JPS63115158A - Copying machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detect an original size by using a reflection type optical originals sensor provided to a copying machine main body and to improve the economy by composing the conveyance surface of an original conveyor belt by using a high-reflection-factor part and a low-reflection-factor part. CONSTITUTION:The conveyance surface of the original conveyor belt 17 consists of the high-reflection-factor part of white, etc., as a half and the low-reflection- factor part of black, etc., as the remaining half and the high-reflection part of the belt 17 stops opposite an original platen 2 at the start of the copying machine. When a copy button is depressed while an original is mounted, the belt 17 conveys the original D until it abuts on a stopper 22. At this time, a belt position detection sensor 21 performs control so that the low-reflection- factor part is on the top surface of a platen 2, and original sensors 23a, 23b, and 23c detect the original size. Then solenoids 20a and 20b are put in operation to elevate the part of the belt 17a and moves the high-reflection-factor part onto the platen 2, thereby performing exposure. Thus, the original size can be detected only by the sensors of a main body side and the constitution is economized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a copying machine equipped with a document feeder and a document size detection means, and more particularly, to a copying machine equipped with a document feeder and a document size detection means, and particularly to a copying machine equipped with a document feeder and a document size detection means. The present invention relates to a copying machine in which the size is detected by a document size detection sensor provided on the copying machine main body side.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Normally, a document feeder carries out copying processing by sequentially feeding originals loaded in a document tray onto a document table using a document transport belt, and then transfers the originals that have been copied for a set number of pages to the original document table again using a document transport belt. The document transport belt is configured to eject the document from the table, but during exposure scanning, the document transport belt extracts the part of the document that is removed from the document onto a white background, so the document conveying surface is exposed to a white background or other optically highly reflective surface. It is configured to be.

In such a copying machine, when a reflective optical sensor is used to detect the document size, the document sensor detects the difference between the white portion on the document surface and the white portion on the surface of the document transport belt. As a result, it is impossible to detect the size of a document sent by the document feeder with the document sensor provided on the main body of the copying machine with the document feeder closed.

Therefore, when attempting to automatically detect the document size in a copying machine equipped with a document feeder, a document size detection means for detecting the size of the document is provided on the document feeder side, and the Selects copy paper cassettes, copy magnification, etc.

However, when the document is manually fed onto the document table and the document feeder is not used, the document size detection means provided in the document feeder as described above cannot be used, and the document feeder side It is necessary to provide document size detection means on both sides of the copying machine main body, which is uneconomical.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for detecting the document size using a reflective optical document sensor provided on the main body of the copying machine, even in a copying machine equipped with a document feeder. None, whether the document is fed from the document feeder or manually fed onto the document table, the document size can be detected by the document sensor installed on the copying machine main body, and the document is fed automatically. To provide an economical copying machine by omitting a document size detection means on the apparatus side.

Structure of the Invention In order to achieve the above object, the main means adopted by the present invention are: a document feeding device that is attached to the upper surface of the document table so as to be openable and closable and feeds the document from a standby position to an exposure position on the document table; In a copying machine equipped with an optical reflection type document sensor for detecting the size of a document IIAMed on a document table, a document conveyance belt having a high reflectance portion and a low reflectance portion on the document conveyance surface; , belt displacement means for pressing the document conveyance belt against the document table or separating it from the document table; belt position detection means for detecting the rotational position of the document conveyance belt; The low reflectance portion of the document conveyance belt is controlled to stop at a predetermined position on the document table, and when the document conveyance belt is stopped, the size of the document on the document table is detected by the document sensor, and the size of the document on the document table is then detected. The belt displacement means rotates the document conveyance belt while keeping it separated from the document table until the high reflectance portion comes to a position covering the document table, and the belt displacement means moves the document conveyance belt to the upper surface of the document table. The copying machine is equipped with a control means that executes copy processing by pressing the control means, and rotates the document conveyance belt to eject the document from the document table when the copy process of a set number of sheets is completed.

The working original conveying belt is always stopped at a fixed position by a signal from the belt position detecting means. In this way, when the document conveyance belt in a stopped state is driven to feed the document on the document tray onto the document table, the document conveyor belt is moved so that its low reflectivity section covers the entire document placed on the document table. Rotate it so that it is covered.

1ki 11th iguchii In this state, the document is covered by the low reflectance area, so
The document sensor can detect the size of the document based on the reflection from the document with high reflectance. When the size of the document is detected, the belt a position means operates to release the document transport belt, which was holding the document toward the document table, away from the document table.
In this state, the document conveyance belt is rotated to a position where the high reflectance portion covers the document, and stopped at that position.

When the document conveyance belt stops as described above, the belt displacement means operates to press the document conveyance belt against the top surface of the document table.
Copy processing is executed. When the copying process for the set number of sheets is completed, the document conveyance belt is driven to rotate, and the documents for which the copying process has been completed are discharged from the document table.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Next, embodiments embodying the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining the main parts of a copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The following examples are merely examples of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a copying machine main body, on which a document table 2 is placed horizontally. Reference numeral 3 denotes a light source for exposing and scanning the original placed on the original platen. Of the light emitted from the light source 3, the light reflected by mirrors 4a, 4 & 4e passes through the lens 5 and then passes through the mirror. 4- and reaches the surface of the photosensitive drum 6.

In this way, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the original image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 6, and as the photosensitive drum 6 rotates, the electrostatic latent image is developed into a toner image in the developing section 7. Furthermore, in the transfer section 8, the toner image is transferred onto copy paper fed from the paper feed cassette 9 via the registration rollers 10.

The copy paper on which the toner image has been transferred is sent to a fixing section 12 by a copy paper conveyance bell (11), subjected to a fixing process, and then discharged from a paper discharge roller 13 to a paper discharge tray 14.

At the top of the copying machine main body 1 configured as described above, a document feeding device 15 is provided which is attached to the document table 2 so as to be openable and closable. The document feeding device 15 includes a driving side belt roller 161 and a driven side belt roller 16h.
A document conveying belt 17 is attached between the document conveying belt 17 and the document conveying belt 17.

A certain amount of tension is always applied to the document conveyance belt 17 by a spring 18.degree. 18, and in a portion 17m facing the document table 2, a belt pressing roller 19.degree. By displacing from the position shown by the two-dot chain line, the document table 2 is moved from the position pressed against the document table 2 shown by the solid line to the position shown by the two-dot chain line.
is displaced upwards to a distant position.

20m and 20b are solenoids for displacing the belt pressing rollers 19 and 19 from the position shown by the solid line as described above to the position shown by the two-dot chain line.

Half of the entire document conveyance surface of the document conveyance belt 17 is made up of a high reflectance part such as white, and the remaining half is made up of a low reflectance part such as black. However, the division of the document transport surface into sections with different reflectances is not limited to halves as described above, but may be divided into other proportions such as 1/3 or 1/4. Needless to say.

A belt position detection sensor 21 (an example of belt position detection means) for detecting the rotational position of the document conveyance belt 17 is provided at a position close to the document conveyance surface of the document conveyance belt 17.

The belt position detection sensor 21 detects the rotational position of the document conveyance belt 17 by detecting the boundary between the high reflectance portion and the low reflectance portion on the document conveyance surface of the document conveyance belt 17. A conventional optical sensor can be used. However, such a belt position detection sensor 2
1 includes, in addition to the optical sensor described above, a mechanical sensor that detects the position of a protrusion provided at a predetermined position on the document conveyance belt 17, a metal piece attached to a predetermined position on the document conveyance belt 17, etc. Other capacitive sensors that detect
A magnetic force sensor or the like can be used.

Furthermore, a document stopper 22 is attached to the downstream portion of the document table 2 in the document conveyance direction, with which the leading edge of the document conveyed by the document conveyance belt 17 comes into contact and stops the conveyance of the document. The document stopper 22 can take either a protruding position, indicated by a solid line in the figure, from the document table 2 to stop the document, or a retracted position, indicated by a two-dot chain line, at which it is recessed from the document table 2, where it does not interfere with the conveyance of the document. It is driven to swing between the two positions by a solenoid (not shown) or the like.

23 in the figure. , 23b, and 23c are optical reflective document sensors for detecting the size of the document.

Further, 24 is a document tray for placing a document to be fed to the document transport bell (17) in a standby position, and 25 is a document tray for receiving a document discharged from the document feeder 15. This is the paper output tray.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained to provide an understanding of the present invention.

First, a case in which a document is fed onto the document table 2 using the document feeder 15 will be described.

Before feeding the document onto the document table 2, a drive motor (not shown) is rotationally controlled by a signal from a control device (not shown), so that the high reflectance portion of the document conveyance belt 17 is connected to the document table 2. When the document transport bell is in the opposite position,
7 has been stopped.

When the operator places an original on the original tray 24 and presses the copy button, the control device starts rotating the original transport belt 17 in order to send one of the originals on the original tray 24 onto the original table 2. Ru. At this time, solenoid 20
m, 206, the belt holding roller 19 is in the position shown by the solid line, and the portion of the document transport belt 17 facing the document table 2 is held at a position W (171') where it comes into contact with the document table 2, and thus the document table 2 The document is run on the document table 2 by the document conveyance belt 17 that comes into contact with the document table 2 and is conveyed in the direction of a predetermined exposure position.

At this time, a signal from the control device causes the document stopper 2 to
2 is in a protruding position shown by a solid line in the figure, and the leading edge of the conveyed document comes into contact with this document stopper 22 and is stopped, and at the same time, the document conveyance belt 17 is stopped. At this time, the rotational position of the document conveyance belt 17 is controlled so that the low reflectance portion of the document conveyance belt 17 covers the upper surface of the document table 2.

In the case where the belt position detection sensor 21 is an optical sensor, such control of the rotational position is performed when the boundary between the high reflectance part and the low reflectance part of the document conveying belt 17 passes through the belt position detection sensor 21. After the belt position detection sensor 21 detects this, this is achieved by rotating the belt roller 16 on the drive side by a certain rotation angle.

In this way, when the document stops at the position where it contacts the document stopper 22 and the entire surface of the document is covered by the low reflectance portion, at this point, the document sensors 231 to 23c
The control device can detect the size of the document.

When the size of the document is detected, the copy magnification is set according to a predetermined program, and the lens 5 is moved to a predetermined position (in the case of an apparatus in which multiple paper feed cassettes 9 are set, at this time, (You may also select the paper cassette.)

When the size of the document is detected in this way, the solenoid 20
1 and 20 to operate the belt presser roller 19.19
Lift it up to the position shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure, and as a result,
A portion 17 of the document transport belt 17 facing the document table 2. is lifted to the position shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure, and the original platen 2
A gap is formed between the two. Since tension is always applied to the document conveyance belt 17 by the springs 18, 18, the document conveyance belt 17 does not loosen even in this state.

When a gap is formed between the document table 2 and the document conveyance belt 17 as described above, the document conveyance belt 17 is moved to a position where the high reflectivity portion of its surface covers the document table 2 by a command from the control device. It is rotated until it comes to . Such control of the rotational position of the document conveyance bell 1-17 is also performed based on the belt position detected by the belt position detection sensor 21 described above.

Even when the document transport belt 17 rotates as described above,
Since the leading edge of the document conveyed onto the document table 2 is in contact with the document stopper 22, the document is stopped and held at the exposure scanning position without being conveyed downstream in the conveyance direction.

In this way, when the high reflectance portion of the document transport bell 17 completely covers the document, the solenoid 20. and 20b are activated, and the belt presser rollers 19, 19 are lowered to the position shown by the solid line in the figure, and the portion 17. of the document transport belt 17 facing the document table 2 is moved. presses the original onto the original platen 2, and at this point, driving of the light source 3 and other copying processes are started.

When the copying process for a predetermined number of sheets is completed, the document stopper 22 is oscillated to the retracted position shown by the two-dot chain line in the figure in response to a signal from the control device, and then the document transport bell 17 is driven to rotate by a predetermined amount. As a result, the original on the original platen 2 that has undergone exposure scanning is ejected onto the ejection tray 25. Following this ejecting operation, the next document on the document tray 24 is sent onto the document table 2, and the document size detection and copying process are continued in the same manner as described above.

When the original is manually set on the original platen 2, when the operator presses the copy button, the control device determines that manual paper feeding is being performed since there is no original on the original tray 24 of the original feeding device 15.

In this case, the control device first swings the document stopper 22 to the position shown by the solid line, then lifts the belt presser rollers 19, 19 to the position shown by the two-dot chain line, and in that state moves the document transport belt 17 to the position shown by the low reflectivity. After that, the belt pressing rollers 19 and 19 are lowered, and the document size is detected by the document sensors 23, to 23c.

The subsequent steps are the same as when using the document feeder 15 described above, and will therefore be omitted.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention comprises a document feeding device that is attached to the top surface of the document table so as to be openable and closable and feeds the document from a standby position to an exposure position on the document table; A copying machine equipped with an optical reflection type document sensor for detecting the size of a document, which includes a document conveyance belt having a high reflectance portion and a low reflectance portion on a document conveyance surface, and the document conveyance belt. A belt displacement device that presses the document table against the document table and moves it away from the document table; a belt position detection device that detects the rotational position of the document conveyance belt; and a belt position detection device that detects the rotational position of the document conveyance belt, and detects low reflection of the document conveyance belt based on a signal from the belt position detection device. At the same time, when the document conveying belt is in a stopped state, the document sensor detects the size of the document on the document table, and then the belt displacement means While holding the document conveyance belt apart from the document table, rotate it until the high reflectance portion comes to a position covering the document table, and further press the document conveyance belt against the top surface of the document table by the belt displacement means to perform the copying process. The copying machine is characterized in that it is equipped with a control means that rotates the document transport belt and ejects the document from the document table when the set number of copies has been completed. In the copying machine equipped with this function, there is no need to provide a document size detection means on the document feeder side.
The document size on the document table can be detected only by the document sensor provided in the copying machine main body without opening the document feeder, which contributes to cost reduction.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The first VIJ is a schematic side sectional view for explaining the main parts of the copying machine according to the orange color embodiment of the present invention. (Explanation of symbols) 1...Copying machine main body 2...Document table 15...Document feeder 16m, 16Il...Belt roller 17...
Original M1ill feed belt 18...Spring 19...Belt presser roller (belt displacement means) 20m
, 20&,...Solenoid 21...Belt position detection sensor (belt position detection means) 22...Document stopper 23m, 23b, 23e...Document sensor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A document feeder that is attached to the top of the document table so that it can be opened and closed, and that transports the document from a standby position to an exposure position on the document table, and an optical reflector that detects the size of the document placed on the document table. A copying machine equipped with a type of document sensor, comprising: a document conveyance belt having a high reflectance portion and a low reflectance portion on a document conveyance surface; and a document conveyance belt that is not pressed against a document table or separated from the document table. belt displacement means for detecting the rotational position of the document conveyance belt; belt position detection means for detecting the rotational position of the document conveyance belt; and a signal from the belt position detection means to position the low reflectance portion of the document conveyance belt at a predetermined position on the document table. The document conveying belt is controlled to stop, and when the document conveying belt is in a stopped state, the size of the document on the document table is detected by the document sensor, and the document conveying belt is then separated from the document table by the belt displacement means. While holding it in place, rotate the document until the high reflectance portion comes to a position covering the document table, and then use the belt displacement means to press the document conveying belt against the top surface of the document table to execute the copying process, and the process of copying the set number of sheets is completed. The copying machine is characterized by comprising: a control means for rotating the document conveyance belt and ejecting the document from the document table.