JP3215743B2 - Image forming 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 image forming apparatus,
In particular, the present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a message display function for displaying a state of an image forming apparatus, an operation procedure, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there has been provided an image forming apparatus having a function of displaying an operating state of the image forming apparatus such as double-sided copying and automatic feeding, and a message such as an operation procedure such as "Please set paper". ing. This type of image forming apparatus has a built-in memory that stores message data, reads desired data from the memory, and displays it on a display unit.

Generally, message data stored in a memory is data in one language, and a message can be displayed on a display unit only in a predetermined language.
However, for example, various languages are used in Europe and the like, and it is desired that a message in a language suitable for the user can be displayed. Therefore, when a message is displayed in another language, the memory built in the apparatus is replaced with another memory. Alternatively, messages corresponding to a plurality of languages are stored in the apparatus main body in advance, and the language used is switched according to the situation and displayed.

[0004]

However, the operation of replacing the memory built in the device as described above is very troublesome, and the operation is complicated and requires a long time. Therefore, a message in a desired language cannot be obtained instantaneously, which is inconvenient, and also causes a problem that an operator who cannot read the language of the message causes an erroneous operation. When messages in a plurality of languages are stored in the main body of the apparatus in advance, a large-capacity memory is required, which is expensive, and storing messages in a language that is not used frequently wastes memory capacity. Will be used.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of easily displaying a message in a desired language without wasting memory or the like. is there.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention has an image forming means for forming an image on an image carrier, and first language information stored therein.
First storage means, information on the image forming means,
Display means for displaying in a first language based on the first language information stored in the first storage means, and portable information storing second language information and identification information different from the first language information A second storage medium, supporting means for detachably supporting the second storage medium, and the second means
Detecting means for detecting that the storage medium is mounted in the front
When the second storage medium is attached to the serial support means, before
A determining means for serial identification information stored in the second storage medium to determine whether the predetermined information by said determination means,
When the identification information stored in said second storage medium is determined to be the predetermined information, in the second language based on a second language information stored in said second storage medium ,
Controls the table <br/> Display unit to display information about the image forming means, by said discriminating means, wherein
Information stored in the second storage medium is other than predetermined information
If it is determined that the information is
If an abnormality in the data in the storage medium is determined, or
The detecting means transfers the second storage medium to the supporting means.
When the non-attachment is detected, it is stored in the first storage means.
Displaying a first language based on the first language information being displayed
And control means for causing the means to display .

[0007]

[0008]

According to the image forming apparatus having the above configuration, the portable
When a possible second storage medium is mounted on the support means, the second
The second language information stored in the storage medium is read,
The message displayed on the display means is switched to the information in the second language stored in the second storage medium. Then, the language of the message displayed on the display means can be exchanged with a desired language only by mounting the storage medium on the support means without replacing the storage means built in the device as in the conventional case. . Further, by preparing a plurality of remembers medium storing information in different languages, respectively,
The user can easily select and use a language suitable for the user. The discrimination means stores the data stored in the second storage medium.
Is determined to be information other than the specified information.
Is determined or the data in the second storage medium is abnormal
Or if the second storage medium is
The first storage means, when the non-attachment to the support means is detected,
The first language based on the first language information stored in
Since the data is displayed on the display means, the data in the second storage medium should be
The first language on the display means, even if the data is abnormal
Is continued.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIGS. 2 and 3 show an electronic copying machine as an example of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electronic copying machine includes a main body 1, and a document table 19 and a document cover 2 for holding a document are provided on the upper surface of the main body 1 so as to be freely opened and closed. An operation panel 3 is provided at a front portion of the upper surface of the main body 1, and the user can use the operation panel 3 to input and set various data, input a copy operation start command, and the like. ing. As shown in FIG. 4, the operation panel 3 includes various input units such as a numeric keypad 50 for setting the number of copies and a copy key 51 for inputting the start of a copying operation. A display 52 is provided for displaying various messages such as an operation procedure such as "Please."

On the right side of the main body 1, a small capacity paper feed cassette 4 and a large capacity paper feed cassette 5 are provided detachably. On the left side of the main body 1, a paper discharge tray 6 for discharging the copied paper is provided.

A card mounting portion 7 as a support means having a card insertion slot, a connector, and the like is provided at an upper portion of the front surface of the main body 1. A memory card as a portable storage medium is provided for the card connection portion 7. 8 is detachable.

In the main body 1, charging, exposure, development, transfer,
An image forming unit 11 that forms an image by an image forming process such as fixing and cleaning is provided. Image forming unit 11
Has a photosensitive drum 12 as an image carrier rotatably supported at a substantially central portion in the main body 1. Around the photosensitive drum 12, a charging device 13, a toner and a carrier are provided. A magnetic brush type developing device 14 using a two-component developer, a transfer device 15, a peeling device 16, a cleaning device 17, and a charge removing device 18 are sequentially arranged.
The photoreceptor drum 12 rotates clockwise, and the surface thereof is uniformly charged by the charging device 13.

An exposing device 20 as an exposing means is provided below the document table 19. The exposure apparatus 20
Exposure lamp 2 whose back is surrounded by reflector 21
2, first, second, and third reflection mirrors 23, 24, 25,
Lens 26 and fourth, fifth, and sixth reflecting mirrors 2
7, 28, 29 and the like.

That is, an image of a document (not shown) placed on a document table 19 is optically scanned by an exposure device 20, and is exposed on a photosensitive drum 12 of an image forming unit 11. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 12. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 12 is
The developer supplied by the developing device 14 is developed by a toner in a magnetic brush to form a toner image.

On the other hand, pick-up rollers 30, 4 are selectively selected from sheet cassettes 4, 5 mounted on the right side of main body 1.
Sheets are taken out one by one via the sheet feeding roller 31 and the sheet feeding rollers 32 and 33.

The paper taken out of the paper feed cassette 4 or 5 is transferred to the photosensitive drum 12 via a pair of registration rollers 34.
The toner image on the photosensitive drum 12 is transferred onto a sheet by the transfer device 15 while being guided while being transferred to a transfer device 15 disposed opposite to the transfer device.

The transferred paper is peeled off from the photosensitive drum 12 by a peeling device 16 using AC corona discharge, and is conveyed to a fixing device 36 via a conveying belt 35.
The fixing device 36 melts and fixes the toner image on the paper.

The sheet after fixing is taken out by a take-out roller pair 37 provided downstream of the fixing device 36, and is discharged by switching a gate 38 provided downstream of the take-out roller pair 37. The paper is discharged onto a paper discharge tray 6 provided outside the main body 1 via the paper roller pair 39, or is conveyed again to a reversing mechanism 40 formed on the inner bottom of the main body 1. .

The sheet conveyed to the reversing mechanism 40 is switched back, and is again guided and conveyed between the photosensitive drum 12 and the transfer device 15 via the pair of registration rollers 41 and 34, thereby enabling double-sided copying. I have to.

The residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 12 after the transfer of the toner image to the paper and the peeling of the paper is scraped off by the cleaning device 17, and the scraped used toner and waste toner including foreign matter are removed. Is discharged to the outside of the cleaning device 17 by a transport roller (not shown). The potential of the surface of the photosensitive drum 12 cleaned by the cleaning device 17 is neutralized by a static eliminator 18 to a certain level or less to enable the next copying operation.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a control system of the electronic copying machine constructed as described above. The controller 61 mainly composed of a CPU and the like is connected to the card mounting unit 7, the image forming unit 11, the display unit 52 of the operation panel 3, and various input units 50 and 51 such as numeric keys.
In addition, the control unit 61 sends messages such as an operation state and an operation procedure of the electronic copying machine in a predetermined language, for example, Japanese (first language).
The display data ROM 62 stored in a language (for example, Japanese language) is connected. Then, message data corresponding to the operating state of the electronic copying machine is read from the display data ROM 62 and displayed on the display unit 52. Further, a memory card 8 can be detachably connected to the electronic copying machine via a card mounting section 7.

As shown in FIG. 5, the memory card 8 has an identification information storage area 8 in which card identification information indicating that the memory card is a card for changing the display language is stored.
1 and a display data storage area 82 in which display data in a language (second language) different from the language stored in the display data ROM 62 is stored. In the embodiment, the display data storage area 82 stores English display data. Next, an operation of displaying a message on the display unit 52 in the electronic copying machine configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG.

When displaying any message on the display unit 52, the control unit 61 first determines whether or not the memory card 8 is mounted on the card mounting unit 7 (step 1). When the memory card 8 is mounted, the information in the identification information storage area 81 in the memory card 8 is referred to,
It is determined whether the memory card 8 is a display language change card (step 2). If the memory card 8 is a display language change card, the display data storage area 82
It is determined whether or not the data stored in the display data storage area 8 is correct (step 3).
1 based on the display data stored in the display unit 52.
Is displayed (step 4). In this embodiment, an English message is displayed.

If it is determined in step 1 that the memory card 8 is not mounted, and if it is determined in step 2 that the memory card 8 is not a display language change card,
Alternatively, if it is determined in step 3 that the data in the memory card 8 is abnormal, the display data ROM
A Japanese message is displayed based on the display data stored in 62.

It should be noted that the memory card 8
Is removed, the display data in the display data ROM 62 is read, and the display unit 52 displays a Japanese message.

In the above embodiment, the display data stored in the memory card 8 is only display data in one language. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and display data in a plurality of languages may be stored. Good. In this case, messages having the same contents may be displayed alternately in different languages, or messages may be displayed in an arbitrary language according to an operator's selection.

According to the electronic copying machine constructed as described above, the displayed message can be changed to a desired language only by mounting the memory card 8 on the card mounting section 7, and it is easy and prompt. Operation is possible. Therefore,
In regions with many languages, such as Europe,
A language suitable for the operator can be easily used, which is very convenient and effective. Further, it is not necessary to increase the storage capacity of the memory in the copying machine main body, and it is not necessary to store unnecessary display data in this memory. What
Note that the memory card is determined to be for anything other than display language change.
Error, or the data in the card is abnormal.
Or when the card is detected as not being inserted,
First language information stored in a memory in the copying machine main body
The first language based on the
Even if there is something wrong with the data in the
Display continues.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be variously modified within the scope of the present invention. For example, the storage medium is not limited to a memory card, but may be in another form, such as a floppy disk.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of easily changing the language of a message to a desired language without wasting memory or the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of an electronic copying machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the electronic copying machine.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the electronic copier.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a display panel of the electronic copying machine.

FIG. 5 is a plan view schematically showing a memory card of the electronic copying machine.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the electronic copying machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

3 operation panel, 7 card mounting unit, 8 memory card, 11 image forming unit, 52 display unit, 61 control unit,
62: display data ROM, 81: identification information storage area,
82 display data storage area

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-64-32273 (JP, A) JP-A-4-324871 (JP, A) JP-A-3-122676 (JP, A) JP-A-58-58 199388 (JP, A) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G03G 21/00 370-512

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] And 1. A image bearing member on the image forming means for forming an image on a first storage means for storing the first language information, the information relating to the image forming unit, stored in the first storage unit Display means for displaying in a first language based on the first language information, a portable second storage medium storing second language information and identification information different from the first language information, support means for supporting detachably the second storage medium, said second storage medium is attached to said support means
A detecting means for detecting that, when said second storage medium is attached to said support means,
And discriminating means for identifying information stored in said second storage medium to determine whether the predetermined information by said determination means, the identification information stored in the second storage medium is a predetermined information when it is determined that, before
Serial in the second second language based on a second language information stored in the storage medium, and controls the display unit to display information about the image forming means, wherein
By the determining means, the information stored in the second storage medium is stored.
If the information is determined to be information other than the predetermined information,
Alternatively, the abnormality of the data in the second storage medium is determined.
Or the second storage medium is detected by the detection unit.
When non-attachment of the body to the support means is detected,
Based on the first language information stored in the first storage means
Control means for displaying a first language on the display means .