JP2836720B2 - Copier - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a copying machine in which a document table is reciprocated by a document table driving device during a copying operation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a copying machine that performs copying by moving a platen, when a document on the platen is scanned by an optical system, the platen first moves from a standby position to a scanning start position in a return direction. Then, after moving in the feed direction to the scanning end position to scan the original, the scanning unit moves from the scanning end position to the original standby position in the return direction.

A conventional platen driving device 81 for moving a platen as described above is equipped with a platen 82 as shown in FIG.
, And has a structure as shown in FIG.
In the platen driving device 81, when the platen 82 is moved in the feed (F) direction from the scanning start position, the feed solenoid 83 is turned on, whereby the latch 84 is turned on by the clutch brake of the feed spring clutch 85. 86 and the feed spring clutch 85 is brought into a connected state. Accordingly, the driving force input to the input gear 87 is transmitted to the output gear 88 and further transmitted to the platen drive gear 89, and the platen 82 provided with a rack that meshes with the platen drive gear 89 is fed (F) )
It moves in the direction.

After that, when the document table 82 reaches the scanning end position, this state is detected by a detection switch 90 shown in FIG. 18, and the feed solenoid 83 is turned off and the return solenoid 91 is turned on. As a result, the latch 92 is engaged with the clutch brake 93 of the return spring clutch 97, and the return spring clutch 97 is engaged. Therefore, the driving force input to the input gear 87 is equal to the gear 94, the input gear 95, and the output gear 96.
The document table 82 is transmitted to a document table drive gear 89 via an output gear 88, and the document table 82 moves to a standby position in the return (R) direction.

[0005]

However, in the above-described conventional structure, the reciprocating movement of the document table 82 requires the use of a feed spring clutch 85, a return spring clutch 97, a feed solenoid 83, a return solenoid 91, and the like. In a copying machine of a manuscript table moving type, which generally requires an apparatus and is often small and inexpensive, the ratio of the cost occupied by each apparatus as described above increases, which leads to an increase in the cost of the apparatus.

In the above-described copying machine, the document table 8
In order to detect the position of the platen 2, a platen position detecting means is provided. The platen position detecting means includes a sensor for detecting the position of the platen 82 at the start of copying, and a position of the platen 82 at the end of copying. It is necessary to provide at least two sensors such as sensors for detection, which complicates the configuration of the copying machine, increases the number of parts, increases the ratio of the cost occupied by the above sensors, and increases the cost of the apparatus. Is calling.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a copying machine comprising: two rack portions provided in parallel with tooth surfaces facing each other; 2 that connects one end of each other to the other end
An annular endless gear, which is composed of two semicircular internal gears, is connected to the platen, and is linearly movable integrally with the platen, linearly moves by rotation of a driving gear meshing with the endless gear. A driving mechanism is provided for transmitting the driving force from the driving source to the photosensitive member and the driving gear of the driving mechanism directly without passing through a clutch mechanism. The copying operation is started in a state where the above-mentioned drive gear has reached the copy starting position, and the photosensitive member is rotated by rotating the photosensitive member before the copying operation is started. When the drive gear position detecting means detects that the drive gear has reached the copy start position before the rotation of the photosensitive member for the photosensitive member initialization operation is completed after the body initialization operation is performed, the control is performed. Means that the platen After the movement of the cycle, it is characterized in that the copying operation is controlled to be started.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a copier is provided in parallel with two tooth surfaces facing each other.
Racks and two semicircular internal gears that connect one end of each of these racks and the other end of the two racks, are connected to the platen, and are integrated with the platen. A platen drive for linearly moving an annular endless gear provided to be linearly movable by rotation of a drive gear meshing with the endless gear, from a drive source to a photoconductor and a drive gear of the platen drive. Is transmitted directly without the intervention of the clutch mechanism, and one copy operation moves the original platen for one cycle for scanning the original, and the drive gear is moved to the copy start position. The copying operation is started in a state in which the photosensitive member has been reached, and before the copying operation starts, the photosensitive member is initialized by rotating the photosensitive member, and the rotation of the photosensitive member for the photosensitive member initialization operation is started. Drive to copy start position before completion When the drive gear position detecting means detects the arrival of the original document, the control means controls the document table to further move for one cycle, and then starts the copying operation. When the document table is moved, the rotation speed of the drive source is controlled to be higher than the rotation speed during the copying operation.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the copying machine is provided in parallel with two tooth surfaces facing each other.
Racks and two semicircular internal gears that connect one end of each of these racks and the other end of the two racks, are connected to the platen, and are integrated with the platen. A platen drive for linearly moving an annular endless gear provided to be linearly movable by rotation of a drive gear meshing with the endless gear, from a drive source to a photoconductor and a drive gear of the platen drive. The transmission of the driving force is directly performed without the intervention of the clutch mechanism, and one cycle of the document table is moved for scanning the document with one copying operation. Drive gear position detection means for detecting each state of meshing with the upper rack portion, the lower rack portion, and one and the other semicircle internal gear, and the drive gear position detection means comprises first to fourth drive gear position detection means. Of 4
A light-shielding plate having a plurality of regions, and an optical sensor including a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element disposed to face each other with the light-shielding plate interposed therebetween. And the third region and the fourth region are divided into left and right regions by the first region and the second region. The first region and the second region The light transmittance of the region is different from that of the third region and the fourth region, and the light-shielding plate is provided with a drive gear meshing with the semicircle internal gear portion of the endless gear and the center of the center of the semicircular internal gear portion. When the drive gear rotates around and the drive gear meshes with one or the other semicircular internal gear portion, the third or fourth region is detected by the above-mentioned optical sensor, and the drive gear is connected to the upper or lower rack portion and the tooth. When the first or second
The region is provided so as to be detected by an optical sensor.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the copier is provided with two toothed surfaces provided in parallel with each other.
Racks and two semicircular internal gears that connect one end of each of these racks and the other end of the two racks, are connected to the platen, and are integrated with the platen. A platen drive for linearly moving an annular endless gear provided to be linearly movable by rotation of a drive gear meshing with the endless gear, from a drive source to a photoconductor and a drive gear of the platen drive. The transmission of the driving force is directly performed without the intervention of the clutch mechanism, and one cycle of the document table is moved for scanning the document with one copy operation, and the driving gear is a semicircle of the endless gear. A drive gear position detecting means for detecting a state meshed with the internal gear portion and a state meshed with the upper rack portion or the lower rack portion other than the semicircular internal gear portion; When turned on, When the gear position detecting means detects that the drive gear meshes with the semicircular internal gear, the control means controls the drive source until the drive gear meshes with the upper or lower rack. Is controlled to rotate.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the copying machine is provided in parallel with two tooth surfaces facing each other.
Racks and two semicircular internal gears that connect one end of each of these racks and the other end of the two racks, are connected to the platen, and are integrated with the platen. A platen drive for linearly moving an annular endless gear provided to be linearly movable by rotation of a drive gear meshing with the endless gear, from a drive source to a photoconductor and a drive gear of the platen drive. The transmission of the driving force is directly performed without the intervention of the clutch mechanism, and one cycle of the document table is moved for scanning the document with one copy operation, and the driving gear is a semicircle of the endless gear. A drive gear position detecting means for detecting a state meshed with the internal gear portion and a state meshed with the upper rack portion or the lower rack portion other than the semicircular internal gear portion; When trouble occurs When the drive gear position detecting means detects that the drive gear meshes with the semicircular internal gear, the control means sets the drive gear in mesh with the upper or lower rack. Up to this point, the drive source is controlled to rotate.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, two rack portions provided in parallel with their tooth surfaces facing each other, and one end of each of the two rack portions is connected to each other. An annular endless gear comprising two semi-circular internal gears connecting the ends on the other side to each other and connected to the original table and provided integrally linearly with the original table. A document table drive device that moves linearly by the rotation of a drive gear that meshes with the drive mechanism, and the transmission of the driving force from the drive source to the photoconductor and the drive gear of the document table drive device is performed directly without using a clutch mechanism. The original platen is moved by one cycle for scanning the original with one copy operation, and the original platen position detecting means for detecting the position of the original platen is provided. From the first and second lever parts and the light shield plate And an optical sensor comprising a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element opposed to each other with the light-shielding plate interposed therebetween, wherein the actuator has a drive gear meshed with one or the other semicircular internal gear part. In this state, the first lever portion abuts on a protruding portion formed on the rear surface on the end side of the document table, so that the light shielding plate opens the optical path of the optical sensor, and the drive gear is connected to the upper rack portion and the teeth. When the first lever portion is in contact with the protruding portion of the document table, the light shielding plate interrupts the optical path of the optical sensor, and the drive gear meshes with the lower rack portion. In this state, the light-shielding plate opens the optical path of the optical sensor by the second lever portion abutting on a cam rotating around the center of the semicircular internal gear portion together with the drive gear. It is noted that It is set to.

[0013]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there are provided two rack portions and two semicircular internal gear portions, which are connected to the document table.
An annular endless gear provided linearly movable integrally with the platen is linearly moved by the rotation of a drive gear meshing with the endless gear, and is moved from the drive source to the photosensitive member and the drive gear of the platen drive. The transmission of the driving force is performed directly without the intervention of the clutch mechanism, and one cycle of the original table for scanning the original is performed with one copy operation. Compared to a case where a mechanism for transmitting drive to the body is provided with various types of clutches, the configuration is lower in cost, the number of parts is smaller, and the structure is simpler, so that the device can be downsized.

In the case where the photosensitive member is rotated for the initialization operation of the photosensitive member, if the arrival of the drive gear to the copy start position is detected before the rotation is completed, the document table is moved to the original position. Since the copying operation is started after the movement of one more cycle, the copying operation is not started when the initialization of the photoconductor is insufficient. As a result, deterioration in image quality due to copying performed in a state where the photosensitive member is not sufficiently initialized is avoided.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the operation of the first aspect, the drive gear reaches the copy start position before the rotation of the photosensitive member for the initialization operation of the photosensitive member is completed. Is detected, and when the platen is further moved for one cycle, the rotation speed of the drive source is controlled to be higher than the rotation speed at the time of the copying operation. Time is reduced.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, similarly to the first aspect, the endless gear provided integrally with the document table is linearly moved by the rotation of the drive gear, and is moved from the drive source to the photosensitive member and the drive gear. Since the transmission of the driving force is directly performed without the intervention of the clutch mechanism, a low-cost configuration can be achieved and the apparatus can be downsized.

The drive gear position detecting means includes a light-shielding plate having first to fourth four regions, and an optical sensor including a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element disposed to face each other via the light-shielding plate. A light shielding plate that rotates around the center of the semicircular internal gear together with a drive gear meshing with the semicircular internal gear of the endless gear, and that is detected by an optical sensor according to this rotation. , The position of the drive gear in the endless gear, that is, the position of the document table, is detected. Therefore, the drive gear position detecting means has a small number of parts and has a simple configuration.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, similarly to the first aspect, the endless gear provided integrally with the document table is linearly moved by the rotation of the drive gear, and is moved from the drive source to the photosensitive member and the drive gear. Since the transmission of the driving force is directly performed without the intervention of the clutch mechanism, a low-cost configuration can be achieved and the apparatus can be downsized.

When the power switch is turned on and it is detected that the drive gear meshes with the semicircular internal gear, the drive gear meshes with the upper or lower rack. Since the drive source is rotated until the start, the original table can be moved to an appropriate position by a manual operation when the position of the original table is inappropriate before the start of the copying operation.

That is, in a state where the drive gear is meshed with the semicircular internal gear, even if an external force is applied to the document table, this force hardly acts as a force for rotating the drive gear, and the endless gear can be securely connected. Cannot be moved. On the other hand, when the drive gear meshes with the upper rack or lower rack,
By applying an external force to the platen, the drive gear can be easily rotated, so that the endless gear, that is, the platen can be reliably moved.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, similarly to the first aspect, the endless gear provided integrally with the document table is linearly moved by the rotation of the drive gear, and is moved from the drive source to the photosensitive member and the drive gear. Since the transmission of the driving force is directly performed without the intervention of the clutch mechanism, a low-cost configuration can be achieved and the apparatus can be downsized.

When a trouble occurs during the copying operation and a state where the drive gear meshes with the semicircular internal gear is detected, a state where the drive gear meshes with the upper or lower rack portion. Since the driving source is rotated until the above condition is satisfied, trouble handling becomes easy.

That is, when a trouble occurs, it is possible to move the document table and the endless gear to appropriate positions that do not interfere with the drive gear by keeping the drive gear in mesh with the upper or lower rack.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, similarly to the first aspect, the endless gear provided integrally with the document table is linearly moved by the rotation of the drive gear, and is moved from the drive source to the photosensitive member and the drive gear. Since the transmission of the driving force is directly performed without the intervention of the clutch mechanism, a low-cost configuration can be achieved and the apparatus can be downsized.

When the drive gear is engaged with one or the other semicircular internal gear, that is, when the document table is at the copy start position or the copy end position, the first lever portion of the actuator is moved. The light-shielding plate opens the optical path of the optical sensor by contacting the projection formed on the back surface of the platen, and the drive gear meshes with the upper rack, that is, the platen is at the copy start position. In this state, the light-shielding plate interrupts the optical path of the optical sensor by releasing the contact state between the first lever portion and the protruding portion of the document table. In a state where the lower rack portion is in mesh with the original table, that is, in a state where the document table is moving from the copy end position to the standby position or from the standby position to the copy start position, the second lever portion of the actuator together with the drive gear rotates in a semicircle. Internal gear By abutting the cam rotates around the the circle center, the light shielding plate is adapted to open the optical path of the optical sensor. Therefore, based on the output change of the optical sensor when the document table moves from the standby position and reaches the copy start position, and based on the output change of the optical sensor when the document table moves from the copy start position and reaches the copy end position. Thus, the position of the document table can be detected, so that the copying operation can be started and ended according to the timing of the movement of the document table. Further, since only one optical sensor as described above is required, the number of parts constituting the copying machine can be reduced, and the apparatus can be downsized.

Further, since the start and end of the copying operation are performed according to the timing of the movement of the platen, the slippage of the copy caused by the shift of the engagement between the endless gear and the drive gear can be reduced, and a good image can be obtained. Can be obtained.

[0027]

【Example】

Embodiment 1 One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 2, the copying machine of the present embodiment has a document table 2 on the top surface of a substantially rectangular box-shaped copying machine main body 1. The platen 2 is formed by a transparent member such as a glass plate at a central portion, and is driven by a platen driving device 3 described later to linearly move in the horizontal direction.

A copy lamp 1 is provided above the copying machine body 1.
An optical system 20 including a lens 5 and a rod / lens array 24 is disposed, and a drum-shaped photoconductor 13 is disposed below the optical system 20. The photoreceptor 13 is driven to rotate by a main motor 43, which will be described later, and is exposed to the reflected light of the light emitted from the copy lamp 15 toward the document 25, and the residual charge is generated by the direct light from the copy lamp 15. Is to be neutralized.

Around the photosensitive member 13, the photosensitive member 13
And a stirrer 26, a supply roller 27, a stirring roller 28, a magnet roller 29, and the like. The electrostatic latent image formed on the photoconductor 13 by the exposure operation of the optical system 20 is developed with toner. Developing device 30
And a transfer roller 12 for transferring the toner image formed by the developing operation onto transfer paper, a cleaning device 18 for collecting residual toner on the surface of the photoconductor 13 by a blade 17, and the like.

A transport unit 32 is provided on the side of supplying the transfer paper to the photosensitive member 13, and a paper supply unit 33 is further provided on the supply side.
Is provided. The paper feed unit 33 includes a manual feed tray 34 on which transfer paper is placed, a paper feed roller 35 that feeds out the transfer paper one by one from the manual feed tray 34, and a later-described paper feed solenoid 44 that operates the paper feed roller 35. And the transfer paper is supplied to the transport unit 32.

On the other hand, the transport unit 32 includes a paper input sensor 36 which is turned off when the transfer paper is detected, a registration roller 16 for temporarily stopping the transfer paper, and a registration roller 16.
The transfer paper supplied from the paper supply unit 33 is transported between the transfer roller 12 and the photoconductor 13 at a predetermined timing.

Further, in the conveying direction of the transfer paper from the photoreceptor 13, jam sensors 38 and 39 for detecting a paper jam, that is, a position of the jam paper when a jam occurs, and fixing the toner image on the transfer paper. A fixing device 19 and a sheet discharge sensor 37 for detecting that the transfer sheet has passed through the fixing device 19 and reached a sheet discharge unit (not shown) are provided. Note that the paper ejection sensor 37 outputs an OFF signal at the time of detection.

At the time of the copying operation, the original table 2 is driven by the original table driving device 3, and the end in the return direction (R) substantially coincides with the end of the copying machine main body 1, that is, the standby position. From P ₁ , first, it moves to the scanning start position P ₂ in the return direction (R), and then moves to the scanning end position P ₃ in the feed direction (F) for original scanning by the optical system. moving the to the standby position P _1.

On the other hand, while the original table 2 moves from the scanning start position P ₂ to the scanning end position P ₃ , the original 25
Is performed. That is, the document 2 placed on the platen 2
5 is irradiated by the copy lamp 15, and the reflected light is incident on the photoconductor 13 via the rod lens array 24. At this time, the photoreceptor 13 is uniformly charged by the main charger 14 and is exposed by the reflected light,
An electrostatic latent image is formed on the photoconductor 13.

This electrostatic latent image is developed by toner supplied from the developing device 30, and a toner image corresponding to the image of the original 25 is formed on the photoconductor 13. This toner image is
The transfer roller 35 and the registration
The image is transferred by the transfer roller 12 to the transfer paper conveyed via the roller 16. Thereafter, the toner image on the transfer paper is fixed on the transfer paper by a heating and pressurizing operation by the fixing device 19, and the transfer paper passing through the fixing device 19 is transferred to the copying machine main body 1.
Is discharged to the outside.

On the other hand, after the above-described transfer operation, the transfer roller 12
The toner adhering to the surface moves onto the photoconductor 13 by applying a voltage having a polarity opposite to that of the toner to the transfer roller 12, and is collected by the cleaning device 18 together with the residual toner on the surface of the photoconductor 13. Further, the surface of the photoreceptor 13 after the transfer operation is uniformly discharged by the direct light of the copy lamp 15 to be in a standby state. In addition, the above-mentioned original scanning
A document table sensor 2 provided in a document table driving device 3 described later.
2 is started based on the output from.

The copying machine performs a pre-rotation prior to the start of copying. This pre-rotation is to initialize the photoconductor 13 in order to obtain a high quality image, and a series of charging, exposure, development, cleaning, and static elimination of the photoconductor 13 is performed without supplying transfer paper. Perform the operation. At this time, the platen 2 is also driven by the platen driving device 3 to perform one cycle of operation.

The document table driving device 3 for moving the document table 2 as described above is provided on the back side of the copying machine main body 1 and is provided with
The configuration is as shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, a document table driving device 3 includes a main support 4 on which an endless gear 8 is provided.
have. The main support 4 has a vertical wall shape, is vertically connected to the document table 2, and moves along with the document table 2 along the side surface of the copying machine main body 1. Main support 4
An oval concave portion is formed at the center of the
The above-mentioned endless gear 8 having internal teeth and forming an annular shape is provided.

The endless gear 8 connects the upper rack portion 5 and the lower rack portion 6 provided in parallel with the tooth surfaces facing each other, and the respective ends of the two rack portions 5, 6 to form a semicircular shape. Return side semicircle internal gear 7a having aligned internal teeth
And a feed side semicircle internal gear 7b.
The upper rack portion 5 is formed such that the gear pitch is smaller than that of the lower rack portion 6 and the gear width is substantially half.
The side surface extends along the copying machine main body 1 side, and is disposed inside the endless gear 8 with a step relative to the return side semicircle internal gear portion 7a and the feed side semicircle internal gear portion 7b.

Inside the endless gear 8, a sun gear 9 is fixedly provided at an intermediate portion between the upper and lower racks 5 and 6, and a driving gear is provided between the sun gear 9 and the endless gear 8. A small-diameter planetary gear 10c as a gear and a large-diameter planetary gear 10b as a drive gear provided integrally and concentrically with the small-diameter planetary gear 10c are provided. The small-diameter planetary gear 10c is formed to have a smaller diameter than the large-diameter planetary gear 10b and has a smaller number of teeth. The small-diameter planetary gear 10c is arranged on the copying machine body 1 side of the large-diameter planetary gear 10b and meshes with the upper rack section 5. I have. On the other hand, the large-diameter planetary gear 10b meshes with the lower rack 6, the return-side semicircle internal gear 7a, and the feed-side semicircle internal gear 7b.

The main support 4 has an endless gear 8
A groove 4a for passing the input shaft 9a, which is the rotation shaft of the sun gear 9, during the movement of the sun gear 9, is formed in parallel with the upper and lower rack portions 5,6. The driving force from the main motor 43 shown in FIG. 6 is transmitted to the input shaft 9a.

The gear shaft 10a as the gear shaft of the large-diameter planetary gear 10b and the small-diameter planetary gear 10c is connected to the connecting plate 1
1 is rotatably connected to the vicinity of the center. An input shaft 9a of the sun gear 9 is rotatably connected near one end of the connection plate 11. The connecting plate 11 has a sliding member (not shown) connected thereto slides in a sliding guide groove (not shown) provided on the back side of a protective cover (not shown) of the main support 4. Thus, the rotation is made along the endless gear 8.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 7, the platen driving device 3 detects a drive gear position for detecting the position of the platen 2, that is, the large-diameter and small-diameter planetary gears 10b and 10c. Light-shielding plate 21 and platen sensor 22 constituting means
And The light-shielding plate 21 is connected to the input shaft 9 of the sun gear 9.
It has a semicircular shape centered on a, is provided integrally with the above-mentioned connecting plate 11, and rotates with the rotation of the connecting plate 11. The platen sensor 22 has a light-emitting element 22a such as a light-emitting diode and a light-receiving element 22b such as a phototransistor arranged opposite to each other with a rotation space of the light-shielding plate 21 therebetween. The platen sensor 22 is connected to the input shaft 9.
It is held at a fixed position with respect to a.

On the other hand, the copying machine body 1 has a control device 31 as control means shown in FIG. This control device 3
1 comprises a microcomputer, as described below,
The main motor 4 is controlled based on input signals from the main power switch 40, the print switch 23, the paper input sensor 36, the document table sensor 22, the paper discharge sensor 37, and the like of the copying machine body 1.
3. A high voltage is supplied to the ready lamp 41, the copy lamp 42, the sheet feeding solenoid 44, the registration roller solenoid 45, and the main charger 14 and the transfer roller 12 provided on the display panel (not shown) of the copying machine body 1. The operation of the high-pressure unit 46 and the like is controlled.

In the above configuration, as shown in FIG.
The small-diameter planetary gear 10c of the platen driving device 3 is
When the sun gear 9 rotates in the direction A due to the input to the input shaft 9a when the input shaft 9a is engaged, the small-diameter planetary gear 10c rotates in the direction B, and the platen 2 moves in the feed direction (F) together with the endless gear 8. I do. Thereafter, when the small-diameter planetary gear 10c reaches the end of the upper rack portion 5 on the side of the return-side semicircular internal gear portion 7a, the engagement between the small-diameter gear 10c and the upper rack portion 5 is released, while the large-diameter planetary gear is released. Gear 10b
Meshes with the return side semicircle internal gear 7a. In this state, the large-diameter planetary gear 10b and the connecting plate 11
180 ° around the sun gear 9 around the input shaft 9a
Rotate. And the large-diameter planetary gear 10b is
And the endless gear 8 moves the document table 2 in the return (R) direction opposite to the above. afterwards,
When the large-diameter planetary gear 10b meshes with the feed-side semicircle internal gear 7b, the large-diameter planetary gear 10b rotates 180 ° around the sun gear 9 about the input shaft 9a of the sun gear 9 together with the connecting plate 11. Then, it reaches the upper rack section 5.

When the document table 2 is at the standby position P ₁ , the large-diameter planetary gear 10 b meshes with a substantially central portion of the lower rack 6. In one copying operation, that is, in one cycle movement of the document table 2, the large-diameter planetary gear 10
b is reaches the alpha ₁ at FIG. 5, the document table 2 reaches the scan start position P ₂ of the return direction with respect to the standby position P _1. Then, while the large径遊star gear 10b is meshed with the return-side semicircular internal gear portion 7a, the document table 2 is held in the scan start position P _2, the small-diameter planetary gears 10c reaches alpha ₂ points When it is engaged with the upper rack part 5, the movement in the feed direction is started. Then, when the small-diameter planetary gears 10c reaches alpha ₃ points, the document table 2 has reached the scanning end position P _3. Then, while the large径遊star gear 10b is meshed with gear portion 7b in the feed side semicircle, platen 2 is held to the scanning end position P _3, the large径遊star wheel 10b reaches the alpha ₄ When the lower rack part 6 meshes with the lower rack part, it starts moving in the return direction.
When the large-diameter planetary gear 10b reaches the initial position, the standby position P
It reaches _1. Note that α _{1 to} α ₄ indicate the start point or end point of the bending in the endless gear 8.

As described above, as long as the sun gear 9 rotates, the document table 2 alternately repeats the movement in the return direction and the feed direction. The large-diameter and small-diameter planetary gears 10b and 10c rotate only in the direction B, and make one rotation around the sun gear 9 by moving the document table 2 in one cycle. At this time, the connecting plate 11 also makes one rotation. Further, since the small-diameter planetary gear 10c has fewer teeth than the large-diameter planetary gear 10b, and the upper rack 5 has a smaller pitch than the lower rack 6, the original table 2 has a feed speed in the return (R) direction. It is higher than the moving speed in the direction (F).

In this copying machine, since the operation of the document table 2 is controlled only by turning on / off the main motor 43, the document table 2 is moved to the standby position P in one copy operation.
Before returning to step ₁ , the transfer paper on which the original image was copied
The paper passes through the fixing device 19 and is discharged from the copying machine main body 1.

Next, the operation of detecting the position of the document table 2 based on the output from the document table sensor 22 will be described. Light shield plate 2
Reference numeral 1 denotes a connecting plate 11 when the platen 2 is moved in one cycle.
At the same time, the sun rotates around the sun gear 9 once, and the output of the document table sensor 22 changes accordingly. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the small-diameter planetary gear 10 c meshes with the upper rack 5, the light-emitting element 22 a and the light-receiving element 2
2b is interrupted, so that the document table sensor 22
Is turned off. Then, the large-diameter planetary gear 10b
Is meshed with the return-side semicircular internal gear 7a and passes through the intermediate point Q, the light path between the light emitting element 22a and the light receiving element 22b is opened by the rotation of the light shielding plate 21. Therefore, the output of the document table sensor 22 is turned ON. Thereafter, when the large-diameter planetary gear 10b meshes with the lower rack section 6, the ON state of the document table sensor 22 is continued. Then, when the large-diameter planetary gear 10b meshes with the feed-side semicircle internal gear 7b and passes through a point O which is an intermediate point therebetween,
The light emitting element 22a and the light receiving element 22 are rotated by the rotation of the light shielding plate 21.
Since the optical path between the platen b is shut off, the output of the document table sensor 22 is turned off. The point O is the start position of the large-diameter planetary gear 10b when copying is started.

Accordingly, the output of the document table sensor 22 when the document table 2 is moved for one cycle is as shown in FIG. 8, and based on this output, the control device 31 determines that the document table 2 has moved to the scanning start position P. ₂ reached state, the state has reached the scanning end position P _3, the large径遊star gear 10b is adapted to sense the state has reached the start position. The input means for detecting the position of the document table 2 is replaced with the optical means described above,
A switch that is turned on / off by a contact may be used.

Next, the operation of the copying machine under the control of the control device 31 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, when the main power switch 40 is turned on (S1), an initial operation such as a check operation of a voltage and a remaining amount of toner at each part is performed (S2), and then the fixing device 19 is warmed up. (S3). Thereafter, the warm-up is completed and the preparation for the copying operation is completed (S4), and when the print switch 23 for instructing the start of copying is turned on (S5), the bias to the developing device 30 and the like, the main motor 43, the copying lamp 15, a paper feed solenoid 44 is oN, the starts the pre-rotation, a timer is started T _PR for measuring the elapsed time from the pre-rotation at the start (S
6). At this time, the platen 2 starts moving with the start of the pre-rotation.

Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the time measured by the timer T _PR has reached a predetermined time T _M required to complete the pre-rotation (S7). If this determination is NO, When the large-diameter planetary gear 10b has reached the start position O (S11), the document table 2 is moved for one cycle without starting copying (S12). Then, if the _{T PR = T M (S13)} , the process proceeds to S8. still,
The predetermined time T _M is set to T _M ≧ drum circumference / drum rotation speed.

Meanwhile, in S7, S11, without the large径遊star wheel 10b reaches the start position, T _PR is T
_When the number of rotations reaches _M , the pre-rotation is terminated (S
8). Thereafter, copying is started (S9). When the copying is completed (S10), the process returns to S5.

As described above, in this copying machine, the endless gear 8, that is, the document table 2, is moved linearly by the rotation of the large-diameter and small-diameter planetary gears 10b and 10c meshing with the endless gear 8, and the main motor 43 is rotated. The transmission of the driving force from the photoconductor 13 to the photoreceptor 13 and the large-diameter and small-diameter planetary gears 10b and 10c is directly performed without the intervention of a clutch mechanism.
With one copy operation, the original platen is moved by one cycle for scanning the original, so that the configuration is simple and the size can be reduced. Also, if the large-diameter planetary gear 10b reaches the start position before the end of the pre-rotation, the copy is started after the document table 2 is moved for one cycle. Copying is not performed in a state where rotation has not been completed, and a situation in which image quality is deteriorated due to insufficient initialization of the photoconductor 13 is avoided.

Embodiment 2 Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG.
This will be described below with reference to FIGS. For convenience of explanation, means having the same functions as the means shown in the drawings of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

The copying machine of this embodiment includes a document table driving device 51 having the same structure as the document table driving device 3 shown in FIG. 3, and a control device 52 as control means shown in FIG.
, And the operation shown in FIG. 10 is performed. Other configurations are the same as those of the copying machine of the first embodiment.

In FIG. 10, the operations of S31 to S41 are the same as the operations of S1 to S11 shown in FIG. In the copying machine, the time measured by the timer T _PR is a fixed time T _M required to complete the pre-rotation.
If the large-diameter planetary gear 10b reaches the start position O before reaching (S37), similarly, one cycle of movement to the document table 2 is started without starting copying. (S42), and then T _PR = T _M (S43). When the pre-rotation is completed, the main motor 4
3 is increased (S44). Thereafter, when one cycle of movement on the document table 2 is completed (S4
5), the rotation speed of the main motor 43 is returned to the original normal speed (S46), and thereafter, the operation of S39 and thereafter is performed.

As described above, in this copying machine, when the large-diameter planetary gear 10b reaches the start position O before the end of the pre-rotation and causes the document table 2 to move for one cycle, the main motor 43 Is higher than the normal rotation speed, the waiting time until the document table 2 completes one cycle of movement is shorter than that of the copying machine of the first embodiment.

[Embodiment 3] Still another embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 6 and FIGS. For convenience of explanation, means having the same functions as the means shown in the drawings of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

The copying machine of this embodiment includes a light shielding plate 63 shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 instead of the light shielding plate 21 shown in FIGS. As shown in FIG. 13, the light shielding plate 63 has a disk shape centered on the input shaft 9a of the sun gear 9, and includes a transparent portion 63a as a first region, an opaque portion 63b as a second region, and a third region. The first translucent portion 63c as a region and the second translucent portion 63d as a fourth region
Areas. Transparent section 63a and opaque section 63b
Is a region formed in a straight line passing through the center of the light shielding plate 63 and divided at the center from each other.
c and the second translucent portion 63d are semicircular regions divided into right and left by the transparent portion 63a and the opaque portion 63b.
As shown in FIG. 12, when the small-diameter planetary gear 10c meshes with the upper rack portion 5, the light-shielding plate 63 makes the transparent portion 63a and the opaque portion 63b orthogonal to the upper rack portion 5 and the lower rack portion 6. And the transparent portion 6
The opaque portion 63b is provided on the connecting plate 11 so that 3a is on the upper side and the opaque portion 63b is on the lower side.

Since the present copying machine is provided with the above-described light shielding plate 63, the light from the platen sensor 22 shown in FIG.
The output shown in FIG. 16 can be obtained by moving the document table 2 for one cycle.

That is, as shown in FIG. 15A, when the large-diameter planetary gear 10b meshes with the lower rack portion 6, the light path between the light emitting and receiving elements 22a and 22b is changed to the light shielding plate 63.
, The output of the document table sensor 22 is ON, that is, at a high level. Next, FIG.
As shown in (b), when the large-diameter planetary gear 10b meshes with the feed-side semicircle internal gear 7b, the second translucent portion 63d is disposed between the light emitting and receiving elements 22a and 22b. The output of the platen sensor 22 becomes an intermediate level which is an intermediate value between the high level and the low level. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 15C, when the small-diameter planetary gear 10c meshes with the upper rack portion 5, the light-emitting and light-receiving elements 22a and 22b
Since the optical path therebetween is blocked by the opaque portion 63b, the output of the document table sensor 22 is OFF, that is, at a low level.
After that, as shown in FIG.
0b meshes with the return side semicircle internal gear 7a, the first semitransparent portion 6 is provided between the light emitting and receiving elements 22a and 22b.
3c, the output of the document table sensor 22 is at an intermediate level.

A control device 62 shown in FIG. 6 as a control means controls each of the means and controls the platen sensor 2
The control shown in the flowchart of FIG.

In the above configuration, first, when the main power switch 40 is turned on (S51), the document table sensor 22
It is determined whether the output is at the intermediate level (S52). If this determination is YES, that is, the large-diameter planetary gear 10b is returned to the return-side semicircle internal gear 7a or the feed-side semicircle internal gear 7b.
And the main motor 43 is turned on (S
53), rotating the large-diameter planetary gear 10b; Thereafter, when the output of the document table sensor 22 becomes a high level or a low level, that is, a state where the small diameter planetary gear 10c meshes with the upper rack portion 5 or a state where the large diameter planetary gear 10b meshes with the lower rack portion 6. (S54), the main motor 43 is turned off.
Set to F (S55), and proceed to S56.

In S52, the original table sensor 22
Is not at the intermediate level, the fixing device 19 is warmed up (S56). Next, when the temperature of the fixing device 19 reaches the set temperature and the warm-up is completed and the preparation for the copying operation is completed (S57), this state is maintained and the apparatus stands by.

Thereafter, when the print switch 23 is turned on (S58), copying is started (S59). After the start of copying, it is monitored whether or not various troubles such as an excessively high and low temperature of the heater of the fixing device 19 and disconnection of the copy lamp 15 have occurred (S60). If the copying is completed without any trouble (S61). , And returns to S58 to perform the following operations.

On the other hand, if a trouble occurs in S60, it is determined whether or not the output of the document table sensor 22 is at an intermediate level (S62). If this determination is YES, the trouble state is temporarily canceled (S63), and the rotation of the main motor 43 is continued. Thereafter, when the output of the document table sensor 22 becomes high level or low level, the main motor 43 is turned off (S64), and a trouble display is displayed on the display panel (S65).

As described above, the present copying machine has four regions of the transparent portion 63a, the opaque portion 63b, the first translucent portion 63c, and the second translucent portion 63d. A light-shielding plate 63 that rotates together with the large-diameter planetary gear 10b and the small-diameter planetary gear 10c is provided, and the above-described region of the light-shielding plate 63 arranged in the optical path between the light-emitting element 22a and the light-receiving element 22b of the document table sensor 22 includes: Rotation angles of the large-diameter planetary gear 10b and the small-diameter planetary gear 10c with respect to the sun gear 9,
That is, by changing according to the rotation angles of the large-diameter planetary gear 10b and the small-diameter planetary gear 10c with respect to the centers of the return-side semicircle internal gear 7a and the feed-side semicircle internal gear 7b, the document table sensor 22 On the basis of the output, the small-diameter planetary gear 10c and the large-diameter planetary gear 10b form a tooth with any of the upper rack 5, the lower rack 6, the return-side semicircle internal gear 7a, and the feed-side semicircle internal gear 7b. Since it is detected whether they match, the configuration for performing this detection is simple.

When the power switch is turned on, the large-diameter planetary gear 10b is moved from the output side of the document table sensor 22 to the return side semicircle internal gear 7a or the feed side semicircle internal gear 7b. First, in order to eliminate this state, a state where the small-diameter planetary gear 10c meshes with the upper rack portion 5 or a case where the large-diameter planetary gear 10b meshes with the lower rack portion 6 are detected. Since the main motor 43 is rotated until the engagement is achieved, if the position of the document table 2 is not appropriate before the start of the copying operation, the document table 2 must be manually moved to an appropriate position. Can be.

That is, the large-diameter planetary gear 10b is connected to the return-side semicircle internal gear 7a or the feed-side semicircle internal gear 7b.
When the external force is applied to the platen 2,
This force does not easily act as a force for rotating the large-diameter planetary gear 10b, and the endless gear 8 cannot be reliably moved. On the other hand, in a state where the large-diameter planetary gear 10b or the small-diameter planetary gear 10c meshes with the upper rack portion 5 or the lower rack portion 6, an external force is applied to the document table 2 so that the large-diameter planetary gear 10b or the small-diameter planetary gear Since the planetary gear 10c can be rotated, the endless gear 8, that is, the document table 2 can be reliably moved.

The above operation is the same when a trouble occurs. When a trouble occurs, before the main motor 43 is stopped, the small-diameter planetary gear 10c or the large-diameter planetary gear 10b is moved to the upper rack portion 5 or the lower rack portion. 6, the document table 2 and the endless gear 8 can be moved to appropriate positions that do not hinder the trouble, thereby facilitating trouble processing.

[Embodiment 4] Still another embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. For convenience of explanation, means having the same functions as the means shown in the drawings of the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 18, the copying machine of this embodiment includes a document table driving device 75 having the same configuration as the document table driving device 3 shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 19 to 21, an actuator 72, a cam 73, and a document table sensor 74 that constitute a document table position detecting means for detecting the position of the document table 2 are provided below the document table 2. ing.

As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the actuator 72 is rotatably provided below the document table 2 by a support shaft 72c. One end of the actuator 72 is in contact with the rear surface of the document table 2. One lever 72a and a second lever portion 72b abutting on the cam 73 are provided, and a light-shielding plate 72d as a light-shielding member of the document table sensor 74 is provided on the other end side. The platen sensor 74 has a light-emitting element 74a such as a light-emitting diode and a light-receiving element 74b such as a phototransistor arranged to face each other with a rotation space of the light-shielding plate 72d. The platen sensor 74 and the actuator 72 are held at fixed positions with respect to the input shaft 9a. The actuator 72 is
Usually, if the rotation is not restricted, the light path between the light emitting element 74a and the light receiving element 74b of the document table sensor 74 is blocked by the light shielding plate 72d. That is, the output of the document table sensor 74 is turned off.

As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20,
The gear shafts 10a of the large-diameter planetary gear 10b and the small-diameter planetary gear 10c are rotatably connected near one end of the second connection plate 76, and near the other end, the input shaft of the sun gear 9 is provided. 9a is rotatably penetrated. Further, a cam 73 rotatably connected to the input shaft 9a is provided integrally with the second connecting plate 76, and the sun gear and the planetary gear unit 10 are moved by one cycle of movement of the document table 2. One rotation is made around the input shaft 9a. By contacting the cam 73 with the second lever portion 72b of the actuator 72, the rotation of the actuator 72 is restricted, and the light emitting element 74 of the document table sensor 74 is controlled.
The optical path between the light receiving element 74a and the light receiving element 74b is kept open. That is, the output of the document table sensor 74 is turned ON.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19, notches 2a, 2a are formed at both ends of the back surface of the document table 2 as projecting portions projecting downward. One lever portion 72a is notch 2a
, The actuator 72 rotates, and the light emitting element 74a and the light receiving element 74 of the document table sensor 74
b. That is, the output of the document table sensor 74 is turned ON.

As described above, since the present copying machine is provided with the above-described actuator 72 and cam 73, the original plate sensor 74 shown in FIG.
The output shown in FIG. 22 is obtained by moving the cycle.

That is, as shown in FIG. 21A, when the large-diameter planetary gear 10b meshes with the lower rack 6, ie, when the document table 2 is moved from the standby position to the copy start (copy start) position. When moving, the second lever portion 72b of the actuator 72 is in contact with the cam 73, so that the light path between the light emitting and receiving elements 74a and 74b is open,
The output of the platen sensor 74 remains ON. next,
As shown in FIG. 21B, when the large-diameter planetary gear 10b meshes with the feed-side semicircle internal gear 7b, the first lever 72a rides on the notch 2a of the document table 2. As a result, as shown in FIG.
Even if b engages with the feed-side semicircle internal gear 7b and the contact between the second lever 72b and the cam 73 is released, the optical path between the light emitting and receiving elements 74a and 74b remains open. since the output of the platen sensor 74 continues the ON state (in the figure beta ₁ point). Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 21 (d), when the small-diameter planetary gear 10c starts meshing with the upper rack 5, that is, when the document table 2 reaches the copy start position, the first riding on the notch 2a. As the lever 72a comes off the notch 2a, the light-shielding plate 72d rotates,
Since the optical path between the light emitting and receiving elements 74a and 74b is blocked, the output of the document table sensor 74 is turned off (β in the figure).
₂ points). Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 21 (e), when the large-diameter planetary gear 10b meshes with the return-side semicircle internal gear 7a, that is, when the platen 2 reaches the copy end (copy end) position, it is again turned on. The first lever 72a rides on the notch 2a of the document table 2, the light-shielding plate 72d rotates, and the light path between the light emitting and receiving elements 74a and 74b is opened.
The output of the document table sensor 74 is turned on again.

[0079] That is, as shown in FIG. 22, large径遊star gear 10b passes through the beta ₁ point, when the small-diameter planetary gears 10c passes through the beta _2-point, the output of the platen sensor 74 is changed by the timing Then, the small-diameter planetary gear 10c becomes β
Passes through the ₃ points, when a large径遊star gear 10b passes through the beta ₄ points, the output of the platen sensor 74 is adapted to vary with this Taimin'ngu.

A control device 77 shown in FIG. 24 as a control means controls each means and performs control shown in a flowchart of FIG. 23 based on the output of the document table sensor 74.

In the above configuration, first, when the main power switch 40 is turned on (S71), the fixing device 19 is warmed up (S72). Next, when the temperature of the fixing device 19 reaches the set temperature and the warm-up is completed and the preparation for the copying operation is completed (S73), this state is maintained and the apparatus stands by.

Thereafter, when the print switch 23 is turned ON (S74), it is determined whether or not the output to the document table sensor 74 is OFF (S75). If this determination is NO, that is, if the document table 2 is not at the copy start position, the main motor 43
Is turned on (S76), and the document table 2 is moved to the copy start position. Thereafter, when the platen 2 reaches the copy start position and the output of the platen sensor 74 is turned off (S7).
7), the main motor 43 is turned off (S78).

In step S75, the original table sensor 74
Is OFF, this indicates that the document table 2 has reached the copy start position, and starts copying (S7).
9). After the copy is started, a series of copy processes such as exposure, transfer, and fixing are performed while the document table 2 moves. Next, when the output of the platen sensor 74 is turned ON, it indicates that the platen 2 has moved to the copy end position (S80), the copy process is terminated, and the platen 2 is moved to the standby position by the main motor 43. Move the main motor 43 to O
FF. Thereafter, when the print switch 23 is turned on again, the above steps S75 to S80 are repeated.

As described above, in the present copying machine, when the original table 2 is at the copy start position or the copy end position, the first lever 72a of the actuator 72 is notch 2a formed on the back surface of the original table 2. When the document table 2 is moved from the copy start position to the copy end position, the first lever portion 72a is disengaged from the notch 2a of the document table 2 by turning on the output of the document table sensor 74. Output of the platen sensor 74
F, when the document table 2 is moving from the copy end position to the standby position or from the standby position to the copy start position, the second lever portion 2 b of the actuator 72 is moved to the cam 73.
, The output of the platen sensor 74 becomes O
It is configured to continue in the N state. Therefore, the output of the platen sensor 74 when the platen 2 moves from the standby position to reach the copy start position, and the output of the platen sensor 74 when the platen 2 moves from the copy start position and reaches the copy end position Since the position of the document table 2 is detected based on the change, the start and end of copying can be performed according to the timing of the movement of the document table 2. Further, since only one document table sensor 74 is required, the number of components constituting the copying machine can be reduced, and the apparatus can be downsized.

Furthermore, since the start and end of the copying operation are performed according to the timing of the movement of the document table 2, it is possible to reduce the deviation of the copy caused by the deviation of the engagement between the endless gear 8 and the planetary gear unit 10. And a good image can be obtained.

[0086]

As described above, the copying machine according to the first aspect of the present invention has two racks provided in parallel with their tooth surfaces facing each other, and one end of each of the two racks. An annular endless gear, which is composed of two semicircular internal gears connecting the ends on the other side, is connected to the platen, and is provided so as to be linearly movable integrally with the platen. An original platen driving device that linearly moves by the rotation of the meshing drive gear is provided, and the transmission of the driving force from the driving source to the photoconductor and the driving gear of the original platen driving device is directly performed without passing through the clutch mechanism, With one copy operation,
One cycle of movement of the platen for document scanning is performed,
The copying operation is started in a state where the driving gear has reached the copying start position, and before the copying operation is started, the photosensitive member is initialized by rotating the photosensitive member, and the photosensitive member initializing operation is performed. When the drive gear position detection means detects that the drive gear has reached the copy start position before the rotation of the photosensitive member for the first time is completed, the control means causes the document table to move for one cycle. , So that the copying operation is started.

As a result, compared with the case where various mechanisms are provided in the mechanism for transmitting the drive to the document table or the photosensitive member, the configuration is lower in cost and the apparatus can be downsized. In addition, since the copying operation is not started in a state where the photosensitive member is not sufficiently initialized, a reduction in image quality due to insufficient initialization of the photosensitive member is avoided.

As described above, the copying machine according to the second aspect of the present invention includes two rack portions provided in parallel with the tooth surfaces facing each other, and one end portions of these two rack portions and the other side. An annular endless gear, which is composed of two semicircular internal gears that connect the ends of the ring and is connected to the document table and provided so as to be linearly movable integrally with the document table, meshes with the endless gear. A driving mechanism for driving the original platen linearly by rotation of the driving gear, the transmission of the driving force from the driving source to the photosensitive member and the driving gear of the original table driving apparatus is performed directly without passing through the clutch mechanism, and once. With the copying operation of
One cycle of movement of the platen for document scanning is performed,
The copying operation is started in a state where the driving gear has reached the copying start position, and before the copying operation is started, the photosensitive member is initialized by rotating the photosensitive member, and the photosensitive member initializing operation is performed. When the drive gear position detection means detects that the drive gear has reached the copy start position before the rotation of the photosensitive member for the first time is completed, the control means further moves the document table by one cycle. Thereafter, the copying operation is controlled to start, and at this time, when the document table is moved in one cycle, the rotation speed of the driving source is controlled to be higher than the rotation speed at the time of the copying operation. Configuration.

Thus, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, before the rotation of the photosensitive member for the initialization operation of the photosensitive member is completed, the arrival of the drive gear to the copy start position is detected, and When the table is further moved for one cycle, the time required for the movement is shortened, and the waiting time until the copying operation is started can be shortened.

As described above, according to the copying machine of the third aspect of the present invention, two rack portions provided in parallel with the tooth surfaces facing each other, one end of each of these rack portions and the other side. An annular endless gear, which is composed of two semicircular internal gears that connect the ends of the ring and is connected to the document table and provided so as to be linearly movable integrally with the document table, meshes with the endless gear. A driving mechanism for driving the original platen linearly by rotation of the driving gear, the transmission of the driving force from the driving source to the photosensitive member and the driving gear of the original table driving apparatus is performed directly without passing through the clutch mechanism, and once. With the copying operation of
One cycle of movement of the platen for document scanning is performed,
A drive gear position detecting means for detecting a state in which the drive gear meshes with an upper rack portion, a lower rack portion, and one and the other semicircular internal gear of the endless gear portion; The means includes a light-shielding plate having first to fourth four regions, and an optical sensor including a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element arranged to face each other via the light-shielding plate,
The first region and the second region in the above-mentioned light-shielding plate are regions that are linearly formed and divided at predetermined positions,
The third region and the fourth region are divided into left and right regions by the first region and the second region. The light transmittance of the first region, the second region, the third region, and the fourth region is reduced. Different from each other, the light shielding plate rotates around the center of the semicircular internal gear together with the driving gear meshing with the semicircular internal gear of the endless gear, and the driving gear is rotated by one or the other semicircular internal gear. When meshing with the gear portion, the third or fourth region is detected by the optical sensor, and when the drive gear meshes with the upper or lower rack portion, the first or second region is detected by the optical sensor. It is a configuration provided so that

As a result, similarly to the first aspect of the present invention, a low-cost configuration can be achieved and the size of the apparatus can be reduced. Further, since the drive gear position detecting means has a small number of parts and has a simple structure, it is possible to further reduce the size and cost of the copying machine.

As described above, according to the copying machine of the present invention, two rack portions provided in parallel with the tooth surfaces facing each other, one end of each of these rack portions and the other side. An annular endless gear, which is composed of two semicircular internal gears that connect the ends of the ring and is connected to the document table and provided so as to be linearly movable integrally with the document table, meshes with the endless gear. A driving mechanism for driving the original platen linearly by rotation of the driving gear, the transmission of the driving force from the driving source to the photosensitive member and the driving gear of the original table driving apparatus is performed directly without passing through the clutch mechanism, and once. With the copying operation of
One cycle of movement of the platen for document scanning is performed,
A drive gear position for detecting a state in which the drive gear meshes with the semicircular internal gear portion of the endless gear and a state in which the drive gear meshes with an upper rack portion or a lower rack portion other than the semicircular internal gear portion. When the power switch is turned on and the drive gear position detecting means detects that the drive gear is meshed with the semicircular internal gear,
The control unit controls the drive source to rotate until the drive gear meshes with the upper or lower rack.

As a result, similarly to the first aspect of the present invention, the configuration can be reduced in cost and the size of the apparatus can be reduced. In addition, when the position of the document table is inappropriate before the start of the copying operation, the document table can be moved to an appropriate position by manual operation.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, as described above, two rack portions provided in parallel with their tooth surfaces facing each other, one end of each of these rack portions and the other end thereof. An annular endless gear, which is composed of two semicircular internal gears that connect the ends of the ring and is connected to the document table and provided so as to be linearly movable integrally with the document table, meshes with the endless gear. A driving mechanism for driving the original platen linearly by rotation of the driving gear, the transmission of the driving force from the driving source to the photosensitive member and the driving gear of the original table driving apparatus is performed directly without passing through the clutch mechanism, and once. With the copying operation of
One cycle of movement of the platen for document scanning is performed,
A drive gear position for detecting a state in which the drive gear meshes with the semicircular internal gear portion of the endless gear and a state in which the drive gear meshes with an upper rack portion or a lower rack portion other than the semicircular internal gear portion. When a trouble occurs during the copying operation, when the driving gear position detecting means detects that the drive gear is meshed with the semicircular internal gear, the control means The drive source is controlled to rotate until the drive gear meshes with the upper or lower rack.

As a result, similarly to the first aspect of the present invention, a low-cost configuration can be achieved, and the size of the apparatus can be reduced. Further, when a trouble occurs during the copying operation, the document table and the endless gear can be moved to appropriate positions that do not interfere with the trouble, so that there is an effect that trouble processing becomes easy.

As described above, according to the copying machine of the present invention, two rack portions provided in parallel with the tooth surfaces facing each other, one end of each of these rack portions and the other end thereof. An annular endless gear, which is composed of two semicircular internal gears that connect the ends of the ring and is connected to the document table and provided so as to be linearly movable integrally with the document table, meshes with the endless gear. A driving mechanism for driving the original platen linearly by rotation of the driving gear, the transmission of the driving force from the driving source to the photosensitive member and the driving gear of the original table driving apparatus is performed directly without passing through the clutch mechanism, and once. With the copying operation of
One cycle of movement of the platen for document scanning is performed,
A platen position detecting means for detecting the position of the platen is provided. The platen position detecting means comprises an actuator comprising first and second lever portions and a light-shielding plate, and a light-emitting device disposed to face the light-shielding plate via the light-shielding plate. An optical sensor comprising an element and a light receiving element, wherein in the actuator, when the drive gear meshes with one or the other semicircular internal gear part, the first lever part is at the end of the document table. When the light-shielding plate opens the optical path of the optical sensor by abutting on the protruding portion formed on the side rear surface, and the drive gear meshes with the upper rack portion, the original platen of the first lever portion is engaged. By releasing the contact with the protruding portion, the light shielding plate interrupts the optical path of the optical sensor, and in a state where the drive gear is meshed with the lower rack portion, the second lever portion is moved together with the drive gear. The center of the semi-circular internal gear By abutting the cam to rotate about a configuration in which the light shielding plate is provided so as to open the optical path of the optical sensor.

Thus, similarly to the first aspect of the present invention, a low-cost configuration can be obtained, and the size of the apparatus can be reduced. In addition, since the start and end of copying are detected based on the timing of the movement of the document table, there is an effect that deviation during copying can be reduced and a good image can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an operation of a copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic overall configuration diagram of a copying machine that performs the above operation.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a main part of a platen driving device provided in the copying machine.

4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration for detecting the positions of the large-diameter and small-diameter planetary gears shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the document table shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a control unit in the copying machine.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a rotation operation of the light shielding plate accompanying movement of the large-diameter and small-diameter planetary gears shown in FIG.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a change in an output signal from a document table sensor due to the movement of the large-diameter and small-diameter planetary gears.

FIG. 9 is a timing chart showing the operation of each section of the copying machine.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of a copying machine according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration for detecting the positions of large-diameter and small-diameter planetary gears in a copying machine performing the above operation.

12 is a schematic front view of the configuration shown in FIG.

FIG. 13 is a front view showing the light shielding plate shown in FIG.

14 is a circuit diagram of the document table sensor shown in FIG.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between each rotation position of a light shielding plate and a document table sensor accompanying movement of the large-diameter and small-diameter planetary gears shown in FIG.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing a change in an output signal from a document table sensor due to the movement of the large-diameter and small-diameter planetary gears.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the operation of a copying machine according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a main part of a platen driving device provided in a copying machine according to still another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a schematic sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 18;

20 is a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG.

21 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a positional relationship between an actuator and a document table sensor accompanying the movement of the document table shown in FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram showing a change in an output signal of a document table sensor by the actuator.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing the operation of the copying machine shown in FIG. 18;

24 is a block diagram showing a control unit in the copying machine shown in FIG.

FIG. 25 is a front view showing a structure near a document table in a conventional copier.

FIG. 26 is a front view of a main part showing a platen driving device in the copying machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 Document table 3 Document table driving device 5 Upper rack section (rack section) 6 Lower rack section (rack section) 7a Return side semicircle internal gear section (semicircular internal gear section) 7b Feed side semicircle internal gear section (Semi-circular internal gear portion) 8 Endless gear 9 Sun gear 10b Large-diameter planetary gear (drive gear) 10c Small-diameter planetary gear (drive gear) 13 Photoconductor 21 Light-shielding plate (drive gear position detecting means) 22 Document table sensor (optical) Type sensor, drive gear position detecting means) 22a light emitting element 22b light receiving element 31 control device (control means) 43 main motor (drive source) 51 platen driving device 52 control device (control means) 62 control device (control means) 63 light shielding Plate 63a Transparent part (first area) 63b Opaque part (second area) 63c First translucent part (third area) 63d Second translucent part (fourth area) O Start position (copying) Start position) 72 actuator 72a first lever portion 72b second lever portion 72d shielding plate 73 a cam 74 platen sensor (optical sensor) 75 platen driving device 76 the second connecting plate 77 controller

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G03B 27/50 G03G 15/04 G03G 21/00

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. Two rack portions provided in parallel with their tooth surfaces facing each other, and two semicircles connecting two end portions on one side and the other end portion on both rack portions. A document table driving device that includes a toothed gear portion, is connected to the document table, and linearly moves an annular endless gear that is linearly movable integrally with the document table by rotation of a driving gear that meshes with the endless gear. The transmission of the driving force from the driving source to the photoconductor and the driving gear of the platen driving device is directly performed without the intervention of the clutch mechanism, and the platen for scanning the document with one copy operation. Is performed, the copying operation is started in a state where the drive gear has reached the copying start position, and before the copying operation is started, the photosensitive member is initialized by rotating the photosensitive member. Is performed, and a feeling for the photosensitive member initializing operation is performed. If the drive gear position detection means detects that the drive gear has reached the copy start position before the rotation of the body is completed, the control means performs one cycle of movement of the platen, and then performs a copy operation. A copier characterized by being controlled to be started. 2. Two racks provided in parallel with their tooth surfaces facing each other, and two semicircles connecting one end of each of these racks and the other end thereof. A document table driving device that includes a toothed gear portion, is connected to the document table, and linearly moves an annular endless gear that is linearly movable integrally with the document table by rotation of a driving gear that meshes with the endless gear. The transmission of the driving force from the driving source to the photoconductor and the driving gear of the platen driving device is directly performed without the intervention of the clutch mechanism, and the platen for scanning the document with one copy operation. Is performed, the copying operation is started in a state where the drive gear has reached the copying start position, and before the copying operation is started, the photosensitive member is initialized by rotating the photosensitive member. Is performed, and a feeling for the photosensitive member initializing operation is performed. Before the rotation of the body is completed, when the arrival of the drive gear to the copy start position is detected by the drive gear position detecting means, the control means further table 1
After the movement of the cycle, the copying operation is controlled to be started, and at this time, when the document table is moved for one cycle, the rotation speed of the driving source is lower than the rotation speed at the time of the copying operation. A copying machine characterized by being controlled to be faster. 3. Two racks provided in parallel with their tooth surfaces facing each other, and two semicircles connecting one end of each of these racks and the other end thereof. A document table driving device that includes a toothed gear portion, is connected to the document table, and linearly moves an annular endless gear that is linearly movable integrally with the document table by rotation of a driving gear that meshes with the endless gear. The transmission of the driving force from the driving source to the photoconductor and the driving gear of the platen driving device is directly performed without the intervention of the clutch mechanism, and the platen for scanning the document with one copy operation. Is performed for one cycle, and the drive gear is moved to the upper rack portion of the endless gear portion,
A drive gear position detection means for detecting each state of meshing with the lower rack portion and one and the other semicircle internal gears, the drive gear position detection means comprising first to fourth four regions A light-shielding plate having a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element opposed to each other with the light-shielding plate interposed therebetween.
The third area and the fourth area are divided into right and left by the first area and the second area. The first area and the fourth area are formed in a linear shape and divided at a predetermined position. The second region, the third region, and the fourth region have different light transmittances, and the light-shielding plate is provided with a drive gear that meshes with the semicircular internal gear portion of the endless gear and the center of the semicircular internal gear portion. When the drive gear meshes with one or the other semicircular internal gear, the third or fourth region is detected by the optical sensor, and the drive gear is connected to the upper or lower rack. A copying machine characterized in that the first or second area is provided so as to be detected by an optical sensor when meshing. 4. Two rack portions provided in parallel with their tooth surfaces facing each other, and two semicircles connecting one end portion of each of the rack portions and the other end portion thereof. A document table driving device that includes a toothed gear portion, is connected to the document table, and linearly moves an annular endless gear that is linearly movable integrally with the document table by rotation of a driving gear that meshes with the endless gear. The transmission of the driving force from the driving source to the photoconductor and the driving gear of the platen driving device is directly performed without the intervention of the clutch mechanism, and the platen for scanning the document with one copy operation. Is performed, and the drive gear meshes with the semicircular internal gear portion of the endless gear, and meshes with the upper or lower rack portion other than the semicircular internal gear portion. Drive gear position detection When the power switch is turned on and the drive gear position detecting means detects that the drive gear is meshed with the semicircular internal gear, the control means raises the drive gear. Alternatively, the copying machine is controlled so that the drive source rotates until the lower rack portion meshes with the lower rack portion. 5. Two rack portions provided in parallel with their tooth surfaces facing each other, and two semicircles connecting one end portion of each of these rack portions and the other end portion thereof. A document table driving device that includes a toothed gear portion, is connected to the document table, and linearly moves an annular endless gear that is linearly movable integrally with the document table by rotation of a driving gear that meshes with the endless gear. The transmission of the driving force from the driving source to the photoconductor and the driving gear of the platen driving device is directly performed without the intervention of the clutch mechanism, and the platen for scanning the document with one copy operation. Is performed, and the drive gear meshes with the semicircular internal gear portion of the endless gear, and meshes with the upper or lower rack portion other than the semicircular internal gear portion. Drive gear position detection When a trouble occurs during the copying operation, when the driving gear position detecting means detects that the driving gear is meshed with the semicircular internal gear, the driving means is controlled by the controlling means. A copying machine wherein a drive source is controlled to rotate until a gear meshes with an upper or lower rack portion. 6. Two racks provided in parallel with their tooth surfaces facing each other, and two semicircles connecting one end of each of these racks and the other end thereof. A document table driving device that includes a toothed gear portion, is connected to the document table, and linearly moves an annular endless gear that is linearly movable integrally with the document table by rotation of a driving gear that meshes with the endless gear. The transmission of the driving force from the driving source to the photoconductor and the driving gear of the platen driving device is directly performed without the intervention of the clutch mechanism, and the platen for scanning the document with one copy operation. Is provided, and a platen position detecting means for detecting the position of the platen is provided. The platen position detecting means comprises an actuator comprising first and second lever portions and a light-shielding plate; Are arranged facing each other via a plate An optical sensor comprising a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element, wherein the actuator has the first lever portion connected to an end of the document table when the drive gear meshes with one or the other semicircular internal gear portion. When the light-shielding plate opens the optical path of the optical sensor by abutting on the protrusion formed on the rear surface of the unit side, and the drive gear meshes with the upper rack, the original of the first lever unit By releasing the abutment on the projecting portion of the base, the light shielding plate interrupts the optical path of the optical sensor, and in a state where the driving gear is meshed with the lower rack portion, the second lever portion is driven by the driving gear. A copying machine characterized in that the light shielding plate is provided so as to open the optical path of the optical sensor by contacting a cam that rotates around the center of the semicircular internal gear.