined position on the tag by a mark printing means, sorting on a per-document basis and taking out from the tray can be performed by taking out a sheet bundle with the same tag attached. Easy to do.

Further, when the tag is attached, the tag may be always arranged at the same position on the sheet, or the attachment position of the tag on the sheet may be changed. It is preferable to shift the attachment position in this way, since the position of the sheet break can be recognized at a glance. The change of the attachment position can be easily adjusted by shifting the feeding timing of the band-shaped tape (sticky note).

Further, a tag detecting means for directly detecting the presence or absence of the tag may be provided in front of the conveying means in the conveying direction, and a function for judging whether or not the tag is normally attached may be provided. In this way, it is possible to directly recognize whether or not the tag is attached to the sheet, so that the possibility of erroneous determination is suppressed as much as possible. This is preferable in terms of cost.

Further, an end detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of the band-shaped tape is provided in the middle of the drawing path of the band-shaped tape,
When the end detecting means detects the end of the band-shaped tape, a request to replace the band-shaped tape may be output. In this case, since the end of the band-shaped tape is directly recognized, the tape break can be reliably recognized, and the band-shaped tape can be used effectively. It should be noted that “detected” includes, of course, the case immediately after the detection, but is not limited thereto, and may be performed after the belt-shaped tape is fed out by a certain distance. That is, an exchange request may be issued based on the detection signal.

Further, at least the drawing means,
The cutter means and the means for guiding the tag to a predetermined position on the paper are operated by a power transmission mechanism that transmits the output of one drive motor, and by repeatedly executing the following four modes, The sticky note may be attached to the paper. (1) By rotating the drive motor in a predetermined direction, the pulling means is operated to pull out the belt-shaped tape by a predetermined amount. (2) By rotating the drive motor in the direction opposite to the above (1), the cutter blade of the cutter means is moved forward to cut the drawn-out band-shaped tape to produce a tag having a predetermined width. (3) By rotating the drive motor in the same direction as in (1) above, the leading means is operated while the advanced cutter blade is stopped, and the sticky note produced in (2) is transported to form To a predetermined position. (4) By rotating the driving motor in the direction opposite to the above (1), the cutter blade of the cutter means is moved backward to prepare for the next cutting.

In this case, the number of driving sources becomes one, and
The mechanism and various controls are simplified, and the cost can be reduced. Note that the above (1) to (4) need to be repeatedly performed in that order, but the initial state is not necessarily limited to (1) and may be started from an arbitrary step.

[0024]

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a paper sorting apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of upper and lower discharge rollers 11 is disposed inside the vicinity of a discharge port of an image forming apparatus 10 such as a printer, and a sheet 12 is inserted between the pair of discharge rollers 11. It is discharged to the outside by receiving the transfer force from. And
A tray (not shown) is provided below the discharge port, and the discharged paper 12 is then naturally dropped and stacked on the tray. When all the sheets have been discharged, the sheet stack stacked on the tray is taken out.

The paper sorting device 14 of the present invention
A tag is attached to a predetermined position on the upper surface of the sheet 12 discharged from the discharge port, which is attached above the discharge unit of the image forming apparatus 10. Sorting is performed based on the attached sticky note, and the sticking operation is performed during transport without stopping the paper 12 discharge process.

More specifically, a material roll 16 is rotatably attached to the housing 15. The web roll 16 is formed by winding a paper strip tape 17. In use, the strip tape 17 continuously drawn from the web roll 16 is guided to a predetermined position along the transport path 19.
As shown in FIG. 3B, a pressure-sensitive adhesive 18 is applied to one side edge of the belt-shaped tape 17. This adhesive 18 may be adhered to a paper or the like on the surface to be adhered, for example, as used in Post-it (registered trademark) or the like.
Thereafter, it is preferable to use a material that can be easily peeled off and that does not leave the adhesive on the paper side.

At the lower end of the transport path 19, a pair of pull-out rollers 20, 20 are arranged, and the belt-shaped tape 17 is sandwiched between the pull-out rollers 20, 20 from both sides, and the pull-out rollers 20, 20 rotate. By doing so, the band-shaped tape 17
Is drawn out. Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the adhesive 18 is attached to one side edge of the belt-shaped tape 17, so that the portion of the surface of the pull-out rollers 20, 20 facing the adhesive 18 is one step lower. And does not come into contact with the adhesive 18.

A cutter device 22 is disposed below the pull-out rollers 20, 20, and the band-shaped tape 17 drawn by the cutter device 22 is cut at a predetermined width to form a tag 24. The cut position is
The width may be the same as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1B, or the width may be changed.

The cutter device 22 connects the tip of the operating rod 22c to a cutter holder 22b on which a cutter blade 22a is mounted. The upper end of the operating rod 22c is connected to a rotation shaft 22d, and rotates forward and backward around the rotation shaft 22d within a predetermined angle range. And, in the intermediate portion of the operating rod 22c,
The eccentric cam 22e is in contact. Thus, when the eccentric cam 22e rotates, the operating rod 22c rotates forward and reverse, and the cutter holder 22b, that is, the cutter blade 22a reciprocates linearly following the rotation. Then, the belt-shaped tape 17 is cut by the forward movement of the cutter blade 22a.

Then, by being cut in such a manner, the tag 24 is formed by being separated one by one from the leading end of the belt-shaped tape 17. This sticky note 24 falls, and guide 2
It is guided to the bonding position along 6. The sticky note 24 supplied to the guide 26 is further conveyed with the rotation of the pressure roller 27 and is guided to come into contact with the sheet 12 at a predetermined position on the side edge thereof.
It is sandwiched between the pressure roller 27 and the pressure receiving roller 28 and pressed by a predetermined pressure. As a result, the adhesive portion of the tag 24 is pressed against the sheet 12, so that the sheet 12 and the tag 24 are bonded and integrated. Since the rotation speed of the pressure roller 27 and the rotation speed of the discharge roller 11 are made equal to each other and the rotation is performed in synchronization, the tag 24 is adhered to the paper 12 in a series of operations without stopping the discharge operation of the paper 12. can do. Although not shown, the drawing roller 20
22e of the cutting device 22 and the pressing roller 27
And the like are linked to an appropriate drive motor, and are intermittently driven to rotate at a predetermined timing.

Further, a paper sensor 29 is provided near the discharge roller 11, and the paper sensor 29 detects, for example, the front edge of the paper 12. And this paper sensor 29
Is used as a trigger, and after a lapse of a predetermined time from the detection signal, the pull-out roller 20 is rotated to pull out the strip-shaped tape 17 by a predetermined length, and the cutter unit 22 is operated to pull out the strip-shaped tape 17 pulled out. By cutting and forming a sticky note 24 having a predetermined width and dropping the same, the attaching position of the sticky note 24 to the paper 12 can always be the same as shown in FIG. By shifting the timing at which the device 22 is operated, the attachment position of the tag from the front end of the sheet 12 can be changed as shown in FIG. In addition,
The paper sensor 29 does not necessarily need to be provided on the image forming apparatus 10 side as illustrated, but may be provided on the paper sorting apparatus 14 side (entrance side).

In actual use, the sheet may be attached to each sheet, or may be attached to a sheet satisfying certain conditions. An example of the certain condition is as follows. For example, when the image forming apparatus 10 is a copying machine, a sticky is attached every Xth sheet, or when the image forming apparatus 10 is a facsimile, a printer, or the like, For example, it is attached to each document (for example, the top sheet of one document). Then, as shown in FIG.
In the case where the position to be pasted is changed, for example, sticky notes may be pasted at the same position on all sheets constituting the same document. By doing so, for example, if multiple documents are kept stacked on the tray and the sheets are separated for some reason, the same documents can be easily combined by putting together the tags attached at the same position. Can be divided into

FIG. 4 schematically shows a paper sorting apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Basically, it is the same as the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, and the same reference numerals are given and the detailed description is omitted. Here, in this embodiment, the mark printing unit 30 is provided below the cutter device 22 so that the tag 24 can be colored and / or printed.

As the mark printing unit, for example, an ink jet unit capable of printing a plurality of colors can be used. In the present embodiment, the inkjet unit 30 is
For example, four nozzles are provided, and four colors “red, blue, yellow, and green” can be ejected in that order. Each nozzle is ON / OFF controlled by the controller 31 so that a predetermined color is ejected from an arbitrary nozzle. Of course, if the ink runs out, replaceable ink can be supplied. If one having four nozzles is used as one cartridge, and the ink is exhausted, the cartridges are replaced collectively, thereby facilitating the replacement process.

The controller 31 prints the same color pattern on a predetermined position of the tag 24 attached to the paper constituting the same document, based on a control signal given from the control device of the image forming apparatus 10, and prints the different documents mutually. Then, control is performed to print different color patterns. The following table shows an example of the color pattern.

[0036]

[Table 1] An example of the control performed by the controller 31 is as shown in a flowchart of FIG. That is, when a printing instruction for a new document is received from the control device, it is first determined whether or not to perform the sorting process printing (sticking) (ST1, ST2). Then, in the case of sorting printing, that is, when the sticky for sorting is not attached, the printing is performed in the normal mode. Therefore, the ink jet unit 30 does not operate and the sticky note 24 is not attached, and the printing for the next document is performed as it is. Wait (ST3). The determination as to whether or not to perform the sorting process is included in the control signal sent from the control device side of the image forming apparatus 10, and thus can be easily determined from the received control signal.

When the sorting process is performed, a color pattern is determined (ST4). In this color pattern determination process, when a plurality of documents are continuously printed and stacked on a tray, it is necessary to print different color patterns on the tag so that the documents stacked one on top of the other can be distinguished. Therefore, a color pattern different from at least the color pattern used immediately before is selected. As an example of the selection method, for example, a plurality of patterns are prepared in advance as shown in the above table, and the patterns can be selected in order from the top. Of course, it is not limited to this selection method.

Then, the printing is performed on the tag 24 with the color pattern determined in step 4 until printing of the same document is completed, and the tag on which the color pattern is printed is pasted on the paper 12 (ST5, 6). In this way,
The same color pattern is formed on paper constituting the same document. Then, when printing is completed for all sheets, the process returns to step 1 to prepare for the next printing.

The above-described control is an example, and the control can be appropriately changed according to the content of the control signal sent from the control device. Also, of course, the controller 31 monitors whether or not it is in a state where it can operate normally, such as the remaining amount of ink in the ink jet unit 30, and in the case of an abnormality, stops the operation and issues an abnormality signal / alarm, It prompts the user to perform a return process.

FIG. 6 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, a color pattern is printed by a stamper. That is, the stamper unit 33 is provided instead of the ink jet unit. The stamper unit 33 includes a link mechanism 34 (fulcrum 3
4a), and is connected to a solenoid 35 via a rotary shaft 4a) so that the solenoid 35 moves up and down following the reciprocating movement of the solenoid 35.

As shown in FIG. 7, the stamper unit 33 has four stamps 33b of "red, blue, yellow, and green" arranged in a casing 33a. And
The stamp 33b is also replaceable in a cartridge type. When a predetermined stamp selected from the four stamps 33b is imprinted on a sheet, the color is transferred and a desired color pattern is printed.

The color pattern switching mechanism is performed by the color pattern changing cam 33c. That is, the color pattern change cam 33c is provided at a predetermined position along the axial direction of the outer peripheral surface thereof as shown in FIG.
The protrusion 33d comes into contact with the stamp 33b and presses it downward. Therefore, in the state shown in FIG. 3B, three color patterns of "red, yellow, and green" are printed. Then, a plurality of rows of protrusions 33d for pressing down the stamp 33b are formed around the outer periphery of the color pattern change cam 33c (the formation positions and the number of protrusions are different in each row), and the color pattern change cam 33c is rotated. This makes it possible to change the color pattern by changing the arrangement pattern of the protrusions facing the stamp 33b.

Further, the rotation of the color pattern changing cam 33c is performed by mounting a one-way clutch 33f on a rotating shaft 33e of the color pattern changing cam 33c as shown in FIG. Control is performed by connecting to the solenoid 29g. When the solenoid 33g reciprocates, the rotation shaft 33e, that is, the color pattern change cam 33c, rotates by an angle corresponding to the one-way movement distance.

Further, the above-described stamper unit 33 (a solenoid 33g for determining a color pattern to be used) and a solenoid 3 for moving the same forward and backward.
5 operates according to a control signal from the controller 36.
That is, the control and function of the controller 36 can be the same as the flowchart shown in FIG. 5 described in the second embodiment. More specifically, in the color pattern determination process in step 4, the color pattern to be used is determined, and the color pattern is set to be printable by operating the solenoid 33g. In the color pattern printing in step 5, the stamper unit 33 is moved forward (approaching the sticky note 24 and the band-shaped tape 17 side) by operating the solenoid 35 in synchronization with the ejection / operation timing of the band-shaped tape 17 and the cutting device 22. Will be. Since the other configuration and operation and effect are the same as those of the first and second embodiments, the same reference numerals are given and the detailed description is omitted.

In the second and third embodiments, a plurality of color patterns are prepared, and different color patterns are printed to distinguish them from others. The present invention is not limited to this, and characters and the like may be printed.

FIG. 8 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, unlike the above-described embodiments, a tag is attached to the lower surface of the paper 12. In this way, the next ejected paper hits a sticky affixed to the paper stacked on the tray and the sticky is peeled off from the paper,
The situation where the loading posture is disturbed does not occur.

As a specific configuration, the paper sorting device 40 is incorporated on the discharge port side of the image forming apparatus. That is, the printed sheet 42 is transported by the transport roller 41 of the image forming apparatus, and is discharged onto a tray (not shown). The paper sorting device 40 is mounted in the space below the transport roller 41. First, raw roll 4
The paper strip tape 44 (an adhesive is applied to one side edge in the same manner as described above) continuously pulled out from the roller 3 is continuously drawn out by a pull-out roller 45. Pull-out roller 4
A cutter device 46 is formed diagonally above 5, and the tag 47 is manufactured by cutting the leading end of the pulled-out strip tape 44 to a predetermined width.

In this cutter device 46, the base end of a cutter holder 46b having a cutter blade 46a at the tip is connected to an eccentric cam 46c, and the cutter holder 46b is slid by an eccentric amount with the rotation of the eccentric cam 46c. The belt-shaped tape 44 is cut by the cutter blade 46a during the forward movement.

Further, a tag sticking roller 48 and a tag nip roller 49 are arranged above the cutter device 46. The specific arrangement configuration is such that the tag sticking roller 48 comes into contact with the transport roller 41 and transports the sheet 42 and the tag 47 while nipping the same at a predetermined pressure.
A sticky note 47 is adhered to the sheet 42 when passing between the sheets 1 and 48. Also, the sticky nip roller 49
Are in contact with the sticky sticking roller 48 and both rollers 48, 49
The end of the band-shaped tape 44 (the tag 47 after cutting) is sandwiched therebetween, and the tag 47 is stably supplied to the tag sticking position (the contact portion between the transport roller 41 and the tag sticking roller 48). That is, in the above-described first embodiment, since the tag 24 cut off from the upper side of the sheet is supplied in a falling manner, the guide 26 may be used. In this embodiment, the tag 47 is supplied from the lower side of the sheet 42. Therefore, the sticky note 47 is held by the sticky note nip roller 49 and the sticky sticking roller 48 so that the sticky note separated from the belt-shaped tape 44 does not drop.

With such a configuration, a paper sensor is provided and operates using a detection signal from the paper sensor as a trigger in the same manner as in the first embodiment, although not shown, in synchronization with the discharge timing of the paper 42. The pull-out roller 45 is operated to pull out the band-shaped tape 44, and the leading end thereof is nipped between the tag sticking roller 48 and the tag nip roller 49. Then, the user operates the cutter device 46 to cut the leading end side of the belt-shaped tape 44 to form a tag 47 having a predetermined width. This sticky note 4
Numeral 7 rotates counterclockwise in the figure with the rotation of the sticky sticking roller 48 and the sticky nip roller 49, and comes into contact with the lower surface of the paper 42. When the paper is further rotated, paper 4
2. The sticky note 47 includes a transport roller 41 and a sticky sticking roller 48.
Since the sheet 42 is conveyed while being sandwiched between the sheets and being pressed, the sticky note 47 is attached to a predetermined position on the lower surface of the sheet 42 and is discharged without stopping the conveyance of the sheet 42 (see FIGS. 9 and 10).

Further, it is preferable that the rotation speed of the tag sticking roller 48 is equal to the transport speed of the sheet 42. That is, if the peripheral speed of the outer peripheral surface of the sticking roller 48 greatly deviates from the conveying speed of the paper 42, there is a high possibility that paper skew or jam occurs. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the gear attached to the rotating shaft of the conveying roller 41 and the gear attached to the rotating shaft of the tag sticking roller 48 are engaged with each other to obtain the driving force from the conveying roller 41 side. Thereby, synchronization can be achieved with a simple configuration. Further, the rotational force of the sticky nip roller 49 may be obtained directly or indirectly from the conveying roller 41.

In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, by changing the time from the sheet detection signal to the start of the operation, as shown in FIG.
The position of the tag 47 attached to the lower surface of the second tag 2 can be changed. Although not shown, a color pattern or characters may be printed on the tag 47 as in the second and third embodiments.

The above configuration is the basic configuration of an apparatus for attaching a tag below a sheet. In this embodiment, the following improvements are made. That is, the tag detecting device 50 is installed at a predetermined position in the transport direction ahead of the transport roller 41 and the tag sticking roller 48. The tag detecting device 50 detects whether the tag 47 is correctly affixed to the sheet 42. Specifically, the tag detecting device 50 is turned on / off by an L-shaped detection lever 50a and the position of the detection lever 50a.
And a switch 50b for turning off. The detection lever 50a is configured to rotate within a predetermined angle range around the L-shaped bending point (see FIG. 8), and furthermore, outside the side edge of the sheet 42 as shown in FIG. And sticky note 4
7 is arranged at a position where it can be contacted. Then, due to the action of the spring, in the no-load state, the upper end protrudes above the conveying surface of the tag 47 and the paper 42 as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, when the tag 47 contacts the upper end of the detection lever 50a, the detection lever 50
In FIG. 8A, the upper end is lowered as shown by the solid line in FIG. Accordingly, the lower end of the detection lever 50a enters the detection area of the switch 50b, and the switch 50b is turned on. As the switch 50b, for example, a proximity switch, a micro switch, or the like can be used.

Thus, whether the tag 47 has been correctly attached can be directly detected by turning on / off the switch 50b. Then, if the switch 50b remains off despite the sticking process of the sticky note, it is determined that the sticking was not performed normally, and an abnormal signal is output. Then, a predetermined alarm output (lamp lighting, buzzer generation, etc.) is performed based on the abnormal signal.

As shown in FIG. 9A, a tape break detection sensor 52 is provided at a predetermined position below the cutter device 46.
Is provided. This tape break detection sensor 52 is provided as shown in FIG.
As shown in (B), for example, a transmission type photoelectric sensor or the like can be used, and while the band-shaped tape 44 exists,
When the light is cut off by the band-shaped tape and the band-shaped tape 44 runs out, the light emitted from the light-emitting unit can be received by the light-receiving unit. Therefore, when the last end of the belt-shaped tape 44 passes through the tape break detection sensor 52, a detection signal is output, and a tape break message is output based on the detection signal.

In order to detect the remaining amount of tapes continuously drawn from the raw material roll, the diameter of the raw material roll is generally measured, and when the diameter becomes smaller than a certain value, the tape breaks. However, when the diameter of the tape changes, the accuracy is poor, and even when a certain amount of tape remains, the tape may be determined to be out of tape and a replacement request may be made. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the end of the belt-shaped tape can be accurately detected as described above, so that the tape can be used up to the end and the use efficiency is improved.

FIG. 12 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is based on the above-described fourth embodiment, and further moves up and down the tag sticking roller 48,
It can be separated from the transport roller 41. That is, in the above-described fourth embodiment, the tag sticking roller 48 is
Regardless of whether or not to attach a sticky note, it touches the paper 42,
A predetermined load was applied. Therefore, there is a possibility that an unnecessary load is applied to the sheet 42 to disturb the conveying attitude of the sheet, and even if the sheet 42 is normally fed, useless labor leads to useless power consumption. Therefore, when the sticky note is not attached to the paper as in the present embodiment, the sticky sticking roller 48 is
The above-mentioned problem is prevented from occurring by separating from the sheet 42 so as not to come in contact with the sheet 42.

As a method for realizing such a configuration,
In the present embodiment, the tag sticking roller 48 is moved up and down in association with the operation of the cutter device 46. That is,
The tag sticking roller 48 is provided at the upper end 55 a of the link arm 55.
The link arm 55 is rotatable forward and backward about a rotation shaft 55b. Further, the lower end 55c of the link arm 55 comes into contact with the torsion spring 56 and is urged in the direction of arrow A in FIG.
At this time, since only the urging force from the torsion spring 56 is applied to the link arm 55, the link arm 55 rotates in the direction of arrow B (counterclockwise), and the tag sticking roller 48 is rotated.
And the transport roller 41 are separated from each other. Therefore, the sheet receives the conveying force only from the conveying roller 41 and smoothly conveys the sheet.
It is carried out.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7B, a push rod 58 is attached to the tip of the cutter holder 46b, and when the cutter holder 46b moves forward to cut the band-shaped tape, the push rod 58 follows. The rod 58 also moves forward, and its tip contacts the lower end of the link arm 55 and urges in the direction of arrow C in the figure. Due to this urging force, the torsion spring 56 is elastically deformed, the link arm 55 rotates in the direction of arrow D (clockwise) in the figure, and the tag sticking roller 48 and the transport roller 41 come into contact as shown. This makes it possible to attach a sticky note. When the rotational force of the tag sticking roller 48 is received from the transport roller 41, the gear attached to the rotating shaft of the tag sticking roller 48 moves as the tag sticking roller 48 moves up and down. ), The torque can be received only in the state shown in FIG. 7A, and the torque is not transmitted in the state shown in FIG.

The eccentric cam 46 of the cutter device 46
In the state (c), after the band tape is cut and a tag is formed, the state is maintained (not rotated) for a certain period of time (at least until the tag is pasted on the sheet), and then rotated to rotate. It returns to the retracted position shown in FIG.

It is to be noted that, without being limited to the above-described mechanism, various configurations in which the tag sticking roller 48 is moved up and down in conjunction with the operation of the cutter device 46 can be adopted. Moreover,
An independent lifting mechanism and a driving system may be attached to the tag sticking roller 48, and the tag sticking roller 48 may be moved up and down based on a control signal indicating whether or not to perform the sticking process.

FIG. 13 et seq. Show a sixth embodiment of the present invention. 13 to 15 show the reference positions for waiting for the sheet to be carried out, FIG. 13 is a front view (a view from the direction B in FIG. 15), and FIG. 15 is a plan view (FIG. 13). FIG. 14 is a view of the inside on the one-step deeper side than FIG.

This embodiment is based on the fifth embodiment described above. In the present embodiment, in order to simplify the apparatus, one drive motor is rotated forward and reverse to drive the cutter device 46 (forward and backward movement of the cutter blade 46a), and the strip tape from the raw roll 43. The drawer 44, the transport of the tag 47, and the sticking process are performed.

More specifically, in the cutter device 46, the cutter holder 46b slides in accordance with the amount of eccentricity of the eccentric cam 46c that rotates around the rotation shaft 46d, similarly to the fifth embodiment, and is attached to the tip. The strip-shaped tape can be cut by the cutter blade 46a. As is apparent from FIG. 15, the cutter blades 46a are arranged obliquely.
As a result, since the cutting proceeds while being in point contact with the tape, the cutting can be reliably performed. The same applies to sticking a tag on a sheet by nipping and conveying the sheet and the tag by the transport roller 41 and the tag sticking roller 48. Further, the sticky sticking roller 48 moves up and down, and when the sticky is not stuck, descends and separates from the carrying roller 41 as shown in FIG. 13, and rises only during the sticking process and comes into contact with the carrying roller 41. The fifth embodiment is also similar to the fifth embodiment in that the arm link 55 is raised by urging the arm link 55 with a push rod 58 attached to the cutter holder 46b. 56 due to the elastic restoring force of 56).

Next, the drive system will be described. A first gear 61 is mounted on an output shaft 60 of a drive motor such as a servo motor which can rotate forward and backward, and a second gear 62 is provided so as to mesh with the first gear 61 ( See FIG. 14). In this embodiment, rotation of the first gear in a counterclockwise direction is referred to as forward rotation, and rotation of the first gear in a clockwise direction is referred to as reverse rotation. A third gear 63 meshing with the second gear 62 is provided above the second gear 62. To the third gear 63, a fan-shaped cutter front and rear end stopper 64 is attached. Thus, when the drive motor rotates forward and backward, the fan-shaped cutter front-rear end stopper 64 also rotates forward and backward about the rotation axis of the third gear 63.

The cutter front / rear end stopper 64 has one of its fan-shaped inner edges 64a, 64b abutting on the positioning rod 66, and further rotation is suppressed.
Further, a torque limiter 82 is provided on the rotation shaft of the third gear 63.
Are connected, so that when a torque equal to or more than a predetermined value is applied to the rotating shaft, the rotating shaft slides. Thereby, even if the drive motor rotates more than necessary, the inner edge 64a or 64b of the cutter front / rear end stopper 64 is positioned by the positioning rod 6
6, the cutter front and rear end stopper 64
Will not rotate any further. This allows
Even if the rotation control of the drive motor is performed relatively roughly, the cutter front and rear end stopper 64 can be positioned and stopped with high accuracy.

On the other hand, the eccentric cam 46c of the cutter device 46
A fourth gear 65 is attached to the rotary shaft 46d, and a cutter shaft stopper 67 is mounted. The fourth gear 65 rotates by receiving the torque from the third gear 63. Also, cutter shaft stopper 6
7 can be stopped against the above-mentioned cutter front-rear end stopper 64. Further, a one-way clutch (one-way clutch) 83 is provided on the rotating shaft 46d so that power is transmitted to the rotating shaft 46c only when the driving motor is driven in reverse rotation. In other words, when the drive motor is rotating forward, power is not transmitted to the rotating shaft 46c, and the fourth gear 65 idles in a predetermined direction. That is, the fourth
The gear rotates forward and backward in synchronization with the rotation of the drive motor, and the rotational force is transmitted to the fifth gear 74 as described later.

The rotation shaft 69 of the second gear 62
The first link element 70 is relatively rotatably mounted in a free state (see FIG. 13). The first link element 70 is provided with a cutter interlocking pin 7 at the forked portion 70a.
1 is linked. The cutter interlocking pin 71 moves integrally with the cutter holder 46b, and the first link element 70 rotates forward and reverse in response to the reciprocating movement of the cutter interlocking pin 71. Another forked portion 70 b provided on the first link element 70 is linked to a pin 71 d provided on one end of the second link element 71. Accordingly, with the forward / reverse rotation of the first link element 70, the second link 71 also rotates forward / reverse about the rotation axis P. The first and second link elements 70 and 71 constitute a forward rotation operation switching link.

A fifth gear 74 is mounted on the rotating shaft P of the second link element 71 in a free state, and a sixth gear 75 is also supported on the tip of the second link element 71 in a free state. . The fifth gear 74 is in mesh with the fourth gear 65 and receives a rotational force from the fourth gear 65. Also, the rotation axis P of the fifth gear 74
, A one-way clutch 85 is attached, and a seventh gear 86 (which meshes with the sixth gear 75) is attached to the back side. The one-way clutch 85 transmits power only when the drive motor rotates forward to rotate the seventh gear 86 in a predetermined direction. Thus, the rotational force of the fourth gear 65 is transmitted to the sixth gear 75 via the fifth gear 74 only when the drive motor is rotating forward.

Further, an eighth gear 76 and a ninth gear 77 are arranged near the distal end side of the second link element 71, respectively. As the second link element 71 rotates forward and backward as described above, the sixth gear 75 becomes the eighth gear 7
6 and one of the ninth gear 77. In other words, this link mechanism switches gears that transmit torque during normal rotation.

The eighth gear 76 is connected to the tenth and eleventh gears.
The rotational force is transmitted in cooperation with a gear (not shown) that rotates the tag sticking roller 48 via the gears 78 and 79. Further, the tenth gear 78 is a material roll 4
A pull-out roller 45 for pulling out the belt-like tape 44 from 3
Attached to the rotating shaft. The ninth gear 77
Is linked to a rotating shaft of a sticky note nip roller 49 for conveying a sticky note 47 cut and separated from the belt-shaped tape 44. Further, on the opposite side of the rotation axis of the tag nip roller 49 to which the ninth gear 77 is attached, the first
Two gears 88 are mounted and rotate together. Further, the twelfth gear 88 is connected to the idle gear 8
9 through the thirteenth gear 90. The torque of the thirteenth gear is transmitted to the tag sticking roller 48. With this configuration, the tag sticking roller 48 rotates even if the sixth gear 76 is engaged with either the eighth gear 78 or the ninth gear 77. The driving mechanism having the above configuration operates as follows.

(1) First Normal Rotation (Strip of Tape) The state shown in FIGS. 13 to 15 is the reference position. In this state, the drive motor is driven to rotate forward. Then, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the first gear 61 → the second gear 6
2 → The third gear 63 rotates in the direction of the arrow in the figure. At this time, the fan-shaped cutter front / rear end stopper 64 rotates counterclockwise, and stops when the inner edge 64b hits the positioning rod 66.

Then, since the rotational force is not transmitted to the rotating shaft 46d by the one-way clutch 83 during the forward rotation, the eccentric cam 46c does not rotate, and the cutter holder 46b (cutter blade 46a) is held at the reference position. as a result,
Since the seventh gear 75 remains at the reference position, the eighth gear 7
6 is engaged. Further, the one-way clutch 85 attached to the rotation shaft P of the fifth gear 74 transmits the rotation force in the rotation direction of the fifth gear 74 when the drive motor rotates forward, so that the rotation force is transmitted through a predetermined gear. To the tenth gear 78 to rotate the pull-out roller 45. As a result, the belt-shaped tape 44 is pulled out by a length corresponding to the rotation amount of the pull-out roller 45 and protrudes upward from the cutter device 46.

(2) First reversal (cut of band-shaped tape (manufacture of tag)) The drive motor reversely rotates from the state shown in FIGS. Then, as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the first to third gears 61 to 61
Each of the cutters 63 rotates in the direction of the arrow shown in the drawing, and the stopper 64 at the front and rear ends of the cutter finally comes into contact with the inner edge 64a as shown in FIG. On the other hand, at the beginning of the reverse rotation, as shown in FIG.
Since the cutter shaft stopper 4 is separated from the cutter shaft stopper 67, the rotating shaft 46d is rotatable. In the case of the reverse rotation drive of the drive motor, the one-way clutch 83 transmits power, so that the eccentric cam 46 is rotated with the rotation of the fourth gear 65.
c also rotates. As a result, the cutter holder 46b and thus the cutter blade 46a move forward.

When the eccentric cam 46c is rotated by 180 degrees, the cutter front and rear end stopper 64 has already been moved to the position shown in FIG.
The cutter shaft stopper 6
7 comes into contact with the cutter front and rear end stopper 64, and further rotation is suppressed. Thereby, the cutter blade 4
6a stops accurately at the most advanced position and maintains that state. Further, the tag 47 is manufactured by cutting the belt-shaped tape 44 at the time of the forward movement and separating the leading end side.

Further, as the cutter holder 46b advances, the tag sticking roller 48 moves up and joins with the transport roller 41 according to the same principle as in the fifth embodiment. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cutter link pin 71 moves forward (to the right in FIG. 18) together with the cutter holder 46b, so that the first link element 70 also rotates clockwise. Therefore, the second link element 73 rotates counterclockwise, and the sixth gear 75 attached to the tip of the second link element 73 meshes with the ninth gear 77. However, since the drive motor is rotating in the reverse direction, the power transmission is cut off by the one-way clutch 85 even when the fifth gear 74 rotates. Therefore, the sixth gear 75 and the ninth gear 74 do not rotate.

(3) Second Forward Rotation (Conveyance of Sticky Note + Paste) The drive motor rotates forward from the state shown in FIGS. Then, as shown in FIG. 20 and FIG.
Each of the cutters 63 rotates in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure, and finally the front and rear end stoppers 64 of the cutter abut against the inner edges 64b thereof as shown in FIG. In addition, the fourth gear 6
Although 5 rotates, the one-way clutch 83 interrupts the power transmission because the drive motor is rotating forward, so that the rotating shaft 46d and thus the eccentric cam 46c do not rotate. Therefore, the cutter holder 46b is also held at the forward position,
The cutter interlocking pin 71 also remains stopped.

As a result, the first and second link elements 70, 7
3 holds the state of the previous process. Then, since the drive motor is rotating forward, the one-way clutch 85 attached to the fifth gear 74 transmits the rotational force, and finally the ninth gear 7
The torque is transmitted to 7. Thereby, the tag nip roller 49 also rotates, and the tag 47 is conveyed. A twelfth gear 88, an idle gear 89, and a thirteenth gear 90 attached to the opposite side of the rotation axis of the tag nip roller 49.
Rotates, and the sticky sticking roller 48 also rotates. Therefore, the cut tag 47 is conveyed, supplied to a predetermined position on the lower surface of the sheet 42, and is held and attached.

(4) Second Reverse Rotation (Return to Reference Position) The drive motor reversely rotates from the state shown in FIGS. Then, similarly to the first reverse rotation, the first to third gears 61 to 63 respectively rotate in the directions of arrows shown in FIG. 19, and finally the cutter front and rear end stoppers 64 are attached to the inner edges 64a thereof as shown in FIG. Stop and stand still. On the other hand, at the beginning of the reverse rotation, as shown in FIG.
And the cutter shaft stopper 67 are separated from each other, so that the rotating shaft 46d is rotatable. In the case of reverse drive of the drive motor, the one-way clutch 83 transmits power, and the eccentric cam 46 c
Also rotate. As a result, the cutter holder 46b and thus the cutter blade 46a move backward. Then, when rotated by 180 degrees, the state shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 is reached and the movement is stopped to prepare for the next sticking. Thereafter, by repeating the above process, a single drive motor can perform a series of steps from the production of a series of tags to the sticking process.

Although illustration is omitted, improvements in the above-described fourth embodiment (judgment of normality of sticking of a tag, detection of the end of a strip-shaped tape), and fifth and sixth embodiments are described. It goes without saying that the embodiment can be appropriately applied to the first embodiment. Similarly, the second and third embodiments can be applied to the fourth to sixth embodiments.

Each of the above embodiments is mounted on the discharge side of the image forming apparatus 10 and
An example in which the present invention is applied to an apparatus for sorting sheets on which images are formed (printed) discharged from a printer is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It can also be applied as a sorting device for originals (paper) to be printed.

For example, as shown in FIG. 22, a paper sorting device 14 according to the present invention is provided at the exit side of the facsimile 10 'from which a document to be transmitted is discharged.
When the paper passes through the tray 10'a, the label is pasted on a predetermined sheet to sort it, and then the tray 10'a is set on the discharge side.
It can be configured such that the sheets related to the above are stacked and stored. With such a configuration, for example, when a plurality of documents are respectively faxed to different parties, a sticky note is pasted on the first or last sheet of each document, so that even if the fax is used continuously, each document can be transmitted. Can be easily identified, so that all the documents can be temporarily stored in the tray 10'a.
Even if you put them on top and collect them later, you can easily separate them for each document. Of course, the facsimile 10 'also has a function as an image forming apparatus for printing out a received document. In such cases,
It is also possible to install a sorting device for each,
It goes without saying that it can be attached to either one.

In the example shown in the figure, the tray 10'a has a shape in which a part 10'b of the side edge is open. Is adjusted so that the tag is not bent, and it is possible to easily understand where the tag is located when viewed from above. In addition,
A guide plate 10'c is provided at the end of the side edge of the tray 10'a.
Are formed upright, the edges of the discharged and stacked sheets are aligned, and the sheets are prevented from dropping from the tray 10'a.

Then, the paper sorting apparatus 1 used in this embodiment
As a specific configuration of 4, any of the above embodiments can be applied. Further, as another embodiment, for example, a mechanism having a mechanism as shown in FIGS. It goes without saying that the seventh embodiment shown in FIGS. 23 to 26 described below can be installed on the discharge side of the image forming apparatus, similarly to the above-described embodiments.

This embodiment (seventh embodiment) is basically the same as the sixth embodiment, except that the tag sticking roller 48 is replaced with a tag sticking belt 48 '. Is a point. In addition, there are some differences in the power transmission system such as gears. Therefore, a description will be given focusing on the differences. First, FIG.
As shown in the figure, the tag sticking belt 48 'is composed of a driving pulley 48'a and a driven pulley 4'
The endless belt 48'c is wound around the endless belt 8'b, and a tension roller 48'd for applying a predetermined tension to the endless belt 48'c is provided. The tension roller 48'd has a function of nipping and transporting the tag between the endless belt 48'c.

The sticky sticking belt 48 'is such that the driving pulley 48'a rotates clockwise in the figure by a driving mechanism described later, so that the endless belt 48'c also rotates clockwise to convey the tag. It has become. Furthermore, the driven pulley 48'a rotates forward and backward within a predetermined angle range, and the driven pulley 48'b is lifted, so that the endless belt 48'c and the transport roller 41 come into contact with each other. The sheet and the tag are nipped and conveyed while pressing both at a predetermined pressure.

The rotation of the sticky sticking belt 48 '
The stop and the vertical movement of the driven roller 48'b perform the same function as that of the tag sticking roller 48, and the cutter blade 46a of the cutter device 46 moves forward and backward in synchronization with this movement. Then, the band-shaped tape 44 continuously pulled out from the roll 43 is cut to produce a tag. Also in this embodiment, the forward / reverse rotation of the motor 60 'is given to each unit via a power transmission mechanism such as various gears, so that the output of one motor
From the production of the sticky note, the paper is pasted to a predetermined position.

Next, the power transmission system will be described. As shown in FIG. 24 and the like, first, the four gears A1 to A1
A4 transmits the rotational force of the motor 60 'to the rotating shaft 46d for driving the eccentric cam 46c of the cutter device 46 to rotate. That is, the gear A1 is connected to the output shaft of the motor 60 ', and the gear A4 is connected to the rotating shaft 46d.
Then, the rotational force of the gear A1 is sequentially transmitted to the gears A2 and A3, and is transmitted to the gear A4. Also, the gears A1 to A4
Corresponds to the first gear 61 to the fourth gear 65 in the sixth embodiment.

The gear A4 is connected to the gear B1,
Further, the rotational force of the gear B1 is transmitted to the gear B2. However, a one-way clutch is connected to the gear B1,
Rotational force is transmitted to the gear B2 only when rotating in the counterclockwise direction. The gear B2 is connected to one of the gear C1 and the gear D1 to transmit a rotational force. That is, the gear B1 corresponds to the fifth gear 74, and the gear B2 corresponds to the sixth gear 75. Further, the gear C1 is the eighth gear 76, and the gear D1 is the ninth gear 7
Corresponds to 7.

The gear C1 applies a rotational force to the gear trains C1 to C4 summarized by the symbol C to rotate the pull-out roller 45a connected to the gear C3 and the gear connected to the gear C4. . The other pulling roller 45b is in a free state, and the pulling roller 45a
Is rotated following the rotation of. On the other hand, the gear D1 is a gear train D1 to D
5 to the conveying roller 4 connected to the gear D5.
1 is rotated.

The following operation is performed by the above-described power transmission system.

(A) Pulling out the band-like tape 44 for sticky notes As shown in FIG. 24, the motor 60 'rotates counterclockwise. Along with this, the gear train of the symbol A transmits torque while rotating in the direction of the arrow in the figure. Also, the gear B1
Rotates in the counterclockwise direction, so that the rotational force is transmitted to the gear B2. Further, at this timing, the gear B2 is meshed with the gear C1, so that the gear train denoted by reference numeral C also rotates in the direction of the arrow in the drawing, and the pull-out rollers 45a and 45b and the driving pulley 4
8'a rotates in a predetermined direction, whereby the belt-shaped tape 44 is pulled out by a distance corresponding to the amount of rotation.

(B) Cutting the belt-shaped tape As shown in FIG. 25, the motor 60 'rotates clockwise. Along with this, the gear train of symbol A transmits torque while rotating in the direction of the arrow in the figure. Then, the gear B1
Is rotated clockwise, no torque is transmitted to the gear B. Therefore, the gear train denoted by reference character C does not rotate, and the pull-out roller and the tag sticking belt do not rotate. Further, since the gear A4 rotates in the counterclockwise direction, the eccentric cam 46c also rotates to advance the cutter blade. Thereby, the band-shaped tape is cut to produce a tag. In addition, the fifth and sixth embodiments described above
By the same mechanism as in the embodiment, the driven roller 48'b side of the tag sticking belt 48 'is raised with the advancement of the cutter blade, and the sticky note and the paper are moved between the endless belt 48'c and the conveying roller 41 on both sides. And press it.

(C) Attachment of sticky note As shown in FIG. 26, the motor 60 'rotates again in the reverse direction and rotates counterclockwise. Accordingly, similarly to (a) above, the gear train denoted by reference character A transmits the rotational force while rotating in the direction of the arrow in the figure. Since the gear A4 is connected to the rotating shaft 46d via the one-way clutch, the eccentric cam does not rotate, and the cutter blade keeps the advanced position. Therefore, the tag sticking belt 48 'and the transport roller 41 remain in a state where the sheet and the tag are sandwiched. Further, since the gear B1 rotates counterclockwise, a rotational force is transmitted to the gear B2. Further, at this timing, the gear B2 is meshed with the gear D1, so that the gear train denoted by reference numeral D also rotates in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and the transport roller 41 rotates in a predetermined direction, whereby the paper and the tag are transported. Sticky sticking belt 4 during transport
8 ', the tag is adhered to a predetermined position on the sheet via the pressure-sensitive adhesive provided on the tag.

(D) Return to the original state When the sticking process of the tag is completed as described above, the motor 60 'rotates again in the reverse direction and rotates clockwise. Then, similarly to the above (b), no rotational force is transmitted to the gear B2 and subsequent gears. Further, since the gear A4 rotates in the counterclockwise direction, the eccentric cam 46c also rotates to move the cutter blade backward. This prepares for the next cut and lowers the driven roller 48'b side of the tag sticking belt 48 'to open the space between the endless belt 48'c and the transport roller 41 so as not to add the paper to the transport. To

Thereafter, the above process is repeated each time a tag is attached. In the sixth and seventh embodiments described above, a motor is separately provided, but the present invention is not limited to this.
The power of the image processing apparatus to which the apparatus of the present invention is attached, such as an image forming apparatus and an image reading apparatus, may be received.

In the seventh embodiment, reference numeral RT in FIG. 23 denotes a limit switch, and the limit switch RT detects the passage of a sheet,
The motor 60 'starts rotating based on the detection. The rotation start timing after detection by the limit switch may be the same (the sticking position of the tag is the same), or may be changed as needed (when the sticking position of the tag is changed).

In the above-described seventh embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a facsimile as an image reading apparatus has been described, but the apparatus to which the present invention is applied is arbitrary. Also, for example, when the OCR is performed as the image reading apparatus, as a usage mode of the sticking type of the sticky note, it can be configured to sort each document or each user similarly to the above-described embodiments. However, for example, as a result of reading by OCR, a sticky note is attached to a document with a poor recognition rate, and further, a sticky note is attached to a side edge of a part with a poor recognition rate in paper. There is a mode of use.

[0100]

As described in detail above, the present invention provides
Even when a plurality of documents are stacked and discharged on one tray, a tag is attached to a predetermined sheet, so that the separation of the documents can be easily understood, and the sorting operation can be performed accurately in a short time. Since the sticky note is adhered to the sheet using a pressure-sensitive adhesive, the possibility that the sticky note is accidentally detached is reduced as much as possible, and sorting can be performed reliably. Further, the sticking of the tag is performed by holding and pressing the sheet together with a pair of rollers or other conveying means, so that the sheet can be bonded without being temporarily stopped, and the productivity is improved. In addition, since sorting can be performed by sticky notes in this manner, sorting can be performed without offsetting the paper discharge position.
It is possible to effectively cope with printing out in a state where different paper sizes are mixed, and even when the number of papers constituting a document is small.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of a paper sorting apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship between a sheet and a tag.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of how to attach a tag (pasting position).

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a main part of a paper sorting apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating functions of a controller according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a main part of a third embodiment of the paper sorting apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a mark printing unit according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a paper sorting apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a fourth embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a sorting state output by the device according to the fourth embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a main part of a sheet sorting apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a view showing a sheet sorting apparatus according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a paper sorting apparatus according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a view showing a sheet sorting apparatus according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an operation of the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating a sheet sorting apparatus according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the seventh embodiment.

FIG. 24 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the seventh embodiment.

FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the seventh embodiment.

FIG. 26 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the seventh embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image forming apparatus 12, 40 Paper sorting apparatus 12, 42 Paper 17, 44 Strip tape 18 Adhesive 20, 45 Pull-out roller (draw-out means) 22, 46 Cutter device 22a, 46a Cutter blade 22b, 46b Cutter holder 26 Guide (guide) Means) 27 pressure roller (conveying means) 28 pressure receiving roller (conveying means) 30 inkjet unit (mark printing means) 31 controller (control means) 33 stamper unit (mark printing means) 41 conveying roller (conveying means) 48 sticky sticking roller (Conveying means, guiding means) 48 'Sticky sticking belt (conveying means) 49 Sticky nip roller (leading means) 50 Sticky note detecting device 52 Tape break detecting sensor (end detecting means) 55 Link arm 56 Torsion spring 58 Push rod

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-10-87148 (JP, A) European Patent Application Publication 610536 (EP, A1) British Patent Application Publication 2055346 (GB, A) (58) Fields Inquired (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65H 33/04 B41J 29/38 H04N 1/00 108

Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] An image processing apparatus is provided on a paper discharge side of the image processing apparatus,
What is claimed is: 1. A paper sorting apparatus for adhering a sticky to a predetermined sheet to be discharged, comprising: a drawer for continuously drawing a band-shaped tape coated with a pressure-sensitive adhesive on one side edge; and the band-shaped tape drawn by the drawing unit. Cutter means for cutting the tip of the tag to produce the tag; means for guiding the produced tag to a predetermined position on the sheet; and pinching and sticking the tag and the sheet from both sides in a partially superposed state. a conveying means for applying a force to said tag via said pressure sensitive adhesive is pressurized by a predetermined force by said transporting means and said tag and the sheet passes so as to adhere to the paper , The transporting means contacts from both sides of the paper and the tag
And a second position where at least one side is separated.
Ri, I in the first position when attaching the tag to the paper
When the sticky note is not attached to the sheet, the second
A paper sorting device, wherein the paper sorting device is positioned at a position . 2. A position and solution for providing a transfer force of said transfer means.
The switching of the cutting position is performed in conjunction with the operation of the cutter means, and the processing of cutting the band-shaped tape by the cutter means is performed.
At the position where the transfer force is applied when performing
The paper sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: 3. A mark printing means for printing a mark such as a predetermined color pattern or a character on the tag, and a control means for controlling the operation of the mark printing means, wherein the control means includes the same document. 3. The paper sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the same mark is printed on the paper constituting the paper, and the different marks are printed on the papers constituting different documents. 4. The tag according to claim 1, wherein a position at which the tag is attached to the sheet is changeable.
Paper sorting device according to the paragraph. 5. A tag detecting means for directly detecting the presence or absence of the tag is provided in front of the conveying means in the conveying direction, and a function of judging whether or not the tag is normally attached is provided. The paper sorting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: 6. An end detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of the strip tape is provided in the middle of the strip tape withdrawal path. The paper sorting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the paper sorting apparatus outputs the information. 7. A power transmission mechanism for transmitting an output of one drive motor, wherein at least the drawing means, the cutter means, and the means for guiding the tag to a predetermined position on the paper are operated, and The paper sorting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the tag is attached to the paper by repeatedly executing the four modes. (1) By rotating the drive motor in a predetermined direction, the pulling means is operated to pull out the belt-shaped tape by a predetermined amount. (2) By rotating the drive motor in the direction opposite to the above (1), the cutter blade of the cutter means is moved forward to cut the drawn-out band-shaped tape to produce a tag having a predetermined width. (3) By rotating the drive motor in the same direction as in (1) above, the leading means is operated while the advanced cutter blade is stopped, and the sticky note produced in (2) is transported to form To a predetermined position. (4) By rotating the driving motor in the direction opposite to the above (1), the cutter blade of the cutter means is moved backward to prepare for the next cutting.