JP2006016201A - Sheet feeder type image processing apparatus having a scanner function and a printer function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet feeder type image processing apparatus that can use a scanner function and a printer function at the same time, and realizes downsizing of the apparatus by sharing a conveyance path by the function.
A switching unit 10 automatically selects a tray in accordance with a function that a user wants to use. When the scanner is used, as shown in FIG. 2, the original is fed from the paper feed tray 1, read by the CCD module 30, and discharged to the paper discharge tray 1. When the printer is used, as shown in FIG. 3, blank paper is fed from the paper feed tray 2, printed through the printer head 40, and discharged from the paper discharge tray 2.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet feed type image processing apparatus having a scanner function and a printer function.

In recent years, small sheet-feed type scanners and printers have the advantage of space saving and have been widely used in offices and homes. However, when using a scanner and a printer, machines having the same shape are arranged in parallel, and there is still a problem in terms of space saving.
In view of this, there has been proposed a device in which these devices are combined into one unit. However, since the scanner and the printer have separate document transport paths, the apparatus itself becomes large.
Therefore, it has been proposed to reduce the size of the apparatus by sharing these transport paths.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 06-054140

In the invention described in Patent Document 1, although space saving is realized, the scanner function and the printer function cannot be used simultaneously.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeder type image processing apparatus that can simultaneously use a scanner function and a printer function, and realizes downsizing of the apparatus by sharing a conveyance path by the function. Is to provide.
The second object of the present invention is to provide a function of a copier when the scanning function and the printer function are used in combination, and by using the scanner function and the printer function alternately, a plurality of documents can be obtained in advance. It is to provide a sheet feeder type image processing apparatus capable of continuously copying a plurality of originals if paper is set.
A third object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeder type image processing apparatus that can select and use a tray that is more convenient to use with a function that is frequently used in accordance with the convenience of the user. is there.
A fourth object of the present invention is a sheet feeder type image that can be processed twice as much by making it possible to occupy a single function by selecting two paper feed trays and paper discharge trays. It is to provide a processing device.
A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a sheet feeder type image processing apparatus in which an arbitrary paper feed tray and paper discharge tray are removed when a user does not need them, and the functions of a scanner or printer can be used with the remaining tray combinations. Is to provide.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the apparatus has a scanner function and a printer function, and includes a pair of paper feed trays and paper discharge trays corresponding to the functions, and a conveyance path from each paper feed tray to each paper discharge tray. Sheet feeder type image processing with a scanner function and a printer function characterized by having a tray switching means for switching a paper feed tray to be used depending on whether the scanner function or the printer function is used The device achieves the first object.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to continuously copy a plurality of originals by alternately switching the paper feed trays used by the tray switching unit and alternately using the scanner function and the printer function. The second object is achieved by a sheet feeder type image processing apparatus having a scanner function and a printer function according to claim 1.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a pair of paper feed trays corresponding to each function or a pair of paper discharge trays can be used interchangeably. The third object is achieved by a sheet feeder type image processing apparatus having a printer function.

In the invention described in claim 4, a pair of paper feed trays or a pair of paper discharge trays corresponding to each function is not fixed to one function, and both trays can be used for only one function at the same time. The fourth object is achieved by a sheet feeder type image processing apparatus having a scanner function and a printer function according to claim 1 or 2.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the pair of paper feed trays and the pair of paper discharge trays can be freely attached and detached, and only the mounted trays are used to use the scanner function or the printer function. The fifth object is achieved by a sheet feeder type image processing apparatus having a scanner function and a printer function according to claim 1.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reduce the size of the apparatus by having the same document transport path for the scanner function and the printer function. The scanner function can be used even when paper is set in the paper feed tray.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a continuous copying function of a plurality of originals can be realized by alternately selecting a paper feed tray and a paper discharge tray of the scanner and the printer.
In the invention described in claim 3, since the user can assign an arbitrary tray to the scanner function and the printer function, the operability is improved by assigning a frequently used function to a convenient tray.

In the invention described in claim 4, since the scanner function and the printer function have the paper feed tray and the paper discharge tray, respectively, the amount of documents that can be set in each tray is reduced. By making the trays usable, the capacity of the usable document can be doubled.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, if there are two paper feed trays and two paper discharge trays, when only one function is used, the user can freely select the tray that the user wants to use. Therefore, it is easy to operate and not to get in the way.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, two paper feed trays (paper feed tray 1, paper feed tray 2) and paper discharge trays (paper discharge tray 1, paper discharge tray 2) are provided, Each of the scanners and printers can be used to select a conveyance path of a function that is automatically used by the switching units 10 and 12.
For example, if the paper feed tray 1 and the paper discharge tray 1 are for the scanner and the paper feed tray 2 and the paper discharge tray 2 are for the printer, white paper for the printer is set in the paper feed tray 2 and the paper feed tray 1 To set the original when the user wants to use the scanner.

  The tray is automatically selected by the switching unit 10 according to the function that the user wants to use. When the scanner is used, as shown in FIG. 2, the original is fed from the paper feed tray 1, read by the scanner CCD module 30, and discharged to the paper discharge tray 1. When the printer is used, as shown in FIG. 3, blank paper is fed from the paper feed tray 2, printed through the printer head 40, and discharged from the paper discharge tray 2.

In the second embodiment (corresponding to claim 2), when the normal document transport path is divided for the scanner and the printer, the copying function is performed by scanning the document with the scanner and printing it with the printer. Can be realized. However, since there is only one document transport path, a buffer for storing scan data is required to print continuously after scanning the document continuously.
In the second embodiment, the continuous copying function can be realized with a buffer for one page by switching the document transport path of the scanner and the printer alternately for each sheet by the switching unit 10.

  In the third embodiment (corresponding to claim 3), there are two paper feed trays and two paper discharge trays for the scanner and the printer, respectively. However, the user who uses a lot of scanners, the user who uses a lot of printers, Since there are various users such as a user who can easily use the paper (paper discharge) tray 1 and a user who can easily use the paper feed (paper discharge) tray 2, the user can freely assign the trays. For example, the combinations can be set as shown in the table of FIG.

In the fourth embodiment (corresponding to claim 4), the method is normally used as in the first embodiment. However, when the user wants to scan an amount of originals that does not fit on the paper feed tray 1 or 2, printing is performed. In addition to the third embodiment, as shown in the table of FIG. 5, both trays 1 and 2 can be used by a scanner or a printer.
As a result, it is possible to scan and print a document having a double capacity. At this time, the user can arbitrarily determine the order in which both trays 1 and 2 are used.

  In the fifth embodiment (corresponding to claim 5), the user can freely select the paper feed tray and the paper discharge tray regardless of the function to be used. As shown in FIG. 6, a tray that is not used can be removed and only the tray that is desired to be used can be attached. These four types of tray selection patterns can be arbitrarily determined by the user regardless of the function of the scanner or the printer.

It is the figure which showed the outline | summary of the apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the process of a 1st Example. It is a figure explaining the process of a 1st Example. It is a table | surface explaining the combination of the process of a 3rd Example. It is a table | surface explaining the combination of the process of a 4th Example. It is a figure explaining the process of a 5th Example.

Explanation of symbols

10 switching unit 12 switching unit 30 scanner CCD module 40 printer head

Claims (5)

It has a scanner function and a printer function, and has a pair of paper feed tray and paper discharge tray corresponding to each function,
A transport path from each paper feed tray to each paper discharge tray is made common, and tray switching means for switching a paper feed tray to be used depending on whether a scanner function or a printer function is used is provided. A sheet feeder type image processing apparatus having a scanner function and a printer function.   2. A scanner according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of documents can be copied continuously by alternately switching the paper feed trays used by said tray switching means and alternately using the scanner function and the printer function. A sheet feeder type image processing apparatus having a function and a printer function.   3. A sheet feeder having a scanner function and a printer function according to claim 1, wherein a pair of paper feed trays or a pair of paper discharge trays corresponding to each function can be used interchangeably. Type image processing device.   A pair of paper feed trays or a pair of paper discharge trays corresponding to each function is not fixed to one function, and both trays can be used for only one function at the same time. A sheet feeder type image processing apparatus having the scanner function and the printer function according to claim 1.   The scanner according to claim 1, wherein the pair of paper feed trays and the pair of paper discharge trays can be freely attached and detached, and the scanner function or the printer function can be used by using only the mounted tray. A sheet feeder type image processing apparatus having a function and a printer function.

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