Photocopying – Projection printing and copying cameras – Detailed holder for photosensitive paper
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-11
2003-02-04
Adams, Russell (Department: 2851)
Photocopying
Projection printing and copying cameras
Detailed holder for photosensitive paper
C271S278000, C271S279000, C271S287000, C271S009010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06515735
ABSTRACT:
1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a stacker apparatus suitably provided at an exit of an apparatus which sorts sheet-type media into a plurality of divisions in upward and downward directions and a printing apparatus having a function of stacking sheet-type media such as printing paper sheets in a plurality of stages.
2. Background Art
Heretofore, a printing apparatus of a printer, a copying machine or the like has in most cases been used solely by itself or used in a state wherein it is connected to a particular terminal. In recent years, however, the opportunity that a printing apparatus is used in a state where it is connected to a plurality of personal computers, office computers or the like by a LAN has been and is increasing. According to such a method of use as just described, there is an advantage that one printing apparatus can be shared to improve the operating ratio of the printing apparatus and save the installation space.
However, if the printing apparatus has only one exit for printed matters, then printed paper sheets of different terminals become mixed. Where the total amount of printed paper sheets is small, the burden of sorting work is light. However, as the total amount increases, the burden of sorting work increases, and this may possibly lower the efficiency in operation. Accordingly, it is convenient if the printing apparatus has exits for different terminals or for different operation contents and sorts printed paper sheets thereof suitably into corresponding exits.
Thus, recently where a printing apparatus is shared using a LAN as described above, a printing apparatus
100
which has a plurality of exits
106
A to
106
F as shown in
FIG. 9
is used. In this printing apparatus
100
, data inputted from different terminals are processed by a control station
102
, and a designated cassette or a cassette for accommodating paper sheets corresponding to a printing area is selected from between paper feeding cassettes
103
A,
103
B. Then, a paper sheet is supplied from the selected paper feeding cassette to a print unit station
104
, and the paper is printed by the print unit station
104
and the print is fixed by a fixing station
105
, whereafter the printed matter is discharged to a suitable one of the exits
106
A to
106
F in a stacker station
101
.
As an arrangement of the exits
106
A to
106
F, various arrangements such as an arrangement in upward and downward directions and an arrangement in a horizontal direction are possible. Normally, however, the exits
106
A to
106
F are arranged in upward and downward directions as shown in
FIG. 9
from the point of view of reduction of the space or miniaturization of the apparatus. Further, trays
107
A to
107
F are provided for the exits
106
A to
106
F, respectively, and printed paper sheets are sorted for individual sorting destinations and stacked onto the trays
107
A to
107
F in the stacker station
101
.
In this instance, the trays
107
A to
107
F can be allocated to the different terminals. For example, if it is assumed that personal computers
120
,
121
, an office computer
122
and a global server
123
as terminals are connected to one another by a LAN
124
, then also the trays
107
A to
107
F are allocated to the individual terminals.
For example, the trays
107
A,
107
B are allocated to the personal computer
120
, the trays
107
C,
107
D are allocated to the personal computer
121
, the tray
107
E is allocated to the office computer
122
, and the tray
107
F is allocated to the global server
123
. Further, to the personal computers
120
,
121
from which a great amount of prints is originated, the trays
107
A,
107
B and the trays
107
C,
107
D can be allocated to different operation contents.
In this manner, with the printing apparatus
100
having a plurality of exits
106
A to
106
F (trays
107
A to
107
F) described above, by allocating the trays
107
A to
107
F to individually different operations or terminals, the single printing apparatus can be used efficiently without causing the printed matters to be mixed.
However, also the printing apparatus
100
in this instance is not universal for all operation forms.
In particular, while there is an operation which involves a small amount of prints but involves a great number of sorting divisions, also another operation which involves a small number of sorting divisions but involves a great amount of prints for one division is present. In an operation which involves a great number of sorting divisions, the convenience is improved as the number of exits (number of trays) increases, but in another operation which involves a great amount of prints for one division, the convenience is improved as the stacking capacity of each tray increases. When the diversity of needs in recent years is taken into consideration, it is desirable to satisfy both of the demands. However, with the printing apparatus
100
described above, since both of the number of exits (number of trays) and the stacking capacity of the trays are fixed, it is difficult to satisfy such diversified needs as described above.
It is to be noted that, as a countermeasure for satisfying both of the demands described above, it is a possible idea to make the number of exits (number of trays) and the stacking capacity of the trays variable or to make both of the number of exits (number of trays) and the stacking capacity great. However, in the former case, the mechanism becomes complicated, resulting in increase of the cost, and in the latter case, the size of the apparatus becomes very great. Therefore, they are not sufficient as means for solving the subjects described above.
While the subjects of the conventional printing apparatus are described above, the subjects described above are not limited to such printing apparatus of a printer, a copying machine and so forth as described above, but are subjects common to general equipments which include a stacker apparatus which sorts comparatively thin articles such as, for example, a sorting machine (sorter) for mails or magazines and has a plurality of exits in upward and downward directions so that sorted articles are successively stacked.
The present invention has been made in view of such subjects as described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a stacker apparatus wherein the number of trays or the stacking capacity of trays can be set as required without inviting increase of the cost or increase in size of the apparatus.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus wherein the number of trays or the stacking capacity of a stacking station can be set as required without inviting increase of the cost or increase in size of the apparatus.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
In order to attain the object described above, according to the present invention, a stacker apparatus which includes a plurality of trays for receiving sheet-like media discharged from two or more medium exits disposed in upward and downward directions separately and individually for the medium exits in a stacked state is characterized in that, between two upper and lower medium exits included in the two or more medium exits, a tray holder on which the upper side tray for receiving the sheet-like media discharged from the upper side medium exit of the two upper and lower medium exits in a stacked state can be removably and securely held is disposed, and that the tray holder is selectively changed over to one of a first state wherein the tray holder securely holds the upper side tray when the upper side tray is mounted thereon and a second state wherein the tray holder releases the upper side tray and operates integrally with the lower side tray provided for receiving the sheet-like media discharged from the lower side medium exit of the two upper and lower medium exits in a stacked state to function as part of a tray for receiving the sheet-like media from the upper side medium exit in a stacked state together with the lower side tray.
With the stacker apparatus, when a greater number of d
Adams Russell
Armstrong Westerman & Hattori, LLP
Fujitsu Limited
Kim Peter B.
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