The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 28, 1992
Filed:
Mar. 07, 1991
Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A sorter-finisher wherein sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus are distributed among a plurality of bins in a sorter unit, and thereafter the sheets are taken out of each bin and transported to a finisher unit to be finished. The bins are put one upon another, and they are movable up and down. A take-out unit for taking sheets out of each bin in order to transport the sheets to the finisher unit is installed above the bins positioned for the distributing operation. Each bin is moved up to the position facing the take-out unit and further is laterally moved toward the take-out unit, and the sheets in the bin are taken out thereof nipped by a pair of rollers. Further, the sorter-finisher comprises a transporting unit which is a route from the discharge portion of the image forming apparatus to a receiving/take-out portion of the sorter unit, and sheets are transported to the bins and also transported to the finisher unit through the transporting unit.