JPH11271890A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To unneccesitate a paper size detector and to improve operability by placing paper of the same size as paper in a tray on an original platen in the same direction as the paper in the tray, detecting paper size on the original platen by using an original size detecting means and setting the paper size of the tray. SOLUTION: By selecting a paper size setting mode, copying operation can not be performed until finishing the setting of the paper size. Whether the size of the original detected by the original size detecting device is automatically set or manually set is selected. When the manual setting of the paper size is selected, the desired paper size is inputted by an operation part 21. What paper tray's paper size is set is selected. The paper of the same size as the paper set in the paper tray is set on a contact glass in the same direction as a direction where the paper is set in the tray, and the size of the paper is detected by the original size detecting device and the detected result is displayed.

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 which can detect the size of a sheet in a tray.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, the following is performed in order to recognize (set) the size of paper (transfer paper) set in a tray. ing. That is, a paper size detector is provided on the tray, and the size of the paper set in the tray is detected by the paper size detector. Also, the paper size is detected during the paper passage. Further, manual input (setting) of a paper size to be used is performed by operating a panel key of the operation unit.

[0003]

In the case of the above-described conventional image forming apparatus, when a paper size detector is provided on a tray, a paper size detector is required in each tray. The cost increases and the device itself becomes complicated. If the paper size is detected while the paper is being passed, the paper size is not known until the paper passing is completed. Failures such as inability to do so occur. Further, in the case of manual input (setting) of the paper size by the operation unit, it is necessary to select the paper size of the tray from several types of paper sizes, which causes a problem that the operation by the user is not easy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus which solves the above-mentioned problems of the conventional image forming apparatus and which does not require a paper size detector and which can improve operability.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus having an original size detecting means for automatically recognizing the size of an original in order to achieve the above object. Place paper of the same size as the paper in the tray on the platen in the same direction as the paper in the tray, and detect the paper size on this platen using document size detection means
The paper size of the tray is set.

A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect of the present invention, the setting of the sheet size of the tray can be selected between an automatic input and a manual input by an operation section.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, when the paper size of the tray is detected in the first aspect of the invention,
The detected paper size is displayed on the operation unit,
It is characterized in that it is possible to select whether or not to set the paper size.

[0008]

1 to 5 show a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a copying machine 11 to which the present invention is applied, 1 is a document holding plate, 2 is a contact glass on which a document is placed, 3 is a document illumination lamp,
Reference numerals 1 to 4-6 denote mirrors provided in the optical system, 5 denotes a zoom lens, 6 denotes a photoreceptor, 7 and 8 denote paper trays for storing sheets, and 9 and 10 denote paper feed rollers, respectively. A feature of the present invention resides in that a sheet size in a sheet tray is set by using a document size detecting device for detecting a document size. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 3, two width sensors 13 and 14 and a length sensor 15 constituting the document size detecting device 12 are provided inside the copying machine 11 main body. Each of these sensors 13, 14, and 15 has a light emitting unit 16 and a light receiving unit 17, and light emitted from the light emitting unit 16 is reflected by a document placed on the contact glass 2 and enters the light receiving unit 17. . Then, each document detection signal detected by this is input to the controller 19. The length of the document is read by the length sensor 15 and the width sensors 13 and 14 are read.
The width of the document is read. When indicating the detection status of the document detection signal input to the controller 19,
It is shown in Table 1 below.

[0009]

[Table 1]

According to Table 1, for example, when the detection output of the width sensor 13 is ON, the detection output of the width sensor 14 is OFF, and the detection output of the length sensor 15 is ON, it is placed on the contact glass 2. The size of the original is "B4"
Is determined. The determination of the document size is performed by a closing detection switch 20 which operates when the document holding plate 1 for holding the document is closed. In this example, the close detection switch 20 is provided on the rear side of the document holding plate 1.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4, the paper size can be set by using the above-described document size detecting device as follows. First, the paper size setting mode is selected (step 1) so that the copying operation cannot be performed until the paper size setting is completed. Here, whether the size of the document by the document size detecting device is "auto" or "manual" is determined. Is selected (step 2). When the paper size manual set is selected,
A desired paper size is input through 21 (see FIG. 2) (step 3). Next, the user selects which paper tray 7, 8 (see FIG. 2) to set the paper size (step 4). Then, a sheet of the same size as the sheet set in the sheet tray is set on the contact glass (see FIG. 1) in the same direction as the direction in which the sheet is set in the tray, and the size of the sheet is detected by the document size detecting device. (Step 5). Since the detected paper size is displayed on the operation unit (menu panel), if the displayed size is satisfactory, the displayed paper size is set as it is (step 6). Finally, when the end is selected, the mode returns to the normal copy mode (step 6).

FIG. 5 shows the first embodiment in more detail.
This will be described with reference to an operation panel display (display example) shown in FIG. Here, it is assumed that the copier is equipped with three (upper, middle, and lower) paper trays. First,
On the operation panel, "Auto" or "Manual", which is the automatic size setting for selecting the paper size setting method
A display for selecting a mode is displayed ("display A"). Here, the next “display B” indicates the A4 size setting of the upper tray in the “manual” mode. When the "auto" mode setting is selected, "display C" is displayed, and the user selects which paper size is to be set in which of the three (upper, middle, and lower) trays. Will be.

Next, after a paper tray is selected as indicated by "Display D", one sheet of paper stored in the selected tray is taken out and the paper is contact glass (see FIG. 1). ). The display example of “display D” indicates that the user has selected the “upper” paper tray. The paper size placed on the contact glass is determined by the document size detection device, and the paper size is displayed as shown in "Display E". In this example, the size of the paper stored in the “upper” is indicated as “A4”, and it is confirmed whether the paper size is set. For example, this "display E"
When "OK" is selected in "A", "A" is displayed in the upper tray.
4 "is set. After that, "Display C" is displayed again, and the paper size of the selected tray (middle and lower) is set. In this way, it is possible to set the paper size in the paper tray on the operation panel using the document size detection device.

[0014]

According to the present invention, as described above, in an image forming apparatus having a document size detecting means for automatically recognizing the size of a document, the invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that a sheet having the same size as a sheet in a tray is provided. Is placed on the platen in the same direction as the paper in the tray, and the paper size on this platen can be detected using the document size detection means and the paper size in the tray can be set, eliminating the need for a paper size detector. Therefore, there is an effect that the cost can be reduced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the setting of the sheet size of the tray can be selected from an automatic input and a manual input by the operation section, so that the operability by the user is improved. There is an effect of doing.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, when the paper size of the tray is detected in the first aspect of the invention,
The detected paper size is displayed on the operation unit,
Since it is possible to select whether or not the sheet can be set at the paper size, there is an effect that the operability by the user is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a copying machine to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the copying machine.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a document size detection device.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display example of the operation panel.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Document Holder 2 Contact Glass 3 Document Illumination Lamp 4 Mirror 5 Zoom Lens 6 Photoconductor 7 Paper Tray 8 Paper Tray 11 Copier 12 Document Size Detector 13 Width Sensor 14 Width Sensor 15 Length Sensor 19 Controller 20 Closing Detection Switch 21 Operation unit

Claims (3)

[Claims] In an image forming apparatus having a document size detecting means for automatically recognizing a size of a document, a sheet having the same size as a sheet on a tray is placed on a platen in the same direction as the sheet on the tray. An image forming apparatus wherein a size is detected by using a document size detecting means, and a sheet size of a tray is set. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting of the paper size of the tray can be selected by an automatic input or a manual input by an operation unit. 3. When the paper size of the tray is detected,
The detected paper size is displayed on the operation unit,
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is possible to select whether or not to set the sheet size.