JPH0545975A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the image forming device where a former copying mode before the change can be restored with a simple operation even when a present copying mode is changed contrary to the user's intention. CONSTITUTION:This image forming device is provided with an image forming means 100 forming images to an image carrier in a specified first image forming state and in a second image forming state different from the first image forming state, a first setting means 20 setting the image forming state executed at the image forming means 100 to be the second image forming state, a storing means 70 storing the second image forming state (present copying mode) set by the first setting means 20, a second setting means 30 setting the second image forming state set at the first setting means 20 to the first image setting state, and a third setting means 40 reading the second image forming state from the storing means 70 and setting the second image forming state without utilizing the first setting means 20 after the image forming state is set from the second image forming state to the first image forming state at the second setting means 30.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as an electronic copying apparatus which has improved operability in copy mode setting.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an electronic copying apparatus is provided with various copy modes which can be arbitrarily set by a user, in addition to a standard mode which is automatically set immediately after power-on. For example, if the standard mode is a mode for copying one side of an A4 original at 100% magnification to one side of A4 paper,
Various copy modes such as double-sided copying of eight sheets of B4 paper on B5 paper at a magnification of 70% can be appropriately selected. An example of such an electronic copying apparatus is disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,835,572.

[0003]

In the electronic copying apparatus as described above, the currently set copy mode (for example, B4 double-sided 70% 8 copies) is cleared by an inadvertent operation, or the copy original is selected. It often happens that the current copy mode is forcibly reset to the standard mode due to time-out due to time-consuming work.

An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus which can restore the mode before being changed by a simple operation even if the current mode is changed against the intention of the user.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a specific first image forming state and a second image different from the first image forming state. An image forming means for forming an image on the image carrier in the formed state;
The image forming state executed by the image forming unit is the second
Setting means for setting the second image forming state set by the first setting means, and the first setting means for storing the second image forming state set by the first setting means. Second setting means for setting the second image forming state to the first image forming state, and the image forming state from the second image forming state to the first image by the second setting means. After setting the formation state, the second image formation state is read out from the storage means, and the third setting means for setting the second image formation state without using the first setting means. It has.

[0006]

According to the image forming apparatus having the above structure, even if the current copy mode (second image forming state) is returned to the standard mode (first image forming state) against the user's will, Third
The current copy mode stored in the storage means is immediately restored by the setting means.

[0007]

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electronic copying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the CPU 60 is provided with a copy start key (copy button) 10, various mode setting keys (image forming state setting key; first setting means) 20, and an all clear key via the key input interface 50. (Function clear key; reset key; second setting means) 30, undo key (resume key; third setting means) 40, etc. are appropriately connected. C
The PU 60 further has a storage buffer (storage means) 7 for storing the copy mode set by the user's key input.
0, a ROM / RAM 80 for storing programs and data necessary for the operation of the CPU 60, a timer (second setting means) 90 for measuring the elapsed time after a key input is made,
A drive unit (image forming unit) 100 and the like for performing a predetermined copy process based on the set copy mode is connected. The power supply 110 supplies power to the drive unit 100 and others.

FIG. 2 shows an example of an operation panel of the electronic copying apparatus having the configuration of FIG. Here, as various mode setting keys 20, an automatic magnification selection / automatic paper selection key 20 is used.
a, original size / paper size selection key 20b, copy area setting key 20c, zoom key 20d, automatic exposure selection key 20e, interrupt key 20f, number of copies key 20
g and the like are illustrated.

FIG. 3 shows the mechanism of the image forming apparatus.
A document placing table 310 on which the document D is placed, and a document pressing member 312 for bringing the document D placed on the placing table 310 into close contact with the placing table 310 are provided on the upper portion thereof.

Inside the mounting table 310 (downward in FIG. 3)
A lamp 322 for illuminating the document D, a reflector 324 for converging the illumination light generated by the lamp 322 on the document D,
Further, it has a first mirror 326 for reflecting the reflected light from the document D toward the second carriage 330, and is arranged so as to be movable parallel to the mounting table 310 by a pulse motor (not shown) via a toothed belt (not shown). The first carriage 320 and the second mirror 3 arranged at right angles to each other and reflecting the reflected light from the document D reflected by the first carriage 320 toward the photoconductor (image carrier) 340.
32 and a third carriage 334 having a first mirror 320
The second carriage 3 driven by the first carriage 320 via a toothed belt (not shown) for driving the
30 are arranged. Further, the first carriage 320
Is formed below the surface of the second carriage 330 in a plane including the optical axis of the light reflected by the second carriage 330 so as to be movable via a driving mechanism (not shown) so as to focus the reflected light from the second carriage 330. And an image forming lens 33 that forms an image of this reflected light at a desired magnification by moving itself.
6 and the reflected light is reflected toward the photoconductor 340 to form an image at a desired position on the photoconductor 340, and a driving mechanism (not shown) shifts the reflected light to an optical axis in order to correct the variation of the focal length due to the movement of the lens 336. A fourth mirror 338 movable along is arranged. It should be noted that the reflected light is a character or a graphic described on the original D, that is, the original D.
It goes without saying that it is the image information above.

Below the lens 336, that is, in the vicinity of the center of the copying apparatus 2, a photoconductor 340 is formed on which a light distribution pattern, that is, an electrostatic latent image is formed by focusing the light guided by the fourth mirror 338. It is arranged. This photoconductor 340
Around the periphery of the photosensitive member 340, a charging device 342 that charges the photosensitive member 340 with a predetermined electric charge, a developing device 344 that visualizes the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive member 340 using toner, and the paper P is exposed. AC voltage application device 3 for separation from the body
A transfer device 346 that integrally includes 46a to transfer the toner image formed on the photoconductor 340 to the copy sheet P, and removes the charge distribution in the photoconductor 340 to return the charging characteristics of the photoconductor 340 to the initial state. A cleaning device 348 for scraping off the residual toner is sequentially arranged. Needless to say, the latent image formed on the photoconductor 340 is converted into a toner image via the developing device 344.
The image information included in the document D is copied as a toner image and output on the paper P.

A plurality of slots 350a and 350b into which a paper cassette is inserted are formed at the right side of the copying apparatus 2, that is, at a position corresponding to the upstream side in the rotation direction of the photoconductor 340. Into the slots 350a and 350b, a material to be transferred, such as a copy paper P, facing the photoconductor 340,
Paper cassette 314 for supplying postcards, OHP sheets, etc.
a and 314b are inserted.

The photoconductor 340 is located on the left side of the copying apparatus 2, that is, at a position corresponding to the downstream of the photoconductor 340 in the rotational direction.
A discharge tray 316a on which the image (toner image) formed above is transferred and the fixed copy paper P is stocked
Are arranged.

Inside the copying apparatus 2, between the photoconductor 349 and the paper cassettes 314a and 314b, first and second paper feed rollers for further drawing out the papers P one by one from the cassettes 314a and 314b. 351a, 351b,
Each roller is formed in a pair and the paper P is placed on the photosensitive member 34.
First and second transport rollers 352 that feed toward 0
a and 352b, feed paths 353a and 353b for feeding the paper P from the transport rollers 352a and 352b toward the photoconductor 340, which are respectively formed by a pair of guide plates, and the inclination of the paper P is corrected, A pair of timing rollers 354 for aligning the leading end of the image formed on the photoconductor with the leading end of the paper P and feeding the paper P at the same speed as the rotation speed of the photoconductor 340 are arranged. In addition, the apparatus body 2 conveys the sheet P in a state where the toner image formed on the photoreceptor 340 is transferred between the photoreceptor 340 and the discharge tray 216a and the toner is electrostatically attached. A device 356, a fixing device 358 for melting and fixing the toner transferred to the paper P, and a paper P on which a toner image is fixed
It has a pair of discharge rollers 316 for discharging the outside of the apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the electronic copying machine having the configuration of FIG. The operation shown in this flowchart is executed by the CPU 60 of FIG.

The copy mode for determining the original size, paper size, copy magnification, number of copies, etc. is set by various mode setting keys 20 (20a to 20g) (ST1).
0).

If the all clear key 30 is pressed immediately after this setting (YES in ST12), or even if the all clear key 30 is not pressed (NO in ST12), a predetermined time (for example, 45 seconds) is set after various modes are set. ) Has passed (YES in ST13), the copy mode data indicating the copy mode set in step ST10 is stored in the buffer 7
It is temporarily stored in 0 (ST14), and then reset to the standard mode (ST16).

If the standard mode (first image forming state) is intended by the user, the copy start key 1
0 is turned on (YES in ST24), and copying in the standard mode is performed (ST26).

If the mode intended by the user is neither the standard mode nor the mode stored in the buffer 70, a desired copy mode is newly set in step ST10.

When the mode intended by the user is not the standard mode but the mode stored in the buffer 70 (second image forming state), it is not necessary to reset the copy mode in step ST10.

That is, when the all clear key 30 (or the undo key 40) is pressed (YES in ST18), the copy mode data stored in the buffer 70 is read (ST20), and the current data is read according to the read data. The copy mode immediately before the standard mode is set is restored (ST22). After this, when the copy start key 10 is turned on (YES in ST24), copying is performed in the restored copy mode (ST26).

A plurality of storage areas of the mode storage buffer 70 are set, and a plurality of copy mode data (a plurality of second storage areas) individually set by the user are set in each of these storage areas.
(Image formation state data) may be stored. By doing so, a plurality of types of copy modes can be selectively restored with one touch by a simple operation such as pressing the undo key 40 a plurality of times.

If the mode storage buffer 70 is backed up with a battery, even if a power failure occurs during copying, the copy mode immediately before the power failure can be restored with one touch even after the power is restored.

The "standard mode (first image forming state)" in the present invention is not limited to a single copy mode, but can be variously changed according to the embodiment of the invention and other circumstances. It is a thing. That is, the device power supply 1
The essence of the present invention does not change even if the contents of the "standard mode" set by default immediately after power-on of 10 is changed and the changed mode is treated as a new "standard mode".

[0026]

As described above, in the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the current copy mode (predetermined copy mode) is stored and the changed copy mode (standard mode) is stored. Mode recovery means for returning to the stored current copy mode. Therefore, even if the current copy mode is returned to the standard mode against the intention of the user, the current copy mode can be immediately restored.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electronic copying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an operation panel of the electronic copying apparatus having the configuration of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front sectional view showing a copying machine to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the electronic copying apparatus having the configuration of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Copy start key, 20 (20a-20g) ...
Various mode setting keys (first setting means), 30 ... all clear key (second setting means), 40 ... undo key (third setting means), 50 ... key input interface, 60 ... CPU, 70 ... Mode storage buffer (storage means), 80 ... ROM / RAM, 90 ... Timer, 100 ...
Drive unit (image forming means), 110 ... Power source.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image forming means for forming an image on an image carrier in a specific first image forming state and a second image forming state different from the first image forming state, and the image forming means. The image forming state executed by
Setting means for setting the second image forming state set by the first setting means, and the first setting means for storing the second image forming state set by the first setting means. Second setting means for setting the second image forming state to the first image forming state, and an image forming state from the second image forming state to the first image by the second setting means Third setting means for reading the second image forming state from the storage means after the setting to the forming state and setting the second image forming state without using the first setting means; An image forming apparatus comprising: 2. A power source, a specific first image forming state which is operated by electric power supplied from the power source, and which is automatically set when the power source is turned on, and the first image forming state. The image forming means for forming an image on the image carrier in a second image forming state different from the state, and the image forming state executed by the image forming means are the second image forming means.
A predetermined image forming state setting key for setting the image forming state of No. 2, a storage unit for storing the second image forming state set by the image forming state setting key, and a setting by the image forming state setting key A reset key for resetting the second image forming state to the first image forming state, and the image forming state is set from the second image forming state to the first image forming state by the reset key. And a key for reading the second image forming state from the storage means and setting the second image forming state without using the image forming state setting key. Image forming apparatus. 3. A power source, a specific first image forming state which is operated by electric power supplied from the power source, and which is automatically set when the power source is turned on, and the first image forming state. The image forming means for forming an image on the image carrier in a second image forming state different from the state, and the image forming state executed by the image forming means are the second image forming state.
A predetermined image forming state setting key for setting the image forming state of No. 2, a storage unit for storing the second image forming state set by the image forming state setting key, and a setting by the image forming state setting key Resetting means for resetting the second image forming state to the first image forming state after a predetermined time has passed, and the image forming state is changed from the second image forming state to the first image forming state by the reset means. Key for setting the second image forming state without using the image forming state setting key by reading the second image forming state from the storage means after the image forming state is set. An image forming apparatus comprising: