JPH06164818A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To read and record the picture of a double side original with the simple configuration of a carrying path. CONSTITUTION:A reverse feed path III tying sub feeding paths IA,IIA and a feeding path I with an original container section 20A is provided between the 1st feeding path I feeding an original D to a picture reader 20B and a 2nd feeding path II feeding recording paper P to a picture transfer area, and in the case of copying the doubleside picture, the original D whose front side picture reading is finished is turned over by the reverse feeding path III, and the picture on the rear side is read by the original container section 20A, and the recording paper P on the front side of which the picture is recorded is turned over by the 2nd feeding path II and the reverse feeding path III, and the paper is supplied again to the 2nd feeding path II via the sub feeding path IA from an original container section 20A.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement of a composite type image forming apparatus having the functions of copier, printer and fax.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When an image forming apparatus is provided with a function of transmitting an image by fax, a reading device for reading an image of a document to be transmitted and a paper feeding / conveying system for feeding / discharging a document to / from the reading device are provided. It is built in separately from the paper feed system for recording paper.

[0003]

In such an image forming apparatus, there is no freedom because the storage positions and discharge positions of the original and the recording paper are limited, and a reversing device for reversing the front and back of the original and the recording paper. However, there is a problem in that the volume of the apparatus, especially the height of the apparatus becomes large, the handleability deteriorates, and the visibility in the installed room deteriorates.

The present invention solves this problem and improves it.
You can select the discharge storage position for originals and recording paper,
Another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of recording a double-sided image by reversing an original and a recording sheet without adding a reversing device.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above-mentioned object is to convey a document from a document accommodating section and discharge it to a document ejecting section after reading an image, and to convey a recording sheet from the recording sheet accommodating section. A second feeding path for discharging an image to a recording sheet discharging section after recording an image, and changing the feeding direction from the second feeding path to the first feeding path after recording the image on the recording sheet. Then, the image forming apparatus is characterized in that it can be discharged to the document storage section.

[0006]

1 shows an image forming apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a schematic block diagram of a control system. Reference numeral 1 denotes a photoconductor belt which is stretched between the rotating rollers 2 and 3, and
Is driven to be conveyed and rotated in the direction of the arrow while slidingly contacting the guide member 4.

Reference numeral 5 is a charging device which also serves as a transfer means, 6 is a laser writing system unit which is an image exposure section, and 7 to 10 are respective developing devices for accommodating yellow, magenta, cyan and black developers, respectively. The developing sleeves 7A to 10 which maintain a predetermined gap between the peripheral surface of the photosensitive belt 1 and the peripheral surface thereof.
Equipped with A.

On the other hand, reference numerals 20A and 30A denote a document storage section and a recording sheet storage section, and a document D is placed in the document storage section 20A with its image surface facing downward.

Reference numeral I denotes a first feeding path for feeding the original document D carried out from the original document storing section 20A, which is an image reading device.
20B is provided, and the auxiliary feeding path IA is branched to the upstream side of the image reading device 20B.

Reference numeral II denotes a second feeding path for feeding the recording paper P carried out from the recording paper storage section 30A, which is an image transfer area formed by the photosensitive belt 1 and the charger 5. And a timing roller on the upstream side of the transfer area.
30B and the sub-feeding path IA is joined to the upstream side of the timing roller 30B, the fixing device 30C is provided on the downstream side, and the first feeding device is provided to the downstream side of the fixing device 30C. The auxiliary feeding path IIA that joins the path I is branched.

The first feeding path I is located slightly downstream of the position where the first feeding path I merges with the sub feeding path IIA, and the document storage section 20A is provided.
The reversal feeding route III leading to is branched.

20D and 30D are the above-mentioned first feeding path I
And a document ejection unit and a recording sheet ejection unit for ejecting the document D and the recording sheet P fed through the second feeding path II, respectively.

When the copy mode of the image of the document D is set by the selection button from the operation panel (not shown) by the mode selection function shown in FIG. 2, the auxiliary feed paths IA and IIA are provided at the branch points. The rotatable guide plates G1 and G2 occupy the position indicated by the solid line by the transfer path switching signal from the control unit, and the unloading leading to the first and second feeding paths I and II by the subsequent operation of the copy button. Rollers 21 and 31,
The double feed prevention rollers 22 and 32, the paper discharge rollers 23 and 33, and the respective conveyance rollers are simultaneously rotated in the directions indicated by the arrows.

The uppermost original D from the original storage section 20A
Then, the image is read by the image reading device 20B, the image is converted into a signal and input to the image data processing unit, and then is subjected to image processing and temporarily stored as image data in the image memory.

The original D, whose image has been read, goes straight and is conveyed and discharged to the original discharge section 20D. However, when a double-sided copy mode (not shown) is selected at the time of mode selection, the reverse feeding path is set. The guide plate G3 provided at the branch point of III is rotated to the position shown by the broken line and switched (by a transport path switching signal) to feed the reverse feed path III, and then the image surface faces upward and the document storage section It can also be discharged to the document discharge section 20D by discharging it to 20A, then carrying it out again and returning the guide plate G3 to the position shown by the solid line. Therefore, it is possible to read an image of a double-sided original having images on both sides.

On the other hand, the lowermost recording paper P is unloaded from the recording paper storage section 30A, and stands still at a position where it reaches the timing roller 30B.

When the original image is a color image, the image data is input as a color signal to the laser writing system 6 when the image is formed, and the process of forming and recording the image in the apparatus is started.

That is, when a color signal is input, a semiconductor laser (not shown) is provided in the laser writing system unit 6.
When the laser beam generated in step 6 is rotated by the drive motor 6A, it is rotationally scanned by the polygon mirror 6B, and fθ
The optical path is bent by the mirror 6D through the lens 6C,
A bright line is formed by being projected onto the peripheral surface of the photoconductor belt 1 to which electric charges have been previously given by the charger 5.

The charger 5 has a built-in charging electrode which also serves as a transfer electrode. As shown in FIG. 3, when an image forming signal is input to the control section by operating the copy button, the changeover switch operates to charge the charging power source. Is turned on and photoconductor belt 1
A charging voltage is applied to. At that time, the transfer power source is switched off.

On the other hand, when the scanning is started, the beam is detected by the index sensor, the modulation of the beam by the first color signal is started, and the modulated beam scans the peripheral surface of the photosensitive belt 1. Therefore, a latent image corresponding to the first color is formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive belt 1 by the main scanning by the laser beam and the sub-scanning by the conveyance of the photosensitive belt 1. This latent image is yellow (Y) in the developing means.
By the developing device 7 loaded with the toner (visual medium), non-contact reversal development is performed, and a toner image is formed on the belt surface. The obtained toner image passes through the cleaning device 11, which is a cleaning unit separated from the peripheral surface of the photosensitive belt 1 while being held on the belt surface, and enters the next copy cycle.

That is, the photoconductor belt 1 has the charger 5
Then, the second color signal output from the signal processing unit is input to the writing system unit 6, and writing is performed on the belt surface in the same manner as in the case of the first color signal described above. The image is formed. The latent image is reversely developed in a non-contact state by the developing device 8 loaded with magenta (M) toner as the second color.

The magenta (M) toner image is formed in the presence of the previously formed yellow (Y) toner image.

A developing device 9 having cyan (C) toner forms a cyan (C) toner image on the surface of the belt based on a control signal generated by a signal processing section.

Further, 10 is a developing device having a black toner, and a black toner image is formed on the surface of the belt by superimposing it on the surface of the belt by the same process as required. A DC or further AC bias is applied to each sleeve of each of these developing units 7, 8, 9 and 10 to perform jumping development with a one-component or two-component developer which is a developing means, and the base is grounded. The reversal development is performed on the photoconductor belt 1 in a non-contact manner. Thus, a color toner image of the original image is formed on the peripheral surface of the photosensitive belt 1.

On the other hand, the timing roller 30B starts rotating in synchronization with the conveyance of the toner image on the photosensitive belt 1.
The recording paper P is fed to the image transfer area and the image is transferred by the charger 5.

That is, the timing roller from the control unit
The changeover switch is activated before and after the drive signal of 30B to turn on the transfer power source, and the transfer voltage is applied to the recording paper P to transfer the toner image on the photosensitive belt 1. At that time, the charging power source is switched off.

The recording paper P to which the toner image has been transferred is fused to the toner on the lower surface of the recording paper by the heat fixing roller in the fixing device 30C, and then discharged to the recording paper discharge section 30D with the image surface facing downward.

On the other hand, after the transfer of the color toner image is completed, the photosensitive belt 1 is further rotated once to be pressed against the blade 11A of the cleaning device 11 to remove and clean the residual toner. The image forming process is terminated and the next image forming cycle is started.

When forming a monochrome image, only the color signal corresponding to black is input to the laser writing system unit 6, and therefore only the development by the developing device 10 is performed.

The recording paper P on which the image has been fixed is directly ejected to the recording paper ejection unit 30D, but both sides of the original are read by the reading unit 20B by the double-sided copy mode selection and stored in the frame memory. After the toner image is formed on the photosensitive belt 1 of the image forming apparatus as described above, the respective guide plates G1, G2, and G3 are switched to the positions indicated by the broken lines so that the sub-supply is performed. Sending route
From the IIA through the reverse feeding path III, the document is temporarily stored in the document storage section 20A with the image surface facing upward, and by the operation of the carry-out roller 21 and the double feed preventing roller 22, the second feeding is performed again via the sub-feeding path IA. It is also possible to convey the sheet to the feeding path II, return it to the position shown by the solid line of the guide plate G2, and discharge it to the recording sheet discharge section 30D. Therefore, it is possible to record images on both the front and back sides of the recording paper P corresponding to the above-described process of reading both-sided images of the document D.

The document storage section 2 is passed through the reverse feeding path III described above.
The original D and the recording paper P, which are stored again in 0A, are discharged from the state shown by the one-dot chain line in the figure
It slides down to the unloading position indicated by the chain double-dashed line along the inclination of 20A, and is immediately placed in a state ready for unloading and feeding by rotation of the unloading roller 21.

In order to ensure that the discharged document D or recording paper P is positioned at the carry-out position, it is possible to provide an extruding member 40 which is reciprocally driven by the drive of the rotary solenoid S as shown in FIG.

When the image of the original document D is to be transmitted by a facsimile machine, the guide plate is rotated to the position shown by the solid line by setting the fax transmission mode from the operation section (not shown). First feeding route I
Only the feeding system of the device operates and the image is read, and after confirming the accepting state of the receiving side of the other party, it is output as a signal from the controller section (external output signal from the external command signal section) and read The document D that has been processed is discharged to the document discharge unit 20D via the discharge roller 23.

Normally, when the above copy mode or fax transmission mode is not set, that is, the power source O
At N hours or after the image processing in the copy mode or the fax transmission mode is performed, a predetermined fixed time (by a timer) is set, and the apparatus is always faxed regardless of pressing the button selection of the fax reception mode button. Set to receive mode.

Further, while the apparatus is operating in the fax reception mode, setting of other modes is prohibited (not accepted).

When an image signal received by a facsimile machine or an image based on image data output from a computer or the like is recorded, the image formation is performed according to an external input signal from the controller section by setting the print mode (fax reception mode). Then, only the feeding system of the second feeding path is operated, and the recording paper P on which an image is recorded is discharged to the recording paper discharging unit 30D.

[0037]

As described above, the present invention realizes copying of double-sided images of an original while maintaining compactness by providing each of the feeding paths for branching the original and the recording paper, which branch off from each other. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus having excellent practicability, which can be used as a storage section for recording paper even when a document storage section is received by the apparatus.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram showing a control system of the device.

FIG. 3 is a main part view of the device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Photoconductor belt 5 Charging device 6 Laser writing system unit 7 to 10 Developing device 11 Cleaning device 20A Document storage unit 20B Image reading device 20D Document ejection unit 21, 31 Ejection roller 22, 32 Double feed prevention roller 23, 33 Ejection sheet Roller 30A Recording paper storage section 30B Timing roller 30C Fixing device 30D Recording paper ejection section I First feeding path II Second feeding path III Reverse feeding path IA, IIA Sub feeding path D Original P Recording paper G1 , G2, G3 guide plate

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A first feeding path for conveying a document from a document storage unit and discharging it to a document discharge unit after reading an image, and a recording paper discharge unit for conveying recording paper from the recording paper storage unit and recording an image. A second feeding path for discharging the recording paper, and after recording the image on the recording paper, the feeding direction is changed from the second feeding path to the first feeding path, and the recording paper is discharged to the document storage section. An image forming apparatus characterized in that it is possible. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the document storage section can be used as a double-sided unit for recording paper when recording images on both sides of the recording paper.