US 5,342,034 A · Mailbox/compiler architecture

Abstract

A "mailboxing" unit and system for separating by users the job sheet outputs of various users of a shared users printer. It provides for compiling, finishing, and stacking the sheets sequentially outputted from the printer in separate job sets into one or more temporarily and variably assigned "mailboxes" of a "mailboxing" job sorting accessory unit having a number of variably assignable "mailbox" bins. An integral moving sheet deflector, compiler and stapler unit is shown for collecting, compiling, and optionally stapling, and ejecting job sets of sheets for separate designated users into one or more of these discrete but variably assigned "mailboxes". It may also provide a bypass for sequentially stacking unstapled user sheets directly in a mailbox without compiling and stapling. A variable display indicates the bins into which that particular user's jobs have been placed last and not yet removed. Also disclosed is automatic overflow assignments of additional temporarily designated bins for identified users, as needed, to provide effectively unlimited or "virtual bin" plural job stacking. The "mailboxing" unit may also have "privacy doors"l ocking for restricting access to at least some of the mailbox bins, with electrical door unlocking of selected bins in response to entry of a user access code, and other user features.

Claims16

Dependent claims

In a sheet output mailboxing system for the sheets outputted by a printer, with an arrayed plurality of mailbox bins for collecting such output sheets therein in job sets, the improvement comprising;

a compiling unit having a partial compiling shelf for compiling a job set of plural said output sheets thereon,
bin locator means for providing relative movement between said array of mailbox bins and said compiling unit in a defined path, such that said compiling unit is selectably locatable closely adjacent to a selected one of said mailbox bins,
sheet feeding means for sequentially feeding said output sheets from said printer to said compiling unit,
compiling means for stacking said output sheets on said partial compiling shelf of said compiling unit as a compiled job set with a portion of said compiled job set located on said partial compiling shelf of said compiling unit and another portion of said same compiled job set extending substantially into said selected one said closely adjacent mailbox bin,
stapling means for stapling said compiled job set of output sheets,
set ejection means for ejecting said stapled compiled copy set of output sheets off of said partial compiling shelf and completely into said selected one-said closely adjacent mailbox bin, so that the job set of stapled output sheets is entirely supported in said selected one said mailbox bin,
said mailbox bins being adapted to receive and stack plural such ejected stapled job sets of output sheets therein from said compiling unit,
and said compiling and ejecting means being adapted to compile and eject subsequent stapled job sets on top of prior job sets in the same said mailbox bins.

5 more elements

A system for separating the outputted plural physical sheet jobs from the output of an electronically shared users document job printer into separate job sets for separate designed recipients of documents jobs from said printer, comprising:

a printer output job sorting mailbox accessory unit, said mailbox accessory unit including an array of plural discrete job output sheet mailbox collection bins;
a sheet input feeder for sequentially receiving said sheet output of said job printer and feeding them in a sheet feeding path past said array of mailbox bins;
a sheet compiler unit movable relative to said array of mailbox bins;
a controller for electronically assigning different said discrete mailbox bins to different said shared users of said job printer;
a mailbox bin selector controlled by said controller for selectively feeding said output sheets from said sheet input feeder of a designated user to a designated mailbox bin through said compiler unit;
said compiler unit being controlled by said controller to provide a variable selection between three different operating modes;
a first operating mode in which said output sheets of a designated user are fed from said sheet input feeder through said compiler unit directly into a selected mailbox bin without compiling;
a second operating mode in which said output sheets of a designated user are compiled into stacked job sets by said compiler unit and them ejected as a unstapled job set into a selected mailbox bin;
and
a third operating mode in which a said job set of a designated user are compiled and stapled and then ejected into a selected mailbox bin by said compiler unit.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Mailbox/compiler architecture

Life of this patent

Mailbox/compiler architecture

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16