JPH04138456A - Automatic loading controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To preclude a defect in the operation of a media sheet due to a defect in the operation of a conveyance state detection sensor by inhibiting automatic loading operation and displaying the operation defect state if the defect in the operation of the conveyance state detection sensor is decided at the time of starting the automatic loading operation. CONSTITUTION:This controller is provided with a means S2 which decides the operation defect state of the conveyance state detection sensor at the time of starting the automatic loading operation and a means 53 which inhibits the automatic loading operation and displays the operation defect state if the operation defect is decided. Therefore, the operation state of the sensor which detects the conveyance state of the media sheet at the start of the automatic loading of the media sheet is checked and when the sensor does not operate normally, that is displayed. Consequently, the media sheet is prevented from not being moved at all owing to the operation defect of the sensor after the automatic loading is started.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application This invention relates to an improvement in an autoload control device that autoloads and initializes a media sheet wound around a supply shaft.

(b) Conventional technology In image forming apparatuses that form images using photosensitive and pressure-sensitive media sheets, an unused media sheet is exposed to external light.
In order to protect it from external pressure, it is wound around the supply shaft and made into a roll.
It is stored in a cartridge. Then, the media sheet is exchanged with the cartridge in the main body of the image forming apparatus, and the media sheet of the new cartridge is wound onto the winding shaft via the image forming process section.

On the other hand, the image forming process section includes a complicated media sheet conveyance path such as an exposure section, a pressure development transfer section, etc., and manually performing the initial centing of the media sheet of a new cartridge becomes very complicated. There are drawbacks to this.

Conventionally, a strong resin sheet (leader sheet) is provided at the leading end of the media sheet, and the league sheet is sent out using a roller near the outlet of the cartridge.
The media sheet was automatically fed to the take-up shaft using the stiffness of the leader sheet (auto load). During auto-loading, the conveyance status of the media sheet, such as the amount of conveyance and the occurrence of jams, is checked, and if any abnormalities are found, the media sheet is rewound onto the supply shaft by 1 μm and sent out again using auto-load.

(C1 Problem to be solved by the invention) However, in the conventional device, when autoloading, there were cases where the autoloading stopped halfway and stopped working at all. Although it was extremely difficult, the inventor's investigation revealed that the problem was caused by a malfunctioning conveyance state detection sensor.In other words, the malfunctioning conveyance state detection sensor caused the sheet to be unwound and unwound. Autoloading had stopped because it could not be returned.

An object of the present invention is to provide an autoload control device that can prevent media sheet malfunctions due to sensor malfunctions.

! Means for Solving Problems d1 This invention includes a conveyance state detection sensor that detects the conveyance state of a media sheet conveyed from a supply shaft to a take-up shaft, and a conveyance state detection sensor that detects the conveyance state of a media sheet conveyed from a supply shaft to a take-up shaft. an image forming apparatus that includes: an autoload mode for initially setting the image forming process unit in the image forming process section; means for determining whether the conveyance state detection sensor is operating properly at the start of the autoload; and determining whether the conveyance state detection sensor is malfunctioning; The present invention is characterized by the following: means for prohibiting autoloading and displaying a malfunctioning state when the autoloading occurs.

te+ Effect In the present invention, before auto-loading is started, it is determined whether the operating state of the media sheet conveyance state detection sensor is good or bad, and if the operating state is poor, auto-loading is prohibited. That is, since the operating state of the sensor is checked in advance, there is no problem in which the sensor stops operating at all due to malfunctioning of the sensor after autoload is started. Since malfunctioning conditions are displayed, the cause of the stoppage can be easily determined and countermeasures can be easily taken.

(f) Embodiment FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a copying machine equipped with an autoload control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A document table 1 made of hard transparent glass is provided on the top surface of the copying machine main body. A document to be copied is placed on the document table LL. An optical system 2 including light sources 2a, 2b, mirrors 2c to 2f, a lens 2g, and a color separation filter 2h is provided below the document table 1. The optical system 2 scans the document on the document table 1 and guides the reflected light to the exposure section P1.

A packet 3 is provided in the center of the main body of the copying machine so that it can be pulled out in the vertical direction in the figure. Packet 3 is rail 3
a, 3b, and in the pulled out state, the media cartridge 4 can be taken out and installed from the -F direction. The media cartridge 4 is a supply shaft 4a
, the winding shaft 4b is set at 61. An unused media sheet is wound around the supply shaft 4a, and a used media sheet is wound around the take-up shaft 4b. The sheet is stored in a storage chamber 4c to protect it from external light and external pressure.An opening 4d is formed in this storage chamber 4c, and the media sheet 5 is pulled out from the opening 4d. 4, the leading end of the media sheet 5 is pulled out a little from the opening 4d and is fixed to the cartridge body with tape.

A conveyance roller 4e is arranged inside the opening 4d. When the packet 3 is pushed into the main body of the image forming apparatus, the conveyance roller 4e is engaged with a roller shaft (not shown) that is disposed opposite to the main body. A rotary encoder is provided on this roller shaft, and the rotational state of the conveyance roller 4e is detected. The rotation state detected thereby plays an important role in controlling the conveyance of the media sheet. For example, conveyance control of the leader sheet and media sheet during autoload, control of pull-out length during image formation, control of rewind length after image formation processing, etc. are performed based on the detection state of this rotary encoder. be exposed.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the vicinity of the leading end of the media sheet. The media sheet 5 is a base sheet made of a light-reflecting material such as aluminum, and is covered with photosensitive and pressure-sensitive microcapsules (
Particle size: 10 to 20 μm). A league sheet 5a is attached to the leading end of the media sheet 5. The league sheet 5a is made of a stiff resin sheet, and no microcapsules are coated on the surface.

The league sheet 5a is formed wider than the media sheet 5, and holes 5b for holding sprocket rollers are formed at both ends. Note that 5C is a display indicating sensitivity information of the media sheet. This display is made because the media sheet has slightly different light sensitivity depending on the rond. Note that this sensitivity information 5c is read by an optical sensor described later.

On the other hand, the bucket 3 is provided with a sprocket roller 3c. When the media cartridge 4 is installed in the bucket 3, the user pulls out the leading end (leader sheet 5a) of the media sheet held in the media cartridge 4 to the sprocket roller 3C and engages the hole 5b with the sprocket roller 3C. sprocket roller 3
Driving force is transmitted to c by a drive system (not shown), and the media sheet 5 rotates during overloading to send out the media sheet 5 to the image forming process section.

The image forming process section includes an exposure table 6, a buffer section including a buffer roller 7, and a pressure roller 8. Exposure table 61:
An exposure section P1 is set at , and the reflected light of the document is guided to this position P1 by the optical system 2 described above. The buffer section is an area where the exposed media sheet 5 is temporarily stored. In a copying machine using a media sheet, the light sensitivity and pressure sensitivity of the media sheet are significantly different, so it is necessary to set the exposure speed and pressurization speed separately.

Therefore, a buffer section is provided between the exposure table 6 and the pressure roller 8, and the exposed media sheets 5 are stocked at -D and then fed to the pressure roller 8. In the buffer section, the buffer roller 7 moves in the directions of arrows A and B in the figure. When the buffer roller 7 moves in the direction of the arrow, the exposed media sheet is stocked in the buffer section,
When moving in direction B, the stocked media sheet is sent out to the pressure roller 8. The pressure roller 8 applies high pressure to the media sheet 5 to destroy the microcapsules. The contact point of the pressure roller below is the pressure developing section P2.

The media sheet pulled out from the media cartridge 4 is wound onto the take-up shaft 4b via the exposure section P1, buffer roller 7, and pressure development section P2.

Note that 9a is a manual feed tray, 9b is a paper feed center, and a receiver sheet 0 is stored therein. Receiver sheet IO is fed to pressure developing section P2 during copy processing, and the image on media sheet IO is transferred thereto. After the image is formed, it is discharged via the image glossing device 11 to the paper discharge tray 12 on the left side of the copying machine main body.

Additionally, various sensors are arranged within the copying machine main body.

In addition to the aforementioned rotary encoder that detects the conveyance state of the media sheet, there is also a sensor S1 that detects the insertion state of the bucket 3, a sensor S2 that reads the sensitivity information written on the back of the media tray, and a front cover of the copying machine main body. These sensors include the sensor S3 that detects the opening and closing of the door.

The operations of the copying machine configured as described above during loading will be described. FIG. 1 is a flow chart of autorot control, and FIG. 2 is a time chart.

First, a new cartridge is stored in the bucket 3, and when the packet 3 is pushed into the main body of the copying machine by hooking the tip of the leader sheet over the spout 1 displacement roller 3c, the sensor S1 detects attachment of the bucket (nl). Then, when the front cover of the copying machine body is closed, 83 is turned on, and sprocket roller 3c
, the pressure roller 8, the supply shaft 4a, the take-up shaft 4b, etc. rotate, and the conveyance of the leader sheet 5a is started (n2→n3).

At this time, the pressure roller 8 is pressurized. When the conveyance of the leader sheet, that is, the media sheet 5 is started, the rotary encoder generates a pulse depending on the conveyance state. If this pulse is output normally, autoload continues, but if the pulse output is weak or not output, the process moves to autoload prohibition (n4).
. That is, the sprocket roller 3C and the like are stopped, and a message indicating that the sensor is not normal is displayed on the operation section on the upper surface of the copying machine main body (n5→n6). Note that determination of an abnormality in the output of the rotary encoder is performed at the time of ■ in the time chart.

1111.1-1 After the above checks, if the rotary encoder is operating normally, the autoload process is continued. Important processing during autoloading on the time chart will be noted.

■ League sheet conveyance check: If the league sheet 5a has meandering, undulating, etc., s2 is moved to the league sheet 5a.
will not be detected, so in that case, rewind the league sheet.

(2) Start of conveyance of the media sheet: When the league sheet 5a is wound around the take-up shaft 4b, the pressure of the pressure roller 8 is released and the conveyance of the media sheet is started.

■ Reading of sensitivity information; Sensitivity information is read in S2. At this time, the league sheet 5a is moved to the buffer section by the bumper roll, and if a parity error occurs, it is rewound once and read again. Note that S2 is turned off after reading the sensitivity information.

■ Rewinding check: Rewind the media sheet 5 to the supply shaft side and check the rewinding state.
・□ The above operations complete the initial setting of the media sheet.

(a) Effects of the Invention According to this invention, the operating state of the sensor that detects the conveyance state of the media sheet is checked when the autoloading of the media sheet starts, and if the sensor is not operating normally, a message to that effect is displayed. Since the status of the sensor is checked before autoloading, the problem of the media sheet not moving at all due to malfunction of the sensor after autoloading starts will not occur. This also solves the problem that it takes time to find the cause.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

fig. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the leading end of the media sheet. 4-media cartridge, 4a-supply shaft, 4b take-up shaft, 4e-transport roller, 5-media sheet, 7-buffer roller, 8-pressure 1 cola, P1 exposure section, P2-pressure development section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A conveyance state detection sensor detects the conveyance state of the media sheet being conveyed from the supply shaft to the take-up shaft, and the media sheet is initially set in the image forming process section based on the detection state of this conveyance state detection sensor. an image forming apparatus having an autoload mode, comprising means for determining whether the transport state detection sensor is operating properly at the start of autoload; and a means for disabling autoload when it is determined that the transport state detection sensor is malfunctioning. An autoload control device characterized by comprising: a means for displaying a malfunctioning state according to the present invention.