Stacking apparatus and image forming system

Abstract

A stacking apparatus for loading a recording medium output from an image forming apparatus includes a movable tray that is ejectable to an outside of the stacking apparatus after the recording medium output from the image forming apparatus is stacked on the movable tray, and a hardware processor that controls a position of the movable tray based on a current position of the movable tray and a setting condition for determining control content of the movable tray, wherein the hardware processor stores the movable tray inside the stacking apparatus, when the movable tray is currently positioned on the outside of the stacking apparatus and the setting condition satisfies a storage condition for executing storage control for moving the movable tray from the outside to an inside of the stacking apparatus so as to store the movable tray inside the stacking apparatus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A stacking apparatus for loading a recording medium output from an image forming apparatus, the stacking apparatus comprising:
 a movable tray that is ejectable to an outside of the stacking apparatus after the recording medium output from the image forming apparatus is stacked on the movable tray; and   a hardware processor that controls a position of the movable tray based on a current position of the movable tray and a setting condition for determining control content of the movable tray,   wherein the hardware processor stores the movable tray inside the stacking apparatus, when the movable tray is currently positioned on the outside of the stacking apparatus and the setting condition satisfies a storage condition for executing storage control for moving the movable tray from the outside to an inside of the stacking apparatus so as to store the movable tray inside the stacking apparatus.   
     
     
         2 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an operator that receives an instruction to execute the storage control in response to an operation performed by a worker of the recording medium stacked on the movable tray,   wherein the hardware processor determines that the setting condition satisfies the storage condition when the operator receives the instruction to execute the storage control.   
     
     
         3 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 a timer that measures a storage waiting time after the movable tray is positioned outside the stacking apparatus,   wherein the hardware processor determines that the setting condition satisfies the storage condition when the storage waiting time measured by the timer exceeds a storage time-out period.   
     
     
         4 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 a distance detector that detects a distance between the movable tray and the worker of the recording medium stacked on the movable tray or a pushcart,   wherein the hardware processor determines that the setting condition satisfies the storage condition when the distance detected by the distance detector becomes equal to or greater than a departure detection distance.   
     
     
         5 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the hardware processor determines that the setting condition satisfies the storage condition, when an output destination of the recording medium output from the image forming apparatus is switched to an output destination different from the movable tray.   
     
     
         6 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the movable tray includes:   a removable tray that is removable with the recording medium being stacked on the movable tray; and   a movable platform that moves the removable tray to either the outside or the inside of the stacking apparatus with the removable tray being placed on the movable platform,   wherein the hardware processor determines that the setting condition satisfies the storage condition, when the removable tray is removed from the movable platform, and then, attached again to the movable platform.   
     
     
         7 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the hardware processor ejects again the movable tray to the outside of the stacking apparatus, when the movable tray is currently positioned inside the stacking apparatus due to the storage control, and the setting condition satisfies a re-ejection condition for executing re-ejection control for ejecting again the movable tray from the inside to the outside of the stacking apparatus.   
     
     
         8 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the movable tray includes:   a removable tray that is removable with the recording medium being stacked on the movable tray; and   a movable platform that moves the removable tray to either the outside or the inside of the stacking apparatus with the removable tray being placed on the movable platform,   wherein the hardware processor determines that the setting condition satisfies the re-ejection condition, when the removable tray is not placed on the movable platform, and the movable platform is stored inside the stacking apparatus.   
     
     
         9 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 an operator that receives an instruction to execute the re-ejection control in response to an operation performed by a worker of the recording medium stacked on the movable tray,   wherein the hardware processor determines that the setting condition satisfies the re-ejection condition when the operator receives the instruction to execute the re-ejection control.   
     
     
         10 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising a timer that measures a re-ejection waiting time after the movable tray is positioned inside the stacking apparatus,
 wherein the hardware processor determines that the setting condition satisfies the re-ejection condition when the re-ejection waiting time measured by the timer exceeds a re-ejection time-out period.   
     
     
         11 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising
 a distance detector that detects a distance between the movable tray and the worker of the recording medium stacked on the movable tray or a pushcart,   wherein the hardware processor determines that the setting condition satisfies the re-ejection condition when the distance detected by the distance detector becomes equal to or less than an approach detection distance.   
     
     
         12 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising
 a delivery tray capable of loading the recording medium and delivering the loaded recording medium to the removable tray,   wherein the hardware processor determines that the setting condition satisfies the re-ejection condition, when a height of the recording medium stacked on the delivery tray exceeds a threshold height.   
     
     
         13 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a communicator that communicates with a portable device carried by the worker of the recording medium stacked on the movable tray or a mounted device mounted on the pushcart; and   an imager that captures an image of the worker of the recording medium stacked on the movable tray or the pushcart,   wherein the hardware processor detects a distance between the movable tray and the worker of the recording medium stacked on the movable tray or the pushcart based on at least any one of a detection result of the distance detector, a communication result of the communicator, and an image capture result of the imager, and   uses at least one of the communication result of the communicator and the image capture result of the imager to identify the worker of the recording medium stacked on the movable tray or the pushcart.   
     
     
         14 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 a driver that moves the movable tray,   wherein the hardware processor causes the driver to execute the storage control according to a preset storage position,   the preset storage position being settable to a position within a range where the movable tray is movable by the driver and outside a work passage of the worker of the recording medium stacked on the movable tray.   
     
     
         15 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising
 a driver that moves the movable tray,   wherein the hardware processor causes the driver to execute the re-ejection control according to a preset re-ejection position,   the preset re-ejection position being settable to a position within a range where the movable tray is movable by the driver.   
     
     
         16 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the storage condition is set using the operator, and   when there is a plurality of the storage conditions, priority is set for each of the storage conditions.   
     
     
         17 . The stacking apparatus according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the re-ejection condition is set using the operator, and   when there is a plurality of the re-ejection conditions, priority is set for each of the re-ejection conditions.   
     
     
         18 . An image forming system comprising:
 the stacking apparatus according to  claim 1 ; and   the image forming apparatus for forming an image on the recording medium,   wherein the image forming apparatus outputs the recording medium on which the image is formed to the movable tray.