Sorting machine and image reproducing apparatus

An image-reproducing apparatus with a sorting machine comprising:

• a paper eject port formed in said image reproducing apparatus through which recording papers of a predetermined size or large size are ejected;
• a main tray associated with said paper eject port for receiving said recording papers ejected through said paper eject port of said image reproducing apparatus;
• said sorting machine being associated with said paper eject port for receiving ejected recording papers, comprising a plurality of sorting bins having at least one large bin and at least one small bin;
• means for detecting use of the large size paper and generating a signal in response to the detection;
• guide means for selectively leading the recording papers into the sorting bins;
• and
• control means for controlling the guide means to lead the large size paper to the large bin in response to the signal.

An image-reproducing apparatus with a sorting machine comprising:

• a paper eject port defined in said image-reproducing apparatus through which paper is ejected;
• a paper transporting path defined in said sorting machine and associated with said paper eject part of said image reproducing apparatus for receiving and transporting paper;
• at least one first size bin arranged along said paper transporting path, the at least one first size bin being capable of receiving papers being equal to or smaller than a first size;
• at least one second size bin arranged along said paper transporting path and cooperative with said at least one first bin, said at least one second size bin being larger than the at least one first size bin and capable of receiving papers which are a second size which is larger than the first size;
• first guide means, associated with said at least one first size bin, for selectively introducing papers to said at least one first size bin;
• second guide means, associated with said at least one second size bin for guiding papers into said at least one second size bin;
• and
• a detector means for detecting paper size and producing a paper-size-indicating signal indicating the second size paper;
• and
• a sorter control means for operating said second and first guide means, said sorter control means being responsive to said paper-size-indicating signal indicating said second size paper for actuating said first guide means to a position preventing introduction of said second size paper into said at least one first size bin and actuating said second guide means to a position leading said second size paper into said at least one second size bin.

An image-reproducing apparatus with a sorting machine comprising:

• a paper eject port defined in said imagereproducing apparatus through which paper is ejected;
• a paper transporting path defined in said sorting machine and associated with said paper eject port of said image reproducing apparatus for receiving and transporting paper;
• a plurality of first bins having a surface area of a first size, said plurality of first bins being arranged along said paper transporting path and selectively receiving paper of a first size;
• a second bin arranged along said paper transporting path and cooperating with said first bins, said second bin having a surface area variable between said first size and a second size for selectively receiving paper of a second size;
• a first guide means, associated with each of said first bins, for selectively introducing paper to said first bins;
• a second guide means, associated with said second bin for guiding paper into said second bin;
• a detector means for detecting paper size and producing a paper-size indicating signal indicating the second size paper;
• and
• a sorter control means for operating said second bin and said first guide means, said sorter control means being responsive to said paper-size-indicating signal indicating said second size paper for actuating said second bin to adjust its surface area to accommodate said second size paper, and for actuating said first guide means to a position preventing introduction of said second size paper into said first bins so as to direct said second size paper into said second bin.