JPH0532335A - Sheet feed control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To ensure a user's convenience for use by enabling another sheet feed device to continue feeding a sheet, according to the priority order of a plurality of sheet feed devices without any need for considering a sheet size, when a cassette is exhausted of a sheet during sheet feed operation. CONSTITUTION:The first sheet feed cassette is set, according to setting on a control panel (process 41), and judgement is made as to whether a sheet is contained in the cassette (process 43). Then, a print key is pressed (process 43) to perform printing (process 44) and judgement is made as to whether the next print is required (process 45). Also, judgement is made as to whether a sheet still remains in the cassette and if there is no sheet, the next cassette starts feeding a sheet (process 46). Furthermore, after judgement is made as to whether the next cassette should continue feeding a sheet (process 47), a cassette to start the next sheet feed as per non-volatile memory area assignment is selected (process 48). Thereafter, judgement is made as to whether the cassette is already exhausted of sheets (process 49) and a copying process is finished (process 50).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plain paper copying machine having a plurality of paper feeding devices (hereinafter referred to as PPC, Plain Paper Copier) and a paper feeding control device for controlling the operation of the paper feeding device. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a PP having a plurality of sheet feeding devices
C, and there are many paper feed control devices that control this.
These are the paper feed control devices that automatically switch to this paper feed device and continue feeding when one paper feed device is out of paper and there is another paper feed device that stores the same size paper. Is.

[0003]

As described above, the conventional paper feed control device is switched only when there is a paper feed device that stores a paper of the same paper size as the paper being fed. However, there is a problem in that the switching and the continuation are not performed unless the paper sizes are the same. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a paper feed control device that continues feeding paper even when there is no paper of the same size.

[0004]

According to the present invention, in a PPC having a plurality of paper feeding devices, the plurality of paper feeding devices set when the first paper feeding device runs out of paper during paper feeding. According to the priority order of No. 2, the control device of the paper feeding device continues the paper feeding by the second paper feeding device without considering the size of the paper.

[0005]

In the above structure, the control device connected to each of the plurality of paper feeding devices can be connected to any paper feeding device regardless of the information about the paper size stored in each of the paper feeding devices. The size information is not taken into consideration when switching or continuing the paper feed. The order in which the plurality of sheet feeding devices perform the sheet feeding is set by the operator of this PPC from the outside before the sheet feeding device starts the sheet feeding, and the order of the control device program is set. Is determined according to this setting. As a result, even when there is no sheet of the same size, the sheet feeding is continued by the other sheet feeding device.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a PPC having a sheet feeding device according to the present invention.
FIG. In FIG. 1, reference numerals 15, 16 and 17 are paper feed cassettes, 100, 110 and 120 are pickup rollers, 21, 22 and 23 are paper empty detection sensors, 25 is a drum, and 38 is a fixing device. is there. In the present embodiment, the operator continuously feeds paper in the cassette 2 through the operation panel so that the paper is automatically fed continuously in the cassette 2 when the paper is fed in the cassette 1 and there is no paper. You can set what you want to do.

FIG. 4 shows a P having the paper feed control device of the present invention.
It is a front view of the control panel of PC. The operator
Before the PPC operates, as one of the operation setting modes, it does not matter whether or not the same size of paper is stored as in the case where the present invention is not used, and it does not matter in which order. It is possible to set whether or not the continuous paper feeding cassette performs paper feeding.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the paper feed control apparatus of the present invention and the paper feed control system around it. Information about the continuous paper feeding cassette set from the control panel 32 is stored in the nonvolatile RAM 33. This information is
From the non-volatile RAM 33 to the paper feed control device 31 (CPU)
The paper feed control device 31 (CPU) receives a signal from the paper out sensor 21 under a constant operating condition, and drives to take over the paper feed from the paper-empty cassette to the continuous cassette. Controls the operation of circuit 34.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the control method of the sheet feeding control device of the present invention. Here, 41 is a step of determining the first cassette for sheet feeding as set by the control panel 32. Step 42 is a step of judging whether or not there is paper in the cassette. Step 43 is a step of turning on a print key for starting printing. Reference numeral 44 is a step indicating a printing process.
Step 45 is a step of determining whether or not there is a next print. Step 46 is the step of determining whether there is more paper in the cassette. At this time, if there is no paper in the cassette, paper is fed from the next cassette. Step 47 is a step of determining whether or not to continue feeding the next cassette. Reference numeral 48 is a step of selecting a cassette for the next sheet feeding by designating the nonvolatile memory area. Step 49 is a step of judging whether or not the cassette has been used. 50 is a step indicating the end of copying. These steps are carried out by the paper feed control device according to a built-in program.

Further, it should be noted that the paper feed controller determines whether or not there is a paper in the next cassette, but the size of the paper is not a material for the judgment. It means not. In other words, once the cassette is set from the control panel, if the paper runs out, the paper feeding will be continued regardless of the size of the paper stored in the next cassette. of course,
The operator can set the sheet feed size as a material for determining whether to continue feeding, if necessary. Further, the program can be set so that the instruction as to whether or not to continue feeding can be performed at any time during the standby.

[0012]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, P
In the paper feed mechanism of the PC, even if there is no paper feed cassette of the same paper size, it is possible to continuously feed paper of another paper size according to the user setting. In addition, these settings can be changed at any time during standby, and the usability for the user can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a structural cross-sectional view of a PPC having a paper feeding device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a control method of the sheet feeding control device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a paper feed control device of the present invention and a paper feed control system around the paper feed control device.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a control panel of a PPC having the paper feed control device of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

15, 16, 17 ... Paper feed cassette, 25 ... Drum, 38
... Fixer, 100, 110, 120 ... Pickup roller, 201, 202, 203 ... Paperless sensor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. In a plain paper copying machine having a plurality of paper feeding devices, when the first paper feeding device runs out of paper during feeding, according to the priority order of the plurality of paper feeding devices set, A control device of the paper feeding device, wherein the paper feeding is continued by the second paper feeding device without considering the size of the paper. 2. Whether to continue the paper feeding,
2. The paper feed control device according to claim 1, further comprising an operation panel capable of giving an instruction easily during standby of the plain paper copying machine.