JPH08113426A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To carry out recording action sequentially without stopping a device by arranging a junction part connecting conveying paths of plural paper feeding units together in the upstream of an image forming unit, stopping a drive of a conveying system on the basis of information of generation of a jam, and driving another conveying system so as to feed paper from another paper feeding unit. CONSTITUTION: The first and the second paper feeding units 1, 2 storing paper of the same size are arranged, while independent driving areas (conveying systems) 3, 4 are individually arranged in the respective paper feeding units 1, 2. Respective driving areas 3, 4 are joined by means of a same conveying system 5 communicated to an image forming unit 10. A paper detecting unit S1 is arranged in the vicinity of a junction point 6 of paper feeding paths of the conveying areas 3, 4, and a paper jam is determined when no paper fed from either of the paper feeding units 1, 2 is detected in the paper detecting means S1 even after the predetermined time. In the jam determination, a drive of the paper feeding unit 1 or 2 in use is stopped, and the other waiting paper feeding unit 2 or 1 is switched to be driven, so that paper feeding is continuously carried out.

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 having a paper transport system having a plurality of paper feed units and an independent drive mechanism for each paper feed unit, and more particularly to one paper feed unit. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that switches to another sheet feeding unit when a paper jam occurs in the transport system and enables an image recording operation continuously.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer is provided with a plurality of paper feed units, and the paper feed units are manually or automatically selected according to various image recording conditions. A recording (copying) operation is performed. When a paper jam (jam) occurs between the paper feeding unit and the image forming unit during the copy operation, the control is not performed unless the jammed paper is removed. In this case, for example, if a jam occurs while processing a copy in a certain mode, the process is not restarted until the jam is removed.Therefore, especially in the printer, the operator does not always exist, and the process is performed until a jam is found. Will be stopped and annoy customers. Further, when jamming, a jam cannot be removed (cleared) with a piece of paper remaining inside the machine, and even if a service engineer is called, the copy cannot be used until the maintenance work is completed. In particular, if the above happens when the customer is in a hurry, there is a problem that the customer's impression is considerably deteriorated. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of continuing processing by switching to another sheet feeding unit capable of feeding a sheet when a jam occurs.

[0003]

In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus according to the invention of claim 1 includes an image forming section for recording an image on a sheet, and a plurality of sheet feeding sections accommodating the sheet. A plurality of transporting means, each of which is provided for each of the sheet feeding units and independently driven, has a merging unit that connects the transporting paths of the sheet feeding units on the upstream side of the image forming unit; When a sheet detection unit arranged near the sheet feeding unit and a sheet fed from any one of the plurality of sheet feeding units have not been detected by the sheet detecting unit after a predetermined time has passed, a paper jam occurs. When the paper jam judgment means judges that a jam has occurred, the driving of the paper feed section in use and the conveyance means of the paper feed section is stopped, and the other paper feed section and the paper conveyance section are conveyed. And a control means for switching to driving the means.

[0004]

According to the structure of the first aspect, when the paper jam determining means determines that a jam has occurred during a recording operation in a certain transport system, the control means stops the drive of the transport system by the notification of the jam occurrence. Then, the feeding from the paper feeding unit that was feeding the paper is stopped. At the same time, another transport system is driven to feed from another paper feed unit. As a result, the recording operation can be continuously performed without clearing the jam, that is, without stopping the apparatus.

[0005]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied. In order to simplify the configuration of the image forming apparatus of this embodiment, the first sheet feeding unit (NO.
1 TRAY 1) and the second paper feed unit (NO. 2 TRAY) 2
The first paper feed unit 1 has a first drive area (first transport system) 3 and the second paper feed unit has a second drive area (second transport system) 4. Is independent. Each drive area merges with the same transport system 5 leading to the image forming unit 10, and receives the transport rolls just before the merge point 6. A sheet detection unit S1 is arranged in the vicinity of the confluence point 6 of the sheet feeding paths of each transport system. In addition, the first and second drive areas 3 and 4 are independently driven and controlled. Drive transmission is, for example, ON / O by electromagnetic clutch or motor
It is performed by FF.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the sheet conveying section. The paper jam judging means judges the occurrence of jam based on the paper information of the transport system being used, which is detected by the paper detecting means. When a paper jam occurs, the control means and the display means are notified of the corresponding paper feed section. The display unit displays a jam of the paper feed unit in which the jam has occurred. Further, the control means turns off the drive area of the paper feed unit in which the jam has occurred and turns on the usable drive area. For example, when a jam has occurred in the first drive area, the jam display of the first paper feed unit is performed, the first drive area is turned off, and then the second drive area is turned on.
Then, the sheet feeding from the second sheet feeding unit is continued.

That is, the control means grasps the information on the sheets stored in the plurality of sheet feeding portions, and when the jam occurs, the same sheet as the sheet used in the sheet feeding portion is stored. Select a set, and turn on the drive area of the paper feeding unit. If there is no drive area, the paper jam determination unit is notified that there is no alternative sheet feeding unit, and the display unit displays that fact. In this case, the jam clear operation is executed.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 shows an operation flow of this embodiment. In the jam detection process during the image recording operation, the jam (JA
The occurrence of M) is determined (S1), and the drive area switching operation or the copyable state (S4) is performed based on the result. That is, when JAM occurs, it is first determined whether the JAM paper is in front of S1 (S2). JAM
When the paper has passed S1 or is in a state of resting on S1, the normal JAM clear mode is entered (S3). JA
If M paper is in front of S1, paper feed TRAY is N
O. 1 or NO. 2 is determined (S5), the transmission of the drive area of the corresponding one is turned off, and the JA on the sheet feeding TRAY side is determined.
Issue message of M occurrence and use prohibition (S6 or S
7) Return to the copy ready state (S4).

In this example, No. 1 TRAY and No. 1 2TR
Since it is composed of AY, No. It is determined whether it is 1 TRAY. Therefore, the copy processing can be performed from the paper feed TRAY on the side where the JAM is not generated without performing processing such as JAM removal. In this case, various controls such as automatically continuing the process, selectively allowing the operator to operate it, and continuing the operation only until the end of the copying that was in progress, and then entering the normal JAM mode are performed. It is possible.

According to the present embodiment, if a jam occurs during the copy process, the process can be restarted from another sheet feeding section depending on the location of the jam without performing the jam process. With this, customers are less likely to wait, and it is possible to appeal to customers in aspects other than machine performance. In the present embodiment, the case where the number of paper feeding units (TRAY) is two has been described.
Even in the case of more than one, the basic idea is the same as above, and the present invention can be applied.

[0011]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a jam occurs during the recording process, the process can be continued by switching to another sheet feeding unit capable of feeding a sheet. This is convenient when there is not enough room, that is, because the processing must be interrupted while clearing the jam, and the resulting impact is large.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

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

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation flow of the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... 1st paper feed part, 2 ... 2nd paper feed part, 3 ... 1st drive area, 4 ... 2nd drive area, 5 ... Common conveyance path, 6 ...
Confluence point, 10 ... Image forming unit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image forming section for recording an image on a sheet, a plurality of sheet feeding sections for accommodating the sheet, and a confluent section for connecting a conveying path of each of the sheet feeding sections upstream of the image forming section. However, a plurality of transporting units provided for each of the sheet feeding units and driven independently, a sheet detecting unit disposed in the vicinity of the merging unit, and a feeding unit of any one of the plurality of sheet feeding units. When the paper fed from the paper unit has not been detected by the paper detection unit after a lapse of a predetermined time, a paper jam determination unit that determines a paper jam, and a jam determination by the paper jam determination unit,
An image forming apparatus comprising: a control unit that stops driving of the paper feed unit and the transport unit of the paper feed unit in use and switches to driving of another paper feed unit and the transport unit.