JP2014214007A - Sorting apparatus and detection method - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a technique capable of detecting the presence or absence of a sheet inside an apparatus even when the sheet remains in a place where there is no sensor. A sorting apparatus according to an embodiment includes a conveyance path, a first storage unit, a detection unit, a first roller, and a control unit. The conveyance path conveys the sheet. The first storage unit stores the sheet conveyed by the conveyance path. The detection unit detects whether or not the sheet conveyed on the conveyance path is in the detection target area of the conveyance path. The first roller is a roller positioned downstream in the conveyance direction of the conveyance path from the detection target area of the detection unit, and rotates to advance the sheet in the conveyance path toward the first storage unit. When the conveyance unit returns from the stopped state, the control unit rotates the first roller in the direction opposite to the above rotation by the distance that the sheet moves from the position of the first roller to the detection target area of the detection unit. Move to become. [Selection] Figure 2

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate to techniques for determining whether there is a sheet in an apparatus.

  In an apparatus that transports a sheet internally, such as an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet or a decoloring apparatus that erases an image formed on a sheet, it checks whether there is a sheet inside the apparatus. . This sheet presence check is performed to identify the position of the conveyed sheet during operation of the device. When the printer recovers from a jam or other trouble or when the power is turned on, there is a residual sheet in the device. This is done to check if it exists. The presence / absence check of a sheet is performed using a plurality of detection sensors installed along a conveyance path inside the apparatus.

  In addition, in image forming devices and erasing devices, the destination tray can be switched according to the material and size of the sheet, and in the case of erasing devices, afterimage status after erasing processing can be checked and reused. And a sheet that cannot be reused, and switches the tray to be discharged.

  The following techniques are disclosed.

JP 2010-160324 A

  In the final conveyance path portion of the apparatus, for example, a discharge portion, a portion that does not touch the detection sensor may occur. Further, when the number of sensors is reduced to reduce the cost, a portion where the sensors are not applied similarly occurs. If a jam or an apparatus power-off occurs in a state where the sheet is conveyed to such a place where there is no sensor, the sensor check cannot detect the presence or absence of the sheet when the sheet is restored.

  The embodiment has been made to solve the above-described problems, and aims to provide a technique capable of detecting the presence or absence of a sheet inside the apparatus even when the sheet remains in a place where there is no sensor. To do.

  The sorting device according to the embodiment includes a conveyance path, a first storage unit, a detection unit, a first roller, and a control unit. The conveyance path conveys the sheet. The first storage unit stores the sheet conveyed by the conveyance path. The detection unit detects whether or not the sheet conveyed on the conveyance path is in the detection target area of the conveyance path. The first roller is a roller positioned downstream in the conveyance direction of the conveyance path from the detection target area of the detection unit, and rotates to advance the sheet in the conveyance path toward the first storage unit. When the conveyance unit returns from the stopped state, the control unit rotates the first roller in the direction opposite to the above rotation by the distance that the sheet moves from the position of the first roller to the detection target area of the detection unit. Move to become.

It is the schematic which shows the hardware structural example of the decoloring apparatus of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the detailed structure of the discharge part of embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the decoloring apparatus of embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the whole operation | movement of the decoloring apparatus of embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example when detecting the sheet | seat which the discharge roller is holding | gripping of embodiment by a sensor. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example when discharging a remaining sheet uniformly to the tray defined beforehand. It is a flowchart which shows the operation example when discharging a residual sheet according to the determination result.

  The apparatus of the embodiment drives the motor of the discharge unit in the reverse direction to the position where the detection sensor on the conveying path (referred to as the detection target area) is applied in the reverse direction when the power is turned on or when the failure is recovered. The presence / absence of a remaining sheet is determined. When there is a remaining sheet, the apparatus of the embodiment conveys the sheet to a position where the sheet can be removed.

  As a method for removing the residual sheet, the conveyance roller is driven in the forward direction (the rotational direction in which the sheet is advanced toward the discharge tray) regardless of the presence or absence of the sheet. A possible implementation is to discharge to a discharge tray. However, with this method, if it is necessary to change the discharge tray according to the size and state of the sheet, simply discharging it as it is will result in a mixture of different size sheets, or a mixture of reusable and non-reusable sheets. To do.

  When the aspect of this embodiment described below is applied, the user can take out the sheet, check the unerased state and size, and store it in a regular tray.

  Aspects of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings, taking an erasing apparatus as an example. Moreover, in the following description, although a sheet | seat is demonstrated as a paper medium, an aspect is not limited.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the erasing apparatus. The decoloring device 100 (erasing device) is a color material that can be decolored with respect to a sheet on which an image is formed with a “decolorable color material (erasable color material)” such as decolorable toner or decolorable ink. “Decoloring process (erasing process)” is performed to erase the color of the image. The erasable color material includes a color developing compound, a color developer, and a color erasing agent. Examples of the color developing compound include leuco dyes. Examples of the developer include phenols. The decolorizer includes a substance that is compatible with the color developing compound when heated and does not have an affinity for the developer. Colors that can be erased develop color due to the interaction between the color developing compound and the developer, and the interaction between the color developing compound and the developer is interrupted by heating above the color erasing temperature. To do. Hereinafter, the erasable color material is referred to as a recording material as necessary.

  The decoloring apparatus 100 includes a paper feed tray 102, a paper feed member 104, a reading unit 106, a decoloring unit 108, a discharge unit 500, a first transport path 118, a second transport path 120, a third transport path 122, and a first branch. A member 124, a display operation unit 128, and an opening / closing cover 131 are provided. The discharge unit 500 includes a first tray 110, a second tray 112, discharge rollers 114 and 116, a second branch member 126, and a detection sensor 129. In FIG. 1, the first conveyance path 118 is indicated by a solid line arrow, the second conveyance path 120 is indicated by a broken line arrow, and the third conveyance path 122 is indicated by a one-dot chain line arrow. The starting point side of these arrows is the upstream side of the transport path, and the arrowhead side (arrow head side) is the downstream side of the transport path.

  The sheet feed tray 102 stacks sheets for reuse. The sheet feed tray 102 stacks sheets of various sizes such as A5, A4, A3, and B5. The sheets stacked on the sheet feeding tray 102 are, for example, sheets formed with an image of a recording material that is erased by heating to a predetermined temperature or higher. The sheet feeding member 104 includes a pickup roller, a sheet supply roller, a separation roller disposed opposite to the sheet supply roller, and the like, and a first conveyance path inside the erasing apparatus 100 for each sheet on the sheet feed tray 102 one by one. 118. The paper feed tray 102 detects the presence or absence of sheets on the paper feed tray 102.

  The first conveyance path 118 conveys the sheet supplied from the sheet feeding tray 102 to the reading unit 106 and conveys the sheet to the first tray 110.

  The reading unit 106 is located downstream in the sheet conveyance direction with respect to the paper feed tray 102 and is disposed along the first conveyance path 118. The reading unit 106 includes, for example, a reading unit such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) scanner or a CMOS sensor. In the present embodiment, the reading unit 106 reads each image on the first surface and the second surface of the conveyed sheet. That is, the reading unit 106 includes two reading units that are arranged along the first conveying path 118 and sandwiching the conveying path, and enables double-sided reading of an image of a conveyed sheet. The image read by the reading unit 106 is stored in a memory 210 or a storage unit 205 described later. For example, when the image on the sheet read by the reading unit 106 before the color erasing process is digitized and stored in the storage unit 205, the image data that has been erased later is required. Can be obtained. Further, the control unit 200 described later determines whether the sheet is erasable or reusable based on the image read by the reading unit 106.

  Downstream of the reading unit 106 is a first branch member 124 as a switching unit. The first branch member 124 switches the conveyance direction of the conveyed sheet. The first branch member 124 conveys the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance path 118 to the second conveyance path 120 or the first tray 110. The second conveyance path 120 is a conveyance path that branches from the first conveyance path 118 with the first branch member 124 between the reading unit 106 and the first tray 110, and conveys the sheet to the decoloring unit 108. Further, the second conveyance path 120 joins the first conveyance path 118 at a junction point 121 upstream of the reading unit 106 in the sheet conveyance direction. Therefore, the second conveyance path 120 enables the sheet conveyed from the reading unit 106 to be conveyed again to the reading unit 106 via the erasing unit 108. In other words, the erasing apparatus 100 can transport the sheet supplied from the sheet feeding member 104 in the order of the reading unit 106, the erasing unit 108, and the reading unit 106 by controlling the first branching member 124.

  The second branch member 126 is located downstream of the first branch member 124. The second branch member 126 guides the sheet conveyed from the first branch member 124 to the first tray 110 or the third conveyance path 122. The third conveyance path 122 conveys the sheet to the second tray 112.

  The erasing unit 108 erases an image formed on the conveyed sheet. For example, the decoloring unit 108 decolorizes the color of the image formed on the sheet by the recording material by heating the sheet to a predetermined decoloring temperature in a state where it is in contact with the conveyed sheet.

  The decoloring unit 108 has two heat source units for the first surface decoloring and the second surface decoloring of the sheet. Each of the heat source units has a heat roller that generates heat when electric power is supplied, and is disposed along the sheet conveyance direction of the second conveyance path 120. One heat roller contacts and heats the first surface of the sheet, and the other heat roller contacts and heats the second surface of the sheet. As a result, the decoloring unit 108 erases the images on both sides of the conveyed sheet with a single conveyance.

  The display operation unit 128 arranged on the upper part of the main body of the erasing apparatus 100 has a panel type display unit, a touch panel arranged in a stack on the display unit, and an operation unit including various operation keys. The operation key has, for example, a numeric keypad. The user instructs a functional operation of the erasing apparatus 100 such as starting erasing or reading an image of a sheet to be erased via the display operation unit 128. The display operation unit 128 displays setting information, operation status, log information, or a message to the user of the erasing apparatus 100.

  The discharge rollers 114 and 116 discharge the sheet to the first tray 110 and the second tray 112 that are arranged below the main body. The first tray 110 stacks sheets that can be reused after the images on the sheets have been erased. The second tray 112 stacks sheets that are determined not to be reused. It should be noted that the first tray 110 and the second tray 112 can exchange sheets to be received. The setting of what sheets are stacked in each tray, that is, the setting of the sheet transport destination may be set from the display operation unit 128, for example. With this setting, the second branching member 126 switches the conveyance path and guides the conveyed sheet to the first tray 110 or the third conveyance path 122.

  The opening / closing cover 131 is provided on the side wall of the erasing device 100, covers the inside of the erasing device 100 in the closed state, and partially opens the first conveyance path 118 outside the main body of the erasing device 100 in the opened state. Expose (expose). When the opening / closing cover 131 is open, the user can visually recognize the sheet when there is a sheet near the opening / closing cover 131. Further, when the sheet remains in the vicinity of the opening / closing cover 131, the opening / closing cover 131 can be opened to take out the sheet. In this example, only the opening / closing cover 131 is clearly shown, but such an opening / closing cover is provided at a necessary place.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of the discharge unit 500. The discharge unit 500 includes the second branch member 126 described above, and includes a detection sensor 129 that detects the presence / absence of a sheet conveyed on the first conveyance path 118. The detection sensor 129 is located downstream of the second branch member 126 in the transport direction in the first transport path 118. The detection sensor 129 outputs an off signal when the sheet is not in the detection target area (or does not output a signal), and outputs an on signal when the leading edge in the traveling direction of the sheet enters the detection target area. The detection sensor 129 outputs an off signal when the rear end of the sheet in the traveling direction passes through the detection target area. That is, the detection sensor 129 becomes an on signal when the sheet is in the detection target area, and becomes an off signal when there is no sheet.

  The discharge roller 114 described above is located downstream of the detection sensor 129 in the transport direction of the first transport path 118. The discharge roller 114 is a pair of rollers that are located at the final end of the first conveyance path 118 and are opposed to each other across the first conveyance path 118. The discharge roller 114 discharges the sheet from the first conveyance path 118 by rotating in the forward direction.

  The first tray 110 includes a vertical alignment roller 135 that aligns sheets stacked in the first tray 110 in the conveyance direction. By the vertical alignment roller 135 and a stopper (not shown) in the first tray 110, the sheets are stacked in an aligned state in the first tray 110.

  Here, the operation of the discharge unit 500 will be described. The sheet conveyed by the first conveyance path 118 is detected by entering the detection target area of the detection sensor 129, and becomes a non-detection state when the sheet trailing edge passes through the detection target area. When the output signal of the detection sensor 129 switches from on (sheet detection) to off (sheet non-detection), the discharge roller 114 temporarily stops rotating. As a result, the discharge roller 114 is in a state of gripping the vicinity of the trailing edge of the sheet. During this time, it is determined whether the first tray 110 or the second tray 112 is discharged. When the determination result is that the sheet is discharged to the first tray 110, the discharge roller 114 returns from the stopped state and continues to rotate in the forward direction, thereby discharging the gripped sheet to the first tray 110. On the other hand, when the determination result is that the sheet is discharged to the second tray 112, the second branching member 126 performs path switching to cause the sheet held by the discharge roller 114 to enter the third conveyance path 122. . After switching, the discharge roller 114 returns the gripped sheet to the conveyance path by operating so as to rotate in the reverse direction to the forward direction (switchback operation). As a result, the sheet held by the discharge roller 114 enters the third conveyance path 122 and is discharged to the second tray 112. Control of this operation is performed by the control unit 200 described later.

  Note that the first tray 110 and the second tray 112 can slide in the Y-axis direction shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. When the user pulls out the first tray 110 or the second tray 112 in the front direction of the Y axis, the inside of the tray appears and is exposed. The user can take out the sheets stacked on each tray in this state.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the hardware configuration of the erasing apparatus 100. The erasing apparatus 100 includes a control unit 200, a paper feeding unit 201, an erasing unit 108, a reading unit 106, a transport unit 203, a display operation unit 128, a storage unit 205, and a discharge unit 500. The sheet feeding unit 201 is a part that stacks sheets to be processed and supplies them to the main body of the erasing apparatus 100, and includes a sheet feeding tray 102, a detection sensor 103, and a sheet feeding member 104. The conveyance unit 203 is a part that conveys a sheet to each unit, and includes a first conveyance path 118, a second conveyance path 120, and a third conveyance path 122, and includes a plurality of roller pairs and the roller pairs in each conveyance path. A motor (not shown) for controlling the rotation of the motor. The storage unit 205 is an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) that stores user data, setting data used by the system, and the like in a nonvolatile manner. The storage unit 205 may permanently store the image data read by the reading unit 106.

  The control unit 200 is a part that comprehensively controls each hardware in the erasing apparatus 100, and includes a processor 209, a memory 210, and an I / O controller 211 (I / O: Input / Output). The processor 209 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and executes instructions stored in the memory 210 or the storage unit 205 in advance, thereby giving instructions to each hardware. Do. The memory 210 is, for example, a semiconductor memory, and includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores various control programs, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that provides a temporary work area to the processor 209. The memory 210 stores, for example, a sheet printing rate as a threshold value for whether or not reuse is possible, a density threshold value for determining whether or not an image has been erased, and the like. The memory 210 may temporarily store the image read by the reading unit 106. Each unit of the erasing apparatus 100 is connected via the I / O controller 211 to transmit / receive an instruction signal and the like.

  A motor 501 in the discharge unit 500 shown in FIG. 3 is a motor that directly controls the rotation drive and rotation speed of the discharge roller 114 and the vertical alignment roller 135 in accordance with instructions from the control unit 200.

  Since the parts in the discharge unit 500 other than the erasing unit 108, the reading unit 106, the display operation unit 128, and the motor 501 are as described above, the description thereof is omitted here.

  The erasing apparatus 100 can execute, for example, a reading process, a erasing process, a sorting process, and a pre-sorting process. The control unit 200 of the erasing apparatus 100 controls the reading unit 106, the erasing unit 108, and other configurations according to the set processing. The reading process, the color erasing process, the sorting process, and the prior sorting process may be executed individually or in combination.

  The reading process is a process for permanently storing the image read by the reading unit 106 in the storage unit 210. The erasing process is a process of erasing the sheet image by the erasing unit 108.

  The sorting process is a process in which the control unit 200 determines whether the sheet is a reusable sheet based on the image read by the reading unit 106. In the classification process, the control unit 200 determines whether or not there is an image on the sheet using a threshold value based on the data read by the reading unit 106, and makes the image unusable if there is an image. For example, when a sheet that has been erased by the decoloring unit 108 is read and there is an image that remains without being erased, the control unit 200 determines that there is an unerased remaining and cannot be reused. to decide. In the classification process, the control unit 200 determines the wrinkle depth, the presence or absence of breakage, and tearing based on the data read by the reading unit 106. If the wrinkle depth is equal to or greater than the specified value, or if there is a crease, tear or hole, the erasing apparatus 100 determines that the sheet cannot be reused. Note that it is possible to execute the separation process alone without performing the decoloring process. In this case, the sheet after the color erasing process is stacked on the sheet feeding tray 102 and sequentially sent to the first conveyance path 118 according to a user instruction. The control unit 200 determines whether or not the sheet can be reused based on the image data read by the reading unit 106, and the sheet is discharged to the first tray 110 or the second tray 112 according to the determination result.

  The pre-sorting process is a process of determining the printing rate of the image on the sheet based on the data read by the reading unit 106 before performing the decoloring process. If the printing rate is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, it is considered that an image remains even if the erasing process is further performed, and the control unit 200 makes the sheet unusable without executing the erasing process. The control unit 200 discharges the sheet determined to be unusable to the second tray 112. Alternatively, the control unit 200 may determine whether the sheet image data read by the reading unit 106 includes prohibited data that should be prohibited from being decolored, such as confidential data. When data that should be prohibited from being erased is included, the control unit 200 conveys the sheet to the second tray 112.

  The selection of each process can be set in combination with the display operation unit 128 of the erasing apparatus 100. The display operation unit 128 is provided with a button for each of the above processes. When the user presses one or a combination of these buttons, the processing selection value is stored as flag data in the storage unit 205 or the memory 210. The control unit 200 acquires flag data from the storage unit 210 or the memory 210 when the “start” button is pressed, and determines whether each process is executed based on the flag data.

  The overall operation of the erasing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. In the example of FIG. 4, description will be made assuming that the above-described reading process, decoloring process, and sorting process are performed.

  The sheet feeding unit 201 supplies stacked sheets one by one to the main body of the erasing apparatus 100 according to an instruction from the control unit 200 (ACT001). The supplied sheet is carried into the first conveyance path 118 (ACT002), and the reading unit 106 performs a reading operation on both sides of the sheet (ACT003). The control unit 200 causes the storage unit 205 to store the read image permanently.

  The read sheet is conveyed to the second conveyance path 120 by switching the path of the first branch member 124 (ACT004). The erasing unit 108 performs erasing (erasing) of the image on both sides of the sheet conveyed from the second conveying path 120 (ACT005). The sheet after the decoloring process is conveyed again to the first conveyance path 118 at the junction point 121 (ACT006), and the reading unit 106 reads both sides of the sheet again (ACT007). The read sheet proceeds on the first conveyance path 118 as it is, and is temporarily gripped by the discharge roller 114 as described above.

  The control unit 200 analyzes the image data read by ACT007 (refer to the above-described sorting process for the analysis method), and determines whether or not it can be reused (ACT008). When determining that it can be reused (ACT008, Yes), the control unit 200 instructs the motor 501 to rotate the discharge roller 114 in the forward direction. As a result, the gripped sheet is discharged to the first tray (ACT009). On the other hand, when determining that reuse is not possible (ACT008, No), the control unit 200 performs path switching control of the second branching member 126, and then drives the motor 501 in the reverse direction so that the discharge roller 114 rotates in the reverse direction. To control. Thus, the sheet held by the discharge roller 114 passes through the third conveyance path 122 and is discharged to the second tray 112 (ACT010).

  As described above, the sheet stops once at a position that has passed through the detection target area of the detection sensor 129. The control unit 200 analyzes the read image to determine whether or not the image can be reused. However, if it takes time to determine the image, the sheet moves to any tray at a stop position (a position where the discharge rollers 114 are in contact with or meshed with each other). Wait for the result of whether to discharge. In the state where the rear end of the sheet is gripped at the stop position, the detection cannot be detected by the detection sensor 129. Further, in this state, for example, when the power of the apparatus 100 is turned off, It becomes impossible to determine whether it exists. Similarly, even if a failure or the like occurs while the sheet is at the stop position, it is impossible to determine the presence or absence of the sheet at the time of return.

  Further, when the result of whether or not reuse is possible is stored in the volatile storage area of the memory 210, the information on the determination result is erased when the erasing apparatus 100 is turned off. In this case, when it is turned on next time, it is unclear to which tray it is discharged.

  Furthermore, if the user pulls out the first tray 110 in the Y-axis direction (see FIGS. 1 and 2) while the trailing edge of the sheet is held by the discharge roller 114, there is a problem that the sheet is broken. is there. Therefore, it is necessary to inform the user that there is a sheet in the discharge unit 500. If a sensor is added on the downstream side of the discharge roller 114 to solve these problems, the cost increases.

  The decoloring apparatus 100 according to the embodiment rotates the discharge roller 114 in the reverse direction when the power is turned on or returns from a failure, and if there is a sheet, the sheet is reversely conveyed to the detection target area of the detection sensor 129. To do. Thereby, the detection sensor 129 can detect the presence or absence of a remaining sheet. The controller 500 drives the motor 501 by a predetermined amount equal to or greater than the distance from the discharge roller 114 to the detection target area of the detection sensor 129. If the detection sensor 129 remains off even when the motor 500 is moved by a predetermined amount, it is determined that there is no sheet in the discharge unit 500. On the other hand, when the detection sensor 129 is turned on as a result of driving, the position where the user can perform the removing operation while maintaining the reverse rotation driving as it is, that is, the position where the sheet can be taken out from the opening / closing cover 131, Transport the sheet. After the conveyance is completed and the reverse rotation of the discharge roller 114 is stopped, the user is notified that there is a sheet in the discharge unit 500.

  A flowchart of this control is shown in FIG. This control is more specifically performed not only when the power of the erasing apparatus 100 is turned on, but also when returning from the power saving mode in which the power of the detection sensor 129 is turned off, or when returning from a failure such as a jam. Is performed when a cover (including a cover other than the opening / closing cover 131) on the outer wall of the apparatus is closed from an open state.

In the following explanation,
X1 <X2 <X3 <X4
A description will be given using distances that satisfy the relationship (unit: mm). Here, X1 is the distance from the gripping position of the discharge roller 114 (the position where the discharge rollers 114 abut or mesh with each other as well as the stop position) to the detection sensor 129, and X2 is a distance obtained by doubling X1. It is. X4 is the distance from the detection sensor 129 to the device located upstream from the detection sensor 129, and X3 is the distance from the detection sensor 129 for preventing the sheet from reaching the device.

  The control unit 200 drives the motor to rotate in reverse (ACT 101). As a result, the discharge roller 114 operates to rotate in the reverse direction. Note that the control of the ACT 101 is performed regardless of whether or not the job is being executed.

  The control unit 200 determines whether an ON signal is output from the detection sensor 129 (ACT 102). If the sheet is gripped, the control unit 200 controls the drive amount and the motor until the sheet travels by X2 mm in the reverse direction in the first conveyance path 118 (ACT 103, No loop), and detects each time. It is determined whether an ON signal is output from the sensor 129 (ACT 102). In this example, considering the slip between the sheet and the discharge roller 114, the sheet is moved by X2 mm, which is twice the distance of X1 mm including the surplus. In this example, the distance is doubled, but it is sufficient that the sheet travels backward to the extent that the sheet reaches the detection target area of the detection sensor 129.

  If the detection sensor does not turn on even if the discharge roller 114 rotates reversely for X2 mm (ACT102-No, ACT103-Yes), the control unit 200 assumes that the discharge unit 500 has no sheet and rotates the motor 501 reversely. The drive is stopped (ACT 104), and the process is terminated. After ACT 104, the previous operation is performed.

  On the other hand, if the detection sensor 129 detects the sheet and outputs an ON signal before reaching X 2 mm (ACT 103 -No, ACT 102 -Yes), it means that there is a remaining sheet on the discharge roller 114. In this case, the control unit 200 further advances the sheet in the reverse direction of the conveyance path, and performs drive control of the motor 501 until it advances from the detection sensor 129 in the X3 mm upstream direction (ACT 103, No loop). In this example, there is a static elimination brush (a device that does not catch when the sheet travels in the forward direction but catches in the reverse direction) at the upstream position (the position of X4 mm) with respect to the detection sensor 129, and the control unit No. 200 controls the remaining sheet to stop at a position X3 mm upstream from the detection sensor 129 so as not to reach this device. Further, a position X3 mm upstream from the detection sensor 129 is a position where the user's hand can reach the seat with the open / close cover 131 opened.

  After the sheet has advanced by X3 mm (ACT 105, Yes), the control unit 200 stops the reverse rotation driving of the motor 501 (ACT 106), and causes the display operation unit 128 to display a message that there is a remaining sheet (ACT 107). If the user performs the removal process of the remaining sheet in accordance with the message while the discharge roller 114 is moving, there is a risk of equipment damage. In addition, if the user's finger contacts while the discharge roller 114 is rotating, inconvenience may occur. Therefore, in this embodiment, when there is a remaining sheet, the message is displayed after the discharge roller 114 is completely stopped.

  Further, if the motor 501 is driven with the first tray 110 opened, the user may come into contact with the roller. Therefore, the operation shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5 is performed when the first tray 110 is in the open state. Is not implemented.

  Further, when the first tray 110 is opened while a sheet is present at the stop position, the sheet is sandwiched between the casing of the first tray 110 and the casing of the main body of the apparatus 100, and the motor 501 is in that state. If driven, there is a possibility that the normally stacked sheets may be broken, and the devices such as the vertical alignment roller 135 may be damaged. Therefore, this control is not performed when the cover is opened / closed to clear the jam after the first tray 110 is opened. Information that the first tray 110 has been opened is initialized when the job is started normally again.

  In the implementation example of the flowchart of FIG. 5 above, if there is a remaining sheet, it is conveyed to a position where the user can reach and removed by the user. A user who takes out a sheet and performs a removal operation can determine the sheet size and whether or not it can be reused and place it on a regular tray. As a result, the sheets can be stacked on a regular tray according to the sheet type and usage.

  Also, for example, when sorting sheets according to whether or not they can be reused, it is desirable to properly sort reusable sheets and unusable sheets into each tray, but there is also an operation that does not require strict sorting even through human hands. . In this case, when there is a remaining sheet, control may be performed so that the tray is conveyed to a predefined tray, for example, the second tray 112 on which non-reusable sheets are stacked. This will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Note that the same reference numerals as those in FIG. When the detection sensor is turned on in ACT102 (ACT102, Yes), the control unit 200 switches the second branch member 126 (ACT111) and guides the remaining sheet to the third conveyance path 122 (ACT112). Further, it notifies that the remaining sheet has been conveyed to the second tray 112 (ACT 113).

  The mounting example (refer to FIG. 5) that the user makes a determination of, and the example (refer to FIG. 6) that conveys a remaining sheet to a tray that is defined in advance regardless of the above-described sheet state (refer to FIG. 6). This is effective when the determination result is unknown, such as when restarting from. On the other hand, when the determination result can be obtained, the discharge destination of the remaining sheet may be controlled according to the determination result. An example of the operation in this case will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Note that the same reference numerals as those in FIG. When the detection sensor is turned on in ACT102 (ACT102, Yes), the control unit 200 acquires information on the determination result from the memory 210 (ACT121), and determines whether or not the remaining sheet can be reused based on this information. (ACT122). When the remaining sheet is reusable (ACT 122, Yes), the control unit 200 controls the motor 501 to discharge the remaining sheet to the first tray 110 (ACT 123). On the other hand, when the remaining sheet is not reusable (ACT122, No), the control unit 200 controls the second branch member 126, the motor 501, and the third conveyance path 122 so as to discharge the remaining sheet to the second tray 112. (ACT124). By this operation, the sheet is discharged to the regular tray, so that it is not necessary to notify the ACT 106 of the remaining sheet message.

  In the above description, the erasing apparatus 100 for erasing an image formed on a sheet has been described as an example. However, the present invention is applied to a determination apparatus that distributes sheets by only determining the size of a sheet or determining whether or not a sheet can be reused. You may let them. This discriminating apparatus is configured by removing the erasing unit 108 from the erasing apparatus 100. Moreover, the structure which also excludes the 2nd conveyance path 120 and the 1st branch member with the removal of the erasure | elimination part 108 may be sufficient. In the case of determining whether or not the sheet can be reused, in this determination apparatus, the sheets after the color erasing process are stacked on the sheet feeding tray 102, and either or both of the above-described sorting process and the pre-sorting process are performed.

  The present exemplary embodiment may be applied to an image forming apparatus capable of sorting and discharging sheets.

  In the above description, the reading unit 106 is provided and the reusability is determined based on the read image of the reading unit 106. However, when sorting to the tray according to the sheet size, the detection sensor 129 is used instead of the reading unit 106. A sensor that outputs ON / OFF according to the presence or absence of such a sheet may be employed. In this case, the sheet size can be calculated from the conveyance speed of the conveyance path and the time interval that is on. Further, instead of the reading unit 106, if a sensor is used that irradiates light from one side of the conveyance sheet and receives and measures the amount of light (transmission amount) on the other side, the thickness of the sheet is adjusted according to the amount of received light. Can be detected. It is possible to mount the sheet by determining the thickness of the sheet and distributing it to the tray. In this case, the material of the sheet (for example, whether it is an OHP sheet or plain paper) can be detected. In the present embodiment, a mode has been described in which data relating to a sheet such as a residual recording color material on the sheet, a sheet size, and a sheet material is acquired and distribution control is performed based on this data.

  In the embodiment, the discharge roller 110 that is located on the most downstream side of the first conveyance path 118 and is disposed in the vicinity of the first tray 110 is taken as an example, and the roller rotates in the reverse direction, so that the sheet reaches the position of the detection sensor. However, any roller in the conveyance path may be used.

  Each conveyance path of the embodiment stops when the power of the erasing device is turned off, when a failure such as a jam occurs, or when the cover is opened. In addition, each conveyance path of the embodiment returns when the decoloring device is powered on, when a jam or the like is solved, or when the cover is closed.

  As described in detail above, by controlling the embodiment, it is possible to detect that a sheet remains in the apparatus without increasing costs such as increasing the number of sensors.

  The present invention can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the spirit or main features thereof. Therefore, the above-described embodiment is merely an example in all respects and should not be interpreted in a limited manner. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of claims, and is not restricted by the text of the specification. Further, all modifications, various improvements, alternatives and modifications belonging to the equivalent scope of the claims are all within the scope of the present invention.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Decoloring apparatus, 102 Paper feed tray, 103 Detection sensor, 104 Paper feed member, 106 Reading part, 108 Decoloring part, 110 1st tray, 112 2nd tray, 114, 116 Discharge roller, 118 1st conveyance path, 120 Second transport path, 122 Third transport path, 124 First branch member, 126 Second branch member, 128 Display operation section, 129 Detection sensor, 131 Open / close cover, 135 Vertical alignment roller, 200 Control section, 201 Paper feed section , 203 transport unit, 205 storage unit, 209 processor, 210 memory, 211 I / O controller, 500 discharge unit, 501 motor.

Claims (6)

A conveyance path for conveying a sheet;
A first accommodating portion for accommodating a sheet conveyed by the conveyance path;
A detection unit for detecting whether or not a sheet conveyed on the conveyance path is in a detection target area of the conveyance path;
A roller that is positioned downstream in the conveyance direction of the conveyance path with respect to the detection target area of the detection unit, and rotates to advance a sheet in the conveyance path toward the first storage unit When,
When the conveyance path returns from the stopped state, the first roller is rotated in the opposite direction to the rotation by the distance that the sheet moves on the conveyance path from the position of the first roller to the detection target area of the detection unit. A control unit that moves to rotate,
Sorting device having. The sorting device according to claim 1, further comprising:
Covering the inside of the sorting device in the closed state, and having a cover that exposes a part of the transport path to the outside of the sorting device in the open state,
The control unit further moves the first roller by a distance until the sheet reaches a position exposed to the outside when the cover is open. The sorting device according to claim 2, further comprising:
A sorting apparatus having a notification unit that notifies that a sheet is inside the sorting apparatus after reaching the position where the sheet held by the first roller is exposed to the outside. The sorting device according to claim 1, further comprising:
A second accommodating portion for accommodating the conveyed sheet;
A switching unit that switches the conveyance path so that the conveyed sheet is accommodated in either the first accommodation unit or the second accommodation unit,
The control unit is further configured to define the sheet in advance among the first storage unit and the second storage unit when the detection unit detects a sheet held by the first roller. A separation device that controls the switching unit so that the sheet is conveyed to the person who is. The sorting device according to claim 1, further comprising:
An acquisition unit for acquiring data relating to a sheet conveyed in the conveyance path;
A second accommodating portion for accommodating the conveyed sheet;
A switching unit that switches the conveyance path so that the conveyed sheet is accommodated in either the first accommodation unit or the second accommodation unit,
The control unit further includes: the first storage unit and the second storage unit based on data acquired by the acquisition unit when the sheet held by the first roller is detected by the detection unit. A separation device that controls the switching unit so as to accommodate the sheet in either one of them. Detection for detecting whether or not the conveyance path for conveying the sheet, the first storage unit for accommodating the sheet conveyed by the conveyance path, and the sheet conveyed by the conveyance path are in the detection target area of the conveyance path And a roller positioned downstream in the conveyance direction of the conveyance path from the detection target area of the detection unit, and the sheet in the conveyance path is advanced toward the first storage unit by rotating. A device having a first roller,
When the conveyance path returns from the stopped state, the first roller is rotated in the opposite direction to the rotation by the distance that the sheet moves on the conveyance path from the position of the first roller to the detection target area of the detection unit. Detection method that moves to rotate.

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