JPH0677164B2 - Copier - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a copying machine having a mode in which the same original is scanned a plurality of times to form a plurality of copy images on a copy sheet.

(B) Summary of the Invention The copying machine according to the present invention, when copying a plurality of small originals such as slips and cards, conventionally, when copying a plurality of sheets on a normal size sheet, the same copying sheet is used. On the other hand, the present invention relates to an automatic copy process that is performed a plurality of times.

(C) Conventional technology When copying a plurality of small originals such as slips and cards, conventionally, a single copy image is formed at the edge or center of a copy sheet having a normal size, and then a blank area is formed. Is being truncated.

If a plurality of images are formed on the same copy sheet, it is possible to eliminate the waste of the blank area. However, when the operator does this, a predetermined number of copies are first made and these copy images are made into one copy. After creating a new original by pasting it on a sheet of paper, copy it, or make a copy by overlapping the copied image on the original until a predetermined number of images are formed on one sheet of paper, Work such as re-copying by superimposing a document on the copied image is performed.

(D) Problems to be Solved by the Invention As described above, when copying a plurality of documents smaller than a normal-sized copy sheet such as a voucher or a card, the blank portion is wasted if copying is performed for each copy sheet. Therefore, it is uneconomical, and complicated manual work is required to form many images on one copy sheet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems and provide a copying machine capable of automatically copying a required number of small originals onto a copy sheet of a normal size. There is.

(E) Means for Solving the Problems The copying machine of the present invention is a copying element setting means for setting at least the copying paper size, the document size, and the number of image formations by inputting or automatically detecting them, and the set copying. An image formation number calculation means for calculating the number of image formations on the same copy sheet from the elements, and a method for copying to a specific position on the copy sheet based on the copy sheet size, the document size, and the number of copies on the same copy sheet. And a copy sheet conveyance timing calculating means for obtaining a conveyance timing of the leading edge of the copy sheet to the image transfer position.

(F) Operation With the above configuration, the image formation number calculation means forms the number of times of copying on the same copy paper, that is, the same copy paper, from the copy paper size, the original size, etc. set by the copy element setting means. The number of formed images is calculated, and the copy sheet conveyance timing calculation means calculates the conveyance timing for copying to a specific position on the copy sheet based on the copy sheet size, the document size and the number of times of copying for the same copy sheet. . In this way, the required number of images are automatically formed by repeating the copying process on the same copy sheet.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the copy sheet transport timing calculation means. As shown in the figure, an example is shown in which four images are formed on a copy sheet having a width L from a document having a width l. When forming such a copy image, for example, when copying in the order of (1), (2), (3), and (4) from the leading edge of the copy paper, first, the copy is made at the same timing as the normal copy process. The sheet is conveyed to form the image of (1), and then the copy sheet is conveyed at a timing when the leading edge position of the copy sheet is earlier by a distance of l to form the image of (2). 2l more
The copy paper is conveyed at an earlier timing by the distance of (3) (3)
The image of (4) is formed by conveying the copy paper at an earlier timing by a time corresponding to the distance of 3 l.

(G) Embodiment <Principle> The basic principle of the present invention is as described above, but in order to achieve the object of the present invention, the copy sheet is fed before the scanning of the document scanning means such as the optical unit is started. It may be necessary to start the transport of the. Therefore, special control for that is required. The description will be given below.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a schematic configuration of a copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention and its operation. First in the figure
The mirror 1, the second mirror 2, and the third mirror 3 constitute an optical unit, and the optical unit scans the document table 7 to perform document scanning. Reference numeral 6 denotes a photoconductor drum, and PSC denotes a paper start clutch, and the copy sheet is once stopped at this point and conveyed at a predetermined timing. In such a configuration, if the distance l1 from the exposure position P4 of the photosensitive drum 6 to the transfer position P5 and the distance L2 between the position P6 of the PSC and the transfer position P5 are l2, the copied image is located behind the distance l1-l2. In the case of forming, it is necessary to start the conveyance of the copy sheet before the document scanning means reaches the constant speed.

Since the scanning speed of the document scanning means varies depending on the copy magnification to be copied, the time (acceleration time) for the document scanning means to reach the reference position P2 such as the document leading end position from the home position P1 varies depending on the copy magnification.

FIG. 7 shows an example thereof. In the figure, Tm1 is the scanning speed of the original scanning means when the copying magnification is maximum, and Tm2 is the scanning speed of the original scanning means when the copying magnification is minimum. As is clear from the figure, the faster the scanning speed, the faster the constant speed is reached due to the drive characteristics of the document scanning means. As described above, the relationship between the copy magnification and the acceleration time is expressed by a linear function, and the acceleration time Tm at an arbitrary copy magnification m can be obtained by the following equation.

Tm = Tm1 + (Tm1−Tm2) × (m−m1) / (m1−m2) From the exposure position on the photoconductor drum (P4 in FIG. 6) to the transfer position (P5) at the acceleration time thus obtained. The transfer timing of the copy sheet can be set based on the time including the time required to reach it. That is, if the time difference between the timing at which the document scanning unit starts scanning and the timing at which the copy sheet is conveyed is ΔT, it can be obtained by the following equation.

ΔT = Tm + (l1-l2) / V0 (1) Here, l1 and l2 are the distances shown in FIG. 6, and V0 is the peripheral speed of the photosensitive drum, that is, the transfer speed of the copy sheet.

Since the transfer position on the copy sheet is determined by such a time relationship, if the transfer timing of the copy sheet is controlled by adding or subtracting the time required for further shifting the image to this time, the transfer position on the copy sheet will be set. An image can be formed. If SH is the distance to be shifted, the time required for the copy paper to convey that distance is SH / V0.
Therefore, the transfer timing of the copy sheet is obtained by the following equation.

ΔTS = ΔT−SH / V0 where n1 is the number of times copying is completed for the same copy sheet, m is the copy magnification, and l is the width of the original, the distance SH to be shifted
Is expressed by the following equation.

SH = n1 × m × l After all, the conveyance timing of the copy sheet is expressed by the following equation.

ΔTS = ΔT−n1 × m × l / V0 (2) Next, if the maximum number of images that can be formed by repeatedly performing copying on the same copying paper is N1, then it is calculated by the following formula. .

N1 = L / (m × l) Rounded down to the nearest whole number ... (3) Here, L and l represent the width of the copy paper and the width of the original as shown in FIG. 3, and m represents the copy magnification. .

As described above, the copying process is performed based on various parameters.

<Description of Apparatus> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the drawing, reference numeral 28 denotes a paper feed cassette, and the copy paper is sent out by the paper feed roller 12 toward the conveyance roller 15. 17 represents the above-mentioned PSC. Various units necessary for the copying process are arranged around the photosensitive drum 6. A toner image is formed on the copy sheet by passing the copy sheet through a transfer unit provided under the photosensitive drum 6, and the sheet is sent to the fixing roller 9 via the conveyor belt 8. The sheet fixed by passing through the fixing roller 9 is conveyed toward the flap 21. The flap 21 switches whether the copy sheet is conveyed in the sorter 30 direction or the intermediate tray 26 direction.
When it is transported to 30, it is discharged to a predetermined bin 31. The rollers 22, 23, 25 are rollers that convey the copy sheet to the intermediate tray 26. The copy paper once stored in the intermediate tray 26 is fed by the paper feed roller 18, and is guided again toward the photosensitive drum by the transport rollers 19, 20, 16.

In this way, the same copy sheet is repeatedly copied, and when it is necessary, the copy sheet is discharged to a bin which is an external tray.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the control unit of the copying machine.
The overall control is performed by the CPU 100 program processing,
The program is written in the ROM 101 in advance. Also, the RAM 102 is used as a working area when various parameters are calculated when the program is executed. I /
Various drive circuits are connected to the O port 103. 104 is P
SC (paper start clutch), 105 is a paper feed solenoid for driving the paper feed roller 12 in FIG. 1, and 106 is a roller 15 for conveying copy paper to the PSC.
The paper feed solenoid 107 drives the rollers, and the paper feed solenoid 107 drives various rollers (18, 19, 20, 16) for conveying the copy paper from the intermediate tray. Reference numeral 108 denotes a copy lamp, 109 denotes a main motor, and the various driving devices are driven by a driver or a relay. 111 is an input device such as a key input device and various sensors, and 112 is a display device, both of which are I / O ports 110.
It is connected to the.

<Processing Procedure> FIGS. 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing the processing procedure of the CPU.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the power of the copying machine is turned on, the memory is cleared and the above Tm1 and Tm2 are calculated (n1 to n3). These Tm1 and Tm2 are acceleration times for the document scanning means to reach from the home position to the leading edge of the document at the minimum copying magnification of the above-mentioned maximum copying magnification. Specifically, the optical unit and the timer are started to start the optical unit. The rotary encoder or the like detects that the vehicle has moved from the home position to the reference position, and calculates each acceleration time from the value of the timer at that time. Next, at n4, the fixing roller is warmed up, and at n5, each part of the copying mechanism in the copying machine is initialized. After that, at n6, the ready lamp, which indicates that copying is possible, is turned on. In this state, to specify the required number of image formation N, original size (width) l, copy paper size (width) L, copy magnification m, and the mode for repeatedly forming images at different positions on the same copy paper. The input of the key (M key) etc. is read. Each of these data can be input by a key input device or automatically detected. Next, at n8, the repetition N1 for the same copy sheet is calculated from the original size (width) 1 and copy sheet size (width) L of the read data. This value is calculated based on the equation (3). After that, if the print key is scanned, n1 and n2 are cleared (n9 → n10). Where n1
Is a counter for counting the number of times copying is completed for the same copy sheet, and n2 is a counter for counting the obtained number of image formations. After that, the ready lamp is turned off, and ΔT is calculated (n11 → n12). This value is calculated based on the above equation (1). In the M mode, that is, in the mode for forming a plurality of images on the same copy sheet, the process shown in FIG. 5 is continuously performed (n13 →).

First, turn on PFS1 and PFS2 (paper feed solenoid) (n20 → n21). As a result, the feeding of copy paper from the paper feed cassette 28 is started. Then calculate ΔTs (n2
2). This value is calculated based on the above equation (2), and if the value is 0 or more, that is, the condition of starting the scanning of the optical unit and then starting the conveyance of the copy paper, first, at n24, the PSC
The state of the paper detection switch MS1 (not shown) provided before the (paper start clutch) is determined, and when the copy paper reaches this position, scanning of the optical unit is started and the copy lamp is turned on ( n24 → n25 → n2
6). After that, when the time ΔTs already obtained has elapsed, the PSC is turned on and the copy paper conveyance is started (n27 → n28). If the value of ΔTS is a negative value in the determination in step n23, first, n30
After detecting that the copy paper reaches PSC at PSC
Turn on to start feeding the copy paper (n3
1). Then, after the lapse of time ΔTs, the scanning of the optical unit is started and the copy lamp is turned on (n32 to n3).
Four).

After the copy paper is conveyed at a predetermined timing in this way, the counters n1 and n2 are incremented (n3
6). It is determined whether or not the value of n2 has reached the required number N of image formations (n37), and if it has not yet reached, the value of n1 is N1, that is, whether or not the number of image formations for the same copy sheet has been reached. Determine (n37 → n38). If n1 <N1, the copy paper is once transported to the intermediate tray and then PFS3 is turned on.
The paper is again conveyed in the direction of the conveyance roller 15 (n39 → n
40). After that, turn on PFS2 to copy paper
Transport to PSC. After that, an image is formed on the same copy sheet by the same process.

When the result of the determination in step n38 is Yes, that is, when the required number of images have been formed on the same copy sheet, n1 is cleared and the copy sheet is ejected to the external tray (n41 → n4).
2). After that, paper is fed again from the paper cassette (n
20). If the required number N of images has been formed in the determination in step n37, the last copy sheet is ejected to the external tray (n43), and the process returns to the reading routine of the key input device and the sensor (Fig. 4). n7).

Note that the embodiment is an example in which the required number of image formations is keyed in, but how many copies are to be formed with a plurality of images,
It is possible to input the number of sheets by key input.

(H) Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, the copying process is automatically repeated a plurality of times on the same copy sheet until the designated number of images are formed. It is possible to eliminate the complexity of manual work without wasting the remaining margin.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control section of the copying machine, and FIG. 3 is a document and copy paper and an image formed on the copy paper. 4 and 5 showing the relationship between the CPUs shown in FIG.
6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the configuration and operation of the optical system of the copying machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a graph showing the copy magnification and the acceleration time of the document scanning means. It is a figure showing a relationship.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A copier having a mode of scanning the same document a plurality of times to form a plurality of copy images on a copy sheet, wherein at least the copy sheet size, the document size, and the number of image formations are input or automatically. Copying element setting means set by detecting, image forming number calculating means for calculating the number of image formings on the same copy sheet from the set copy elements, copy sheet size, original size, and copying on the same copy sheet A copying paper transport timing calculating means for determining a transportation timing of a leading edge of a copy sheet to an image transfer position when copying to a specific position on the copy sheet based on the number of times, and a copying machine.