JPS5977457A - Copying system controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To confirm a bin after a sorting operation at a look by displaying a bin in sorting operation visually on the outside. CONSTITUTION:Bin display devices 8 are provided corresponding to respective bins 7 in a sorter 6. The display devices 8 are composed of LEDs. Then, when an LED emits light, the corresponding bit 7 is in sorting operation. When the number of copies is not one, whether empty bins more than copies to be taken are present successively in the sorter 6 or not is judged and when so, a sorting flag is set to turn on the bin display devices 8 for in-use display for the empty bins to be used. Consequently, bins after sorting operation are confirmed at a look.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Technical Field The present invention relates to a copying system control device for a copying machine, a printing machine, etc., and more specifically, it is equipped with an automatic document feeder and a sorter, and is configured to control a copying system for each document group including one document. This invention relates to a control device for a so-called programmable copying system that inputs the number of originals, number of copies, reduction ratio, paper size, etc., records these data, and reads out this data to perform copy control and sorter control. .

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Programmable reproduction systems as described above are known in the art.

However, in such a system, the copying operation and sorting operation are repeated sequentially for each document group.

Conventionally, when taking out the copied copies from the sorter, it was not possible from the outside to know which bins have already been sorted, and which bins are currently being sorted or will be sorted in the future. In order to understand this operating state, it was necessary to confirm the series of up and down movements of the sorter's deflection machine.

Therefore, it is necessary to take a considerable amount of time to take out copies from the sorter for each group of originals.

Purpose The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional example, and by displaying the currently used bin (the bin in which sorting is being performed) externally, it is possible to It is an object of the present invention to provide a copying system control device that allows users to check at a glance which bins have been worked on.

composition The configuration of the present invention will be explained below based on one embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the copying machine, in which 1 is the main body of the copying machine, 2 is an automatic document feeder, 3 is a display section, 4 is a keyboard section, and 5 is a front view of a copying machine.
1 is a three-stage paper tray section, 6 is a sorter, 7 is a bin in the sorter, 8 is a bin indicator corresponding to the bin, 9 is an optical system housing section located inside the copying machine 1, and 70 is a paper discharge tray.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the keyboard 4 section. In the figure, 10 is a copy number display, 11 is an original number display, and 12 is a copy number display.
is the original number key indicating that the number of sheets entered using the numeric keypad is the number of originals. 13 is a validity indicator that indicates that the press is valid; 14a is a numeric keypad; 14b is a clear key that clears the input number of copies or originals; 15 is a stop key that interrupts the copying operation; 16 is a print key that issues a copy start signal.

On the other hand, 17 to 19 are reduction ratio keys for selecting reduction ratios of 100%, 86%, and 71%, 20 to 22 are confirmation indicators to confirm the pressed reduction ratio keys, and 23 to 25 are paper tray units. Tray failure key for selecting one of the 5 trays, 26
28 is a confirmation display, 29 is a paper output tray key for storing the copied copy in the paper output tray 70 instead of the sorter 6, 31 is a confirmation display, and additionally is for recording a plurality of input data. JOB key 32 is its confirmation display.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial front view of the display section 3. FIG.

In the figure, 33 is the "Please wait" display that lights up until the fusing heater warms up, and the paper output tray 70
This is a character display section that displays the "Confirm output tray" display that lights up when the bin is full of copies, and the "Confirm sorter" display that lights up when the number of empty bins in the sorter 6 is less than the number of pins that should be used next. , 34 is a jam display section, and 35 is a toner end display section. These jam display portions 34. The toner end display section 35 is a pictorial display.

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of a copying system control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 3G is μCPU.

37 is a ROM that stores a control program;
8 is R and AM for reading and writing input data and various flags from the keyboard 40, 39 is a keyboard interface, 41 is an I10 interface, 42 to 44
are drivers for driving LED groups 46 and 48 for displaying "paper discharge tray confirmation" and "sorter confirmation", and a solenoid 49 to be described later, and 45.degree. 47 is a resistor for current limiting. 53 is a paper discharge tray overflow detector to be described later; 50t, 52, and 54 are resistors; and 51 is a capacitor. 55 is an I10 interface which exchanges data with a 1-chip μCPU 56 for controlling the sorter 6. 57 is a pull-up resistor, 58 is an empty pin detector provided in each bin 7, and 59 is a driver. 6
0 is its current limiting resistor, and 8 is a bin indicator corresponding to each bin 7, which is composed of an LED. If this LED is lit, it means that the bin 7 is being sorted.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the paper discharge tray 70. In the figure 6
2 and 65 are a pair of conveyor rollers, 63 is a pair of discharge tray rollers, and 67 is a pair of sorter conveyor rollers, which are driven by a solenoid 49 that selects whether to direct the copied copies to the discharge tray or to the sorter 6. gate,
Reference numeral 69 indicates copy paper, and reference numeral 68 indicates an installation section for the paper discharge overflow detector 53. Paper discharge overflow detector 53
When the thickness of the ejected copy paper 69 becomes approximately equal to the height of the contact portion of the pair of paper ejection tray rollers 63, a signal is sent to the controller section. Reference numeral 67 indicates an opening through which copies are conveyed to a part of the sorter.

FIG. 6 shows an R that stores all sets of the leading number of empty pins in the sorter 6 and the number of consecutive empty pins from that empty bin, which are detected by the subroutine program described later.
This is part of the A M 38 map. Inside the RAM,
In addition, by pressing the JOB key, the count is increased to 1.
It also includes a JOB counter that counts down when the copying process for a group of documents is completed. In the figure, (1) is the first number of empty bottles, (2) is the number of empty bottles, (3) is the first number of empty bottles, (4) is the number of empty bottles, and (n) is each address of the JOB counter. be.

FIG. 7 also shows another part of the RAM 38, and shows how data corresponding to the contents of each job is stored in sets. The data is classified into the number of original sheets, the number of copies, tray percentage, reduction ratio code, and whether or not the paper ejection tray key is pressed. [These are numbered (1) to (5) in order in the figure].

FIG. 8 is an example of data to be input.

FIG. 9 shows the input procedure on the keyboard section 4. When you want to make a programmable copy, first 1. ■OB
The key must be pressed down.

The number of original sheets is inputted sequentially using the original sheet number key 12, and the number of original sheets, for example 5, is input using the numeric keypad 14a.
Enter. Next, in order to input the number of copies, the user presses the original number key again to reset the original number key, and then inputs, for example, 3 using the numeric keypad 14a. Next, press the tray % key %, and when the reduction ratio is 100%, that is, the same size, press the 100% key 17. This means that the first item of JOB shown in FIG. 8 has been input.

FIG. 10 is another example of the input procedure; in this case, the number of originals is not input, but the number of copies is input using the numeric keypad 4a. In this way, the number of originals is input as one, and by pressing the tray fall key O, the reduction ratio key 7, and the paper discharge tray key 29, the TOB of item 3 in FIG. 8 is input. Note that if the paper ejection tray key 29 is not pressed, the stack mode is entered as described later. In other words, the paper discharge tray 29
is pressed when you want to make more copies than can fit in one bin. The input is as shown in Figures 9 and 10, and the 8th
All data in the figure is stored in the FIG. 7 RAM.

FIGS. 11 to 14 illustrate copy control after the print key 16 is pressed using some floats of the control subroutine. First, in FIG. 11, when the print key 16 is pressed, the mode shifts from the data input mode to the copy execution mode. First, it is determined whether the print key 16 has been turned on, and when the print key is pressed,
The print key flag FO is set to indicate that the execution mode has been entered.

Since it may be in the middle of execution mode, try FO=
1 is determined. If F'0 = 1, the value of the JOB counter is determined, and if it is above, the multi-job flag F
1 is set, and the number of copies and the number of originals are also displayed in the earliest input data of the JOB data in the RAM. Next, the number of originals is determined, and if it is one, the presence or absence of the paper ejection tray key 4 is determined. When the paper ejection tray key 29 is pressed down, the solenoid 49 is turned on and the paper ejection tray key confirmation display is lit. Next, the tray discharge flag F2 is set and the process moves to ■. If the paper ejection tray key is not pressed, the stack mode is in effect, so a determination is made as to whether there is an empty bin. If there is an empty bottle, stack flag F
3 is set, and the bin indicator 8 corresponding to the highest empty bottle number stored in the RAM is turned on, and the process moves to (3).

If there are no empty bins, the LED group 48, which is a sorter confirmation display, is turned on and the FO is reset before exiting this routine.

, When the J OB counter is O, the multi-job flag F1 is determined, and if Fl-0, the routine moves to that routine as a normal copy, and if it is Fl-1, the multi-job has ended, so the FO and Fl Reset and exit from this routine.

If the number of originals is not 1, it is determined whether there are consecutive empty bottles in the sorter that are equal to or greater than the number of one copy, that is, the number of copies (as shown in Figure 6, there is a case where the number of empty bottles is greater than the number of copies). or) If there is an empty bottle, set empty flag F4,
Bottle indicator 8 that indicates in use for empty bottles that should be used
Light it and move on to ■.

In the routine (2), the reduction ratio confirmation display is turned on, the optical system is set according to the reduction ratio, and the used tray confirmation display is turned on.

Since all modes have been determined in this manner, control is transferred to a normal copy routine (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 14, the normal copy routine includes a portion for determining the flag F2, and it is determined whether or not the flag F2 is ONL, indicating that the overflow of the discharge tray has been detected. If the overflow detection detects an overflow, the discharge tray confirmation display 46 is turned on and the process moves to the machine stop subroutine.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of a subroutine for detecting consecutive empty bins in the sorter 6. In the flow, the counter A1, the number B of continuous uncopied bins, and the head number C of uncopied bins are used. Note that N is the total number of bins. First, A=1, B
=0 and C=1 are set, and an empty bin detector 58 consisting of a microswitch with a detection filler detects whether there are copies in bins 7 equal to the number of A. If there is no copy, B=B+1, and it is assumed that there is one copy-free bin. Next, A=A+1 is set, and it is determined whether A is smaller than the total number of bins N. If it is smaller, the above routine is repeated.

If there is a copy in bin 7 on the way, the value of C, ie, the first bin number with no consecutive copies, and the number B of bins 7 without consecutive copies are stored in the RAM shown in FIG. Next, B is cleared and the value of C is changed to the number of bin 7 that has been checked, that is, the value of +1. The same process is repeated, and when the value of A reaches N-1-1, the last values of C and B that have been manipulated up to that point are stored, and A7! This routine is exited when l''-N+2 is reached. In the above, if the value of B is 0, that is, there is no empty bin, the values of C and B will not be stored in the RAM.

Effects of the present invention are as described above.In particular, since the bins during the sorting operation are visually displayed externally, it is possible to judge at a glance which copies of the original group have been sorted, and the copy retrieval work efficiency is very high. Become. Also, since the bin in use is displayed, there is no chance of accidentally inserting your hand into the bin in use and causing a paper jam.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a front view of the entire copying system according to the present invention, Figure 2 is a front view of the entire copying system according to the present invention;
3 is a front view showing a part of the display section, FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control circuit according to one embodiment, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged view showing the paper ejection section of the copying machine. Longitudinal sectional view, No. 6
7 is a RAM map showing different areas, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a control pattern, FIG. 9 is a RAM map showing different areas, FIG.
Figure 0 is an explanatory diagram showing the key operation order based on each control pattern, Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15.
The figure is an operation flowchart. 2...Automatic document feeder, 6...Sorter, 8...Bin display, 56...One-chip micro CPU 0 1''' as specifying means 41″f1 36 37 05th ヮ6E21 3″7FA7ε Roa 12+￥1 ↑ 1b Koku normal Kohi ot-U-nhe Sai 14 FXE Dimbu Il-+/ To

Claims (1)

[Claims] It has an automatic document feeder and a sorter, records input data such as the number of originals, number of copies, reduction ratio, paper size, etc. for each group of originals including one original, and sequentially reads this data to control copying. In a copying system that performs sorter control, a bin indicator is provided corresponding to each bin in the sorter, and a designation means is provided for designating a bin to be used for sorting a set of original copies, and the method of outputting the designation means is provided. According to
A copying system control device characterized by lighting up a bin indicator of a designated bin.