JPS61192637A - Paper feed control device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a copying action of the first form from being delayed when forms in same size are stored in more than two feed cassettes by allowing a feed opening which is closest to a register roller to be automatically selected for the feed of the selected paper size. CONSTITUTION:The size code of a selected form is compared with the size code of a form contained in No.2 feed cassette 51 which is closest to a register, if it is found to be identical, a feed roller 21 is rotated. If found not to be identical, the size code is compared with that of forms contained in No.3 feed cassette 52 which is secondly closest to a timing roller 31, then, if it is found to be identical, a feed roller 501 is rotated. Similarly, the judgement is made successively to No.6 cassette 54 in the same manner. If none of them is found to be identical, a feed roller 503 for No.6 cassette 54 is rotated. Thus, the form is fed so as to allow the copying to be started by selecting the feed roller which is closest to the register roller, accordingly, this prevents the copying action of the first form from being delayed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a paper feed control device used in a copying machine or the like, and more particularly to a control device that has a plurality of cassettes and selects one of the cassettes to feed paper.

Conventional technology In a copying machine that is equipped with multiple paper feed cassettes for multiple sheets of the same size, conventionally, when sheets of the same size are set in multiple trays, the paper source selected by the user is Paper is fed from that paper cassette until the paper cassette runs out of paper, and when that paper cassette runs out of paper, paper is fed from another cassette containing paper of the same size. However, with this method, when copying the first sheet, if the paper is the same size and there is a paper feed slot closer to the registration roller, but the user selects the paper feed slot that is farther away, the paper may be The drawback is that it takes a long time to reach the registration rollers, and it ends up taking a long time to copy the first sheet.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a copying machine that reduces the time required to copy the #1 sheet.

Structure of the Invention In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a copying apparatus having a plurality of paper feed cassettes, in which paper of the same size, the same color, and the same quality is set in at least two or more paper feed cassettes. The present invention is characterized by comprising a means for automatically selecting a paper feed port having the shortest distance between the paper feed port and the registration roller for the selected size and feeding the paper.

With this configuration, when sheets of the same size are in multiple cassettes, the first copy is fed from the cassette closest to the registration rollers, thereby reducing the time required for copying.

Embodiment FIG. 1 shows a sectional view of the main body. In the figure, 100 is the main body of the copying machine, 30, 505, 506, 507°, 508 is an intermediate roller, and 31 is a timing (registration) roller. 1 is a photoreceptor, 20°21.19,501,
502 and 503 are paper feed rollers. 200,50
, 51, 52, 53, and 54 are paper feed cassettes, and the cassette 200 also serves as a manual feeder. 22 is an intermediate roller, 32 is a fixing roller driven in the same manner as the transport roller, and 33 is a discharge roller. 5EIO to 5E49
is a sensor for vapor size detection and color determination.

When the fed paper turns on the conveyed object detection sensor SE8 in front of the timing roller 31, the scanner starts scanning and creates a loop in front of the registration roller to align the registration with the waiting paper. The scanner sends a registration signal, and the paper begins to move in response to that signal. The paper that has started to move is fixed and then ejected.

Figure 2 shows the machining surface. In this figure, the paper size can be selected using a paper size selection key 70. There is no cassette selection key. By selecting a paper size, the L position of the cassette containing paper of that paper size is automatically displayed.
The EDs 71a to 71f are turned on.

However, the present invention is also applicable to a device in which a cassette is selected and a microcomputer automatically determines the paper size and lights up.

FIG. 3 shows a configuration diagram of the control device. 201 is a microcomputer for copy control, and 202 is a microcomputer for paper feed control. In the key matrix 80M shown in the figure, each switch corresponds to an input as shown in Table 1.

Six outputs are output to rotate each paper feed roller, five outputs are output to drive each intermediate roller, and each output is output independently to drive the timing roller, photoreceptor, and fixing motor. however,
The conveyor belt and discharge roller are driven by the same drive as the fixing motor, and are output from the same boat. As outputs to the display device, there are six independent terminal outputs for each of cassettes 1 to 6 to display which cassette has been selected. A SCAM signal is used as a signal for driving the optical system. Then, there is a registration signal as an input from the optical system. Furthermore, assuming a copying machine that can set the number of copies per copy up to 99, seven ports are assigned as input terminals.

In Figure 4, which shows a timing chart, when paper is fed from the first paper cassette and paper is fed from the second paper cassette, the paper is fed from the first paper cassette. Although the control is performed using a timer using the registration signal as a reference, the reference signal does not necessarily have to be the registration signal.

For example, when the user selects A4 horizontal paper,
When four horizontal sizes of paper of the same quality and color are placed in the second cassette 51 and the fifth cassette 54 (however, the first to sixth cassettes are the top cassettes in Figure 1), the paper is placed in the cassettes in order starting from 200. 1. It is assumed that they correspond sequentially to cassette 2. ), the first and second sheets are fed from the cassette ) 50 closest to the timing roller 31, so the display in the processing section is as shown in Figure 5, with the LEDs of A4Y and the second cassette 50 lighting up. However, when paper begins to be fed from the paper feed port of the sixth cassette 54, the LED of the @6 cassette 54 lights up as shown in FIG.

The input size code and color code are stored in the RAM area of the first cassette 200. , the first to sixth cassettes are also input in the same format. The vapor size code has 3 bits to classify 6 types of paper. In this embodiment, the color code is 0 if white paper is color coded, and 1 if red paper is set.
15, the detection is performed based on the magnitude of the reflected light. In the case of the second cassette 50 to the sixth cassette 54, the color of the paper is detected in the same manner. In this embodiment, only white and red are seen, but the present invention can also be applied to a copying machine that can detect paper of any color inserted.

A program for controlling the operation of the above-mentioned copying machine will be described below. This program is controlled by the microcomputer 201. FIG. 7 shows the overall flow, and after the initial setting of the microcomputer 201 (step Sl), each subroutine continues to be processed. In step S2 of paper passing control, drive control of the paper passing system is performed.

In the cassette selection routine S3, it is checked whether there are any cassettes containing the same type of paper and how many cassettes there are. The paper feed control 1 routine S4 controls the paper feed cassette that feeds paper at the start of copying. In other words,
When paper of the same type as the paper size selected by the user exists in multiple cassettes, the paper is fed from the side closest to the registration rollers, but in this paper feed control 1 routine S4, the registration rollers If there is no paper of the same type, paper feeding is controlled in this routine S4 until the end of copying.

In routine S5 of paper feed control 2, the second paper feed port is controlled. Narrow is the control for the cassette that is farthest from the registration roller. For example, in the previous example, if A4Y (Y represents yellow paper) is in paper feed force rollers 200 and 502, the control for the roller of paper feed force roller) 200 is paper feed control. 1 routine S4, and control of the paper feed roller 502 is performed in paper feed control 2 routine S5.

The display routine is a display routine for indicating which cassette is currently selected by lighting an LED.

In the end routine, the end of copying is determined and the drive is stopped. The key manual routine processes print key inputs. Next, each routine will be explained.

In the initial settings, the microcomputer is initialized and O is assigned to all 7 lags.

Paper feeding control mainly uses intermediate rollers and timing rollers.
Figure 9 shows the operation. 1
FIG. 9 shows a step 70- for determining the state of the paper passing control routine and skipping to an appropriate routine. In FIG. 10, after the print key 72 is turned on and the timer Fl elapses, each intermediate roller, discharge roller, fixing roller, and photoreceptor are driven. Then, by incrementing the counter MOVECT of the microcomputer 201, the process advances to the next routine M2. In Figure @11, it is determined whether the sensor SE8 is ON, and when the paper passes the intermediate roller 30 and the sensor SE8 is turned ON, the optical system is caused to scan the document in step 5M22. On the other hand, in step SM21, a timer M1 for creating a loop is set, and after the timer M1 ends in FIG. 12, the intermediate roller 30 is stopped in step SM31. In FIG. 13, after that, when the registration signal is input, the intermediate roller 30 and the timing roller 31
is turned on. In Figure @14, it is determined whether the copy has finished or not, and if it is not finished and multi-copy,
Return to the M2 routine and repeat the same process. In the case of termination, the paper passing control routine is terminated.

FIG. 14 shows a cassette selection routine. In this routine, when the paper size selection key 70 is pressed, what size and color of paper is selected is used as information.
It is stored in the RAM area of IZEPA, and is counted based on how many pieces of paper of the same type exist. However, the paper size and paper color are as follows: Sensors 5EIO to 5E49 in Figure 1.
It is judged by

In FIG. 15, when the paper size selection key 70 is pressed, a counter CTSEL is written to determine which cassette is currently selected.

First, in order to prevent the cassette from being changed during copying, it is determined in step KOI whether the flag FCOPY, which is "1" during copying, is 0. Flag FCO
If it is a PY power bow, the routine shown in Fig. 15 is ignored while the routine goes to RETURN in Fig. 21 and is being copied. FCOP
If Y is 0, the process proceeds to step KO2, and then when the paper size selection key is pressed, the process proceeds to step KO3, where the counter CTSEL is incremented by 1. Since there are six types of cassettes that can be selected, when the counter CTSEL exceeds 6, the counter CTSEL is reset to 1.

In FIG. 15-2, the paper size and color information contained in the counter selected by the value of the counter CTSEL is substituted into the memory S I ZEPA. However, the information on the paper size and color contained in each of the first cassette 200 to the sixth cassette 54 is determined by the sensor 5EIO in Fig. 1.
-5E49, and the paper size and color data are input to each memory from the first cassette 200 to the sixth cassette 54.

In FIGS. 15-3 and 15-4, it is checked how many types of paper of the same size and color are set, and the value is finally set in the memory PAEQUA.

In this embodiment, the paper size selection key does not directly select the size, but rather selects the cassette. Every time you turn on this key, the cassette changes from 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 →
It is controlled to cycle in the order of 5 → 6 → 1.

Then, the size of the paper stored in the selected cassette is displayed on the display section.

In steps FOI to FO8 in FIG. 16, the paper is distributed to each state or block F1 to F8 according to the contents of the paper feed control counter IFEEDICT.

In block F1, this state returns when the print ON signal is input, so a timer Fl is set in order to feed paper using the timer from print ON. This timer is a timer for arranging the conditions for starting copying (for example, drum pre-processing, etc.).

In block F2, when the timer ends, the timing roller
The paper is fed from the paper feed port closest to the paper feed port, and the time for rotating the paper feed roller is set in timer F2. This paper feed 1
In the ON routine, when copying the first sheet, the paper feed cassette closest to the timing roller 31 is selected and the paper feed roller of that cassette is rotated to feed the paper. In block F3, turn off the paper feed roller and turn off paper feed 1.
This routine is performed on the paper feed roller closest to the timing roller. Also, if the same type of paper size is
When more than one type exists, the second paper feeding routine is activated. Block F4 determines whether all copies have been made, and if all copies have been made, the paper feeding routine is ended. Block F5 is a routine for setting timer F3 for feeding the next sheet. When a registration signal is input from the optical system, a timer F3 is started.

Block F6 causes paper to be fed from the paper feed port closest to timing roller 31 at the same time as timer F3 ends.

At the same time, a timer F4 is set to turn off the paper feed roller, and after the timer F4 ends in block F7,
The paper feed roller is turned off. In block F8, if paper of the same size, quality, and color as the paper that has been fed so far exists in other paper feed cassettes, the paper feed control 1 routine is ended, and the subsequent paper feed is In the paper control 2 routine, this is performed for a cassette containing sheets of the same size, quality, and color that are farthest from the timing roller. In block F8, if there is no paper of the same size, same color, and quality in the cassette, paper feed control 1
7 of block F3 in order to continue with the routine of
Return to 0- and repeat the same process.

FIG. 17 shows the routine of paper feed control 2, and step FO
In steps 9 to F012, the state is assigned to each state depending on the contents of the counter FEED2CT.

Block F9 determines whether or not the number of sheets has been fed, and if the number of sheets has been fed, the routine of sheet feeding control 2 is ended. If not finished, go to the next state. The block FIO determines whether a registration signal is input or not, and when the registration signal is input, a timer FEI is set so that the paper is fed from the second paper feed port.

Then, in block Fil, it is determined whether or not the timer FEI has ended, and when the timer FEI has ended, paper is fed from the second paper feed port.

As a result, copies from the third sheet onward are performed by feeding the sheets from the second sheet feeding port. Then, to indicate that the second paper feed slot has been selected by lighting the LED CA2, and to indicate that the selection of the first paper feed slot has been canceled, the lighting display for the first paper feed slot is set. Turn off the LED CAI. Then, set a timer to stop the paper feed roller. Block F12
When the timer FEI ends, stop the paper feed roller,
Return to the state of block F9.

FIG. 18 and FIG. 19-1 show the display routine of the cassette LED. In this routine, the selected
LED CAI for displaying 0~54.200~
It shows lighting and turning off of CA6 (FIG. 2). first,
When a cassette is selected and changed, it is necessary to turn off the LED of the cassette that was lit previously, so first all cassette displays are turned off. Next, the currently selected cassette is lit regardless of whether it has been changed or not. However, first, timing roller 3
In order to select the paper feed cassette with the closest distance to cassette 1, the order of judgment is cassette 2 to cassette 6 and the timing roller.
The determination is made in descending order of distance to 31. In other words, even if the user presses the paper size selection key, if there are two or more types of paper of the same paper size and color in the selected cassette, the LED of the cassette closest to the timing roller 31 is lit. It has become.

However, if you change the paper feed cassette to the paper feed cassette farther from the timing roller 31 midway through copying and feed paper, the LED of the paper feed slot whose display has also been changed must be lit. This routine is shown in Fig. 19-2.The key to this routine is that the counter FEED2CT is set to 0 from the time when paper starts being fed from the paper feed cassette that is farthest from the timing roller 31 until the paper has been fed for the number of sheets. This routine is used to prevent this from happening.

When counter FEED2CT has a value other than 0, the 19th-
Execute the routine shown in Figure 2. In the routine shown in FIG. 19-2, the paper feed roller that is farther from the timing roller 31 is selected and the LED of that cassette is turned on.

FIG. 20 shows the end routine. When the copying operation is completed, the intermediate roller, ejection roller, timing roller
1 Stop driving the fixing roller and photoreceptor. and,
Set all 7 lags to 0. By doing so, the copying device enters a standby state.

Figure 21 shows the key manual routine. This routine determines whether or not the print key has been input, and when the print key is input, each routine counter is set to 1] in order to call the paper passing control and paper feeding control 1 routines. Then, FCOP to indicate that copying is in progress.
Set the Y flag to 1. Furthermore, since this routine performs edge processing, the FPRINE7 lag is set to 1 and used for determination at the beginning of the routine. Also, PAEQUA
This is when the selected paper size is not in any paper cassette (see Figure 16), and in that case, when the print key is pressed, the copy operation is performed. I'm trying not to start it. Second
Figure 2 shows the flow of selecting the first cassette to feed paper and turning on the paper feed roller in the case of single copy or multi-copy.
This routine shows the address of the storage area that stores the paper size codes up to 3, and the selected paper size code V is stored at that address.6 First, this routine starts from the timing roller 31 to the paper feed slot. This routine is called when rotating the paper feed roller of the paper feed slot that is closest to the timing roller 31. During this routine, the paper feed slot that is the closest to the timing roller 31 is selected, and the paper feed roller of that paper feed slot is rotated. It is designed to rotate. In other words, the selected paper size code (SIZEPA) and register up to a-5- (1)
The size code (CASET2) of the paper stored in the second paper feed cassette 51 having the shortest distance is compared, and if they are equal, the paper feed roller 21 of this paper feed cassette is rotated. If they are not equal, the size code (CASET
3) and 5IZEPA, and if they are equal, the paper feed roller 21 of the third paper feed cassette 52 is rotated. Similarly, determination is made up to the sixth paper feed cassette 54, and if none is found, the paper feed roller of the sixth paper feed cassette 54 is rotated.

The reason why there is no determination of the 6th paper cassette is because if the selected paper size is not set in the copying machine, copies cannot be made and this routine does not come. If the comparison is not equal, the selected paper size is equal to that of the sixth paper feed cassette 54.The paper feed roller rotates and starts feeding the paper with an operation of 0 or more.

Next, turning off the paper feed roller of the paper feed port having the shortest distance to the timing roller will be explained with reference to FIG. To turn off the rollers, in order to stop the activated paper feed roller, the paper sizes are compared in the same order as in Figure 122 and the paper feed roller is turned off.

Next, FIG. 24 shows a system 70- for selecting a paper feed port and rotating the paper feed roller for changing the paper feed port midway through multi-copying. This routine is
This subroutine is called when multi-copying is executed when the selected paper size exists in multiple paper feed cassettes.

Also, here, since the paper feed port that is farther away from the timing roller 31 is selected, the 23rd paper feed port is selected.
Contrary to the case shown in the figure, as a result of 0 judgment, which is compared from the paper size of the paper feed cassette 54 that is farthest from the timing roller, if they are equal, the paper feed roller 503 shown in FIG.
If the paper size is equal to 6, the same process is performed compared with the paper size of the fifth paper feed cassette which is the next farthest from the timing roller. The paper feed roller is turned off at the second
In order to stop the paper feed roller 70- shown in FIG. 5, the paper sizes are compared in the same order as 70- in FIG. 24. According to the above-described embodiment,
When starting continuous copying of multiple sheets, paper is fed from the paper feed section closest to the registration roller (timing roller), and when the paper feed from the paper feed section far from the registration roller catches up, the paper is fed from that paper feed section. This allows the paper to be fed continuously.

For example, when making continuous copies of three or more sheets, the first two copy sheets are fed from the paper feed section closest to the registration rollers, and the third and subsequent copies are fed from the paper feed section furthest from the registration rollers (of the same size). The paper is controlled to be fed from the paper containing the copy paper.

Therefore, in the case of multi-copying, when paper of the same size and type is set in the copying machine, the paper feed slot that is farther from the registration roller is automatically selected during copying. , it is possible to perform control so that the paper in the paper feed cassette having the shorter distance from the registration roller is not emptied for as long as possible.

Effects of the Invention As described in detail above, the present invention can select the paper feed roller with the shortest distance from the registration roller in multi-copying of a copying machine to feed paper, and start the web operation. It is possible to prevent delays in the first floppy disk.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of the copying machine of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the operating section used in the embodiment of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the copying machine of FIG. 1. Figure 4 is a circuit diagram showing an example of a control device used in
6 and 6 are plan views showing examples of lighting states of the LEDs on the operation panel, and FIGS. 7 to 25 are flowcharts showing the operation of the control device shown in FIG. 3. 31...Timing roller-1 50-54.200...Cassette, SEI-SE8...Sensor, 201.202...Microcomputer.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) In a copying machine having multiple paper feed cassettes,
When paper of the same size, color, and quality is set in at least two paper cassettes, the paper source with the shortest distance between the paper feed slot and the registration roller for the selected size A paper feed control device characterized by comprising means for automatically selecting a paper slot and feeding paper.