JPH0320835Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Industrial field of application The present invention is a recording device such as an electrophotographic copying machine that can be equipped with a key counter, and is a recording device that has been newly improved in accordance with the operation of inserting and removing the key counter. This invention relates to a key counter control device.

Prior Art FIG. 1 is a layout diagram showing a state in which a key counter is inserted into an electrophotographic copying machine as an example of a recording device. By inserting the key counter 30 into a connector provided on the top or side surface of the electrophotographic copying machine, copying is enabled by pressing a copy button (not shown) of the electrophotographic copying machine. When the copy button is pressed, copies are made and the number of transfer sheets discharged onto the paper discharge tray 21 is added to the count display of the key counter 30 (count up).

First, we will explain the structure of an electrophotographic copying machine.

A slit exposure optical system 3 for optically scanning a document placed on a document table 2 is located above the photoconductor drum 1 which is rotationally driven in the direction of the arrow in the figure. The slit exposure optical system 3 includes an exposure lamp 4, mirrors 5, 6, 7, and 8, and a lens 9.
A document image is formed on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 1. After the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is uniformly charged by a charging electrode 10, a latent image is formed by an exposure optical system 3. The latent image on the circumferential surface of the photosensitive drum 1 is developed by a developing device 11.
The latent image is developed with toner, and toner adheres to the latent image portion to form a toner image.

On the other hand, the paper feeding device 12 has cassettes 13a, 13
Feeding roller 1 feeding out transfer paper X one by one from b
The transfer paper X fed out by the rollers 4a and 14b is picked up by a paper feed roller 15, and sent to the photosensitive drum 1 by the paper feed roller 15.

A transfer electrode 16 and a separation electrode 17 are provided at the bottom of the photoreceptor drum 1.
The toner image on the circumferential surface is transferred onto the fed transfer paper X in synchronization with this, and the transfer paper X is separated from the photosensitive drum 1 by the separation electrode 17 .

The transfer paper X with the toner image attached is sent to the fixing device 19 by the conveyance device 18, and after the toner image is fused and fixed on the transfer paper X, it is transferred onto the paper ejection tray 21 by the action of the paper ejection roller device 20. taken out.

Here, a transfer paper detector M1 such as a micro switch is provided near the paper discharge roller device 20, and detects the passing transfer paper just before paper discharge and adds it to the count display of the key counter 30. Generally, a transfer paper detector is provided near a transfer paper discharge section. Of course, it can be installed near the paper feed roller 15 upstream of the conveyance path, but if a transfer paper detector is installed upstream, conveyance defects (jams) may occur during the conveyance process of the transfer paper, making it difficult to obtain satisfactory copies. Even when the key counter 30 cannot be counted, it is added to the count display of the key counter 30. In order to avoid this inconvenience, the transfer paper detector is provided near the discharge port.

Furthermore, the key counter 20 becomes ready for copying by inserting it into the connector. Copying machines often malfunction if they stop midway through a copying cycle while transfer paper is on a conveyance path. Therefore, even if the key counter 20 is removed during a copy cycle, the copying machine does not stop until the copy cycle is completed.

This means that if you insert the key counter 20 into the connector, press the copy button, start copying, and then pull out the key counter 20 in the middle of the copy cycle, the key counter 20 will not count up and the copy will continue. It was a paradox that it could be obtained.

Purpose of the invention The present invention provides a key counter control device for a recording device in which the number of copies is made equal to the count-up value of the key counter no matter what operation is performed when copying is performed using the key counter. The purpose is to

Structure of the invention The present invention includes a recording paper detecting means provided in a recording paper ejecting section, a key counter that records the number of recorded sheets of recording paper based on a signal from the detecting means, a mounting section to which the key counter is mounted, and a copying machine. During the cycle,
a control unit that energizes the key counter when the key counter is removed from the mounting portion when no recording paper is detected by the recording paper detection means; The present invention provides a recording device having a count-up means for counting up.

That is, in the present invention, when the key counter is removed during a copy cycle, the information that the copy cycle is in progress and that the key counter is about to be completely removed is used to prevent the key counter from being completely removed. The system is designed to count up before the number is reached.

Embodiment FIG. 2 shows the circuit configuration of a key counter, which has four pins 31a, 31b, 32a, and 32b that are inserted into a connector of a recording device. pin 3
The electrode 1 consisting of 1a and 31b is used to inform the control unit that the key counter is attached to the recording device, and the pin 31a and the pin 31b are electrically connected.

Further, the electrode 2 consisting of pins 32a and 32b is connected to a count-up solenoid 33, and when the control unit supplies electricity to the electrode 2, the displayed count number increases by one. The count-up solenoid 33 of the key counter 30 counts up when the solenoid is magnetized by energization and the iron piece comes into close contact with it, but the time required from energization until the iron piece comes into close contact is approximately within 50 msec, and once the iron piece comes into close contact, the count up solenoid 33 counts up. If the power is turned off, the count will continue to count up. That is, the key counter 30 counts up if the power supply time is about 50 msec.

FIG. 3 shows a key counter 40 according to the first embodiment.
This figure shows the connector 44 to which the connector is attached.
The pin 41 of the electrode 1 of the key counter 40 is shorter than the pin 42 of the electrode 2. Therefore, when the inserted key counter 40 is pulled out from the connector 44, the pin 41 of the electrode 1 first touches the connector 4.
Then, the pin 42 of the electrode 2 comes out from the hole 46 of the connector 22, and the electrical connection between them is severed. pin 4 here
1. If the length of the pin 42 is set appropriately, the electrode 1
It is easy to set it so that 50 msec or more is required from when the electrical connection of the electrode 2 is broken to when the electrical connection of the electrode 2 is broken.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of the portion of the control unit of the recording device according to the present invention. When the key counter 40 is removed from the connector 44 during the copy cycle, when the pin 41 comes off from the connector 44, the pin 41 is removed from the connector 44. Before the key counter is removed from the connector 44 and the key counter is completely removed, the count-up solenoid is activated to count up.

This is shown in timing charts in Figure 5. Figure 5a shows the timing chart when the key counter is inserted and operating normally, and Figure 5b shows the timing chart when the key counter is removed during the copy cycle. The timing chart is shown below. Here, paper detection 1,
2 is a detector installed in the copy paper conveyance path within the recording device; paper detection 1 is the detector installed on the upstream side, paper detection 2 is the detector installed downstream near the discharge section, and the key counter attachment/detachment switch is the same as above. This is the signal obtained when removing the key counter. Further, FIG. 6 shows an example of a circuit for implementing the timing chart shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 shows a second embodiment, showing a key counter 50 and a connector 54 to which it is attached. In this embodiment, the pin 51 of the electrode 1 and the pin 52 of the electrode 2 of the key counter 50 are the same length, while the connector 54 is provided with a step,
The hole 55 for the pin 52 is sunk below the hole 56 for the pin 52. In this embodiment, when an attempt is made to remove the key counter 50 from the connector 54, the pin 51 first comes off from the connector 54, and then the pin 5
2 is off, but the key counter 50 counts up within this time difference exceeding 50 msec.

FIG. 8 shows a third embodiment, and shows a sectional view of a key counter 60 and a connector 64 to which the key counter 60 is attached. In this embodiment, the pin 61 of the electrode 1 and the pin 62 of the electrode 2 of the key counter 60 have the same length. The connector 64 also has no steps in appearance, but the main body of the connector 64 is made of insulating resin, and the insertion holes 65 for the pins 61 and the insertion holes 66 for the pins 62 have metal fittings, respectively. 65a, 6
6a is fixed, and the length of the contact piece 65a is shorter than the length of the contact piece 66a. Therefore, when an attempt is made to remove the key counter 60 from the connector 64, the electrical connection of the electrode 1 is first broken, and then the electrical connection of the electrode 2 is broken and the key counter 60 is removed. Therefore, if the control section is configured to operate according to a program as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4, if the key counter 60 is removed during the copy cycle, it will count up.

Although three embodiments have been described above, the key counter has the same function as a conventional key counter in general use, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Of course.

Effects of the invention Although there is no special effect when using a general key counter, it was previously easy to intentionally miscount the number of copies, but the present invention prevents such abuse. It now has the function of preventing

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a layout diagram showing a state in which a key counter is inserted into an electrophotographic copying machine, and FIG. 2 shows a circuit configuration of the key counter. 3, 7, and 8 show key counters and connectors showing first, second, and third embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the control section of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a timing chart, and FIG. 6 is a circuit diagram for implementing the same. 30, 40, 50, 60...key counter, 3
1, 41, 51, 61...Pin (electrode 1), 32,
42, 52, 62...pin (electrode 2), 33...
Count up solenoid, 34, 44, 54,
64... Connector, 45, 55, 65... Hole (electrode 1), 46, 56, 66... Hole (electrode 2).

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] Recording paper detection means provided in the recording paper discharge section;
a key counter for recording the number of recording sheets of recording paper according to a signal from the detection means; a mounting section to which the key counter is mounted; A recording device comprising: a control section that energizes the key counter when the key counter is removed from the mounting section; and a count-up means that counts up the key counter by the energization by the control section.