Sheet feeding or delivering – Delivering – Multiple discharge
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-22
2001-10-30
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Delivering
Multiple discharge
C271S298000, C271S302000, C271S303000, C399S110000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308952
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a paper sheet discharge apparatus, in particular, to a paper sheet discharge apparatus for receiving, sorting, and accommodating paper sheets, such as print paper sheets discharged from a printing apparatus, such as a printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional recording medium discharge apparatuses have been used to receive, sort, and accommodate recording media, such as paper sheets discharged from an image-forming apparatus or a printing apparatus, such as copying machines, printers and facsimiles.
Such a recording medium discharge apparatus is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-197277, which includes a plurality of bins for storing paper sheets, and a pair of transport rollers for receiving paper sheets discharged from an image-forming apparatus and discharging them to a predetermined discharge position, wherein the plurality of bins are vertically moved upwardly and downwardly to the fixed discharge positions of the pair of transport rollers so that the paper sheets are sorted into paper sheets stored in the respective bins.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,551,686 (corresponding to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-259093) describes a system that includes a plurality of fixed bins, moving belts for transporting paper sheets discharged from an image-forming apparatus, in an alignment direction of the plurality of bins, and gates provided corresponding to the respective bins, for changing the direction of transport of the paper sheets by the moving belts so that the paper sheets are guided to the corresponding bins.
However, it has also been recently required that the image formation process be performed at high speed, in accordance with which it is also required to perform, at a high speed, the process of sorting and accommodating the paper sheets discharged from the image-forming apparatus. In the case of the apparatus in which the plurality of bins are vertically moved upwardly and downwardly to the fixed discharge position of the pair of transport rollers, it takes a long time to vertically move the bins, and it is difficult to accelerate the sorting and accommodating process. In the case of the system in which the paper sheets, which are discharged from the image-forming apparatus, are transported by using the moving belts, and the transport direction is changed by using the gate to discharge the paper sheets to the respective bins, the rearward end of the paper sheet may not be able to be discharged reliably to the bin if the resistance between the paper sheet and the bin is large when the paper sheets are fed from the moving belts to the respective bins. Therefore, such a system can become jammed with the paper sheets, for example. Further, in the case of any one of the conventional recording medium discharge apparatuses and systems, the increase in load exerted on a driving source, and the noise generated during operation, cause problems when attempting to attain high speed performance.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-175714 discloses a paper sheet discharge apparatus that includes multiple stages of delivery units provided in an integral manner to make it possible to distribute paper sheets discharged from a paper sheet-processing unit. The delivery unit includes a tray for accommodating paper sheets, a receiving port for receiving the paper sheets transported from the paper sheet discharge apparatus, a transport means for transporting the paper sheets transported from the receiving port, a discharge port for allowing the paper sheets transported by the transport means to be discharged to the receiving port of the delivery unit, and a guide means for guiding the paper sheets imported from the receiving port to the tray or the discharge port (claim
9
in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-175714). The paper sheet discharge apparatus further includes a driving unit through which the delivery unit is installed to a printer. The driving unit guides the paper sheets exclusively into either the delivery unit or a discharging stacker of the printer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a paper sheet discharge apparatus which makes it possible to sort and accommodate paper sheets, such as those discharged from a printing apparatus, reliably at a high speed and easily.
According to an aspect of the invention, a recording medium discharge apparatus is provided which is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus, which includes a recording medium receiving device having an installing unit that installs the recording medium receiving device in the image forming apparatus, an introducing unit that introduces a recording medium at a location where an image is formed by the image forming apparatus, and a curl eliminating unit that eliminates curling of the recording medium introduced by the introducing unit, and a recording medium sorting device having a plurality of storing units that store the recording medium introduced by the introducing unit, a discharge unit that discharges the recording medium introduced by the introducing unit into the plurality of storing units, a transport unit that transports the recording medium introduced by the introducing unit to the discharge unit, and a switching unit that switches a transport direction for transporting the recording medium introduced by the introducing unit to the discharge unit, and wherein the recording medium receiving device and the recording medium sorting device are separately formed and detachably connectable to each other.
The paper sheet discharge apparatus according to the invention can be attached with a different type of image forming apparatus by replacing an inappropriate introducing section with an appropriate type of introducing section which complies with the different type of image forming apparatus to which the paper sheet discharge apparatus is to be attached. Namely, it is not necessary to exchange the entire paper sheet discharge apparatus, and instead it is sufficient to only exchange the introducing section when the paper sheet discharge apparatus is attached to the different type of image forming apparatus. Therefore, a user can easily use the paper sheet discharge apparatus. Further, when purchasing a new image forming apparatus to change the type of image forming apparatus, the user only needs to exchange the introducing section, and does not need to exchange the sorting section. Accordingly, in the abovedescribed case, the user can purchase the paper sheet discharge apparatus at a much lower cost than if the user was to purchase the paper sheet discharge apparatus as a whole for replacing. Further, a redesigning of the paper sheet discharge apparatus, including the sorting section, is not necessary for each type of image forming apparatus. Therefore, time and trouble needed for performing research and development for each type of paper sheet discharge apparatus can be reduced. Also, the cost of manufacturing the paper sheet discharge apparatuses can be reduced due to the increase of common parts for each type of paper sheet discharge apparatus.
Further, since the curl eliminating unit is disposed in the introducing section, curling of the paper sheet can be removed from the paper immediately before sorting and stacking in the sorting section according to the direction that the paper takes to the sorting section. Therefore, the paper sheet, of which any curling has been removed, can be smoothly fed into the sorting section. Accordingly, the paper sheet can be stacked in any orderly manner in each bin, and paper sheet jams can be reduced.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5287157 (1994-02-01), Miyazato et al.
patent: 5414503 (1995-05-01), Siegel et al.
patent: 5551686 (1996-09-01), Sanchez et al.
patent: 5810353 (1998-09-01), Baskette et al.
patent: 1-197277 (1989-08-01), None
patent: 9-175714 (1997-08-01), None
Hirose Atsuo
Kashima Hiroyuki
Makino Kazumasa
Nishimura Hiroaki
Takagi Kazuhiko
Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Miller Jonathan R
Oliff & Berridg,e PLC
Walsh Donald P.
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