JPH01172940A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To shorten the time required for forming an image, especially at the time of forming two or more continuous images by allowing to retrieve the next image to be formed, when a scan of an image to be formed is ended, and also, sending a signal for allowing to send an image formation request signal, when the retrieval of the image is ended. CONSTITUTION:At the time of ending a scan of a film image in execution of printing, it is stopped to send a signal in the course of printing operation from a microcomputer 60. A page searcher 4 executes a film retrieval of the next page, and also, sends a printing request signal to a reader/printer body by following up the end of the next retrieval. In such a way, at the time of execution of printing, when a scan of the final printing is ended, a retrieval of the next page can be started, and also, an allowing signal for allowing to receive a printing operation is sent to the page searcher 4. In this case, at the time of execution of batch printing, it is unnecessary to project the film image one by one to a projection screen. In such a way, the time for inhibiting the reception of a printing operation, and a useless time required for switching an optical path can be omitted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that projects a microfilm image onto a screen and forms an image on an image forming medium.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, a microfilm φ reader/printer, which is an image forming apparatus of this type, has been proposed in which a peripheral device such as a page searcher can be connected to the reader/printer main body. . The page searcher is set at a predetermined position in the reader/printer body, and is capable of continuously feeding and rewinding a strip-shaped recording medium, that is, microfilm, one frame at a time. This page searcher can easily perform operations for projecting images onto images and forming images on image forming media.

When printing two or more consecutive frames (pages) in a device (microfilm reader/printer) in which such a page searcher is connected to the reader/printer main body, the page searcher can perform frame-by-frame forwarding and print operations (printing). (transmission of a request signal) is automatically performed. For this reason, even though there is no need to project the film image onto the screen one by one, the reader/printer body moves the rotating mirror to the printing position (P).
After moving from the screen to the screen projection position (S) to switch the optical path and projecting the next film image to be formed on the screen, the next print request is accepted.

That is, as shown in the operational diagram of FIG. 7 and the flowchart of FIG. 8, there is no need to project the film image onto the screen after the scanning of the final print is completed.
The search operation (next search) for the next film (frame) is permitted.

However, acceptance of a print operation for the film related to this search operation is prohibited until the rotation mirror has been moved to the screen projection position. For this reason, the time a from the end of the search until the print reception is wasted, and the print position (
The rotating mirror must be moved to P) to switch the optical path, and it takes time to start the printing operation.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) This invention does not require the film image to be projected onto the screen after the scanning of the final print is completed, so even though it allows the search operation for the next film. , the next print operation is prohibited until the optical path has been switched from the print position to the screen projection position, so there is wasted time between the end of the search for the next film and the start of printing. The present invention aims to provide an image forming apparatus that can eliminate the drawbacks of the conventional image forming apparatus and reduce wasted time, especially when forming two or more continuous images. purpose.
□ [Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) In the image forming apparatus of the present invention, peripheral devices can be electrically connected to one main body, and image formation from the connected peripheral devices is possible. In an image forming apparatus capable of forming an image recorded on a recording medium □ based on a request signal, the main body is capable of forming an image based on a 1ri-forming request signal from the peripheral device connected to the main body. “When performing image formation,
When scanning of the image to be formed is completed, the peripheral device is permitted to search for an image to be formed next, and when the image search is completed, a permission signal is transmitted to permit transmission of an image formation request signal for the searched image. The configuration includes a control means.

(Function) The present invention is capable of electrically connecting a peripheral device to the main body, and forming an image recorded on a recording medium based on an image formation request signal from the connected peripheral device. In the image forming apparatus, when the main body finishes scanning an image to be formed when performing image formation based on an image forming request signal from the peripheral device connected to the main body,
control means for transmitting a permission signal for permitting the peripheral device to search for an image to be formed next, and for permitting transmission of an image formation request signal for the searched image when the image search is completed; When the search for the image to be searched is completed, it is possible to accept an image forming operation for the searched image.

(Example) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a microfilm reader/printer to which the present invention is applied.

On the front side of this microfilm reader/printer body, there is a projection screen 1 for enlarging and projecting the microfilm image, and an operation panel 2 equipped with various operation keys.
It has Then, as shown in the figure, a cartridge film 5 is loaded with a page searcher (peripheral device) 4 having a film handler 3 attached, and a microfilm image is projected onto the screen 1 and paper is used as an image forming medium. Image formation (printing) is performed on the image.

Based on the input from the operation panel 4a provided on the page searcher 4, the film handler 3 moves the microfilm (microfilm) stored so as to be wound inside the cartridge film 5 set on the left side in the figure. %1), not shown, can be fed one frame (page) to the right side of the film Φ handler 3. In this way, for example, a desired microfilm (also referred to as a page) can be searched for while sequentially projecting pages onto the screen 1. The operation panel 4a provided on the page searcher 4 has the same structure as the operation panel 2 provided on the main body, which includes various operation keys.

The internal structure of the microfilm reader/printer main body is roughly divided into a film setting unit 6, a projection unit 7, a scanning light guide unit 8, and an image forming unit 9, as shown in FIG.

In the film setting unit 6, a condenser lens 11, a film presser plate 12, and a lens case 13 are arranged in order from the light source 10 side on the optical path of the light emitted by the light source 10. When the microfilm is attached to the film holding plate 12, the emitted light from the light source 10 is transmitted to the condensing lens 11.
When the light is focused and irradiated onto the back surface of the microfilm on the film holding plate 12, the emitted light that has passed through the microfilm is incident on the lens case 13.

In the projection unit 7, the optical path of the light sent out from the attached lens of the lens case 13 is rotated by a rotating mirror (image scanning means) 1.
The microfilm image is projected onto the projection screen 1 via the mirrors 15 and 16 when the rotating mirror 14 is not obstructed by the rotating mirror 14, that is, when the rotating mirror 14 is located at the screen projection position.

Further, when the rotating mirror 14 blocks the optical path of the light sent out from the attached lens of the lens case 13 (print position), the mirrors 17, 18 and 1 of the scanning light guide unit 8
A microfilm image is formed on the photosensitive drum 21 of the image forming unit 9 via the photosensitive drum 9 . At this print position, the rotating mirror 14 rotates in the direction of the arrow in the figure, thereby optically scanning the image surface of the microfilm.

In this image forming unit 9, a paper feed cassette 23 is mounted on the lower front surface side, and a paper discharge tray 24 is mounted above this.

A photoreceptor drum 21 as an image forming carrier is disposed approximately in the center of this unit 9.
A shutter mechanism for blocking the scanning light from the scanning light guide unit 8 and its driving solenoid (none of which are shown) are disposed above the scanning light guide unit 1 .

Around the photoreceptor drum 21, a charging charger 27,
developing device 28, transfer charger 30, peeling charger 31,
A cleaning device 32, a static elimination lamp 33, and the like are arranged.

The developing device 28 includes a first developing roller 281 and a second developing roller 281.
It has a developing roller 282, and these developing rollers are selectively driven to convert both a microfilm recorded in negative (N) and a microfilm recorded in positive (P) into positive (P). It is now possible to develop it as an image. That is, the first developing roller 281 performs positive->positive (also expressed as P->P) development, and the second developing roller 282 performs negative->positive development.
Positive (also referred to as NP) development is performed.

A paper feed cassette 23 is provided at the bottom of the image forming unit 9.
A paper transport path 35 is formed to guide the paper automatically taken out from the paper feed roller 34 to the paper discharge tray 24 through an image forming section between the photosensitive drum 21 and the transfer charger 30.

A registration roller 37 is provided upstream of the image forming section, and a heat roller 38 and a paper discharge roller 39 are provided downstream as a fixing device.

When the photoreceptor drum 21 is driven in the direction of the arrow a in the figure, it is first uniformly charged by the charging charger 27, and the scanning light from the scanning light guide unit 8 is sequentially applied to the photoreceptor drum 21.
1 to form an electrostatic latent image. This electrostatic latent image is developed and visualized by the developing device 28, and is sent to the transfer charger 30 side.

On the other hand, the paper supplied by the paper feed cassette 23 is fed by a registration roller 37, and the image previously formed on the photosensitive drum 21 is transferred by the transfer charger 30. The paper to which this image has been transferred is peeled off from the photoreceptor drum 21 by a peeling charger 31, passed through a paper conveyance path 35, and guided to a heat roller 38, where the transferred image is fused and fixed, and then discharged. The paper roller 39 discharges the paper onto the paper discharge tray 24 .

Further, after the image has been transferred onto the paper, the photosensitive drum 21 is cleaned by a cleaning device 32 to remove residual toner from the surface, and is further erased by a static eliminating lamp 33 to return to its initial state. It is ready for printing operation. Note that a paper detector 62 is provided near the registration roller 37, so that the paper being conveyed during printing can be detected.

Next, the operation panel 4a will be explained with reference to FIG. 5. In FIG. 5, 70 is an exposure adjustment volume, and 71 and 72 are two developing rollers 281 and 28, respectively.
2, a P4P development selection key, an N-P development selection key, and 73 a display board. Further, 74 is a copy number setting key, 75 is a clear/stop key, 76 is a standby key, 77 is a copy start key, and 78 is a main switch.

Here, the display board 73 displays an N-P display, a P→P display, a toner replenishment display, a paper replenishment display, a paper jam display, a copy standby (ready) display, a copy Displays such as possible display and number of copies are now displayed. In addition, the main switch 7
Reference numeral 8 denotes a switch for starting the drive of the microfilm reader φ printer, and when this main switch 78 is turned on, the light source 10 in the film setting unit 6 is turned on to enable projection.

FIG. 6 shows a system configuration of an embodiment of the present invention including such components.

A microcomputer 60 as the illustrated control means forms the control center of the entire microfilm reader/printer. The microcomputer 60 includes input switches 63 of the operation panel 2 (not shown), various switches/sensors 64, a developing device 28, a page searcher 4 as a peripheral device, various drive units 65, a paper detector 62, etc. , a mirror motor 69 that rotates the rotating mirror 14 in the normal and counter directions via a driver 68 is electrically connected thereto.

This microcomputer 60 controls the transmission of a printing operation signal to the connected page searcher 4 during an image forming (printing) operation, and also uses this signal line to send, for example, two or more consecutive pages (films). When performing batch printing, when scanning of the film image during printing is completed, it is possible to search for the next page of film, and at the end of the film search, it is possible to accept a print operation for the searched film. Permission signal to allow.

It has the function of controlling transmission.

On the other hand, when performing batch printing, the page searcher 4, which is the peripheral device, prints the next print from the set cartridge film 5 in response to the supply of a permission signal from the microcomputer (reader/printer main body) 60. It is possible to search for films (next search), and when the next search is completed, it is determined that the print job to be executed has been completed, and a print request signal for the next print is sent. I have to.

That is, as shown in FIG. 1, at the end of scanning the film image during printing, the microcomputer 60 stops transmitting the printing operation signal.

Then, the page searcher 4 executes a film search for the next page, and upon completion of the next search, sends a print request signal to the reader/printer main body. In this way, when printing is executed, when scanning of the final print is completed, a permission signal is sent to the page searcher 4 to enable the search for the next page to be started and to permit acceptance of the print operation. ing.

In this case, when batch printing is executed, it is not necessary to project each film image onto the projection screen 1, so when a print request signal is received from the page searcher 4, the reader/printer main body determines the printing position of the rotating mirror 14 ( The movement from P) to the screen projection position (S) is stopped, the switching of the optical path is stopped, and the print position is immediately returned to the print position (P). This results in
As shown in FIG. 7, the time (a) in which printing operations are prohibited from the end of scanning to the end of moving the rotary mirror 14 to the screen projection position and the wasted time required for switching the optical path are eliminated. It is something that can be done. In addition, in this case, since the print operation signal is sent until the print operation is completed, there is a problem that an abnormality may be erroneously recognized due to the print request signal being sent at the end of the film search. It is possible to solve this problem.

Next, a printing operation when performing batch printing in the above configuration will be described. Note that a detailed explanation of the operation of each part within the main body will be omitted here.

For example, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2, when the reader/printer body receives a print request signal from the page searcher 4, it starts a print operation based on this print request signal, and also sends a print operation in progress signal. Start (turn on) transmission. In this case, the power source of the developing roller system selected by the operation panel 4a is turned on, and the rotating mirror 14 is set at the printing position. Then, scanning light corresponding to the film image projected on the projection screen 1 is focused on the photoreceptor drum 21,
End the scan.

At this time, the microcomputer 60 stops transmitting the printing operation signal if the scanning is for the final print. That is, as shown in the operation explanatory diagram of FIG. 1, when the scanning of the final print is completed, a permission signal is sent, that is, by temporarily stopping the transmission of the printing operation signal, the completion of scanning is notified, and the page searcher 4 is notified of the next printing operation. The search operation is allowed to start.

On the other hand, the sheet feeding operation from the sheet feeding cassette 23 is started, and the registration roller 37 sends the sheet to the image transfer section. At this time,
When it is confirmed by the paper detector 62 that the paper has been conveyed, the developing roller 28 . Alternatively, the developed image is printed in step 282.

Furthermore, when the scanning is completed as described above, the mirror motor 69 is driven in the forward direction (normal rotation) to print the print position (
The rotary mirror 14 is moved from the screen projection position (S) to the screen projection position (S), and the transmission of the printing operation signal is stopped to wait for input of the printing operation (print request signal) corresponding to the next search by the page searcher 4. It looks like this.

By the way, the screen projection position (S) of the rotating mirror 14
When a print request signal accompanying the completion of the next search is received from the page searcher 4 while moving to the next page, the mirror motor 69 is immediately driven in the opposite direction (reversed). Then, when the rotating mirror 14 is moved to the print position (P), the driving of the mirror motor 69 is stopped. Thereby, the optical path is switched to the scanning light guide unit 8 (print mode) side, and the printing operation is started without projecting the film image for the next search onto the projection screen 1.

As mentioned above, when the scanning of the final print is completed, a permission signal is sent to permit the start of the next search operation, and at the same time, when the search operation is completed, a request for print operation for that image is accepted. Therefore, the wasted time from the end of the search operation for the next page to the acceptance of the print operation, which is conventional, can be eliminated, and the microfilm leader printer can be used efficiently.

That is, when the search for the next image to be formed is completed, the printing operation is accepted, and the printing operation is started without first moving the position of the rotating mirror to switch the optical path and projecting the film image on the screen. I try to do that. This allows you to perform two
When automatically feeding and printing more than one film,
In other words, if you do not need to project a film image onto the screen each time, you can maintain print mode without switching the optical path between screen projection mode and print mode.
Also, if it is in the middle of switching, it will immediately switch to print mode (
(return to print position). Therefore, the wasted time required for switching the optical path can be omitted.
This makes it possible to shorten the time required for printing operations.

Furthermore, it is possible to shorten the usage time of the equipment, extend the life of consumables such as light sources, and save energy.

Note that in the above embodiment, the rotating mirror is returned to the print position upon reception of the print request signal for the next search, but the invention is not limited to this. established,
When a signal indicating batch printing is sent from this signal line, the rotating mirror is not moved in advance, and the optical path is not switched from the beginning, and the system is set to a standby state for inputting a print request signal. Also good.

It goes without saying that various other modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the invention.

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, the present invention provides an image forming apparatus that can eliminate wasted time, and in particular can shorten the time required for image formation when forming two or more consecutive images. can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an operation explanatory diagram shown to explain the printing operation of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart also shown to explain the operation, and FIG. 3 is a microfilm/image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the reader printer, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the image forming device, FIG. 5 is a front view of the operation panel, and FIG. 6 is an overall block diagram of the microfilm reader Φ printer. , FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory diagram for explaining the conventional printing operation, and FIG. 8 is a flowchart shown for explaining the same conventional operation. 1... Projection screen, 2 + 4 a... Operation panel, 4... Page searcher (peripheral device), 5...
Cartridge film, 10... Light source, 14...
Rotating mirror (image scanning means), 60...Micro computer, 68...Driver, 69...Mirror motor. Applicant's Representative Patent Attorney Takehiko Suzue Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 B Figure 7 Figure 8

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) In an image forming apparatus in which a peripheral device can be electrically connected to the main body and can form an image recorded on a recording medium based on an image formation request signal from the connected peripheral device, When the main body executes image formation based on an image formation request signal from the peripheral device connected to the main body, when scanning of the image to be formed is completed, the main body allows the peripheral device to search for the next image to be formed. An image forming apparatus comprising: a control means for transmitting a permission signal for permitting transmission of an image formation request signal for the searched image when the search for the image is completed. (2) When the control means receives an image formation request signal for the next image from the peripheral device connected thereto during execution of image formation, the control means returns the image scanning means to the image scanning position. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1. (3) When the control means receives an image formation request signal for the next image from the peripheral device connected thereto during execution of image formation, the control means does not move the image scanning means from the image scanning position. An image forming apparatus according to claim 1.