JP6135187B2 - Automatic document feeder - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic document feeder mounted on an image reading apparatus or an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to an automatic document feeder that automatically conveys a document to a reading position.

  2. Description of the Related Art In general, an automatic document feeder (hereinafter simply referred to as ADF) mounted on an image reading apparatus such as a copying machine separates documents one by one from a bundle of documents stacked on a document placement table and conveys them to a reading position. It is supposed to be. The document conveyed by the ADF is read by an image reading unit disposed below at the reading position.

  Conventionally, when reading a double-sided document in an image reading apparatus equipped with an ADF, after reading the front side at the reading position, the document is switched back and transported to the same reading position again to read the back side. It was mainstream. In recent years, a reading unit dedicated to the back side (hereinafter referred to as a second reading unit) is provided on the transport path in the ADF so that both the front and back sides of the document can be transported by one document transport without switching back the document. An increasing number of ADFs adopt a so-called one-pass method that enables reading.

  In such a one-pass ADF, the second reading unit is often provided on a conveyance path from the first reading conveyance unit that reads the surface of the document to the paper discharge unit, and the reading surface is directed downward. It is arranged. Here, if foreign matter such as dust adheres to the reading surface of the second reading unit, vertical streaks or the like occur in the image read by the second reading unit, leading to image degradation. For this reason, in the one-pass ADF, a guide plate constituting a conveyance path below the reading surface and various rollers arranged in the vicinity of the second reading unit are integrated so that the reading surface of the second reading unit can be cleaned. The resulting guide unit can be opened and closed with respect to the lower surface of the ADF.

  Further, the ADF has a document detection sensor and various rollers for document transportation at the entrance of the document transportation path, and a paper feed cover unit covering them can be opened and closed with respect to the upper surface of the ADF. Further, the ADF can be opened and closed with respect to the upper surface with respect to the image forming apparatus (copier) by a hinge in order to enable pressure plate copying.

  However, in the above configuration, no means for detecting the open / close state is provided, and when the ADF is operated with each openable / closable component open, the original is passed in a semi-closed state. Thus, there are problems that the read image is disturbed, the original document is damaged, or the original document is jammed.

  For example, an open / close detection device for a document reading apparatus described in Patent Document 1 reflects light emitted from an exposure lamp on a document pressing plate at a document reading position in document movement mode, and causes the CCD to read the reflected light. Since the level of the reflected light varies depending on the open / close state and the surface state of the document pressing plate, the reference level and the reflected light level are compared to detect the open / close state of the document cover. Then, when the document cover is in an open state, a warning is issued, or conveyance of the document is started after the document cover is closed. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the read image from being disturbed, damaging the original document itself, or being jammed inside.

  However, the open / close detection device for the document reading apparatus described in Patent Document 1 described above is configured to detect the opening / closing of the ADF itself, and cannot detect the opening / closing of the guide unit or the paper feed cover unit. For this reason, when the ADF is operated with these units open, the original is passed in a semi-closed state, the read image is disturbed, the original itself is damaged, or the original is jammed. There was a problem of becoming.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and is configured to detect opening / closing of a plurality of openable / closable components so as not to damage an original at the time of reading, and to prevent an image from being disturbed. It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic document feeder.

In order to achieve the above object, an automatic document feeder according to the present invention includes a sheet feeding unit that feeds documents one by one from a sheet bundle placed on a document placing table, and the fed document. A conveying means for conveying, a drive source for rotating the conveying means, a second surface reading means for reading the back surface of the conveyed document, and each of the constituent means are held and can be rotated to a predetermined apparatus by a hinge. A frame supported by the frame, a sheet feed cover member that constitutes a part of the sheet feeding unit and the conveyance unit and is supported to be openable and closable with respect to the frame, the second surface reading unit, and the conveyance A back surface reading cover member which constitutes a part of the means and is supported so as to be openable and closable with respect to the frame; and a plurality of detecting states of opening and closing of the paper feed cover member, the back surface reading cover member and the frame Open / closed state detection And a controller that controls each of the component means, and the controller, when the open / close state detection means detects the opening of the paper feed cover member, the back surface reading cover member, or the frame, When the drive source is stopped and the open / close state detecting means detects that at least one of the paper feed cover member and the back surface reading cover member is opened, the cover is open. The open / close state detection means is an interlock switch attached to at least one of the paper feed cover member, the back surface reading cover member, and the hinge, and the interlock switch attached to the hinge When two or more interlock switches including are arranged in series on the circuit, they are attached to the hinge. The interlock switch kicked is Ru arranged upstream.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an automatic document feeder configured to detect opening / closing of a plurality of openable / closable components so as not to damage the document at the time of reading and to prevent the read image from being disturbed.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic side view of the image reading part which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic sectional drawing of ADF which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the control structure of ADF which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the control structure of the 2nd reading part of ADF which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows opening operation | movement of the paper feed cover unit and guide unit which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the open | release operation | movement of ADF which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the opening-and-closing state detection means which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the opening-and-closing state detection means which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the opening-and-closing state detection means which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the opening-and-closing state detection means which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the opening-closing state detection means which concerns on the 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the opening-closing state detection means which concerns on the 6th Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the opening-closing state detection means which concerns on the 7th Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the opening-closing state detection means which concerns on the 8th Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of an image forming apparatus provided with an automatic document feeder according to the present invention, and shows an example in which the image forming apparatus is applied to an electrophotographic copying machine 1. Examples of the copying machine include a full-color copying machine that forms an image using a general electrostatic imaging method and a copying machine that forms a monochrome image. In addition to the electrophotographic method, for example, an ink jet method can be used as the image forming method. Further, the image forming apparatus provided with the image reading apparatus according to the present invention described above may be configured as a facsimile machine, a printing machine, or a copying machine in addition to the copying machine 1.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a copying machine 1 includes an automatic document feeder (hereinafter simply referred to as ADF) 2 as an automatic document feeder, a paper feed unit 3, an image reader 4 as an image reader, and an image. The image forming unit 5 is a forming unit. In the present embodiment, the ADF 2 and the image reading unit 4 constitute an image reading device 10.

  As will be described later in detail, the ADF 2 includes a document tray 11 as a document placement table and a transport unit 13 including various rollers. The ADF 2 separates originals one by one from the original bundle placed on the original tray 11 and conveys the originals onto the slit glass 7 by the conveying unit 13. Then, the ADF 2 passes the document, which has been read by the image reading unit 4 through the slit glass 7, through the slit glass 7 and then discharges it to the paper discharge tray 12. The ADF 2 is attached to the image reading unit 4 so as to be freely opened and closed.

  The paper feed unit 3 picks up and feeds paper feed cassettes 3a and 3b for storing recording papers of different paper sizes and recording paper P as a recording medium stored in the paper feed cassettes 3a and 3b. Devices 21 and 22, and conveying means 23 including various rollers for conveying the recording paper P fed from these paper feeding devices 21 and 22 to a predetermined image forming position of the image forming unit 5.

  The image reading unit 4 includes a first carriage 25 on which a light source and a mirror member are mounted, a second carriage 26 on which a mirror member is mounted, an imaging lens 27, and an imaging unit 28. As will be described in detail later, the image reading unit 4 reads the image of the original conveyed by the ADF 2, and positions the first carriage 25 and the second carriage 26 indicated by H in FIG. 1 immediately below the slit glass 7. And stop at that position. Then, the light source mounted on the first carriage 25 irradiates light on the document passing through the slit glass 7, and the reflected light from the document is reflected by the mirror members mounted on the first carriage 25 and the second carriage 26. The reflected light is folded and imaged by the imaging lens 27 and read by the imaging unit 28. On the other hand, when reading a document placed on the contact glass 8, the first carriage 25 and the second carriage 26 are moved in the left-right direction (sub-scanning direction) in FIG. Then, in the process of moving the first carriage 25 and the second carriage 26, the original is irradiated with light by the light source, and the reflected light from the original is folded by the mirror members mounted on the first carriage 25 and the second carriage 26. The reflected light is imaged by the imaging lens 27 and read by the imaging unit 28.

  The image forming unit 5 includes an exposure device 31, a plurality of photosensitive drums 32, a developing device 33 filled with toners of different colors from cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, a transfer belt 34, and a fixing device 35. It has. Based on the read image read by the imaging unit 28, the image forming unit 5 exposes each photosensitive drum 32 by the exposure device 31 to form a latent image on each photosensitive drum 32, and each developing device 33 sets each latent image. The photosensitive drum 32 is supplied with different color toners and developed. The image forming unit 5 transfers the image developed on each photosensitive drum 32 by the transfer belt 34 to the recording paper P supplied from the paper feeding unit 3, and then transferred to the recording paper P by the fixing device 35. The toner of the toner image is melted to fix the color image on the recording paper P. As a result, a full-color image is formed on the recording paper P.

  Next, a detailed configuration of the image reading unit 4 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the image reading unit 4 includes the first carriage 25, the second carriage 26, the imaging lens 27, and the imaging unit 28, as described above. The image reading unit 4 is disposed inside the main body frame 4a. In addition, a first rail and a second rail (not shown) are provided inside the main body frame 4a so as to extend in the sub-scanning direction (left and right direction in FIG. 2). The first rail is composed of two rails arranged at a predetermined interval in the main scanning direction orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction. The second rail has the same configuration as the first rail.

  The first carriage 25 is slidably attached to the first rail, and in the sub-scanning direction via a first carriage drive wire (not shown) by a drive motor (not shown), a position indicated by a solid line and a position indicated by a broken line in FIG. It can be reciprocated between. The second carriage 26 is slidably attached to the second rail, and is indicated by a broken line and a position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 2 in the sub-scanning direction via a second carriage drive wire (not shown) by a drive motor (not shown). It is configured to be able to reciprocate between the positions shown. Here, the first carriage 25 and the second carriage 26 move in the sub-scanning direction at a speed ratio of 2: 1. Due to such a moving speed relationship, even if the first carriage 25 and the second carriage 26 move, the optical path length of light from the document surface to the imaging lens 27 does not change.

  The first carriage 25 is provided with a light source 24 and a first mirror member 25a. The second carriage 26 is provided with a second mirror member 26a and a third mirror member 26b.

  The imaging lens 27 collects and focuses the reflected light from the original that has entered through each mirror member on the imaging unit 28. The imaging unit 28 includes an imaging element such as a CCD, and photoelectrically converts the reflected light image of the original image formed through the imaging lens 27 and outputs an analog image signal that is a read image.

  Next, a detailed configuration of the ADF 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the document tray 11 has a movable document table 41 that rotates in the a and b directions with the base end portion as a fulcrum, and a pair of side guide plates that position the left and right directions with respect to the document feeding direction. 42. By rotating the movable document table 41, the front end of the document in the feeding direction is adjusted to an appropriate height.

  The document tray 11 is provided with document length detection sensors 89 and 90 that detect whether the orientation of the document is portrait or landscape, and are separated in the feeding direction. As the document length detection sensors 89 and 90, a reflection type sensor that detects without contact by optical means or a contact type actuator type sensor may be used.

  One side of the pair of side guide plates 42 is slidable in the left-right direction with respect to the paper feeding direction, and is configured such that documents of different sizes can be placed thereon.

  On the fixed side of the pair of side guide plates 42, a set filler 46 that rotates by placing a document is provided. In addition, a document set sensor 82 that detects that a document is placed on the document tray 11 is provided at the lowermost part on the movement locus of the tip of the set filler 46. That is, the document set sensor 82 detects the presence or absence of a document set on the ADF 2 based on whether or not the set filler 46 has been rotated and removed from the document set sensor 82.

  The transport unit 13 (see FIG. 1) of the ADF 2 includes a separation feeding unit 51, a pull-out unit 52, a turn unit 53, a first reading transport unit 54, a second reading transport unit 55, and a paper discharge unit 56. It is comprised by.

  The separation feeding unit 51 includes a pickup roller 61 disposed in the vicinity of the sheet feeding port, and a sheet feeding belt 62 and a reverse roller 63 disposed so as to face each other across the conveyance path.

  The pickup roller 61 is supported by a support arm member 64 attached to the paper feed belt 62, and is illustrated between a contact position where the pickup roller 61 comes into contact with the original bundle via a cam mechanism (not shown) and a separated position away from the original bundle. Moves up and down in the middle c and d directions. The pick-up roller 61 picks up several (ideally one) originals out of the originals stacked on the original tray 11 at the contact position.

  The sheet feeding belt 62 rotates in the feeding direction, and the reverse roller 63 rotates in the direction opposite to the feeding direction. The reverse roller 63 rotates in the reverse direction with respect to the paper feed belt 62 when the originals are double-fed. However, when the reverse roller 63 is in contact with the paper feed belt 62, or only one original is supplied. When the sheet is being conveyed, the sheet is rotated around the sheet feeding belt 62 by the action of a torque limiter (not shown). As a result, double feeding of documents is prevented.

  The pull-out unit 52 has a pull-out roller 65 composed of a pair of rollers arranged so as to sandwich the conveyance path 52a. The pull-out unit 52 performs primary abutting alignment (so-called skew correction) on the sent document according to the drive timing of the pull-out roller 65 and the pickup roller 61, and pulls out and transports the document after alignment.

  The turn portion 53 includes an intermediate roller 66 and a reading entrance roller 67 that are a pair of rollers disposed so as to sandwich a conveyance path 53a that is curved from the top to the bottom. The turn unit 53 turns the original drawn and conveyed by the intermediate roller 66 by conveying the curved conveyance path, and conveys the original surface downward by the reading entrance roller 67 to the vicinity of the slit glass 7. .

  Here, the conveyance speed of the document from the pull-out unit 52 to the turn unit 53 is set to be higher than the conveyance speed in the first reading conveyance unit 54. Thereby, the conveyance time of the document conveyed to the first reading conveyance unit 54 is shortened.

  The first reading / conveying unit 54 includes a first reading roller 68 disposed so as to face the slit glass 7 and a first reading exit roller 69 disposed in the conveying path 55a after completion of reading. The first reading / conveying unit 54 conveys the surface of the document conveyed to the vicinity of the slit glass 7 while being brought into contact with the slit glass 7 by the first reading roller 68, and the document after the reading is completed by the first reading exit roller 69. Carry further.

  The second reading and conveying unit 55 includes a second reading unit 101 that reads the back side of the document, a second reading roller 70 that is disposed to face the second reading unit 101 with the conveying path 55a interposed therebetween, and the second reading unit 101. And a second reading exit roller 71 disposed downstream in the transport direction. In the second reading / conveying unit 55, the second reading unit 101 reads the back side of the document after the front side reading. The document whose back side has been read is conveyed by the second reading exit roller 71 toward the paper discharge port. The second reading roller 70 serves as a reference white portion for acquiring shading data in the second reading unit 101 as well as suppressing the floating of the document in the second reading unit 101. When duplex reading is not performed, the document passes through the second reading unit 101.

  The paper discharge unit 56 is provided with a pair of paper discharge rollers 72 in the vicinity of the paper discharge port, and discharges the document conveyed by the second reading exit roller 71 to the paper discharge tray 12.

  The ADF 2 is provided with various sensors such as an abutment sensor 84, a registration sensor 81, and a paper discharge sensor 83 along the conveyance path, and is used for conveyance control such as a conveyance distance and a conveyance speed of the document.

  Further, a document width sensor 85 is provided between the pull-out roller 65 and the intermediate roller 66. The document width sensor 85 is composed of a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in the width direction of the document, and detects the document width based on the light reception result from the irradiation light provided at the opposite position across the conveyance path. The length of the document in the conveyance direction is detected from the motor pulse by reading the leading edge and the trailing edge of the document with the abutting sensor 84.

  Next, the control configuration of the ADF 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the ADF 2 includes a controller 100 that controls the entire ADF 2. The ADF 2 includes a registration sensor 81, a document set sensor 82, a paper discharge sensor 83, a butting sensor 84, a document width sensor 85, a paper feed cover open / close detection sensor 86, an ADF open / close detection sensor 87, and a second reading unit open / close detection sensor 88. I have. The registration sensor 81, document set sensor 82, paper discharge sensor 83, abutment sensor 84, document width sensor 85, paper feed cover open / close detection sensor 86, ADF open / close detection sensor 87, and second reading unit open / close detection sensor 88 are included in the controller 100. Connected to and input signals to them.

  The ADF 2 includes a pickup motor 92, a paper feed motor 93, a reading motor 94, a paper discharge motor 95, and a bottom plate raising motor 96 as motors that output signals from the controller 100 and control driving of each part of the ADF 2. . Each of these motors is connected to the controller 100.

  The bottom plate raising motor 96 moves the movable document table 41 up and down, and the pickup motor 92 moves the pickup roller 61 up and down. The paper feed motor 93 rotationally drives the pickup roller 61, the paper feed belt 62, the reverse roller 63, the pull-out roller 65, and the intermediate roller 66. The reading motor 94 rotationally drives the reading inlet roller 67, the first reading roller 68, the first reading outlet roller 69, and the second reading outlet roller 71. The paper discharge motor 95 rotates the paper discharge roller 72.

  Each motor is controlled by the controller 100 based on the detection signal of each sensor described above. The second reading unit 101 described above is connected to the controller 100. When the paper feed cover open / close detection sensor 86, the ADF open / close detection sensor 87, or the second reading unit open / close detection sensor 88 detects the opening of the guide unit 120, the paper feed cover unit 130, or the ADF 2, the controller 100 performs all driving. The source, the pickup motor 92, the paper feed motor 93, the reading motor 94, the paper discharge motor 95, and the bottom plate raising motor 96 are stopped. Further, the controller 100 detects that the paper feed cover open / close detection sensor 86, the ADF open / close detection sensor 87, or the second reading unit open / close detection sensor 88 detects the opening of the guide unit 120, the paper feed cover unit 130, or the ADF 2, as will be described later. The operating unit 106 is notified that the guide unit 120, the paper feed cover unit 130, or the ADF 2 is open.

  The copying machine 1 also includes a main body control unit 105 that controls the entire apparatus and an operation unit 106 that performs various input operations and operation instructions. The controller 100 and the main body control unit 105 are connected via an I / F 107, and data such as a control signal is exchanged between the two. In the operation unit 106, the user can select whether the original reading performed by the ADF 2 is executed in the reading mode of the duplex mode or the simplex mode. Here, the user may set the same reading mode for all of the documents placed on the document tray 11 or may set different reading modes for each document. For example, out of a bundle of ten originals, the first and tenth originals can be set to the double-sided mode, and the other originals can be set to the single-sided mode.

  In the ADF 2, when the leading edge of the document conveyed to the first reading conveyance unit 54 is detected by a reading inlet sensor (not shown), the document is conveyed before the leading edge of the document enters the nip portion of the reading inlet roller 67. In order to make the speed the same as the reading conveyance speed, the document conveyance speed is reduced. At the same time, the reading motor 94 is driven forward (CW) to rotationally drive the reading inlet roller 67, the first reading roller 68, the first reading outlet roller 69, and the second reading outlet roller 71.

  When the leading edge of the document is detected by the registration sensor 81, the document is decelerated over a predetermined conveyance distance, and temporarily stops before the reading position 7a. At this time, the controller 100 transmits a registration stop signal to the main body control unit 105 via the I / F 107. Subsequently, when a reading start signal is received from the main body control unit 105, the document whose registration has been stopped is transported at an increased speed so as to rise to a predetermined transport speed before the leading end of the document reaches the reading position 7a. At the timing when the leading edge of the document detected by the pulse count of the reading motor 94 reaches the first reading conveyance unit 54, a gate signal indicating an effective image area in the sub-scanning direction on the first surface (front surface) is sent to the main body control unit 105. The document is transmitted through the first reading conveyance unit 54 until the trailing edge of the original comes off.

  When the reading mode is the single-sided mode, the document that has passed through the first reading conveyance unit 54 is conveyed to the paper discharge unit 56 via the second reading unit 101. At this time, when the leading edge of the document is detected by the paper discharge sensor 83, the paper discharge motor 95 is driven to rotate forward (CW) to rotate the paper discharge roller 72 counterclockwise. Further, at this time, the discharge motor pulse count from the detection of the leading edge of the document by the discharge sensor 83 reduces the driving speed of the discharge motor 95 immediately before the trailing edge of the document comes out of the nip of the upper and lower roller pairs of the discharge roller 72. Thus, control is performed so that the document discharged onto the discharge tray 12 does not jump out.

  When the reading mode is the duplex mode, the second reading unit 101 is detected at the timing when the leading end of the document reaches the second reading unit 101 by the pulse count of the reading motor 94 after the leading edge of the document is detected by the paper discharge sensor 83. On the other hand, a gate signal indicating an effective image area in the sub-scanning direction is transmitted from the controller 100 until the trailing edge of the document passes through the second reading unit 101.

  Next, the control configuration of the second reading unit 101 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the second reading unit 101 includes a light source unit 111, a sensor chip 112, an amplifier 113, an A / D 114, an image processing unit 115, and a frame memory 116.

  The second reading unit 101 irradiates the original with light based on the lighting signal from the controller 100 by the light source unit 111, receives reflected light from the original with each sensor chip 112, converts it into an electrical signal, and outputs it. . The second reading unit 101 amplifies the electric signal output from each sensor chip 112 by the amplifier 113, converts the analog signal into a digital signal by the A / D 114, performs image processing by the image processing unit 115, and performs image processing. Is stored in the frame memory 116.

  Further, the second reading unit 101 outputs to the main body control unit 105 an output control circuit 117 that performs output control of the signal stored in the frame memory 116 based on a timing signal from the controller 100 and a signal from the output control circuit 117. And an output I / F circuit 118.

  Next, each openable / closable portion of the ADF 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the ADF 2 with the guide unit and the paper feed cover unit opened corresponding to FIG. The ADF 2 is provided with a guide unit 120 that constitutes a part of a conveyance path (conveyance path of the second reading conveyance section 55) 55a on the downstream side of the first reading conveyance section 54. The guide unit 120 is disposed below the second reading unit 101 so as to be openable and closable. The ADF 2 is provided with a paper feed cover unit 130 that constitutes a part of the transport path 53 a on the upstream side of the second reading transport unit 55. The paper feed cover unit 130 is disposed above the ADF 2 so as to be openable and closable.

  The guide unit 120 includes a guide plate 121 that constitutes a lower portion of the conveyance path 55a, a counter roller 69a that is disposed to face the first reading exit roller 69, a second reading roller 70, and a second reading exit roller. The opposing roller 71a disposed to face the 71 is configured as one unit.

  Further, the guide unit 120 has a rotating shaft 122 rotatably supported by a frame 2a that is a casing of the ADF 2. The frame 2a holds each component of the ADF 2. The rotating shaft 122 is disposed below the facing roller 71a. Therefore, the guide unit 120 can open the conveyance path 55a to the outside by rotating the tip on the first reading conveyance unit 54 side downward about the rotation shaft 122. Hereinafter, the operation of rotating the guide unit 120 downward as described above is referred to as an opening operation.

  In the paper feed cover unit 130, the guide plate 131 that constitutes the upper part of the transport paths 52a and 53a, one side of the pull-out roller 65, and one side of the intermediate roller 66 are configured as one unit.

  Further, the paper feed cover unit 130 has a rotating shaft 132 that is rotatably supported by a frame 2a that is a housing of the ADF 2. The rotating shaft 132 is disposed in the vicinity of the outlets of the transport paths 52a and 53a. Accordingly, the feed cover unit 130 can open the transport paths 52a and 53a to the outside by rotating the front end of the transport path 52a around the rotation shaft 132 upward. Yes. In the following, the operation of rotating the paper feed cover unit 130 upward as described above is referred to as an opening operation as with the guide unit 120.

  The opening operation of the guide unit 120 or the paper feed cover unit 130 as described above is performed when a foreign substance such as dust or paper dust adheres to the reading surface 101a of the second reading unit 101 or on the transport path 52a, 53a, or 55a. When a jam occurs, it is appropriately performed by the user. The user can easily clean and jam the reading surface 101a by opening the reading surface 101a and the conveyance paths 52a, 53a, or 55a to the outside by opening the guide unit 120 or the paper feed cover unit 130. .

  Next, the opening / closing mechanism of the ADF 2 with respect to the image reading unit 4 will be described. FIG. 7 is a side view of the ADF 2 opened. The ADF 2 is supported by the image reading unit 4 using a hinge 141 so as to be rotatable about a rotation shaft 142 as a central axis. The rotation shaft 142 is disposed in the vicinity of the first reading conveyance unit 54. Therefore, the ADF 2 can open the upper portion of the image reading unit 4 to the outside by rotating the front end of the document tray 11 about the rotation shaft 142 upward. Hereinafter, the operation of rotating the ADF 2 upward as described above is referred to as an opening operation as described above.

  Here, with reference to FIG. 8, the configuration of the open / closed state detecting means according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the open / closed state detecting means according to the first embodiment.

  The paper feed cover open / close detection sensor 86, the second reading unit open / close detection sensor 88, and the ADF open / close detection sensor 87 are interlock switches 86a, 88a, 87a attached to the paper feed cover unit 130, the guide unit 120, and the hinge 141, respectively. It is.

  The interlock switches 86a, 87a, 88a are arranged in series on the circuit. On the upstream side, an interlock switch 87a attached to the hinge 141 is disposed, and on the downstream side thereof, a pickup motor 92, a paper feed motor 93, a reading motor 94, a paper discharge motor 95, and a bottom plate raising motor 96 are arranged. Etc. are arranged.

  With such a configuration, it is possible to determine the open / closed state of the ADF 2 itself regardless of whether the guide unit 120 or the paper feed cover unit 130 is opened and closed. Even when the guide unit 120 or the paper feed cover unit 130 is opened, the copying machine can be used. 1 can make a platen copy. This is because even if the guide unit 120 or the paper feed cover unit 130 is open, it is possible to perform pressure plate copying if the ADF 2 itself is closed. For example, even if the paper feed cover open / close detection sensor 86 or the second reading unit open / close detection sensor 88 breaks down and is always open, the open / close state of the ADF 2 itself can be determined, and pressure plate copying is possible.

  Here, the operation of the ADF 2 according to the present embodiment will be described.

  When the paper feed cover open / close detection sensor 86, the ADF open / close detection sensor 87, or the second reading unit open / close detection sensor 88 detects the opening of the guide unit 120, the paper feed cover unit 130, or the ADF 2, the controller 100 performs all driving. Stop the source. Specifically, the pickup motor 92, paper feed motor 93, reading motor 94, paper discharge motor 95, and bottom plate raising motor 96 are stopped. At the same time, the controller 100 notifies the operation unit 106 that the guide unit 120, the paper feed cover unit 130, or the ADF 2 is open.

  Further, when an abnormal state occurs, the controller 100 warns based on the open / close state detected by the paper feed cover open / close detection sensor 86, the ADF open / close detection sensor 87, or the second reading unit open / close detection sensor 88 and the abnormal state. The operation unit 106 is notified of the display and the handling method.

  Specifically, the controller 100 notifies the ADF 2 to be opened when the first abnormal state occurs. Thereafter, when the ADF open / close detection sensor 87 detects the opening of the ADF 2, the guide unit 120 is opened to notify the first abnormal state to be eliminated. Thereafter, when the first abnormal state is resolved, an instruction to close the guide unit 120 and the ADF 2 is notified. Thereafter, when the ADF opening / closing detection sensor 87 and the second reading unit opening / closing detection sensor 88 detect that the guide unit 120 and the ADF 2 are closed, the notification process is ended. Here, the first abnormal state refers to a case where foreign matter such as dust or paper dust adheres to the reading surface 101a of the second reading unit 101 or a jam occurs on the transport path 52a, 53a, or 55a. .

  In addition, when the second abnormal state occurs, the controller 100 notifies the ADF 2 to be opened, and when the ADF opening / closing detection sensor 87 detects the opening of the ADF 2, the controller 100 cancels the second abnormal state. Notify instructions. Thereafter, when the second abnormal state is resolved, the controller 100 notifies an instruction to close the ADF 2, and thereafter, when the ADF opening / closing detection sensor 87 detects that the ADF 2 is closed, a notification process is performed. Exit. Here, the second abnormal state refers to a case where foreign matter such as dust or paper dust adheres to the slit glass 7 of the image reading unit 4.

  As described above, the ADF 2 according to the present embodiment detects opening / closing of the ADF 2 itself, the guide unit 120, and the paper feed cover unit 130 so that the original is not damaged during reading and the read image is not disturbed. Can be.

  Here, another embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the open / closed state detecting means according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the interlock switch 87a of the ADF 2 may be arranged in parallel with the interlock switches 86a and 88a of the guide unit 120 and the paper feed cover unit 130 on the circuit. According to the second embodiment, the open / closed state of the ADF 2 can be determined regardless of the open / closed state of the guide unit 120 or the paper feed cover unit 130. Therefore, the interlock switches 86a and 88a may be in series. Either may be upstream. However, when displaying which cover is open on the operation unit, it is necessary to arrange all the open / closed state detection means in parallel.

  FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the open / closed state detecting means according to the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, the paper feed cover open / close detection sensor 86 is an interlock switch 86a, and the second reading unit open / close detection sensor 88 is an interlock arranged in series downstream of the interlock switch 86a. The switch 88a may be used. The ADF open / close detection sensor 87 may be an optical sensor 87b such as a photo interrupter, which is arranged independently.

  FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the open / closed state detecting means according to the fourth embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the ADF opening / closing detection sensor 87 is an interlock switch 87a, and the paper feed cover opening / closing detection sensor 86 is an interlock switch 86a arranged in series downstream of the interlock switch 87a. There may be. The second reading unit opening / closing detection sensor 88 may be an optical sensor 88b such as a photo interrupter arranged independently.

  12 to 15 are block diagrams showing the configuration of the open / closed state detecting means according to the fifth to eighth embodiments, respectively. The fifth to eighth embodiments are modifications of the first to fourth embodiments, respectively. In each embodiment, when the interlock switch 86a is at the most upstream, the interlock switches 87a and 88a may be provided together with the optical sensors 87b and 88b, respectively. When the interlock switch 87a is at the most upstream, the interlock switches 86a and 88a may be provided together with the optical sensors 86b and 88b, respectively. When the interlock switch 88a is at the most upstream, the interlock switches 86a and 87a may be provided together with the optical sensors 86b and 87b, respectively.

  According to the fifth to eighth embodiments, the optical sensors 86b, 87b, 88b are further provided separately from the interlock switches 86a, 87a, 88a other than the most upstream, so that in any situation, The open / close state can be determined independently.

  In the fifth to eighth embodiments, when the interlock switch and the optical sensor are provided together, the optical sensors 86b, 87b, 88b may be made to preferentially perform opening / closing detection. .

1 Copying machine (image forming device)
2 Automatic document feeder (ADF)
3 Paper feed unit (paper feed means)
4 Image Reading Unit 5 Image Forming Unit 10 Image Reading Device 11 Document Tray (Document Placement Table)
13 Conveying section (conveying means)
86 Paper feed cover open / close detection sensor (open / close state detection means)
87 ADF open / close detection sensor (open / close state detection means)
88 Second reading section opening / closing detection sensor (opening / closing state detecting means)
86a, 87a, 88a Interlock switch 86b, 87b, 88b Optical sensor 92 Pickup motor (drive source)
93 Paper feed motor (drive source)
94 Reading motor (drive source)
95 Paper discharge motor (drive source)
96 Bottom plate raising motor (drive source)
101 2nd reading part (2nd surface reading means)
120 guide unit (back side reading cover member)
130 Paper feed cover unit (paper feed cover member)

JP 2001-56515 A

Claims (7)

A paper feeding means for feeding the originals one by one from the original bundle placed on the original placement table;
Conveying means for conveying the fed document;
A drive source for rotating the conveying means;
A second surface reading means for reading the back surface of the conveyed document;
A frame that holds each of the constituent means and is rotatably supported by a predetermined device by a hinge;
A paper feed cover member that constitutes a part of the paper feed means and the transport means and is supported to be openable and closable with respect to the frame;
A rear surface reading cover member that constitutes a part of the second surface reading means and the conveying means, and is supported so as to be openable and closable with respect to the frame;
A plurality of open / closed state detecting means for detecting open / closed states of the paper feed cover member, the back surface reading cover member and the frame;
A controller for controlling each of the constituent means,
The controller stops the drive source when the open / close state detection means detects the opening of the paper feed cover member, the back surface reading cover member or the frame , and the open / close state detection means If it is detected that at least one of the paper cover member and the back side reading cover member is opened, the fact that the cover is open is notified,
The open / close state detection means is an interlock switch attached to at least one of the paper feed cover member, the back surface reading cover member, and the hinge,
Two or more of the interlock switch comprising the interlock switch mounted on the hinge, on the circuit, when placed in series, Ru said interlock switch mounted on the hinge is disposed upstream An automatic document feeder.   The controller notifies that the cover is open when the open / close state detection means detects that at least one of the paper feed cover member and the back surface reading cover member is opened. The automatic document feeder according to claim 1. When the two or more interlock switches are arranged in series on the circuit, the open / closed state detection means having the interlock switch at a position other than the most upstream is not limited to the interlock switch. 3. The automatic document feeder according to claim 1, further comprising an automatic sensor. When said closing state detecting means has an interlock switch and optical sensor, the opening and closing state detection unit to perform the opening and closing detection in the optical sensor, any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The automatic document feeder according to one item. Wherein the controller, when an abnormal condition occurs, on the basis of the opening and closing state detecting means open or closed state and the abnormal state is detected, and notifies the alarm display and a corresponding method, according to claim 1 to 4, characterized in that The automatic document feeder according to any one of the above. The controller notifies the opening of the frame when a first abnormal state occurs, and then opens the back surface reading cover member when the opening / closing state detecting means detects the opening of the frame. The first abnormal state is notified, and then, when the first abnormal state is resolved, an instruction to close the back surface reading cover member and the frame is notified, and then the open / closed state 6. The automatic document feeder according to claim 5 , wherein when the detection unit detects that the back side reading cover member and the frame are closed, the notification process is terminated. When the second abnormal state occurs, the controller notifies the frame to be opened, and thereafter, when the open / close state detecting means detects the opening of the frame, the controller cancels the second abnormal state. When the second abnormal state is resolved after that, the instruction to close the frame is notified, and then the open / close state detection means detects that the frame is closed. when it ends the notification processing, that the automatic document feeder according to claim 5 or claim 6, characterized in.

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