Sheet-material associating – Associating or disassociating – Sheet associating
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-23
2001-05-08
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Sheet-material associating
Associating or disassociating
Sheet associating
C270S058070, C399S018000, C399S021000, C399S079000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227530
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(i) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet processing device for processing sheets with images formed thereon conveyed from a copying machine or another image forming device into a bunch and discharging the bunch onto a discharge tray, especially to a reset method and a reset device for the case where a fault occurs while a sheet processing device is operated.
(ii) Description of the Related Art
In a conventional art, when a jam or another fault occurs while sheets with images formed thereon by a copying machine or another image forming device are conveyed to a discharge tray, a factor of the fault is eliminated by removing jammed sheets or the like, then a device itself is reset, and an operation switch is pressed again, so that the subsequent sheet discharging or processing is performed. Additionally, by storing execution program conditions at the time of occurrence of abnormality, when program is executed again, a sheet processing is performed from the same condition as immediately before the abnormality occurs.
A sheet processing device is herein disclosed in which after sheets with images formed thereon by an image forming device are piled on a tray called a processing tray to form a bunch, the bunch is moved and conveyed from the processing tray to one or plural discharge trays from which a user can take the bunch. Therefore, when compared with a conventional method of discharging one sheet from the image forming device directly to the discharge tray, more processes are required such as a process of matching and bunching plural sheets, a process of stapling the bunched sheets, a process of sending the sheet bunch to the discharge tray and the like.
In this case, if a reset processing is performed in the same manner as in the conventional art after a fault occurs, the previous processing needs to be performed again, which disturbs a rapid sheet processing. Moreover, when the abnormal fault is eliminated during plural processes, in the conventional method, instructions are given to a user on a display in such a manner that the user goes back to each process to confirm the jamming of sheets or another abnormality, which increases burdens of the user in the reset processing and is laborious. Especially when in the stapling processing a stapler is stuck with staples or another defect occurs, to remove all the sheets in the previous processes requires much labor and time. Therefore, a more rapid resetting method which less burdens a user has been requested for.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Wherefore, an object of the invention is to provide a reset method and means in which even when a trouble occurs, a sheet processing can be performed continuously after resetting without wasting the previous processing.
To attain this and other objects, according to the invention, in a sheet processing device in which plural sheets conveyed from an image forming device are discharged to a discharge tray after a predetermined processing process, the processing process is finely divided into plural function units and each function unit is reset. In a memory means, a status flag or sensor indicating the condition of each function unit is assigned to the function unit. In the sheet processing device, the presence of a half performed operation is confirmed by the status flags assigned in the memory means, and only the function unit being operated is reset to its initial condition.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4054380 (1977-10-01), Donohue et al.
patent: 4173408 (1979-11-01), Stewart
patent: 4299477 (1981-11-01), Ward et al.
patent: 9-73251 (1997-03-01), None
patent: 409073251 (1997-03-01), None
Asahara Tsuyoshi
Namba Toyoaki
Saito Takashi
Sano Kazuaki
Taka Kyosuke
Ellis Christopher P.
Mackey Patrick
Pitney Hardin Kipp & Szuch LLP
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
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