JP2000242050A - Image forming device and automatic cutting method in the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an image forming device capable of preventing a receiving means from overflowing recorded material or secrets from leaking out even in a case a user forgets to take recorded material from the receiving means, by sending the recorded material to a shredder when the recorded material is left on the receiving means for a specific length of time. SOLUTION: After being subjected to image formation by a print engine 2, the recorded material 8 is ejected to a belt conveyor 4 on a recorded material tray 3 by an ejection roller 11. As long as the recorded material 8 is not removed from the belt conveyor 4 on the recorded material tray 3, the cutting timer of a microcomputer continues to count. When the count reaches a set value, the carrying of the recorded material 8 to the belt conveyor 4 is started and a cutting instruction signal for the start of drive is transmitted to a shredder 5. Upon the reception of the cutting instruction signal, the belt conveyor 4 and a carrying roller 19 carry the recorded material 8 into the shredder 5. The shredder 5 cuts the recorded material 8 into small pieces.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a copy function, P
An image forming apparatus having one or a plurality of functions such as a C (personal computer) print function.
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus provided with a shredder for finely cutting an output recording material.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an image forming apparatus provided with such a shredder, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.
No. 5 is known.

[0003] The image forming apparatus disclosed in this publication includes a receiving means comprising a storage bin for receiving a recording material such as copy paper on which an image has been formed and output, and a roller for transporting the copy paper in the storage bin. And a shredder for finely cutting the copy sheet conveyed by the rollers.

In this image forming apparatus, when a sensor detects that an image on a copy sheet in a storage bin is abnormal, a roller is driven to send the copy sheet to a shredder and cut into small pieces. I do.

[0005] In short, in this conventional example, a recording material having an abnormal image is sent to a shredder.

[0006]

However, as a general problem of the image forming apparatus, if the recording material placed on the receiving means is forgotten by the operator, the output of the recording material causes the receiving means to fail. The top can be flooded.

Further, in the case where a confidential matter is described on a recording material, for example, if the recording material is left in the receiving means, the confidential matter can be disclosed to an unspecified number of others. May be seen.

In the conventional example described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-162965, problems such as flooding of the recording material on the receiving means and leakage of security due to forgetting to remove the recording material from the receiving means are described. I can't deal with it.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to prevent a recording medium from overflowing on a receiving means even if the recording medium is forgotten to be removed from the receiving means.
An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can prevent leakage of secrets.

[0010]

In order to achieve this object, according to the present invention, when a recording material remains in a receiving means for a predetermined time, the recording material is sent to a shredder.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the image forming apparatus 1 of the present invention.

The image forming apparatus 1 includes a print engine 2 as an image forming unit, a receiving means such as a recording material tray 3, a conveying means such as a belt conveyor 4, a shredder 5, and an output communication shown in FIG. Means 17 and timer means 18
And a detecting means for a recording material 8 (see FIGS. 4 to 6) such as a recording material sensor 7.

The print engine 2 forms an image (including characters and numerals) on the recording material 8 and employs a known configuration such as an electrophotographic system. The print engine 2 has one or more of a copy function, a PC print function, a facsimile function, and the like.

The recording material tray 3 includes a print engine 2
After the image is formed, the recording material 8 output is received.

The belt conveyor 4 is arranged along the upper surface of the recording material tray 3, and is provided so as to receive the output recording material 8 and to convey the recording material 8 toward the shredder 5. I have. The belt conveyor 4 includes an endless belt 9 and a roller 10 provided inside the endless belt 9.

The carry-in roller 19 is provided to rotate with the belt conveyor 4 and carry the recording material 8 on the belt conveyor 4 into the shredder 5.

The discharge roller 11 outputs the recording material 8 after image formation conveyed by the conveyance guide 12 to the belt conveyor 4 on the upper surface of the recording material tray 3.

The shredder 5 is provided to cut the recording material 8 conveyed by the belt conveyor 4 into small pieces. The shredder 5 includes, for example, an incisor roller 13 having incisors on its outer periphery and, for example, two rollers 14 and 15 that come into contact with the incisors of the incisor roller 13. Tooth roller 13 and roller 1
The recording material 8 is inserted between the recording material 4 and the recording material 8 to be finely cut. The shredder 5 has a fragment container 16 for accommodating the fragment 8A (see FIG. 6) after cutting, which is located below the shredder 5.

The microcomputer 6 controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 1. The microcomputer 6 controls the output communication means 17 and the cutting timer 1 as timer means as a part of the control target.
8 (see FIG. 3).

Output communication means 1 of microcomputer 6
7 outputs a recording material output signal S1 when the recording material 8 is output from the print engine 2.

The recording material sensor 7 detects the presence of the recording material 8 on the recording material tray 3 by, for example, an optical method, and detects the presence of the recording material 8 on the recording material tray 3. Then, a recording material detection signal S2 is issued.

The cutting timer 18 of the microcomputer 6
When the recording material output signal S1 from the output communication means 17 is input, the count is reset to an initial value, for example, 01, and the recording material detection signal S2 from the recording material sensor 7 is input. The counting is started, and when the count reaches a preset value (set value), for example, 50, a cutting instruction signal S3 for starting conveyance to the belt conveyor 4 and starting driving the shredder 5 is issued. I have.

In the image forming apparatus 1 configured as described above, the recording material 8 remaining on the recording material tray 4 on the recording material tray 3 for a predetermined time is shredded as follows.
And cut it into small pieces.

In describing the operation, FIGS. 3 to 7 are referred to in addition to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. 4 to 6 are operation state diagrams of the image forming apparatus 1. FIG. FIG. 7 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of the image forming apparatus 1.

After an image is formed on the recording material 8 by the print engine 2, as shown in FIG.
Is discharged.

Output communication means 1 of microcomputer 6
When the print engine 2 is notified that the recording material 8 has been output from the print engine 2, it issues a recording material output signal S1 as shown in FIG. When the recording material sensor 7 detects that the recording material 8 is present on the belt conveyor 4 above the recording material tray 3 (see FIG. 5), the recording material detection signal S2
Emits.

The recording material output signal S1 from the output communication means 17 of the microcomputer 6 and the recording material detection signal S2 from the recording material sensor 7 are sent to a cutting timer 18.

The cutting timer 18 of the microcomputer 6
The recording material output signal S1 from the output communication means 17 of the microcomputer 6 is input at the timing T1 shown in FIG. When the recording material detection signal S2 is input, counting starts.

The belt conveyor 4 on the recording material tray 3
As long as the recording material 8 is not removed from the, the cutting timer 18 of the microcomputer 6 continues counting. Then, when the count reaches the set value 50 at timing T2, a cutting instruction signal S3 for causing the belt conveyor 4 to start conveying the recording material 8 and causing the shredder 5 to start driving is issued.

Upon receiving the cutting instruction signal S3, the belt conveyor 4 and the carry-in roller 19 move the recording material 8 to the shredder 5
Carry in. Then, the shredder 5 cuts the recording material 8 into many pieces 8A (see FIG. 6).

Next, when another recording material 8 on which a new image is formed is output from the print engine 2 at a timing T3, the count is reset to the initial value 01, as in the previous operation, and a new recording is performed. Start counting.

Thereafter, when the recording material 8 is further output at timings T4 and T5 before the count reaches the set value 50, the count becomes the initial value 01 each time the recording material 8 is output.
A new count starts from one.

Subsequently, when all the recording material 8 is removed from the belt conveyor 4 on the recording material tray 3 at timing T6, the recording material sensor 7 outputs the recording material detection signal S2.
Is stopped, the count is stopped at, for example, 06.

When the removed recording material 8 is returned to the belt conveyor 4 on the recording material tray 3 again at the timing of T7, the recording material sensor 7 issues a recording material detection signal S2, The counting is restarted from 07.

When all the recording materials 8 are removed again from the belt conveyor 4 on the recording material tray 3 at the timing of T8, the counting is stopped at, for example, 10.

The description of the operation has been completed.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, all the recording material 8 remaining on the recording material tray 3 for a predetermined time is finely cut, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the operator recognizes that the importance of the output recording material 8 is high,
If the intention of not automatically cutting is input to the image forming apparatus 1 by a button operation or the like, even if the recording material 8 remains on the belt conveyor 4 on the recording material tray 3 for a predetermined time, the cutting is not performed. You may.

[0040]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

If the output recording material remains on the receiving means without being removed on the receiving means for a predetermined time, the recording material is automatically cut off. Of the recording material can be prevented.

Further, since the output recording material is not left on the receiving means for a long time, it is possible to see the recording material in which an unspecified number of others have described a highly confidential matter. Can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a main part of an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating the entire image forming apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an operation of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1;

4 is an operation state diagram showing an output state of a recording material of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an operation state diagram showing a stagnant state of a recording material of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an operation state diagram illustrating a cutting state of a recording material of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Print engine (image forming part) 3 Recording material tray 4 Belt conveyor (conveying means) 5 Shredder 6 Microcomputer 7 Recording material sensor (Recording material detecting means) 8 Recording material 8A Cutting piece 9 Endless belt 10 Roller 11 Discharge roller 12 Conveyance guide 13 Cutting tooth roller 14 Roller 15 Roller 16 Cutting piece container 17 Output communication means 18 Cutting timer (timer means) 19 Loading roller S1 Recording material output signal S2 Recording material detection signal S3 Cutting Indication signal

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A receiving means for receiving an output recording material after an image is formed, a conveying means for conveying the recording material in the receiving means, and a recording material conveyed by the conveying means An image forming apparatus including a shredder for finely cutting the recording material, wherein when the recording material remains in the receiving means for a predetermined time, the recording material is conveyed by the conveying means and is finely cut by the shredder. An image forming apparatus comprising: 2. An output communication means for outputting a recording material output signal when a recording material is output from an image forming section for forming an image on the recording material, and a recording means when the receiving means includes the recording material. The count is reset to an initial value when a recording material output signal from the output communication means is input, and the count is reset when a recording material detection signal is input from the detection means. Start,
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising timer means for issuing a cutting instruction signal for causing the recording material to be conveyed by a conveying means when the count reaches a set value and finely cutting by a shredder. 3. The transfer means is disposed on an upper surface of the receiving means,
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a belt conveyor that receives the output recording material and conveys the recording material toward a shredder. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus has a plurality of functions such as a copy function and a personal computer print function. 5. An automatic cutting method in an image forming apparatus, wherein a recording material in a receiving means for receiving an output recording material is conveyed to a shredder by a conveying means, and the recording material is finely cut by the shredder. An automatic cutting method in an image forming apparatus, wherein, when a predetermined time remains, a recording material is conveyed by a conveying means and finely cut by a shredder. 6. An automatic cutting method in an image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when the recording material has a high importance, the conveying means does not convey the recording material to the shredder.