JP6361521B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including a paper feed cassette that stores paper.

  An image forming apparatus that is a printer, a multifunction printer, a multifunction peripheral device, or a multifunction peripheral (MFP) develops an electrostatic latent image of a document formed on a photoreceptor with toner supplied from a developing device. Then, the toner image is transferred to a sheet taken out from the paper feed cassette and fixed, and the sheet on which the toner image is transferred is discharged from the image forming apparatus. In the process of printing the document on the paper in this way, the paper is taken out from the paper cassette, so that the user can replenish the paper cassette when the paper becomes low or runs out, or another size. When printing with different types of paper, the paper in the paper cassette is replaced with another paper. However, when a user prints on a different size or type of paper, if the printing is performed with the paper size or type set as before, a miscopy occurs due to supplying the wrong paper. . For this reason, for example, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, paper information such as paper quality, thickness, and size of the image recording paper stored in the paper feed cassette is stored, and the user operates the paper feed cassette. When a predetermined condition is established, such as when it is performed, the stored paper information is displayed, and if the paper information is set or changed, the paper information stored by the user is rewritten to prevent miscopying. .

JP 2002-278377 A

  However, the image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is erroneous when the user performs an operation of opening / closing the paper cassette to check whether the paper in the paper cassette is low, or when the paper is replaced. Even when another paper cassette is opened and closed, the paper information is displayed, which is troublesome.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of solving the above-described problems.

An image forming apparatus according to the present invention is an image forming apparatus including a paper feed cassette, and a paper feed cassette open detection unit that detects that the paper feed cassette is opened, and a total number of print sheets in the image forming apparatus. Paper setting screen display means for displaying a paper setting screen when the paper usage ratio of the opened paper cassette is equal to or less than a predetermined paper usage ratio standard, and the paper cassette has a paper feed counter The sheet usage ratio of the sheet cassette is calculated from the total number of sheets taken out from the sheet cassette counted by the sheet feed counter and the total number of sheets printed by the image forming apparatus. Yes.
The image forming apparatus of the present invention is an image forming apparatus provided with a paper feed cassette, and includes a paper feed cassette open detecting means for detecting that the paper feed cassette is opened, and a dedicated paper in the opened paper feed cassette. Is set and a paper setting screen is displayed when the paper usage ratio of the opened paper cassette with respect to the total number of printing paper in the image forming apparatus is equal to or less than a predetermined paper usage percentage standard. Screen display means, the paper feed cassette comprises a paper feed counter, and the paper usage ratio of the paper feed cassette is calculated by summing up the total number of sheets taken out from the paper feed cassette counted by the paper feed counter. It is calculated from the total number of printing sheets of the image forming apparatus.
The image forming apparatus according to the present invention further includes a paper-out detecting unit that detects that the paper in the paper cassette has run out, and the paper setting screen display unit has run out of paper in the paper cassette detected to be opened. When this is detected, the paper setting screen is not displayed.
The image forming apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the paper setting screen display means displays the paper setting screen corresponding to the paper feeding cassette when the paper setting screen differs depending on the paper feeding cassette. .

  The present invention determines whether it is necessary to display a screen for setting the paper size and type (hereinafter referred to as “paper setting screen”), and displays an image for displaying the paper setting screen when it is determined that it is necessary A forming apparatus is provided.

1 is an external perspective view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an internal configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a control block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the paper setting screen display process which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “embodiments”) will be described with reference to the drawings. An image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment is an image forming apparatus that forms an image, such as a printer, a multifunction printer, a multifunction peripheral device, or a multifunction peripheral. Referring to FIG. 1, a document reading unit 2 and a document feeding unit 3, a main body 4, and an operation unit 5. The document reading unit 2 is disposed on the top of the main body unit 4, and the document feeding unit 3 is disposed on the top of the document reading unit 2.

  On the front side of the image forming apparatus 1, an operation unit 5 for setting and operating instructions of the image forming apparatus 1 is disposed. The operation unit 5 is provided with a liquid crystal display unit 51 and operation buttons 52. The user operates the operation unit 5 to input an instruction, thereby performing various settings of the image forming apparatus 1 and executing various functions such as image formation. The liquid crystal display unit 51 displays the state of the image forming apparatus 1, displays the image forming status and the number of copies, and can be used as a touch panel to perform various settings such as functions such as double-sided printing and black-and-white reversal, magnification setting, and density setting. It has become. The operation buttons 52 include a start button for instructing start of image formation, a stop / clear button for instructing to stop image formation, a reset button used when various settings of the image forming apparatus 1 are set to a default state, a numeric keypad, and the like. Is provided.

  Referring to FIG. 2, the document reading unit 2 includes a scanner 21, a platen glass 22, and a document reading slit 23. The scanner 21 includes a light source 24 using an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and a light receiving unit 25 including a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) line sensor, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) line sensor, and the like. The unit 3 is configured to be movable in the conveyance direction of the document MS (manuscript). The document reading slit 23 is a slit formed in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the document MS by the document feeding unit 3.

  The document feeding unit 3 includes a document placement unit 31, a document discharge unit 32, and a document transport mechanism 33. The document MS set on the document placement unit 31 is sequentially fed out one by one by the document transport mechanism 33, transported to a position facing the document reading slit 23, and then discharged to the document discharge unit 32. The document feeding unit 3 and the document reading unit 2 are connected to each other by a hinge mechanism on the back side of the image forming apparatus 1, and the document feeding unit 3 functions as a platen cover that opens and closes the upper surface of the platen glass 22. . By opening the document feeder 3 upward, the upper surface of the platen glass 22 is opened, and the document MS can be set on the platen glass 22.

  When reading of the document MS is instructed by the operation button 52 of the operation unit 5 in a state where the document MS is not set on the document placement unit 31 or in an opened state where the document feeding unit 3 (platen cover) is opened. A document MS set on the platen glass 22 is read. When reading the document MS placed on the platen glass 22, the scanner 21 is moved to a position facing the platen glass 22, and the document MS set on the platen glass 22 is moved in the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction. The image data is obtained by scanning while scanning from the sub-scanning direction reference line B, and the obtained image data is output to the control unit 7 (FIG. 3) in the main body unit 4.

  When reading of the document MS is instructed by the operation button 52 of the operation unit 5 in a state where the document MS is set on the document placement unit 31, the document MS conveyed by the document feeding unit 3 is read. The document MS is set on the document placement unit 31 with the front surface (surface from which a document image is read) facing up. Then, the document MS set on the document placement unit 31 is conveyed from the left side by the document feeding unit 3, and the surface of the document MS is guided to a position facing the document reading slit 23. Further, when reading the document MS conveyed by the document feeding unit 3, the scanner 21 is moved to a position facing the document reading slit 23 and is synchronized with the conveying operation by the document feeding unit 3 via the document reading slit 23. Then, the original MS is read to acquire image data, and the acquired image data is output to the control unit 7 (FIG. 3) in the main body unit 4.

The main body 4 includes a recording unit 6 and also includes a paper feed cassette 41a, a paper feed cassette 41b, a paper feed cassette 41c, a paper feed cassette roller 42a, a paper feed cassette roller 42b, and a paper feed cassette roller 42c. , A sheet conveyance path 43, a registration roller 44, and a discharge roller 45 are provided.
The paper feed cassette 41 a is a paper feed cassette that stores a plurality of paper sheets P, and the paper feed cassette roller 42 a feeds the paper P from the paper feed cassette 41 a to the paper transport path 43 one by one. The paper P fed out to the paper transport path 43 by the paper feed cassette roller 42 a is transported to the recording unit 6 by the registration roller 44. The paper feed cassette 41b is a paper feed cassette that stores a plurality of sheets of paper P in the same manner as the paper feed cassette 41a. The paper feed cassette roller 42b is configured to feed the paper P from the paper feed cassette 41b one by one. To go out. The paper P fed to the paper transport path 43 by the paper feed cassette roller 42 b is transported to the recording unit 6 by the registration roller 44. The paper feed cassette 41c is a paper feed cassette that stores a plurality of sheets of paper P in the same manner as the paper feed cassette 41a, and the paper feed cassette roller 42c is a paper transport path 43 for paper P one by one from the paper feed cassette 41c. To go out. The paper P fed to the paper transport path 43 by the paper feed cassette roller 42c is transported to the recording unit 6 by the registration roller 44. The registration roller 44 conveys the paper P so that the leading edge of the paper P supplied from the paper feeding cassette 41a, the paper feeding cassette 41b, and the paper feeding cassette 41c is aligned with the leading edge of the image read from the document.
The paper P on which recording has been performed by the recording unit 6 is discharged by a discharge roller 45 into a discharge space 46 formed between the document reading unit 2 and the main body unit 4. As described above, the paper feed cassette roller 42 a, the paper feed cassette roller 42 b, the paper feed cassette roller 42 c, the registration roller 44, and the discharge roller 45 function as a paper P transport unit.

Each of the paper feed cassette 41a, the paper feed cassette 41b, and the paper feed cassette 41c is provided with an open / close sensor (not shown), a paper out detection sensor (not shown), and a paper feed counter (not shown). ing.
Each open / close sensor is provided with the opened sheet cassette 41a, sheet cassette 41b, or sheet cassette 41c when the sheet cassette 41a, sheet cassette 41b, or sheet cassette 41c is opened. An open detection notification in which the positions of “upper stage”, “middle stage”, and “lower stage” are set is output to the control unit 7 (FIG. 3) in the main body unit 4. The open / close sensor outputs a close detection notification to the control unit 7 (FIG. 3) in the main body 4 when the paper feed cassette 41a, the paper feed cassette 41b, or the paper feed cassette 41c is closed.
When each paper out detection sensor detects that the paper P stored in the paper feed cassette 41a, the paper feed cassette 41b, or the paper feed cassette 41c has run out, the paper feed cassette 41a that has run out of paper P, the paper feed A paper out detection notification in which the positions of “upper”, “middle” and “lower” in which the cassette 41b or the paper feed cassette 41c is installed is output to the control unit 7 (FIG. 3) in the main unit 4. .
Each paper feed counter adds “1” to the counter value each time the paper P is fed out to the paper transport path 43 one by one by the paper feed cassette roller 42a, the paper feed cassette roller 42b, or the paper feed cassette roller 42c. . For example, when one sheet P is fed out to the sheet transport path 43 by the sheet feeding cassette roller 42a, the sheet feeding counter of the sheet feeding cassette 41a adds “1” to the counter value. That is, the counter value of the paper feed cassette 41a is the total number of sheets P taken out from the paper feed cassette 41a in the paper P printed by the image forming apparatus 1. The counter value of the paper cassette 41b and the counter value of the paper cassette 41c are the same as the counter value of the paper cassette 41a. Each paper feed counter outputs the counted counter value to the control unit 7 (FIG. 3) in the main body 4 when the paper feed cassette 41a, the paper feed cassette 41b, or the paper feed cassette 41c is opened. .

  The recording unit 6 includes a photosensitive drum 61, a charging unit 62, an exposure unit 63, an image forming unit 64, a transfer unit 65, a fixing unit 66, and a cleaning unit 67. The exposure unit 63 is an optical unit including a laser device, a mirror, and the like. The exposure unit 63 outputs a laser beam based on image data to the photosensitive drum 61 uniformly charged by the charging unit 62 and exposes the photosensitive drum 61. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the drum 61. The image forming unit 64 is a developing unit that develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 61 using toner, and forms a toner image based on the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 61. The transfer unit 65 transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 61 by the image forming unit 64 to the paper P. The fixing unit 66 heats the paper P on which the toner image is transferred by the transfer unit 65 to fix the toner image on the paper P or the paper P. The toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 61 is removed by the cleaning unit 67.

  FIG. 3 is a control block diagram illustrating a schematic control configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. The document reading unit 2, the document feeding unit 3, the transport unit (the paper feed cassette roller 42 a, the paper feed cassette roller 42 b, the paper feed cassette roller 42 c, the registration roller 44, the discharge roller 45), the operation unit 5, and the recording unit 6. The storage unit 8 and the communication unit 9 are connected to the control unit 7 and controlled in operation by the control unit 7. The control unit 7 includes a paper setting screen display processing unit 71.

The control unit 7 is an information processing unit such as a microcomputer including a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like. The ROM stores a control program for controlling the operation of the image forming apparatus 1. The control unit 7 reads out a control program stored in the ROM and develops the control program in the RAM, thereby controlling the entire apparatus according to predetermined instruction information input from the operation unit 5.
The paper setting screen display processing unit 71 determines whether or not the display of the paper setting screen is necessary, and displays the paper setting screen on the liquid crystal display unit 51 when it is determined that it is necessary. Details of the processing of the paper setting screen display processing unit 71 will be described later.

The storage unit 8 is a storage unit such as a semiconductor memory or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and stores image data of the document MS read by the scanner 21 as well as various management information and setting information. .
Further, the storage unit 8 stores positional information (hereinafter, “dedicated paper”) that stores special paper (hereinafter referred to as “exclusive paper”) such as cover paper, slip paper, or FAX paper used for a specific function. Paper position information ”) is stored. For example, when the paper cassette in which the dedicated paper is stored is the upper paper cassette 41a, “upper” is set in the dedicated paper position information.
The storage unit 8 stores the total number of sheets P printed by the image forming apparatus 1 counted by the control unit 7 (hereinafter referred to as “total number of printed sheets”). Note that the total number of print sheets is initialized (total number of print sheets = 0) when the image forming apparatus 1 is installed. However, the total number of print sheets can be initialized according to user settings. When the total number of print sheets is initialized, the control unit 7 also initializes the counter values of the paper feed cassette 41a, the paper feed cassette 41b, and the paper feed cassette 41c (counter value = 0).

  The communication unit 9 has a function of transmitting / receiving various data to / from a peripheral device 11 such as a personal computer and another image forming apparatus 1a via a network 10 such as a LAN. The communication unit 9 is configured to be connectable to the Internet 13 via the network 10 and the router 12. The communication unit 9 has a function of transmitting / receiving various data to / from various communication devices connected to the Internet 13.

  Next, the paper setting screen display process of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. When the user opens any of the paper feed cassette 41a, the paper feed cassette 41b, or the paper feed cassette 41c (hereinafter referred to as “paper feed cassette”), the open / close sensor detects the open position in which the position of the opened paper feed cassette is set. The notification is output to the control unit 7. When the opening detection notification is input, the control unit 7 activates the paper setting screen display processing unit 71, and the paper setting screen display processing unit 71 starts the paper setting screen display processing.

(Step S101)
First, the paper setting screen display processing unit 71 extracts the position of the paper feed cassette from the open detection notification.

(Step S102)
Next, the paper setting screen display processing unit 71 determines whether a paper out detection notification is input. When a paper out detection notification is input (Yes in step S102), the process proceeds to step S103. When the notification of out of paper detection is not input (No in step S102), the process proceeds to step S105.

(Step S103)
In Yes of step S102, the paper setting screen display processing unit 71 extracts the position of the paper feed cassette from the paper out detection notification.

(Step S104)
Next, the paper setting screen display processing unit 71 determines whether the position of the paper feed cassette in the open detection notification and the position of the paper feed cassette in the paper out detection notification are the same. When the position of the paper feed cassette in the open detection notification and the position of the paper feed cassette in the paper out detection notification are the same (Yes in step S104), the paper P is not stored in the opened paper feed cassette. The paper setting screen display process is terminated. That is, when the opened paper cassette is out of paper, there is a high possibility that the same paper P will be replenished, so the paper setting screen is not displayed. When the position of the paper feed cassette in the open detection notification and the position of the paper cassette in the paper out detection notification are not the same (No in step S104), the paper feed cassette that is out of paper and the opened paper feed cassette are not the same. The paper cassette that is out of paper is left as it is, and the process proceeds to step S105 in order to determine whether or not to display the paper setting screen for the opened paper cassette.

(Step S105)
Next, the paper setting screen display processing unit 71 waits until the paper is replenished and the control unit 7 inputs a close detection notification.

(Step S106)
Next, the paper setting screen display processing unit 71 inputs a close detection notification because the open / close sensor outputs a close detection notification when the paper feed cassette is closed.

(Step S107)
Next, the paper setting screen display processing unit 71 takes out the dedicated paper position information from the storage unit 8.

(Step S108)
Next, the paper setting screen display processing unit 71 determines whether or not the position of the paper feed cassette of the open detection notification is the same as the position of the dedicated paper position information. When the position of the paper feed cassette of the open detection notification and the position of the dedicated paper position information are the same (Yes in step S108), the paper feed setting cassette stores the dedicated paper P, so the paper setting screen The display process ends. If the position of the paper feed cassette in the open detection notification and the position of the dedicated paper position information are not the same (No in step S108), the process proceeds to step S109.

(Step S109)
In step S <b> 108 No, the paper setting screen display processing unit 71 takes out the total number of print sheets of the image forming apparatus 1 from the storage unit 8.

(Step S110)
Next, the paper setting screen display processing unit 71 receives a counter value from a paper feed counter while the paper feed cassette is open.

(Step S111)
Next, the sheet setting screen display processing unit 71 has a ratio of the counter value of the sheet cassette input in step S110 to the total number of print sheets of the image forming apparatus 1 taken out in step S109 (hereinafter referred to as “sheet cassette sheet use ratio”). Is calculated by the following equation.
Paper cassette paper usage ratio = (Paper cassette counter value / total number of printed paper sheets) x 100

(Step S112)
Next, the paper setting screen display processing unit 71 uses a paper feed cassette paper usage ratio standard (hereinafter referred to as “paper cassette paper usage ratio standard”) in which the paper feed cassette paper usage ratio calculated in step S111 is predetermined. Determine whether: When the calculated sheet cassette usage ratio is equal to or less than the sheet cassette usage ratio reference (Yes in step S112), the process proceeds to step S113. When the calculated paper cassette usage ratio is not less than the paper cassette usage ratio reference (No in step S112), the paper setting screen display process is terminated. In other words, it is preferable that the sheet P is highly likely to be changed when it is less than the sheet cassette usage ratio, or such a sheet cassette is determined for replacement of different sheets.
Note that the user can set or change the paper cassette usage ratio standard.

(Step S113)
In Yes of step S112, the paper setting screen display processing unit 71 displays the paper setting screen on the liquid crystal display unit 51, and ends the paper setting screen display processing.

  According to the above paper setting screen display processing, when there is no paper in the opened / closed paper cassette, when dedicated paper is stored in the opened / closed paper cassette, or when the paper stored in the opened / closed paper cassette is stored. When the paper cassette usage ratio is high, the same paper is often supplied. By not displaying the paper setting screen in such a case, it is possible to eliminate the troublesomeness of displaying the paper setting screen every time the user opens the paper feed cassette.

  Although the embodiment has been described in which the image forming apparatus 1 includes the three paper feeding cassettes, that is, the paper feeding cassette 41a, the paper feeding cassette 41b, and the paper feeding cassette 41c, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can also be applied to the image forming apparatus 1 having a sheet feeding cassette of more than one table. The paper cassettes are identified by the positions of “upper”, “middle”, and “lower”. For example, the paper cassettes are numbered to “paper cassette 1”, “paper cassette 2”, “feed”. It is also possible to identify such as “paper cassette 3” and “paper feed cassette 4”. Furthermore, it is possible to identify “capacity 1”, “capacity 2”, “capacity 3”, “capacity 4”, and the like according to the order of the capacity of the paper that can be stored in the paper feed cassette.

  In the embodiment, whether the paper setting screen is displayed depending on whether or not the paper stored in the opened and closed paper cassette is a dedicated paper and the usage frequency of the paper stored in the opened and closed paper cassette. Although it was determined whether or not, it is not limited to this. The paper setting screen may be displayed by determining whether the paper stored in the opened paper cassette is a dedicated paper or the frequency of use of the paper stored in the paper cassette. Is possible.

  Further, in the embodiment, when the dedicated paper is not stored in the opened / closed paper cassette, or when it is determined that the usage frequency of the paper stored in the opened / closed paper cassette is low, the paper is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 51. Although the setting screen is displayed, for example, when the paper setting screen is divided for each paper cassette, a paper setting screen corresponding to the paper cassette can be displayed.

  Such an image forming apparatus of the present invention determines whether or not it is necessary to display a paper setting screen for setting the paper size and type, and displays the paper setting screen when it is determined that it is necessary. it can.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated by specific embodiment, it cannot be overemphasized that the said embodiment is an illustration of this invention and is not limited to this embodiment.

  The present invention is suitable for an image forming apparatus. However, the present invention is not limited to an image forming apparatus, and can be generally applied to an apparatus including an apparatus and a process for displaying an operation screen on which a user performs an operation.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image forming apparatus 1a ... Image forming apparatus 2 ... Document reading part 3 ... Document feeding part 4 ... Body part 5 ... Operation unit 6 ... Recording unit 7 ... Control unit 8 ... Storage unit 9 ... Communication unit 10 ... Network 11 ... Peripheral device 12 ...... Router 13 ... Internet 21 ... Scanner 22 ... Platen glass 23 ... Original reading slit 24 ... Light source 25 ... Light receiving unit 31... Document placing unit 32... Document discharge unit 33... Document transport mechanism 41 a... Paper feed cassette 41 b.・ Paper feed cassette 42a ... Paper feed cassette roller 42b ... Paper feed cassette roller 42c ...・ Paper feeding cassette roller 43... Paper transport path 44... Registration roller 45... Ejection roller 46... Ejection space 51. ... Operation buttons 61 ... Photoconductor drum 62 ... Charging part 63 ... Exposure part 64 ... Image forming part 65 ... Transfer part 66 ... ... Fixing part 67 ... Cleaning part 71 ... Paper setting screen display processing part

Claims (4)

An image forming apparatus including a paper feed cassette,
A paper cassette opening detection means for detecting that the paper cassette is opened;
Paper setting screen display means for displaying a paper setting screen when the paper usage ratio of the opened paper cassette with respect to the total number of printing paper sheets in the image forming apparatus is equal to or less than a predetermined paper usage ratio standard;
The paper feed cassette includes a paper feed counter,
The sheet usage ratio of the sheet feeding cassette is calculated from a total number of sheets taken out from the sheet feeding cassette counted by the sheet feeding counter and a total number of printing sheets of the image forming apparatus. Forming equipment. An image forming apparatus including a paper feed cassette,
A paper cassette opening detection means for detecting that the paper cassette is opened;
No dedicated paper is stored in the opened paper feed cassette, and the paper usage ratio of the opened paper feed cassette with respect to the total number of printing paper in the image forming apparatus is equal to or less than a predetermined paper usage percentage standard. A paper setting screen display means for displaying a paper setting screen in the case,
The paper feed cassette includes a paper feed counter,
The sheet usage ratio of the sheet feeding cassette is calculated from a total number of sheets taken out from the sheet feeding cassette counted by the sheet feeding counter and a total number of printing sheets of the image forming apparatus. Forming equipment. Out of paper detection means for detecting that the paper in the paper cassette has run out,
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the paper setting screen display unit does not display a paper setting screen when detecting that the paper in the paper feed cassette detected to be opened is exhausted. 4. When the paper setting screen by the paper feed cassette is different, the sheet setting screen display unit, any of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that displaying the paper setting screen corresponding to the paper feed cassette 2. The image forming apparatus according to item 1.

Images