Sheet sorting device, post-processing apparatus, and image forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11360421-B2
Application number	US-202016823463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2020
Priority date	Mar 28, 2019
Publication date	Jun 14, 2022
Grant date	Jun 14, 2022

Abstract

A sheet sorting device includes a plurality of trays, a tray shifter, a tray stop position detector, and circuitry. The plurality of trays is disposed in multiple stages in a vertical direction and configured to stack a sheet. The tray shifter is configured to move the plurality of trays separately in a tray shift direction. The tray stop position detector is configured to detect stop positions of the plurality of trays separately. The circuitry is configured to cause the tray shifter to move the plurality of trays to home positions in an initial operation, at least one tray having a home position opposite to a home position of another tray in the tray shift direction. The circuitry is configured to, while moving the plurality of trays at a same time in the initial operation, cause the tray shifter to move the trays in directions opposite to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet sorting device comprising:
a plurality of trays disposed in multiple stages in a vertical direction and configured to stack a sheet from an image forming apparatus;
a tray shifter configured to move the plurality of trays separately in a tray shift direction perpendicular to a sheet conveyance direction in which the sheet is conveyed;
a tray stop position detector configured to detect respective stop positions of the plurality of trays separately; and
circuitry configured to cause the tray shifter to move the plurality of trays to respective home positions in an initial operation, at least one tray of the plurality of trays having a home position opposite to a home position of another tray of the plurality of trays in the tray shift direction,
the circuitry being configured to, while the plurality of trays moves at a same time in the initial operation, cause the tray shifter to move the at least one tray and said another tray in directions opposite to each other.

2. The sheet sorting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, when the at least one tray and said another tray move in the directions opposite to each other, the circuitry is configured to cause the tray shifter to simultaneously complete movement of the at least one tray and said another tray in the directions opposite to each other.

3. The sheet sorting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in the initial operation, the circuitry is configured to cause the tray shifter to move adjacent trays of the plurality of trays in directions opposite to each other and one tray of the plurality of trays in the tray shift direction.

4. The sheet sorting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in the initial operation, the circuitry is configured to cause the tray shifter to move adjacent trays of the plurality of trays in directions opposite to each other or one tray of the plurality of trays in the tray shift direction.

5. The sheet sorting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a home position of a lowermost tray of the plurality of trays is on a same side as a position of a center of gravity of the sheet sorting device relative to a center line of the sheet sorting device in the tray shift direction and a home position of an uppermost tray of the plurality of trays is on an opposite side to the position of the center of gravity of the sheet sorting device relative to the center line of the sheet sorting device in the tray shift direction.

6. The sheet sorting device according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in the initial operation, a tray shifting speed of an uppermost tray of the plurality of trays is slower than a tray shifting speed of a lowermost tray of the plurality of trays.

7. The sheet sorting device according to claim 1 , further comprising a sheet stacking amount detector configured to detect a sheet stacking amount of each of the plurality of trays,
wherein the circuitry is configured to cause the tray shifter to change a tray shifting speed of a tray of the plurality of trays according to the sheet stacking amount detected by the sheet stacking amount detector, in the initial operation of the sheet sorting device.

8. A post-processing apparatus comprising:
the sheet sorting device according to claim 1 ; and
a sheet processing device configured to perform a post-processing to the sheet.

9. An image forming system comprising:
an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet; and
the sheet sorting device according to claim 1 , configured to sort the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming apparatus.

10. A post-processing apparatus comprising:
a plurality of trays disposed in multiple stages in a vertical direction and configured to stack a sheet from an image forming apparatus;
a tray shifter configured to move the plurality of trays separately in a tray shift direction perpendicular to a sheet conveyance direction in which the sheet is conveyed;
a tray stop position detector configured to detect respective stop positions of the plurality of trays separately; and
circuitry configured to cause the tray shifter to move the plurality of trays to respective home positions in an initial operation, at least one tray of the plurality of trays having a home position opposite to a home position of another tray of the plurality of trays in the tray shift direction,
the circuitry being configured to, while the plurality of trays moves at a same time in the initial operation, cause the tray shifter to move the at least one tray and said another tray in directions opposite to each other.

11. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein, when the at least one tray and said another tray move in the directions opposite to each other, the circuitry is configured to cause the tray shifter to simultaneously complete movement of the at least one tray and said another tray in the directions opposite to each other.

12. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein, in the initial operation, the circuitry is configured to cause the tray shifter to move adjacent trays of the plurality of trays in directions opposite to each other and one tray of the plurality of trays in the tray shift direction.

13. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein, in the initial operation, the circuitry is configured to cause the tray shifter to move adjacent trays of the plurality of trays in directions opposite to each other or one tray of the plurality of trays in the tray shift direction.

14. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein a home position of a lowermost tray of the plurality of trays is on a same side as a position of a center of gravity of the post-processing apparatus relative to a center line of the post-processing apparatus in the tray shift direction and a home position of an uppermost tray of the plurality of trays is on an opposite side to the position of the center of gravity of the post-processing apparatus relative to the center line of the post-processing apparatus in the tray shift direction.

15. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 10 ,
wherein, in the initial operation, a tray shifting speed of an uppermost tray of the plurality of trays is slower than a tray shifting speed of a lowermost tray of the plurality of trays.

16. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising a sheet stacking amount detector configured to detect a sheet stacking amount of each of the plurality of trays,
wherein the circuitry is configured to cause the tray shifter to change a tray shifting speed of a tray of the plurality of trays according to the sheet stacking amount detected by the sheet stacking amount detector, in the initial operation of the post-processing apparatus.

17. An image forming system comprising:
an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet; and
the post-processing apparatus according to claim 10 , configured to perform the post-processing to the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming apparatus.

18. An image forming system comprising:
an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a sheet;
a sheet sorting device configured to sort the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming apparatus, the sheet sorting device including
a plurality of trays disposed in multiple stages in a vertical direction and configured to stack the sheet from the image forming apparatus;
a tray shifter configured to move the plurality of trays separately in a tray shift directi

Assignees

• Fujita Masakazu
• Tsuruoka Yasushi
• Matsumoto Takamasa
• Utagawa Hiroaki
• Akaishi Ryohsuke
• Sugawara Hisayoshi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Fujita Masakazu
• Tsuruoka Yasushi
• Matsumoto Takamasa
• Utagawa Hiroaki
• Akaishi Ryohsuke
• Sugawara Hisayoshi

Classifications

• B65H2553/61

  Mechanical means, e.g. contact arms · CPC title

• G03G15/6538 Primary

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

• B65H2405/11151

  with surface inclined upwardly in transport direction · CPC title

• G03G15/6544

  Details about the binding means or procedure · CPC title

• B65H31/3063

  by special supports like carriages, containers, trays, compartments, plates or bars, e.g. moved in a closed loop · CPC title