US5035412A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Control method for a sorter
Assignee: Canon Inc
•
Filing: 1989-02-01
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Granted: 1991-07-30
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Expires: 2009-02-01
Abstract
Abstract A method for controlling a sheet sorter wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet materials onto the bins includes permitting sorting operation; and starting to reset the plural bins after the sheet materials are taken out of the bins.
Inventors
- 👤 Masakazu Hiroi
- 👤 Masataka Naito
- 👤 Kimiaki Hayakawa
- 👤 Kenji Kobayashi
- 👤 Mitsuhiro Mukasa
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 13:37
CPC Classifications
G; G03; G03G; G03G15/00; G03G15/65; G03G15/6538; B; B42; B42C; B42C1/00; B42C1/12; B42C1/125; B65; B65H; B65H39/00; B65H39/10; B65H39/11; G03G15/6541; B65H2403/00; B65H2403/50; B65H2403/51; B65H2403/511; B65H2408/00; B65H2408/10; B65H2408/11; B65H2408/113; B65H2408/114; B65H2408/1141; G03G2215/00; G03G2215/00362; G03G2215/00789; G03G2215/00822; G03G2215/00827
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
109 words
A method for controlling a sheet sorter, wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet materials into the bins, said method comprising the steps of: permitting sorting operation; and starting resetting movement to rest the plural bins after all the sheet materials which have been sorted are taken out of the bins, wherein the bins are moved by the resetting movement to a nearest position from among first and home positions, wherein the first position is a position in which the inlet is faced to a one of the bins to be last used in a next cycle operation.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
109 words
A method for controlling a sheet sorter, wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet materials into the bins, said method comprising the steps of: permitting sorting operation; and starting resetting movement to rest the plural bins after all the sheet materials which have been sorted are taken out of the bins, wherein the bins are moved by the resetting movement to a nearest position from among first and home positions, wherein the first position is a position in which the inlet is faced to a one of the bins to be last used in a next cycle operation.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
81 words
A method for controlling a sheet sorter wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet materials into the bins, said method comprising the steps of: permitting sorting operation; and starting resetting movement to reset the plural bins after all the sheet materials which have been sorted are taken out of the bins, wherein the bins are moved, during the resetting movement, at a speed lower than that during the sorting operation.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
81 words
A method for controlling a sheet sorter wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet materials into the bins, said method comprising the steps of: permitting sorting operation; and starting resetting movement to reset the plural bins after all the sheet materials which have been sorted are taken out of the bins, wherein the bins are moved, during the resetting movement, at a speed lower than that during the sorting operation.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
94 words
A method for controlling a sheet sorter wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet materials into the bins, said method comprising the steps of: permitting sorting operation; starting resetting movement to rest the plural bins at a speed lower than that during the sorting operation after the sheet materials which have been sorted are taken out of the bins; and increasing a speed of the resetting movement of the plural bins when a next cycle starting signal is inputted during the resetting movement.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
94 words
A method for controlling a sheet sorter wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet materials into the bins, said method comprising the steps of: permitting sorting operation; starting resetting movement to rest the plural bins at a speed lower than that during the sorting operation after the sheet materials which have been sorted are taken out of the bins; and increasing a speed of the resetting movement of the plural bins when a next cycle starting signal is inputted during the resetting movement.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 3, wherein the next cycle starting signal is produced by a copy button of a copying apparatus which is used with the sheet sorter.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 3, wherein the increased speed is substantially the same as the speed during the sorting operation.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 3, wherein the bins are returned to a home position by the resetting movement.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method according to claim 3, wherein the bins are moved by the resetting movement to a nearest one position from among first and home positions, wherein the first position is a position in which the inlet is faced to a one of the bins to be last used in a next cycle operation.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
57 words
A method for controlling a sheet sorter wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet materials into the bins, said method comprising the steps of: permitting sorting operation; and starting resetting movement to rest the plural bins at a speed lower than that during the sorting operation.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
57 words
A method for controlling a sheet sorter wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet materials into the bins, said method comprising the steps of: permitting sorting operation; and starting resetting movement to rest the plural bins at a speed lower than that during the sorting operation.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 8, wherein the bins are returned to a home position by the resetting movement.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method according to claim 8, wherein the bins are moved by the resetting movement to nearest one position from among the first and home positions, wherein the first position is a position in which the inlet is faced to a one of the bins to be last used in a next cycle operation.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of stapling the sheets which have been sorted, wherein completion of the sorting operation is detected by detection of a staple completion signal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
A method according to claim 11, wherein after the staple completion signal, the resetting movement is started after a timer period is counted up.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
78 words
A method for controlling a sheet sorter wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet materials into the bins, said method comprising the steps of: permitting sorting operation; and starting resetting movement to reset the plural bins at a speed lower than that during the sorting operation, wherein the speed of the resetting movement is increased when a next cycle starting signal is inputted during the resetting movement.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
78 words
A method for controlling a sheet sorter wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet materials into the bins, said method comprising the steps of: permitting sorting operation; and starting resetting movement to reset the plural bins at a speed lower than that during the sorting operation, wherein the speed of the resetting movement is increased when a next cycle starting signal is inputted during the resetting movement.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 13, wherein the increased speed is substantially the same as that during the sorting operation.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
99 words
A method for controlling an image forming apparatus provided with a sheet sorter wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet materials having images formed by the image forming apparatus, into the bins, the method comprising the steps of: permitting sorting operation; starting resetting movement to rest the plural bins after all the sheet materials which have been sorted are taken out of the bins; and increasing a speed of the resetting movement of the plural bins when a next cycle starting signal is inputted during the resetting movement.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
99 words
A method for controlling an image forming apparatus provided with a sheet sorter wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet materials having images formed by the image forming apparatus, into the bins, the method comprising the steps of: permitting sorting operation; starting resetting movement to rest the plural bins after all the sheet materials which have been sorted are taken out of the bins; and increasing a speed of the resetting movement of the plural bins when a next cycle starting signal is inputted during the resetting movement.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
66 words
A method for controlling an image forming apparatus provided with a sheet sorter wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet material having images formed by the image forming apparatus, into the bins, comprising: permitting sorting operation; and starting resetting movement to rest the plural bins at a speed lower than that during the sorting operation.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
66 words
A method for controlling an image forming apparatus provided with a sheet sorter wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet material having images formed by the image forming apparatus, into the bins, comprising: permitting sorting operation; and starting resetting movement to rest the plural bins at a speed lower than that during the sorting operation.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
125 words
A method for controlling a sheet sorter wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet materials into the bins, the method comprising the steps of: permitting sorting operation; starting resetting movement to reset the plural bins at a speed lower than that during the sorting operation, wherein the speed of the resetting movement is raised to an increased speed when a next cycle starting signal is inputted during the resetting movement; and stapling the sheets which have been sorted, wherein completion of the sorting operation is detected by detection of a staple completion signal, and wherein, after detection of the staple completion signal, the resetting movement is started after a timer period is counted up.
Claim 25
Independent Claim
125 words
A method for controlling a sheet sorter wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet materials into the bins, the method comprising the steps of: permitting sorting operation; starting resetting movement to reset the plural bins at a speed lower than that during the sorting operation, wherein the speed of the resetting movement is raised to an increased speed when a next cycle starting signal is inputted during the resetting movement; and stapling the sheets which have been sorted, wherein completion of the sorting operation is detected by detection of a staple completion signal, and wherein, after detection of the staple completion signal, the resetting movement is started after a timer period is counted up.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 17, wherein the increased speed is substantially the same as that during the sorting operation.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
123 words
A method for controlling an image forming apparatus provided with a sheet sorter, wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet materials, having images formed by the image forming apparatus, into the bins, the method comprising the steps of: permitting sorting operation; and starting resetting movement to reset the plural bins after all the sheet materials which have been sorted are taken out of the bins, wherein the bins are moved by the resetting movement to a nearest position from among first and home positions, wherein the first position is a position in which the inlet is faced to a one of the bins to be last used in a next cycle operation.
Claim 28
Independent Claim
123 words
A method for controlling an image forming apparatus provided with a sheet sorter, wherein plural bins are sequentially moved to be faced to a sheet material inlet to sort the sheet materials, having images formed by the image forming apparatus, into the bins, the method comprising the steps of: permitting sorting operation; and starting resetting movement to reset the plural bins after all the sheet materials which have been sorted are taken out of the bins, wherein the bins are moved by the resetting movement to a nearest position from among first and home positions, wherein the first position is a position in which the inlet is faced to a one of the bins to be last used in a next cycle operation.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1994-07-29 | 1995-01-28 | 1995-07-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1998-07-29 | 1999-01-28 | 1999-07-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2002-07-29 | 2003-01-28 | 2003-07-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |