1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording medium discharge apparatus, and image forming apparatus equipped with a recording medium discharge apparatus. In particular, the invention relates to a recording medium discharge apparatus mounted on an image forming apparatus, such as a printer, to receive, sort and store recording media such as sheets of paper. The invention also relates to an image forming apparatus fitted with such a discharge apparatus, and to an image forming apparatus which can be fitted with such a discharge apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Recording medium discharge apparatuses has have been known which receive, sort and store recording media such as paper sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile machine. In general, a recording medium discharge apparatus of this type includes bins in which paper sheets can be stacked and a means for conveying to the bins the paper sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus. The conveyed sheets are sorted and stored in the bins.
A level detector or sensor is provided for each bin to detect it being filled with paper sheets. The detector includes a lever or arm, which may be supported near the paper discharge port of the discharge apparatus. The lever can swing or pivot across the direction in which paper sheets can be discharged. The lever is urged for contact with the top one of the sheets stacked in the bin. The detector also includes a sensor for detecting the position of the lever. The detected lever position determines whether or not the stacked sheets have reached a predetermined height or level.
Each bin may be used like a mailbox allotted to a specified user. When paper sheets are stacked to a certain height in one of the bins, a user may unfortunately take out the sheets which are to allotted to another user. Finding that the sheets are for another user, this user may put them back in the bin. Once the sheets are taken out, the detector lever of the bin turns downward. If the sheets are returned into the bin, their rear ends push the lever toward the discharge port, preventing the lever from leaving the downward position. As a result, the lever blocks the port, which will then be jammed with the next sheet being discharged.