Sheet-material associating – Associating or disassociating – Sheet associating
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-09
2001-02-27
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Sheet-material associating
Associating or disassociating
Sheet associating
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193228
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sheet sorting apparatus, and more particularly to a sheet sorting apparatus provided with a sheet tray and adapted to sort sheets by pasting tags thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art
When sheets are printed out by an image processing apparatus, such as a facsimile transfer unit, a printer and a copier, sheets are discharged in order therefrom and stacked on one tray. During this time, when a sheaf of sheets are taken out from the tray after the printing of one document has finished, a problem does not arise, but, in some cases, sheets of a plurality of documents are discharged continuously and stacked on one tray. In such a case, when sheets are classified by documents and discharged, an end to a document is recognized conveniently on being taken out.
The sorting apparatuses adapted to have such an end to a document recognized include, for example, an offsetting function-carrying apparatus. In this apparatus, sheet discharge positions are staggered by documents. Owing to this arrangement, the positions in which the sheets are discharged are staggered little by little by sheets constituting the same document so that it comes to be understood that the portion of a sheaf of sheets at which a position is staggered shows an end to a document.
There is an apparatus having a function of inserting a ribbon between documents. In this apparatus, however, although a ribbon is placed on sheets discharged onto a tray, and subsequent sheets are discharged onto the ribbon, i.e., ribbons are inserted between the sheets, during the supplying of a ribbon, the discharging of sheets onto the tray is temporarily stopped, so that a ribbon inserting time is required, this causing the productivity to be lowered. Also, since such a ribbon is only held between sheets, there is the possibility that the ribbon falls off when a sheaf of sheets is taken out from the tray, and this causes a problem that a sorting position becomes indefinite.
There is also a method in which a plurality of trays are prepared so as to change trays whenever a document is discharged. This method causes an apparatus therefor to be enlarged, and the manufacturing cost to increase, and such an apparatus cannot be mounted on a small-sized machine.
Further, when sheets read continuously in an image scanner or reader are discharged, the same problems as mentioned above also arise.
Thus, the related art sheet sorting apparatuses have a low productivity, large dimensions and a high manufacturing cost, or a difficulty in carrying out a reliable sorting operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed in view of such a condition, and an object thereof is to enable reliable sorting to be attained by a simple and small-sized structure, and by pasting tags to be pasted on sheets and discharging the tag-pasted sheets onto a predetermined receiver, to be able to sort sheets easily and reliably with reference to the tags pasted thereon.
The sheet sorting apparatus according to the invention comprises a change-over assembly for switching a path, in which a sheet is transferred, to either a first path in which a tag is pasted on the sheet or a second path in which the tag is not pasted on the sheet, a draw-out assembly for drawing out a band tape coated at one side edge portion thereof with a pressure sensitive adhesive, a cutting assembly for preparing the tag by cutting the band tape at a predetermined portion thereof, a pasting assembly for introducing the prepared tag to a predetermined position with respect to the sheet and pasting the tag on the sheet, a receiving assembly for receiving the sheet on which the tag is pasted by the pasting assembly, and a control assembly for controlling movements of the change-over assembly, draw-out assembly and cutting assembly.
The sheet sorting apparatus according to the present invention may further comprise a structure for transferring the sheet by utilizing a driving force of the image processing apparatus.
Further, the control assembly may vary the width of the tag by controlling a movement of the cutting assembly.
Still further, the draw-out assembly and the cutting assembly may be driven by the same motor.
The sheet sorting apparatus may further comprise a detecting assembly for detecting the position of said cutting assembly.
The sheet sorting method according to the invention comprises the steps of judging a fall of processing demand signal, changing the position of a flapper to direct the sheet to one of at least two paths, drawing out a band tape of a specified length, preparing the tag by cutting the band tape, and pasting the tag on the sheet.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2666372 (1954-01-01), Lauffer
patent: 4749179 (1988-06-01), Hornuug
patent: 4983096 (1991-01-01), Bodewein
patent: 5020786 (1991-06-01), Kimura et al.
patent: 5299792 (1994-04-01), Kollmann et al.
Ohmae Koichi
Shimao Tetsuro
Bower Kenneth W
Ellis Christopher P.
Foley & Lardner
Omron Corporation
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