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US 6,206,369 B1Granted
Sorter
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsOsamu Hoshii, Teruo Komatsu, Yasuyoshi Hayakawa, Tsuyoshi Waragai, Tomoyuki Araki
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A sheet passage changing apparatus includes a plurality of swingable changing devices for changing a sheet transporting direction; common drivers for swinging the plurality of changing devices; a controller for actuating the drivers, before a sheet reaches an upstream one of the changing devices, to actuate the upstream one of the changing devices, thus changing the sheet transporting direction and for actuating the drivers, after the sheet passing through the upstream changing device and before the sheet reaches a downstream one of the changing device, to actuate the downstream changing device, thus changing the sheet transporting direction.
Claims30
A sheet passage changing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of swingable changing means for changing a sheet transporting direction;
- common driving means for swinging said plurality of changing means;
- control means for actuating said driving means, before a sheet reaches an upstream one of said changing means, to actuate said upstream one of said changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction and for actuating driving means, after the sheet passing through said upstream changing means and before the sheet reaches a downstream one of said changing means, to actuate said downstream changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction, and
- an additional plurality of chancing means swung by additional common driving means,
- wherein said changing means are disposed alternately.
2 more elements
A sheet passage changing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of swingable changing means for changing a sheet transporting direction;
- common driving means for swinging said plurality of changing means;
- control means for actuating said driving means, before a sheet reaches an upstream one of said changing means, to actuate said upstream one of said changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction and for actuating driving means, after the sheet passing through said upstream changing means and before the sheet reaches a downstream one of said changing means, to actuate said downstream changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction;
- wherein said driving means have a solenoid, which is connected with a plurality of changing means through respective elastic members;
- wherein said changing means are rotated by energizing said solenoid, and the sheet being transported along the passage is guided to said changing means, and wherein even if the solenoid is de-energized after a leading edge of the sheet reaches a downstream pair of rollers, said changing means remains at a position for blocking the passage as long as said changing means guides the sheet;
- and
- wherein said changing means is provided with a retaining portion member extended in a direction crossing with the sheet transporting direction, and wherein the sheet being guided is passed between said changing means and holding member, so that even if the solenoid is de-energized, the changing means remains at a position blocking the passage by tension force of a sheet acting on said retaining portion member.
4 more elements
A sheet passage changing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of swingable changing means for changing a sheet transporting direction;
- common driving means for swinging said plurality of changing means;
- control means for actuating said driving means, before a sheet reaches an upstream one of said changing means, to actuate said upstream one of said changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction and for actuating driving means, after the sheet passing through said upstream changing means and before the sheet reaches a downstream one of said changing means, to actuate said downstream changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction, wherein a sheet transporting distance (M) from a position for blocking said passage by rotation of most upstream one, with respect to the sheet transporting direction, of said changing means actuatable by said driving means, to a pair of rollers which the sheet first reaches after the sheet is guided b a most downstream one of said changing means, is smaller than a sum of a length (L) of a minimum transportable sheet and a minimum sheet interval (H) during continuous sheet transportation (M<L+H).
A sheet passage changing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of swingable changing means for changing a sheet transporting direction;
- common driving means for swinging said plurality of changing means;
- control means for actuating said driving means, before a sheet reaches an upstream one of said changing means, to actuate said upstream one of said changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction and for actuating driving means, after the sheet passing through said upstream changing means and before the sheet reaches a downstream one of said changing means, to actuate said downstream changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction;
- wherein said driving means have a solenoid, which is connected with a plurality of changing means through respective elastic members;
- and
- wherein said elastic member is a spring having a tension stronger than a resistance against swinging motion of said changing means, and is weaker than the rigidity of the sheet.
3 more elements
A sheet sorter comprising:
- a sheet passage changing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of swingable changing means for changing a sheet transporting direction;
- common driving means for swinging said plurality of changing means;
- control means for actuating said driving means, before a sheet reaches an upstream one of said changing means, to actuate said upstream one of said changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction and for actuating driving means, after the sheet passing through said upstream changing means and before the sheet reaches a downstream one of said changing means, to actuate said downstream changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction;
- a bin tray for accommodating the sheet passed through a passage changed by said changing apparatus;
- and
- an additional plurality of changing means swung by additional common driving means;
- wherein said swingable changing means and said additional changing means are disposed alternatively.
5 more elements
A sheet sorter comprising:
- a sheet passage changing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of swingable changing means for changing a sheet transporting direction;
- common driving means for swinging said plurality of changing means;
- and
- control means for actuating said driving means, before a sheet reaches an upstream one of said changing means, to actuate said upstream one of said changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction and for actuating driving means, after the sheet passing through said upstream changing means and before the sheet reaches a downstream one of said changing means, to actuate said downstream changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction;
- and
- a bin tray for accommodating the sheet passed through a passage changed by said changing apparatus,
- wherein said driving means has a solenoid, which is connected with a plurality of changing means through respective elastic members,
- wherein said changing means are rotated by energizing said solenoid, and the sheet being transported along the passage is guided to said changing means, and wherein even if the solenoid is de-energized after a leading edge of the sheet reaches a downstream pair of rollers, said changing means remains at a position for blocking the passage as long as said changing means guides the sheet, and
- wherein said changing means is provided with a retaining portion extended in a direction crossing with the sheet transporting direction, and wherein the sheet being guided is passed between said changing means and said retaining portion, so that even if the solenoid is de-energized, the changing means remains at a position blocking the passage by tension force of a sheet acting on said retaining portion.
7 more elements
A sheet sorter comprising:
- a sheet passage changing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of swingable changing means for changing a sheet transporting direction;
- common driving means for swinging said plurality of changing means;
- control means for actuating said driving means, before a sheet reaches an upstream one of said changing means, to actuate said upstream one of said changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction and for actuating driving means, after the sheet passing through said upstream changing means and before the sheet reaches a downstream one of said changing means, to actuate said downstream changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction;
- and
- a bin tray for accommodating the sheet passed through a passage changed by said changing apparatus,
- wherein a sheet transporting distance (M) from a position for blocking said passage by rotation of most upstream one, with respect to the sheet transporting direction, of said changing means actuatable by said driving means, to a pair of rollers which the sheet first reaches after the sheet is guided by a most downstream one of said changing means, is smaller than a sum of a length (L) of a minimum transportable sheet and a minimum sheet interval (H) during continuous sheet transportation (M<L+H).
4 more elements
A sheet sorter comprising:
- a sheet passage changing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of swingable changing means for changing a sheet transporting direction;
- common driving means for swinging said plurality of changing means;
- control means for actuating said driving means, before a sheet reaches an upstream one of said changing means, to actuate said upstream one of said changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction and for actuating driving means, after the sheet passing through said upstream changing means and before the sheet reaches a downstream one of said changing means, to actuate said downstream changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction;
- and
- a bin tray for accommodating the sheet passed through a passage changed by said changing apparatus,
- wherein said driving means has a solenoid, which is connected with a plurality of changing means through respective elastic members;
- and
- wherein said elastic member is a spring having a tension stronger than a resistance against swinging motion of said changing means, and is weaker than the rigidity of the sheet.
6 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- a sheet passage changing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of swingable changing means for changing a sheet transporting direction;
- common driving means for swinging said plurality of changing means;
- control means for actuating said driving means, before a sheet reaches an upstream one of said changing means, to actuate said upstream one of said changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction and for actuating driving means, after the sheet passing through said upstream changing means and before the sheet reaches a downstream one of said changing means, to actuate said downstream changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction;
- an image forming station;
- means for transporting a sheet on which said image forming means has formed an image to said sheet passage changing apparatus;
- tray means, disposed opposed to the changing means of said sheet passage changing apparatus, for accommodating the sheet;
- and
- an additional plurality of changing means swung by additional common driving means,
- wherein said swingable changing means and said additional changing means are disposed alternatively.
7 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- said sheet passage changing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of swingable changing means for changing a sheet transporting direction;
- common driving means for swinging said plurality of changing means;
- control means for actuating said driving means, before a sheet reaches an upstream one of said changing means, to actuate said upstream one of said changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction and for actuating driving means, after the sheet passing through said upstream changing means and before the sheet reaches a downstream one of said changing means, to actuate said downstream changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction;
- an image forming station;
- means for transporting a sheet on which said image forming means has formed an image to said sheet passage changing apparatus;
- and
- tray means, disposed opposed to the changing means of said sheet passage changing apparatus, for accommodating the sheet,
- wherein said driving means has a solenoid, which is connected with a plurality of changing means through respective elastic members,
- wherein said changing means are rotated by energizing said solenoid, and the sheet being transported along the passage is guided to said changing means, and wherein even if the solenoid is de-energized after a leading edge of the sheet reaches a downstream pair of rollers, said changing means remains at a position for blocking the passage as long as said changing means guides the sheet, and
- wherein said changing means is provided with a retaining portion extended in a direction crossing with the sheet transporting direction, and wherein the sheet being guided is passed between said changing means and said retaining portion, so that even if the solenoid is de-energized, the changing means remains at a position blocking the passage by tension force of a sheet acting on said retaining portion.
8 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- said sheet passage changing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of swingable changing means for changing a sheet transporting direction;
- common driving means for swinging said plurality of changing means;
- control means for actuating said driving means, before a sheet reaches an upstream one of said changing means, to actuate said upstream one of said changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction and for actuating driving means, after the sheet passing through said upstream changing means and before the sheet reaches a downstream one of said changing means, to actuate said downstream changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction;
- an image forming station;
- means for transporting a sheet on which said image forming means has formed an image to said sheet passage changing apparatus;
- and
- tray means, disposed opposed to the changing means of said sheet passage changing apparatus, for accommodating the sheet, wherein a sheet transporting distance (M) from a position for blocking said passage by rotation of most upstream one, with respect to the sheet transporting direction, of said changing means actuatable by said driving means, to a pair of rollers which the sheet first reaches after the sheet is guided by a most downstream one of said changing means, is smaller than a sum of a length (L) of a minimum transportable sheet and a minimum sheet interval (H) during continuous sheet transportation (M <L +H).
5 more elements
An image forming apparatus comprising:
- said sheet passage changing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of swingable changing means for changing a sheet transporting direction;
- common driving means for swinging said plurality of changing means;
- control means for actuating said driving means, before a sheet reaches an upstream one of said changing means, to actuate said upstream one of said changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction and for actuating driving means, after the sheet passing through said upstream changing means and before the sheet reaches a downstream one of said changing means, to actuate said downstream changing means, thus changing the sheet transporting direction;
- an image forming station;
- means for transporting a sheet on which said image forming means has formed an image to said sheet passage changing apparatus;
- and
- tray means, disposed opposed to the changing means of said sheet passage changing apparatus, for accommodating the sheet,
- wherein said driving means has a solenoid, which is connected with a plurality of changing means through respective elastic members, and
- wherein said elastic member is a spring having a tension stronger than a resistance against swinging motion of said changing means, and is weaker than the rigidity of the sheet.
7 more elements
A sheet passage changing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of swingable changing means for changing a sheet transporting direction;
- first driving means for swinging a first group of said plurality of changing means;
- second driving means for swinging a second group of said plurality of changing means;
- and
- control means for selectively actuating said first driving means and second driving means, wherein said first group of said plurality of changing means and said second group of said plurality of changing means are disposed alternately.
2 more elements
A sheet sorter comprising:
- a sheet passage changing apparatus which comprises:
- a plurality of swingable changing means for changing a sheet transporting direction;
- first driving means for swinging a first group of said plurality of changing means;
- second driving means for swinging a second group of said plurality of changing means;
- a bin tray for accommodating the sheet passed through a passage changed by said first group of said plurality of changing means or said second group of said plurality of changing means;
- and
- control means for selectively actuating said first driving means and second driving means, wherein said first group of said plurality of changing means and said second group of said plurality of changing means are disposed alternately.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.