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.

1 . A sheet discharge tray for stacking discharged sheets, comprising: 
 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.    
   
   
       2 . The sheet discharge tray according to  claim 1 , further comprising a static electricity discharging member for removing static electricity from discharged sheets, said static electricity discharging member being disposed at a bottom surface of the fastening member.  
   
   
       3 . The sheet discharge tray according to  claim 1 , further comprising a lever sensor composed of a rotatable, movable lever member for touching a top surface of a discharged sheet, and a sensor member for detecting a discharge sheet stacking amount upon rotation of the movable lever member, 
 wherein the fastening member is disposed above the lever sensor.    
   
   
       4 . The sheet discharge tray according to  claim 3 , further comprising a weight member for pushing discharging sheets downward, 
 wherein the fastening member is provided in a pair with the movable lever member in a width direction of the discharged sheets, and disposed above the weight member.    
   
   
       5 . The sheet discharge tray according to  claim 1 , wherein the fastening member comprises, on a bottom surface thereof, a plurality of ribs for guiding discharged sheets.  
   
   
       6 . The sheet discharge tray according to  claim 5 , wherein the detachable member comprises a plurality of ribs for connecting with the plurality of ribs on the fastening member when mounted to the main unit.  
   
   
       7 . A multi-bin sorter comprising: 
 a plurality of sheet discharge trays for stacking, in a vertical direction, sheets discharged from a sheet discharge outlet of a main unit, with each of the trays comprising a detachable member detachably mounted to the main unit; and    a fastening member, attached to the main unit, for fastening the detachable member to the main unit.    
   
   
       8 . The multi-bin sorter according to  claim 7 , wherein the fastening member is integrally provided with an upright surface of the sheet discharge outlet.  
   
   
       9 . The multi-bin sorter according to  claim 7 , wherein the fastening member comprises, on a bottom surface thereof, a static electricity discharging mounting member for removing static electricity charged to discharging sheets, is integral to an upright surface of the sheet discharge outlet, and has a projecting shape for protecting members positioned below, from above.  
   
   
       10 . The multi-bin sorter according to  claim 7 , further comprising a rotatable, movable lever member provided near the sheet discharge outlet for touching a top surface of a sheet stacked on the sheet discharge tray and rotating thereat; 
 a sensor for detecting a stacking state of the sheet stacked on the sheet discharge tray upon rotation of the movable lever member; and    first preventing means provided at a space above the sheet discharge tray at a downstream side in a direction of sheet discharge of the movable lever member, for preventing insertion of a sheet above the movable lever member in a direction opposite to the direction of sheet discharge.    
   
   
       11 . The multi-bin sorter according to  claim 10 , wherein the first preventing means has a rotatable plate-shaped member capable of rotating freely within a predetermined first rotatable angle in a first direction rotating by contact with a sheet discharged from the sheet discharge outlet, and a second rotatable angle of the plate-shaped member, in a second direction opposite to the first direction, is controlled to be smaller than the first rotatable angle, when a sheet contacts the plate-shaped member in a direction opposite to the direction of the sheet discharge.  
   
   
       12 . The multi-bin sorter according to  claim 10 , wherein the first preventing means comprises a plate-shaped member with a rotating shaft having a projection formed on an end thereof, a rotating range of the plate-shaped member being controlled at a predetermined angle, and a supporting member that pivotally supports the rotating shaft, the projection capable of contacting a portion of an inner wall of a bearing of the support member to control a range of rotation of the plate-shaped member.  
   
   
       13 . The multi-bin sorter according to  claim 12 , wherein the sheet discharge tray is obliquely arranged with respect to the main unit, and a bottom end position of the plate-shaped member is higher, with reference to a plane of the tray, than a sheet stacking amount detection position at which the movable lever member is positioned when a sheet maximum stacking amount is detected by the sensor.  
   
   
       14 . The multi-bin sorter according to  claim 12 , wherein the plate-shaped member hangs in a substantially vertical posture under its own weight.  
   
   
       15 . The multi-bin sorter according to  claim 14 , wherein the plate-shaped member is arranged to be able, if a sheet is manually inserted in a direction opposite to the direction of sheet discharge and an end of the inserted sheet touches the plate-shaped member, to rotate from the substantially vertical posture to the predetermined angle in the second direction such that the rotation is controlled and so as to guide the sheet toward the tray.  
   
   
       16 . The multi-bin sorter according to  claim 10 , wherein the first preventing means comprises a support member with a projection provided at an end thereof, and 
 the main unit comprises a concave portion provided in a wall thereof so that the projection of the support member is detachably inserted into the concave portion to position the first preventing means at a predetermined position.    
   
   
       17 . The multi-bin sorter according to  claim 10 , further comprising a weight member provided rotatably near the sheet discharge outlet and at an opposite side of the movable lever member interposed by the sheet discharge outlet, said weight member pushing the sheet ejected from the sheet discharge outlet downwardly, and 
 second preventing means provided at a space above the tray at a downstream side in the direction of sheet discharge of the weight member, for preventing insertion of a sheet above the weight member in a direction opposite to the sheet discharge direction.    
   
   
       18 . The multi-bin sorter according to  claim 17 , wherein the movable lever member and weight member are substantially the same shape, and are provided as a pair in a direction that intersects the sheet discharge direction.  
   
   
       19 . The multi-bin sorter according to  claim 18 , wherein the first and second preventing means are substantially the same shape.