JP2734217B2 - Copier control device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an operation for storing and discharging a double-sided / composite tray (hereinafter referred to as "DDM tray") used for performing image processing on both sides of a sheet or the same side of a sheet. The present invention relates to a control device of a copying machine which is controlled in advance.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the course of development of copiers with higher precision, higher speed, etc., multifunctional devices capable of performing various zips with a single apparatus have been developed. One of them is a double-sided / combined print function that can perform a plurality of image processes on both sides or one side of one sheet. This function is realized by using a DDM tray, and control is devised to reduce the time required for mechanical operation when storing or discharging the DDM tray. In a copying machine as a recording device, an auxiliary device such as an automatic document feeder and a sorter is attached to a base machine. This base machine controls a mechanism including the auxiliary device according to a job set by a console panel. After performing image processing on a sheet of a specified size supplied from a tray based on image information read from a document sent from the automatic document feeder, execute a sheet discharging process and select a sort mode. If so, the paper is sorted by a sorter.

[0003] The basic control of this type of copier includes an initial mode (default information) automatically set after the apparatus is turned on to correspond to a standard job normally used by a user, and an initial mode at the time of use. This is executed in the specification setting mode in which the mode is changed and executed. In the specification setting mode, the mode information input by the hard keys on the control panel or the touch keys on the LCD is transmitted to the control unit (LLM) of the machine, and the automatic document feeder is operated under the control of the control unit. Signal for starting ADF, a feed signal for starting the supply of the paper in synchronization with the spread timing of the document output to the image recording apparatus controller (IOT) for controlling the paper tray, and operating the optical system to convert the document image. A control signal such as a scan start signal for reading is transmitted to each remote, and the set print operation is executed.

[0004]

By the way, in the case of double-sided or composite copying, when the first sheet of the first side is accommodated in the DDM tray 33 (see FIG. 3), the side guide for sheet alignment is adjusted to the sheet size. Time is needed. The operation timing of the conventional side guide is determined by a fuser exit switch S3 (see FIG. 3) disposed at a branch point between a transport path for a copied paper (hereinafter referred to as “copy paper”) to a finisher such as a sorter and a transport path to a DDM tray. 3), the feed control is performed so that the copy sheet does not reach the DDM tray before the side guide for sheet alignment can be prepared.

The DDM tray is configured to be movable between a storage position and a discharge position by driving a motor so as to be adapted to various paper sizes. This motor temporarily stops after storing the copy paper, and then starts a motor upon receiving a new discharge request, moves the DDM tray to the discharge position, and performs an actual discharge operation. Thus, DD
While moving to the discharge position of the M tray, there is a problem that a temporary stop of the machine due to the stop of the main motor and a certain waiting time are required, and the productivity is reduced. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a copying machine control apparatus which improves productivity by eliminating waiting time for storing copy paper in a DDM tray and waiting time for a discharge request after storage.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention moves a double-sided / composite tray used for performing image processing on both sides of a sheet or the same side of a sheet to a storage position or a discharge position. In the control device of the copying machine to be controlled,
Means for immediately controlling the tray motor to move to the discharge position by immediately driving the tray motor to the discharge position after storing the set number of copy sheets according to the storage command in the tray, and outputting a discharge position movement completion signal after the movement; ON / O
Means for driving a tray motor based on the FF signal to move the tray at the discharge position to the storage position, and supplying copy paper from the tray by the discharge position movement completion signal and the feed signal. Means for performing the control described above. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the above-described control apparatus for a copying machine, further comprising means for setting a side guide for aligning copy sheets stored in a double-sided / composite tray in accordance with the sheet size based on the open information of the registration gate.

[0007]

When all the sheets on the first side are stored in the tray, the sheet is immediately moved to the discharge position, so that the discharge operation in response to a discharge request (feed signal) becomes faster. Also, since the side guide is activated by the open information of the register, even if the copy paper is conveyed at high speed, the paper size setting is completed by the time the copy paper reaches the tray. Will be faster.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present embodiment is applied to a copying machine, and is configured by combining a base machine with additional devices such as a two-sided automatic document feeder and a sorter. In the copying machine, as shown in FIG. 2, a double-sided automatic document feeder (DADF) 2 and a sorter 3 are attached to a base machine 1. The base machine 1 is attached according to a job set by a console panel 4. After controlling the mechanical section including the apparatus, the image processing is performed on the sheet of the specified size supplied from the tray 5 based on the image information read from the document sent by the DADF 2, and then the sheet discharging processing is executed. The sorter 3 is configured to sort the sheets on which the image processing has been performed.

An outline of the copying machine will be described with reference to FIG. A photosensitive drum 7 is arranged in the copying machine. In the figure, the photoconductor 8 is formed in a layer on the outer peripheral surface of the photoconductive drum 7. The photosensitive drum 7 is connected to a driving device (not shown) so as to rotate in the direction of the arrow. On the outer periphery of the photosensitive drum 7, a charge corotron 9, a developing unit 11, 1
2. The transfer corotron 13 and the cleaning device 15 are arranged. In this copying machine, the photosensitive drum 7
As the photoreceptor 8 rotates in the direction of the arrow, the photoreceptor 8 is uniformly charged by the charge corotron 9 and then exposed to light 16.
Receives light irradiation to form an electrostatic latent image. Exposure location 16
An optical image of a document (not shown) placed on a platen glass 17 disposed on the upper surface of the copier is incident on the platen. For this purpose, an exposure lamp 19, a plurality of mirrors 20 and an optical lens 21 for transmitting reflected light of the original surface illuminated by the exposure lamp 19 are arranged, and a predetermined one of them is scanned for reading the original. It is supposed to be.

The photoreceptor 8 on which the electrostatic latent image has been formed is subsequently developed by a developing device. Here, the toner image formed on the photoreceptor 8 is transferred onto a sheet by the transfer corotron 13, is thermally fixed between the heat roll 23 and the pressure roll 24, and is carried out. On the other hand, the photoconductor 8 is cleaned by the cleaning device 15 and is reused. On the other hand, the paper 27 stored in the supply tray 25 disposed in the copying machine or the paper 27 manually fed along the manual feed tray 28
Alternatively, the feed sensor S1
Is detected by Scanning is started with the output of the feed sensor to read an image from a document. During this time, the sheet that has reached the registration gate (not shown) is temporarily stopped. After that, the paper is opened (open)
Accordingly, the photosensitive drum 7 is guided by the transport roll 32 and passes between the photosensitive drum 7 and the transfer corotron 13. At this time, the toner image is transferred onto the sheet 27. The sheet 27 after the transfer passes between the heat roll 23 and the pressure roll 24 and is thermally fixed. Then, the paper passes through the transport rolls 32 and is carried out to the sorter 3 which is a carry-out tray. Here, the supply tray 33 is a tray (hereinafter, referred to as a “DDM tray”) for storing temporarily processed sheets in order to perform the next processing on the sheets processed by the first feed when performing double-sided or multiple copying.
It is). That is, in a multiple copy in which image processing is performed on the same sheet surface in a superimposed manner, D
In the case of double-sided copying in which image processing is performed on the DM tray 33 and on the front and back surfaces of the sheet, the sheet is conveyed from conveyance paths a to c, and then stored in the DDM tray 33 through conveyance path d by reverse conveyance. The sheet is discharged from the DDM tray 33 according to a subsequent feed command, supplied to the transport path e, and the image processing in the copy mode is performed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the console panel 4 is used to perform operations such as setting / inputting of paper size, magnification, and number of copies, start, stop, interrupt, and setting confirmation, etc., arranged on the panel. It has buttons as hard keys and buttons as touch keys provided on a display portion corresponding to functions displayed on the LCD screen.
Further, on the console panel 4, the state of selection and setting when a hard key is operated is displayed by a lamp or the like. FIG. 5 shows a hardware configuration of the copying machine.
A user interface (UI) 50 executes processing of data set / input by operating buttons on the console panel 4 and a MAIN PWB for managing the system of the apparatus.
A (hereinafter referred to as “MAIN system”) is sent input data and displayed to the user.

A double-sided automatic document feeder (DADF) controller 51 controls reading of image information from both sides of the document so as to convey the document onto the platen glass in synchronization with the reading timing. An optical reading device (OPT) controller 52 performs optical reading control of image information designated by a user from a document conveyed on a platen glass. That is, the DADF transports the document in a state where one side of the document faces the platen glass. Then, the OPT operates to perform the first exposure. Next, the DADF reverses the front and back sides when returning the original after the exposure to the tray in the apparatus. As a result, when the document is sent out again, the document feed mechanism and the optical system are controlled so that the surface opposite to the previous exposure surface is exposed. In the base machine, sheet conveyance control and drive control of the double-sided tray are performed by a double-sided copy command.

A charge removal device (ISIL) controller 5
Reference numeral 3 controls editing processing such as processing for erasing unnecessary portions from the image information of the document, frame erasing processing for erasing the periphery of the document, and drawing specific information from the image information of the document. The image recording device (IOT) controller 54 controls the sheet conveyance control and the image processing when executing the image processing based on the image information read from the document.
Manages paper jam detection and development process control around Zero. The specific tray (DDM / TRAY [X]) controller 55 reverses the sheet on which single-side image processing has already been performed and performs image processing on the rear side based on a command for double-sided image processing from the IOT. Control of the two-sided tray so as to temporarily wait until the Zero timing of the specified tray, and control of the specific tray [X] handled separately from the other trays on the basis of the paper path by the special tray operation command from the IOT. Do.

The bin sorter controller 56 includes, for example, 2
0 bin sorter is driven by the sorting command from IOT,
Control is performed to store the image-processed sheets carried out from the base machine in a designated bin. The staple sorter controller 57 performs control for binding the sheets stored in the bins by staples after collating the sheets stored in the bin in accordance with a binding sorting command from the IOT. A light lens manager (LLM) 58 manages the entire system, and mainly controls job timing such as system timing control for making image processing of a document and paper conveyance coincide with each other and a copy mode set by a user. Perform management. The serial data communication processor (SCP) 59 includes UI, DADF, O
Transmission and reception of data with the PT and the ISIL are performed by serial communication, and data processing for exchanging data with the LLM by parallel communication is performed.

In particular, the exchange of data between the SCP and the LLM is performed through a dual-port RAM built in the SCP. That is, the LLM reads / writes the RAM of the SCP allocated on its own address map, and transmits / receives information by reading / writing the RAM from / to the SCP. The hardware includes an independent CPU for each function, and an electric circuit board (PWBA) is configured by the CPU and a peripheral LSI. Here, the LLM, the SCP and the IOT form a central part of a control system of the base machine, and a main control circuit board is constituted by a CPU and peripheral LSIs which share respective functions.

Next, the DDM tray control will be described.
The outline of the DDM tray structure and operation to be controlled by the DDM tray according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG.
In the DDM tray 33, a side guide 34 is provided in parallel with the traveling direction of the copy sheet 27a in order to prevent a skew at the time of sheet ejection and a sheet shift due to tray drawer. The side guide 34 is operated by a motor, and in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction, for example, the upper side in the drawing is the machine rear side, the lower side is the machine front side, and the machine front to the machine front direction, and the machine front to the machine rear direction to match the paper size. When the DDM motor is turned on, it moves in the machine front direction, moves in the machine rear direction after the home position is detected by the home sensor 35, and stops at a predetermined position corresponding to the paper size sent from the main body. I do. When the user is at the home position from the beginning, it naturally moves from the position to the predetermined position.

When the set number of copy sheets 27a are stored in the DDM tray (the state shown in FIG. 6), the skew solenoid (not shown) is turned on to correct the skew, and then the DDM tray motor and the side guide motor are driven. Then, the DDM tray 33 is moved from the storage position to the discharge position, and at the same time, the side guide 34 is moved in the machine rear direction. When the DDM tray 33 is stopped at the discharge position, the side guide 34 stops at the set position shown in FIG. 7 and returns to the home position h for waiting for the next sheet.

The control of the DDM tray and the side guide will be described with reference to FIG. The following control means is shown in FIG.
Specific tray controller 55 having the hardware configuration shown in FIG.
In the DDM remote. It should be noted that when describing the exchange with the LLM, it is simply described as DDM. The side guide control means 100 starts the operation based on the open information of the registration gate which takes the timing to send the copy sheet to the photosensitive drum when the DDM is used and the start ON or restart ON signal is received from the start start information and the mode information. At the same time, the stop position operation and the home position stop operation of the side guide are controlled in accordance with the used paper size information.

The DDM storage completion control means 101 drives the DDM motor to move the DDM tray to the discharge position after storing the set number of copy sheets in accordance with the DDM storage command in the ON state of the main motor, and also sets the set number of copy sheets. Control is performed to drive the DDM motor and move it to the discharge position in accordance with a DDM discharge command issued when the main motor is started and turned on in the OFF state of the stored main motor. At this time, the tray discharge position movement completion information is transmitted to the IOT. The DDM tray stop control means 102 controls the drive of the DDM motor based on the ON / OFF signal of the main motor to move the DDM tray at the discharge position to the storage position. The tray storage position information at this time is transmitted to the IOT.

The DDM ejection control means 103 performs control for supplying copy paper from the DDM tray based on a tray ejection position movement completion signal from the DDM storage end control means 101 and a feed signal from the IOT. The DDM interface 104 sends a control signal and setting information to each unit based on the DDM tray control information sent from the LLM, and sends status information and storage / discharge position information of the DDM tray to the LLM. When a discharge request signal is output from the LLM, a feed signal is output to the DDM discharge control means 103.

The operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. In the LDM DDM control, a start button is pressed and a start ON signal (StartON) is issued.
Is issued (step 100), the paper size is transmitted to the DDM (step 101). When the restart ON signal (RestartON) is issued, since the main motor is operating, it is determined whether or not the paper reaching the registration gate has been sent to the photosensitive drum (step 103), and the open state of the registration gate (RegiGateOpen) is detected. The paper size is transmitted to the DDM based on the sensor output of the registration gate sensor S2 (step 104). When start ON or restart ON, the paper size information is transmitted from the LLM to the DDM. Based on this information, the side guide motor is driven, the side guide is moved to a predetermined position, and the paper size is set.

When the side guide is set, the operation of storing the copy paper is started. The DDM determines whether a set number of copy sheets are stored in the DDM tray (step 1).
10) If the storage is completed, the DDM motor is driven to move to the discharge position (step 111). When the movement of the DDM tray is completed (step 112), DOT is sent to the IOT.
The completion of the movement of the DM tray is notified (step 113).
Next, if the main motor is not stopped (OFF) for a predetermined time, for example, 1500 ms (restart signal ON), I
When a feed start command is issued from the OT to the DDM and the feed signal (FeedON) is received (step 11).
5) The copy paper is fed from the DDM tray (step 116).

In step 114, the main motor
If the FF is set, the DDM tray is returned to the storage position (step 117), and waits until the start button is pressed (step 118). When the start ON signal is received, the DDM tray is moved to the discharge position again (step 1).
19), and the completion is transmitted to the IOT (step 1).
20). Next, since the set number of sheets has already been stored in the DDM tray, it is determined in step 121 that the operation is not a storing operation, and a feed signal from the IOT is waited for (step 115), and a copy sheet discharging operation is performed (step 115). 116). When the copy sheet discharging operation is completed, the empty state of the DDM tray is determined (step 12).
1) Then, it is moved to the storage position for the next copy paper storage operation (step 122).

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, the DDM
Since the tray side tray is configured to start the operation when the registration gate is opened, the storage operation can be started immediately when the copy paper reaches the DDM tray, and the waiting time for the copy paper during this period is eliminated, and the copy paper is discharged immediately after storage. Move to position and request discharge (feed signal)
, The discharge operation can be started quickly by the time required to move the DDM tray from the storage position to the discharge position, and productivity is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of DDM tray control of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view of a copying machine.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the copying machine.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a control panel of the copying machine.

FIG. 5 is a hardware configuration diagram of the copying machine.

FIG. 6 is a plan view for explaining a storage position of a DDM tray.

FIG. 7 is a plan view for explaining a discharge position of a DDM tray.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an LLM operation of DDM tray control.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the DDM remote.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Base machine 2 Double-sided automatic document feeder 3 Finisher 4 Control panel 5 Paper tray 27a Copy paper 33 DDM tray 34 Side guide 100 Side guide control means 101 DDM storage end control means 102 DDM tray stop control means 103 DDM discharge control means 104 DDM interface

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A control device for a copying machine for controlling the movement of a double-sided / composite tray used for performing image processing on both sides of a sheet or the same side of a sheet to a storage position or a discharge position.
Means for immediately controlling the tray motor to move to the discharge position by immediately driving the tray motor to the discharge position after storing the set number of copy sheets according to the storage command in the tray, and outputting a discharge position movement completion signal after the movement; ON / O
Means for driving a tray motor based on the FF signal to move the tray at the discharge position to the storage position, and supplying copy paper from the tray by the discharge position movement completion signal and the feed signal. And a control unit for controlling the copying machine. 2. A double-sided / composite tray used for performing image processing on both sides of a sheet or the same side of a sheet is controlled to move to a storage position or a discharge position, and a side guide for aligning copy sheets is set and controlled to a predetermined position. 2. The control device for a copying machine according to claim 1, further comprising means for setting the side guide in accordance with a sheet size based on open information of a register.