Image forming apparatus having a finisher

Claim 2

An image forming apparatus comprising: image forming means for forming images on sheets of paper; starting means for starting a first image forming operation for forming first images on said sheets of paper; a plurality of paper containing means for receiving said sheets of paper on which said first images are formed; sorting means carrying out a sorting operation by distributing said sheets of paper on which said first images are formed into said plurality of paper containing means; staple means for stapling the sheets of paper contained in each of said plurality of paper containing means after said sorting operation of said sorting means; determining means for determining whether any one of said plurality of paper containing means is not employed in said sorting operation; and control means for permitting said starting means to start a second image forming operation wherein second images different from said first images are formed on said sheets of paper, and for permitting reception of said sheets of paper on which said second images are formed into said unemployed paper containing means during stapling by said stapling means when it is determined by said determining means that a paper containing means is not employed in said sorting operation.

Claim 3

An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of paper containing means are arranged successively in a vertical direction, and said sorting means successively distributes said sheets of paper from a lower one to an upper one of said plurality-of paper containing means arranged successively in said vertical direction.

Claim 4

An image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said staple means comprises a tray for receiving said sheets of paper and a stapler for stapling said sheets of paper on said tray.

Claim 5

A sorter connected to an image forming apparatus which forms images on sheets of paper, and including means for setting the sorting number, said sorter comprising: a plurality of bins for accommodating said sheets of paper on which images are formed; distributing means for carrying out a sorting operation by distributing said sheets of paper into said respective bins; stapling means for stapling said sheets of paper accommodated in each of said plurality of bins in a stapling operation after the end of said sorting operation; comparison means for comparing said sorting number set by said setting means with the total number of said plurality of bins; and control means for outputting a signal to said image forming apparatus to permit operation of said image forming apparatus simultaneous with said stapling operation when it is determined by said comparison means that said sorting number set by said setting means is smaller than said total number of said plurality of bins.

Claim 6

A sorter connected to an image forming apparatus which forms images on sheets of paper, and including means for setting the sorting number, said sorter comprising: a plurality of bins for accommodating said sheets of paper on which images are formed; distributing means for carrying out a sorting operation by distributing said sheets of paper into said respective bins; stapling means for stapling said sheets of paper accommodated in each of said plurality of bins in a stapling operation after the end of said sorting operation; comparison means for comparing said sorting number set by said setting means with the total number of said plurality of bins; and control means for outputting a signal to said image forming apparatus to permit operation of said image forming apparatus simultaneous with said stapling operation when it is determined by said comparison means that said sorting number set by said setting means is smaller than said total number of said plurality of bins.

Claim 7

A sorter according to claim 4, wherein said control means further operates to prohibit operation of said setting means when the operation of said image forming apparatus is permitted.

Claim 8

A sorter according to claim 5, wherein said image forming apparatus comprises a copying machine.

Claim 9

A sorter according to claim 5, wherein said image forming apparatus comprises a printer.

Claim 10

A copying apparatus with a photoreceptor capable of reproducing images of an original at different magnification rates on sheets of paper, comprising: original size detecting means for detecting the size of the original; paper size determining means for determining the size of the paper; copying magnification rate setting means for automatically setting a suitable copying magnification rate based on said original size and said paper size; staple means for stapling said sheets of paper on which said images are formed; wherein said copying apparatus is operated either in a staple mode in which stapling is carried out by the staple means or in a non-staple mode in which stapling is not carried out; said apparatus further comprising means for switching between said staple mode and said non-staple mode; and control means for changing said copying magnification rate to the value set by said copying magnification rate setting means when said staple mode is selected by said switching means.

Claim 11

A copying apparatus with a photoreceptor capable of reproducing images of an original at different magnification rates on sheets of paper, comprising: original size detecting means for detecting the size of the original; paper size determining means for determining the size of the paper; copying magnification rate setting means for automatically setting a suitable copying magnification rate based on said original size and said paper size; staple means for stapling said sheets of paper on which said images are formed; wherein said copying apparatus is operated either in a staple mode in which stapling is carried out by the staple means or in a non-staple mode in which stapling is not carried out; said apparatus further comprising means for switching between said staple mode and said non-staple mode; and control means for changing said copying magnification rate to the value set by said copying magnification rate setting means when said staple mode is selected by said switching means.

Claim 12

A copying apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a platen on which the original is placed; and conveying means for conveying said original to said platen; wherein said original size detecting means detects the size of the original when said original is conveyed by said conveying means.

Claim 13

A copying apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising paper size setting means for setting a desired paper size, wherein said paper size determining means determines said paper size set by said paper size setting means.

Claim 14

A copying apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said staple means comprises paper containing means for containing the sheets of paper on which images are formed and a stapler for stapling said sheets of paper on which said images are formed in said paper containing means.

Claim 15

A copying apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising: copying magnification rate determining means for determining whether said magnification rate set by said magnification rate setting means is in an available range of magnification rate or not; and staple mode prohibiting means for prohibiting execution of said staple mode when it is determined by said magnification rate determining means that said set magnification rate is out of the available range.

Claim 16

A copying apparatus with a photoreceptor capable of reproducing images of an original at different magnification rates on sheets of paper, comprising: original size detecting means for detecting the size of the original; paper size determining means for determining the size of the paper; copying magnification rate setting means for automatically setting a suitable copying magnification rate based on said original size and said paper size; staple means for stapling said sheets of paper on which said images are formed; wherein said copying apparatus is operated either in a staple mode in which stapling is carried out by the staple means or in a non-staple mode in which stapling is not carried out, said copying apparatus further comprising: switching means for switching between said staple mode and said non-staple mode; magnification rate determining means for determining whether said magnification rate set by said copying magnification rate setting means is in a prescribed available range of magnification rate or not; and means for prohibiting operation of said staple means when it is determined by said magnification rate determining means that said set magnification rate is out of said prescribed available range

Claim 17

A copying apparatus with a photoreceptor capable of reproducing images of an original at different magnification rates on sheets of paper, comprising: original size detecting means for detecting the size of the original; paper size determining means for determining the size of the paper; copying magnification rate setting means for automatically setting a suitable copying magnification rate based on said original size and said paper size; staple means for stapling said sheets of paper on which said images are formed; wherein said copying apparatus is operated either in a staple mode in which stapling is carried out by the staple means or in a non-staple mode in which stapling is not carried out, said copying apparatus further comprising: switching means for switching between said staple mode and said non-staple mode; magnification rate determining means for determining whether said magnification rate set by said copying magnification rate setting means is in a prescribed available range of magnification rate or not; and means for prohibiting operation of said staple means when it is determined by said magnification rate determining means that said set magnification rate is out of said prescribed available range

Claim 18

A copying apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: a platen on which the original is placed; and conveying means for conveying said original to said platen; wherein said original size detecting means detects the size of the original when said original is conveyed by said conveying means.

Claim 19

A copying apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising: paper size setting means for setting a desired paper size, wherein said paper size determining means determines the paper size set by said paper size setting means.

Claim 20

A copying apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said staple means comprises paper containing means for containing the sheets of paper on which the images are formed, and a stapler for stapling the sheets of paper on which said images are formed in said paper containing means.

Claim 21

A copying apparatus comprising: a photoreceptor; a platen on which an original is placed; projecting means for projecting an image of said original onto said photoreceptor with a prescribed projection magnification rate, said prescribed projection magnification rate being adjustable; developing means for developing latent electrostatic images formed on said photoreceptor by said projecting means into a toner image; a plurality of first paper containing means for containing a plurality of sheets of paper having different sizes; paper size setting means for setting a desired paper size; supplying means for supplying sheets of paper of the set size from said first paper containing means; transferring means for transferring said toner image on said photoreceptor to said supplied sheets of paper; fixing means for fixing said transferred toner image on said sheets of paper; second paper containing means for containing said sheets of paper on which the images are fixed; staple means for stapling said sheets of paper contained in said second containing means; wherein said copying apparatus is operated either in a staple mode in which stapling is carried out by said staple means or in a non-staple mode in which stapling is not carried out; said copying apparatus further comprising: selecting means for selecting either said staple mode or said non-staple mode; original size detecting means for detecting the size of the original placed on said platen; calculating means for calculating a suitable projection magnification rate based on sad set paper size and said detected original size so that said images of the original are included in said sheet of paper; and control means for controlling said projecting means such that said prescribed projecting magnification rate is changed to said suitable projection magnification rate when said staple mode is selected.

Claim 22

A copying apparatus comprising: a photoreceptor; a platen on which an original is placed; projecting means for projecting an image of said original onto said photoreceptor with a prescribed projection magnification rate, said prescribed projection magnification rate being adjustable; developing means for developing latent electrostatic images formed on said photoreceptor by said projecting means into a toner image; a plurality of first paper containing means for containing a plurality of sheets of paper having different sizes; paper size setting means for setting a desired paper size; supplying means for supplying sheets of paper of the set size from said first paper containing means; transferring means for transferring said toner image on said photoreceptor to said supplied sheets of paper; fixing means for fixing said transferred toner image on said sheets of paper; second paper containing means for containing said sheets of paper on which the images are fixed; staple means for stapling said sheets of paper contained in said second containing means; wherein said copying apparatus is operated either in a staple mode in which stapling is carried out by said staple means or in a non-staple mode in which stapling is not carried out; said copying apparatus further comprising: selecting means for selecting either said staple mode or said non-staple mode; original size detecting means for detecting the size of the original placed on said platen; calculating means for calculating a suitable projection magnification rate based on sad set paper size and said detected original size so that said images of the original are included in said sheet of paper; and control means for controlling said projecting means such that said prescribed projecting magnification rate is changed to said suitable projection magnification rate when said staple mode is selected.