JP2005084435A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus which is capable of preventing the occurrence of malfunction due to the forgetting of setting of paper quality by simplifying the setting of the condition of image formation in accordance with the paper quality of form and does not injure the degree of freedom of the setting of the condition of image formation of users. <P>SOLUTION: In the image forming apparatus, the condition of image formation as the condition under which the image formation is performed on the recording paper in accordance with paper quality of recording paper is set and the image formation is performed in accordance with the condition of image formation. The image forming apparatus is constituted of a size setting means that selects form size of the recording paper, a paper quality selecting means that selects the paper quality of the recording paper, an image formation condition setting means that sets the condition of image formation in accordance with the paper quality selected by the paper quality selecting means and a selection instructing means that instructs the selection of the paper quality allowed to correspond to a specified form size when the specified form size is selected by the size selection means to the paper quality selecting means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a digital multifunction peripheral, and a printer.

  In a conventional image forming apparatus, for example, a copying machine, a photosensitive drum transfers a toner image corresponding to an electrostatic latent image onto a recording sheet (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as a sheet) conveyed from a sheet feeding tray. The toner image transferred onto the paper is heat-fixed by a fixing roller to form an image.

  Such copiers can use different paper types such as plain paper, glossy paper, OHP sheet, cardboard, etc., depending on the paper quality used, the transfer temperature of the photosensitive drum, the fixing temperature of the fixing roller, Image formation is performed by setting the image forming conditions such as the sheet conveyance speed to the optimum conditions (for example, in the case of an OHP sheet, the fixing temperature is increased and the sheet conveyance speed is decreased). That is, by applying image forming conditions according to the paper quality, problems such as a decrease in print quality and a paper jam due to a difference in paper quality are prevented.

  When setting the image forming conditions according to such paper quality, the user performs an operation of selecting in advance the paper quality of the paper to be fed in order to make the image forming apparatus recognize the paper quality of the paper.

  In the conventional image forming apparatus, the user selects the paper size separately from the paper quality. In accordance with the selected paper size, the image forming apparatus selects a paper feed tray and determines a range for image formation.

  For example, when image formation is performed at an equal magnification or a specified magnification on an A / B standard size paper such as A3, A4, B4, or B5 that is generally used in an image forming apparatus, the paper size is the image formation. Since the document is automatically selected based on the size of the document detected by the apparatus, the user does not need to select the paper size.

  However, when image formation is performed using a paper size other than the standard size, for example, a postcard, an envelope, or the like, the original can be detected by the image forming apparatus because such a document size is less frequently used than the standard size. This is often not included in the size, and the user has to manually set the paper size in advance.

  The manual selection of the paper quality and the selection of the paper size as described above is difficult and difficult for the user to understand. Further, as a result of forgetting to select the paper quality, image formation is executed under conditions other than the desired image formation conditions, and a desired print result may not be obtained.

As a countermeasure, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561, when “postcard” is selected as the paper size, or when the document size is recognized as “postcard”, the image forming conditions corresponding to the paper quality of the postcard are automatically set. An image forming apparatus that performs image formation while setting to the above is disclosed.
JP-A-12-347538

  However, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the user selects “postcard” as the paper size or when the document size is recognized as “postcard”, the paper quality of “postcard” is always optimized. The image is formed under the image forming conditions.

  For this reason, for example, when image formation is performed on postcard-sized plain paper, image formation cannot be performed under the optimum image formation conditions for plain paper, and problems such as a decrease in print quality and paper jams occur. There was a thing.

  On the other hand, in the conventional image forming apparatus, since the selection of the paper size and the selection of the paper quality are performed separately, it is possible to set optimal image forming conditions for such postcard-sized plain paper. There are problems such as the above-mentioned troublesome operations and problems of failure due to forgetting to set the paper quality.

  The present invention has been proposed on the basis of the above-described conventional circumstances, and can simplify the setting of image forming conditions according to the paper quality of the paper to prevent the occurrence of problems due to forgetting to set the paper quality, and the user image An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that does not impair the degree of freedom in setting the forming conditions.

  First, the present invention is premised on an image forming apparatus that sets an image forming condition, which is a condition for forming an image on a recording sheet, according to the quality of the recording sheet, and forms an image based on the image forming condition. .

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a size setting means for selecting a paper size of the recording paper, a paper quality selecting means for selecting the paper quality of the recording paper, and a paper quality selected by the paper quality selecting means. According to the image forming condition setting means for setting the image forming conditions, and when a specific paper size is selected by the size selecting means, the paper quality corresponding to the specific paper size is selected. It comprises a selection instruction means for instructing the selection means.

  In this way, if the paper size selected by the user is a specific paper size for which the associated paper quality is specified, the paper quality is selected simultaneously with the selection of the paper size. It is possible to save the user's trouble of performing the setting, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of problems due to forgetting to set the paper quality.

  Further, since the user can change the paper quality instructed by the selection instructing means to the paper quality selecting means by the paper quality selecting means as necessary, the user can change the paper quality different from the paper quality previously associated with the specific paper size. In addition, image formation can be performed under the image forming conditions optimum for the paper.

  According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, since the paper quality associated with the specific paper size is automatically selected only by the user selecting a specific paper size, the user has to set the paper quality individually. Can be eliminated, and troubles caused by forgetting to set the paper quality can be prevented.

  In addition, since the user can change the paper quality automatically selected by selecting the paper size as described above, the paper quality of the actually used paper is preliminarily associated with the paper size. Even when they are different from each other, it is possible to perform image formation by changing the image forming conditions to be optimal for the paper to be used.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the image forming apparatus of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 10 includes an image reading unit 1 that optically reads a document and converts it into image data. The image data acquired by the image reading unit 1 is stored in a temporary storage unit 2 such as a RAM. After the image processing unit 3 performs image processing on the image data, the image forming unit 4 is placed on a sheet. Form an image.

  Further, the image data can be stored in the storage means 5 including a hard disk or the like as necessary in association with the document ID, the file name, etc. By specifying the document ID and the file name, Corresponding image data can be extracted from the storage means 5.

  The image processing means 3 receives the paper size selected by the size selection means 6 for selecting the paper size for image formation. The image processing means 3 performs various kinds of image processing such as enlargement / reduction, image density adjustment, and color tone adjustment on the image data, and outputs image data corresponding to an area defined by the input paper size. Transfer to forming means 4.

  Upon receiving this image data, the image forming unit 4 heat-fixes the toner image transferred to the sheet, for example, the transfer temperature of the photosensitive drum to which the toner image is transferred set in the image forming condition setting unit 9. Image formation is performed according to image forming conditions such as the fixing temperature of the fixing roller and the conveyance speed of the paper.

  Here, the image forming condition setting means 9 stores the image forming conditions optimized for the paper quality that can be selected by the paper quality selecting means 7 described in detail later. Then, an image forming condition corresponding to the paper quality selected by the paper quality selection means 7 is set.

  On the other hand, the paper size selected by the size selection unit 6 is also input to the selection instruction unit 8. When the paper size selected by the size selection unit 6 is a specific paper size registered in advance, the selection instruction unit 8 selects the paper quality associated with the specific paper size in the paper quality selection unit 7. Is to direct.

  Further, the image forming apparatus 10 includes an input unit 12 composed of a touch panel disposed on a display unit 11 such as a liquid crystal display for displaying various information to the user, and the user displays on the display unit 11. The item can be selected by touching the selected item with a finger (hereinafter, the operation of selecting by touching with the finger is simply described as being selected).

  Hereinafter, processing in the case of setting the paper quality in the image forming apparatus having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4 are screens sequentially displayed on the display means 11 when setting the paper quality, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart of the processing.

  FIG. 2 shows a menu screen 21 displayed on the display unit 11 when the image forming apparatus 10 is on standby. The menu screen 21 displays a button group 31 indicating items whose settings can be changed by the user. The user selects a desired button from the button group 31 and changes the setting contents of the item. Can do. In the example of FIG. 3, “color tone” for selecting the color mode and monochrome mode as items, “paper size” for selecting the paper size, “image density” for selecting the print density, and the enlargement / reduction ratio of the image data "Enlargement / reduction ratio" to select, "Resolution" to select between document mode and photo mode, "Number of output copies" to select the number of copies to be output, and the current setting value of each item to be displayed ing.

  When the user selects the “paper size” button 31a on the menu screen 21, the paper selection screen 22 shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the display means 10 (S1 in FIG. 5).

  On the paper selection screen 22, a plurality of paper feed trays that store papers of A / B standard size provided in the image forming apparatus 10 and feed paper, and papers of any size loaded are fed. A button group 32 for selecting a tray to be used from the manual feed tray is displayed, and the user determines a tray to be fed by selecting a desired button from the button group 32. FIG. 3 shows an initial state of the paper selection screen 22 (a state in which no setting is made by the user), and shows that the image forming apparatus 1 is set to “automatic selection”. The buttons are shown in reverse video (represented by shading in the figure).

  When the user selects a specific tray on the paper selection screen 22, the paper is supplied only from the selected tray. When the user does not select a specific tray or selects the “automatic selection” button, the image forming apparatus 10 detects the document size detected when the image reading unit 1 reads the image data of the document and the above-described document size. An appropriate paper size is automatically determined based on the magnification selected in the item of the enlargement / reduction ratio, and paper is supplied from a paper feed tray in which paper of the determined paper size is stored.

  Here, when using a Western-style No. 2 envelope as the paper, the user selects the “manual tray” button 32a on the paper selection screen 22 (S2 in FIG. 5). At this time, the manual feed setting screen 23 shown in FIG.

  The manual feed setting screen 23 includes a size selection button group 33 used for selecting the paper size loaded on the manual feed tray and a paper quality selection button group 34 for selecting the paper quality of the paper loaded on the manual feed tray. The paper size and paper quality selected by the size selection button group 33 and the paper quality selection button group 34 are respectively input to the size selection means 6 and the paper quality selection means 7 shown in FIG.

  Arbitrary sizes may be adopted as the paper size belonging to the size selection button group 33 and the paper quality belonging to the paper quality selection button group 34. However, in the example shown in FIG. 4, the size selection button group 33 uses “A3”, “A4”, etc. 4 types of A / B standard paper size and 5 types of postcards and envelopes with low usage frequency such as “postcard”, “round-trip postcard”, “Western No. 2”, “Com10”, “12 × 18” These five types of buttons can be selected as a postcard / envelope size selection button group 35), and the paper quality selection button group 34 can select “plain paper”, “OHP”, “thick paper”, “thin paper”. , "Postcard / envelope" can be selected.

  FIG. 4A shows an initial screen when the manual feed setting screen 23 is displayed. The “A4” button 33 a of the size selection button group 33 and the “plain paper” button 34 a in the paper quality selection button group 34. Indicates that the buttons 33a and 34a are displayed in reverse video.

  On the manual feed setting screen 23, the user selects the “Western No. 2” button 33b of the size selection button group 33 (S3 in FIG. 5). The paper size “Western-style No. 2” selected in this way is input to the selection instruction means 8, and the selection instruction means 8 is the paper size for which this paper size “Western-style No. 2” is registered. It is determined whether or not (S4 in FIG. 5).

  The selection instruction means 8 stores the paper quality associated with each button of the postcard / envelope size selection button group 35 shown in FIG. 4A, for example, in the state of a correspondence table or the like. Then, the paper quality “envelope / postcard” is associated with each button of the button group 35. Note that such a correspondence between the specific paper size and the paper quality may be performed from the viewpoint of the paper quality that is the most frequently used with the specific paper size, for example.

  Accordingly, when the paper size “Western No. 2” is input, the selection instruction unit 8 selects the paper quality “envelope / postcard” associated with the paper size “Western No. 2” to the paper quality selection unit 7. An instruction is given (S5 in FIG. 5).

  At this time, the paper quality selection means 7 selects the paper quality “envelope / postcard” in accordance with the instruction from the selection instruction means 8. In the manual feed setting screen 23, as shown in FIG. 4B, the “envelope / postcard” button 34b is selected.

  In this way, the user can select the specific paper size “Western No. 2”, and the associated paper quality is selected. This saves the user from having to individually set the paper quality. It is possible to prevent problems caused by forgetting to set the paper quality.

  On the other hand, the paper quality “envelope / postcard” selected as described above can be changed by the user selecting another button belonging to the paper quality selection button group 34. Accordingly, when the paper quality associated with the paper size does not match the paper quality actually used, for example, when image formation is performed on plain paper of the same size as the envelope of the western shape No. 2, the user can use FIG. ), The “plain paper” button 34a is selected to change to an optimum paper quality different from the paper quality associated with the paper size, and the optimum image forming conditions can be used.

  When the paper size input to the selection instruction unit 8 is not a specific paper size registered in the selection instruction unit 8, the selection instruction unit 8 instructs the paper quality selection unit 7 to use a default paper quality, for example, “ It may be configured that the selection of “plain paper” is instructed, or the selection instructing means 8 does not instruct the paper quality selecting means 7 to select the paper quality (the paper quality is not changed) (S4 → S6 in FIG. 5).

  When the setting of the paper quality of the paper is completed or the setting is to be canceled, the user closes the manual feed setting screen by selecting an end button 36 shown in FIG. You can go back.

  As described above, the image forming apparatus of the present application automatically selects the paper quality associated with the specific paper size when the specific paper size is selected as the paper on which image formation is performed. It is possible to prevent problems caused by forgetting the paper quality setting. In addition, since the associated paper quality can be changed as necessary, the user's degree of freedom in setting image forming conditions is not impaired.

  The screen displayed on the display means described above is only a specific example, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.Display items, display configurations, and the like are within the scope of the effects of the present invention. It can be changed as appropriate.

1 is a schematic functional block diagram of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows the menu screen of the image forming apparatus concerning this invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a paper selection screen of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a manual feed setting screen of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention. It is a flowchart of the paper quality setting process of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

6 Size selection means 7 Paper quality selection means 8 Selection instruction means 9 Image forming condition setting means 10 Image forming apparatus 33 Size selection button group 34 Paper quality selection button group 35 Postcard / envelope size selection button group

Claims (1)

In an image forming apparatus that sets an image forming condition, which is a condition for forming an image on the recording paper, according to the quality of the recording paper, and forms an image based on the image forming condition.
Size selection means for selecting a paper size of the recording paper;
Paper quality selection means for selecting the paper quality of the recording paper;
Image forming condition setting means for setting the image forming conditions according to the paper quality selected by the paper quality selecting means;
A selection instruction means for instructing the paper quality selection means to select a paper quality associated with the specific paper size when a specific paper size is selected by the size selection means;
An image forming apparatus comprising:

Images