Patent · US Expired

Image forming apparatus and method of changing control of sorter when the bin is fully loaded in accordance with the mode

US5640232A · kind A · utility

43Cited by
5References
42Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 8, 1996
Grant dateJun 17, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 8, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG03G2215/00911
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An image forming apparatus performs the printing in any of a copy mode, a facsimile mode and a print mode, having a sorter for sorting ejected sheets, wherein the operation is controlled suitably for each mode when the number of sheets stored in a bin of said sorter is over the upper limit. An image forming method using a plurality of bins, and a counter for counting the number of sheets stored in each bin, includes interrupting the print if the number of sheets stored in the bin is over the upper limit in the copy mode, and continuing the print and switching the bin, in the printer and facsimile mode, if the number of sheets is over the upper limit.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.