JP3219291B2 - 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 such as a copying machine and a printer, and more particularly to control of paper feed selection.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus capable of forming an image on both a sheet to be automatically fed and a sheet to be manually inserted, a selection between a sheet to be automatically fed and a sheet to be manually inserted is made by selecting
This has been performed by operating a changeover switch provided on the operation panel or a changeover lever provided on the paper feed mechanism. For example, when paper is supplied from the manual feed tray to the image forming unit, by specifying this from a switch or the like provided on the operation panel, automatic paper feeding from the currently selected paper feed cassette is temporarily performed. The image forming apparatus is stopped and forms an image on a sheet supplied from the manual feed tray.

However, in the above image forming apparatus,
Since both sheets are selected by operating the changeover switch or the changeover lever, the operation is complicated, and there is a problem that image forming errors due to malfunctions occur frequently. Therefore, in order to solve the above problem, as shown in JP-B-59-33913, when it is detected that a sheet is set in the manual feed tray, a manual feed mode (hereinafter referred to as a bypass mode) is set. There has been proposed a laser printer capable of automatically switching between automatically fed paper and manually fed paper by making a determination.

[0004]

For example, in a case where expensive paper other than plain paper such as OHP is set on a manual feed tray and printing is performed, in order to avoid printing errors on expensive paper,
First, plain paper in a paper feed cassette is printed and checked in an automatic paper feed mode, and then expensive paper on a manual feed tray is printed.

[0005] However, the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-3391 is disclosed.
In the laser printer disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 3 (1993) -305, when expensive paper is set in the manual feed tray and plain paper is set in the paper feed cassette, priority is given to the bypass mode, and the bypass mode is given priority. Since plain paper cannot be fed to the image forming unit, it is impossible to print and check the plain paper in the paper feed cassette in the automatic paper feed mode and then print expensive paper on the manual feed tray. Therefore, when expensive paper is set in the manual feed tray and plain paper is set in the paper feed cassette, printing errors on expensive paper cannot be avoided. To avoid printing mistakes, do not load expensive paper in the manual feed tray, print plain paper in the paper cassette in the automatic paper feed mode, and then load expensive paper in the manual feed tray. Printing has to be performed, or plain paper has to be set in a manual feed tray and expensive paper has to be set in a paper feed cassette, and this operation is troublesome and inconvenient. In particular, in the latter case, since plain paper is set in the normal paper feed cassette, the paper must be replaced or a paper feed cassette in which expensive paper has been set must be prepared in advance.

According to the present invention, when paper is supplied from the manual tray, manual paper feeding can be performed without specifying from the operation panel that paper is to be supplied from the manual tray, and the paper is set in the manual tray. However, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of selecting a paper feed cassette.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems According to the present invention, there is provided an automatic paper feed path for supplying paper set in a paper feed cassette to an image forming unit, and a manual feed tray for image forming unit. A sheet feeding mode setting unit that preferentially supplies the sheet from the manual sheet feeding path when the sheet is set in the manual tray in the image forming apparatus in which the manual sheet feeding path for supplying the selected sheet is selectable ; when automatic paper feed path is selected in a state where the manual feed tray the paper is set, test printing
Feeding mode switching means for supplying the automatic sheet feeding path the sheet to Rinotame, and after the printing test, a manual and automatic sheet
Means for returning to the paper feed mode supplied from the paper feed path .

[0008]

In the above means for solving the above problems, the manual paper feed mode is preferentially set only by setting the paper on the manual feed tray.
Manual paper feeding can be performed without specifying from the operation panel that paper is to be supplied from the manual tray. Therefore, the usability is improved, and an image forming error due to an error in selecting a sheet feeding location is eliminated.

In addition, since automatic paper feeding from the paper feed cassette can be selected even when the paper is set on the manual feed tray, the user simply selects the paper feed cassette after setting the paper in the manual feed tray. After a test image is formed on the paper, the image can be formed on the paper on the manual feed tray. Therefore, an image forming error can be avoided with a simple operation. Also, after trial printing with paper in the paper cassette,
Returns to the mode for supplying paper from the manual feed tray,
Operability is good.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail by taking a laser printer as an example. First, the configuration of the laser printer will be described with reference to a cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 3 and an external perspective view shown in FIG. 3 and 4, reference numeral 1 denotes a laser printer, and 5 denotes a printer main body. Printer body 5
Is provided one step higher, and a concave portion 6 as a paper discharge portion is formed in the upper central portion thereof. A paper discharge tray 8 movably supported by a jogger 7 is mounted in the recess 6. The operation panel 9 is arranged on the right side of the recess 6 and the IC card insertion slot 11 is arranged on the left side.

A paper output tray 12 is provided on the front side of the printer main body 5, and a manual feed tray 13 is provided on the rear side. At the bottom of the manual feed tray 13, as shown in FIG. 3, a paper detecting means 26 is arranged.
It detects that the sheet P has been set on the manual feed tray 13 and outputs it to a control circuit 50 described later. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, an image forming unit 23 is provided substantially at the center of the printer body 5, and a laser optical system 17 is provided above the image forming unit 23.
However, on the downstream side of the image forming unit 23, the transport device 24 and the fixing device 3
1. The paper discharge selector 32 and the paper discharge roller 33 are sequentially arranged in the paper transport direction. The transfer device 2
For 4, a conventionally known one such as a transport belt is used.

The image forming section 23 includes a photosensitive drum 15, a charging charger 16, a developing device 18, a transfer charger 19, a peeling charger 20, and a cleaner 21.
Around the photosensitive drum 15, a charging charger 16, a developing device 18, a transfer charger 19, and a peeling charger 2
0, a cleaner 21 and a charge removing lamp 22 are sequentially arranged along the rotation direction of the photosensitive drum 15. In front of the photoconductor drum 15, there is provided a registration roller 30 for temporarily receiving the supplied paper P before the photoconductor drum 15 and supplying the paper P in synchronization with the rotation of the photoconductor drum 15. .

Further, a paper feed cassette 25 is housed in the bottom of the printer main body 5 so as to be freely inserted and removed, and a paper feed roller 28 is provided between the paper feed cassette 25 and the image forming section 23. And an automatic paper feed path A1 for guiding the paper P automatically fed via the supply roller 29b to the image forming unit 23. A manual paper feed path A2 is provided between the manual tray 13 and the image forming unit 23 to guide the paper P manually supplied from the manual tray 13 via the supply roller 29a to the image forming unit 23. Further, a paper ejection selector 3
Above 2, a branch transport path 35 having a discharge roller 34 is formed to guide the paper P sorted by the discharge selector 32 to the concave portion 6.

In FIG. 4, 40 is a lower cover, 41 is a front cover, 42 is an upper cover, 43 is a right cover that can be opened and closed, 44 is a left cover, and 46 is a lever for opening and closing the upper unit. Further, 47 and 49 shown in FIG. 3 are boards on which a printer circuit for controlling the operation of the printer itself is mounted, and 48 is a board on which a control circuit 50 for controlling the operation of the printer circuit is mounted.

As shown in FIG. 5, an operation panel 9 includes an LCD display 9a for displaying the number of sheets, a mode, a guide message, etc., an LED display 9b for displaying various states by LEDs, and a switch 9c for instructing various operations. And automatic paper feed path A1,
Paper feed switch 9 for selecting manual paper feed path A2
d. The LED display 9b determines whether or not it is connected to a host device (for example, a word processor, a personal computer, or the like).
"Online" indicating the offline mode, "Ready" indicating that the printer is operable, "Data" indicating that image data is being transferred, "Operator" requesting an operator call, and requesting a serviceman call "Service" and "mode" indicating auto / manual.

The switch 9c is composed of, for example, a menu key, a value key, or a ten key (not shown). The menu key is composed of two keys of "next item" and "previous item", and a plurality of menu information displayed on the left half of the LCD display 9a is decremented each time the "next item" key is pressed, and each is decremented. Are displayed, and these display operations are cyclically repeated. Value key is also "Next item" and "Previous item"
And a plurality of value information displayed on the left half of the LCD display 9a are incremented and displayed each time the "next item" key is pressed, and these display operations are cyclically repeated. It has become. An operator operates a menu key and a value key to select and instruct a desired operation. Further, it is possible to input value information using a ten-key (not shown), which is used for setting the number of prints.

Here, the printing operation of the laser printer will be described. The photoreceptor drum 15 is driven to rotate and the photoreceptor drum 15 is uniformly charged by a charging charger 16. Then, exposure corresponding to an image signal is performed on the photoreceptor drum 15 by a laser optical system 17 to form an electrostatic latent image. Is formed. The electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 15 is visualized as a toner image by the developing device 18.

On the other hand, in synchronization with the above operation, the paper P taken out from the paper feed cassette 25 or the manually inserted paper P is sent to the image forming unit 23 via the registration roller 30 and is transferred onto the photosensitive drum 15. The toner image is transferred to the sheet P by the transfer charger 19. Next, the paper P is peeled off from the photosensitive drum 15 by the peeling charger 20 and is sent to the fixing device 31 by the transport device 24.
After the toner image is fused and fixed on the sheet P by the fixing device 31, the discharge direction is sorted by the discharge selector 32, and the upper discharge tray 8 or the front discharge tray 1 is separated.
2 is discharged.

After the transfer of the toner image onto the paper P, the residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 15 is cleaned by the cleaner 21 and further discharged by the discharge lamp 22 to be ready for the next printing operation. Next, the configuration of the control circuit 50 will be described with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG.

The control circuit 50 includes a microcomputer having a CPU 51, a program ROM 52, a data RAM 53, an extended memory 54, a video RAM 55 and the like, and controls the operation of the printer according to a program stored in the ROM 52 in advance. In particular, the control circuit 50
When the sheet P is set on the manual feed tray 13, the supply roller 29 a of the manual feed path A <b> 2 is preferentially driven based on the output signal of the sheet
A function for setting the manual paper feed mode for supplying the upper paper P from the manual paper feed path A2 to the image forming unit 23, and a function for setting the manual paper feed mode when the paper P is set on the manual tray 13 are set. When the automatic paper feed path A1 is selected by operating the paper feed switch 9d, the paper feed rollers 28 of the paper feed cassette 25 are output based on the operation signal of the paper feed switch 9d.
And a function of driving a supply roller 29b of the automatic paper feed path A1 to switch to an automatic paper feed mode in which the paper P in the paper feed cassette 25 is supplied from the automatic paper feed path A1 to the image forming unit 23.

The ROM 52 stores a control program and a password (I) to be collated when data is changed.
D number), top margin, left margin, paper type, and other paper-related data. RA
M53 is used as a page buffer for temporarily storing image data sent from the host device,
It is designed to be used as a work buffer for U51.

The extended memory 54 is a large-capacity memory used when the image data sent from the host device cannot store a large amount of data such as bitmap data, and when the RAM 53 cannot store one page of data. It is. The video RAM 55 stores image data expanded into a bit image, and its output is supplied to a serial / parallel conversion circuit.

The paper feed path selecting operation of the laser printer will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
When the laser printer is started by turning on the main switch, it is determined whether or not the paper P is set on the manual feed tray 13 in Step 1. That is, the control circuit 50 determines which of the automatic paper feed mode and the manual paper feed mode to set based on the output signal of the paper detector 26. When the paper detector 26 detects that the paper P is set on the manual feed tray 13, the control circuit 50 sets the manual paper feed mode. Then, as shown in FIG. 6A, for example, a message such as "manual feed mode has been set. Do you want to perform test printing?" Is displayed on the LCD display 9a, and St is displayed.
Shift to ep2. On the other hand, the paper P
If is not set, the automatic paper feed mode is set by the control circuit 50, and the flow shifts to Step 4.

In Step 2, it is determined whether or not the paper feed switch 9d has been operated. That is, the control circuit 50
Determines whether the paper feed mode is switched from the manual paper feed mode to the automatic paper feed mode based on the operation signal of the paper feed switch 9d. If the paper feed switch 9d is not operated, the flow shifts to Step 3. On the other hand, when the automatic paper feed is selected by operating the paper feed switch 9d, the control circuit 50 switches from the manual paper feed mode to the automatic paper feed mode. Then, for example, FIG.
As shown in (b), a message such as "Perform trial printing." Is displayed, and the routine shifts to Step 4.

In Step 3, when the number of prints is set by a numeric key or the like, the control circuit 50 drives the supply roller 29a of the manual paper feed path A2 based on the print signal. Then, the paper P on the manual feed tray 13 is supplied to the image forming unit 23 from the manual feed path A2. Step
In 4, when the number of prints is set by a numeric key or the like, the control circuit 50 drives the paper feed roller 28 of the paper feed cassette 25 and the supply roller 29b of the automatic paper feed path A1 based on the print signal. Then, the paper cassette 2
The paper P in 5 is supplied from the automatic paper feed path A1 to the image forming unit 23 and is subjected to test printing.

After the test printing, the paper P on the manual feed tray 13 can be supplied and printed without selecting the manual feed tray 13 with the paper feed switch 9d. As described above, the manual paper feed mode is set just by setting the paper on the manual feed tray 13.
When paper is supplied from the printer, manual paper feeding can be performed without specifying from the operation panel 9 that paper is to be supplied from the manual feed tray 13. Therefore, usability is improved, and printing errors due to erroneous selection of a paper feeding location are eliminated.

Further, even when the paper is set on the manual feed tray 13, automatic paper feed from the paper feed cassette 25 can be selected. Therefore, plain paper is set in the paper feed cassette 25, and OHP or the like is set in the manual feed tray 13. After the expensive paper is set, the user simply selects the paper cassette 25 with the paper feed changeover switch 9d, performs trial printing on plain paper in the paper cassette 25, and prints the expensive paper on the manual feed tray 13. it can. Therefore, printing errors on expensive paper can be avoided with a simple operation.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that many modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the present invention. In the above embodiment, a laser printer has been described as an example. However, the present invention may be applied to various printers such as a copier, a dot printer, and an ink jet printer.

[0029]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the manual paper feed mode is preferentially set only by setting the paper on the manual feed tray. In addition, manual paper feeding can be performed without specifying from the operation panel that paper is to be supplied from the manual tray. Therefore, the usability is improved, and an image forming error due to an error in selecting a sheet feeding location is eliminated.

Further, since automatic paper feeding from the paper feed cassette can be selected even when the paper is set on the manual feed tray, the user can simply select the paper feed cassette after setting the paper in the manual feed tray. After a test image is formed on the paper, the image can be formed on the paper on the manual feed tray. Therefore, an image forming error can be avoided with a simple operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a control block diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a control flowchart of the same.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an internal configuration of the image forming apparatus.

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the same.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of an operation panel.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a message displayed when a paper feed path is selected.

[Explanation of symbols]

 9d paper feed selection switch 13 manual feed tray 25 paper feed cassette 26 paper detector 28 paper feed roller 29a, 29b supply roller 50 control circuit A1 automatic paper feed path A2 manual paper feed path

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Masao Otsuka 1-2-28 Tamazo, Chuo-ku, Osaka Mita Kogyo Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Junya Sasabe 1-2-28 Tamazo, Chuo-ku, Osaka Mita Inside Industrial Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kazuki Taguchi 1-2-2, Tamazo, Chuo-ku, Osaka-shi Mita Industrial Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-4-163466 (JP, A) JP-A-5-43067 (JP, A) JP-A-3-138236 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65H 1/00-3/68 B65H 11/00-11/02

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] An automatic paper feed path for feeding paper set in a paper feed cassette to an image forming unit and a manual paper feed path for feeding paper set on a manual feed tray to the image forming unit. In the image forming apparatus that can be selected, when paper is set in the manual feed tray, a paper feed mode setting unit that supplies paper preferentially from the manual paper feed path, and automatically feeds paper in a state where paper is set in the manual feed tray. Paper feed mode switching means for supplying paper from an automatic paper feed path for test printing when a paper path is selected , and after test printing
Automatically feeds paper from the manual feed path.
An image forming apparatus, comprising means for returning to de, a.