# US 2014/0197594 A1 · Paper discharge device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0197594 A1 - Document ID: US20140197594A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/153,121 - Filed: 2014-01-13 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-15 - Assignees: Riso Kagaku Corporation - Applicants: Riso Kagaku Corporation - Inventors: Masao SUZUKI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197594A1 ## CPC - B65H 43/06: detecting, or responding to, completion of pile (B65H43/08 takes precedence) - B65H 31/10: and applied at the top of the pile - B65H 31/20: adjustable for different article sizes - B65H 43/00: Use of control, checking, or safety devices, e.g. automatic devices comprising an element for sensing a variable - G03G 15/6552: {Means for discharging uncollated sheet copy material, e.g. discharging rollers, exit trays} - B65H 31/02: with stationary end support against which pile accumulates - B65H 2405/1122: movable linearly, details therefor - B65H 2405/15: Large capacity supports arrangements - B65H 2511/222: Stroke - B65H 2511/51: Presence - B65H 2511/528: Jam - B65H 2553/30: using acoustic or ultrasonic elements - B65H 2801/06: Office-type machines, e.g. photocopiers - G03G 2215/00637: Acoustic detector - G03G 2215/00911: Detection of copy amount or presence in discharge tray - B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES - G03G: ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY ## Abstract A paper discharge device includes: an end fence to restrict leading end positions of paper sheets discharged to a paper receiving tray; a lift mechanism to lower the paper receiving tray by a prescribed distance upon reach of a top surface position of the paper sheets stacked on the paper receiving tray to a reference position; an ultrasonic sensor to emit an ultrasonic wave in a horizontal direction toward the paper receiving tray from upstream of the paper receiving tray in a discharge direction in a prescribed height range including the reference position and portions above and below the reference position, and receive a reflected wave from a detection target; and a detector to detect the top surface position on a basis of changes in a reception level of the reflected wave over an elapsed time from an emission of the ultrasonic wave. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A paper discharge device comprising: a paper receiving tray on which discharged paper sheets are stacked; an end fence configured to restrict leading end positions of the paper sheets discharged to the paper receiving tray; a lift mechanism configured to lower the paper receiving tray by a prescribed distance upon reach of a top surface position of the paper sheets stacked on the paper receiving tray to a reference position; an ultrasonic sensor configured to emit an ultrasonic wave in a horizontal direction toward the paper receiving tray from upstream of the paper receiving tray in a discharge direction of the paper sheets in a prescribed height range including the reference position and portions above and below the reference position, and to receive a reflected wave from a detection target; and a detector configured to detect the top surface position on a basis of changes in a reception level of the reflected wave over an elapsed time from an emission of the ultrasonic wave. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The paper discharge device according claim 1, wherein the detector is further configured to detect a distribution of positions of the detection target in the horizontal direction in the prescribed height range on a basis of the changes in the reception level of the reflected wave over the elapsed time from the emission of the ultrasonic wave, and determine whether a jam occurs in the paper sheets stacked on the paper receiving tray on a basis of the detected distribution. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The paper discharge device according to claim 2, wherein the detector is configured to determine that the jam occurs in the paper sheets stacked on the paper receiving tray when at least one of the positions of the detection target in the horizontal direction is distributed between a trailing end position of the paper sheets stacked on the paper receiving tray and the end fence in the prescribed height range. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The paper discharge device according to claim 2, further comprising a notification unit configured to output a jam notification signal for stopping discharge of the paper sheets, to a printing device configured to discharge the paper sheets onto the paper receiving tray, when the detector determines that the jam occurs in the paper sheets stacked on the paper receiving tray. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The paper discharge device according to claim 3, further comprising a notification unit configured to output a jam notification signal for stopping discharge of the paper sheets, to a printing device configured to discharge the paper sheets onto the paper receiving tray, when the detector determines that the jam occurs in the paper sheets stacked on the paper receiving tray. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The paper discharge device according to claim 1, further comprising a reflection plate arranged on routes of the ultrasonic wave and the reflected wave, wherein the ultrasonic sensor is configured to use the reflection plate to emit the ultrasonic wave in the horizontal direction toward the paper receiving tray from upstream of the paper receiving tray in the discharge direction of the paper sheets in the prescribed height range and to receive the reflected wave from the detection target. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The paper discharge device according to claim 2, further comprising a reflection plate arranged on routes of the ultrasonic wave and the reflected wave, wherein the ultrasonic sensor is configured to use the reflection plate to emit the ultrasonic wave in the horizontal direction toward the paper receiving tray from upstream of the paper receiving tray in the discharge direction of the paper sheets in the prescribed height range and to receive the reflected wave from the detection target. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The paper discharge device according to claim 3, further comprising a reflection plate arranged on routes of the ultrasonic wave and the reflected wave, wherein the ultrasonic sensor is configured to use the reflection plate to emit the ultrasonic wave in the horizontal direction toward the paper receiving tray from upstream of the paper receiving tray in the discharge direction of the paper sheets in the prescribed height range and to receive the reflected wave from the detection target. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The paper discharge device according to claim 4, further comprising a reflection plate arranged on routes of the ultrasonic wave and the reflected wave, wherein the ultrasonic sensor is configured to use the reflection plate to emit the ultrasonic wave in the horizontal direction toward the paper receiving tray from upstream of the paper receiving tray in the discharge direction of the paper sheets in the prescribed height range and to receive the reflected wave from the detection target. ### Claim 10 (depends on 5) The paper discharge device according to claim 5, further comprising a reflection plate arranged on routes of the ultrasonic wave and the reflected wave, wherein the ultrasonic sensor is configured to use the reflection plate to emit the ultrasonic wave in the horizontal direction toward the paper receiving tray from upstream of the paper receiving tray in the discharge direction of the paper sheets in the prescribed height range and to receive the reflected wave from the detection target.