JPH0713005Y2 - Image forming device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial field of application] This invention is an improvement of a so-called auto-start mechanism that automatically starts an image forming operation by detecting that a document is placed on a document table. It is about.

[Conventional technology]

Generally, in a copying machine as an image forming apparatus, a document is placed on a document table, the document is pressed by a document holder, and then a start key is pressed to start the copying operation. Further, in order to save the trouble of pressing the start key, a copying machine adopting an auto start mechanism has already been proposed.

In a copier having this auto-start mechanism, the placement of documents and the opening and closing of the document holder are monitored, and when it is detected that the document is placed on the document table when the document holder is closed, automatic The copying operation is started as a matter of course.

However, since it is necessary to open and close the document retainer in the mechanism, it may not be applicable to so-called books such as books.

Therefore, the applicant of the present invention enables the manuscript mode setting means to set whether the manuscript is a thin so-called sheet or book, and when the "book" mode is set, the copying operation is started only by detecting the manuscript. Has already developed a copier (see JP-A-60-185942).

[Problems to be solved by the device]

However, as described above, in the apparatus that starts copying only by detecting the original, the original may not be placed in the proper position at the start of the copying operation, and the copying operation is automatically performed in such a state. If it is started in, the so-called miscopy may occur.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of eliminating erroneous copying due to a document setting error even when automatic start is performed only by detecting a document.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the image forming operation is automatically started by detecting that the original is placed on the original table, and the image forming operation is temporarily stopped from the outside. A temporary stop key for instructing, a temporary stop signal output means for detecting the operation of this key and outputting a temporary stop signal, and the temporary stop signal for a predetermined period until the image forming operation is started. A start operation control means for extending the start of the image forming operation for a predetermined time when input is provided.

[Action]

In this invention, when the document is placed on the document table,
The document detection means detects the document. When the placement of the original is detected, the image forming operation is started after a predetermined time has passed.
For example, shortly before the start of this image forming operation, a warning is issued to the operator. At this point, for example, when the document is not set in the proper position and the operator operates the temporary stop key, a signal for instructing the temporary stop of the image forming operation is thereby output. The start operation control means extends the start of the image forming operation for a predetermined time.

As a result, it is possible to always place the document at the proper position and form an image.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a block configuration of an image forming apparatus of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a document table and 2 is a document.
Reference numeral 3 is a document detection sensor for detecting the placement of the document 2 and 4 is a means for outputting a document detection signal by the output of this sensor 3. The sensor 3 and the document detection signal output means 4 constitute a document detection means 5. There is. Reference numeral 6 denotes a start signal output means for outputting an image forming operation start signal to the image forming section 7 after a predetermined time has elapsed after receiving the signal from the document detecting means 5.

On the other hand, 8 is an operation key for temporarily stopping the start of the image forming operation, and 9 is a means for outputting a temporary stop signal by this key input. Further, 10 is a start operation control means for controlling the start signal output means 6 based on the document detection signal and the temporary stop signal, whereby the output of the start signal is extended for a predetermined time.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a copying machine having the structure shown in FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes the document placing table shown in FIG. 1, and the central portion at the left end is the reference position for placing the document.
A document retainer 11 is rotatably supported on the rear side of the document placing table 1. Further, a document detection sensor 3 including a photo sensor is provided below the document placing table 1 so that the reference position can be detected regardless of the size of a document placed. It is located below.

Details of the document detection sensor 3 and the document retainer 11 are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Below the document placing table 1, there is a third
An optical system for reading a document as shown in the drawing is provided, and this optical system mainly has a first moving frame 12 having a light source and a first mirror, and a second mirror and a third mirror. It comprises a second moving frame 13. Then, the document detection sensor 3 is fixed at the center position in the width direction of the first moving frame 12. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the document holder 11 is located behind the document placing table 1 and at the hinge portion on the upper surface of the apparatus body 14.
It is rotatably attached to 15.

Here, the back surface 11a of the document retainer 11, that is, the surface facing the optical system for reading the document is white. Therefore, when the document retainer 11 is closed, the document detection sensor 3 outputs a signal similar to the output when the document is placed. Therefore, a mechanism is provided so that the back surface 11a of the document holder 11 is not mistakenly recognized as a document. That is, in the vicinity of the hinge portion 15 to which the document pressing member 11 is attached, there is provided a rod 17 which is urged upward by the spring 16 from the apparatus main body 14 to project, and the lower end of the rod 17 contacts the limit switch 18. Touching. Also, the rod 17
The upper end of is in contact with the back surface 11a of the document retainer 11,
The rod 17 is moved up and down according to the opening and closing of the document holder 11, and the limit switch 18 is turned on and off.
Then, when the limit switch 18 is off (or on), the output signal of the document detection sensor 3 is determined to be invalid.

In FIG. 2, an operation panel 19 is arranged in front of the upper surface of the device body 14. The details of this operation panel 19
As shown in the figure, like the conventional general operation panel, it has a zoom key 19a, a normal magnification key 19b, a constant magnification key 19c, a density designation key 19d, a ten key 19e, a copy start key 19f, and the like. In addition to these keys, the operation panel 19 of the present embodiment
Is provided with a mode selection key 19g for selecting an automatic start and a normal manual start, and a pause key 19h for temporarily stopping the automatic start when the automatic start mode is selected.

The other general construction of the copying machine is the same as that of the conventional one. In FIG.
20, 21 are mounted, and a paper discharge tray 22 is mounted.

Next, the operation will be described.

When the automatic start is desired, the automatic start mode is selected by the mode selection key 19g on the operation panel 19 shown in FIG. When a document is placed on the document table 1, this is detected by the document detection sensor 3. After a lapse of a predetermined time from the detection of the document, a warning display or a warning sound is generated to inform the operator that the copying operation will be started in a few seconds. At this time, if the document is set at a predetermined position, the copying operation may be started as it is, but if it is not set at the proper position yet, the operator may press the pause key 19h. Then, the start of the copying operation is postponed, the operation returns to the above-described warning display or warning sound generation, and the subsequent operations are repeated.

The above operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 6. First, in step 31, it is determined whether or not the automatic start mode is set. Since the operator is now selecting the automatic start mode with the mode selection key 19g, the operation proceeds to step 32, and the rise of the original detection signal from OFF to ON is detected. When it is detected that the document is placed by the rising edge of this signal, steps 33 and 34 wait for a predetermined time (3 seconds in this example).

Even when the document retainer 11 is closed, its back side 11
A signal similar to the original detection is output from the original detection sensor 3 by a, but in this case, the rod 17 shown in FIG. 4 is pressed downward and the limit switch 18 is turned off (or turned on).
Therefore, the output from the document detection sensor 3 is determined to be invalid. Therefore, the document retainer 11 is closed so that the document is not erroneously recognized as being placed.

When 3 seconds have elapsed in steps 33 and 34, a warning display or warning sound is generated in step 35. Then, after this, the copying operation is started after a lapse of 3 seconds (steps 36, 37 and 39). At this time, it is determined in step 38 whether or not the pause key 19h is pressed by the time the copying operation is started, that is, when the timer is not up, and if it is pressed, the process returns to step 33 and step 34 is performed. ~ 37 is repeated. If it is not pressed again,
After a predetermined time has elapsed, the copying operation is started.

In this embodiment as described above, continuous copying can be performed by the automatic start with the original pressing member 11 opened, and the copying start operation can be extended in the automatic start mode, so that it takes time to set the original. Even when it is necessary, miscopying can be prevented.

Although the sensor 3 is provided for detecting the original in the above-described embodiment, the original detection sensor 3 may also be used as a sensor for detecting the original size, and the same effect as that of the above-described embodiment is obtained.

[Effect of device]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the apparatus which automatically starts the image forming operation upon detecting that the original is placed on the original placing table, the image forming operation is started from the outside. Since the extension can be performed by the operation, there is an effect that the copy error due to the setting error of the document can be prevented in the automatic start mode.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a copying machine as an image forming apparatus, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an optical system and a document detecting sensor of the copying machine, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a side view showing an original placing table and an original pressing portion of the copying machine, and FIG. 5 is a view showing details of an operation panel of the copying machine.
FIG. 6 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the copying machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. 1 ... Original platen, 2 ... Original, 3 ... Original detection sensor, 4 ... Original detection signal output means, 5 ... Original detection means, 6 ... Start signal output means, 7 ... Image forming section, 8 ...
… Operation keys, 9 …… Pause signal output means, 10 …… Starting operation control means, 19h …… Pause key.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An image forming apparatus configured to automatically start an image forming operation by detecting that an original is placed on an original placing table, and externally instructs a temporary stop of the image forming operation. And a temporary stop signal output means for outputting a temporary stop signal by detecting the operation of the temporary stop key, and the temporary stop for a predetermined period until the image forming operation is started. An image forming apparatus comprising: a start operation control unit that extends a start of an image forming operation for a predetermined time when a signal is input.