Sheet sorter with control for continuous operation

Claim 2

A sheet sorting apparatus comprising: plural bin trays; bin tray moving means for moving said bin trays stepwisely to cause each of the bin trays to face a sheet receiving position; and control means for variably controlling the operating speed of said bin tray moving means according to sheet transporting information from an image forming apparatus to be connected to said sorting apparatus in such a manner that said bin tray moving means can be operated in a continuous manner even during discharge of a sheet into a bin tray, wherein said control means comprises calculation means for calculating the operating speed of said bin tray moving means based on the sheet transporting information supplied from said image forming apparatus so that the bin which is subject to receive the sheet faces the sheet receiving position until the sheet receiving has been completed, and the subsequent bin tray comes to the sheet receiving position before discharge of subsequent sheets is started.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said bin tray moving means is adapted to vertically move said bin trays, while widening the spaces thereof.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said bin tray moving means is means for rotating spiral cams.

Claim 5

An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said bin tray moving means is a geneva rotary member.

Claim 6

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image forming apparatus is a copying machine.

Claim 7

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image forming apparatus is a printer.

Claim 8

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image forming apparatus is a facsimile apparatus.

Claim 9

A sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said bin tray moving means is a spiral cam rotating member on which a spiral having a parallel portion is formed to discharge the sheet when the trunnion of said bin tray is positioned on the parallel portion; and said control means adjusts the timing of starting point of the parallel portion and the sheet discharge.

Claim 10

An image forming apparatus comprising: image forming means; plural bin trays; bin tray moving means for moving said bin trays stepwisely to cause each of the bin trays to face a sheet receiving position; and control means for controlling the operating speed of said bin tray moving means according to sheet transporting information in such a manner that said bin tray moving means is operable in a continuous manner even during the discharge of a sheet into a bin tray, wherein said control means comprises calculation means for calculating the operating speed of said bin tray moving means based on the sheet transporting information supplied from said image forming apparatus so that the bin which is subject to receive the sheet faces the sheet receiving position until the sheet receiving has been completed, and the subsequent bin tray comes to the sheet receiving position before discharge of subsequent sheets is started.

Claim 11

An image forming apparatus comprising: image forming means; plural bin trays; bin tray moving means for moving said bin trays stepwisely to cause each of the bin trays to face a sheet receiving position; and control means for controlling the operating speed of said bin tray moving means according to sheet transporting information in such a manner that said bin tray moving means is operable in a continuous manner even during the discharge of a sheet into a bin tray, wherein said control means comprises calculation means for calculating the operating speed of said bin tray moving means based on the sheet transporting information supplied from said image forming apparatus so that the bin which is subject to receive the sheet faces the sheet receiving position until the sheet receiving has been completed, and the subsequent bin tray comes to the sheet receiving position before discharge of subsequent sheets is started.

Claim 12

An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said bin tray moving means is adapted to vertically move said bin trays, while widening the spaces therebetween.

Claim 13

An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said bin tray moving means is means for rotating spiral cams.

Claim 14

An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said bin tray moving means is a geneva rotary member.

Claim 15

A sheet sorting apparatus comprising: plural bins each having a trunnion at an end thereof; sheet discharge means for discharging sheets, transported from an image forming apparatus, into said bins; spiral cam means for moving said trunnions of said bins in such a manner as to widen the space of the bins at a position facing said sheet discharge means, wherein a substantially horizontal portion, of a predetermined amount is provided on the cam portion of said spiral cam means, said spiral cam means is maintained in continuous rotation; means for detecting a rotary position of said spiral cam means, to determine whether it is in a sheet discharge position in which said trunnion is in the substantially horizontal portion of the spiral cam means and a shift position in which said trunnion is in an inclined portion of said spiral cam means; and control means for controlling said spiral cam means so that the discharge operation of said sheet discharge means is synchronized with the passing of said trunnion through the substantially horizontal portion of said spiral cam means, said control means being adapted to vary the revolving speed of said spiral cam means is response to detection by said detecting means.

Claim 16

A sheet sorting apparatus comprising: plural bins each having a trunnion at an end thereof; sheet discharge means for discharging sheets, transported from an image forming apparatus, into said bins; spiral cam means for moving said trunnions of said bins in such a manner as to widen the space of the bins at a position facing said sheet discharge means, wherein a substantially horizontal portion, of a predetermined amount is provided on the cam portion of said spiral cam means, said spiral cam means is maintained in continuous rotation; means for detecting a rotary position of said spiral cam means, to determine whether it is in a sheet discharge position in which said trunnion is in the substantially horizontal portion of the spiral cam means and a shift position in which said trunnion is in an inclined portion of said spiral cam means; and control means for controlling said spiral cam means so that the discharge operation of said sheet discharge means is synchronized with the passing of said trunnion through the substantially horizontal portion of said spiral cam means, said control means being adapted to vary the revolving speed of said spiral cam means is response to detection by said detecting means.

Claim 17

An apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a control circuit capable, in response to a sheet discharge signal from said image forming apparatus, of synchorinizing the timing of start of discharge of said sheet with the timing of start of said substantially parallel portion in the rotation of said spiral cam means.

Claim 18

A sheet sorting apparatus comprising: plural bins each having a trunnion at an end thereof; sheet discharge means for discharging sheets, transported from an image forming apparatus, into said bins; spiral cam means for moving said trunnions of said bins in such a manner as to cause each of said bins to face said sheet discharge means, wherein a substantially horizontal portion of a predetermined amount is provided on the cam portion of said spiral cam means, said spiral cam means is maintained in continuous rotation; means for detecting a rotary position of said spiral cam means to determine whether it is in a sheet discharge position in which said trunnion is on the substantially horizontal portion of the spiral cam means and a shift position in which said trunnion is on an inclined portion of said spiral cam means; and control means for controlling said spiral cam means so that the discharge operation of said sheet discharge means is synchronized with the passing of said trunnion through the substantially horizontal portion of said spiral cam means, said control means being adapted to vary the revolving speed of said spiral cam means in response to detection by said detecting means.

Claim 19

A sheet sorting apparatus comprising: plural bins each having a trunnion at an end thereof; sheet discharge means for discharging sheets, transported from an image forming apparatus, into said bins; spiral cam means for moving said trunnions of said bins in such a manner as to cause each of said bins to face said sheet discharge means, wherein a substantially horizontal portion of a predetermined amount is provided on the cam portion of said spiral cam means, said spiral cam means is maintained in continuous rotation; means for detecting a rotary position of said spiral cam means to determine whether it is in a sheet discharge position in which said trunnion is on the substantially horizontal portion of the spiral cam means and a shift position in which said trunnion is on an inclined portion of said spiral cam means; and control means for controlling said spiral cam means so that the discharge operation of said sheet discharge means is synchronized with the passing of said trunnion through the substantially horizontal portion of said spiral cam means, said control means being adapted to vary the revolving speed of said spiral cam means in response to detection by said detecting means.

Claim 20

An image forming apparatus comprising: plural bins each having a trunnion at an end thereof; sheet discharge means for discharging sheets, transported from an image forming means, into said bins; spiral cam means for moving said trunnions of said bins in such a manner as to cause each of said bins to face said sheet discharge means, wherein a substantially horizontal portion of a predetermined amount is provided in the cam portion of said spiral cam means, said spiral cam means is maintained in continuous rotation; means for detecting a rotary position of said spiral cam means, to determine whether it is in a sheet discharge position in which said trunnion is on the substantially horizontal portion of the spiral cam means and a shift position in which said trunnion is on an inclined portion of said spiral cam means; and control means for controlling said spiral cam means so that the discharge operation of said sheet discharge means is synchronized with the passing of said trunnion through the substantially horizontal portion of said spiral cam means, said control means being adapted to vary the revolving speed of said spiral cam means in response to detection by said detecting means.

Claim 21

An image forming apparatus comprising: plural bins each having a trunnion at an end thereof; sheet discharge means for discharging sheets, transported from an image forming means, into said bins; spiral cam means for moving said trunnions of said bins in such a manner as to cause each of said bins to face said sheet discharge means, wherein a substantially horizontal portion of a predetermined amount is provided in the cam portion of said spiral cam means, said spiral cam means is maintained in continuous rotation; means for detecting a rotary position of said spiral cam means, to determine whether it is in a sheet discharge position in which said trunnion is on the substantially horizontal portion of the spiral cam means and a shift position in which said trunnion is on an inclined portion of said spiral cam means; and control means for controlling said spiral cam means so that the discharge operation of said sheet discharge means is synchronized with the passing of said trunnion through the substantially horizontal portion of said spiral cam means, said control means being adapted to vary the revolving speed of said spiral cam means in response to detection by said detecting means.

Claim 22

A sheet sorting apparatus comprising: plural bins each having a trunnion at an end thereof; sheet discharge means for discharging sheets, transported from an image forming apparatus, into said bins; spiral cam means for moving said trunnions of said bins by grooves of said cam means in such a manner as to cause each of said bins to face said sheet discharge means, wherein a substantially parallel portion of a predetermined amount is provided on the cam portion of said spiral cam means, said spiral cam means is maintained in continuous rotation; means for detecting a rotary position of said spiral cam means to determine whether it is in a sheet discharge position in which said trunnion is in the substantially parallel portion of the spiral cam means and a shift position in which said trunnion is in an inclined portion of said spiral cam means; and control means for controlling said spiral cam means so that the discharge operation of said sheet discharge through the substantially parallel portion of said spiral cam means, said control means being adapted to vary the revolving speed of said spiral cam means in response to detection by said detecting means.

Claim 23

A sheet sorting apparatus comprising: plural bins each having a trunnion at an end thereof; sheet discharge means for discharging sheets, transported from an image forming apparatus, into said bins; spiral cam means for moving said trunnions of said bins by grooves of said cam means in such a manner as to cause each of said bins to face said sheet discharge means, wherein a substantially parallel portion of a predetermined amount is provided on the cam portion of said spiral cam means, said spiral cam means is maintained in continuous rotation; means for detecting a rotary position of said spiral cam means to determine whether it is in a sheet discharge position in which said trunnion is in the substantially parallel portion of the spiral cam means and a shift position in which said trunnion is in an inclined portion of said spiral cam means; and control means for controlling said spiral cam means so that the discharge operation of said sheet discharge through the substantially parallel portion of said spiral cam means, said control means being adapted to vary the revolving speed of said spiral cam means in response to detection by said detecting means.

Claim 24

A sheet sorting apparatus, comprising: plural bins each having a trunnion; sheet discharge means for discharging sheets transported from an image forming apparatus into said bins; spiral cam means, comprising two cam lines, for moving said trunnions of said bins in such a manner as to cause each of said bins to face said sheet discharge means, wherein a substantially horizontal cam line of a predetermined amount is provided at an intermediate portion of the cam lines of said spiral cam means, said spiral cam means being maintained in continuous rotation, and wherein said trunnion reaches to said intermediate portion from a lower or an upper portion by one revolution of said spiral cam means and it reaches from the lower portion to the upper portion, or from the upper portion to the lower portion of said spiral cam means by two revolutions of said spiral cam means; means for detecting a rotary position of said spiral cam means to determine whether it is in a sheet discharge position in which said trunnion is on the substantially horizontal cam lines of said spiral cam means or in a shift position in which said trunnion is on an inclined cam line of said spiral cam means; and control means capable, in response to said detecting means, of synchronizing the discharge operation of said sheet discharge means with the passing timing of said trunnion through said substantially horizontal cam lines in the rotation of said cam means.

Claim 25

A sheet sorting apparatus, comprising: plural bins each having a trunnion; sheet discharge means for discharging sheets transported from an image forming apparatus into said bins; spiral cam means, comprising two cam lines, for moving said trunnions of said bins in such a manner as to cause each of said bins to face said sheet discharge means, wherein a substantially horizontal cam line of a predetermined amount is provided at an intermediate portion of the cam lines of said spiral cam means, said spiral cam means being maintained in continuous rotation, and wherein said trunnion reaches to said intermediate portion from a lower or an upper portion by one revolution of said spiral cam means and it reaches from the lower portion to the upper portion, or from the upper portion to the lower portion of said spiral cam means by two revolutions of said spiral cam means; means for detecting a rotary position of said spiral cam means to determine whether it is in a sheet discharge position in which said trunnion is on the substantially horizontal cam lines of said spiral cam means or in a shift position in which said trunnion is on an inclined cam line of said spiral cam means; and control means capable, in response to said detecting means, of synchronizing the discharge operation of said sheet discharge means with the passing timing of said trunnion through said substantially horizontal cam lines in the rotation of said cam means.

Claim 26

A sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said bin tray in which the trunnion is provided at the intermediate portion faces to said discharge means and is maintained with a large gap between the upper and lower bins; and said sheet sorting apparatus further is provided with stapler means to staple the sheet on the bin facing with said discharge means.

Claim 27

A sheet sorting apparatus, comprising: plural bins each having a trunnion; sheet discharge means for discharging sheets, transported from an image forming apparatus, into said bins; spiral cam means for moving said trunnions of said bins in such a manner as to cause each of said bins to face said sheet discharge means, wherein a substantially horizontal portion of a predetermined amount is provided on the cam portion of said spiral cam means and said spiral cam means is maintained in continuous rotation; means for detecting a rotary position of said spiral cam means to determine whether it is in a sheet discharge position in which said trunnion is on the substantially horizontal portion of spiral cam means, or a shift position in which said trunnion is on an inclined portion of said spiral cam means; and control means capable, in response to said detecting means, of synchronizing the discharge operation of said sheet discharge means with the passing timing of said trunnion through said substantially horizontal portion in the rotation of said spiral cam means.

Claim 28

A sheet sorting apparatus, comprising: plural bins each having a trunnion; sheet discharge means for discharging sheets, transported from an image forming apparatus, into said bins; spiral cam means for moving said trunnions of said bins in such a manner as to cause each of said bins to face said sheet discharge means, wherein a substantially horizontal portion of a predetermined amount is provided on the cam portion of said spiral cam means and said spiral cam means is maintained in continuous rotation; means for detecting a rotary position of said spiral cam means to determine whether it is in a sheet discharge position in which said trunnion is on the substantially horizontal portion of spiral cam means, or a shift position in which said trunnion is on an inclined portion of said spiral cam means; and control means capable, in response to said detecting means, of synchronizing the discharge operation of said sheet discharge means with the passing timing of said trunnion through said substantially horizontal portion in the rotation of said spiral cam means.

Claim 29

An image forming apparatus, comprising: plural bins each having a trunnion; sheet discharge means for discharging sheets, transported from an image forming apparatus, into said bins; spiral cam means for moving said trunnions of said bins in such a manner as to cause each of said bins to face said sheet discharge means, wherein a substantially horizontal portion of a predetermined amount is provided on the cam portion of said spiral cam means and said spiral cam means is maintained in continuous rotation; means for detecting a rotary position of said spiral cam means to determine whether it is in a sheet discharge position in which said trunnion is on the substantially horizontal portion of spiral cam means, or a shift position in which said trunnion is on an inclined portion of said spiral cam means; and control means capable, in response to said detecting means, of synchronizing the discharge operation of said sheet discharge means with the passing timing of said trunnion through said substantially horizontal portion in the rotation of said spiral cam means.

Claim 30

An image forming apparatus, comprising: plural bins each having a trunnion; sheet discharge means for discharging sheets, transported from an image forming apparatus, into said bins; spiral cam means for moving said trunnions of said bins in such a manner as to cause each of said bins to face said sheet discharge means, wherein a substantially horizontal portion of a predetermined amount is provided on the cam portion of said spiral cam means and said spiral cam means is maintained in continuous rotation; means for detecting a rotary position of said spiral cam means to determine whether it is in a sheet discharge position in which said trunnion is on the substantially horizontal portion of spiral cam means, or a shift position in which said trunnion is on an inclined portion of said spiral cam means; and control means capable, in response to said detecting means, of synchronizing the discharge operation of said sheet discharge means with the passing timing of said trunnion through said substantially horizontal portion in the rotation of said spiral cam means.

Claim 31

An image forming apparatus, comprising: plural bins each having a trunnion; sheet discharge means for discharging sheets transported from an image forming means into said bins; spiral cam means, comprising two cam lines, for moving said trunnions of said bins in such a manner as to cause each of said bins to face said sheet discharge means, wherein substantially horizontal cam lines of a predetermined amount is provided at an intermediate portion of the cam line of said spiral cam means, said spiral cam means is maintained in continuous rotations, and wherein said trunnion reaches to said intermediate portion from a lower or an upper portion by one revolution of said spiral cam means and it reaches from the lower portion to the upper portion or from the upper portion to the lower portion of said spiral cam means by two revolutions of said spiral cam means; means for detecting the rotary position of said spiral cam means to determine whether it is in a sheet discharge position in which said trunnion is on the substantially horizontal cam lines of said spiral cam means or in a shift position in which said trunnion is on an inclined cam line of said spiral cam means; and control means capable, in response to said detecting means, of synchronizing the discharging operation of said sheet discharge means with the passing timing of said trunnion through said substantially horizontal cam lines in the rotation of said spiral cam means.

Claim 32

An image forming apparatus, comprising: plural bins each having a trunnion; sheet discharge means for discharging sheets transported from an image forming means into said bins; spiral cam means, comprising two cam lines, for moving said trunnions of said bins in such a manner as to cause each of said bins to face said sheet discharge means, wherein substantially horizontal cam lines of a predetermined amount is provided at an intermediate portion of the cam line of said spiral cam means, said spiral cam means is maintained in continuous rotations, and wherein said trunnion reaches to said intermediate portion from a lower or an upper portion by one revolution of said spiral cam means and it reaches from the lower portion to the upper portion or from the upper portion to the lower portion of said spiral cam means by two revolutions of said spiral cam means; means for detecting the rotary position of said spiral cam means to determine whether it is in a sheet discharge position in which said trunnion is on the substantially horizontal cam lines of said spiral cam means or in a shift position in which said trunnion is on an inclined cam line of said spiral cam means; and control means capable, in response to said detecting means, of synchronizing the discharging operation of said sheet discharge means with the passing timing of said trunnion through said substantially horizontal cam lines in the rotation of said spiral cam means.