JPS63106267A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a paper jam, by changing a paper discharge instruction to a stacker to the other stacker if any of the plural discharge paper stackers, which can be opened and closed and mounted and removed, of a printer is detected to be not normally set. CONSTITUTION:A printer is constituted of a main unit 1 and a table 2, providing plural feed paper trays 3-5, and the printer, which selects one of the feed paper trays feeding paper sheet by sheet and transferring a picture in a transfer device 14 to be fixed in a fixing device 15, feeds the paper to a discharge port 9. The printer, selecting a gate by the discharge port 9, discharges the paper to removable discharge paper stackers 6, 7 or to a discharge paper stacker 8 able to open and close. When the opening and closing stacker 8 is closed or when a sensor detects the removable type discharge paper stackers 6, 7 to be not properly mounted, the printer, which recognizes a paper discharge instruction, even if it is output to these stackers, to be ineffective, discharges the paper to the other stacker. In this way, a paper jam is prevented.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a printer (recording device) such as a laser printer used as an output device for various computers, word processors, data processing devices, and the like.

2. Description of the Related Art Printers such as one-pot, one-hole laser printers have been increasingly used in computer terminals, local area network systems, and the like in recent years.

In such a case, unlike a copying machine, there is not always a person near the machine, and the tt source is often left on 24 hours a day.

Therefore, it is required to be able to set a plurality of paper feed/discharge means and a large amount of paper at the same time.

Furthermore, since it is desirable for printers to stack printed sheets in page order, many printers are equipped with a face-down stacker that discharges sheets with the printed side facing downward and aligns the pages.

However, in order to keep the device from becoming too large, such printers are equipped with a guide plate so that the printed paper (hereinafter referred to as "print paper") changes its course upward immediately after leaving the fixing section. Many printers are equipped with a paper stacker installed at the top of the device to eject the printed paper.

As a result, the paper, which is heated considerably during fixing, is bent immediately after the fixing process, making it more likely to curl, and this phenomenon is particularly noticeable in the case of envelopes, postcards, and the like.

Therefore, in order to prevent this phenomenon and increase the number of paper ejection ports, a paper ejection port and a paper ejection stacker are sometimes provided, which can eject the printed paper from the fixing section in a substantially straight line as necessary.

This type of output stacker is generally used only for special cases such as printing on envelopes or postcards, so it is necessary to
Many of them are constructed so that they can be closed or detached, and when not in use, they can be rotated to a retracted state where the paper ejection port is closed, or removed.

However, when this paper ejection stacker is in a stored state and in a position that closes the paper ejection port, when the paper ejection stacker is selected and the printer is activated.

There was a problem that the flint paper would get jammed at the paper exit or remain stopped for a long time.

Also, even though the paper output stacker has been removed,
When that output stacker is selected and the printer starts, 4
There has been a problem in that the printed paper discharged from the wandering paper slot is scattered.

1. This invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and even if the paper output stacker, which can be opened and closed or is detached, is not in the normal use position and is selected by mistake, The purpose is to prevent clogging and scattering of printed paper.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a printer that includes a plurality of paper stackers, one or more of which is configured to be openable, closable, or detachable. A sensor detects whether or not the paper output stacker is set in the normal use position, and if the sensor does not detect that the paper output stacker is set in the normal use position, The apparatus is provided with means for controlling the paper ejection path so that the print paper is ejected to another paper ejection stacker even if a selection command is input.

Hereinafter, a detailed explanation will be given based on one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of a laser printer showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 shows an enlarged view of the main parts thereof.

As shown in FIG. 2, this laser printer consists of a main body 1 and a table 2, and the main body 1 is equipped with two paper feed trays (cassettes) 3 and 4 that are detachable.

1 at the top. Second stray paper stackers 6 and 7 are provided in two stacked stages, and a third paper discharge stacker 8 is provided at the rear so as to be openable and closable depending on the discharge date.

Furthermore, within the main body 1, a photosensitive drum 10. Charging section 11
．． Optical writing section 12. Developing section 13. Transfer section 14, fixing section 15
．． A paper ejection conveyance section 16 consisting of a large number of conveyance rollers, a paper guide plate, etc., a power supply section 17, and an image controller board 18.
．． A sequence controller board 19 and the like are provided.

The table 2 is also equipped with a large paper feed tray 5, and inside there is a reversing section 20 for double-sided printing and a reversing paper feeding section 21.
etc. are established.

The control system of this laser printer is configured as shown in FIG.
The image controller 40 (board 18) processes the print data, and the print operation is started by transmitting a print start request signal to the sequence controller So (board 1).

The sequence controller 50 is a central processing unit (CPU).
)51, and R○M52. which is a program memory. RAM 53 which is data memory. Timer 54 and input/output section (
Ilo) 55.56 microcomputer.

Then, start printing from the image controller 40.
Along with the request signal, a paper feed tray selection signal, a paper discharge stacker selection signal, etc. are received and the print sequence is started.

The print sequence includes the value of a timing counter in the CPU 51 that is incremented at each interrupt from the timer 54, and each sequence operation (charging, exposure, etc.) that is set and stored in the ROM 52 in advance.

This is done by comparing the start timing of development, paper feeding, conveyance, transfer, paper ejection, etc.).

When the print sequence is started, paper feed is started from a selected one of paper feed trays 3 to 5 at a predetermined timing, and is temporarily stopped when it hits the registration roller.

Meanwhile, the photosensitive drum 10 rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG.
The surface charged by the charging unit 11 is exposed by being irradiated with a laser beam modulated according to image data from the image controller 40 by the optical writing unit 12 while main scanning in the direction of the drum axis, thereby forming a WI image. do.

The developing section 13 develops it with toner, and the transfer section 14
The printed paper is transferred to paper fed at a predetermined timing in
The paper is conveyed to a stacker selected from discharge stackers 6 to 8 depending on the date and discharged.

Normally, the first stray paper stacker 6 or the second paper stacker 7 is selected as the paper stacker, but in special cases, such as when using paper that tends to curl, such as envelopes or postcards, the third paper stacker is selected.
The stray paper stacker 8 is selected.

When in use, the third paper discharge stacker 8 is in a set state in which the paper discharge rollers are opened and slanted outward as shown in FIG. That is, it is placed in an upright position as shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 so as not to take up any extra space.

Therefore, a means for detecting the opening and closing of the third wandering stacker 8 and a means for controlling the paper ejection path based on the detection results will be explained with reference to FIG.

A protruding piece 8a is provided on the opposite side of the rotating shaft 23 of the third paper discharge stacker 8, and a sensor 24 for detecting the position thereof is provided.

The sensor 24 is turned off when the third paper stacker 8 is in the storage position shown by the solid line, and turned on when it is in the set position shown by the imaginary line (the on/off relationship may be reversed). .

The sensor 24 may be a microswitch or a photosensor.

On the other hand, a pair of "<"-shaped paper path changing claws 26. 27 are respectively pivotally supported by, for example, rotary solenoids 28 and 29 so as to be rotatable through a predetermined angle.

The paper path changing claws 26 and 27 are normally located at the positions indicated by solid lines, and change the path of the print paper sent from the fixing unit in the direction of arrow A and send it upward to the first paper discharge stacker 6 or The paper ejection path is controlled so that the paper is ejected to the second paper ejection stacker 7, but if the sensor 24 detects that the third paper ejection stacker 8 is selected and is at the set position shown by the imaginary line, The pawl 26 is rotated by the rotary solenoid 28 to the position shown by the imaginary line.

As a result, the print paper sent from the fixing unit 15 is caused to advance straight in the direction of arrow B, and is discharged from the paper discharge port S onto the third paper discharge stacker 8 by the paper discharge rollers 25.

Such a determination and a command to rotate the claw 26 are made by the CPU 51 in the sequence controller 50 shown in FIG. 3 according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4.

Therefore, even if a command to select the third stray paper stacker 8 is input from the image controller 40 side in response to a request from the host computer 30, the third paper ejection stacker 8 is not returned to the normal use position by the detection signal from the sensor 24. When it is not detected that the print paper is set, the claw 26 is not rotated and remains in the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, and the print paper is ejected to another paper ejection stacker.

Note that the paper path changing claw 27 shown in FIG. 1 rotates to the left when printing both images, and changes the path so as to guide the printed paper printed on one side to the reversing section 20 shown in FIG.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the third paper stacker is provided so as to be openable and closable, but it may also be provided in a detachable manner.

Even in that case, if the sensor does not detect that the third paper stacker is installed in the normal use position, the claw 26 is not rotated to the imaginary line position even if the third stray paper stacker is selected. Just do it.

Further, the present invention is not limited to laser printers, but can be similarly applied to impact printers, inkjet printers, and the like.

effect As explained above, according to the present invention.

To prevent paper jams and scattering of printed papers even if a printer is opened/closed or a removable paper discharge stacker is not set at a normal use position and is mistakenly selected.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an enlarged view of the main parts related to the present invention in FIG. 2, and FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of a laser printer showing an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a block diagram of the control system. Figure 4 is a block diagram of the control system.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a paper discharge route control operation according to the present invention performed by the CPU 5I shown in the figure. 1... Main body 2... Table 3-5... Paper feed tray 6... First paper discharge stacker 7... Second paper discharge stacker 8... Third stray paper stacker S... Paper ejection port 10・
...Photosensitive drum 11...Charging section 12...Optical writing section 13...Developing section 1-4...Transfer section 15...
・Fixing unit 16... Paper ejection transport unit IEI; a, IE
ib... Paper guide plate 24... Sensor 25.
... Paper discharge rollers 2G, 27 ... Paper path changing claws 28, 29 ... Rotary solenoid 30 ... Host computer 40 ... Image controller 50 ... Sequence controller Fig. 1 Fig. 2 Fig. 3 n Figure 4 Procedural Amendment g (Voluntary) January 9, 1988 Commissioner of the Patent Office Kuro 1) Mr. Akio 1, Indication of Case Patent Application No. 1988-249367 2, Title of Invention Printer 3, Amendment Relationship with the case of a person who does Address 5 6, Contents of amendment (1) "Flint paper" on page 3, line 18 of the specification is corrected to "r-flint paper". (2) In the same book, page 5, line 12, "ejection port" is corrected to "r paper ejection port". (3) “Figure 1” of the drawings shall be amended as shown in the attached corrected drawings. Figure 1 above

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a printer equipped with a plurality of paper stackers, one or more of which is configured to be openable and closable or detachable, a paper stacker configured to be openable and closable or detachable. A sensor detects whether or not the stacker is set in the normal use position, and if the sensor does not detect that the paper is set in the normal use position, a command is input to select the paper ejection stacker. and a means for controlling a paper ejection path so that printed paper is ejected to another paper ejection stacker.