Abstract: There is provided an image formation apparatus including an image formation unit for forming an image on a sheet, plural trays for stacking the sheets on which the images have been formed by the image formation unit, a detection unit for detecting that the sheets are being stacked in the tray, an input unit for inputting a predetermined instruction, and a control unit for inhibiting the image formation operation of the image formation unit according to that the input unit does not input the predetermined instruction and the detection unit detects the sheet stacking, and allowing the image formation operation of the image formation unit according to that the input unit inputs the predetermined instruction and the detection unit detects the sheet stacking, whereby the sheets can be discharged onto the same tray even if plural image formation instructions are issued from plural application softwares.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is provided with a printer section for printing an image on a sheet and a sorter having a plurality of bin trays. Printed sheets discharged from the above printer section are discharged onto the designated bin tray corresponding to the destination of the print job among the plurality of bin trays. There are provided a page number counting section for counting the number of pages of the print job and a capacity changing section for increasing the capacity of the designated bin tray when the number of pages of the print job is greater than a specified number. This image forming apparatus can improve the ease of use in a mail bin mode.

Abstract: Structure is provided to efficiently discharge sheets outputted from an image forming apparatus to a plurality of bins. In a copier, for an original supplied from a document feeder, an image forming apparatus forms an image on a sheet supplied from a sheet feeder, and the sheet is discharged through a sheet discharging port. A sheet outputting apparatus receives discharged sheets through a sheet receiving port. In accordance with information of a job relating to the sheets copied supplied through an operation panel, a control unit causes the sheets to be distributed to be discharged to a plurality of bins. The number of acceptable sheets to each bin is detected by a detecting device. A control unit controls discharge of sheets to that the number of bins is a minimum, so that discharge to bins is easily conducted in a subsequent copying job.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a first sheet feeding device for storing therein recording sheets; a second sheet feeding device for storing therein the same sized recording sheets as those stored in the first sheet feeding device in a direction perpendicular to the recording sheets stored in the first sheet feeding device; an image processing device capable of processing an image of a document under a condition that an image data thereof is rotated by 90.degree.; an image forming device for forming an image on a recording sheet based on the image data processed by the image processing device; and a controller for detecting whether or not a sorting device for sorting the recording sheet is connected or operative.

Abstract: A sorter for sorting a printed sheet discharged from an image forming machine includes a plurality of bins arranged in a vertical direction; a conveyer provided vertically along the plurality of bins to convey the printed sheet vertically downward; an indexer having a guide surface in its upper portion, being vertically movable along a sheet travel route of the conveyer, for peeling the printed sheet off the conveyer with the guide surface and sending the printed sheet in either one of the plurality of bins; a controller connecting for driving the conveyer and the indexer; and an operating panel-connecting to the controller.

Abstract: The apparatus for carrying out the method comprises a plurality of delivery trays arranged in the manner of a circulating bucket lift, which on the basis of user inputs can be freely selected and transported to a loading plane in which an inlet opening for the copy or print jobs also is located. An outlet opening is provided opposite the inlet opening, the individual delivery trays can be moved around a passthrough region which joins the inlet opening to the outlet opening, and each of the delivery trays can, in order to receive copy or print jobs, be slid into a loading position in the passthrough region and receives the copy or print job intended for that selected delivery tray.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus such as a copying apparatus capable of executing copy operations with excellent efficiency, when executing multi-sort copying even when there is a large number of document pages or a large number of copy bundles, by executing controls to calculate the number of sorting bins required to accommodate ejected recording sheets per document bundle based on the number of document pages and the sheet accommodation capacity per each bin of a sorter, and calculate the number of copies possible in a single multi-sort copy operation from the total number of bins of the sorter and the number of bins required to accommodate the ejected recording sheets per document bundle, and divide the number of copies in a plurality of multi-sort copy operations when the number of set copy bundles exceeds the number of copies possible in a single multi-sort copy operation.

Abstract: A printing apparatus, which includes document data management unit 3 for receiving from a computer document data 5 to be printed and for storing and managing the document data 5, printing unit 1 for printing, on a predetermined sheet of paper, the document data 5 that is output by the document data management unit 3, and document sorting unit 2 for sorting and discharging, onto a sorting tray 22, the sheet of paper that is printed by the printing unit 1, includes: arrangement and editing unit 4 for each destination, for receiving and storing page data for each destination, for employing the page data to calculate a printing number required for each page of a document and for employing the sorting tray 22 for each destination, whereby a printed sheet of a necessary page is discharged onto the sorting tray 22.

Abstract: A sorter for sorting a printed sheet discharged from an image forming machine has a controller for determining the appropriate air-suction force of a suction unit of a conveyer based on information sent from a control panel. A plurality of bins are arranged vertically and the conveyer is arranged vertically alongside the bins so that the printed sheet is conveyed downward. The conveyor has a belt and the suction unit for drawing the printed sheet to the belt and an indexer has a guide surface in its upper portion, which moves vertically along a sheet travel route of the conveyer, for peeling the printed sheet off the conveyer with the guide surface and sending the printed sheet into one of the bins. The controller is connected to the conveyer and the indexer and drives the conveyer and the indexer according to the information from the control panel.

Abstract: A system for routing a document job in a printing system with a print engine. The routing system includes a controller providing a set of information including an indication to a user of the printing system that the print engine is busy producing a first set of prints from a first set of image data. The set of information is received at a user interface and the user, in response to receiving the set of information, directs the controller, by way of the user interface, to cause a second set of prints, representative of a second set of image data developed at the printing system while the first set of prints is being produced by the print engine, to be (i) produced subsequent to the producing of the first set of prints and (ii) delivered to one of one or more mailbox bins.

Abstract: A sheet processing device which is mounted on an image forming apparatus having a both-side copy mode of forming an image on each side of a sheet member, including a bin module provided with a plurality of bins for accepting sheet members exhausted from the image forming apparatus, and a processor for taking out sheet members exhausted from the bin and processing the sheet members. When the maximum number of sheets continuously producible per unit in the both-side copy mode for the image forming apparatus is N, and the number of bins is m, the number of bins m is set to satisfy the following relational expression:m.gtoreq.N.

Abstract: A sheet post-processing apparatus for accommodating the sheet material discharged from an image forming apparatus on at least one sheet receiving tray and capable of accommodating at least two sets of sheet per sheet receiving tray, the apparatus includes controller for determines number of the sheet sets allowed to be accommodated per sheet receiving tray, on the basis of the number sheets of a set of originals, maximum number of the sheets accommodating per sheet receiving tray, and a correction coefficient.

Abstract: A basic control portion stores image information read by a scanner in a page memory of a page memory portion through image processing means. When memory full takes place such that image information to be stored in the page memory is larger than the capacity of the memory in a case where a staple sorting mode has been set, the basic control portion suspends the staple mode and forms images in a set sorting mode by using image data stored in the page memory. As a result, even if memory full takes place in the staple mode, the image can normally be formed.

Abstract: For reducing the curl of the sheets ejected from an electrophotographic printer to a sorter, which is so constructed as to increase the space between a tray currently subjected to sheet storage and an upper adjacent tray and to reduce the spaces of other trays, there is executed control, in response to the end or interruption of the printing operation of the printer, so as to increase the space of the trays not currently subjected to sheet storage operation and to decrease the space of the tray currently subjected to the sheet storage operation, thereby pressing the sheets present on the tray.

Abstract: A discharged sheet stacking apparatus is provided with a plurality of trays aligned to stack discharged sheets thereon, and a drive member for moving the trays in the alignment direction. Between at least two of the plural trays, a spacer member moved in the alignment direction by the drive device in the same manner as the trays is interposed to widen the space between the trays. The space between the trays can be arbitrarily changed by the spacer member.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus includes a printer for recording a received image on a sheet, a sorter for sorting the sheet by stacking the sheet recorded by the printer in one of a plurality of bins, a determination unit for determining a bin in which the sheet is to be stacked, a discrimination unit for discriminating if the sheet can be stacked in the determined bin, a memory for storing the received image when the discrimination unit discriminates that the bin determined by the determination unit cannot stack the sheet, and a second memory for storing bin information indicating the bin determined by the determination unit in correspondence with the image stored in the memory.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a sorter with a plurality of accommodating units for sorting sheets on which images have been formed.

Abstract: A sorter for enclosing sheets ejected out from a recording apparatus of an electrophotographic type includes a plurality of movable trays for enclosing the sheets, and a driving unit for driving the tray so as to move the tray. In the present sorter, the driving unit widens a distance between the tray to which the sheet is enclosed and the tray adjacent to the tray and, after the sheet was enclosed to the tray, the driving unit reduces the distance between the tray to which the sheet was enclosed and the tray adjacent to the tray so as to press a curl of the sheet. By vertically moving the plurality of trays, the distance between the trays is changed and the tray to enclose the sheet is changed. Each time a predetermined number of sheets are enclosed to the tray, the plurality of trays are moved upward and, after the elapse of a predetermined time, the plurality of trays are moved downward.

Abstract: A modular copier/printer or similar image forming apparatus of the type having an image transfer body in the form of a drum or belt allows documents to be reproduced in a paper discharge mode which discharges paper sheets, or recording media, in page-sequential order. When an automatic two-sided copy mode is selected, the apparatus automatically sets up the page sequential paper discharge mode to a "collation mode" through a minimum number of sorter bins which has been optimally designed to correspond with the shortest two-sided copy loop. Hence, when mixed black-and-white documents and color documents are reproduced together in the automatic copy mode, paper sheets exit the apparatus in the correct page order. As a result of this automatic change in operating modes, fewer "skip" frames need be introduced during the copying operation, thereby enabling the copier to produce multiple collated copies of the multipage document very efficiently.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus with a sorter which is capable of performing image formation even during the implementation of a post-process. The image forming apparatus includes the sorter which has a non-sort bin and sort bins for receiving sheets each formed with an image, and a post-processor for performing the post-process on sheets received by the sort bins. When an interruption mode is designated during the post-process, the image formation is permitted while the post-process is continuously performed. Further, the sorter is controlled to discharge a sheet formed with an image into the non-sort bin. Thus, the image formation can be performed concurrently with post-process. Since the sheet formed with the image is discharged into the non-sort bin which is adapted not to receive sheets to be subjected to the post process, a jam will not occur even if an error occurs during the post-process.