JPH0652926B2 - Input/Output Devices - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an input/output device such as a facsimile.

(Prior Art) A facsimile machine in which a single feed roller is provided for both transmission and reception (see Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 58-22353)
or a unit with an integrated transmitting and receiving head (JP Patent Publication 56-3427
(See Publication No. 3). However, in this case, the transport paths for the document and the recording paper are separate, making the device large and complicated in configuration. There are also examples where the transport paths are partially shared, but there are no examples where the device is combined with an integrated head to achieve compactness. Also, a sensor is provided between the roll paper holder and the recording unit to detect the presence or absence of recording paper (end detection) and the amount of remaining paper, which increases costs.

(Objective of the Invention) The present invention has been made to improve upon the problems of the prior art described above, and aims to provide an input/output device which promotes the sharing of functional parts between document reading and recording operations, thereby realizing a simplified configuration, a more compact device, and lower costs, while also reducing power consumption during recording operations.

(Configuration of the Invention) In order to achieve the above object, the input/output device of the present invention comprises a recording unit which records image information on a rolled recording paper, a reading unit which reads the image information of an original and detects the condition or shape of the recording paper, a transport roller which transports the original and the recording paper, a head unit which positions the reading unit on the upstream side in the transport direction and the recording unit on the downstream side, a light source unit consisting of a plurality of light sources which illuminate the reading position when the original is read, a lighting control unit which turns on a specific light source in the light source unit when recording, and a cutter which cuts off the portion of the rolled recording paper on which the image information has been recorded by the recording unit, and after cutting by the cutter, the transport roller is reversed to pull the recording paper back to the front of the reading unit.

According to the above configuration, one transport roller is used for transporting both the document and the recording paper, and the reading section can detect the state or shape of the recording paper. When detecting the state or shape of the recording paper, a specific light source in the light source section is turned on, which can save power and prevent the head unit from overheating. The recording paper is in a roll, and after the recorded portion is cut off from the roll by a cutter, the unrecorded portion is pulled back to the front of the reading section by the reverse rotation of the transport roller.

(Embodiments) Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a document table, 2 is a separation roller, 3 is a separation piece, 4 is a recording paper roll, 5 is a delivery roller, 6 is a tension roller, 7 is a
denotes a feed roller, 10 denotes a head unit formed by integrating the reading section 8 and the recording section 9, 11 and 12 denote a fixed blade and a rotary blade that form a cutter, 13 denotes a discharge roller, 14 denotes a tension roller, and 15 denotes a stacker.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. The originals are separated and drawn out one by one from the original table 1 by the separation roller 2 and the separation piece 3, read by the reading unit 8, and then discharged to the stacker 15 by the discharge roller 13. At this time, the head unit 10 moves leftward by a distance of l/2, or the feed roller 7 moves rightward by the same distance, so that the reading unit 8 comes into proper contact with the feed roller 7 and reading becomes possible. The cutter does not operate. On the other hand, for recording, since the leading edge of the recording paper drawn out from the recording paper roll 4 is between the feed roller 5 and the feed roller 7, when a recording signal is received, the paper is fed into the recording unit 9 by the feed roller 7. After recording, the paper moves further, is cut by the cutter, and is discharged to the stacker 15 by the discharge roller 13. At this time, the head unit 10 moves rightward by a distance of l/2, or the feed roller 7 moves leftward by the same distance, so that the recording unit 9 comes into proper contact with the feed roller 7 and recording becomes possible. The cut, blank recording paper is pulled back to its initial position by the feed roller 7 and the delivery roller 5. The drive system is not shown in the figure.

In the present embodiment configured as described above, by displacing the head unit 10, which is an integral configuration of the reading section (contact sensor) and recording section (thermal head), and the single feed roller 7, which is used for both reading and writing, by a small distance relative to each other, reading and recording are possible, the transport path and transport drive system can be shared, and significant cost reduction and miniaturization can be achieved.

2 shows the mechanism for displacing the feed roller 7. The position of the feed roller 7 shown by the solid line is the position during recording, and the dashed line is the position during reading. The lever 18 is pulled against the biasing force of the compression spring 17 by the attraction of the solenoid 16, and the lever 18 rotates about the fulcrum 19, displacing the feed roller 7 and switching it from the recording section to the reading section. To facilitate the movement of the feed roller 7 during switching, a solenoid 20 is provided.
, and the head unit
The solenoid 20 is provided to temporarily lift the head unit 10 by suction when an original or recording paper arrives, ensuring that the original or recording paper is gripped, but may not be necessary depending on the contact pressure, transport force, and other conditions.

Fig. 3 shows a mechanism for displacing the head unit 10 in the opposite manner to Fig. 2. The attraction of the solenoid 22 pulls the lever 24 against the biasing force of the compression spring 23, causing the lever 24 to rotate about the fulcrum 25, displacing the head unit 10 and switching it from the reading section to the recording section. Note that a motor and a cam may be used instead of the solenoid to move the lever.

There are layout issues with the placement of the reading and recording units,
By locating the reading unit upstream of the transport path, the reading unit can detect the leading edge and trailing edge of the recording paper, as well as the remaining amount, and can also detect the time-dependent state of the recording paper transport (jams during transport, maximum recording, time limits, etc.), the state of the recording paper (presence or absence of recording paper, skew, etc.), and the shape of the recording paper. Figure 4 shows an example of detecting the remaining amount of recording paper. Letters 27 or marks 28 indicating the remaining amount are printed on the roll paper in, for example, yellow (a color different from the color of the recording paper and a color that does not cause problems), and the remaining amount can be detected by reading these.

In the conventional apparatus, generally, there are problems such as the presence or absence of recording paper in the recording paper transport path leading to the recording unit, the jam of recording paper, and in the case of an apparatus which allows the use of recording paper of different sizes, the shape of the recording paper,
A paper sensor is provided to detect the size (paper width).
In addition, a mark is placed on the recording paper to indicate that the remaining recording paper is low, and the recording paper near-end (meaning that the recording paper will soon run out) is detected by detecting the mark. This is to avoid applying power to the recording element when there is no recording paper. Also, abnormal conditions of the device such as recording paper jams in the transport path, skew, recording outside the recording paper, etc. are detected and a warning or display is given to the operator.

In a reading device using a contact sensor, a white roller is used as a feed roller (JP Patent Publication 58-73275
In the present embodiment,
A white roller is used as a feed roller for both reading and recording. Note that the roller for recording does not necessarily have to be white.

The problem here is whether, when a white feed roller is used, the reading section can distinguish between the white color of the recording paper and the white color of the roller, that is, whether the recording paper can be detected.
The reading means of the reading unit detects the reflected light from the document using illumination such as LED (light emitting diode) and reads it in the same way for recording paper. Now, when the feed roller is in a position facing the recording unit and in the recording operation state, the feed roller and other members in the lower part of the reading unit are within the readable range of the sensor of the reading unit (the distance between the sensor and the object surface where the sensor can read information from the object surface...
In this case, the object is outside the focal depth of the sensor (here called the focal depth of the sensor), i.e., there is nothing within the focal depth, so the sensor does not detect the object. On the other hand, when the recording paper is conveyed, the recording paper passes within or near the focal depth of the sensor, so it becomes a detection target. Therefore, depending on whether or not there is an object to be detected within the focal depth, the signal from the reading unit changes accordingly, for example, if there is no object within the focal depth... a "black" signal If there is an object within the focal depth... a "white" signal Of course, even in the latter case, if symbols or characters as shown in Figure 4 are printed on the recording paper, it is the same as when reading a document. Then, the "black" and "white" signals are input to the system control unit, and various state judgments are performed. These system control units can also be processed by software using a μCPU or the like.

Incidentally, when detecting or reading various conditions of a recording paper with a reading unit, strict accuracy is not required compared to when reading detailed information of a document.
While reading with a resolution of lines/mm is required, with recording paper, it is sufficient to be able to detect the presence/absence, skew, and relatively large characters and marks such as near-end marks printed on the recording paper.

When reading an original, it is necessary to perform image processing or image processing on the signal level (analog signal) from the reading sensor to faithfully reproduce the information, but in the case of recording paper, it is sufficient to have the performance required to detect it. There is no change in the signal level (analog signal) from the reading sensor when detecting or reading recording paper. However, in the case of letters, marks, etc., there is a change in level, but resolution is not required. Therefore, even if the performance of the reading section is somewhat reduced when reading recording paper, it is still possible to detect recording paper.

In the present invention, the image signal processing or image processing circuit for binarizing the signal level (analog signal) from the sensor of the reading section is commonly used whether reading an original or detecting a recording paper.

Taking the above conditions into consideration, in the present invention, multiple illumination light sources provided in the reading section are selectively turned on. That is, when reading an original, all light sources are turned on, and when detecting recording paper during a recording operation or reading characters, symbols, etc. printed on the recording paper, only specific light sources are turned on as necessary. For this purpose, an interface for light source selection is provided.

First, in conventional contact sensors, LE is used as the light source for illumination.
D (light-emitting diodes) are used, and the illumination is provided for the required length (one scan line length) along the main scan line of the document. This one line is composed of N blocks of LED groups as shown in Figure 5 (a), and each block has n LEDs connected in series as shown in Figure 5 (b). When an on signal is given to the base of transistor Q1, the transistor Q1 becomes conductive, power is supplied, and all the LEDs light up.

As shown in FIG. 6, there are two sensors on each side of the sensor.
Some also feature groups of LEDs.

Conventionally, photointerrupter method or reflective photodetection method is used to detect the presence or absence of recording paper, and this method detects a specific part of the recording paper. Therefore, when the recording paper passes under the reading section, the LE
If only the LEDs in a specific block on the inside of both ends of the width of the recording paper among blocks 1 to N in group D are lit, the sensor can read the illumination and determine whether or not recording paper is present. If only one block e in the center is lit, a signal like that shown in Figure 7 is obtained.

When detecting the recording paper width, for example, A4 and B4,
As shown in FIG. 8, the central block e of the LED group
And block k in a position that does not apply to A4 but applies to B4
By turning on the LEDs of these two blocks, A4 and B4 can be distinguished because the output signals are different.

To detect skew, as shown in Fig. 9, for example, the LEDs of blocks c, k and several other blocks are turned on, and the change in the signal output as the recording paper is transported is monitored. The output signal first appears as a signal due to the detection of block c, and then as the recording paper is transported, it changes to a signal that includes the detection of block k. By monitoring this signal change, skew can be determined.

Next, when reading symbols, characters, etc. printed on recording paper, if the mark is as shown in Figure 4(b), the mark can be read by turning on only the LEDs in the block located on the left edge of the recording paper. The LED block to be turned on can be determined based on the size of the mark and its position on the recording paper. It is also possible to light up multiple blocks.

The above describes the individual detection of the presence or absence of recording paper, its size, etc., but to detect these simultaneously, you can select blocks that are convenient for each detection, combine them, and consider their respective sequences to reduce the number of LED blocks that need to be lit.

FIG. 10 shows an example of a light source circuit that can selectively light up specific blocks c, e, and k. Here, terminals A, B, C, D, and E are interfaces (I/F).
F) and any terminal can be selected.
F) is for current supply (common), when reading originals...E (I/F) Detecting the presence or absence of recording paper (Fig. 7)...B (I/F) Detecting the width of recording paper (Fig. 8)...B (I/F), C (I/F)
F) Skew detection (Fig. 9) ... A (I/F), C (I/F)
F) are selected. In this case, blocks c, e,
In the example shown in FIG. 11, one LED is lit for each of the two switches, but if necessary, three LEDs or four LEDs can be lit by adding one more, as shown in FIG.

Fig. 12 shows an example of a drive circuit that lights up the LEDs of each block in Fig. 10 separately. The items to be detected are generally determined as a device, and A, B, and C may be connected in common to the head unit as an interface. In that case, the transistor Q1 in Fig. 12
~One piece of Q3 is enough.

In the combinations of Figures 10 and 12, the current flowing through the LED is Vcc and
The current flowing through one LED is determined by R1, and is E(I
When driven by the LE (I/F) the current flows more than when driven by the A-C (I/F).
The value of R1 may be determined within a range that does not impair the reliability of D, reading of the document, detection of the recording paper, etc.

FIG. 13 shows another embodiment of the light source and drive circuit. In this example, by appropriately selecting R2, it is possible to make the current flowing through the LED equal when reading an original and when detecting recording paper.

Input/output devices generally require a lot of power when recording, and more power is required when the reading section is operated at the same time as recording, which causes the temperature of the head unit to rise, and heat countermeasures such as the shape and size of the heat sink and cooling fans become difficult. In addition, the load on the power supply is also large,
It also has an effect on size and capacity. By providing a means for selectively turning on a specific light source of the reading section as in the above embodiment, it is possible to achieve a significant effect in terms of reducing power consumption and heat countermeasures.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, one transport roller is used for transporting both the document and the recording paper, and a head unit is provided with a reading section on the upstream side of the transport direction and a recording section on the downstream side, and the reading section detects the state or shape of the recording paper, so that the paper sensor that was previously equipped is unnecessary, and therefore the wiring members and assembly process required for it are unnecessary, resulting in a significant cost reduction by reducing the number of parts and the number of mounting steps. In addition, a specific light source in the light source section is turned on when detecting the recording paper, reducing power consumption while maintaining the required performance, thereby saving power and preventing the head unit from overheating. After the recorded portion of the recording paper is cut off from the roll by the cutter, the unrecorded portion is pulled back to the front of the reading section by reversing the transport roller, so there is no hindrance to the next document reading or recording.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a feed roller displacement mechanism in the embodiment, and FIG.
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of a head unit displacement mechanism according to another embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing letters and marks printed on the recording paper indicating the remaining amount, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the illumination light source of the contact sensor, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of the illumination light source, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the lighting of a specific LED and its signal when detecting the presence or absence of recording paper, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the lighting of a specific LED and its signal when detecting the width of the recording paper, FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the lighting of a specific LED and its signal when detecting skew, FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a light source circuit that can selectively light up specific blocks c, e, k, FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a circuit that lights up multiple LEDs in the same block, FIG. 12 is a diagram of the configuration of a drive circuit that lights up the LEDs of each block of FIG. 10 separately, and FIG. 13 is a diagram of another embodiment of the light source and its drive circuit. 1: original table; 2: separation roller; 4: recording paper roller; 5: feed roller; 7: feed roller; 8: reading section; 9: recording section; 10: head unit; 13: discharge roller; 15: stacker; 16, 20, 22: solenoid.

Claims (1)

[Claims] [Claim 1] An input/output device comprising: a recording unit which records image information on a roll of recording paper; a reading unit which reads the image information of an original and detects the condition or shape of the recording paper; transport rollers which transport the original and the recording paper; a head unit which positions the reading unit on the upstream side in the transport direction and the recording unit on the downstream side; a light source unit consisting of a plurality of light sources which illuminate the reading position when the original is read; an illumination control unit which turns on a specific light source in the light source unit when recording; and a cutter which cuts off the portion of the roll of recording paper on which the image information has been recorded by the recording unit, and after cutting by the cutter, the transport rollers are reversed to pull the recording paper back to the front of the reading unit.