JPH079557B2 - Electrophotographic copier - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an improvement of an electrophotographic copying machine, and in particular, when the start switch is operated before the fixing device reaches a temperature at which fixing can be performed after the power switch is turned on, the operation state is changed. The present invention relates to an electrophotographic copying machine that holds a fixing device and automatically starts a copying operation at the same time when the fixing device reaches a fixing temperature.

Conventionally, in a copying machine having a built-in heat fixing device, the copying operation was not started even if the start switch was operated until the fixing device reached the fixing possible temperature after the power switch was turned on. This is because, even if the fixing device does not reach the fixable temperature, when the copy operation is started, the toner is not completely fixed on the copy sheet, which causes fixing failure. Therefore, the operator has had to wait on the copying machine side until the fixing device reaches the fixable temperature (hereinafter referred to as waiting time). Therefore, the copy work efficiency was poor.

In view of the above, the prior art disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 53-12616 discloses a technique for holding the switch operation when the copy start switch is operated until the fixing device reaches a predetermined temperature. There is.

However, according to this prior art, although the above-mentioned inconvenience is canceled, the copy reservation status due to the operation of the copy start switch cannot be confirmed, and it cannot be said that the function is always effective for the operator.

In order to solve such a problem, the present invention solves such a problem by providing a power switch, a fixing device for copying paper which generates heat when the power switch is in a conductive state, a start switch for starting a copying operation, and a fixing device reaching a predetermined temperature. When the start switch is operated when the fixing switch is not in operation, the operation state of the start switch is maintained, and when the fixing device reaches a predetermined temperature, a copy control unit that starts a copy operation, and the fixing device reaches a predetermined temperature. Display means for indicating that the start switch has been operated when not operating, and for displaying by the display means when an abnormality has occurred in the body of the machine even if the start switch is operated before the predetermined temperature. And a prohibition means for prohibiting the.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the first drawing and the flowchart.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the present embodiment, in which a photoconductor drum (2) is rotatably mounted in the substantial center of a copying machine body (1). Reference numeral (3) is a document table which is slidably movable in the left-right direction on the upper surface of the copying machine body (1). The image of the original placed on the original table (3) is the photosensitive drum (2).
The short-focus lens array (4) provided on the top of the image projection image-forms it on the photosensitive drum (2). (5) is a charging corotron provided on the upstream side of the short focus lens array (4). A lamp (6) for illuminating the document surface is fixedly provided on the charging corotron (5). (7) is a developing device that develops the electrostatic latent image formed by the charging corotron (5) and the short focus lens array (4) with toner.
(8) is a paper feed cassette containing copy paper (9), (1
0) and (10) are feed rollers for manual paper feeding. (1
Reference numerals 1) and 11) are register rollers for aligning the front ends of the fed copy paper (9). This register roller (11)
On the downstream side of (11), there are a transfer corotron (12) for transferring the toner image to the copy paper (9) and a separation corotron (13) for separating the copy paper (9) from the photosensitive drum (2). It is installed side by side. A conveyor (15) for transporting the copy paper (9) on which the toner image is transferred to the fixing device (14) is provided on the downstream side of the separating corotron (13).
The fixing device (14) includes a heating roller (16) for heating and melting the toner, and a pressing roller (17) for pressing the copy paper (9) against the heating roller (16). A temperature sensor (18) is arranged in contact with the heating roller (16). (19) is a cleaning device provided above the conveyor (15), in which a blade (20) for scraping off the toner remaining on the photoconductor drum (2) and a toner conveying roller (21) are inserted. Be done. Although not shown, a power switch and a start switch for starting the copy operation are mounted on the upper portion of the copying machine body (1), respectively. When the power switch is turned on, power is supplied only to the heating roller (16) and the heating roller (16) generates heat, but the copying operation does not start. In addition, a microcomputer is incorporated in this embodiment, and all operations are controlled by this.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. First, after turning on the power switch,
When you operate the start switch,
Despite the determination result of the second determination unit <flag A = 1?>,
Proceeding to the second judging section, <Start key ON?> Is judged. Since the start key has been operated, the judgment result is "YES", and <Error? > Is determined. At this time, if the machine body is normal, the determination result will be "NO", and the fourth determination section will show <heat roll temperature OK.
?>, That is, it is determined whether or not the heating roller (16) has reached a predetermined temperature at which fixing can be performed. Immediately after the power switch is turned on, the heating roller (16) has not reached the predetermined temperature, so the determination result is "NO", the flag A is set, and the flow returns to the first determination unit.

As a result of the feedback, the first judging unit judges “YES”, turns on the waiting time copy lamp, and proceeds to the judgment of operation of the start key, the judgment of error, and the judgment of heat roll temperature.

If the heat roller temperature determination unit determines that the heating roller (16) has reached a predetermined temperature, the copy operation based on the copy program is executed after the RESET of the flag A and the start lamp are turned on. If the heating roller (16) does not reach the predetermined temperature, the flow will circulate until the heating roller (16) reaches the predetermined temperature. When the heating roller (16) has not reached the predetermined temperature, the above determination is repeated. When the heating roller (16) reaches the predetermined fixing temperature, the start lamp is turned on and the copy operation is started.

On the other hand, when the power switch is turned ON and the heating roller (16) immediately after has turned to the predetermined temperature and the start key is operated, but the abnormality has occurred in the machine body, the third error The determination result of the determination unit is “YES”, the flag A is reset, and the step returns to the first determination unit.

Then, the first determination unit determines “NO”, turns off the waiting time copy lamp and proceeds to the second determination unit. Here, since the start key is operated, the process proceeds to the error determination unit again. , Error is determined, flag A RESET, waiting time copy lamp OFF
It will cycle through the loop. That is, even if the start key is operated in a state where the heating roller (16) has not reached a predetermined temperature, the waiting time copy lamp is prohibited from being turned on when the apparatus main body is in an abnormal state.

Therefore, since the waiting time copy lamp, which is the focus of attention at present, does not light up, the operator can know the copy error occurrence without looking at the normal error display.

On the other hand, even if the heating roller (16) has reached a predetermined temperature, the error judgment is not made and the final copy operation processing is not reached, and the heating roller (16) indicates that an abnormality has occurred in the machine body. Even if the copy operation is instructed in advance before reaching the predetermined temperature, the copy operation is prohibited.

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, it is possible to make a reservation for copy start even if the fixing device has not reached a predetermined fixing temperature, and to confirm the reservation status on the display means, and to make a reservation operation. When the display is not performed, the reservation display is not performed, so that the operator can quickly and easily find the abnormality of the machine body.

[Brief description of drawings]

Each of the drawings shows an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram, and FIG. 2 is a flow chart diagram. (14) …… Fixing device, (16) …… Heating roller, (18)…
… Temperature sensor.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-51-3638 (JP, A) JP-A-54-37741 (JP, A) JP-A-57-101871 (JP, A) JP-A-57- 164741 (JP, A) JP 58-60759 (JP, A) JP 53-12616 (JP, Y2)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A power switch, a fixing device for copying paper which generates heat when the power switch is in a conductive state, a start switch for starting a copying operation, and a start switch operated when the fixing device has not reached a predetermined temperature. In this case, the operation state of the start switch is maintained, and the copy control means starts the copy operation when the fixing device reaches a predetermined temperature, and the start switch is operated when the fixing device does not reach the predetermined temperature. And a prohibiting means for prohibiting the display by the display means when an abnormality occurs in the machine body even if the start switch operation before the predetermined temperature is performed. An electrophotographic copying machine characterized by being provided.