JPH07199742A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To form an image without waste space, with an excellent layout and easy to see by detecting size of the image on an original and selecting the size of sheets according to the detected size. CONSTITUTION:Original D is set on an original base 3, the top end position and the rear end position of the image DV are detected. Output voltage of an original senser 64 is raised in the top end position (scan time t1) of the image DV, and the output voltage of the original senser 64 is lowered in the rear end position (scan time t2) of the image DV. Then, a length (=t2-t1) between the top end position to the rear end position is detected as the size of the image DV. On the other hand, the image of the original D is read, a margin (space) M with a prescribed width is added, and a sheets selection process or a variable power process is performed based on the size containing them. Then, the sheets P are selected, a read image is copied on the sheet, and the relation between the size of the image DV and the size of the sheets P is considered, and the waste space is eliminated.

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 a copying machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine, reads an image of a document placed on a document table by exposure scanning (scanning) and forms the read image on a sheet. Some copying machines have a function of an automatic paper selection mode and an automatic scaling mode.

In the automatic paper selection mode, when a document is set on the platen, the document is scanned once to detect the document size, and a sheet of a size suitable for the document size is automatically selected. is there. For example, when an A4 size document table is set on the document table, A4 size paper is selected. If it is a B4 size document, B4 size paper is selected.

In the automatic scaling mode, when a document is set on the platen, the document is scanned once to detect the document size, and the document size is compared with the paper size designated by the user, The image read from is scaled according to the comparison result. For example, when the user specifies B4 size paper, the detected document size is A
If it is 4, the read image is enlarged so as to fit the B4 size. Further, when the user specifies A4 size paper and the detected document size is B4, the read image is reduced so as to fit in A4 size.

[0005]

The image on the original may be considerably smaller than the original. Even if a copy operation in the automatic paper selection mode or the automatic scaling mode is performed on an original with many margins, the function is not fully utilized. For example, a paper that is too large and disproportionate to the size of the image is selected, or an originally small image is unnecessarily reduced and becomes smaller and smaller.

The present invention takes the above circumstances into consideration,
An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of forming an easy-to-see image with a good layout without wasteful margins regardless of the size of an image on a document.

[0007]

In the image forming apparatus of the first aspect of the invention, an image of a document is read by exposing and scanning a document table, and the read image is formed on a sheet. A detection unit that detects the size and a selection unit that selects the size of the sheet according to the detected size are provided.

In the image forming apparatus of the second aspect of the invention, in which the document table is exposed and scanned to read the image of the document and the read image is formed on a sheet, the detecting means for detecting the size of the image on the document. And a scaling means for scaling the read image at a scaling factor according to the detected size.

In the image forming apparatus of the third aspect of the invention, the document table is exposed and scanned to read the image of the document, and the read image is formed on the sheet. The detecting means for detecting the size of the image on the document. A selection means for selecting the size of the sheet according to the detected size, and a scaling means for scaling the read image at a magnification corresponding to the detected size,
And a designating unit for designating either one of the scaling unit and the selecting unit.

In the image forming apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the document table is exposed and scanned to read the image of the document, and the read image is formed on a sheet. In the image forming apparatus, the presence or absence of the document on the document table is detected. Means, a detecting means for detecting the size of an image on the original when the detecting means detects the presence of a document, a selecting means for selecting the size of the sheet according to the detected size, and a detecting means for detecting the size of the sheet. A scaling means for scaling the read image at a different magnification, and a designating means for designating one of the scaling means and the selecting means.

[0011]

In the image forming apparatus of the first invention, the size of the image on the original is detected and the size of the paper is selected according to the detected size. In the image forming apparatus of the second invention, the size of the image on the document is detected, and the read image is scaled at a magnification corresponding to the detected size.

In the image forming apparatus of the third invention, the size of the image on the original is detected, the size of the paper is selected according to the detected size, or the read image is changed at a magnification corresponding to the detected size. Double processing.

When the document is set on the document table, the image forming apparatus of the fourth invention detects it and detects the size of the image on the document. Then, the size of the paper is selected according to the detected size, or the read image is scaled at a magnification according to the detected size.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows the internal structure of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine. The main body 1 has an original table 3 and an original cover 4 at a position corresponding to the original table 3.

As shown in FIG. 4, the document table 3 is provided with an indicator portion 2 attached to an adjacent position. The indicator unit 2 has scale scales corresponding to various document sizes on the upper surface. The document cover 4 is attached to the main body 1 via a telescopic hinge 5, and can be vertically moved according to the thickness of the document D placed on the document table 3.

A photoconductor drum 20 is provided at a substantially central portion of the main body 1.
Is rotatably provided. Around the photosensitive drum 20, a charging charger 21, an exposure unit 22a, a developing unit 23,
Transfer charger 25, peeling charger 26, cleaner 2
7. The static eliminator 28 is sequentially arranged. An erasing lamp array 92 is arranged around the photoconductor drum 20 between the charging charger 21 and the exposure section 22a.

An exposure system 22 is provided in the upper portion of the main body 1. The exposure system 22 includes an exposure lamp 61, first to third reflection mirrors 62a, 62b and 62c, a variable magnification lens block 63, and fourth to sixth reflection mirrors 62d and 6.
2e, 62f.

The exposure lamp 61 is provided on a carriage 60 which can freely reciprocate along the original table 3, and the forward movement of the carriage 60 to the right in the drawing and the light emission of the exposure lamp 61 cause the original table 3 to move. Exposure scanning is performed over the entire surface. By this exposure scanning, a reflected light image corresponding to the image on the document D is obtained, and the reflected light image is projected onto the exposure section 22a by the respective reflection mirrors and the magnification varying lens block 63.

A document sensor 64 and a document size sensor 65 are provided on the carriage 60. The document sensor 64 is
The document D on the document table 3 has a light emitting section that emits light toward the document table 3 and a light receiving section that receives reflected light from the document table 3 side.
The presence or absence of is optically detected. The document size sensor 65 is
By capturing the reflected light from the document table 3 side based on the light emission of the exposure lamp 61, the document D in the direction of the exposure scanning can be obtained.
Detects the front end position and the rear end position of the.

A paper feed cassette 10 is provided at the bottom of the main body 1. Further, the paper feed cassette 11 is mounted on the lateral portion of the main body 1. This paper feed cassette 10 and paper feed cassette 1
A large number of sheets P having different sizes are accommodated in the sheet No. 1, and the sheets P in one of the cassettes are taken out one by one in response to a command from the control unit 100 described later. Pick-up rollers 37a and 37b are provided for this take-out. The paper P taken out is separated by the separators 38a, 3a.
It is separated from each paper feed cassette by 8b and sent to the registration roller 32 to wait for the rotation of the photosensitive drum 20 there.

The charging charger 21 applies a high voltage supplied from a high voltage power source unit 107, which will be described later, to the photoconductor drum 20 to charge the surface of the photoconductor drum 20 with an electrostatic charge. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoconductor drum 20 by this charging and the image formation from the exposure system 22 on the photoconductor drum 20.

The electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 20 is developed by the developing device 2.
The developer is visualized by receiving the developer at 3, and the image is transferred to the transfer charger 25. Paper P is sent from the registration roller 32 to the transfer charger 25 in synchronization with the rotation of the photoconductor drum 20, and the visible image on the photoconductor drum 20 is transferred to the paper P. The sheet P on which the image has been transferred in this way is peeled from the photoconductor drum 20 by the peeling charger 26, and is sent to the fixing roller 33 by the conveyance belt 36. Then, the fixed paper P is ejected to the paper ejection tray 9 by the paper ejection roller 34. After the transfer, the photoconductor drum 2
0 passes through the cleaner 27 and the static eliminator 28 to prepare for the next copy.

On the other hand, the main part of the control circuit is shown in FIG. 10
Reference numeral 0 is a control unit for controlling the entire copying machine. This control unit 1
00, the copy mechanism unit 101, the document sensor 64, the document size sensor 65, and the operation panel 102 are connected.

The copy mechanism section 101 drives various devices in the main body 1 involved in the copy operation. The operation panel 102 is
It has various keys and a display unit for setting the conditions of the copy operation. In particular, it has a paper selection mode key for setting the automatic paper selection mode and a scaling mode key for setting the automatic scaling mode.

The control unit 100 mainly includes the following functional means. [1] The image of the document D placed on the document table 3 is exposed by the exposure system 22.
Copying means for forming a read image on the sheet P by reading the image by the exposure scanning.

[2] Detecting means for detecting the size of the image on the document D when the document sensor 64 detects that the document D is set on the document table 3. [3] Selection means for selecting one of the different sizes of paper P stored in the paper feed cassettes 10 and 11 according to the detected size.

[4] A scaling means for scaling the read image at a magnification corresponding to the detected size. [5] Designating means for designating the processing of either the selecting means or the scaling means according to the operation of the paper selection mode key or the scaling mode key.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, when the document D is set on the document table 3, it is detected by the document sensor 64.
Detected by. Then, exposure scanning is performed once by the forward movement of the carriage 60 and the light emission of the exposure lamp 61, and the leading edge position and the trailing edge position of the document D are detected by the document size sensor 65. Further, the front end position and the rear end position of the image Dv on the document D are detected by using the light receiving function of the document sensor 64.

That is, at the leading edge position of the document D, the output signal of the document size sensor 65 rises to logic "1", and the document D
At the rear end position, the output signal of the document size sensor 65 falls to logic "0". The output voltage of the document sensor 64 rises at the leading end position (scan time t ₁ ) of the image Dv on the document D, and the output voltage of the document sensor 64 rises at the trailing end position (scan time t ₂ ) of the image Dv on the document D. Go down.

These position detections are sequentially stored as the scan time t from the scan home position. The flag F is detected when the tip position of the image Dv is detected.
Is set to "1". This set indicates the end of the front end position detection, and thereafter, the rear end position detection of the image Dv starts. Therefore, as shown in FIG.
Even if there are two images Dv, only the tip of the first image Dv is detected as the tip position and the second image Dv is detected.
Is not detected as the tip position.

The detection of the rear end position of the image Dv is updated and continued until the rear end position of the document D is detected by the document size sensor 65. That is, when there are two images Dv as shown in FIG. 2, the rear end of the second image Dv is finally detected as the rear end position.

In this way, when the front end position and the rear end position of the image Dv are detected, the length (= t ₂ −t ₁ ) from the front end position to the rear end position is detected as the size of the image Dv. .

On the other hand, when the print key on the operation panel 102 is turned on, the carriage 60 is moved forward and the exposure lamp 61 is moved.
The exposure scanning by the light emission of is performed, and the image of the document D (the image Dv and the margin) is read.

At this time, a margin (margin) M having a predetermined width is added to the leading end side and the trailing end side of the size of the detected image Dv, and the paper selection process or the paper selection process is performed based on the size including both margins M. Magnification processing is performed.

That is, if the paper selection mode key of the operation panel 102 is turned on and the automatic paper selection mode is set, the paper is stored in the paper feed cassettes 10 and 11 according to the detected size (including the margin M). One of the different sizes of paper P is selected.

For example, if the detected size (including the margin M) is large, the larger size paper P is selected accordingly. If the detected size (including the margin M) is small, the smaller size paper P is selected accordingly. Although there are only two sizes of paper P here, it is of course possible to prepare paper P of a larger size.

When the sheet P is selected, the sheet P is sent to the photosensitive drum 20, and the read image is copied onto the sheet P. At this time, the supply timing of the paper P to the photosensitive drum 20 is set to the optimum timing in consideration of the margin M. The copy image thus obtained has a good layout in which the size of the image Dv and the size of the paper P are well taken into consideration, and a good layout with no useless margins is easy to see.

When the scaling mode key on the operation panel 102 is turned on and the automatic scaling mode is set, the read image is scaled at a magnification corresponding to the detected size (including the margin M). Processed twice.

For example, when the detected size (including the margin M) is large and the user designates the smaller size paper P, the image Dv has a size suitable for the smaller size paper P. As described above, the read image is reduced at an appropriate magnification. In addition, the detection size (margin M
If the user designates a larger size paper P, the read image is enlarged at an appropriate magnification so that the read image has a size commensurate with the larger size paper P. It is processed.

Therefore, the copy image obtained by this scaling process has a good layout in which the size of the image Dv and the size of the paper P are well taken into consideration, and a good layout with no unnecessary margin is easily seen.

Particularly, for detecting the size of the image Dv, the original D
Since the original document sensor 64 for detecting the presence or absence of the image is also used, it is not necessary to prepare a special sensor for detecting the size of the image Dv, and it is possible to avoid an increase in cost.

[0042]

As described above, according to the present invention, the size of the image on the original is detected, the size of the paper is selected according to the detected size, or the image is read at a magnification corresponding to the detected size. Since the image is scaled, it is possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of forming an easy-to-see image with a good layout without wasteful margins regardless of the size of the image on the document.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a relationship between an image of a document and a position detecting operation according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a relationship between an image of a document and a position detecting operation in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a relationship between a document table and an exposure unit in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a main part of a control circuit in the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the same embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Main body, 3 ... Original plate, D ... Original, Dv ... Image, P ... Paper, 60 ... Carriage, 61 ... Exposure lamp, 64 ... Original sensor, 100 ... Control section, 103 ... Operation panel.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus for exposing an image of a document by scanning an original plate for exposure and forming the read image on a sheet, and a detecting means for detecting the size of the image on the document, and the detection size. An image forming apparatus comprising: a selection unit that selects the size of the sheet according to the above. 2. An image forming apparatus for exposing and scanning a document table to read an image of a document, and forming the read image on a sheet, a detection unit for detecting the size of the image on the document, and the detection size. An image forming apparatus comprising: a scaling unit that scales the read image at a magnification corresponding to the scaling ratio. 3. An image forming apparatus for exposing an image of a document by exposing and scanning a document table and forming the read image on a sheet, and a detecting means for detecting the size of the image on the document, and the detection size. Selective means for selecting the size of the sheet according to the above, variable magnification means for varying the read image at a magnification corresponding to the detected size, and either one of the varying means and the selecting means. An image forming apparatus comprising: a designating unit for designating. 4. An image forming apparatus for exposing and scanning a document table to read an image of a document, and forming the read image on a sheet, a detection means for detecting the presence or absence of the document on the document table, and the detection means. When the presence of the original is detected, the detecting means for detecting the size of the image on the original, the selecting means for selecting the size of the paper according to the detected size, and the read image at the magnification according to the detected size An image forming apparatus, comprising: a scaling means for performing scaling processing on the image forming means; and a designating means for designating one of the processing of the scaling means and the selecting means.