JPS6247664A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To utilize a light source incorporated in a copying means even for imaging operation and to reduce the size of an image forming device by providing a light guiding means which guides light from the same light source to the copying means and an imaging means selectively. CONSTITUTION:A rotatable reflecting umbrella 1040 and a hinge 10501 are fitted to a moving platen type copying machine known as a means for realizing a copying function, and a production 1050 is provided to the reverse surface of an original platen 1008. consequently, the light source 1041 which is used original for original irradiation is used even for printer operation in common to reduce the cost greatly.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having a copy function and a printer function.

[Prior art]

Various types of image forming apparatuses using a laser scanner have been proposed for this type of image forming apparatus, but in the case of this type, not only the overall size of the apparatus becomes too large, but also the cost itself is low. Therefore, it is difficult to adopt this method under the development intention of adding a printer function within the price range of improving the functions of a normal copying machine, and there is a demand for the emergence of other methods to replace this method. One possibility is to use a copying machine that uses electrophotography as a means to perform the copying function, and to irradiate the photoreceptor with light based on an external signal that is unrelated to the reflected light of the document. There is a method for forming an image (characters, figures, etc.).

Hereinafter, a conventional image type I& device of the above type will be explained based on FIGS. 1 and 2. Note that here, a case is shown in which a copying machine 1020 with a moving document table is used as a copying means.

In FIGS. 1A and 1B, reference numeral 1020 is a general main body of a copying machine with a moving original table, and a slit 1013 for irradiating an original is formed on its upper surface.

A photosensitive drum 1001 that rotates in the direction of arrow C during copying is provided at the center of the copying machine main body 1020, and above the photosensitive drum 1001 is a focusing lens array (hereinafter referred to as 5LA).
A selfoc lens (t) 1002 and a light source (for example, a halogen lamp) 1003 for illuminating the original are fixedly provided. Around the photoreceptor drum 1ooi, a charging unit 1004, a toner developing unit 1005, . Transfer unit 1o06. Cleaning units 1o14 and the like for cleaning the drum surface are arranged in the order of the electrophotographic copying process.

Further, on the right side of the copying machine main body 1020a, transfer paper P accumulated on a cassette-type paper feed table 1015 is placed, and the fed-out transfer paper P is transferred to the photoreceptor drum 1001 and the transfer unit 1006 in the direction of arrow d to reach a heat roller type fixing unit (1007), from which it is sent out from the apparatus.

Furthermore, an original table 1008 is provided at the top of the copying machine main body 1020 and is movable in the directions of arrows A and C.

Further, 1012 is a printer head fixed to the rear end of the document table 1008, and inside thereof is a liquid crystal shutter array 10.
10 and a printer light source 1011 are built-in.
Together with the 5LAIO02, it constitutes a printing means.

The case where the image forming apparatus having the above configuration is used as a copying machine will now be described.

First, after setting the entire device to copy mode, as shown in Figure 1 (A
), for example, a book manuscript 1 is placed on the manuscript table 1008.
When 009 is placed and the copy mode is started, the original platen 1ooa starts to move, and in synchronization with this, the reflected light of the original in the copying machine is guided to 5LA 1002.

On the other hand, the photosensitive drum 1001 is rotating in the direction of arrow C.
Since the surface of the photoreceptor drum 1001 is uniformly charged in advance by the charging unit 1004, the light flux incident on the copying optical system 1'OO2 forms an image on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 1001 as an electrostatic latent image. Thereafter, the feeding and conveyance process of the transfer paper P during the toner development process by the developing unit 1-1005, the transfer process by the *transfer unit for the transferred transfer paper P) 1006,
The toner fixing process by the heat roller type fixing unit hlo07 is carried out several times to complete a series of copying processes, but since these processes are well known, their details will be omitted.

Next, a description will be given of the expected manner in which the printer mode is set and used.

First, as shown in FIG. 1(B), the printer head 101
The original platen 1ooa is moved to a position where the irradiation optical axis of No. 2, the center of the opening of the original irradiation pickpocket 7) 1013, and the optical axis of the copying optical system 1002 match, and fixed at this position. Next, the writing light source 1011 is turned on to close the liquid crystal shutter array 10.
10 and original irradiation pickpocket 7) 1013, the light beam 5LA1002 is guided to form an image on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 1001 to form an electrostatic S image in accordance with an external signal. Thereafter, an image can be formed on the transfer paper P in the same manner as in the copying mode.

However, in the conventional image forming apparatus, a light source foil of considerably high brightness must be used as the light source foil of the printer head 1012, resulting in an increase in cost. This is because the transmittance of the current liquid crystal shutter 1010 when transmitting light is as low as about 20%, and the 5LAL used
This is due to the fact that OO2 is dark. The brightness of this 5LA1002 is the shorter the conjugate length (distance from the image plane to the image forming plane) is, but the shorter the conjugate length is, the higher the cost is.

It cannot be used in copying machines due to its shallow depth of focus and significant chromatic aberration. Therefore, the dark SLA l 002 is currently used.

〔the purpose〕

The present invention has been made by focusing on the above-mentioned problem, and includes an image forming apparatus equipped with a copying means and a printing means.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus which can use a light source built into a copying means for printing operation, and which can reduce the size and cost of the apparatus.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. Note that the same parts as in the conventional example are given the same reference numerals, and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted.

In the figure, reference numeral 1030 denotes a printer head placed on the rear upper surface of the document table 1008, and is composed of a reflecting mirror 1031 and a liquid crystal shutter array 1010. Reference numeral 1043 denotes a printer slit formed on the upper surface of the copying machine main body 1020, and is formed in front of the document irradiation slit 7) 1013 (in the direction b in the figure). Reference numeral 1040 denotes a reflective shade as a light guide means for selectively guiding the light from the light source 1041 to the original irradiation slit 1013 and the printer slit 1043;
As shown in FIG. 2, it has an arc shape that covers the lower part of the light source 1041, and is rotatable in the direction of the arrow about the center point P1 of the light source 1041. For this reason, the light source l 041
The light emitted downward from the reflection shade 1040 is guided in a direction according to the rotational position of the reflection shade 1040. 105
Reference numeral 1 designates a hinge provided at one end of this reflection 1040, and the - piece extends in a long length so as to be bent by a predetermined angle α about the fulcrum 1051a. Further, one end of this elongated portion is located at a location where it comes into contact with a protrusion 1050 provided on the lower surface of the document table 1008.
A rod-shaped object is used so as not to block the light from the outside.

In the image forming apparatus having the above configuration, in the printer mode, the document table 1008 moves in the direction shown in the figure and stops at a position where the center of the liquid crystal shutter array 1010 and the optical axis of 5LAIO02 coincide. Note that when the document table 1008 stops moving in this way, some impact is applied to the document table 1008. At this time, in conventional devices, this impact was transmitted to the light source toti built into the printer head 1012, causing a reduction in the lifespan of the light ff1011.
In this embodiment, the light source 1011 is only built into the copying machine main body 1020, so the above-mentioned inconvenience does not occur at all. Also.

During movement, a protrusion 105 formed on the lower surface of the document table 1008
0 presses the hinge 1051 in the b direction, and accordingly the reflective shade 1040 rotates around the center point P of the light source 1041,
When stopped, it is set to the position shown by the dashed dot line in the figure. In this state, below the light source 1041 and on both left and right sides are reflective shades 104.
0, the light emitted from the light source 1041 is guided to the printer slit 1043 located above.
After being reflected by the reflecting mirror 1031, the liquid crystal shutter array 1
It is irradiated at 010. At this time, the liquid crystal shutter array 10
10, in response to a signal from an external device or an operation unit,
A predetermined image is formed by the light projecting section and the light shielding section, and the optical image passing through these is focused by the 5LA 1002 and then irradiated onto the photoreceptor 1001 to form an electrostatic latent image.

Further, in the copy mode, the document table 1008 moves in the C direction. At this time, the reflective shade 1040 is biased by a predetermined biasing means and returns to the position shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure. As a result, the light emitted from the light source 1041 is transmitted to the original irradiation slide 7.
) 1013, and the light that passes through it reaches the document table 1008.
By irradiating the upper original and moving the original table 1ooa in the direction b, the original is scanned in a well-known copying operation.

As described above, in this embodiment, a rotatable reflective shade 1041 and fi#1051 are attached to a well-known document platen moving type copying device as a means for realizing a copying function, and a protrusion on the lower surface of the document platen 1008 is attached. With the simple and inexpensive configuration of providing the light source 1050, the light source 1041, which is originally used for irradiating a document, can also be used for printer operation. Therefore, it is possible to significantly reduce costs, and the space for installing the light source, which conventionally occupied a considerable amount of space in the printer head, can be saved, making it possible to downsize the printer head, and ultimately It can also contribute to downsizing the entire device.

Note that when using a light source that emits high heat, such as a halogen lamp, the switch (-) is set to 10 when in printer mode.
There is also a risk that heat will be transferred to the liquid crystal shutter array 1010 via the liquid crystal shutter array 1010 and the characteristics of the shutter array 1010 will change. In that case, the above-mentioned danger can be eliminated by providing a heat ray absorbing film at any location (for example, the sleeve 1043) in the optical path from the light source to the liquid crystal shutter array 1010.

Further, in the above embodiment, by rotating the reflective shade 1040, the light emitted from the light source 1041 is transmitted to the document irradiation slit 1O13 or the printer slit 1043.
However, even if measures such as configuring the reflective shade 1040 with a plurality of members and making some of these members rotatable, or providing a rotatable reflector plate in the optical path, the same problem as described above can be achieved. effect can be obtained.

Further, as a light source to be used, a lamp whose emitted light is directional, such as an aperture type fluorescent lamp, is used, and by rotating this lamp itself, a slit for document irradiation 1013 or a slit for printer 104 is used.
It is also possible to selectively guide the light to 3.

Furthermore, although the moving force of the document table 1008 is used to rotate the reflective shade 1040, it is also possible to perform operations such as rotation and fixation using a predetermined electromagnetic mechanism.

Furthermore, the present invention is applicable not only to those using a copying machine with a movable document table as a copying means, but also to those using a general copying machine. For example, when a copying machine with a fixed document table is used, If the head 1030 is provided on a part of the document table 1008 (position 21 shown in FIG. 1), a printer slit is provided as in the above embodiment, and a light guiding means for guiding light from the light source is provided in this slit. good.

〔effect〕

As described above, the image forming apparatus of the present invention has an extremely simple configuration and has the advantage that the existing light source used for the copying operation can also be used for the printing operation.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B) are explanatory side views showing the schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus consisting of a conventional copying machine with a movable document table provided with an optical printer head, and FIG. , (B) shows the printer mode. FIG. 2 is an explanatory side view showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment according to the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is an enlarged side view of the main part shown in FIG. 2. 1001......Photoreceptor 1020......Moving original platen type image forming apparatus as copying means

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A copying means that forms an image by irradiating reflected light from an original onto a photoreceptor, and a printing means that forms an image by irradiating an optical image based on a predetermined image signal onto the photoreceptor. 1. An image forming apparatus comprising: a light guiding means for selectively guiding light from the same light source to the copying means and the printing means. (2) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the copying means is a copying machine with a moving document table. (3) The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the printing means includes a printer head having a liquid crystal shutter array and a reflecting mirror, and a converging lens array. (4) The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the light guiding means comprises a rotatable reflective shade that partially covers the light source.