JP4586657B2 - Automatic document feeder - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic document feeder that feeds a document placed on a document placement table in a predetermined delivery direction.

  Conventionally, some copying machines are provided with an automatic document feeder having a document table on which a document to be copied is placed.

  The automatic document feeder sends a document placed on a document placement table toward a document reading unit on the copier body side, and a document that has been read by the document reading unit is provided at a lower portion of the document placement table. Discharge to the discharge position.

  This automatic document feeder is configured to be slidable in the width direction perpendicular to the document feed direction placed on the document table and is slid to a position corresponding to the document width. There is a guide that regulates the position in the width direction and uses the guide for detecting the document size.

  By the way, the document size series includes a series called an inch size series and a series called an AB size series, and an automatic document feeder corresponding to both of these two size series has been proposed (see Patent Document 1). .

  However, in the proposed automatic document feeder, for example, even if the operator intends to place the document on the document placing table so as to send the document with an A4 size short side width (210 mm), if the document is not pinched by this guide, There is a possibility that the document reading unit side will mistake the document size as 8.5 inches short side width (216 mm).

In view of this, a proposal has been made to prevent misidentification of the document size by using an automatic document feeder exclusively for inch-type documents or AB-type documents, for example.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-1640437

  However, the above proposal that limits the size series has a problem that it cannot cope with the change of the size series.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic document feeder that has been devised to prevent erroneous recognition of document size while supporting a plurality of size series.

In order to achieve the above object, an automatic document feeder of the present invention provides:
In an automatic document feeder for feeding a document placed on a document placement table in a predetermined delivery direction,
A document guide configured to be slidable in a width direction perpendicular to the sending direction, and being slid to a position corresponding to the width of the document to regulate the position in the width direction of the document;
A sensor for detecting a slide position in the width direction of the document guide;
A size series selection unit that selects any one of a plurality of types of document size series according to an operation;
And a size recognition unit for recognizing one of the document sizes in the document size series selected by the size series selection unit based on the detection result of the slide position by the sensor.

  In the automatic document feeder of the present invention, even if the slide position of the document guide is slightly shifted, the closest document size in the selected size series is recognized as the document size based on the detection result by the sensor. It can be done. Therefore, according to the automatic document feeder of the present invention, it is possible to prevent erroneous recognition of the document size while supporting a plurality of size series.

  Here, the size series selection unit may select one of the inch-based document size series and the AB-based document size series in accordance with an operation. , An operation panel may be provided, and the size series selection unit may select one type of document size series from among a plurality of types of document size series in accordance with an operation of the operation panel. Furthermore, a document feeding mode for automatically feeding a document and a maintenance mode for performing maintenance of the automatic document feeder may be provided, and the size series selection unit may operate in this maintenance mode.

  According to the automatic document feeder of the present invention, it is possible to prevent misidentification of the document size while supporting a plurality of size systems.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a copying machine including an embodiment of an automatic document feeder according to the present invention.

  A copying machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes an automatic document feeder 2 according to this embodiment and a main body 3 provided with a liquid crystal operation panel 31, a numeric keypad 32, a paper cassette 33, and the like.

  In this copying machine 1, the automatic document feeder 2 feeds a document to a document reading unit provided at the top of the main body 3, and the document that has been read is collected at a predetermined collection position of the automatic document feeder 2. The content of the original read by the original reading unit is copied onto a recording sheet drawn from a paper cassette 33 provided at the lower portion of the main body 3 and discharged onto a tray attached to the side surface of the main body 3.

  The automatic document feeder 2 is configured to be slidable in a width direction perpendicular to the document feed direction and a document placement table 21 on which a document to be copied is placed, and is slid to a position corresponding to the width of the document. A document guide 22a for regulating the position in the width direction, a sensor 23 (see FIG. 2) for detecting a slide position in the width direction of the document guide 22a through an actuator connected to the document guide 22a, and a copy start for the liquid crystal operation panel 31 In response to the above operation, the document is sent out to the document reading unit provided in the main body 3, and the document after reading the document is discharged to the lower side of the document placing table 21. It consists of a document sending section.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the automatic document feeder 2 shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the document placing table 21 and the document sending unit are not shown.

  FIG. 2 shows a CPU 24 that is a component of the automatic document feeder 2 that receives a signal from the sensor 23 and detects an operation on the liquid crystal operation panel 31.

  In the copying machine 1, the size of the document placed on the document placement table 21 is detected based on the slide position of the document guide, and the detection of the document size is performed using the AB size series mode, the inch size series mode, It is possible to select which mode to perform size detection from among the mixed modes for detecting both.

  FIG. 3 is a view showing a display image of the liquid crystal operation panel shown in FIG.

  FIG. 3 shows a default image displayed on the liquid crystal operation panel 31 after the copying machine 1 is turned on.

  In FIG. 3, “start”, “cancel”, and “number of sets” are displayed at the top of the panel, and “basic”, “image quality adjustment”, and “original size series” are displayed below that. A page tag consisting of 'is also displayed.

  The page tag 'basic' displays 'paper selection', 'magnification', and 'spec', with 'automatic', '100%', and 'one side to one side' selected as defaults, respectively. The situation is shown.

  Here, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an image displayed on the panel when the page tag “original size series” is selected in the liquid crystal display panel shown in FIG.

  FIG. 4 shows “close” for returning this page to “basic” at the top, and below that, “AB series” mode, “inch series” mode, and AB series and inch. A mode in which the “AB sequence” mode is selected from the “AB / inch mixed” modes corresponding to both sequences is shown.

  In the automatic document feeder 2, when the “AB series” mode is selected from the three modes on the liquid crystal operation panel 31, the CPU 24 shown in FIG. 2 determines the size of the document placed on the document placement table 21. Based on the detection result of the slide position by the document sensor 23, it is recognized as one of the document sizes in the size series corresponding to the selected mode.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the actuator and the sensor as the document guide slides.

  FIG. 5A shows a state in which the document guide 22a is slid along the short side of the A4 size document, and FIG. 5B shows the short side of the 8.5 inch document. In addition, the state in which the document guide 22a is slid and moved is shown. FIG. 5C shows a state in which the document guide 22a is slid along the short side of a document having a short side of 10 inches. FIG. 5D shows the short side of a B4 size document. In addition, the state in which the document guide 22a is slid and moved is shown.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a sensor output corresponding to the slide position of the document guide shown in FIG.

  6 shows the sensor output on the left side and the document size determined based on the selected mode and the sensor output on the right side. The left side of FIG. 6 shows A4SEF and 8. Between 5 inches, it is shown that the output is different in the third (# 3) sensor from the left in FIG.

  FIG. 6 shows that the output is different in the second (# 2) sensor from the left between 10 inches and a B4SEF having a size difference of 3 mm.

  Therefore, the automatic document feeder 2 of the copying machine 1 can recognize these four types of document sizes when the AB / inch mixed mode is selected on the liquid crystal operation panel 31.

  However, if the slide position of the document guide 22a becomes inaccurate, there is a possibility that the size of the similar documents (A4SEF and 8.5 inches, 10 inches and B4SEF) may be erroneously detected. In the machine 1, the operator can select one of the “AB series” and the “inch series” as the document size series, so that the original size can be changed even if the slide position of the document guide 22a is slightly shifted. It prevents false detection.

  That is, in the automatic document feeder 2 of the copying machine 1, when the operator selects the “AB series” mode, the sensor 23 outputs “off”, “on”, and “on” representing 8.5 inches. This is also determined as A4SEF. On the other hand, when the operator selects the “inch series” mode, even if the sensor 23 outputs “off”, “on”, and “off” indicating A4SEF, it is determined as 8.5 inches.

  Similarly, when the operator selects the “AB series” mode, even if the sensor 23 outputs “on”, “on”, and “off” representing 10 inches, it is determined as B4SEF. On the other hand, when the operator selects the “inch series” mode, even if the sensor 23 outputs “on”, “off”, and “off” indicating B4SEF, it is determined that this is 10 inches.

  Thus, by selecting either “AB” or “inch” in accordance with the size series of the document to be copied by the operator, the slide position of the document guide 22a is inaccurate. It is possible to prevent erroneous detection of the original document size.

  As described above, in the automatic document feeder 2 according to the present embodiment, even if the slide position of the document guide 22a is slightly shifted, it is the closest in the selected size series based on the detection result by the sensor 23. The document size can be recognized as the size of the document. Therefore, according to the automatic document feeder 2 of the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent erroneous recognition of the document size while supporting a plurality of size series.

  In the embodiment described above, the “AB size” and the “inch size” have been described as examples of the size series. However, according to the present invention, other size series may be used depending on the inaccuracy of the slide position of the document guide. The size series is not limited to these size series as long as there is a possibility of erroneous size detection with respect to the original document size.

1 is an external perspective view of a copying machine that partially includes an embodiment of an automatic document feeder according to the present invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the automatic document feeder shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the display image of the liquid crystal operation panel shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an image displayed on the panel when a page tag “original size series” is selected in the liquid crystal display panel shown in FIG. 3. It is a figure which shows the relationship between an actuator and a sensor by an original guide slidingly moving. It is a figure which shows the sensor output according to the slide position of the document guide shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Copying machine 2 Automatic document feeder 21 Document mounting stand 22a Document guide 22b Actuator 23 Sensor 24 CPU
3 Body 31 LCD operation panel

Claims (3)

In an automatic document feeder for feeding a document placed on a document placement table in a predetermined delivery direction,
A document guide configured to be slidable in a width direction perpendicular to the sending direction, and being slid to a position corresponding to the width of the document to regulate the position in the width direction of the document;
A sensor group provided at a plurality of positions in the width direction of the document guide; and a sensor member attached to the document guide and moving in accordance with the movement of the document guide; A sensor unit that outputs a signal corresponding to the moving position ,
A size series selection unit that selects one of the inch-type document size series and the AB-type document size series in response to an operation, and a movement position of the sensor member in the width direction. A size recognition unit that receives an output signal from the sensor group and recognizes the size of the document whose position in the width direction is regulated by the document guide based on a combination of the received output signals, the received output signal Even if the combination represents a document having a size in the width direction of 10 inches, if the AB document size series is selected in the size series selection unit, the short side is the document guide. Even if the combination of the received output signals represents a document having a size in the width direction of 8.5 inches, the size system is recognized. When the AB system document size series at selector is selected, automatic the short sides and further comprising a recognizing size recognition unit as a document of the A4 size which is sandwiched the original guide Document feeder. An operation panel, the size sequence selection unit which selects any hand document size series of the in accordance with the operation of the operation panel, Inch document size series and AB system document size series of The automatic document feeder according to claim 1, wherein:   2. A document feeding mode for automatically feeding a document and a maintenance mode for performing maintenance of the automatic document feeder, wherein the size series selection unit operates in the maintenance mode. The automatic document feeder described.

Images