Sorter and image forming apparatus

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• image forming means;
• and
• a sheet sorting means, comprising:
• a plurality of trays for accommodating sheets;
• helical cam means, engageable with a cam follower for moving said plurality of trays;
• cam driving means for driving said helical cam means;
• sheet set processing means movable between a processing position and a retracted position where said processing means does not interfere with said plurality of trays;
• driving means for advancing or retracting said sheet set processing means;
• and
• controlling means for controlling said cam driving means and said driving means;
• wherein a cam surface of said helical cam is constituted of substantially horizontal portions and slanted portions;
• and
• said cam driving means and said driving means being controlled by said controlling means, in such a manner that said sheet set processing means starts to enter a processing position when said cam follower shifts from the slanted portions to the horizontal portions, and the entering operation ends by the time said cam follower reaches a middle portion of the horizontal portions, and that said cam driving means is deactivated when the cam follower is substantially at a middle portion of the horizontal portions, and after sheet set processing, said cam driving means and said driving means is actuated, and the sheet processing means is retracted from a moving path region of the tray by the time said cam follower passes through the remaining portion of the horizontal portions.

A sheet sorting apparatus, comprising:

• a plurality of trays for accommodating sheets;
• helical cam means, engageable with a cam follower for moving said plurality of trays;
• cam driving means for driving said helical cam means;
• sheet set processing means movable between a processing position and a retracted position where said processing means does not interfere with said plurality of trays;
• driving means for advancing or retracting said sheet set processing means;
• and
• controlling means for controlling said cam driving means and said driving means;
• wherein a cam surface of said helical cam is constituted of substantially horizontal portions and slanted portions;
• and
• said cam driving means and said driving means being controlled by said controlling means, in such a manner that said processing means is advanced to, or retracted from, said tray, within a time duration in which said cam driving means is operated, and said cam follower is being engaged with the horizontal portions of said cam means, and that said processing means continues to move to, or from, said tray, within a time duration in which said cam driving means is operated, and said cam follower is being engaged with the slanted portions of said cam means.

An image forming apparatus comprising:

• image forming means;
• and
• a sheet sorting means, comprising:
• a plurality of trays for accommodating sheets;
• helical cam means, engageable with a cam follower for moving said plurality of trays;
• cam driving means for driving said helical cam means;
• sheet set processing means movable between a processing position and a retracted position where said processing means does not interfere with said plurality of trays;
• driving means for advancing or retracting said sheet set processing means;
• and
• controlling means for controlling said cam driving means and said driving means;
• wherein a cam surface of said helical cam is constituted of substantially horizontal portions and slanted portions;
• and
• said cam driving means and said driving means being controlled by said controlling means, in such a manner that said processing means is advanced to, or retracted from, said tray, within a time duration in which said cam driving means is operated, and said cam follower is being engaged with the horizontal portions of said cam means, and that said processing means continues to move to, or from, said tray, within a time duration in which said cam driving means is operated, and said cam follower is being engaged with the slanted portions of said cam means.