JPS62498B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a method of controlling a copying machine capable of double-sided copying.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, in a copying machine capable of double-sided copying, an operator selects a paper feed tray based on whether the paper is for the front side or the back side. Further, a storage unit for making this determination and a switch for selecting a copy mode are required.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As a result, the conventional copying machine has the disadvantage that its operation is very complicated and that it cannot be interrupted during continuous copying, making its usability poor.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and
The present invention provides a copying machine control method that simplifies a double-sided copying operation and enables interrupts during continuous copying, particularly during double-sided copying.

(Means for Solving the Problems) According to the present invention, in a method for controlling a copying machine that is equipped with a buffer tray for temporarily storing copy sheets on which one side has been copied and is capable of selecting a one-sided mode and a two-sided mode, When the mode is selected, if the paper presence signal indicating that there is copy paper in the buffer tray is not output, copy paper is fed from the normal paper feed tray and copied, and after copying is completed, one-sided copying is completed in the buffer tray. When the paper presence signal is output, the copy paper is fed from the buffer tray to make a copy based on the logical AND with the copy start command signal, and after copying is completed, the copy paper is placed in the output tray. It is characterized by a method of controlling a copying machine that discharges paper.

(Operation) In the present invention, it is detected whether or not there is paper in the buffer tray, and if there is paper, the paper is fed from the buffer tray, and if there is no paper, paper is fed from the normal paper feed tray. As a result, there is no need to remember whether the current copying process is for the front side or the back side, which simplifies the device configuration and facilitates operation.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a copying machine for implementing a control method according to the present invention. This copying machine has a normal paper feed tray 1 and a buffer tray 2 for double-sided printing, and when performing double-sided copying, the paper ejection guide 3 is moved to the position shown by the dotted line in the figure, and the copy paper on which one side of printing has been printed is removed. The copy paper is fed to the buffer tray 2 (at this time, the copy paper is set face down), and the paper feed roller 4 of the buffer tray 2 is driven to the position indicated by the dotted line in the figure to supply the same copy paper to the copying machine body again. is configured to print. Additionally, this copying machine is equipped with an automatic sheet document feeder (ADF). In the figure, 5 is the paper ejection tray, 6 is the paper feed roller of the paper feed tray 1,
7 is a vacuum tank and belt for sucking supplied copy paper and sending it into the copying machine main body; 8 is a drum of the copying machine main body; 9 is a developing device; 10 is a cleaner; 11 is a pair of fixing rolls. are shown respectively. Further, in the figure, 12 indicates a document tray, 13 a document discharge tray, 14 a lamp, 15 a scanning lens, and 16 and 17, respectively.

Due to its functions, this copying machine is capable of not only normal printing but also double-sided printing, and continuous printing of both sides. Furthermore, by using the automatic document feeder ADF, it is possible to automatically obtain multiple double-sided copies of a multi-sided sheet document. Although not particularly shown, if you select the duplex mode when printing on both sides, you can automatically print on both sides by simply issuing a print command, and you can also interrupt operations during continuous printing. If an interrupt request is made during double-sided printing of a multiple-sided document, the printer enters an interrupt standby state after printing the specified number of pages on one side, regardless of whether it is the front or back side. In this case, when an interrupt release command is given, the original state is restored, and the remaining amount is processed by the next print start command.

Fig. 2 shows a control circuit for controlling the copying machine shown in Fig. 1, including count signals set and instructed by the operator, number of sheets specified, interrupt request, interrupt cancellation, duplex mode, buffer tray, etc. , ADF start, print command, sequence control unit that controls the operation of the copying machine according to each signal such as print continuation, buffer paper feed, normal paper feed,
A counter, a comparator, selectors S ₁ , S ₂ , memory A,
B, flip-flop F ₁ , F ₂ , F ₃ , AND gate
It is constructed by combining G ₁ to G ₅ and inverters. That is, the copy number count signal is counted by a counter and input to one side of the comparator, and the copy number designation command signal is input to either of the two memories A and B arranged in parallel via the selector S1. Similarly, it is output via the selector S2 and serves as the other side input of the comparator. The output of the comparator is given to the sequence control unit as a print continuation signal until the memory content and the count match.

The interrupt request command signal is sent from the flip-flop F.
Its output is input to the AND gate G1 together with a signal obtained by inverting the print continuation signal by the inverter I, and its output is the set input of the flip-flop F2. The Q output of flip-flop F2 serves as the B side selection signal for selectors S1 and S2, and the output is A.
This is a side selection signal. The interrupt release command resets flip-flops F1 and F2.

The duplex mode command signal and the buffer tray signal are input to the AND gate G2 together with the output signal of the flip-flop F2, and the output is input to the AND gate G2.
3 and becomes the set input for flip-flop F3. In addition, the ADF start command signal is output from the AND gate G along with the output of the flip-flop F2.
4, its output is inputted to OR gate G5 together with a print command signal, and its output is given to the sequence control unit as a print start command signal and is also input to AND gate 3. The Q output of the flip-flop F3 is a buffer paper feed command signal that instructs paper feeding from the buffer tray, and the output is a normal paper feed command signal that instructs paper feeding from a normal paper feed tray. Note that flip-flop F3 is reset by a reset signal from the sequence control section.

In the control circuit configured as described above, the copying machine control method according to the present invention is implemented as described below.

In both duplex mode and single-sided mode, selectors S ₁ and S ₂ are normally set to the A side, the number of prints is stored in memory A, and when printing starts, a counter counts a count signal corresponding to the number of prints. , the comparator compares the replacement in memory A with the count value of the counter and supplies a print continuation signal (H) to the sequence control unit until the count value reaches the number set in memory A.

When an interrupt request is made during continuous printing, flip-flop _F1 is set and stored, and when the counter matches the replacement of memory A and the comparator output becomes L, this signal is inverted by the inverter and becomes H. Therefore, the output of AND gate _G1 is also H.
, the flip-flop _F2 is set, and the interrupt wait state is entered. Furthermore, when flip-flop _F2 is set, selectors _S1 and _S2 are designated to the B side,
When the number of prints is specified, it is stored in memory B, and the number stored in memory B is also compared by the comparator.

When the interrupt processing is finished and an interrupt release command is given, both flip-flops F ₁ and F ₂ are reset and return to their original states.

In the single-sided mode, since the output of AND gate _G1 is L, flip-flop _F3 , which selects the paper feed roller, is not set, and the normal paper feed signal (output becomes H) is controlled in sequence. Give to the department.

When duplex mode is specified, unless an interrupt request is made, if there is copy paper in buffer tray 2 at print start, flip-flop _F3 is set and the buffer paper feed signal (Q output becomes H) is sent to the sequence control unit. give to The flip-flop _F3 is reset by a reset signal sent from the sequence control section in response to disappearance of the print continuation signal.

The print start signal is generated (at H) by the ADF start signal (actually, this signal is issued from the sequence control section) and is given to the sequence control section when a print command is being issued (manual) or when an interrupt is not being issued.

(Effects of the Invention) Therefore, in the copying machine control method according to the present invention, single-sided and double-sided copying operations are greatly simplified;
Furthermore, since no special components are required for operation, it has the excellent advantage of simplifying the configuration of the device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram showing an example of the configuration of a copying machine for implementing the control method according to the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control circuit that controls the copying machine shown in the figure. 1... Normal paper feed tray, 2... Buffer tray for double-sided printing, 3... Paper ejection guide, 4, 6...
... Paper feed roller, 5 ... Paper discharge tray, 7 ... Vacuum tank and belt, 8 ... Drum, 9 ...
Developing device, 10...Cleaner, 11...Fixing roll pair, 12...Document tray, 13...Document discharge tray, 14...Lamp, 15...Scanning lens, 1
6,17...Mirror, ADF...Automatic document feeding device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A method for controlling a copying machine that is equipped with a buffer tray for temporarily storing copy paper on which copying on one side has been completed and is capable of selecting a single-sided mode or a duplex mode, comprising: If a paper presence signal indicating that paper is present is not output, copy paper is fed from a normal paper feed tray and copies are made, and after copying is completed, the paper with one-sided copies is ejected to the buffer tray, and the paper is When the presence signal is output, copying paper is fed from the buffer tray and copying is performed based on the establishment of a logical product with the copying start command signal, and after copying is completed, the copying paper is discharged to the output tray. How to control a copy machine.