JPS5978044A - Document handling device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent errors in detecting the size of a document due to a change of a document detecting signal caused by a punch hole or the like by forbidding detecting operation for a fixed time after the leading end of the document is detected in case of discriminating the size of a document according to the length of time from the detection of the leading end of the document to the detection of the trailing end thereof. CONSTITUTION:A timer Tc in COM30 is adapted to forbid a detecting operation for a fixed time after a sensor 16 detects the leading end of a document. The timer has a time set a little longer than the time for transporting the usable minimum document. After time-up of the timer Tc, a timer Tw preset according to a point of time when the sensor 16 detects the trailing end of the document and the diameter of a punch hole counts up, and a size detection timer Ti at a point of time when the sensor 16 detects the trailing end of the document is stored. After the timer Tw counts up again, the timer Ti is stopped counting to set the stored data on the timer Ti. After the completion of counting by a document stop timer Ts, a motor 21 and clutches 18, 19 are turned off, and the data of the timer Ti is output as document size data (a) to a copier body. Accordingly, there are no errors in detection caused by a punch hole or the like.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a document handling device that feeds a document to a predetermined position, and more particularly to a document handling device that determines the size of the document by detecting the document being fed.

2. Description of the Related Art In general, an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine is sometimes used with an additional document handling device that feeds a document to a predetermined position such as an exposure position.

Among such document handling devices, there is one that detects a fed document using an optical sensor or the like, and determines the document size based on the output of the sensor.

This document size determination usually involves detecting the leading edge of the document at the document entrance, activating a timer, etc., and measuring the time until the trailing edge of the document is detected.The document size is determined according to the time measured. It has been determined.

Some manuscripts have punch holes for files, and the positions and sizes of these holes vary.

When a document has a punched hole, the sensor detects this hole at the document entrance and determines that it has detected the trailing edge of the document, resulting in an inaccurate size determination. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above two points, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a document handling device that prevents erroneous size detection due to changes in the document detection signal due to punch holes or the like.

Example Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a document handling device to which the present invention can be applied. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a one-copy tray for stacking sheet originals, and the sheet originals 2 on the artificial tray 1 are stacked with the lower side in the figure facing up (image side). The first document detection sensor 3 is a reflective sensor that detects the presence or absence of a sheet document. The feed rollers 4 and 5 press against each other to sandwich and convey the sheet original. The second document detection sensor 6 is
This is a reflective sensor that detects the leading and trailing edges of a sheet document. By detecting the leading edge of the document, the document detection sensor 6 performs control to stop the document at the exposure position. Also, based on the output of the document detection sensor 6, the document size is determined as described later. The full-surface belt 7 is an endless belt having a size that covers the entire surface of the original sheet, and the surface has a sufficient coefficient of friction to allow the original to slide over the original glass 10 using frictional force. The belt is wrapped around a drive roller 8 and a turn roller 9, and is configured to prevent the entire belt 7 and drive roller 8 from slipping. Further, the ejection 0-ra 11 and 12 are in pressure contact with each other, and the original that has been copied on the original glass 1o is sandwiched and ejected (-1 ejection detection sensor 13 detects the ejected original with a reflective sensor. Detection top sensor 13
Jam detection is performed when the document is ejected using the output. Emission o
- The document sent by the rollers 11 and 12 is placed on the paper ejection guide plate 1.
4 and are in pressure contact with each other] 5, 1
6, the sheets are sequentially loaded onto the paper discharge tray 17. The drive from the feed roller 4I-i drive motor 21 (FIG. 2) is transmitted by a clutch 18, and the drive from the aforementioned drive motor 21 is transmitted to the entire surface belt drive roller and discharge roller 11.15 by a clutch 19. ing.

In the document handling device described above, the size of the document to be fed is determined based on the output of the document sensor 6. That is, the time it takes for the document to pass through the document sensor 6 is set to M by detecting the leading and trailing edges of the document, and depending on this passing time, the size of the document changes from full size (A3, 134) to half size (A3, 134). A4fe, B 5 R, A 4, B
S). Next, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control section of a document handling device (hereinafter referred to as DF). In the figure, 30 is a well-known microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as μC).
INT is an interrupt port to which a pulse signal from the clock generator 20 when the drive motor 21 rotates is input.

The operation of the DF is controlled based on this pulse signal. A signal So from the first document detection sensor 3 is input to the input port Po, a signal Sr from the second document detection sensor 6 is input to the input port PI, and a signal Sr from the second document detection sensor 6 is input to the input port P2. The paper detection sensor 13 inputs M@S2. Father, Decapo) F.

~F3 outputs a drive signal for the drive motor 17, a drive signal for the clutch 18, a drive signal for the clutch 19, and a lighting signal for the J AMLAMP 22 via drivers Dl-D4, respectively, based on the input signal to the μC0M30. .

Further, a DF start signal from the copying machine main body is inputted to the input port P3, and a copying start signal to the copying machine main body is outputted from the output port F4. Further, the detected document size data is output from the output boat F5 to the main body of the copying machine. The main body of the copying machine performs cassette selection, display, etc. according to this document size data.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the document handling apparatus according to the present invention. This flowchart will be explained below. Place the original on the entrance L/ray 1 and let it be detected by the first original detection sensor 3 (5te
p],), the drive motor 21. clutch 18
(Paper feeding), the clutch 19 (conveyance/JJI: output) is turned on, and the document is fed/(ri fed) (5tep 2).Second
It continues to monitor whether the leading edge of the JjA manuscript arrives at the manuscript detection sensor 6, and when it is detected, the size detection timer Ti is activated.
, document stop timer TS + m 2 Starts counting of document detection sensor cancel timer Tc (St
, ep 3).

The count of each timer is incremented by a pulse signal from the clock generator 2o. The second document detection sensor cancel timer '1'c is the second document detection sensor 16.
After detecting the leading edge of the document, the detection operation is prohibited for a predetermined period of time.
The time required for the document to be conveyed between the and the discharge ports 15 and 1.6, ie, the time required for the smallest usable document to be conveyed, is set to be equal to or slightly larger than the time required for conveying the document. When the x2 original detection sensor cancel timer Tc times out (5 step 4), it is checked whether there is a second original, that is, no original, and if detected, the data of the size detection timer Ti at this point is saved to a predetermined area of the data memory. Then, the document trailing edge check timer r is started (Step 5). This timer time is set to a time corresponding to the diameter of the punched hole. The second document detection sensor 16 continues to be monitored until the document trailing edge check timer 1'w times out 1'. During this time, if the second document detection sensor 16 detects a document, it waits until there is no document again, starts the document trailing edge check timer button, and saves the data of the size detection timer Ti at this point. When the document trailing edge check timer Tw times up, the counting operation of the size detection timer Ti is stopped and the saved data of the size detection timer Tj is set in the size detection timer Ti (Step 6).

Then, it waits until the count of the document stop timer Ts ends, and at the time the count ends, the drive motor 21. Turn off the clutches 18 and 19, and place the original in the designated position (1, j
It is stopped at the light position ff4: ) (Step 7).

Next, the data of the size detection timer Ti is converted into the original size data.
It is output to the copying machine as an image. In response to this, the copying machine main unit 11ii1-''C is displayed, the cassette is selected, etc. Then, a copy start signal is output from 1]F to the main unit, and the main unit starts copying for the set number of sheets. (Step 8).

After the copying operation for the set number of sheets is completed, the DFS
When T A RT I No. 4 is input, it is checked whether the first document detection sensor 3 has detected a document to be photographed in close-up (Step 9). If detected, 11K 'fU+
Motor 21. Then, the clutch J9 is turned on and the entire surface belt 7 starts discharging the document at the IIK iRj+L exposure position 1d. When the square paper detection sensor 13 detects the leading edge of the document (Step 10), the process returns to Step 2 and starts feeding the next document.

In addition, if the first document detection sensor 3 does not detect the document to be fed next, the u
7, turn on the motor and clutch 19, and set the paper ejection timer To.
Activate. When the paper discharge timer To times up, the drive motor and the clutch 19 are turned off (Step 1.
1) Return to the beginning.

In this way, after the leading edge of the document is detected, the time required for the largest size document to pass, or this: slightly longer time a2
By prohibiting the ejection operation of the document detection sensor 6 and repeatedly detecting the trailing edge of the document, erroneous operation of detecting the size of punched holes in the document is prevented.

In addition, the above timer Ts + Tc + goi, 'r'
W, To(ri) are both timers provided in the data memory in μC0M30 and created by software.

Effects of the present invention as shown in FIG. 4
Since the document detection operation is prohibited for a predetermined period of time after force sensing, even if there are punch holes or the like in the document, this is not detected and size detection is accurate.

Furthermore, by repeatedly detecting the trailing edge of the document after the predetermined time, even if there is a punch hole or the like near the trailing edge of the document, malfunctions due to this can be prevented and size detection can be made more accurate.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a document handling device to which the civil engineering invention can be applied, Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the control section of the document handling device according to the present invention, and Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the operation of the document handling device by Akira Mizumoto. It is a flow chart for explanation. 1d: Entrance tray, 3 and 6 are document detection sensors, 4.5 is a feed roller, 7d: Full-surface belt, 8 is a drive roller, 9 is a turn roller, 11.12 is an ejection roller, 13 is an ejection detection sensor, 15, 16 is a paper ejection roller, 17 is a paper ejection tray, 19 is a clutch, 21 is a drive motor, 3
0 is a microcomputer.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] (1) A feeding means for feeding a document to a predetermined position, a document detection means for detecting the document fed to the predetermined position, and a size of the document according to the output of the detection means. 1. A document handling device comprising: a size determining means for determining a document size; (2. In claim 1, the document handling device is characterized in that the size determining means determines the document size according to the document leading edge and trailing edge detection output pressures of the document detecting device. (3) The document handling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the document detecting means is an optical sensor.