Sheet discharge tray and a multiple bin sorter equipped with the same

Abstract

A sheet discharge tray for stacking discharged sheets has a detachable member detachably mounted to a main unit from which the sheets are discharged, and a fastening member, attached to the main unit, for fastening the detachable member to the main unit. By mounting the detachable member to the main unit, the tray is configured to link the detachable member and the fastening member, thereby increasing the structural rigidity of a multi-bin sorter. The sheet discharge tray ensures the rigidity of the apparatus, makes packaging work easier when shipping the product, has a compact structure, and is capable of protecting accessory parts such as a static electricity discharging member and sheet detecting members.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT [0001] The present invention relates to a sheet discharge tray and to a multi-bin sorter equipped with the same, and more particularly to a sheet discharge tray for stacking discharged sheets and a multi-bin sorter arranged with a plurality of sheet discharge trays in up and down directions. [0002] Conventionally, sorters that sequentially sort sheets, having discharge trays or a plurality of bins for sequentially stacking by placing sheets formed with characters and / or images by an image forming apparatus such as a copier or printer thereupon, or a sheet discharge apparatus or sheet stacking apparatus, such as a mailbox that separates and stores user print jobs to each bin are well known in the art. Discharge trays in these apparatuses are detachably equipped at sheet discharge outlets (on the apparatus body). An example of such technology is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-249273. [0003] Various reasons for pr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014] According to the first aspect of the present invention, a tray is separated into a detachable member detachably mounted to the main unit, and a fastening member fastened to the main unit. By mounting or installing the detachable member to the main unit, the tray is configured to link the fastening member and the detachable member. For that reason, because the fastening member that composes the tray is fastened to the main unit, the rigidity of the main unit side is increased, even if the tray is a detachable structure. Also, the fastening member can be packaged as one body with the main unit, and the detachable member, which is comparatively smaller in size than the overall tray itself, can be packaged separately. This makes packaging work easier when shipping the product, and decreases the costs associated with product distribution (packaging). Still further, in the event that a problem should occur in sheet discharge conveyance while operating the main unit, the detachable member can be removed from the main unit to enable a user to access the inside of the main unit. This makes the work to remedy problems more efficient.

[0023] Furthermore, it is preferred that the plate-shaped members hang downward substantially vertically under their own weight. In this state, in the event that a user manually inserts sheets in a direction opposite to the direction of sheet discharge, the ends of the inserted sheets contact the plate-shaped members causing them to rotate from their substantially vertical hanging posture to the predetermined angle in the second direction where the rotation is controlled. This makes it possible to guide the ends of the inserted sheets toward the tray. It is also acceptable for the projections equipped at one end of the support members to be positioned at predetermined positions inserted in concave portions formed in the main unit wall surface for the first preventing means.

Problems solved by technology

Therefore, this configuration prevents reduced detecting accuracy caused by damage during shipment or by carelessly touching the part while a user is operating the main unit.

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