JPH0198534A - Automatic original feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform a simultaneous process of a set of plural originals by providing a controlling means to feed the plural originals to processing positions to copy them in a sheet in a feed means to feed originals put in an original table in order. CONSTITUTION:If a mode of combining a plurality of originals is indicated in a display part 21, it is sent to a controller 22, so an original is fed by rotation of a transfer belt 15 through a feed roller 17. When the rear end of the original reaches a detecting position of a detecting device 20, the feed belt 15 is stopped, the feed roller 17 is rotated, a next original is sent out, and the roller 17 is stopped when it contacts the preceding original. Then the feed belt 15 rotates again. These actions are repeated, until a set of plural originals are put continuously on an original table 14 of a copying machine 12 from an original table 13, so they are copied in a sheet as a set.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical Field) The present invention relates to an automatic document feeder used in copying machines, facsimile machines, and the like.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, an automatic document feeder has a document table on which a document is placed,
The apparatus includes a conveyance means for conveying the originals placed on the original table one by one to a processing position such as a copying position or a reading position.

However, this automatic document feeder is only capable of transporting originals placed on the document table one sheet at a time. The operator must manually set the original documents in the processing position, which is troublesome when there are many original documents in one set.

(Objective) An object of the present invention is to improve the above-mentioned drawbacks and provide an automatic document feeder that can set a plurality of documents as a set at a processing position.

(Structure) The present invention provides an automatic document feeder having a document table on which a document is placed, and a conveying means for sequentially conveying the documents placed on the document table to a processing position, which includes a control means, This control means causes the conveyance means to continuously convey a plurality of original documents to a processing position to form a set of one original document.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows its processing procedure.

The automatic document feeder 11 of this embodiment is provided on the upper part of the copying machine 12, and in the multiple document combination mode, the automatic document feeder 11 continuously transfers a plurality of documents placed on the document table 13 to the document table 1 of the copying machine 12.
4 and convey them to the copying machine 1 as one set of originals.
Copy according to 2. Here, the original document placed on the document table 13 to be copied is called an original document, and a plurality of sheets or one sheet is set on the document table 14 of the copying machine 12 and copied as one document at a time. The original is called a copy original. The original document is conveyed onto the document table 14 by the number of sheets required to reach the size of the copy document or by the number of sheets designated in advance to become a copy document. The automatic document feeder 11 includes a document table 13 on which documents are stacked, a conveyor belt 15 for conveying the original document to an appropriate position on the document table 14 of the copying machine 12, a motor 16 for driving the conveyor belt 15, A paper feed roller 17 that sends out the original document from the document table 13, a separation roller 18 that separates the original document sent out by the paper feed roller 17 into sheets one by one, a motor 19 that drives the paper feed roller 17, and a motor 19 that drives the original document that is being transported. A detection device 20 for detecting the end of paper at a predetermined position between the paper feed roller 17 and the conveyor belt 15, a detection signal of the detection bag [20] and an operation display section 21 serving as a user interface.
A control device 22 receives signals from the motor 16 and outputs control signals to the motor 16, 19 and the operation display section 21, and also exchanges signals with the copying machine 12, and specifies the number of originals, size, etc., and displays various types of information. It has an operation display section 21. The detection device 20 is, for example, an optical sensor that optically detects a zero-origin document. Furthermore, this detection bag fi! Reference numerals 20 include contacts such as claws that electrically detect the original document, ■mechanical detection means that detects the end of the original document based on the number of rotations of the paper feed roller 17, etc., and ■mechanical detection means that detects the end of the original document based on the operating time of the motor 19. A means for detecting the end or the like may be used. ■■ can detect the original document regardless of its size, but the configuration is complicated. On the contrary ■■
Although it is necessary to detect the end of the original document from the output signal, the size of the document, and the number of sheets, it is easy to configure and fast.

In this embodiment, the processing procedure shown in FIG. 2 is executed every time the copying machine 12 copies one set of originals. First, the control device 22 rotates the motor 19 to rotate the paper feed roller 17 to feed out one sheet of the lowest original document on the document table 13, and sets the multi-sheet document combination mode on the operation display section 21. Check to see if there is one. If the mode is not in the multi-sheet document combination mode, the control device 22 rotates the motor 16 to rotate the conveyor belt 15, so that the paper feed roller 17
The single original document sent out is conveyed and set at an appropriate position on the document table 14 of the copying machine 12, and this document is copied by the copying machine 12.

In addition, in the multiple document combination mode, the control device 22 rotates the motor 16 and rotates the conveyor belt 15 to convey one original document fed out by the paper feed roller 17, and the end of the original document is conveyed. It is determined by the output signal of the detection bag 20 that the document has reached the detection position of the detection device 20, and the rotation of the motor 16 is continued until the end of the original document reaches the detection position. Control device f! 22, when the end of the original document reaches the detection position, it is determined based on the signal from the operation display section 21 whether or not to continue conveying the next original document, that is, how many sheets of the original document will be copied. Operation display section 2
Calculate from the size of the copy document specified in step 1 and the size of the original document, and determine whether or not the original document has been sent out for the specified number of sheets, to determine whether or not to continue feeding the original document, or perform the operation. By determining whether or not the original document has been conveyed by the number of original documents specified on the display unit 21, it is determined whether or not to continue conveying the original document. Note that the size of the original document is recognized by optical means or mechanical means, and the control device 22 determines whether or not to continue conveying the original document based on the size and the copy document size signal from the operation display section 21. If you decide to continue transporting the 0 yuan original, use the control bag! ! 22 stops the original document being conveyed by stopping the motor 16 and stopping the conveyor belt 15, and rotates the motor 19 to rotate the paper feed roller 17 to move the original document at the lowest position on the document table 13. The motor 19 is rotated until the leading edge of this original original matches the trailing edge of the preceding original. In other words, based on the output signal of the detection device 20, the leading edge of the trailing original is aligned with the leading edge of the preceding original. When it is determined that the rear end of the original document has been touched, the motor 19 is stopped. Next, the control device 22 rotates the motor 16 again to rotate the conveyor belt 15 to convey one sheet of the original document fed out by the paper feed roller 17, and the end of the original document is detected by the detection device 20. It is determined by the output signal of the detection device 20 that the position has been reached, and the rotation of the motor 16 is continued until the end of the original document reaches the detection position.

If the control device 22 determines that it is not necessary to repeat such operations to continuously transport multiple sheets of original documents that will become one copy document, and continue to transport new original documents, the control device 22 transfers these original documents to the motor 16. The rotation of the conveyor belt 15 due to the rotation of the copying machine 12 moves the copying machine 12 to the copying start position on the document table 14 of the copying machine 12.
Then, the motor 16 is stopped. A copy document consisting of a plurality of original documents on the document table 14 is copied at once by the copying machine 12 as 1ff11 documents.

Note that when the control device 22 continuously conveys zero-origin documents and assembles a copy document, if an insufficient number of original documents occurs, it considers it to be an abnormality and ends the process. may be used as the copy document, or after requesting the user for the original document on the operation display section 21, the process may proceed to step (2) or (2) depending on the situation.

Further, in the above embodiment, a means for recognizing the margins of the original may be incorporated to create a copy of the original without the margins. Further, not only the original documents are conveyed continuously, but also parts of the original documents may be conveyed in an overlapping manner, thereby making it possible to reduce the margins to a certain degree.

Since the above embodiment is incorporated into the copying machine 12, there is no need to calculate how many originals will fit on a designated copy sheet, and this calculation can be performed automatically. This is particularly effective when the copying machine has a variable magnification function, and can be expected to save a lot of labor.

(Effects) As described above, according to the present invention, an automatic document feeder having a document table on which a document is placed and a conveying means for sequentially conveying the document placed on the document table to a processing position. Since the above-mentioned conveying means is provided with a control means for continuously conveying a plurality of originals to the processing position to form a set of one original, multiple originals can be set as one set at the processing position, which saves labor. can be measured.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the embodiment. 13... Document table, 15... Conveyance belt, 17...
Paper feed roller, 20...detection device, 22...control device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In an automatic document feeder having a document table on which documents are placed, and a conveying means for sequentially conveying the documents placed on the document table to a processing position, a plurality of documents are conveyed to the conveying means to the processing position. An automatic document feeder comprising a control means for continuously feeding documents into one set of documents.