Sheet sorting apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10870552-B2
Application number	US-201816201180-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2018
Priority date	Nov 29, 2017
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

A sheet sorting apparatus comprising a first tray, a second tray, a conveyance unit, a tray detection unit, a stacking amount detection unit, and a control unit configured to control the conveyance unit to not convey the sheet to the second tray, in a case where the stacking amount detection unit detects that the amount of sheets reaches the predetermined amount, wherein the control unit is configured to permit the conveyance unit to convey the sheet to the second tray, in a case where the tray detection unit detects that the first tray is detached from the apparatus main body in a state where the stacking amount detection unit detects that the amount of sheets reaches the predetermined amount and conveyance of the sheet to the second tray by the conveyance unit is stopped.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet sorting apparatus comprising:
a first tray detachable from an apparatus main body;
a second tray arranged vertically below the first tray;
a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet to either of the first tray or the second tray;
a tray detection unit configured to detect that the first tray is detached from the apparatus main body;
a stacking amount detection unit configured to detect that an amount of sheets stacked on the second tray reaches a predetermined amount;
a display unit configured to display information about the sheet sorting apparatus; and
a control unit configured to control
wherein, in a case where the stacking amount detection unit detects that the amount of sheets reaches the predetermined amount, the control unit controls the conveyance unit not to convey the sheet to the second tray and controls the display unit to display information about the second tray which indicates that the second tray is fully loaded, and
wherein, in a case where the tray detection unit detects that the first tray is detached from the apparatus main body in a state where the stacking amount detection unit detects that the amount of sheets reaches the predetermined amount, the control unit permits the conveyance unit to convey the sheet to the second tray and controls the display unit to cancel displaying of the information about the second tray.

2. The sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the apparatus main body includes a first discharge port formed at a position corresponding to the first tray, and a second discharge port formed at a position corresponding to the second tray, and
wherein, in a case where the tray detection unit detects that the first tray is detached from the apparatus main body in the state where the stacking amount detection unit detects that the amount of sheets reaches the predetermined amount, the control unit permits the conveyance unit to convey the sheet to the second tray from the first discharge port, and not from the second discharge port.

3. The sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the stacking amount detection unit includes a flag configured to move in contact with a surface of a sheet conveyed to the second tray and a signal output unit configured to output a signal according to a position of the flag, and is configured to detect that the amount of sheets reaches the predetermined amount based on the signal output from the signal output unit.

4. The sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the flag is detachable from the apparatus main body along with the first tray.

5. The sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the stacking amount detection unit includes a sheet detection unit configured to detect a presence or absence of a sheet conveyed to the second tray and a counter configured to count a number of sheets conveyed to the second tray by the conveyance unit, and
wherein, in a case where the number of sheets counted by the counter in a state where the sheet detection unit detects that the sheet reaches a predetermined number of sheets, the sheet detection unit detects that the amount of sheets reaches the predetermined amount.

6. The sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the tray detection unit detects that the first tray is detached from the apparatus main body in the state where the stacking amount detection unit detects that the amount of sheets reaches the predetermined amount, the control unit determines whether to permit the conveyance unit to convey the sheet to the second tray.

7. The sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit determines whether to permit the conveyance unit to convey the sheet to the second tray based on a size of a sheet conveyed to the second tray.

8. The sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein, in a case where the sheet conveyed to the second tray has a first size, the control unit does not permit the conveyance unit to convey the sheet to the second tray, and
wherein, in a case where the sheet conveyed to the second tray has a second size larger than the first size, the control unit permits the conveyance unit to convey the sheet to the second tray.

9. The sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an amount of sheets stackable on the second tray in a state where the first tray is detached from the apparatus main body is greater than an amount of sheets stackable on the second tray in a state where the first tray is attached to the apparatus main body.

10. A sheet sorting apparatus configured to be detachably attachable to an image forming apparatus and receive a sheet conveyed from the image forming apparatus in a state of being attached to the image forming apparatus, the sheet sorting apparatus comprising:
a first tray detachable from an apparatus main body of the sheet sorting apparatus;
a second tray arranged vertically below the first tray;
a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet to either of the first tray or the second tray;
a tray detection sensor configured to output a signal according to detachment of the first tray from the apparatus main body; and
a stacking amount detection sensor configured to output a signal in a case where an amount of sheets stacked on the second tray reaches a predetermined amount,
wherein the stacking amount detection sensor outputs the signal indicating that the amount of sheets reaches the predetermined amount to a control unit included in the image forming apparatus to stop conveyance of the sheet from the image forming apparatus to the second tray and displays information about the second tray which indicates that the second tray is fully loaded, and
wherein, in a case where the tray detection sensor outputs the signal indicating that the first tray is detached from the apparatus main body to the control unit in a state where the stacking amount detection sensor outputs the signal indicating that the amount of sheets reaches the predetermined amount to the control unit, the conveyance unit conveys the sheet conveyed from the image forming apparatus to the second tray and the displaying of the information about the second tray is canceled.

11. The sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein the apparatus main body includes a first discharge port formed at a position corresponding to the first tray, and a second discharge port formed at a position corresponding to the second tray, and
wherein, in a case where the tray detection sensor outputs the signal indicating that the first tray is detached from the apparatus main body to the control unit in a state where the stacking amount detection sensor outputs the signal indicating that the amount of sheets reaches the predetermined amount to the control unit, the conveyance unit conveys the sheet conveyed from the image forming apparatus to the second tray from the first discharge port, and not from the second discharge port.

12. The sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the stacking amount detection sensor includes a flag configured to move in contact with a surface of a sheet conveyed to the second tray, and a signal output unit configured to output a signal according to a position of the flag.

13. The sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the flag is detachably attachable to the apparatus main body along with the first tray.

14. The sheet sorting apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein an amount of sheets stackable on the second tray in a state where the first tray is detached from the apparatus main body is greater than an am

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Takahashi Genki
• Sato Kazuhisa

Classifications

• G03G15/6538 Primary

  Devices for collating sheet copy material, e.g. sorters, control, copies in staples form · CPC title

• B65H2511/15

  Height, e.g. of stack · CPC title

• B65H33/14

  by diverting batches to separate receivers {(B65H33/16 takes precedence; article switches or diverters B65H29/58)} · CPC title

• G03G2221/1696

  for auxiliary devices, e.g. add-on modules · CPC title

• B65H29/58

  Article switches or diverters · CPC title