JPH01117135A - Copying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detect the presence of copying paper to be stacked on a stacking part by moving this stacking part which stacks sheets of the copying paper. CONSTITUTION:Copying paper conveyed to a stacking part 5 is detected by a paper detecting sensor 55, and stacked on an intermediate stacking part 57 stacking a number of sheets of this copying paper. When the number of copy sheets designated to this intermediate stacking part 57 is stacked, paper refeeding, feeding a resist roller 41 of a copying part 3 with the copying paper stacked on the intermediate stacking part 57, is started. When a lateral slip is corrected, a lifter 59 set up in the intermediate stacking part 57 goes up along in the conveying direction of a separate roller 67 on the intermediate stacking part 57 and if so, edges of the copying paper stacked on a switch 65 comes into contact with it so that the presence of the paper is detected. When this detection is carried out, a pickup roller 63 feeds a transfer guide 69 with the copying paper piece by piece from the separate roller 67.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a copying apparatus that copies on both sides of copy sheets of various sizes or overlaps and copies on one side of the copy sheets.

(Prior Art) A conventional copying apparatus feeds the original A on the original feed tray to the original placing glass, scans the exposure lamp, and sends reflected light onto the surface of the photoreceptor drum via a mirror. irradiate to form a latent image. The photosensitive drum absorbs toner from the developing device and develops a latent image formed by lamp light to form a toner image. On the other hand, on the copy paper designated from the paper feed cassette, the toner image on the photoreceptor drum is copied by a transfer charger and fixed by a fixing device. At this time, if double-sided copying is specified, copy sheets conveyed from the fixing device are stacked in a stacking section that stacks copy sheets on which toner images have been copied from a group of conveying rollers by switching the switching guide.

When the designated number of copies is accumulated in the stacking unit, the copy paper is directed by a switching guide to the opposite side to the side on which the previous copy was made, and is conveyed from the registration roller to the photosensitive drum. The conveyed copy paper is copied from the photoreceptor drum and is discharged to the discharge tray via the fixing device.

On the other hand, if superimposed copying, so-called multiple copying, is specified, the copy sheets on which the toner images have been copied from the photosensitive drums are stacked in the stacking section from the transport roller group in the same manner as in the case of double-sided copying. When the designated number of copies is accumulated in the stacking unit, the copy sheets are discharged from the switching guide via the registration rollers, with the toner images on the photosensitive drums superimposed on each other, from the fixing device to the discharge tray. The number of copy sheets that can be stacked in the stacking section is limited.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the conventional apparatus, the stacking unit that stacks copy sheets for the number of copies during double-sided copying or multiple copying is limited to, for example, A4 size copy paper. Because of this, it was only possible to make double-sided copies or multiple copies on A4 size copy paper. For this reason, other sizes such as 85
When duplicating double-sided copies or multiple copies of copy paper of a version, it is necessary to equip a VR equipment with a stacking section of 1A stack size for 85 versions, which increases maintenance costs, and a solution to this problem is desperately needed. Ta.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and its purpose is to provide a stacking section 1a for collecting copy sheets of various sizes, and to detect the presence or absence of copy sheets stacked in this stacking section. An object of the present invention is to provide a copying apparatus that can perform the following functions.

[Structure 1 of the Invention (Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a cold accumulating unit for accumulating a plurality of copy sheets that have been copied once on one side of copy sheets of various sizes. a moving means for moving a plurality of copy sheets stacked on the stacking section; a detection means for detecting the presence or absence of a plurality of copy sheets stacked on the stacking section moved by the moving means; The main point is to have the following.

(Function) The copying apparatus having the above configuration is provided with a stacking section for stacking a plurality of copy sheets that have been copied once on one side of copy sheets of various sizes, and the stacking section is equipped with After stacking the number of copied sheets to be copied, this stacking section is moved. Since the presence or absence of a plurality of copy sheets stacked on the stacking section by movement is detected, the presence or absence of copy sheets of various sizes stacked on the stacking section can be detected.

(Example) Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail using the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of an embodiment of a copying apparatus according to the present invention.

The main body of this copying apparatus includes a reading section 1 installed at the top of the main body for reading the original A, and a reading section 1 installed at the bottom of the reading section 1 for copying the image information of the read original onto copy paper of various sizes. This structure includes a copying section 3, which is provided at the bottom of the copying section 3, and a stacking section 5.degree., which is provided at the bottom of the copying section 3 and once stacks copied copy sheets of various sizes and then carries them out to the copying section 3.

The document A placed on the document feed tray 7 provided at the end of the reading section 1 of the copying apparatus is supplied to the document placement glass 11 by the automatic document feeder 9, and after scanning the document, The document is discharged to the document discharge tray 13.

When a document A is supplied to the document placement glass 11, an exposure lamp 15 provided in the copying section 3 at the bottom of the document placement glass 11 scans the surface of the document placement glass 11 and detects the reflection from the document A. The light passes through the mirror 17.19°21 and enters the lens 2.
3, an image is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 25.

Around this photoreceptor drum 25, there is a charger 27° and a developer 2.
9. Transfer charger 31. The cleaner 33 is the photosensitive drum 2
It is arranged opposite to 5. The surface of the photoreceptor drum 25 is charged by a charger 27, and a latent image is formed by the imaging of the lens 23, and the latent image is developed by adsorbing toner by a developer 29, thereby forming a toner image. It is formed.

On the other hand, designated copy sheets P from paper feed cassettes 35 to 39 having various sizes are supplied to a transfer charger 31 by a registration roller 41. The copy sheet P supplied to the transfer charger 31 is held between the transfer charger 31 and the photoreceptor drum 25 , on which a toner image is copied, and is conveyed to the fixing device 45 by the conveyor belt 43 . After copying, the photosensitive drum 25 continues to rotate in the direction of arrow E, and the toner image on the drum is removed by the cleaner 33.

On the other hand, the copy paper P conveyed to the fixing device 45 has the toner image fixed thereon and is conveyed to the ADD (automatic duplexer)/discharge switching guide 47, and is discharged to the discharge tray 49 when copying is completed.

In addition, in order to cool the heat discharged from the above-mentioned fixing device 45, etc., and prevent the temperature of the copying machine from becoming high,
A cooling fan 51 is provided above the fixing device 45 on the side surface of the main body.

When the copy paper P is transported to the ADD/discharge switching guide 47, in the case of double-sided copying where copies are made on both sides of the copy paper P, the ADD
/ ADD to the stacking section 5 provided at the bottom of the copying section 3 by switching the paper ejection switching guide 47 / Paper ejection switching guide 47
The fixed copy paper P is transported to the stacking section 5 by a group of transport rollers 53 provided perpendicularly to the sheet. The copy paper P conveyed to the stacking section 5 is detected by a paper detection sensor 55 provided at the end of the conveyance roller group 53,
A large number of copy sheets P are stacked in an intermediate stacking section 57. The intermediate accumulation section 57 is provided in an inclined manner from the end of the transport roller group 53 at the lower left in the figure to the separation roller 67 at the upper right in the figure, which will be described later. When the specified number of copies is accumulated in this intermediate accumulation section 57, the ADD (to be described later)
(Automatic Duplex Apparatus) Under the control of the control section 91, refeeding of the copy sheets P accumulated in the intermediate stacking section 57 to the registration rows 541 of the copying section 3 is started. At this time,
The sheet alignment device 61 adjusts the lateral deviation of the copy sheets P stacked in the intermediate stacking section 57 with respect to the transport direction. When the lateral shift is corrected, the lifter 59 installed in the intermediate accumulation section 5
When the copy sheet P rises above the intermediate stacking section 57 along the conveyance direction of the separation roller 67, the edge of the stacked copy paper P comes into contact with the switch 65 installed in the intermediate stacking section 57, and the presence or absence of paper is detected. be done. Copy paper P by switch 65
is detected, the pickup row 563 picks up the copy paper P
are fed one by one from the separation roller 67 to the switching guide 69. The switching guide 69 supplies the copy paper P in the direction of the switchback row 571.

A sensor 75 is provided near the switching guide 69, and when this sensor 75 detects the front end of the copy IiP supplied to the switchback roller 71, the sensor 75 switches the pickup roller 6.
3 is raised, the separating roller 67 is driven for a certain period of time, and the leading edge of the copying paper P is pressed against the stopped switchback roller 71 to align the leading edges of the copying paper P. As mentioned above, after a certain period of time has elapsed, the switch bank roller 71 rotates forward,
Copy paper P is supplied to switch bank section 73. Then, when the sensor 75 detects the trailing edge of the copy paper P, the switchback roller 71 is reversed. switchback roller 7
1 is reversed, the copy paper P is conveyed to the transfer charger 31 via the ADD paper discharge roller and the registration roller 41 of the Hough copying section 3 . The copy paper P conveyed to the transfer i-electronic device 31 is copied from the photosensitive drum 25 onto the opposite side of the first copy, and is discharged from the fixing device 45 to the discharge tray 49. In this way, middle WJl! The copy sheets P accumulated in the stacking section 57 are sequentially copied.

Next, in the case of multiple copying, similarly to double-sided copying, after the first copying is completed, the conveying roller group 53 is removed from the intermediate stacking section 57.
Copy sheets P are stacked at. Then, when paper refeeding is started, the lifter 59 provided in the intermediate stacking section 57 is driven in the transport direction, and the end of the copy paper P is detected by the switch 65.

After detection, the copy paper P is picked up by the pickup roller 63.
The sheets are taken out one by one from the separating roller 67 to the switching guide 69.
The sheet passes through the ADD sheet discharge roller and is further conveyed to the registration rollers 41 of the Hough copying section 3.

The copy paper P whose copy timing has been determined by the registration roller 41 is subjected to multiple copies while being held between the photosensitive drum 25 and the transfer charger 31 on the same surface as the first copy surface, and is then discharged from the discharge tray 49. be done.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the lifter 59 installed in the intermediate accumulation section 57 described in FIG. 1.

This lifter 59 is installed perpendicularly to the surface of the middle 11 accumulation section 57, and moves in the transport direction F in which the switch 65 is arranged. A lateral alignment guide 79 installed perpendicular to the lifter 59 moves the copy paper P from the maximum size of the copy paper P, for example, the A3 size position, to the so-called home position in the G direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction F. Move in the direction opposite to the G direction to the position of the minimum size, for example, 85th edition.

The drive of the lifter 59 and the lateral alignment guide 79 is controlled by a pulse motor (not shown) based on a pulse signal output from the ADD Ill 611 section 91. Additionally, the minimum paper position is detected by a sensor (not shown) installed at the relevant position on the intermediate stacking section 57.
Detected by

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing control of the copying apparatus described in FIG. 1. In the figure, a copy control unit 81 that controls the reading unit 1 and the copying unit 3 operates a copy button 83 that starts double-sided copying or multiple copying, and various switches 85 that specify the size of original A and paper. Connected. The copy control section 81 is also connected to a display section 87 that displays various messages such as "copy button" and a drive system process system 89 that drives a conveyance motor such as the automatic document feeder 9.

The copying unit 81 has an automatic double-sided device control unit 91 (hereinafter referred to as ADD 111@unit 9) that controls the stacking unit 5.
It is called 1. ) is connected by a transmission line. ADD fI from the copy control unit 81 via this transmission line.
The signals transmitted to the ll1 section 91 are as shown below.

First, the stack signal (ADD-8TACK) is turned on when the copied copy paper P is transported to the intermediate stacking section 57 by the transport roller group 53. Mode signal (A
DD-MOD) indicates a double-sided copy or multiple copy mode. The paper feed signal (ADD-FED) is a pulse signal that starts refeeding of the copy sheets P accumulated in the lifter 5. Paper ejection switch signal (ADD-EX
IT) is a transport roller group 53 from the copying section 3 to the stacking section 5.
This is output when the copy paper P is conveyed.

After this paper ejection switch signal is output to the ADD control unit 91, the paper detection switch 55 controls the copy paper P
If not detected, the ADD control unit 91 determines that a paper jam of the copy paper P has occurred within the transport roller group 53, that is, a so-called jam has occurred. The registration signal (ADD-RGT) is a timing signal taken by the registration roller 41 to prevent misalignment of the copying position on the photosensitive drum 25 during paper refeeding. Based on this registration signal, the ADD control unit 91 aligns the leading edge of the copy paper P conveyed from the ADD paper discharge O-rough 7 with the registration roller 41 of the copy unit 3, and then transfers the copy paper P to the photoreceptor drum 25 and charges it for transfer. Vessel 3
Supply to 1. Paper size signal (P-8IZEO~3)
G; t indicates the size of the copy paper P to be copied by the photosensitive drum 25 of the copying section 3. Based on this paper size signal, the ADD control section 91 moves the lifter 59 and the lateral alignment guide 79 in accordance with the size of the copy paper P, and enters a paper re-feeding state.

On the other hand, A connected to the transmission line to the copy control unit 81
The DD11t1 section 91 is configured to operate as a switchback roller by a paper detection sensor 55 that detects the copy paper P transported from the transport roller group 53, a switch 65 that detects the presence or absence of the copy paper P accumulated in the intermediate stacking section 57, and a switching guide 69. Sensor 7 that detects the trailing edge of copy paper P conveyed to 71
Connected to 5. A D in response to these sensors, etc.
The D Hm section 91 includes motors 93 such as a lifter 59 and a switchback roller 71, and a pickup roller 63.
, controls the driving of the solenoid 95 such as the switching guide 69. Further, the ADD all m section 91 outputs various signals indicating control of the accumulation section 5 to the copy control section 81.

First, the operating signal (ADD-BUSY) is transmitted during the initial setting of the Arho control unit 91 or when changing the paper size using P-8IZEO~3 while the horizontal alignment guide 79 or the glue/lid 59 is moving. This is what is output. The copy storage signal (ADD-RCV) is output every time a copy sheet P is accumulated in the intermediate accumulation section 57. Based on this copy/storage signal, the copy control section 81 can obtain a count value of the number of copy sheets P accumulated in the intermediate accumulation section 57 when a jam occurs, for example. Paper presence/absence signal (ADD)
-EMP) is a signal indicating the presence or absence of paper based on a detection signal from the switch 65 that detects the presence or absence of copy paper stacked in the intermediate stacking section 57. When double-sided copying or multiple copying is newly set based on this paper presence/absence signal, the copy control unit 81 issues a warning to remove the paper if there is copy paper P in the intermediate stacking unit 57, and also warns the intermediate stacker 57 when starting paper refeeding. Accumulating section 57
If there is no copy paper P, a warning is given to replenish copy paper P.

Jam message @ (ADD-JAM) indicates that a jam has occurred within the stacking section 5. In response to this signal, the copy control section 81 interrupts the driving of the drive system process system 89 and causes the display section 87 to display a warning message.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained using the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, after turning on the main power switch of the device, the operator places the document A on the document feed tray 7, and then specifies double-sided copying, the number of copies, the size of copy paper P, etc. Set.

At this time, the copy control unit 81 performs ADD Ill 1
A paper size signal indicating the size of the copy paper P and a mode signal indicating designation of double-sided copying or multiple copying are output to the 111 section 91. When the mode signal is input, the ADD control unit 9
1 proceeds to step 160 when a detection signal is input from switch 65, and proceeds to step 110 if no detection signal is input (step 100).

Proceeding to step 110, the ADD control section 91 moves the lateral alignment guide 79 provided in the intermediate accumulation section 57 to the home position. When the lateral alignment guide 79 moves to the home position, the ADD control unit 91 moves the lifter 59 to the home position. When the lateral alignment guide 79 and lifter 59 move to the home position, the ADD control unit 91
Then, the lifter 59 is moved to the minimum paper size, for example, 85 plates (steps 110 to 130).

The ADD control section 91 stops the movement of the lid 59 if copy sheets P accumulated in the intermediate stacking section 57 contact the switch 59 while the lifter 59 is moving, and stops the movement of the lid 59 if the copy sheets P do not contact the switch 59. Proceeding to step 170 (steps 140-150) When the lifter 59 stops, the ADD control section 91 sets and outputs the paper presence/absence signal to the copy control section 81 (step 160).

Proceeding to step 170, the ADD control section 91 controls the lifter 5.
If 9 has not moved to the minimum paper position, step 14
0, the lifter 59 continues to move, and when the lifter 59 moves to the minimum paper position, the lid 59 is stopped due to detection by a sensor (not shown) disposed in the intermediate stacking section 57. After the lifter 59 stops, the ADD control unit 91 moves the lifter 59 to the home position (steps 170 to 1).
90).

After the above operations are completed, if the copy sheets P are accumulated in the intermediate stacking section 57, the operator takes out the copy sheets P and then starts double-sided copying. Also, in the case of multiple copying, copying is started after the same processing as described above is performed.

In this way, the lifter 5 provided in the intermediate accumulation section 57
Since the presence or absence of paper is detected by the movement of 9, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of various types of copy paper (for example, from A3 size to 8"5 size), so it is possible to perform double-sided copying or multiple copying of various sizes with a machine on the machine. can do.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, the stacking unit for stacking a plurality of copies of copy paper once copied on one side of copy paper of various sizes is moved, and the stacking unit is configured to stack the copies on the stacking unit. Since the present invention detects the presence or absence of a plurality of copy sheets, it is possible to provide a stacking section for stacking copy sheets of various sizes and detect the presence or absence of copy sheets stacked in this stacking section.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of an apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing essential parts of the copying apparatus shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the control of the copying apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the present invention. 3... Copying section 5... Accumulating section 55...
Paper detection sensor 57... Intermediate accumulation section 59... Lifter 61... Paper alignment device 63... Pick up roller

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] In a copying device that copies on both sides of copy sheets of various sizes or overlaps and copies on one side of the copy sheets, a copy sheet that has been copied once on one side of the copy sheets of various sizes. a stacking section for stacking a plurality of sheets of copy paper, a moving means for moving the plurality of copy sheets stacked on the stacking section, and a means for detecting the presence or absence of a plurality of copy sheets stacked on the stacking section moved by the moving means. A copying apparatus comprising: a detecting means for detecting;