JPH0830932B2 - Electrophotographic copier - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in an electrophotographic copying machine, and more particularly, when a start switch is operated before the fixing device reaches a fixing temperature after the power switch is turned on, the operation state is The present invention relates to an electrophotographic copying machine which automatically starts a copying operation as soon as the temperature is stored and the fixing device reaches a fixing-enabling temperature.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art 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 the toner has not been completely fixed on the copy paper when the copying operation starts even though the fixing device has not reached the fixable temperature, resulting in fixing failure.

Therefore, there is a problem that the operator has to wait on the copying machine side until the fixing device reaches the fixable temperature (hereinafter referred to as waiting time).

In the prior art disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 56-95256, when the start switch is operated during the waiting period, the copying operation is automatically started after the waiting time elapses. Has been resolved.

[0005]

As described above, the above-mentioned prior art describes the copy reservation operation during the waiting time. However, when the reservation operation is accepted during the waiting time after the reservation operation is performed, it is determined that the machine body is abnormal. There is no mention of how to display it in relation to its occurrence.

Therefore, when an abnormality occurs after the reservation operation is performed during the waiting time, the operator confirms whether or not the reservation operation itself is invalidated even if the abnormality is easily canceled during the waiting time. I couldn't.

The present invention has been made for the purpose of solving such problems.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention solves the above problems by providing a power switch, a fixing device for copying paper which generates heat when the power switch is in a conductive state, and a start switch for starting a copy operation. And a copy operation storing means for storing the operation state of the start switch when the start switch is operated while the fixing device has not reached the predetermined temperature, and for starting the copy operation when the fixing device reaches the predetermined temperature. Display means for displaying that the operation of the start switch has been stored in the copy operation storage means, and storage of the operation state of the start switch if an abnormality occurs in the machine body before the fixing device reaches a predetermined temperature. Display changing means for changing the display of the start switch and the start switch when the abnormal state is released before the temperature reaches the predetermined temperature of the fixing device. Display restoring means for restoring the display of the storage operation state, characterized in that is provided.

[0009]

As described above, the display means for displaying that the operation of the start switch has been stored in the copy operation storage means and the operation of the start switch when an abnormality occurs in the main body of the fuser before the fixing device reaches a predetermined temperature. Display changing means for changing the display of the memory of the state, and display restoring means for returning the display of the memory of the operating state of the start switch when the abnormal state is released before reaching the predetermined temperature of the fixing device are provided. By doing so, the stored state of the start switch operation is notified even after the abnormal state is released.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the present embodiment, in which a photoconductor drum 2 is rotatably mounted in the substantial center of a copying machine main body 1. Reference numeral 3 denotes an original table which is slidably moved in the left-right direction on the upper surface of the copying machine main body 1. An image of a document placed on the document table 3 is projected and imaged on the photoconductor drum 2 by the short focus lens array 4 provided on the top of the photoconductor drum 2. A charging corotron 5 is provided on the upstream side of the short focus lens array 4. This charging corotron 5
A lamp 6 for illuminating the document surface is fixedly provided on the upper part of the. A developing device 7 develops the electrostatic latent image formed by the charging corotron 5 and the short focus lens array 4 with toner.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a paper feed cassette in which copy paper 9 is stored,
10 and 10 are feed rollers for manual paper feeding.
Reference numerals 11 and 11 denote registration rollers for aligning the front ends of the sent copy papers. A transfer corotron 12 for transferring the toner image onto the copy paper 9 and a separation corotron 13 for separating the copy paper 9 from the photosensitive drum 2 are arranged in parallel on the downstream side of the registration rollers 11, 11. On the downstream side of the separating corotron 13, the copy paper 9 on which the toner image is transferred
A conveyor 15 is provided to convey the toner to the fixing device 14.

The fixing device 14 includes a heating roller 16 for heating and melting the toner, and the copy paper 9 on the heating roller 16.
And a pressing roller 17 for pressing. A temperature sensor 18 is arranged in contact with the heating roller 16. Reference numeral 19 denotes a cleaning device provided above the conveyor 15, in which a blade 20 for scraping off the toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 2 and a toner conveying roller 21 are inserted.

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 main body 1, respectively. When the power switch is turned on, power is supplied only to the heating roller 16,
The heating roller 16 generates heat, but when the temperature has not reached a predetermined fixing temperature, the copy operation does not start even if the start switch for starting the copy operation is operated.
After reaching the predetermined temperature, the copy operation is started. All the operations of these embodiments are controlled by a built-in microcomputer.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, after making the power switch conductive,
When the start switch is operated, the first determination section of the follow chart <flag A = 1? Regardless of the determination result of>, the process proceeds to the second determination unit and <Start key ON? > Is determined. Since the start key is operated, the determination result is "YES", and the error <error? >
Is determined. At this time, if the machine body is normal, the determination result is “NO”, and the fourth determination unit <heat roll temperature OK? > That is, it is determined whether or not the heating roller 16 has reached a predetermined temperature at which it can be fixed. 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 section is "YES".
Judgment, turning on the waiting time copy lamp
Then, the operation proceeds to start key operation determination, error determination, and heat roll temperature determination.

When the heat roll temperature determination unit determines that the heating roller 16 has reached the 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 and the heating roller 1
When 6 reaches a 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 start key is operated in a state where the heating roller 16 immediately after has not reached the predetermined temperature, an abnormality has occurred in the body of the machine. The judgment result of the error judgment unit is "YES".
Then, the flag A is reset, and the step returns to the first judging section.

Then, the first judging section judges "NO", turns off the waiting time copy lamp and proceeds to the second judging section. In this case, since the start key is operated, the error judgment is made again. Then, an error is determined, and a loop of flag A RESET and waiting time copy lamp OFF is circulated. That is, even if the start key is operated while the heating roller 16 has not reached the predetermined temperature, the lighting of the waiting time copy lamp is prohibited when the apparatus body is in an abnormal state.

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

On the other hand, even when the heating roller 16 reaches a predetermined temperature, the final judgment of the copying operation processing is not reached through the error judgment, and the heating roller 16 is set to the predetermined value when an abnormality occurs in the machine body. Even if the copy operation is instructed in advance before the temperature reaches, the copy operation is prohibited.

When an error occurs during the waiting time until the temperature reaches the predetermined temperature after the start key is operated, the flag A is set until the error occurs, so the waiting time copy lamp is turned on. However, after the error occurs, the waiting time copy lamp is turned off and the display state is changed. That is, as a result of repeating this loop without passing through the error determination step, the turning off of the waiting time copy lamp is continued.

When the abnormal state is released, the error determination is exited, it is determined whether or not the next heating roller 16 has reached a predetermined temperature, and if it has reached the predetermined temperature, the copy operation is executed. Otherwise, the waiting time copy lamp is turned on again by the SET of flag A.
That is, even if an abnormal condition occurs, the operation of the start key is stored without being reset, it remains effective even after the abnormal condition is cleared, and the waiting time copy lamp is reset when the normal condition is restored before reaching the predetermined temperature. By turning on the light, the operator is notified that the input of the start key is valid.

[0025]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the copying operation can be reserved even if the fixing device does not reach the predetermined fixing temperature, and an abnormality occurs in the machine body during the waiting time. However, since the memory state of the start switch operation can be notified even after the abnormal state is released, the operator can visually confirm the memory of the start switch.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Copier main body 2: Photosensitive drum 7: Developing device 14: Fixing device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A power switch, a fixing device for copying paper that generates heat when the power switch is in a conductive state, a start switch for starting a copying operation, and a start switch that is operated when the fixing device has not reached a predetermined temperature. In this case, the operation state of the start switch is stored, and the operation of the start switch is stored in the copy operation storage means for starting the copy operation when the fixing device reaches a predetermined temperature. Display means for displaying,
Display change means for changing the display of the memory of the operation state of the start switch when an abnormality occurs in the body of the fixing device before the fixing device reaches a predetermined temperature, and before the abnormal state reaches a predetermined temperature of the fixing device. An electrophotographic copying machine comprising display restoring means for restoring the display of the memory of the operation state of the start switch when the display is released.