JPH0766968A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an excellent image from which the omission of image is excluded when an original of a predetermined size is divided into two of recording paper of the predetermined size and recorded. CONSTITUTION:This device is provided with a file margin designation means 204 designating a file margin, an area comparison means, 201c comparing each image area being 1/2 division when a read image is divided into two recording paper sheet with a valid area excluding the file margin designated, by the file margin designation means 204, and a preset space, and an image processing means 206 reducing the image in matching with the valid area when the means 201c indicates the result that the image area is larger than the valid area and executing the image processing in the size when the image area is smaller than the valid area.

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, a laser printer and a facsimile machine. More specifically, when an original is divided into two and an image is formed on a recording paper of a predetermined size, The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that performs processing so that an image area fits within an effective area excluding a size of a binding margin and a margin portion.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art First, the background of the technology according to the present invention will be described. In the office environment, there are many documents of different sizes, and the documents are bound and bound in files and stored / stored in a desk, a cabinet, or the like. Generally, private companies use A4 size or A3 size.
A size document such as size is often used. On the other hand, in public offices, B size documents are often used for reasons such as laws and ministerial orders. As described above, in the past, documents of A size and B size were mixed, and the work of storing and managing the documents was troublesome.

Under these circumstances, the government has recently planned to unify the document sizes, and newly created documents will be based on the uniform size (A size) in the future. However, the already created document is stored as a B5 size original, and if a copying machine is used to copy this document, it is generally B.
It is to be copied on 5 size recording paper. Recent copying machines have a function of detecting the size of a document, automatically selecting a recording sheet that matches the size of the document, and forming an image on the fed recording sheet. In such a copying machine, forming an image on a recording paper having a size different from the size of the original makes the operation rather complicated. Further, in a copying machine that does not have such a function, when recording sheets of a plurality of sizes are set, the operator often selects the recording sheet of the same size as the original.
Therefore, in order to unify the document sizes in the office, a copier that can set only recording paper of a predetermined size is required.

As one means for solving such a problem, it is known that a large original is divided into two and copied. For example, as a reference technical document related to the present invention, there is a "copying method" disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-146255. This is for a large size manuscript
This is a continuous page copying method of recording on a small-sized recording sheet. This copying method is an effective means when recording each page on a separate recording sheet with the book opened, and since the image originally contained in each page is recorded, there is no image in the central portion. An example of copying by such a copying method is shown in FIG. FIG. 6A shows an A3 size original 102 to be copied, and FIG. 6B shows an example in which the original contents are copied on an A4 size recording paper by dividing the original 102 into two at the alternate long and short dash line.

[0005]

However, in the conventional copying method as described above, for example, an A3 size original as shown in FIG.
As shown in (3), if the image is simply divided into two with the central portion as the boundary and the binding margin is adjusted to shift the image position, the image does not fit in the A4 size, resulting in a problem of image loss.

The present invention has been made in view of the above, and even when a binding margin adjustment is performed when a document of a predetermined size is divided into two and recorded on a recording sheet of a predetermined size, The purpose is to reliably eliminate image loss and obtain good images regardless of the binding margin width.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a document reading unit for reading a document image,
An image forming apparatus having an image data storage unit for storing image data read by the document reading unit and a document size detection unit for detecting the size of a document, and a binding margin width designating unit for designating a binding margin width and a document. When the read image is divided into two pieces of recording paper based on the size,
Area comparison means for comparing the divided image areas with an effective area excluding the binding margin width designated by the binding margin width designating means and a preset margin portion, and the image area by the area comparing means When the image area is larger than the effective area, the image is reduced according to the effective area, and when the image area is smaller than the effective area, the image processing means executes image processing with the same size. An image forming apparatus is provided.

The recording paper is of A size.

Further, the image processing means reduces the image area only in the direction in which the image area extends beyond the effective area.

[0010]

In the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, first, the binding margin width is designated by the binding margin width designating means, and further, the read image is made into two recording sheets based on the detected document size by the area comparing means. When the image is divided into two, each image area divided into two is compared with the effective area excluding the binding margin width designated by the binding margin width designating unit and a preset margin portion. As a result, the image processing means reduces the image according to the effective area when the image area is larger than the effective area, and conversely, when the image area is smaller than the effective area, the image processing is performed as is. To execute.

[0011]

Embodiments of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. This apparatus is integrally configured of an image forming system 110 to which a general laser writing means is applied and an image reading apparatus (hereinafter referred to as an image scanner) 100, and an image is formed on an upper portion of the image forming system 110. It has a connection structure on which the scanner 100 is placed.

In FIG. 1, an image scanner 100
Is configured as follows. Reference numeral 101 denotes a contact glass on which a document 102 is placed, 103 denotes light irradiation on the document 102 on the contact glass 101, obtains reflected light according to an image of the document 102, and guides the reflected light to a reading sensor 104. It is an exposure illumination unit composed of an exposure lamp for forming an image, a mirror, a lens, and the like. Also,
A reading sensor 104 uses a CCD image sensor.

The image forming system 110 is constructed as follows. That is, it mainly comprises a laser writing system, an image forming system, and a paper feeding and conveying system. The laser writing system is
In this device, it is housed in a laser writing unit indicated by 120. The laser writing unit 120 includes a laser output unit (not shown), a laser diode that is a laser light source inside the laser output unit, and a polygon mirror that rotates at a high speed and a constant speed by a motor. It is equipped. Further, the laser light output from the laser writing unit 120 is applied to the photoconductor drum 130 equipped in the image forming system via the polygon mirror and the mirror.

The image forming system is constructed as follows. That is, around the photosensitive drum 130,
A charging roller 131 that uniformly charges the surface of the photoconductor drum 130, a developing unit 132 that visualizes the formed electrostatic latent image, and a photoconductor drum 1 on the conveyed recording paper.
30 transfer roller 1 for transferring the toner image formed on the surface
33, and a cleaning unit 134 for cleaning the surface of the photosensitive drum 130 after the transfer process. A beam sensor (not shown) that generates a main scanning synchronization signal is arranged at a position near one end of the photosensitive drum 130 where the laser beam is emitted.

The paper feed / transport system is constructed as follows. That is, 135 and 136 are recording papers of different sizes (for example, 135 has A4 size, 13
6 is a paper cassette for loading other sizes, 13
7, 138 are paper feed rollers for feeding recording paper from the paper feed cassettes 135, 136, 139, 140 are recording paper size detection sensors for detecting the size of the recording paper, and 141 is the transfer of the recording paper at a predetermined timing. A registration roller that conveys the image onto the recording sheet that has been conveyed through the transfer process, a fixing unit that fixes the image on the recording sheet that has been conveyed, and a discharging roller 143.
A paper discharge tray 144 receives the discharged recording paper.

Next, the basic operation of the image scanner 100 will be described. The original 102 set at a predetermined position on the contact glass 101 is the exposure illumination unit 1
It is exposed and illuminated by 03, and is guided to the reading sensor 104 as reflected light according to the image. After that, the reading sensor 104
Thus, the original image is read line by line.

The basic operation of the image forming system 110 will be described. The surface of the photosensitive drum 130 is uniformly charged to a high potential by the charging roller 131. When the surface of the photoconductor drum 130 is irradiated with the laser light, the potential of the irradiated portion decreases. Since the laser beam is ON / OFF controlled according to the black / white of the recording pixel, the potential distribution corresponding to the recorded image, that is, the electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 130 by the irradiation of the laser beam.

When the portion on which the electrostatic latent image is formed passes through the developing unit 132, toner adheres according to the level of the potential, and a toner image is formed by visualizing the electrostatic latent image. On the other hand, the registration roller 141 conveys the recording paper to the portion where the toner image is formed at a predetermined timing, and the recording paper overlaps the toner image. After this toner image is transferred onto the recording paper by the transfer roller 133, the recording paper is separated from the photosensitive drum 130. The separated recording paper is conveyed through a conveyance path, thermally fixed by a fixing unit 142 including a heat roller and a pressure roller having a heater, and then ejected onto a paper ejection tray 144 by a paper ejection roller 143. To be done. After the transfer process is completed, the surface of the photoconductor drum 130 is cleaned by the cleaning unit 134, and the standby state is prepared for the next copy process.

On the other hand, the recording paper in the paper feed cassette 135 (136) is fed in a predetermined direction by a paper feed roller 137 (138). The fed recording paper is temporarily stopped in a state of being in contact with the registration rollers 141, skewed (obliquely conveyed) is corrected, and then conveyed to the transfer portion of the photosensitive drum 130 at a timing synchronized with the progress of the recording process. To be done.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention. In the figure, 2
Reference numeral 01 is a control unit that executes control of the entire image forming apparatus based on a control program. In particular, an image memory 201a that temporarily stores the read image data, a binding margin width, and a preset margin portion are excluded. The microcomputer system includes an effective area determining means 201b for determining an effective area, an area comparing means 201c for comparing an image area with the effective area, and an image area recognizing means 201d for recognizing an image area.

Reference numeral 202 denotes an original size detecting means (recording paper size detecting sensor 13 in FIG. 1) for detecting the size of the original 102 placed on the contact glass 101.
9, 140) and 203 are document reading means (image scanner 100 in FIG. 1) for optically reading a document, 20
4 is a binding margin width designating means for designating the binding margin width, 205 is a display means for displaying the state of the apparatus, operation guidance, etc., 20
Reference numeral 6 is an image processing means for applying a predetermined process to the read image data, and 207 is an image output means for outputting an image signal according to the image data after the image processing to the laser writing unit 120 (see FIG. 1). .

Next, the operation will be described. For example, A
When the copy process of the three-size original 102 is executed, the original 102 placed on the contact glass 101 is illuminated by the exposure illumination unit 103, and at this time, the original size detection unit 202 determines that the original size is A3. Detected. The control means 201 inputs the information that the size of the original 102 is A3, and selects the paper feed cassette 135 in which A4 size recording paper is set. As a result, an image is formed on the recording paper that matches the half size of the original 102 through the series of processes described above.

The operation of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of image processing according to the present invention. FIG. 3A shows an example of a manuscript to be copied. In this case, an A3 size manuscript 102 is set, and a half of the manuscript 102 serves as a boundary, and the left page 102
It is composed of a and a right page 102b. Also, 3
01 and 302 are the left page 102a and the right page 10
2B shows the maximum width of the image to be printed in 2b. Further, FIG. 3B shows the configurations of the effective area, the margin portion, and the binding margin of the image on both pages, 303 and 304 are the effective areas, 305 is the binding margin, and 306 is the margin portion. Further, FIG. 3C shows the image state of the recording paper that is finally output.

In FIG. 3, when an A3 size original 102 is set on the contact glass 101, it is illuminated by the exposure illumination unit 103, and at this time, the original size detecting means 202 detects that the size is A3 size. Then, the control means 201 recognizes that the original is A3 size. Further, since the control means 201 is configured such that the entire area of the A3 size original 102 cannot be set horizontally on the contact glass 101 as in this embodiment, the original 102 is oriented in the vertical direction. Automatically recognize that. The same applies to the B4 size.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3A, the original 102 in this embodiment is composed of a left page 102a and a right page 102b, and the exposure illumination unit 103 scans the entire image to produce a whole image. Read. And
When the original 102 is larger than A4 size, the following image processing is executed by the control unit 201 and the image processing unit 206.

That is, as shown in FIG.
The original 102 is divided into a left page 102a and a right page 102b with the half of the original 102 as a boundary, and the maximum widths 301 and 302 of the respective images to be printed are read. After that, the maximum width 3 of the image on the left page 102a is set by the area comparison unit 201c.
01 and the effective area 303 to be printed on the recording paper determined by the effective area determining means 201b, that is, the binding margin 3
05 and the area excluding the blank portion 306 are compared.

The image processing means 206 receives the result of the area comparing means 201c, and if it is small, processes it as it is, and conversely, if it is large, the maximum width 301 is the effective area 30.
The scaling process is executed so that the number becomes 3 or less. Based on this image processing, the image output unit 207 forms an image on the photoconductor drum 130 via the laser writing unit 120 and the series of image forming processes described above. Further, the same process is performed on the right page 102b to execute image output. As a result, an image as shown in FIG. 3C can be obtained.

Further, in the above, the area comparison means 20
1b performs comparison processing only in the width direction of the image area, but may also perform comparison processing in the vertical direction. As a result, the image can be more surely stored in the predetermined area of the recording paper. Further, during reduction / magnification, the vertical and horizontal directions may be independently changed.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing another embodiment of the image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. This configuration is shown in Figure 1.
In addition to the image forming apparatus shown in FIG.
1 and a double-sided sheet feeding device 410 are added. Therefore, the parts other than the automatic document feeder 401 and the double-sided paper feeding device 410 are designated by the same reference numerals as those shown in FIG.

The automatic document feeder 401 is mounted on the upper part of the contact glass 101 and has the following structure. That is, in the figure, 402 is a document table on which a plurality of documents 102 can be set, 403 is a document feeding roller that feeds and conveys the documents 102 one by one, and 404 is a contact and contact surface of the contact glass 101 to convey the documents. Endless conveyor belts 405 and 406 are belt drive rollers that stretch and rotate the conveyor belt 404 from the inside.
Reference numeral 407 is a document discharge table for discharging the document 102 after the reading process.

The double-sided sheet feeding device 410 is provided between the image forming system and the sheet feeding cassette 136, and is constructed as follows. That is, in the figure, 411 is a conveyance path switching claw which is provided immediately after the fixing unit 142 and switches the recording sheet between the discharge path and the double-sided conveyance path based on the switching signal from the control means 201. A solenoid-operated switching mechanism (not shown) operates on the basis of a switching signal from the control means 201. Also, 4
Reference numeral 12 denotes a double-sided conveyance path for reversing the recording paper, which is configured to turn and guide the recording paper to the double-sided paper feeding device 410. That is, the transport path from the transport path switching claw 411 to the double-sided sheet feeding device 410 is S-shaped. Also, 41
3 is a double-sided paper feed roller.

Next, the operation will be described. When a copy start command is issued, the document feed roller 403 rotates, and the documents 102 set on the document table 402 are fed one by one. Next, the original 102 is conveyed to a predetermined position on the contact glass 101 by the conveyor belt 404 and stopped. In this state, the original 1
After the image is read from 02, the conveyor belt 404 is set to 1
The document is discharged to the document discharge table 407 by rotating 80 °. Further, the image read at this time is formed on the recording paper and fixed as in the image forming process described in FIG.

After that, since the conveyance path of the recording paper has been switched to the double-sided conveyance path 412 side (the position of the broken line) by the conveyance path switching claw 411, the recording paper is reversed to the double-sided sheet feeding device 410 via the double-sided conveyance path 412. In this state, the paper is immediately re-fed, and passes through the transfer unit without executing image formation. At this time, since the transport path switching claw 411 is at the position shown by the solid line, the recording sheet faces the image side, and the discharge tray 14
The paper is discharged to 4. That is, face-down paper ejection is performed by using the double-sided paper feeding device 410.

The above operation will be described in more detail. For example, when one A3 size document as shown in FIG. 3A is set on the automatic document feeder 401, the document 10
2 is read by the series of operations described above, and the control means 20
The data is temporarily stored in the image memory 201a in the No. 1 unit. After that, first, the image of the left page 102a of the read original image is output by the image output unit 207,
Photosensitive drum 130 via laser writing unit 120
Written on the surface. Further, through the copying process as described above, an image is formed on the recording paper as shown on the left side of FIG. Therefore, as a result, an image with the trailing end side in the transport direction as a reference is formed on the A4 size recording sheet. Then, the recording paper is discharged as it is to the paper discharge tray 144 with the image facing upward (face up).

Next, the second copying process is executed. First, the image output unit 207 writes the image on the right page 102 b on the surface of the photosensitive drum 130 via the laser writing unit 120. Then, through the copying process as described above, an image is formed on the recording paper as shown on the right side of FIG. At this time, as for the image position of the recording paper, as shown in FIG. 3C, an image with the leading end side in the transport direction as a reference is formed on the A4 size horizontal recording paper. Therefore, this recording paper is bound and the left page 102
To see the image of a and the image of the right page 102b,
It is sufficient to perform face-down paper ejection with the image on the right page 102b facing downward.

That is, after fixing the recording paper on which the image of the right page 102b is formed, the conveyance switching claw 411 is operated to the position shown by the broken line to guide the recording paper to the double-sided conveyance path 412, and the double-sided paper feeding device 410. Then, the paper is once stored and immediately re-fed. Further, at this time, the image is not formed, and the sheet is passed through the transfer portion and discharged facedown onto the sheet discharge tray 144 with the image surface facing downward. As a result, the recording paper obtained at the first time and the recording paper obtained at the second time are ejected with the image surfaces aligned with each other, and by binding in this state, the left page 102a is spread.
Can be seen and the image on the right page 102b.

In this embodiment, the recording paper is reversed and discharged,
The so-called face-down sheet discharge is performed using the double-sided sheet feeding device 410. However, in addition to this, a normally-used reverse sheet discharging device (reverse stacker) can be used to perform the processing at a higher speed. it can.

In the above embodiment, the case where the number of originals 102 is one has been described.
The case where the document table 402 is set will be described. However, in this case, it is assumed that the image is present only on one side of the original 102 or the image to be copied is present on only one side. Left page 10 of first original 102
The image of 2a (first image) is formed in the same manner as described above. Next, the image on the right page 102b (second image)
After being formed on the recording paper, the paper is stored in the double-sided paper feeding device 410, and is in a standby state at this position. Then, the manuscript 102
At the same time that the first sheet is discharged, the second original 102 is fed.

When the second original 102 (second original) is read, the second recording paper in the standby state is re-fed from the double-sided paper feeding device 410, and the first image of the second original becomes The data is recorded on the back side of this second sheet of recording paper. The image formation at this time is executed by the same method as in the case of the first image of the first sheet. Hereinafter, the same processing is repeatedly executed for the number of originals 102. As a result, the recording paper discharged onto the paper discharge tray 144 can be taken out and bound as it is, and a book-type copy can be obtained.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operations of binding margin setting and image size processing in the image processing according to the present invention. In the figure, first, the binding margin width designating means 20
The binding margin 305 is input in step 4 (S501). As a result, the effective area determining unit 201b determines the effective areas 303 and 304 excluding the margin portion 306 preset for the size of the recording paper. Next, the image information is read from the original 102 (S502), and the area comparison unit 201c determines whether or not the read image is within the effective areas 303 and 304 (S503). If it is determined in step S503 that the read image is within the effective areas 303 and 304, the printing process is executed on the image of the same size (S).
504).

On the contrary, in step S503,
When it is determined that the read image is not within the valid areas 303 and 304, that is, when the image is determined to be larger than the valid areas 303 and 304, the display unit 205 further determines whether or not to reduce the image. It is shown and the operator is made to judge (S505). This step S50
If it is determined in step 5 not to reduce the size, the printing process is executed with the same size (S504). Conversely,
If it is determined in step S505 that the image is to be reduced, the image processing unit 206 executes the reduction process at a reduction ratio that falls within the effective areas 303 and 304 (S506), and the image output unit 207 is executed. The printing process is executed in the state of the image subjected to the reduction process through (S50).
4).

In the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus has been described as a copying machine, but the same processing can be executed not only in the copying machine but also in the image output of a laser printer or a facsimile machine. For example, when only A4 size recording paper is stored in the device, or
When recording paper of a size larger than that cannot be used, or when image data of A4 size or larger is input online or offline, the image output may be executed in two pages as in this embodiment.

By the way, as a document placing system of the copying machine,
There are two methods, a center reference method in which the original 102 is distributed to the center of the contact glass 101, and a corner reference method in which the front side of the contact glass 101 is used as a reference. In the present embodiment, the case of the corner reference method has been described as an example, but the center reference method can be similarly applied.

Further, in the present embodiment, the image of the entire original 102 is read at a time, and the image memory 2 of the control means 201 is read.
The read image data is stored in 01a and image processing is performed. For example, in the case of FIG. 3A, first, the left page 102a is read, and then the right page 102b is read twice. The same process may be executed by reading the data separately.

[0045]

As described above, according to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, when the binding margin width is designated and the read image is divided into two recording papers based on the detected document size, Each of the image areas divided into two is compared with the effective area excluding the specified binding margin width and the preset margin portion. As a result, when the image area is larger than the effective area, the effective area is compared. When the image area is smaller than the effective area and the image processing is executed with the size as it is, the original of a predetermined size is divided into two recording paper sheets of a predetermined size. Even if the binding margin is adjusted during recording, it is possible to obtain a good image without image loss regardless of the binding margin width.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of image processing according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing another schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing operations of binding margin setting and image size processing in image processing of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a conventional copying process.

[Explanation of symbols]

201 control means 201a image memory 201b effective area determination means 201c area comparison means 201d image area recognition means 202 original size detection means 203 original reading means 204 binding margin width specifying means 206 image processing means 301, 302
Maximum width of image 303,304 Effective area 305 Binding margin 306 Margin area

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Minoru Saito 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Within Ricoh Co., Ltd. (72) Kazuhiko Kato 1-3-3 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Stocks Company Ricoh

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus comprising a document reading unit for reading a document image, an image data storage unit for storing image data read by the document reading unit, and a document size detecting unit for detecting the size of the document. A binding margin width designating unit for designating a binding margin width, and when the read image is divided into two recording sheets based on the document size,
Area comparison means for comparing the divided image areas with an effective area excluding the binding margin width designated by the binding margin width designating means and a preset margin portion, and the image area by the area comparing means When the image area is larger than the effective area, the image is reduced according to the effective area, and when the image area is smaller than the effective area, the image processing means executes image processing with the same size. An image forming apparatus characterized by the above. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording paper has an A size size. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing unit reduces the image area only in a direction protruding from the effective area.