JP2005094413A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image forming apparatus capable of saving transfer paper by eliminating a margin part more than required of a read original. <P>SOLUTION: This image forming apparatus 100 for reading an original set on an original platen 9 and forming an image on transfer material based on image information of the read original is provided with a storing means 33 for storing the image information of the read original, a margin recognizing means 35 for recognizing a margin part formed at the front end part or rear end part of the read original, and a margin eliminating means 37 for eliminating a margin longer than a set value when margin length recognized by the margin recognizing means 35 is larger than preset margin length, and transfers an image other than the part eliminated by the margin eliminating means 36 onto the transfer material. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus using a roll paper feeding method.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-133867 discloses a technique that includes a scaling process function for changing the image size of a read document and a margin setting function for setting a margin in an image forming apparatus.

JP 2002-86832 A

  In the prior art described in Patent Document 1 described above, the image size of a document is changed by a scaling process function, and a margin of an arbitrary size is added to the changed document image. However, when, for example, roll paper is used as the transfer material, there is a problem that the blank portion is wasted paper, particularly when output to the transfer material with the same size as the original is not required.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides an image forming apparatus that can save transfer material by removing unnecessary blank portions of a read original.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention described in claim 1 is an image forming apparatus that reads a document set on a document table and forms an image on a transfer material based on image information of the read document. The storage means for storing the image information of the document, the margin recognition means for recognizing the margin portion formed at the leading edge portion or the trailing edge portion of the read document, and the margin length recognized by the margin recognition means are preset. And a margin removing unit for removing a margin longer than the set value when the margin length is longer than the margin length, and transferring an image excluding a portion removed by the margin removing unit to a transfer material.

  The invention described in claim 2 is the invention described in claim 1, further comprising document information changing means for changing the orientation of the image information of the read document, wherein the margin removing means changes the orientation of the image information. A margin longer than the set value is removed from the original document.

  The invention described in claim 3 is the invention described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the margin removing means has a margin length set in advance in a region other than the leading edge portion and trailing edge portion of the read document. In the case where a long margin exists, a re-editing means for removing the margin and re-editing the image information is provided.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the image forming apparatus includes operation means for performing settings for the margin removal means. The margin length to be removed by the removing means and the area of the original to be removed are set.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the document set on the document table is read by the reading unit, and an image is formed on the transfer material based on the read image information. If there is a margin longer than the preset margin length at the leading edge or trailing edge of the scanned document, remove the margin longer than the set value and then form the output image to remove only the removed portion. A transfer material having a shorter sub-scan length than the read original can be output, and the transfer material can be saved.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the same effect as that of the first aspect of the present invention can be obtained, and when there is an extra margin in the main scanning direction of the read original, Since it is recognized whether or not there are more than necessary margins at the leading edge or trailing edge of the document after the change is made, if there are more margins than necessary in either the main scanning direction or the sub-scanning direction of the document But you can remove the extra white space.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, the same effect as that of the invention described in claim 1 or 2 can be obtained, and saving of the transfer material can be achieved by removing the excess margin formed in the image. Can be further planned.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, the same effect as the invention described in any one of claims 1 to 3 can be obtained, and the margin length to be removed by the margin removing means and the portion to be removed. Therefore, it is possible to finish the layout freely according to the user's intention and to prevent the output unintended by the user.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an image forming operation according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a control block diagram showing an image forming operation according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a mode for removing an excess portion of the margin of the read image, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  The image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment includes an image forming unit (image forming unit) 10 in an image forming apparatus main body (hereinafter, apparatus main body) A, and the image forming unit 10 has a drum-shaped image. A support (photosensitive member) 11 is provided, and a charging device 12, a developing device 13, a transfer / conveyance device 14, a cleaning device 15 and the like are provided around the support. A sheet feeding unit B is provided at the lower part of the apparatus main body A, and roll paper 22 is set as a transfer material in the sheet feeding unit B.

  An image reading unit (image reading unit) 17 that reads a document set on the document table 9 is written on the upper part of the image forming unit 10, and writing is performed on the photoconductor 11 based on document information read by the image reading unit 17. A laser writing device 16 is provided. The laser writing device 16 includes a light source such as a laser diode, a rotating polygon mirror for scanning which is a polygon mirror, a polygon motor, a scanning optical system such as an fθ lens and a mirror, and the like.

  A fixing device 19 is provided on the downstream side of the transfer / conveying device 14, and the fixing device 19 is provided with a fixing roller incorporating a heater and a pressure roller that presses the fixing roller from below. Further, a cutting unit 20 is provided between the fixing device 19 and the paper discharge unit 21 for cutting the transfer material after the image formation is completed.

  Next, a control block diagram of the main part of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The control unit 29 that controls the entire image forming apparatus 100 includes an image reading unit 17 that reads a document on the document table 9, an image forming unit 10 that forms a transfer image on a transfer material, and an operation unit that performs various settings. 31 is connected. The control unit 29 includes a storage unit 33 for storing image information of the read document, a margin recognition unit 35 for recognizing a margin portion of the document, and a margin removal unit 37 for removing a margin longer than the set value. Yes.

  Next, the operation process of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. When the operator sets the document on the document table 9 at a predetermined position and presses the start key on the operation panel, the document reading operation is started for each predetermined line (step S11). Image information of the read original is stored in the storage means 33 (step S12).

  In the next step S13, it is determined whether or not all lines read by the image reading means 17 are white images. When all the lines of the read image information are white images, it is determined that the lines are blank, and the number of blank lines is counted (step S19). In the next step S6, it is determined whether or not to end the reading of the original. If the reading is not ended, the process returns to step S11 to start reading the next line.

  If it is determined in step S13 that all the reading lines are not white images, the process proceeds to the next step S14, where the leading edge margin length or trailing edge margin length set in advance at the leading edge portion or trailing edge portion of the document is set. Also determine if there is a long margin.

  If it is determined in step S14 that the leading edge margin or the trailing edge of the document does not have a preset margin length longer than the preset margin length or the trailing margin length, the process proceeds to the next step.

  In step S14, when a margin longer than the leading margin length set in advance at the leading edge portion of the document is recognized (the portion indicated by a and b in FIG. 3), the excess portion (a in FIG. 3) of the leading margin portion. Is removed from the leading margin, and the leading address of the image data is corrected so that the set margin length (the portion indicated by b in FIG. 3) becomes the leading margin. On the other hand, when a margin longer than the preset trailing edge margin length is recognized in the trailing edge portion of the document (the portions indicated by c and d in FIG. 3), the excess portion of the trailing edge margin portion (in FIG. 3). The portion indicated by d) is removed from the rear end portion, and the rear end address of the image data is corrected so that the set margin length (the portion indicated by c in FIG. 3) becomes the rear end margin. Then, the number of lines counted next is reset, and in the next step S16, it is determined whether or not to end the reading operation. The paper is discharged from the paper discharge unit 21.

  In this way, when there is a white image that exceeds the preset margin at the leading edge or trailing edge of the read document, the margin is removed by outputting the margin after removing the blank more than necessary. It is possible to cut and output only, and to save the roll paper 22.

  Next, other embodiments will be described. In the description, parts having the same functions and effects as those described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted. In the description of the above, differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

  In the second embodiment, the read document is not output in the read direction, but by the document information changing means 41 as shown in the control block diagram of FIG. Rotate the read image data 90 degrees, and if there is a margin longer than the preset margin length at the leading edge or trailing edge of the rotated image data, remove the unnecessary margin. I am trying to output.

  In this way, there are no more margins than necessary at the leading edge and trailing edge of the document in the sub-scanning direction at the time of reading. If there is a margin, the read document is turned 90 degrees, the leading end portion and the trailing end portion in the sub-scanning direction at the time of output are checked in advance, and the output is executed after cutting the margin portion exceeding the set value. be able to.

Next, a third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2 (part indicated by a two-dot chain line) and FIG.
In the first and second embodiments, when there is a margin greater than a set value at the leading edge or trailing edge of the document, the excess portion is removed and output. However, in the third embodiment, If there is a margin greater than the set value other than the leading edge and trailing edge of the document (the margin in the image), the margin in the image is removed and output. As shown in FIG. 6, when there is a margin (range indicated by e and g in FIG. 6) equal to or larger than the set value (range indicated by f in FIG. 6) in the image, the image is re-edited by the re-editing means 43. Then, it is corrected to an image from which a blank portion exceeding the set value is removed. In this way, by removing the margins formed in the image and further removing the extra margins at the leading edge and trailing edge of the document, it is possible to further save the roll paper 22.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the above-described embodiment, the copying machine has been described as the image forming apparatus. However, a printer, a FAX, or the like may be used.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an image forming operation according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a control block diagram illustrating an image forming operation according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the mode which removes the margin part of the image read in 1st Embodiment. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a mode for removing a blank portion of a read image in the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a mode for removing a blank portion of a read image in a third embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

9 Document base 10 Image forming section (image forming means)
17 Image reading unit (image reading means)
31 Operating means 33 Storage means 35 Margin recognition means 41 Document information changing means 43 Re-editing means

Claims (4)

In an image forming apparatus that reads a document set on a document table and forms an image on a transfer material based on image information of the read document.
A storage means for storing image information of the read original, a margin recognition means for recognizing a margin portion formed at the leading end portion or the rear end portion of the read original, and a margin length recognized by the margin recognition means are preset. A margin removing unit that removes a margin longer than the set value when the margin length is longer than the set margin length, and transferring an image excluding a portion removed by the margin removing unit to a transfer material. Image forming apparatus.   A document information changing means for changing the orientation of the image information of the read document is provided, and the margin removal means removes a margin longer than a set value from the document after the orientation of the image information is changed. Item 2. The image forming apparatus according to Item 1.   The margin removing means removes the margin and re-edits the image information when a margin longer than a preset margin length exists in an area other than the leading edge and trailing edge of the read document. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a re-editing unit. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation unit configured to perform each setting of a margin removing unit, and setting a margin length to be removed by the margin removing unit and an area of the original to be removed by operating the operation unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3.

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