JP2003244362A - Image forming apparatus and method of illuminating paper ejection part - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a compact, simply structured image forming apparatus in which ejected sheets can be easily confirmed without separate installation of a light source. <P>SOLUTION: The image forming apparatus is provided with: an original read means S that reads image information in the original; a printing means that prints an image on recording paper on the basis of the image information read by the original reading means S or image information received from the outside; a paper feeding means K that feeds the recording paper to the printing means; and a paper ejection part H that stores/stacks the recording paper for printing by the printing means. The original reading means S is arranged at an upper direction of the paper feeding means K, the paper ejection part H is arranged at an intermediate region between the original reading means S and the paper feeding means K, and a light source 1 for reading the original of the original reading means S is simultaneously used as a light source for illuminating the paper ejection part H. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electrophotographic copying machine,
The present invention relates to a technique for illuminating a discharge tray provided inside an image forming apparatus such as an inkjet type multifunction peripheral or a facsimile machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a sheet discharge section used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, and a multi-function machine has been fixed outward from the side surface of the apparatus body and projected outward. Therefore, the area occupied by the image forming apparatus becomes large, which is an obstacle to downsizing.

In recent years, there has been proposed a so-called wingless image forming apparatus in which such a sheet discharging section protruding outward is eliminated and a sheet discharging section is provided in the internal space of the image forming apparatus main body. The paper discharge unit of a wingless image forming apparatus usually includes a document reading unit arranged at an upper portion, a paper feeding unit arranged at a lower portion,
Is provided at an intermediate position.

Thus, when the paper discharge unit is arranged inside the image forming apparatus, the user can relatively easily detect the presence or absence of the recording paper and take out the recording paper when the size of the paper used for printing is large. Although it is possible to determine the necessity, when the recording paper size is small, the recording paper does not stick out from the space where the paper ejection section is provided. It was difficult to check, and I sometimes forgot to remove the recording paper.

In order to solve such a problem, conventionally, there has been proposed a method in which a light source is provided above the above-mentioned paper discharge section so that the paper discharge section is always illuminated while the apparatus is energized. However, this method increases the power consumption because the light source is always energized.
I could not save energy.

Therefore, the inventors of the present invention have disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-2.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06609 proposes an image forming apparatus in which an uncovered paper discharge tray is rotatably provided inside the image forming apparatus, and the paper discharge tray is rotated forward so that recording paper can be easily taken out. is doing.

[0007]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-206609), if the paper discharge tray is rotated forward when the recording paper is taken out, the paper discharge tray is removed from the main body of the apparatus. It will be in a protruding state. Therefore, it is necessary to secure a space on the front side of the apparatus main body for allowing the rotation operation of the discharge tray, and as a result, the occupied space of the image forming apparatus is substantially expanded.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus having a simple structure and a compact structure capable of easily confirming discharged sheets without the need to provide a separate light source. To aim.

[0009]

The present invention has means for solving the above-mentioned problems as follows.

(1) Document reading means for reading image information in a document, and printing means for printing an image on a recording sheet based on image information read by the document reading means or image information received from the outside, A sheet feeding unit configured to supply a recording sheet to the printing unit; and a sheet discharging unit that stores and accumulates the recording sheet printed by the printing unit,
The document reading unit is disposed above the paper feeding unit,
In addition, the paper discharge unit is disposed between the document reading unit and the paper feeding unit, and the document reading light source of the document reading unit is used as a light source for illuminating the paper discharge unit. Characterize.

In this structure, the light source light (halogen light, xenon lamp light, etc.) of the document reading means (scanner unit) is used to illuminate the paper discharge unit (recording paper stored and accumulated in the paper discharge unit), thereby recording Since the user is notified that the paper is in the paper discharge unit, it is possible to avoid forgetting to remove the recording paper after printing and to facilitate the work of taking out the recording paper.

(2) A control command for flashing the light source of the document reading means is provided after the completion of the print request job to notify the end of the printing process and to prompt the user to take out the recording paper from the paper discharge section. It is characterized in that a control unit for outputting is provided.

In this structure, by blinking the light source, the user is more effectively alerted, the end of the print job is notified, and the recording sheet on the sheet discharge section is illuminated by blinking irradiation. The removal of the recording paper can be effectively prevented by prompting the user to take it out.

(3) Before starting the print request job, a control section for outputting a control command for blinking the light source of the document reading means is provided in order to prompt the takeout of the recording paper from the paper discharge section. Is characterized by.

In this structure, by blinking the light source, the user is alerted to the fact that the already printed recording paper is stored and accumulated in the paper discharge section, and the removal thereof is urged. It is possible to effectively prevent confusion with the recording paper to be printed. In addition, it is possible to prevent the discharge section from becoming full.

(4) A control unit is provided for outputting a control command for irradiating the discharge unit with the light source of the document reading unit when it is detected that the user approaches the apparatus main body.

In this structure, when the user approaches the main body of the apparatus, the paper discharge portion is illuminated, so that if there is any recording paper left unattended due to being forgotten, it can be confirmed again, and recording due to forgetting to take It is possible to prevent the accumulation of paper.

(5) A control unit is provided for outputting a control command for irradiating the paper discharge unit when the light source of the document reading unit is at the home position.

In this structure, when the light source is at the home position, the paper discharge portion is irradiated, so that the white plate (for correcting the light source light amount) usually disposed above the home position of the light source unit of the scanner portion ( By using a shading correction plate, it is possible to efficiently reflect the irradiation light from the light source and guide it to the paper discharge unit.

When irradiation is performed at a position other than the home position (for example, on the platen glass), the amount of light guided to the paper discharge portion changes depending on whether the document holding plate is closed or open, and the user discharges the paper. There is a possibility that the presence / absence of the recording paper may be erroneously judged when looking at the copy.

(6) A reflection member that can be opened and closed is provided under the document reading unit, the reflection member is opened, and the reflection member is arranged in the optical path from the light source of the document reading unit.
A control unit that outputs a control command for irradiating the paper discharge unit with the reflected light is provided.

In this structure, the light source of the document reading unit is used to illuminate the paper discharge portion (using the reflecting member when the document reading unit is not operating), and thus a separate light source is not provided. It is possible to effectively use existing members.

(7) The opening / closing angle of the reflecting member is changed according to the size of the recording paper used for the print job immediately before the irradiation operation to the paper discharge section.

It is not necessary to irradiate the entire sheet discharge section regardless of the recording sheets being discharged when irradiating the sheet discharge section, and it is easier for the user to recognize that only a portion of the recording sheet is irradiated. In this configuration, the irradiation area can be limited by changing the opening / closing angle of the reflection member based on the print job immediately before irradiation, and the work of taking out the recording paper is further facilitated.

(8) The opening / closing angle of the reflecting member is set to an angle for irradiating the vicinity of the discharge port of the discharge unit when the discharged recording paper size is small, and when the discharged recording paper size is large. It is characterized in that the angle is set to irradiate the entire area of the paper.

In this structure, since the irradiation angle is adjusted according to the size of the recording paper, the user can easily recognize the recording paper.

(9) The surface of the reflecting member for guiding the irradiation light to the paper discharge portion is formed on a pear ground.

In this structure, by forming the reflection surface of the irradiation light on the pear ground, it is possible to irradiate a wide range.

(10) In an image forming apparatus having a sheet discharging section arranged at an intermediate portion between a document reading section arranged on the upper part of the apparatus main body and a sheet feeding section arranged below the document reading section. The document reading light source of the document reading unit illuminates the paper discharge unit.

In this method, the user can easily check the ejected recording paper after making a print request and the ejected recording paper left to be used before use, and it is possible to confirm that the recording paper is discharged to the paper ejection section. It is possible to prevent the discharge section from becoming full when it is left unattended, and it is possible to improve the operation efficiency of the apparatus.

[0031]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

(Explanation of the Operation of the Entire Apparatus) FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the entire image forming apparatus, and FIG. 2 shows a cross section of the main part thereof. The image forming apparatus has a copier mode, a printer mode, and a FAX mode as print modes, and the control unit thereof selects each processing mode according to the print request content in each mode.

The configuration of the image forming apparatus is roughly classified into a document reading section (document reading means S), a paper feeding section (paper feeding means K), a printing section (printing means), and a paper ejection section H.
The document reading means S is arranged above the paper feeding means K, and the paper discharge section H is arranged at an intermediate portion between the document reading means S and the paper feeding means K (see FIG. 2).

The copier mode among the above processing modes will be described below. After the document to be printed is placed on the platen glass of the document reading unit (scanner unit) S, the user mounts the paper in the paper feeding cassette of the paper feeding unit and arranges it on the front surface of the exterior of the device. After inputting the condition input keys (number of prints / print magnification, etc.) on the panel, pressing the start key starts the copy operation.

In the image forming apparatus which starts printing in this manner, first, when the start key is pressed, the main drive motor is started at almost the same time, and each drive gear is rotated.
After that, the paper feed roller 19 rotates to feed the paper, and the fed paper passes through the transport roller and reaches the registration roller 14.

Here, since the paper is synchronized with the front end of the image on the photosensitive drum 10, the paper is temporarily stopped, and the front end of the paper is uniformly pressed against the registration rollers 14 to correct the front end position of the paper. Done.

On the other hand, the image information during the reading of the original in the original reading section starts the exposure when the copy lamp 1 is turned on and the copy lamp unit U moves in the direction of the arrow, and the image is irradiated with the original by the copy lamp 1. Irradiation light including information is transmitted from the first mirror 2 to the second mirror 24 and the third mirror.
It is read by being input to the CCD 4 from the mirror 25 and the optical lens 26.

The image information read in this way is
A CCD circuit of a control unit (not shown) arranged in the apparatus converts image information of incident light into an electric signal, and the image information signal is subjected to image processing under a set condition and print data is sent to the LSU unit 3. Sent as. As will be described later, this control unit performs a series of controls for illuminating the paper discharge unit (paper discharge tray) 27.

On the other hand, the photosensitive drum 10 is the charging unit 5
As a result, the whole is charged to a predetermined charging potential. LSU12
The laser light from the laser beam is applied to the photoconductor drum 10 through the polygon mirror and various lenses,
An electrostatic latent image is formed on it. After that, the toner on the MG roller 22 in the developing tank is attracted to the surface of the photoconductor drum 10, and the electrostatic latent image is visualized by the toner according to the potential gap on the photoconductor drum 10.

The sheet to be imaged is conveyed in the direction of the photosensitive drum 10 by the registration roller 14 at the same timing, and the toner on the photosensitive drum 10 is transferred to the sheet by the transfer unit 13. The toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 10 is scraped off by the cleaning blade of the drum unit and collected by the cleaner unit.

On the other hand, the paper on which the toner transfer is completed passes through the upper heat roller 8 and the lower heat roller 9 of the fixing device, and is subjected to heat and pressure, so that the unfixed toner on the paper is melted and fixed on the paper. Then, the paper is ejected to the paper ejection tray 27 in the apparatus by the paper ejection roller 6.

(Illumination Mechanism of Paper Discharge Tray) The illumination mechanism of the paper discharge tray 27, which is the gist of the present invention, will be described below.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the scanner section S and the sheet discharge section H having the sheet discharge tray 27 in the state of normal operation. Reference numeral 31 defines the sheet discharge section H and the scanner section S. The partition plate 31 is a part of the partition plate, and a part of the partition plate 31 is cut out, and a reflective plate 31a to which a reflective member is attached is fitted in the cutout part so as to be opened and closed.

The reflector 31a is in a closed state during the operation of the scanner section S, as shown in FIG. Further, in this closed state, stray light from the outside to the scanner section S (if the reflection plate 31a is in the open state, the external light enters the lens and CCD via the paper output section H and becomes a noise component of image information) The entry is blocked.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are sectional views showing a state in which the reflection plate 31a for irradiating the discharge tray 27 with the light from the copy lamp unit U is opened, and when the printing operation is completed, the copy lamp unit U is at the home position. Then, the copy lamp 1 is turned on, the light of the copy lamp 1 is reflected by the shading plate 29 arranged under the document guide 30 (usually the shading plate is white), passes through the first mirror 2, and The sheet 32 that has passed through the second mirror 24 and the third mirror 25 and is reflected by the reflection plate 31a that is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the drawing and is ejected on the sheet ejection tray 27 is irradiated (see irradiation light 33). ). It should be noted that FIG. 4 shows the illumination state when the discharged sheet size is large, and FIG. 5 shows the illumination state when the sheet size is small.

When the paper size is large (see FIG. 4), when the printing operation is completed, the copy lamp unit U returns to the home position, the copy lamp 1 is turned on, and the light of the copy lamp 1 is reflected by the document guide 30. The light is reflected by the reflection plate 29 arranged at the lower portion, passes through the first mirror 2, then passes through the second mirror 24 and the third mirror 25, and is opened to a state of a large angle () in the arrow direction of the figure. The sheet 32 reflected by the reflecting member of the reflecting plate 31a and discharged onto the sheet discharge tray 27 is irradiated. When the paper size is small (see FIG. 5), the reflector 31a opens to a small angle () and irradiates the paper 32 discharged onto the paper discharge tray 27. In this case, by irradiating the vicinity of the discharge port, that is, the vicinity of the discharge roller 6, it is possible to clearly notify that there is a small size sheet.

In the operation of irradiating the sheet discharge tray 27 as described above, when the size of the sheet fed in response to the print request is large, the reflecting plate 31a is opened greatly,
As shown in FIG. 4, the light from the copy lamp 1 irradiates the rear end of a large-sized sheet. On the other hand, when the paper is small, as shown in FIG. 5, the reflecting plate 31a is opened small to irradiate the small size paper and the vicinity of the paper discharge port of the paper discharge tray 27. Thus, by changing the position of the irradiation light guided from the copy lamp 1 according to the size of the paper, the user can easily detect the discharged paper.

FIG. 6 shows a structure for opening and closing the reflection plate 31a. One side edge (rotation center side) of the reflection plate 31a rotatably (openably and closably) provided in the notch of the partition plate 31. ), A shaft member 35 is fixedly mounted, and a reflector drive gear 34 is attached to one end of the shaft member 35. A pinion gear 36 attached to an output shaft of a drive motor 37 is meshed with the reflector drive gear 34. With such a configuration, the reflection plate 31a is rotated.

The opening / closing operation of the reflector 31a is controlled by the controller. Although not shown, the control unit includes a CPU (central processing unit) that performs various calculations and a ROM.
(Storage device), RAM (temporary storage device), and a copy lamp unit (light source unit) U on the input side.
Sensor for detecting the position of a sheet, a sheet cassette, a sheet conveying path, a sheet size detecting sensor provided in the sheet ejecting section H, a sheet presence detecting sensor, a human body detecting sensor and the like are connected, and an output side is connected. , A copy lamp (a light source for reading an original, hereinafter referred to as a light source) 1, a drive source for the light source unit U, and a reflector 3
A driving source (driving motor) 37 of 1a, a display unit (provided on an operation panel unit (not shown), etc.) are connected. As the human body detection sensor, for example, a known one such as a pyroelectric infrared sensor or a thermocouple infrared sensor can be used. If these are mounted on the front side of the device body, for example, a person can approach the device body. For example, this can be detected.

A series of lighting controls performed by this control unit are shown, for example, in the flowchart of FIG. The illumination control flow will be described. First, the apparatus receives a print request in the standby state (Step 1).
Then, the control unit of the apparatus confirms the position of the light source unit U of the scanner unit (Step 2). At this time, when the light source unit U is not at the home position, the drive source of the light source unit U is driven to return to the home position (Step 4).

As described above, the light source unit U is returned to the home position in order to irradiate the paper discharge portion H and to perform shading correction which is performed as an initial adjustment of the printing process. As a result, it becomes possible to secure stable printing quality. If the light source unit U is not returned to the home position, it is not possible to irradiate the paper discharge portion H and the shading correction cannot be performed, and the print quality is deteriorated.

When it is confirmed that the light source unit U has returned to the home position, the control unit confirms the type of paper used for the print job performed immediately before receiving the current print job from the memory function. Do (St
ep3). By this confirmation operation, the paper size is known,
The rotation angle of the reflector 31a in the next step is determined, and the reflector 31a
a is rotated (Step 5).

In this way, the reflecting plate 31a rotates,
Irradiation from the light source 1 is performed after a predetermined angle that can secure the optical path to the paper discharge unit H (Step 6). At this time, the irradiation light emitted from the light source 1 is reflected by the shading correction plate 29, and the first, second, and third mirrors 2, 24, 25, and the reflection plate 3 having a satin finish.
It is irradiated to a predetermined position on the discharge tray 27 via 1a.

When the paper discharge section H is irradiated with light, the paper that has been forgotten to be picked up and is accumulated on the paper discharge tray 27 or a print request from a terminal device on the network has completed printing and the paper discharge tray 27 is completed. Since the sheet ejected to the sheet is irradiated, the user notices the existence of the sheet and prevents the user from forgetting to remove it, and even though the sheet ejection section H is provided inside the apparatus body, As it becomes brighter, removal work becomes easier.

When the paper on the paper discharge tray 27 is not removed, a warning or a notice for prompting the removal of the paper on the paper discharge tray 27 is displayed by using the display unit arranged on the operation unit of the apparatus. (Step 9), and after the paper is removed (Step 7), the reflection plate 31a is rotated to be in the closed state (Step 8). Note that the warning or notification for prompting the removal of the paper may be given by blinking the light source 1.

After the reflection plate 31a is closed, the apparatus performs shading correction for adjusting the level of the irradiation light of the light source 1 and the reading CCD (Step 10). After the shading correction, the document is read and the printing process is performed (Step 11), and when all the printing of the print request is completed (Step 12), the same operation as in Step 2 to Step 9 is repeated to remove the ejected paper sheet. To notify (Step 13 to Step 19).

By carrying out such a processing, it is possible to visually remove the paper discharged to the paper discharge tray 27, and it is possible to effectively prevent forgetting to remove the paper. It is possible to prevent the fullness of the discharge tray 27 in the space provided from being detected.

In this embodiment, the "copier mode" in the processing mode of the image forming apparatus has been described.
Obviously, it is possible to prevent forgetting to remove the paper in the paper discharge section H in other processing modes (printer mode, FAX mode), and it is possible to obtain the same effect as the copier mode.

Further, the image forming apparatus is not limited to the one described in this embodiment, but at least the document reading means arranged at the upper part of the main body of the apparatus and the paper feeding means arranged below the document reading means. And an image forming apparatus provided with a paper discharge section disposed at an intermediate position between the two, as long as the paper discharge section can be illuminated by the document reading light source of the document reading means. The invention can be applied.

[0060]

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention has the following effects.

(1) Since the recording paper stored and accumulated in the paper discharge section is illuminated by using the light source of the document reading means, it is possible to prevent forgetting to remove the recording paper after printing and to easily take out the recording paper. Can be In addition, since a separate light source is not required and a structure for opening the paper discharge unit to the outside is not necessary, it is possible to substantially reduce the area occupied by the device and form the device main body compactly. can do.

(2) Since the light source is turned on and off, the user is alerted, the end of the print job is notified, and at the same time, the recording paper on the paper discharge section is urged to be taken out effectively. Can be prevented.

(3) Before starting the print request job, by blinking the light source, the user is alerted, and the recording paper that has already been printed and is stored / accumulated in the discharge section can be taken out. It is possible to prevent the confusion with the recording paper to be printed. In addition, it is possible to prevent the discharge section from becoming full.

(4) When the user approaches the main body of the apparatus, the paper discharge section is illuminated, and if there is any recording sheet left unattended due to being forgotten, it is confirmed again. Can be prevented.

(5) Since the light source of the document reading unit is used to illuminate the paper discharge section (when the document reading unit is not operating), the existing member can be effectively used without providing a separate light source. it can.

(6) When the light source of the document reading means is at the home position, the paper discharge portion is irradiated, so that a white plate (shading correction) for correcting the light amount of the light source is usually arranged at the upper part of the home position. It is possible to efficiently reflect the irradiation light from the light source by using the plate) and guide it to the paper discharge unit.

(7) Since the opening / closing angle of the reflecting member changes according to the size of the recording paper used for the print job immediately before the irradiation operation to the paper discharge unit, the irradiation of the reflecting member is appropriate according to the size of the recording paper. This makes it easier for the user to recognize the recording paper and improves the ease with which the recording paper can be taken out.

(8) Since the irradiation angle is adjusted according to the size of the recording paper, the user can easily recognize the recording paper.

(9) Since the reflecting surface of the irradiation light is formed on the pear ground, irradiation in a wide range is possible.

(10) Since the document reading light source of the document reading means irradiates the discharge section, the user discharges the recording sheet after the print request and the discharge completion that is left before use. It is possible to easily confirm the takeout of the recording sheet, prevent the discharge section from being filled up by being left unnecessarily in the discharge section, and improve the operation efficiency of the apparatus.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the same main part.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part in a state where the reflector is opened at a large angle.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an essential part of the same state where the reflector is opened at a small angle.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a drive mechanism of the reflector.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the illumination control.

[Explanation of symbols]

1-light source 31a-Reflecting member (reflecting plate) 32-Recording paper (paper) S-Document reading means K-paper feeding means H-Paper discharge section

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An original reading unit for reading image information in an original; a printing unit for printing an image on a recording sheet based on the image information read by the original reading unit or image information received from the outside; The document reading unit includes a sheet feeding unit that supplies the recording sheet to the printing unit, and a sheet discharging unit that stores and accumulates the recording sheet printed by the printing unit. The document reading unit is disposed above the sheet feeding unit. Was set up,
Further, the paper discharge section is disposed at an intermediate portion between the document reading unit and the sheet feeding means, and the light source for illuminating the paper discharge section uses the document reading light source of the document reading unit. An image forming apparatus characterized by. 2. A control command for blinking a light source of the document reading means is output after the completion of a print request job to notify the end of the printing process and to prompt the user to take out the recording paper from the paper discharge section. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that controls the operation. 3. A control unit for outputting a control command for blinking a light source of the document reading unit in order to prompt removal of the recording paper from the paper discharge unit before starting a print request job. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that 4. A control unit for outputting a control command for irradiating the discharge unit with the light source of the document reading unit when detecting that the user approaches the apparatus main body. The image forming apparatus according to item 1. 5. The control unit that outputs a control command for irradiating the paper discharge unit when the light source of the document reading unit is at the home position is provided. Image forming device. 6. A reflection member that can be opened and closed is provided below the document reading unit, the reflection member is opened, and the reflection member is arranged in an optical path from a light source of the document reading unit. Due to
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that outputs a control command for irradiating the paper discharge unit. 7. The image according to claim 6, wherein the opening / closing angle of the reflecting member changes according to the size of the recording paper used for the print job immediately before the irradiation operation to the paper discharge unit. Forming equipment. 8. The opening / closing angle of the reflecting member is set to an angle for irradiating the vicinity of the discharge port of the discharge unit when the discharged recording paper size is small, and is discharged when the discharged recording paper size is large. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the angle is set so as to illuminate the entire area. 9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a surface of the reflecting member that guides the irradiation light to the paper output unit is formed on a pear ground. 10. An image forming apparatus comprising a sheet discharge section arranged at an intermediate portion between a document reading section arranged at an upper part of the apparatus body and a sheet feeding section arranged below the document reading section. A method for illuminating a paper discharge section, which comprises illuminating the paper discharge section with a document reading light source of the document reading means.