Printer mailboxing system with automatic variable capacity bins

Details Printer mailboxing system with automatic variable capacity bins Printer mailboxing system with automatic variable capacity bins

1998-10-21

2001-05-08

Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3615)

Sheet feeding or delivering

Delivering

Multiple discharge

C271S294000, C271S298000, C271S288000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06227539

ABSTRACT:

Disclosed in the embodiments herein is an improved system by which individual bins of a multibin printed sheets separating system can automatically increase or decrease their sheet stacking capacity relative to other bins for variable numbers or sizes of print jobs being directed to individual bins. This can provide an improved multibin mailboxing system for the print jobs of shared user printers, providing automatically variable capacity bins for the varying utilizations, varying outputs, and varying time delays between bin unloadings, of the various users of the associated printer.
The system disclosed in the embodiments herein can provide a desirable variable bin capacity in a multibin sheet output separation and storage system with a relatively simple and low cost mechanism having a relatively simple control and drive system.
A significant advantage of the disclosed mailboxing system is that a higher print output temporary storage capacity can be provided for individual users, on average, to provide an effectively “larger mailboxes” mailboxing system, without requiring an increase in the overall size of the mailboxing system.
Providing variable capacity bins in a mailboxing system, particularly one with an upstream sets finisher, as shown in above-cited patents, allows greater flexibility with respect to mailbox job size limitations in a number of other respects. For example, the disclosed system does not require a large print job to be sent to an open general user tray such as an elevator tray, where a lack of privacy would exist due to the openness thereof, as well as confusion with other such overflow large print jobs from other users. Nor do large or multiple print jobs need to be redirected to secondary locations, since any tray can be automatically adjusted for the increased capacity of the large print jobs, thus allowing all of the accumulated print jobs to be kept in a single, increasing capacity, bin until removed if desired. All the bins which are unused or from which print jobs have been removed can be minimized in capacity and spacing to greatly increase the maximum available capacity of other bins without subtracting from the number of bins or increasing the overall mailboxing system unit size. The productivity and useful up time for the associated printer can thus be improved.
A specific feature of the specific embodiments disclosed herein is to provide in a printed sheets distribution system for a printer comprising an array of multiple adjacent stacking bins into which printed sheets from the printer are selectively directed to be stacked in selected individual said bins, wherein different numbers of said printed sheets are selectively directed to different individual said bins, the improvement comprising an automatic bin capacity adjustment system which automatically increases or decreases the sheet stacking capacity of said selected individual said bins relative to other said bins in response to said different numbers of said printed sheets being directed to said selected individual said bins, said automatic bin capacity adjustment system automatically changing the spacing between selected said adjacent stacking bins to provide said automatically increases or decreases in the sheet stacking capacity of said selected individual said bins relative to said other bins.
Further specific features disclosed herein, individually or in combination, include those wherein a multiple mailbox bins mailboxing system for stacking therein print jobs of said printed sheets from said printer, wherein different individual said mailbox bins are assigned to different individual users of said printer, and wherein said printer is a shared users printers with plural said individual users respectively having variable numbers and sizes of print jobs, and wherein said print jobs of said individual users are separately directed to separate said individual said mailbox bins separately assigned to said individual users, and wherein said automatic bin capacity adjustment system automatically changes said sheet stacking capacity of said individual said mailbox bins for said individual users respectively having variable numbers and sizes of print jobs; and/or wherein said print jobs of said printed sheets from said printer are manually removable from said mailbox bins by said individual users, and wherein said automatic bin capacity adjustment system automatically reduces said sheet stacking capacity of said individual said mailbox bins from which said print jobs of said printed sheets have been so removed; and/or wherein said automatic bin capacity adjustment system comprises plural coaxial but independently rotatable screw threaded bin movement members, and a controlled drive system rotating at least one of said screw threaded bin movement members relative to another to change the spacing between adjacent said bins; and/or wherein said controlled drive system alternatively commonly rotates said plural coaxial but independently rotatable screw threaded bin movement members to commonly move said bins without changing the spacing between said bins, and/or in a mailboxing system for a shared users printer with different individual users, comprising an array of multiple adjacent mailbox bins, which mailboxing system separates and temporarily stores different numbers of printed sheets for said different users of said shared users printer in different said mailbox bins; the improvement comprising an automatic mailbox bin capacity adjustment system automatically varying the spacing between said mailbox bins to provide different sheet capacities for different said mailbox bins for said different numbers of printed sheets of said different users of said shared users printer; and/or wherein said printed sheets are manually removable from individual said mailbox bins by said individual users, and wherein said automatic bin capacity adjustment system automatically reduces said sheet stacking capacity of said individual said mailbox bins from which said printed sheets have been so removed to increase the available sheet stacking capacity of other said mailbox bins of said mailboxing system; and/or wherein said automatic bin capacity adjustment system comprises plural coaxial but independently rotatable screw threaded bin movement members, and a controlled drive system rotating at least one of said screw threaded bin movement members relative to another to change the spacing between adjacent said mailbox bins to change the sheet stacking capacity of selected said mailbox bins; and/or wherein said controlled drive system alternatively commonly rotates said plural coaxial but independently rotatable screw threaded bin movement members to commonly move said bins without hanging the spacing between said bins relative to a sheet entrance position for said mailbox bins; and/or wherein said automatic bin capacity adjustment system comprises a plurality of screw threaded bin movement members to which said mailbox bins are independently operatively attached in a vertical array, each said screw threaded bin movement member having upper and lower sections which are coaxial and have mating threads but are independently rotatable, and two separate and separately controlled drive motors connected to separately rotate said upper and lower sections of said screw threaded members relative to another to change the spacing between adjacent said mailbox bins to change the sheet stacking capacity of selected said mailbox bins; and/or in a mailboxing system for a shared users printer, having an array of multiple adjacent mailbox bins, which mailboxing system separates and stores different numbers of printed sheets for different users of said shared users printer into different said mailbox bins; the improvement comprising means for automatically varying the spacing between said mailbox bins to provide different sheet storing capacities for different said mailbox bins for said different users of said shared users printer; and/or in a printed sheets distribution system for a printer comprising multiple stacking bins into w

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