Process including multiple sheet discharge printer using electrophotographic receivers with a pivotal sorter guide

Abstract

A printer with a sorter unit allows printed recording sheets to be sorted to a single tray selected from a plurality of trays by a recording sheet guide mechanism that pivots around a shaft. Thus, the printer can sort the printed sheets by page, by user, or discharge the printed sheets paginated or with the printed side facing upward. The recording sheet guide mechanism is constructed to pivot around the shaft so that only a single drive unit is employed to select a tray for sorting. Thus, the printer has a simple and small structure. The printer has a recording sheet discharge outlet with discharge rollers for discharging a recording sheet that has been printed by the electrophotographic process. A sorter unit has: a plurality of sorter trays for receiving from the printer a plurality of recording sheets that have been printed; a sorter guide for guiding a recording sheet from the discharge rollers of the printer to the sorter trays and for discharging the recording sheet to the sorter trays; and a controlling device for switching sorter trays by guiding the sorter guide to a position of a desired one of the sorter trays. The sorter guide is pivotally supported so that the center of rotation of the sorter guide is arranged near the recording sheet discharge outlet. When the housing is opened, the sorter trays sequentially close together.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.