JPS60213639A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily change the types of paper feed cassettes by providing different resistors inside multiple paper feed cassettes respectively, providing contact points on both ends to constitute an open circuit, and providing elastic contact points on the machine proper side. CONSTITUTION:Different resistors 4 are provided inside multiple paper feed cassettes 9 respectively, contact points 11 are provided on both ends to constitute an open circuit, and elastic contact points 12 brought into contact with the contact points 11 respectively when the paper feed cassette 9 is fitted are provided on the machine proper 13 side. Accordingly, the paper feed cassettes 9 can be discriminated via a change of the voltage or the current fed to the machine proper, thus the types of the paper feed cassettes 9 can be easily changed depending on the sizes of sheet-like materials.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides printing machines, recording devices, electrostatic copying machines, etc.
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus equipped with means for detecting the types of paper feed cassettes to be attached.

Conventionally, this type of device has a protrusion or recess on the paper feed cassette, and detects the paper feed cassette and determines its type by turning on and off a switch on the machine body that is activated by the protrusion or recess. . However, according to this method,
When there are many types of cassettes, there are drawbacks such as having to manufacture many cassette boxes with corresponding irregularities, or having to perform the same operation on paper cassettes of similar dimensions.

For this reason, when manufacturing a cassette box body which is generally molded from synthetic resin, it is necessary to prepare many types of synthetic resin molds, which poses a problem in that the cost of the molds increases.

The present invention eliminates the need for high costs and the use of the same cassette for sheet materials such as transfer paper of similar dimensions as in the conventional example described above, and the paper feed cassette may be changed depending on the dimensions of the sheet materials. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus equipped with an inexpensive paper feed cassette whose type can be easily changed.

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

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

/ is a microprocessor as a discrimination device, λ is a memory that stores data for type discrimination based on the resistance value corresponding to the size of the sheet material in the paper feed cassette, 3 is A
- A comparator with a built-in D converter, etc., D is a voltage conversion element (resistance) according to the size of the sheet material in the paper feed cassette, 3
is the voltage supply line (supply voltage Vo=jV), 6 is the input voltage line from the paper feed cassette, 7 is the data line to the data input port of the microprocessor l (the above is the circuit on the machine main body side), g is the paper feed cassette It is a side line.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.
It is a perspective view of the cassette side circuit unit of a figure. A cassette-side circuit unit IO is fixed to the side wall of the cassette box body on the side to be inserted into the machine body.

As shown in Fig. 3, the cassette-side circuit unit IO has cassette-side contacts // provided on both sides of the outer end surface of a rectangular protrusion, and a resistor group provided between both contacts //. It is connected to contact point ii through line g on the paper feed cassette side.

The machine body 13 is provided with recesses i and ya into which the protrusions of the paper feed cassette box body 9 are inserted and fixed. The recess i3a is provided with one elastic contact 12, which can come into contact with the contact // of the paper feed cassette side circuit unit 10.

What is the required paper feeding force? into the recess/JeL of the machine body 13. The supply voltage VD from the voltage supply line S of the machine main body 13 is inputted to the machine main body 13 side through the input voltage supply line 6 at a voltage called vl by the resistor DA between the paper feed cassette side lines, and in the comparator 3, The voltage drop is converted into a digital value that can be determined by the microprocessor l and is input to the microprocessor l through a data line. The microprocessor 1 selects the voltage value taken from the memory, determines the operation, and performs the copying operation.

The operation referred to here is based on the resistance value R of the paper feed cassette, which is equipped with a resistance value that corresponds to the size of the sheet material it accommodates. Examples of appropriate control include the following:

■ Amount of movement of the exposure system (original table) ■ Lighting of lamps for blank exposure, pre-static discharge, etc. ■ Amount of paper feed ■ Various controls to prevent optical fatigue and charge fatigue In the case of an electrophotographic copying machine with a document feed width of A3, A, ? , All, (A,!l-), AII
The dimensions of the sheet material, such as vertical feed, Ill, B left, (BA), etc., are determined by the resistance value R of the cassette box.

In addition, if you add standard paper used overseas, you will end up with a wide variety of cassettes, and the conventional method requires considerable labor and requires partial cutting.

This device has the great effect of being able to easily handle a wide variety of cassette +-+ types (the g-bit microprocessors that are currently widely used can handle co-SA types), and that it can be an inexpensive device. .

In addition, if a set (or more) of elastic contacts 7.2 are provided on the machine main body side, by changing the position of the circuit unit IO on the paper feed cassette 9 side, the same resistor can operate differently. It is possible to do this. According to this method, it is possible to realize operations according to the dimensions of the sheets of paper in rows A and B, for example, without increasing the resolution of the comparator 30.
This enables cassette detection with less influence from noise.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in plan view in FIG.

A variable resistor is fixed to the inside of a cassette box 9 which can accommodate sheet materials of various sizes. A metal sliding plate /(l is fixed to the bottom plate of the cassette box 9 in the paper feeding direction of the cassette box 9. The rear plate 19 of the cassette box t is connected to the variable resistor q' and the sliding plate. It is designed to rub against the surface.

One of the cassette side contacts // and // is wired to the sliding plate /, and the other is wired to the end of the variable resistor q' in the sheet feeding direction.

The sheet material is stored in a cassette box, and the back plate l! When aligned with the rear side of the sheet-like material, a resistance value corresponding to the sheet-like material is formed in an open circuit.

Further, by providing a side plate for partitioning the side portions of the sheet-like material in the cassette, it is possible to distinguish between the paper feed cassette boxes according to the width of the sheet-like material.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. q, the rear plate is directly incorporated into the circuit to form a variable resistor, but a variable resistor is provided between the cassette side contacts / / and / 7 to make the rear plate suitable for a mechanism such as a link. Alternatively, the signal may be transmitted to a variable resistor.

This allows the 8i'M cassette to be used for a wide variety of sheet materials of different sizes.

The number of cassette types can be minimized.

As another example, a deck-type cassette (equipped with a lift device, pulled out, etc.) capable of storing a large number of sheet-like materials is also equipped with a variable resistance as a resistor, and the resistance is adjusted in conjunction with a partition plate. The value can be made to vary depending on the dimensions of the sheet material.

Further, in the present invention, one circuit detects the resistance value R of the paper feed cassette box body and performs the operations of one machine body/3.

■ At the very least, the machine will not operate unless a cassette is inserted (if the cassette's role is to operate a switch only on the machine side, the machine will operate as long as the switch is pressed).

■ Can be determined with a single input (cassettes cannot be installed using any other method than the elastic contacts on the machine body, so there will be no malfunction).

As explained above, (1) the present invention comprises a plurality of paper feed cassettes each having a different resistance inside, and (1) an open circuit with contacts at both ends; It has elastic contacts that come into contact with both contacts of the circuit. 1. The voltage or current that can be input from the machine main body side through the elastic contacts to the paper feed cassette, passes through the resistance of the paper feed cassette, and enters the machine main body. In addition, since a means for determining the type of paper feed cassette is provided, malfunctions caused by the paper feed cassette will not occur.

In the first embodiment, cassette-side circuits having different resistance values are attached to the same cassette to form paper feed cassette boxes of different types, so that the paper feed cassettes can be manufactured at low cost. Furthermore, in another embodiment, a variable resistor is provided in a cassette box body having the same shape, and the resistance value of the variable resistor is changed by a partition plate that matches the dimensions of the sheet material stored in the cassette. One type of box is sufficient.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 7 is a circuit diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the invention, Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the cassette circuit unit of Fig. 1, and Fig. q is a diagram of another embodiment. FIG. 3 is a plan view of an example. L...Microprocessor Co...Memory 3...Comparator R...Resistance G'...Resistor D...Paper cassette i
o...Cassette side exit route Ennit //...Cassette side contact 12--Machine body side elastic contact L--Rear plate. Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] l The plurality of paper feed cassettes are equipped with resistors inside to form an open circuit with contacts at both ends, and the machine body side is equipped with elastic contacts that contact both contacts of the open circuit when the paper feed cassettes are installed. The type of paper feed cassette can be determined by changes in the voltage or current that is supplied from the machine body side to the paper feed cassette through the elastic contact, passes through the resistance of the paper feed cassette, and is input to the machine body side. An image forming apparatus characterized by comprising a means for determining.