JPS61262753A - Automatic both-surface copying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent an original from being miscopied and to improve the operation efficiency of a copying machine by providing a means which detects the mounting direction of the original and also providing a direction change warning and displaying means which urges an operator to change the mounting direction of the original when the original is mounted on an original platen so that its lengthwise direction coincides with a form conveying direction in both-surface copy mode. CONSTITUTION:A form changeover claw 25 blocks up the form conveying path 32 in a sorter during top surface copying operation in both-surface copying operation and also opens a switch-back conveyance path 33 formed on the side of the cabinet 3 of an in-sorter form conveyor belt 18. Therefore, a one-side copies form discharged from the copying machine body 2 is sent in the switch- back conveyance path 33. A size display device 47 and an original direction change display device 44 are arranged at a display part 43. The size display device 47 displays the size of the original detected by an original detection sensor 41 and selected form size. The original direction change display device 44 is the direction change warning and displaying means and urges the operator to change the mounting direction of the original.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field] This invention is an automatic duplex system in which a single-sided copy sheet is guided to a reversing conveyance path, the conveyance direction is reversed, and the sheet is conveyed again to a copying process section to form images on both sides of the sheet. Regarding copying machines.

<Summary of the Invention> The automatic duplex copying machine according to the present invention includes means for detecting the placement direction of a document and means for prompting a change in the placement direction of the document. This is to prevent the paper transport direction from coinciding with the paper transport direction.

<Prior art and its drawbacks> In addition to the normal paper transport path from the paper feed section to the copy process section via the copy process section, an automatic double-sided copying machine has a sub-transport path that continues from the paper discharge section to the copy process section. is configured. This sub-conveyance path is provided with a reversal conveyance path and an intermediate tray, and in the double-sided copying mode, a single-sided copy sheet is guided to the reversal conveyance path, the conveyance direction is reversed, and the sheet is temporarily stored in the intermediate tray. After a set number of single-sided copied sheets are stored in an intermediate tray, when the original on the document table is changed to a back-side original, the single-sided copied sheets stored in the intermediate tray are conveyed to the copying process section again. By reversing the conveyance direction in the reversing conveyance path, the back side of the single-sided copied paper conveyed from the intermediate tray to the copying process section, on which no image is formed, faces the surface of the photoreceptor, making it possible to form images on both sides of the paper. . By reversing the conveying direction after the front side copying operation is completed, the front edge of the copy sheet when copying the front side becomes the rear edge when copying the back side, and the rear edge when copying the front side becomes the front edge when copying the back side. Therefore, when the originals are placed in the same direction on the document table, the images formed on the front and back sides of the paper are reversed left and right or up and down. Generally, when forming images on both sides of a sheet of paper, it is desirable to match the top and bottom of the image on both sides. In this case, the top and bottom of the image will be reversed on the front and back sides of the paper.

In general, the longitudinal direction of a document in which the image is a document is the vertical direction of the image. Therefore, if a document is placed with its longitudinal direction aligned with the paper conveyance direction, the top and bottom of the image will be reversed on the front and back sides of the paper after the duplex copying operation has been completed.

Conventional automatic duplex copying machines do not have a system that issues a warning when the operator places a document on the document table with its longitudinal direction aligned with the paper conveyance direction at the start of duplex copying. When a copying operation is started, a mistake is made, and the document placement direction must be changed and a double-sided copying operation must be performed again, which has the drawback of reducing the operating efficiency of the copying machine.

<Object of the Invention> In view of the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, an object of the present invention is to solve the problem in that when a document is placed on a document table with its elongated direction aligned with the paper conveyance direction during a double-sided copying operation, the direction in which the document is placed is An object of the present invention is to provide automatic double-sided copying that can encourage changes in copying, prevent the occurrence of copy mistakes, and improve operating efficiency.

<Structure and Effects of the Invention> The automatic duplex copying machine of the present invention is equipped with a means for detecting the loading direction of the original, and in the duplex copying mode, places the original on the original table with its longitudinal direction aligned with the paper conveyance direction. When placed,
The present invention is characterized by comprising a direction change warning display means for prompting a change in the document placement direction.

According to the present invention with the above configuration, the detection means detects the placement direction of the document in the double-sided copy mode, and when the document is placed on the document table with the longitudinal direction of the document aligned with the paper conveyance direction, The direction change warning display means can prompt the operator to change the mounting direction. Therefore, before starting the double-sided copying operation, it is possible to reload the image so that the vertical direction is perpendicular to the general feeding direction of the sheet, thereby preventing the occurrence of copy errors and improving the operating efficiency of the copying machine.

<Example> (Explanation of Al Structure) FIG. 2 is a front sectional view showing the schematic structure of an automatic double-sided copying machine which is an example of the present invention.

A document circulation feeding device 1 is disposed above a document table 11 on the top surface of a copying machine main body 2 placed on a cabinet 3. A sorter 15 is attached to the left side of the copying machine body 2 and the cabinet 3. A photosensitive drum 19 is disposed inside the copying machine main body 2 and constitutes a copying process section. A paper cassette 20 is installed on the right side of the copying machine main body 2, and a PS roller 21 is disposed between the paper cassette 20 and the photosensitive drum 19. A paper conveyance belt 12, a fixing roller 13, and a paper discharge roller 14 are arranged on the left side of the photosensitive drum 19, and constitute a paper conveyance path 31 in the copying machine.

Inside the document circulation feeding device 1, a document feed belt 5, a document feed roller 6, document ejection rollers 7a, 7b, and a document switching claw 8 are arranged. A document tray 4 is installed between a document feed belt 5 and a document feed roller 6. A document detection sensor 41 is disposed on the document tray 4 to detect the paper size and placement direction of the document placed thereon. This detection sensor 41 is the detection means of this invention. Originals 8% and 9 are placed on the original tray 4, and the originals are fed in order from the lowest one. A document transport belt 10 is disposed above the document table 11 on the top surface of the copying machine main body 2, and the document is fed via the document feed conveyance path 36 by the document feed belt 5 and the document feed roller 6. Place original 9 on original platen 1.
1 to a predetermined position. When feeding the original 9 from the original tray 4, the original switching claw 8 is positioned in the state shown in the figure, and the original feeding conveyance path 36 is opened. When collecting the original on the original table, the original switching claw 8 swings downward to open the original collecting and conveying path 37. The conveyance belt 10 is rotatable in both forward and reverse directions, and feeds the paper onto the document table and discharges the paper above the document placed on the document tray 4.

Inside the sorter 15 attached to the left side of the copying machine body 2 and the cabinet 3, a sorter paper conveyance belt 18 is disposed so as to be rotatable in both forward and reverse directions. Bins 16 are stacked in multiple stages on the left side of the sorter 15, and the copied sheets discharged by the paper discharge roller 14 inside the copying machine main body 2 are transferred to the bins 16 via the paper conveyance path 32 in the sorter.
will be stored in. During the double-sided copying operation, the paper switching claw 25 closes the sorter paper transport path 32 and opens the switchback transport path 33 formed on the cabinet 3 side of the sorter paper transport belt 18 during the front side copying operation. There is. Therefore, the single-sided copied paper discharged from the copying machine main body 2 is conveyed into the switchback conveyance path 33. A switchback roller 17 that is rotatable in both forward and reverse directions is disposed in the switchback conveyance path 33 . The single-sided copy sheet conveyed into the switchback conveyance path 33 by the rotation of the switchback roller 17 has its conveyance direction reversed.

An intermediate tray 22 is arranged inside the cabinet 3. This intermediate tray 22 and the switchback conveyance path 33
A double-sided copy conveyance path 34 is configured between the intermediate tray 22 and the PS roller 21 in the copying machine main body 2, and a reversal paper conveyance path 35 is configured between the intermediate tray 22 and the PS roller 21 in the copying machine main body 2. Intermediate tray 2
2, an intermediate tray guide 23 and an intermediate tray paper feed belt 24 are disposed.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a part of the operating section provided in the automatic double-sided copying machine.

A display section 43 is configured on the operation section 42 disposed on the top surface of the copying machine main body 2 . On the left side of the display section 43 is a double-sided copy mode setting key 45 that is operated when performing a double-sided copy operation.
, operation keys such as an automatic document detection selection key 46 for selecting whether or not to enable the document detection operation by the document detection sensor 41 are provided. The display section 43 is provided with a size display 47 and a document orientation change display 44 . The size display 47 displays the size of the document detected by the document detection sensor 41 and the selected paper size. The document direction change indicator 44 is a direction change warning display means of the present invention, which prompts the operator to change the document placement direction. (b) Operation description (1) Automatic double-sided copying operation A case where a double-sided copying operation is performed using an automatic double-sided copying machine will be described below. When the print switch is operated during automatic duplex copying operation, the lowest document 9 placed on the document tray 4 of the document circulation feeder 1 passes through the document feed conveyance path 36 and is printed as a document. It is transported to the stand 11. Next, the photosensitive drum 19 starts rotating in synchronization with the scanning of an optical system (not shown). Prior to the rotation of the photosensitive drum 19, copy paper is fed from the paper cassette 20 and stopped at the position of the PS roller 21. The PS roller 21 operates in synchronization with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 19, and guides the copy paper to the transfer process position. The copy paper with the developer image transferred to one side is transferred to the paper conveyor belt 12.
The developer image is guided by the rotation to the fixing roller 13, where it is heated and pressurized to fix the developer image. After this, the paper ejection roller 14
is discharged into the sorter 15. At this time, the paper switching claw 25 opens the switchback conveyance path 33 direction. Therefore, the single-sided copy paper discharged from the copying machine main body 2 is guided to the switchback conveyance path 33, and the conveyance direction is reversed by the forward and reverse rotation of the switchback roller 17, and the sheet is transferred to the double-sided copy conveyance path 34 configured in the cabinet 3. It is conveyed to the intermediate tray 22 via the intermediate tray 22 and stored there. The above is the front side copying operation during the double-sided copying operation. When the surface copying operation for the set number of sheets is completed, the original on the original platen 11 is ejected to the top of the original tray 4, and the next original is placed on the original platen 11, the intermediate tray section paper feed starts. belt 2
4 rotates, and the sheets stored in the intermediate tray 22 are conveyed to the position of the ps roller 21 via the reversing sheet conveyance path 35 in order from the lowest one. At this time, the conveyance direction of the copy sheet is reversed in the switchback conveyance path 33, so that the surface opposite to the surface on which an image is formed in the front side copying operation faces the surface of the photoreceptor drum 19. The PS roller 21 rotates in synchronization with the rotation of the photosensitive drum 19, and the copy paper is guided to a transfer process position, where the developer image is transferred to the back surface of the paper. After the transfer process has been completed, the copy paper with the image transferred to the back side of the paper is led to the fixing roller 13 by the rotation of the paper conveyance belt 12, where it is heated and pressurized to fix the developer image, and then transferred to the sorter by the paper ejection roller 14. 1
It is discharged at 5. The above is the back side copying operation in the double-sided copying operation.

(2) Document placement direction change display operation FIGS. 1A and 1B are flowcharts showing a part of the operation of the automatic double-sided copying machine.

After the power is turned on, step nl (step.

i is simply called ni. ), data such as copy paper size, number of copies, etc., and copy mode are input by key operations on the printing section 42. At n2, it is determined whether the double-sided copy mode setting key 45 is operated at nl and the double-sided copy mode is set.

If the double-sided copy mode is not set at n2, the process advances to n3, and if the print switch is operated, a copying operation is performed at n4. If the double-sided copy mode is set at n2, the process skips to n5 and a timer for the double-sided copy mode is set. Thereafter, at step n6, the document size is detected by the document detection sensor 41 provided on the document tray 4 of the document circulation feeding device 1, and the process proceeds to nl. At nl, it is determined whether or not the document placement direction is correct. If the document placement direction is suitable for double-sided copying, the process proceeds to n8, and if the document orientation change indicator 44 is turned on, this is done. and also resets the timer set by n5. Next, in step n9, the operation related to setting the double-sided copy mode, that is, the paper switching claw 25 and the like are operated. If the loading direction is not suitable for double-sided copying mode in nl, proceed to nlO,
The original direction change indicator 44 is turned on. Next, it is determined whether the timer has timed up with nil, and if the timer has timed up, the document direction change indicator 4 is displayed with n12.
4 is turned off, the timer is reset, and the process returns to nl. If it is nil and time-up has not occurred, return to n6. When the double-sided copy mode is set by the above operation, if the orientation of the document is not correct, n6→n7→nlo
→The operations n1l-n6 are repeated for a certain period of time to prompt the operator to change the document placement direction. n 11-n l2-nl when a certain period of time has elapsed without changing the loading direction of the original
, and returns to the standby state without performing any operations related to setting the double-sided copy mode.

(C) Effects of the Example FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrams showing how an image is formed on a copy sheet in a double-sided copying operation. In the same figure, F
B indicates the front edge of the paper during the front side copying operation, and B also indicates the rear edge of the paper.

When the document is placed with its longitudinal direction aligned with the paper conveyance direction, the copy paper 51 is conveyed in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. 4(A). The copy paper 51 that has passed through the copy process section and has an image formed on its surface is guided to the switchback conveyance path 33, and is stored in the intermediate tray 22 with its conveyance direction reversed as shown in FIG. 2(B). During the back side copying operation, the copy paper 51- is conveyed from the B side to the reversing paper conveyance path 35, and as shown in FIG.
The paper is conveyed from the side to the copying process section, and the image is copied with the B side of the paper back surface 51b facing upward, as shown in FIG. Therefore, when double-sided copying is performed with the longitudinal direction of the document aligned with the paper feeding direction, an image is formed on the paper surface 51a with the F side facing upward, as shown in FIG.
An image is formed on the back surface 51b of the paper with the B side facing upward.

Therefore, when the duplex copying mode is set and the document is placed on the document tray 4 with its longitudinal direction aligned with the paper conveyance direction, the document direction change display 44 is activated by the (2) document placement direction change display operation. Turn on to prompt the operator to change the document orientation. When a copying operation is performed with the longitudinal direction of the original perpendicular to the paper conveyance direction due to this operation, the copy paper 51 is conveyed in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. 5(A), and the copying operation is performed. It will be done. After the front side copying operation has been completed, the paper is conveyed to the switchback conveyance path 33, as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the transport direction is reversed and the sheets are stored in the intermediate tray 22. During the back side copying operation, the paper is guided to the reversing paper conveyance path 35 with the B side facing forward, as shown in FIG.
The front and back sides of the paper are reversed and the paper is transported to the copying process section with the back side 52b facing upward as shown in FIG.
As shown in B), the image is copied onto the back side 52b of the paper.

When a double-sided copying operation is performed by transporting the paper in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction as described above, the top and bottom of the image are aligned on the front side 52a of the paper and the back side 52b of the paper, as shown in FIG. be able to.

(d) Other aspects In order to support double-sided copying of an original on which an image has been formed with the vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the original, the original is placed with its longitudinal direction aligned with the paper transport direction. It is also possible to make the print switch operable even when the direction indicator is turned on.

Furthermore, by disposing a detection means for detecting the direction in which the document is placed on the document table of the copying machine, the present invention can be effectively utilized in double-sided copying operations that do not use a document feeder.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1(A) and 1(B) are flowcharts showing a part of the operation of an automatic double-sided copying machine which is an embodiment of the present invention;
The figure is a front cross-sectional view showing the schematic structure of the automatic double-sided copying machine, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a part of the operating section installed in the automatic double-sided copying machine, and FIGS. 4 (A) to (F). and Figure 5(A)~
(F) is a diagram showing the state of image formation on copy paper during automatic double-sided copying operation. 22-Intermediate tray, 33-Switchback conveyance path, 41-Document detection sensor, 44-Document direction change indicator, 45-Double-sided copy mode setting key.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A sub-conveyance path having a reversal conveyance path and an intermediate tray is configured between the paper discharge section and the copying process section, and in duplex copying mode, the paper with the front side copied is guided to the reversal conveyance path, and the conveyance direction is controlled. In an automatic duplex copying machine that reverses the paper, stores it in the intermediate tray, places the back-side original on the document table, and then transports the stored paper in the intermediate tray again to the copying process section, when in the duplex copy mode, the original is An automatic double-sided copying machine comprising a direction change warning display means for prompting a change in the mounting direction of a document when the document is placed on the document table with the direction matching the paper conveyance direction.