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:
May. 16, 2000
Filed:
Apr. 17, 1998
Takahiro Ono, Kyoto, JP;
Takeshi Kakinuma, Kyoto, JP;
Tetsunobu Shibata, Kyoto, JP;
Nobuyoshi Suzuki, Aichi-ken, JP;
Yasuhiro Fujimoto, Tokyo, JP;
Masahiro Ueda, Tokyo, JP;
Riso Kagaku Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A sheet sorter includes an array of a plurality of sorting trays which are mounted on a sorter body and arranged in a vertical direction and a general-purpose tray which is mounted on the sorter body and is larger than each of the sorting trays in capacity so that it accommodates a larger number of sheets than each of the sorting trays. A tray drive mechanism provided in the sorter body moves up and down the sorting trays and the general-purpose tray so that sheets transferred by a transfer mechanism provided in the sorter body are selectively discharged onto the sorting trays or the general-purpose tray. The array of the sorting trays is positioned above the general-purpose tray. The sorting tray array and the general-purpose tray are normally held in a position where the sheet discharge port of the sheet transfer mechanism is positioned between the lowermost tray of the sorting tray array and the general-purpose tray as seen in a vertical direction.