JP5630302B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a print medium.

  As a conventional image forming apparatus, for example, an image forming apparatus having a paper feed tray structure described in Patent Document 1 is known. In the paper feed tray structure, transfer paper is stored in a box-shaped recycling case. Then, the recycling case is set on the base plate of the paper feeder. The recycling case has an opening, and the transfer paper is conveyed from the opening to the secondary transfer unit.

  According to the paper feed tray structure as described above, the transfer paper accommodated in the recycling case can be set in the paper feeding device without being taken out from the recycling case. For this reason, in the paper feed tray structure, for example, if a backing paper with an image printed on only one side is stocked in a recycling case, the user can remove the backing paper by setting the recycling case in the paper feeding device. It can be used without taking it out of the recycling case.

  By the way, in the paper feed tray structure described in Patent Document 1, the size of the transfer paper is recognized by detecting the size of the recycling case. Therefore, in the paper feed tray structure described in Patent Document 1, if the transfer paper bundle is set in the paper feed device without using the recycle case, the paper feed device may not detect the size of the recycle case. Without detecting the size of the transfer paper bundle. The size of the recycling case is larger than the size of the transfer paper that can be accommodated in the recycling case. For this reason, the paper feeding device cannot detect the size that matches the size of the recycling case, and therefore cannot accurately recognize the size of the transfer paper.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-203656

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to detect the size of the print medium in both the first mode in which the print medium is stacked on the cassette and the second mode in which the box containing the print medium is stacked on the cassette. An image forming apparatus is provided.

The image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a print medium, a cassette cargo is loaded, and detection means for detecting and measuring the size of the cargo, In the first mode in which the load is a print medium, the size of the load measured and detected by the detection unit is recognized as the size of the print medium loaded in the cassette, and the load is a print medium. Control means for recognizing a size smaller than the size of the load measured and detected by the detection means as the size of the print medium stored in the box It is characterized by providing.

  According to the present invention, the size of the print medium can be detected in both the first mode in which the print medium is stacked on the cassette and the second mode in which the box containing the print medium is stacked on the cassette.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus. It is an external appearance perspective view of a cassette. FIG. 6 is a plan view of a cassette loaded with a plurality of sheets from the front side. It is an external appearance perspective view of a box. It is the figure which planarly viewed from the front side the cassette with which the box which accommodates the several sheet | seat was loaded. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation performed by a control unit when a paper size is recognized.

(Outline of image forming apparatus)
The outline of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of the image forming apparatus 1.

  The image forming apparatus 1 is an electrophotographic color printer, and is configured to synthesize images of four colors (Y: yellow, M: magenta, C: cyan, K: black) in a so-called tandem system. . The image forming apparatus 1 has a function of forming an image on a sheet (printing medium) P based on image data read by a scanner. As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 2, a printing unit 3, a cassette 16, A sheet feeding roller 17, a registration roller pair 19, a fixing device 20, a sheet discharge roller pair 21, a sheet discharge tray 23, a control unit 30, a storage unit 32, detection units 34 and 36, and a touch panel 38 are provided.

  The main body 2 includes a housing that houses the printing unit 3, cassette 16, paper feed roller 17, registration roller pair 19, fixing device 20, paper discharge roller pair 21, control unit 30, storage unit 32, and detection units 34 and 36. Is the body.

  A plurality of sheets P are stacked on the cassette 16. The paper feed roller 17 takes out the sheets P stacked in the cassette 16 one by one and conveys the sheets in the right direction.

  Here, details of the cassette 16 will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of the cassette 16. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the cassette 16 on which a plurality of sheets P are stacked from the front side.

  The cassette 16 is configured to be inserted into and removed from the main body 2 by being slid in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the cassette 16 includes a cassette body 40, guides 42 a, 42 b, 44 and a push-up plate 46.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cassette body 40 is a rectangular parallelepiped box having an open top surface, on which a plurality of sheets P are stacked. The sheet feeding roller 17 is provided above the right end of the cassette body 40 as shown in FIGS. The paper feed roller 17 conveys the paper P in the right direction.

  The guides 42 a and 42 b can move in the front-rear direction orthogonal to the right direction in which the paper feed roller 17 transports the paper P, and contact the plurality of paper P stacked on the cassette body 40. More specifically, the guide 42 a has a surface that is perpendicular to the front-rear direction and faces the front side, and is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction in the rear half region of the cassette body 40. The guide 42b is a surface perpendicular to the front-rear direction and has a surface facing the rear side, and is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction in the front half region of the cassette body 40. The guides 42a and 42b contact the plurality of sheets P stacked on the cassette body 40 from the front and rear directions to sandwich the plurality of sheets P.

  The guide 44 can move in the left-right direction in which the paper feed roller 17 conveys the paper P, and comes into contact with a plurality of paper P stacked in the cassette body 40. More specifically, the guide 44 has a surface perpendicular to the left-right direction and facing the right side, and is configured to be movable in the left-right direction. The guide 44 contacts the plurality of sheets P stacked on the cassette body 40 from the left direction, and sandwiches the plurality of sheets P from the left and right direction together with the right side wall of the cassette body 40.

  The push-up plate 46 is a plate-like member provided on the bottom surface of the cassette body 40 and pushes up a plurality of sheets P stacked on the cassette body 40 as shown in FIG. More specifically, the push-up plate 46 is a T-shaped plate composed of a first part 46a and a second part 46b. As shown in FIG. 2, the first portion 46 a is a rectangular plate that extends in the front-rear direction along the right side surface of the cassette body 40. The second portion 46b is a rectangular plate extending from the midpoint of the first portion 46a in the front-rear direction toward the left. The push-up plate 46 is attached to the cassette body 40 so as to be swingable in the vertical direction around the left end of the second portion 46b. Further, the push-up plate 46 is biased upward by an elastic body (not shown). As a result, the plurality of sheets P stacked on the push-up plate 46 are pushed upward by the push-up plate 46 as shown in FIG. As a result, the uppermost sheet P of the plurality of sheets P contacts the sheet feeding roller 17. Therefore, the paper feed roller 17 can transport the uppermost paper P among the plurality of papers P to the right.

  By the way, as will be described below, the cassette 16 may be loaded with boxes on which a plurality of sheets P are stacked. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the box 50. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the cassette 16 loaded with boxes 50 containing a plurality of sheets of paper P from the front side.

  As illustrated in FIG. 4, the box 50 is a rectangular parallelepiped box having an open top surface, and includes a side surface portion 52 and a bottom surface portion 54. The side part 52 is comprised by the four side surfaces 52a-52d which make T character.

  The side surface 52a is a right side surface, and includes a horizontal portion 53a and a vertical portion 53b. The horizontal portion 53a is a rectangular plate extending in the front-rear direction. The vertical portion 53b is a rectangular plate extending from the middle point in the front-rear direction of the horizontal portion 53a toward the lower side. The horizontal portion 53a and the vertical portion 53b are provided with a slit SL1 extending in the vertical direction.

  The side surface 52b is a left side surface, and includes a horizontal portion 53c and a vertical portion 53d. The horizontal portion 53c is a rectangular plate extending in the front-rear direction. The vertical portion 53d is a rectangular plate extending from the midpoint of the horizontal portion 53c in the front-rear direction toward the lower side. Further, the horizontal portion 53c and the vertical portion 53d are provided with slits SL2 extending in the vertical direction.

  The side surface 52c is a rear side surface and includes a horizontal portion 53e and a vertical portion 53f. The horizontal portion 53e is a rectangular plate extending in the left-right direction. The vertical part 53f is a rectangular plate extending from the horizontal point of the horizontal part 53e toward the lower side. The horizontal portion 53e and the vertical portion 53f are provided with slits SL3 extending in the vertical direction.

  The side surface 52d is a front side surface and includes a horizontal portion 53g and a vertical portion 53h. The horizontal portion 53g is a rectangular plate extending in the left-right direction. The vertical portion 53h is a rectangular plate extending from the horizontal point of the horizontal portion 53g toward the lower side. The horizontal portion 53g and the horizontal portion 53h are provided with slits SL4 extending in the vertical direction.

  The bottom surface portion 54 has a bottom surface 54a and protrusions 54b to 54e. The bottom surface 54a is a rectangular plate. The protrusion 54b protrudes rightward from the midpoint of the right side of the bottom surface 54a and is inserted into the slit SL1. The protrusion 54c protrudes leftward from the midpoint of the left side of the bottom surface 54a and is inserted into the slit SL2. The protrusion 54d protrudes backward from the midpoint of the rear side of the bottom surface 54a and is inserted into the slit SL3. The protrusion 54e protrudes forward from the midpoint of the front side of the bottom surface 54a and is inserted into the slit SL4. Since the projections 54b to 54e can move in the vertical direction in the slits SL1 to SL4, the bottom surface portion 54 configured as described above can move in the vertical direction with respect to the side surface portion 52. Furthermore, the bottom surface part 54 can also take the attitude | position inclined with respect to the horizontal surface.

  The box 50 configured as described above can accommodate a plurality of sheets of paper P. More specifically, a plurality of sheets P having the same size as the bottom surface portion 54 when viewed from above are stacked on the bottom surface portion 54. For example, the box 50 is installed outside the image forming apparatus 1. Then, a backing paper is put into the box 50. When the backing paper is used as the paper P, the box 50 containing the paper P is stacked on the cassette 16 as shown in FIG. Hereinafter, a state in which the boxes 50 accommodating a plurality of sheets P are stacked on the cassette 16 will be described with reference to FIG.

  A box 50 containing a plurality of sheets P is stacked on the cassette body 40. At this time, the guides 42 a and 42 b contact the box 50 loaded on the cassette body 40 from the front and rear directions to sandwich the box 50. The guide 44 contacts the box 50 loaded on the cassette body 40 from the left direction, and sandwiches the box 50 from the left and right direction together with the right side wall of the cassette body 40. Further, the push-up plate 46 is urged upward by an elastic body (not shown). As a result, the bottom surface portion 54 of the box 50 loaded on the push-up plate 46 is pushed upward by the push-up plate 46 as shown in FIG. As a result, the uppermost sheet P among the plurality of sheets P stacked on the bottom surface portion 54 contacts the sheet feeding roller 17. Therefore, the paper feed roller 17 can transport the uppermost paper P among the plurality of papers P accommodated in the box 50 to the right.

  As described above, the cassette 16 can store a plurality of sheets P or a box 50 that stores a plurality of sheets P. Hereinafter, a plurality of sheets P loaded in the cassette 16 or a box 50 containing a plurality of sheets P is collectively referred to as a load. Further, a mode in which a plurality of sheets P are loaded on the cassette 16 as a load is called a normal mode, and a mode in which a box 50 containing a plurality of sheets P is loaded on the cassette 16 as a load. This is called the back paper mode.

  As illustrated in FIG. 1, the registration roller pair 19 conveys the sheet P while adjusting the timing so that the toner image is secondarily transferred to the sheet P conveyed by the sheet feeding roller 17 in the printing unit 3. .

  The printing unit 3 forms a toner image on the paper P supplied from the cassette 16, and the optical scanning device 6, the transfer unit 8 (8Y, 8M, 8C, 8K), the transfer belt 11, the driving roller 12, and the driven roller 13. The secondary transfer roller 14 and the image forming unit 22 (22Y, 22M, 22C, 22K) are included. The image forming unit 22 (22Y, 22M, 22C, 22K) includes a photosensitive drum 4 (4Y, 4M, 4C, 4K), a charger 5 (5Y, 5M, 5C, 5K), and a developing device 7 (7Y, 7K). 7M, 7C, 7K) and cleaner 9 (9Y, 9M, 9C, 9K).

  The photosensitive drum 4 (4Y, 4M, 4C, 4K) has a cylindrical shape, and is rotated clockwise in FIG. The charger 5 (5Y, 5M, 5C, 5K) charges the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 4 (4Y, 4M, 4C, 4K). The optical scanning device 6 scans the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 4 (4Y, 4M, 4C, 4K) with the beam B (BY, BM, BC, BK) under the control of the control unit 30. Thereby, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 4 (4Y, 4M, 4C, 4K).

  The developing device 7 (7Y, 7M, 7C, 7K) develops a toner image based on the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 4 (4Y, 4M, 4C, 4K).

  The transfer belt 11 is stretched between the driving roller 12 and the driven roller 13. The transfer unit 8 is disposed so as to face the inner peripheral surface of the transfer belt 11 and plays a role of primarily transferring the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 4 to the transfer belt 11. The cleaner 9 collects the toner remaining on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive drum 4 after the primary transfer. The driving roller 12 is rotated by an intermediate transfer belt driving unit (not shown in FIG. 1) to drive the transfer belt 11 in the direction of arrow α. As a result, the transfer belt 11 conveys the toner image to the secondary transfer roller 14.

  The secondary transfer roller 14 faces the transfer belt 11 and has a drum shape. The secondary transfer roller 14 secondarily transfers the toner image carried by the transfer belt 11 to the paper P passing between the secondary transfer roller 14 and the transfer belt 11 when a transfer voltage is applied.

  The sheet P on which the toner image is secondarily transferred is conveyed to the fixing device 20. The fixing device 20 fixes the toner image on the paper P by performing heat treatment and pressure treatment on the paper P. The paper discharge roller pair 21 discharges the paper P conveyed from the fixing device 20 to the paper discharge tray 23. A printed paper P is placed on the paper discharge tray 23.

  The detection units 34 and 36 detect the size of the paper P. More specifically, the detection unit 34 detects the width (size in the front-rear direction) of the load. In the present embodiment, the detection unit 34 is provided in the cassette body 40 and detects the width of the load based on the positions of the guides 42a and 42b. The detection unit 36 detects the length of the load (the size in the left-right direction). In the present embodiment, the detection unit 36 is provided in the cassette body 40 and detects the length of the load based on the position of the guide 44.

  The control unit 30 is configured by, for example, a CPU, and controls the operation of the entire image forming apparatus 1. Further, in the normal mode, the control unit 30 recognizes the size of the load detected by the detection units 34 and 36 as the size of the paper P loaded in the cassette 16, and in the back paper mode, the detection units 34 and 36 A size smaller than the detected size of the load is recognized as the size of the paper P stored in the box 50. The storage unit 32 includes a memory, a hard disk, and the like, and stores the table shown in Table 1. Table 1 is a table in which the size of the box 50 is associated with the size of the paper P accommodated in the box 50.

  In the back paper mode, the control unit 30 determines the size of the load detected by the detection units 34 and 36 as the size of the box 50, and determines the size of the paper P corresponding to the size of the box 50 based on the table in Table 1. recognize.

  The touch panel 38 is a device that includes an input unit and a display unit. The user can operate the image forming apparatus 1 by touching the touch panel 38. In the present embodiment, when the user operates the touch panel 38, the normal mode and the back paper mode are switched.

(Operation of image forming apparatus)
Hereinafter, an operation in which the control unit 30 recognizes the size of the paper P in the image forming apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation performed by the control unit 30 when the size of the paper P is recognized.

  First, the control unit 30 determines whether or not a load is loaded on the cassette 16 (step S1). Detection of the presence / absence of a load is performed based on, for example, an output from a sensor (not shown) provided in the cassette 16. If the load is loaded, the process proceeds to step S2. If no load is loaded, this process ends.

  When the load is loaded, the control unit 30 acquires the size (length and width) of the load from the detection units 34 and 36 (step S2). Then, the control unit 30 determines whether the stacking state of the paper P is the normal mode or the back paper mode (step S3). In the normal mode, the process proceeds to step S4. If it is the backing paper mode degree, the process proceeds to step S5.

  In the normal mode, the control unit 30 recognizes that the size of the load is the size of the paper P (step S4). Thereafter, this process ends.

  In the case of the backing paper mode, the control unit 30 refers to the table in Table 1 (step S5). Then, the control unit 30 determines the size of the load acquired in step S2 as the size of the box 50, and recognizes the size of the paper P corresponding to the size of the box 50 based on the table (step S6). Thereafter, this process ends.

(effect)
According to the image forming apparatus 1 configured as described above, the size of the paper P can be detected in both the normal mode and the back paper mode. More specifically, in the image forming apparatus 1, the detection units 34 and 36 detect the size of the load loaded on the cassette 16. Here, even if the size of the paper P is the same between the case where the load is the paper P and the case where the load is the box 50 containing the paper P, the detection units 34 and 36 are The size of the load to be detected is different. Therefore, the control unit 30 determines whether the loading state of the paper P is the normal mode in which the paper P is loaded as a load on the cassette 16 or the box 50 containing the paper P in the cassette 16 is loaded as the load. It is determined whether the back paper mode is set. Further, in the normal mode, the control unit 30 recognizes the size of the load detected by the detection units 34 and 36 as the size of the paper P loaded on the cassette 16, and in the back paper mode, the detection units 34 and 36 A size smaller than the detected size of the load is recognized as the size of the paper P stored in the box 50. Thus, the control unit 30 can detect the size of the paper P in both the normal mode and the back paper mode.

(Other embodiments)
The image forming apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to the image forming apparatus 1 shown in the above embodiment, and can be changed within the scope of the gist thereof.

  For example, in the image forming apparatus 1, switching between the normal mode and the back paper mode is performed by the touch panel 38, but may be performed by a detection result of a sensor provided in the cassette 16. More specifically, the cassette 16 is provided with a sensor for detecting the box 50. When the sensor detects the box 50, the control unit 30 determines that the backing paper mode is set. On the other hand, when the sensor does not detect the box 50, the control unit 30 determines that the normal mode is set. This eliminates the need for user input when switching between the normal mode and the backing paper mode.

  A plurality of types of boxes 50 are prepared according to the size of the paper P used in the image forming apparatus 1.

  In the embodiment, the mode in which the box 50 containing the paper P is stacked on the cassette 16 is referred to as the back paper mode. However, the paper P contained in the box 50 is not necessarily the back paper. There is no.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful for an image forming apparatus. In particular, printing is performed in both a first mode in which a print medium is stacked on a cassette and a second mode in which a box containing the print medium is stacked on a cassette. It is excellent in that the size of the medium can be detected.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 16 Cassette 17 Paper feed roller 30 Control part 32 Memory | storage part 34,36 Detection part 38 Touch panel 40 Cassette main body 42a, 42b, 44 Guide 46 Push-up board 50 Box

Claims (5)

An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a print medium,
A cassette on which the load is loaded,
Detecting means for measuring and detecting the size of the load;
In the first mode in which the load is a print medium, the size of the load measured and detected by the detection unit is recognized as the size of the print medium loaded in the cassette, and the load is a print medium. Control means for recognizing a size smaller than the size of the load measured and detected by the detection means as the size of the print medium stored in the box ,
Having
An image forming apparatus. Storage means for storing the size of the box and the size of the print medium accommodated in the box in association with each other;
In addition,
In the second mode, the control unit determines that the size of the load measured and detected by the detection unit is the size of the box, and recognizes the size of the print medium corresponding to the size of the box. ,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. Switching means for switching between the first mode and the second mode;
More
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus. Conveying means for conveying the printing medium loaded in the cassette or the printing medium accommodated in the box loaded in the cassette;
More
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus. The cassette is
A first guide that is capable of moving in a transport direction in which the transport means transports a print medium and that contacts the load;
A second guide that can move in a width direction perpendicular to the transport direction and that contacts the load;
Contains
The detecting means measures and detects the size of the load based on the positions of the first guide and the second guide;
The image forming apparatus according to claim 4.

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