JPS6291971A - Copying device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To detect surely the size of an original without increasing the number of sensors and to display the optimum size for each user by selecting only one of size information corresponding to the decision signal of a storage means and allowing the decision signal and size information to correspond to each other in 1:1. CONSTITUTION:In this system, an original of any size is fed in the direction of broken-line arrows with its shorter side matched with a reference line 45. Original detecting sensors S0-S4 detect the original in front end parts of broken-line arrows. Consequently, any original is certainly detected first by the original detecting sensor S0. For example, the original of size B5 is detected by the original detecting sensors S0 and S1, and the original of size B4 is detected by 4 original detecting sensors S0-S3. Since detection signals outputted from individual original detecting sensors are different by original size, a total of 4 kinds of original size can be decided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION "Field of Industrial Application" The present invention relates to a copying apparatus having the ability to determine the size of a document.

``Prior Art'' Generally, in a copying apparatus, a copy can be made on a predetermined copy paper by placing an original on a platen glass and pressing a print start button. When two or more types of trays containing copy paper are packed in bags, a tray containing copy paper of the same size as the original is usually selected from among them to make a copy. This selection change is performed by operating keys on the console panel.

In a copying apparatus that has the function of making enlarged/reduced copies, it is necessary to select copy paper of a size equal to the original size multiplied by its reduction ratio.

However, if you make a mistake in calculating this reduction ratio or forget that you need to select the appropriate size of copy paper,
°Miscopy will occur.

To prevent this, conventionally, when the original size is automatically determined and the reduction ratio is kept constant, copy paper of an appropriate size is automatically selected each time the original is replaced. When the size of copying paper is fixed, some copying apparatuses operate to automatically select a reduction ratio according to the size of the original document.

The document size determining means of such a copying apparatus will be explained with reference to FIG.

In this figure, in order to show the predetermined copying position (normal position) of the original placed on the platen glass 1, 85 size, A4
The outer frame at the fixed position of the four types of originals, ie, 84-size, 84-size, and A3-size, is shown by a chain line.

Four light transmission type sensors 2 are arranged along one side of the platen glass 1. Each sensor outputs a certain detection signal when a document is present at that location, and the document size is determined from a combination of the detection signals of each sensor. Such a mechanism is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 137539/1983.

"Problems to be Solved by the Invention" The document size can be determined using a plurality of sensors arranged in a straight line in this way. The discrimination ability corresponds exactly to the number of sensors.

Therefore, according to the determination means shown in FIG. 6, for example, A4
A special size original larger than 84 size but smaller than 84 size is considered to be either A4 size or 34 size. If additional sensors are installed to determine such special sizes, the sensors will become close to each other, which may cause false detection, which is undesirable. Further, the addition of such sensors increases costs and becomes a nuisance for users who do not use documents of special sizes.

The inventors of the present invention focused on this point and conducted a user usage survey, and found that it is sufficient to be able to distinguish between approximately four types of document sizes for both users who use special-sized documents and other users. It has been found.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above study results, and provides a copying device that can reliably detect the document size and display the optimal size for each user without significantly increasing the number of sensors. The purpose is to provide

"Means for Solving Problems" The copying apparatus of the present invention includes a size determining means for detecting the document size and outputting a predetermined determination signal, and two or more types of size information corresponding to one of the determination signals. a storage means for preparing and storing the same, and a size information selection means for selecting only one piece of size information corresponding to the judgment signal of the storage means and associating the judgment signal and the size information on a one-to-one basis. It is characterized by having the following.

"Operation" The size determination means is composed of several document detection sensors, and for example, four types of determination signals are obtained by combining the detection signals thereof.

Here, for that one type of determination signal, for example, A4
Two types of size information, size and letter size (LET), are prepared and stored in the storage means. This storage means may be a mere data memory or a program memory. Then, according to the user's wishes, the size information selection means is operated so that only one of the size information is output. That is, for example, a branch condition in a program that determines size information is determined by this size information selection means. This size information is used for selecting copy paper, calculating the reduction ratio, displaying the document size, etc. As a result, up to four types of size information can be displayed without adding an additional document detection sensor.

This makes it possible to meet the wishes of various users.

Embodiment (Overall Configuration) FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of essential parts showing an embodiment of a copying apparatus of the present invention.

In the figure, a platen glass 11 is provided on the upper surface of a frame 10 of the main body of the copying apparatus, and a document conveying device I3 is housed on the lower surface of a platen cover 12 that covers this. This document conveying device 13 includes a feed roller 16 that feeds the document 14 onto the platen glass, a conveyor belt 17 that conveys the document 14 to a copying position, and a discharge roller 18 that discharges the document 14 after copying is completed. .

The conveyor belt 17 is moved by a pair of rollers 19 in the direction of arrow 2 in the figure.
Rotationally driven in one direction. This conveyor belt 17 is
It has a structure that sucks and conveys 4, and has a large number of small holes (not shown) that pass through the belt. A box 22 for depressurization is arranged on the back side. This box 22 has many slits on its bottom surface.
When the pressure inside the belt 17 is reduced, outside air is sucked in through the small holes in the belt 17. This force attracts the original 14 to the lower surface of the belt 17.

Further, a pinch roller 23 and a feed registration gate 24 are provided on the feeding side of the document 14.

This pinch roller 23 is raised by a plunger solenoid (not shown), and in cooperation with the feed roller 16, the original 14
When the feed registration gate 24 is lowered at the same time, the document 14 is fed between the conveyor belt 17 and the platen glass 11.

Further, on the ejection side of the original 14, there is an ejection register gate 26;
A jump platform 27 arranged so as to be in contact with the discharge roller 18
and is provided. When the ejection register gate 26 is raised, it functions to accurately stop the original 14 at the copying position when it is fed onto the platen glass 11.

Further, when the document 14 is ejected, the conveyor belt 17 is rotated and simultaneously lowered. The document 14 is thus sandwiched between the discharge roller 18 and the jump table 27, and is discharged to the left in the figure.

In the apparatus shown in this figure, a plurality of document detection sensors are provided between the feed roller 16 and the conveyance belt 17 and immediately before the feed registration gate 24, and these serve as a document size determining means 31.

The top view is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the feed roller 16 has a structure in which a plurality of rubber rollers 16' are attached to a drive shaft 16'. A total of five document detection sensors SO to S4 are arranged in a row in the axial direction of the drive shaft 16'.

Each of the document detection sensors is, for example, a reflective optical sensor, and outputs an hit detection signal when the document 14 is turned on when a portion of the document 14 is opposed to that position.

As shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus of this embodiment is of a type in which documents of all sizes are fed in such a way that the short edges of the documents are always aligned with the reference line 45 in the direction of the dashed arrow. The document detection sensors SO to S4 detect the document at the tip of the dashed arrow. Therefore, as shown in the figure, all documents are always detected by the document detection sensor SO. Also, for example, 8
The 5-size original is detected by the original detection sensors SO and Sl, and the 8
A 4-size original is detected by four original detection sensors SO to 83.

In this way, since the detection signal output from each document detection sensor differs depending on the size of the document, a total of four types of document sizes can be determined.

Returning to FIG. 1, the size determining means 31 is the control circuit 3.
Connected to 2. This control circuit 32 includes a microprocessor 33 and a ROM (read only memory) element 3 connected to it via a pass line 34.
5. RAM (Random Access Memory) element 36
, an NVM (nonvolatile RAM) element 37, and a sensor input port (I/F) 38. Furthermore, this control circuit 32 is connected to a console panel 39 by a signal line 40.

This control circuit 32 controls the operation of each part of the device, but a description of parts unnecessary for the description of the present invention will be omitted.

The ROM element 35 stores a program for size determination. With this program, one piece of size information corresponding to one determination signal 41 is obtained. However, there are several branch points (branch condition judgment steps) in this program, and parameters that serve as criteria for the judgment are stored in the NVM element 37.

That is, in the present invention, the ROM element 35 in this embodiment is called a storage means that stores size information, and the NVM element 37 is called a size information selection means.

The CPU 33 of the control circuit 32 reads the determination signal 41 via the I/F 38 and executes a program for size information selection as follows.

(Description of Operation) FIG. 4 shows a flowchart of an embodiment of the program.

First, it is checked whether the original detection sensor SO is on (step 2). If this is not on, it is assumed that there is no original or that it is not set correctly at the copying position, and size information is not selected.

Next, it is checked whether the document detection sensor S1 is on (step 2). If this is not on, the program will not proceed any further. That is, this apparatus does not perform size determination for originals of 85 or smaller size.

Next, it is checked whether the document detection sensor S2 is on (step 2). If this is not on, size information for 85 size is selected (step ■). Further, if this is on, it is checked whether the sensor S3 is on or not (step 2). If this is off, you will have to choose between two types of size information: A4 size and LETTER size (
Step ■, ■). Which one is selected is determined by the contents of the parameters (indicated by a in the figure) stored in the NVM element.

The parameter is, for example, 2-byte information, and in the case of "X2", the first byte "X" is unspecified information, and the selection is determined by focusing on the second byte "2". That is, in step ■, if a=X2, step ■ is changed to a−I=X
In the case of 2, step 2 is selected to determine the size information.

When document detection sensor S3 is on, document detection sensor S
4 is on or not (step ■).

If this is on, 17 depending on whether a=lX
' or A3 size information (steps ■, ■, 0). In addition, if the document detection sensor S4 is off, the LEGAL size should be selected when a=X2.
c4)) When a≠X2, if a=X1, select the special B4 size (step 01■), and if af=X1, select the B4 size (step 0).

A list of the size information selections described above is shown in Table 1.

(Margin below) Table 1 In this table, 1 indicates that the document detection sensor is on, and 0 indicates that it is off. * is 83 when X is 0,
When is 1, it is set to 17'. ** is selected as appropriate according to the user's request.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of the operation program for the copying apparatus of the present invention.

This program is similar to the one in FIG. 4 in that it first checks whether the original detection sensor SO is on or off (step 2). However, after that, the on/off status of the document detection sensor S4 is checked in order.

That is, when the document detection sensor S4 is on, a≠IX
If so, select A3 size, and if a=IX, select 17' size (steps ① to ②). If the document detection sensor S4 is off, it is checked whether the document detection sensor S3 is on (step 2). Here, the document detection sensor S3 is on, and a=
If it is X2, please select the legal size (step ■, ■)
, a+X2, and if a=X1, select the special B4 size (steps ■, ■). Also, when af=X 1, B4
Select the size (step ■). Next, the document detection sensor S2 is checked (step 0), and if this is off, the document detection sensor S1 is checked (step 0). If the document detection sensor S1 is on, select B5 size (step ■
). If the document detection sensor S1 is off, the process returns to the beginning. This return route is indicated as (A). Further, if the document detection sensor S2 is on, if a=X2, letter size is selected (steps (2), (2)), and if af=X2, A4 size is selected.

With the above method, size information can also be selected according to the parameters stored in the NVM element.

In this way, four combinations of size information selections are possible as shown in Table 1, depending on the user.

The contents of this parameter can be written or rewritten from the console panel 39 using the numeric keypad. The numeric keypad is normally used to specify the number of copies, etc., but when a service person executes a specific service program, data can be written to the NVM element from the numeric keypad. This is also called a diagnostic mode. Since the parameters are digital data, NVM can be accessed from the numeric keypad.
It is sufficient to designate the address of the element 37 and directly write data of a predetermined content thereto.

"Variation" The copying apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

In the above example, the execution path of the program stored in the storage means is determined by the size information selection means, but the storage means is a data memory to which the size information is directly output from the size judgment signal, and the output is selected. It is also possible to use the size information selection means.

"Effects of the Invention J The copying apparatus of the present invention described above can obtain various size information without increasing the number of document detection sensors arranged in a straight line, and can greatly improve the copying apparatus that meets user requirements. It can be supplied without significant cost increase.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of the main part showing an embodiment of the copying apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the main part, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the original copying position, and FIGS. 6 are program flowcharts for implementing the present invention, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of conventional document size determination means. 31...Size determination means, 35...Storage means, 37...Size information selection means. Applicant: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Representative
Person Patent Attorney Ume Yamauchi Figure 3 Figure 6 Figure 4 Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Claims] size determining means for detecting the document size and outputting a predetermined determination signal; a storage means for preparing and storing two or more types of size information corresponding to one of the determination signals; A copying apparatus comprising size information selection means for selecting only one piece of size information corresponding to a determination signal and associating the determination signal with the size information on a one-to-one basis.