JPH06198950A - Picture recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent unavailing power consumption when not used in an electronic member and the like in the interior of the device concerned by a method wherein a means for stopping the power supply to the electronic member in the interior of the device concerned is provided so as to stop the power supply to the electronic member at no use. CONSTITUTION:A display panel 25 annouces the running state of a laser printer to a user so as to stop the power supply stopping means at no use. A printer controlling device 26 carries out the electrophotographic process control and picture process control for converting visual information sent from an external device into picture signal for driving a laser unit. In the printer controlling device 26, a microcomputer 30, which is the master for controlling the printer controlling device, respective transistors 31 and 32 and respective resistors 33, 34 and 35 are arranged. When the microcomputer 30 turns off the transistor 31, the transistor 32 is also turned off, resulting in stopping the power supply to the display panel 25.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to means for stopping power supply to electronic members of an image recording apparatus using an electrophotographic process such as a laser printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, electric power is always supplied to constituent electronic members in a device of this type regardless of whether it is used or not.

[0003]

However, in these conventional examples, electric power is supplied to the electronic member regardless of whether it is used or not, so that the electric power is wasted. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a means for preventing unnecessary power consumption by stopping power supply to the electronic device or optional device when not in use.

[0004]

Therefore, in the present invention, an image recording apparatus using a known electrophotographic process has a supply stopping means for stopping the power supply to the electronic members inside the apparatus. However, when the electronic member is not used, the power supply is stopped, or a power supply stopping means for stopping power supply to an optional device mounted on the image recording apparatus is used. However, when the optional equipment is not used, the power supply is stopped so as to achieve the above-mentioned object.

[0005]

With the configuration of the present invention as described above, it is possible to prevent wasteful power consumption when the electronic members inside the apparatus or the optional equipment are not used.

[0006]

EXAMPLES The present invention will be described below based on examples.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of a laser printer according to the present invention. (Structure) The laser printer 1 has a cassette 2 for storing the recording paper S, a cassette paper presence sensor 3 for detecting the presence or absence of the recording paper S in the cassette 2, and a size of the recording paper S in the cassette 2. In order to do so, a cassette size sensor 4 composed of a plurality of micro switches, a paper feed roller 5 for feeding the recording paper S from the cassette 2, and the like are provided.

The recording paper S is provided downstream of the paper feed roller 5.
A pair of registration rollers 6 for synchronously transporting the sheets are provided. An image forming unit 8 for forming a toner image on the recording paper S based on the laser light from the laser scanner unit 7 is disposed downstream of the registration roller 6. Further, a fixing device 9 for thermally fixing the toner image on the recording paper S is disposed downstream of the image forming unit 8,
Downstream of the fixing device 9, a paper ejection sensor 10 for detecting the paper conveyance state of the paper ejection unit, a paper ejection roller 11 for ejecting the recording paper S, and a recording paper S for which recording is completed are stacked. A loading tray 12 and the like are arranged.

The laser scanner section 7 will be described later with reference to a laser unit 13 which emits a laser beam modulated based on image information sent from an external device 29 described later, and the laser beam from this laser unit 13. A polygon mirror motor 14 for scanning on the photosensitive drum 17,
It is composed of the imaging lens group 15 and the like. The image forming section 8 is composed of a photosensitive drum 17 necessary for a known electrophotographic process, a primary charging roller 19, a developing device 20, a transfer charging roller 21, a cleaner 22 and the like. Further, the main motor 23 gives a driving force to the sheet feeding roller 5, the registration roller pair 6, each unit of the image forming unit 8 including the photosensitive drum 17, the fixing device 9, and the sheet discharging roller 11.

Reference numeral 25 denotes a display panel for notifying the user of the operating state of the laser printer 1. This display panel 25 is provided by a power supply stopping means according to the present invention, which will be described later.
When not in use, the power supply is stopped. 26 is a printer control device, which is a laser printer 1
And electrophotographic process control, image processing control for converting image information from an external device into an image signal for driving the laser unit 13, and the like.

Reference numeral 27 is a low-voltage power supply unit, which is a commercial AC
A DC power supply for driving electronic members such as the printer control device and the main motor 23 is produced from the power supply and supplied.
Reference numeral 29 denotes an external device such as a personal computer, which is connected to the printer control device 26 via the general-purpose interface 28.
Then, a recording start command, image information, etc. are transmitted. When the printer control device 26 receives an image recording start command from the external device 29 via the interface 28, the main motor 2
3, the driving of the polygon mirror motor 14 and the driving of the thermal fixing device 9 are started, the recording paper S is fed by the paper feeding roller 5, and the registration roller 21, the image forming unit 8, the fixing device 9, the paper ejection roller 11 The recording paper S is conveyed to and the electrophotographic process is sequentially performed to record a predetermined image.

(Control Operation) Next, the printer controller 2
The power supply stop control to the display panel 25 by 6 will be described. FIG. 2 shows a circuit of a part related to the control for stopping the power supply to the display panel 25 of the printer control device 26. In the figure, 30 is a microcomputer that is the main control unit of the printer control device, 31 and 32 are transistors,
Reference numerals 33, 34, and 35 are resistors, and when the microcomputer 30 turns off the transistor 31, the transistor 32 is also turned off and the power supply to the display panel 25 is stopped.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a control operation sequence for stopping power supply to the display panel 25. First, in step S1, it is determined whether or not the display panel 25 is in a recording operation or in a warning state to the user, and if it is in use, the display panel 25 is in step S2.
5 is supplied with electric power and is not in use, step S
At 3, the power supply is stopped.

As described above, the means for stopping the electric power supply to the electronic members in the apparatus 1 is provided, and when the electronic members are not used, the electric power supply to these electronic members is stopped, so that the unnecessary electric power is consumed. Consumption is prevented.

(Other Embodiments) FIG. 4 shows an outline of the structure of another embodiment, and the same (corresponding) constituent elements as in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals. In the figure, reference numeral 36 denotes an optional paper feeding device mounted on the laser printer 1, and supplies the recording paper S to the laser printer 1. Optional paper feeder 3
Reference numeral 6 denotes a cassette 2 for storing the recording paper S, a cassette paper presence sensor 3 for detecting the presence or absence of the recording paper S in the cassette 2, a cassette size sensor 4 for detecting the recording paper size of the cassette 2, and a cassette A paper feed roller 5 and the like for feeding the recording paper S from 2 are provided. A duplicate description of the other same (corresponding) constituent elements will be omitted.

The printer control unit 26, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 corresponding to FIGS. 3 and 4 of this embodiment, respectively, performs the same step S as in the first embodiment.
In step 11, it is determined whether or not a recording operation using the optional sheet feeding device 36 is in progress. If it is in use, power is supplied to the optional sheet feeding device 36 in step S12, and if it is not in use, step S13. To stop the power supply.

As described above, means for stopping the power supply to the optional equipment 36 is provided, and the optional equipment 36 is provided.
When not in use, power supply is stopped to prevent wasteful power consumption.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In an image recording apparatus using a known electrophotographic process, means for stopping power supply to electronic members or optional equipment inside the apparatus is provided, and when these electronic members or optional equipment are not in use, electric power is supplied to each. Since it is configured to stop, it is possible to prevent wasteful power consumption.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a control circuit diagram of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the control operation sequence of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a control circuit diagram of FIG.

6 is a control operation sequence flowchart of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Laser Printer 25 Display Panel 26 Printer Control Device 30 Microcomputer 36 Optional Paper Feeding Device

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Hitoshi Machino 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Masanori Ishizu 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Incorporated (72) Inventor Hidehiro Wakamiya 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image recording apparatus using a known electrophotographic process, having a supply stopping means for stopping the supply of electric power to an electronic member inside the apparatus, the electric power being supplied when the electronic member is not in use. An image recording device characterized in that the supply is stopped. 2. An arrangement is provided which has a supply stopping means for stopping power supply to an optional device mounted on the image recording apparatus and used, and the power supply is stopped when the optional device is not used. The image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein