JP2000347538A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain an easy-to-use image forming device by preventing erroneous setting and the omission of setting in the case of forming an image on the recording paper of an irregular size by having a controlling means to set a specified image forming condition. SOLUTION: A paper feeding means 51D to which a post card is placed is selected when a post card size is selected as a recording paper size. An image forming condition is changed and set for thick paper and image forming is executed. When the post card size is not selected, any of other paper feeding means 51A-51C is selected, and the image forming is executed. In the case of the thick paper, the feeding speed of the recording paper is lowered and also the processing conditions of a photoreceptor drum 31 such as rotational speed, electrification, exposure and development are changed by a CPU. Also, in the case that an automatic mode is selected and set by the recording paper size selecting part of a touch panel and the post card size is detected, the paper feeding means 51D is selected and also the image forming condition is changed and set for that corresponding to the post card size.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus capable of forming images on recording paper of various sizes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Many image forming apparatuses such as copying apparatuses and printers are configured so that images can be formed using recording paper of various sizes, and a user operates an operation unit of the image forming apparatus. An image can be formed on a desired recording sheet by designating the size of the recording sheet to be used from the printer or from an external image information output device. Further, the size of the recording paper is selected in accordance with the document size detected by the document size detecting means, and an image is formed. As the recording paper that can be selected, fixed-size papers such as A-size series, B-size series, and inch-size series are prepared, but it is also possible to use irregular-sized recording paper that deviates from these standard sizes. There are not a few image forming apparatuses configured to be able to do so.

[0003]

When an image is to be formed on a fixed-size recording paper, a simple operation of pressing a recording paper size button on an operation unit or a simple operation without performing such an operation is performed. The image is formed on the recording paper of the desired size only by the operation of setting the.

However, when an image is to be formed on recording paper of an irregular size, a special screen such as an application function screen is called on the operation unit instead of an operation screen for a normal setting operation, and recording is performed. Many are configured to specify the paper size. In addition, in the case of a specific paper such as a postcard, not only the size but also the recording paper having a thickness different from the standard size recording paper is used, and when an image is formed on a postcard, the size of the recording paper is set. At the same time, it is necessary to change the image forming conditions for thick paper to form an image.

[0005] When an image is formed on a recording sheet of an irregular size as described above, the operation is troublesome, and there is a problem that a setting error or omission of a setting easily occurs in the operation of the image forming apparatus. Such a problem becomes an obstacle particularly when a recording sheet having an irregular size such as a postcard size is used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem when using recording paper of an irregular size.
It is an object to provide an easy-to-use image forming apparatus.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A plurality of paper feeding means on which recording papers of various sizes are placed, and which feeds the loaded recording papers, and any one of the paper feeding means are selected. A selecting unit, an image forming unit for forming an image on a recording sheet, and a specific image forming unit when one of the sheet feeding units is selected by the selecting unit and the image forming unit forms an image on a recording sheet of a specific size. This is achieved by an image forming apparatus having control means for setting conditions.

[0008]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a document is sent to an automatic document feeder 1.
Is placed on the document feeder 11 with the image surface facing upward, sent out one by one by the operation of a sending-out roller 12, temporarily stopped by a registration roller 13, and its leading edge is adjusted, and then conveyed to a platen roller 14. The image surface is read by the image reading unit 2 as an image reading unit in a conveying process by the rotation in the counterclockwise direction.
The sheet is discharged to the sheet discharge table 15.

In the image reading section 2, a light source 231 is provided.
A mirror 241, which is arranged so that reflected light of the original is orthogonal to the moving direction of the original, is sequentially illuminated by a first mirror unit 23 having a mirror 232 and a position immediately below the platen roller 14. The light is reflected by the second mirror unit 24 having the image forming element 242, forms an image on an image pickup device 26 formed of a line CCD via an image forming lens 25, and the document image is read.

The automatic document feeder 1 has a transfer function for single-sided reading and a transfer function for double-sided reading. These functions of the automatic document feeder 1 will be described.

When the original is conveyed at the time of front surface reading for reading an image of one side of the original, the feed roller 12 is rotated by a read start signal to separate and feed one of the stacked originals from the top. The leading edge of the document is adjusted by the registration roller 13 and the document is conveyed to the platen roller 14. The reading is performed at a reading position immediately below the platen roller 14, and the document that has passed the reading position is conveyed by the discharge roller 18 to be discharged. It is discharged to the table 15.

In double-sided reading, the original is conveyed by a feed roller 12 and a registration roller 13, passes through a reading position immediately below a platen roller 14, and is read by a switching guide member 20. By the switching, it is guided to the reversing roller 19. The reversing roller 19 reverses the transport direction after stopping the transport while the rear end of the document is held by the reversing roller 19. The reversely conveyed document is guided by the switching guide member 17, and is returned to the platen roller 1 again.
The sheet is conveyed along the circumference of No. 4, passes just below the platen roller 14, and the image on the back surface is read. By the switched switching guide members 20 and 17, the leading end of the original whose back surface has been read is guided by the paper ejection roller 18, and the original is ejected to the paper ejection tray 15.

Image information of a document obtained by reading by the image reading section 2 is subjected to image processing by image processing means, encoded as image data, and temporarily stored in a memory (not shown).

At the start of image formation, the image forming section 3 as an image forming means starts operating, the image data is called from the memory and inputted to the image writing section 33, and the image data is read from a laser light emitting device (not shown). Photosensitive drum 31 to which a laser beam projected according to the above is applied with a potential by a charger 32 in advance by the rotation operation of a polygon mirror
Then, scanning exposure in the axial direction of the photosensitive drum 31 and sub-scanning by rotation of the photosensitive drum 31 are performed to form an electrostatic latent image based on image information on the photosensitive layer.

The electrostatic latent image is reversal-developed by a developing unit 34 to form a toner image. A paper feed cassette capable of accommodating recording paper of various sizes and a plurality of paper feeding means 51A, 51B and 51C having paper feeding means 51a, 51b and 51c, and a manual paper feeding table and a feeding means 51d. Is provided, and one of the paper feeding units is selected, and the recording paper is sent out by the paper feeding unit in synchronization with the formation of the toner image on the photosensitive drum 31. Transport rollers 55,
The sheet is supplied to the photosensitive drum 31 in synchronization with the toner image on the photosensitive drum 31.

The toner image on the photosensitive drum 31 is transferred to the transfer unit 3
5, the recording paper is transferred to the recording paper side to which a voltage having a polarity opposite to the charged polarity of the toner is applied and transferred. The recording paper after the transfer is neutralized by the static eliminator 36, separated from the photosensitive drum 31 and transferred via the transport belt. The toner is conveyed to the fixing device 38, and the toner is welded by pressing and heating of the heat roller pair.

On the other hand, after the residual potential is removed from the photosensitive drum 31 after the separation of the recording paper, the residual toner is removed and cleaned by the cleaning device 37, and the next image forming process is started.

The automatic document feeder 1 is raised, and the image surface of the document is placed in close contact with a platen glass 27 serving as a document placing table. The first mirror unit 23 and the second mirror unit 24 are arranged as shown in FIG. It is also possible to scan the image surface of the original while moving it to the right and irradiate it with the light source 231, guide the image light to the image sensor 26 via the optical system, and read the image.

The document size information is stored in a sensor S1 as document size detecting means provided in the automatic document feeder 1 shown in FIG.
To S5 and sensors T1 to T6 as document size detecting means disposed below the platen glass 27 shown in FIG.

The sensor S1 detects the length of the conveyed document. The sensor S5 includes a regulating plate for regulating the side edge of the placed document and a variable resistor for converting the movement of the regulating plate into a voltage, and detects the width of the document. The size of the document conveyed by the automatic document feeder 1 is detected by the sensors S1 and S5. The sensors S2, S3, and S4 detect the size of the document placed on the document feed table 11. Sensor S
2, S3 detects a standard size, and S4 detects a postcard size which is a specific size.

Sensors T1 to T6 shown in FIG. 2 are sensors serving as a document size detecting means disposed below the platen glass 27, and emit light toward the platen glass 27 and emit reflected light from the document. A series from the output shown in Table 1 by six sensors
The size and postcard size of the B series are detected.

[0023]

[Table 1]

Hereinafter, a sensor as a document size detecting means will be described.

In order to detect the length of a document conveyed by the automatic document feeder 1 with the sensor S1, it is necessary to convey the document until the sensor S1 detects the trailing end of the document. For this purpose, the document is guided from the registration roller 13 via the platen roller 14 to the reversing roller 19. When the rear end of the document passes the document size sensor S1 and the size of the document is detected, the rotation directions of the reversing roller 19 and the platen roller 14 are reversed, and the document is fed back to the registration roller 13. Then, the rear end of the original at the time of reverse feeding is the platen roller 1.
4, the platen roller 14 returns to the normal rotation again, conveys the document in the sheet discharging direction, and performs reading. The conveyance of the document in the subsequent reading is different between the single-sided reading and the double-sided reading, but the single-sided reading and the double-sided reading are performed by the above-described document conveyance. Document size information is obtained from the document length information thus obtained and the document width information from the sensor S5. The original is placed on the original feeder 11 from the sensors S2 and S3 having the fixed size of the original and the sensor S4 having the postcard size.
Document size information is obtained at the stage when the side edge of the document is regulated by the regulating plate 5.

As described above, although the document size information of the document placed on the automatic document feeder 11 is obtained, the document size information of the document placed on the platen glass 27 is shown in FIG.
Are detected by the sensors T1 to T6 shown in FIG. Sensor T1
T6 outputs "L" when a document is detected, and outputs "H" when no document is detected. The document size information from the sensors T1, T2, T4, T5 for detecting the fixed size of the document and the sensor T6 for detecting the postcard size is determined by the determination logic shown in Table 1, and G2, G3, G5, G
7, a regular A size series indicated by G10 and G11, and B
The standard size of the size series and the postcard size as a specific size are determined. Further, it is possible to cope with the detection of a fixed inch size by adding a sensor, but the description is omitted.

The paper feeding means 51A, 51B, 51C in FIG. 1 are provided with sensors U1, U2, U3 as recording paper size detecting means for detecting the standard size, respectively.
The paper feeding means 51D includes a regulating plate for regulating a side edge of the placed recording paper, and a variable resistor for outputting a voltage corresponding to the movement of the regulating plate. A sensor U4 is provided. The sensor U4 detects the standard size and the postcard size.

A touch panel 30 as an operation unit shown in FIG.
0 is a recording paper size selection unit 310, a magnification setting unit 320,
The area is classified into a copy density setting section 330 and a single-sided / double-sided selection section 340, and a setting button is prepared for each area, so that various image forming conditions can be set. The size selection section 310 is provided with a standard size setting button 311, a postcard button 312, and an automatic button 313 for setting the A series and the B series.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control system of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment.

Sensors S1 to S1 as document size detecting means
The outputs from S5 and T1 to T6 are input to the control means CPU, and the document size is determined in the control means CPU. The control means CPU performs the logical judgment shown in Table 1, that is, the sensors S1 to S1.
It has an LUT (lookup table) as replacement means for replacing the document size information from S5 or T1 to T6 with each document size. Further, the control means CPU includes original size sensors S1 to S5 or original size information from T1 to T6, recording paper size information set by the operation unit OP as setting means, and sensors U1 to U4 as recording paper size detecting means. An automatic document feeder 1, an image reading unit 2 as an image reading unit, an image processing unit GS, and an image forming unit 3 as an image forming unit are controlled based on various information such as recording paper size information from It performs reading, processing of image data, and image formation.

In the image forming apparatus shown in FIGS.
Are operated by operating the size selection buttons 311 and 312 or by manuscript size information detected by the manuscript size sensors S1 to S5 and T1 to T6 and the magnification setting button 320.
4, the control means CPU as a selecting means selects one of the paper feeding means 51A to 51D, and an image is formed.

When an image is to be formed on a fixed-size recording paper such as an A-size series or a B-size series, the standard-size recording paper is selected by operating a size selection button 311 for designating each size. Image formation is performed. Further, a fixed size recording sheet is selected corresponding to the detected document size, and an image is formed.

In the case where an image is formed on a postcard-size recording paper deviating from the standard size, the same as in the case of the standard size, that is, by operating the size selection button 312 or in response to the detection of the document size, An image is formed by selecting a postcard size.

Next, the control in the image forming process using the fixed-size recording paper and the control in the image forming process using the postcard-size recording paper will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In FIG. 5 (a), it is determined in F1 whether a postcard size is selected as the recording paper size, and if it is selected, in F2, a paper feeding unit on which a specific paper feeding unit is placed. Select 51D. Subsequent to the selection of the paper feeding unit 51D, the image forming condition is changed to thick paper in F3, and the image forming F5 is performed. If the postcard size is not selected, one of the other sheet feeding units 51A to 51C is selected in F4, and the process proceeds to F5 to form an image.

The recording paper used for the postcard size is thick paper thicker than the standard size recording paper. For thick paper, the recording paper transport speed is set to about one-third of the normal speed in order to sufficiently fix the paper. And image formation is performed. The process speed, such as the rotation speed of the photoconductor drum 31, charging, exposure, and development are changed in response to the decrease in the transport speed of the recording paper and the decrease in the transport speed of the recording paper. The change of the image forming condition in F3 is such a change of the process condition, and is performed by the control unit CPU.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the automatic mode is selected and set by operating the automatic button 313 in the recording paper size selection unit 310 of the touch panel 300, and the postcard size is detected by the document size detection in F11. In that case, F12
The user selects the manual sheet feeding unit 51D, and changes and sets the image forming conditions corresponding to the postcard size in F13.
If the postcard size is not detected in the document size detection in F11, one of the paper feeding units 51A to 51C is selected in F14, and the image formation in F15 is performed under normal image forming conditions.

In the above description, the case where the postcard size is a specific size has been described. However, depending on the user, the frequency of using a specific size and a specific type of recording paper other than the postcard may be high. In such a case, it is also possible to configure so that the user can register the size of the recording paper and the image forming conditions and set the registered image forming mode with one touch as described above. .

[0039]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to perform an image forming operation in a special mode, such as a postcard size, which is frequently used, so that an easy-to-use copying apparatus or printer can be realized. Was. Since the operation is simple, operation mistakes and omission of setting of image forming conditions are prevented.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, if a specific recording paper is set in a specific paper supply source, an image is formed in accordance with the set recording paper, the operation is easy, and no error is caused. Was realized.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to form an image using specific paper with a simple operation.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to form an image using specific paper only by setting a document.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement of sensors constituting a document size detecting unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control system of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of control in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 automatic document feeder 2 image reading unit 3 image forming unit 51A, 51B, 51C paper feed unit GS image processing unit OP operation unit S1 to S5 document size sensor T1 to T6 document size sensor for document table

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 1/00 108 H04N 1/00 108M 9A001 (72) Inventor Ryuji Okutomi 2970, Ishikawacho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo Konica Intra-company F-term (reference) 2C061 AQ06 AS02 HH03 HJ03 HK07 HL01 HN04 HN17 HN20 2H027 DB09 FA03 FA12 GA20 2H033 AA47 CA17 3F343 FA02 FA03 FA06 FB02 FB04 GA01 GB01 GC01 GD01 HA14 HA33 HA37 H0303 MC07 AA05 AB08 AB20 AB22 AB30 AB53 AC67 AF10 BA04 9A001 HH34 JJ35 KK42

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of paper feeding means on which recording papers of various sizes are placed, and a plurality of paper feeding means for feeding out the loaded recording papers; a selecting means for selecting any one of the paper feeding means; A control unit for setting specific image forming conditions when one of the paper feeding units is selected by the image forming unit to be formed and the selecting unit and the image forming unit forms an image on a recording sheet of a specific size; An image forming apparatus comprising: 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selecting unit selects the recording sheet of the specific size by selecting a specific one of the plurality of paper feeding units. . 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection unit selects the recording sheet of the specific size according to a setting performed by a user. 4. A document size detecting device for detecting a size of a document, wherein the selecting device selects the recording paper of the specific size based on document size information from the document size detecting device. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein