JP2002361938A - Imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging apparatus in which a document is not stained significantly even if a user started imaging operation while setting the document erroneously. SOLUTION: In the imaging apparatus having an image reading function and comprising an image reading means 105 disposed in the upstream of a transfer means 114 on the same side of a carrying passage, the image reading means 105 is operated even when imaging operation is started in imaging mode and a control different from that for ordinary imaging is effected when some image is present on an imaging sheet.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having an image reading function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An image forming apparatus having a function of reading an image on a document as well as printing an image as the function of the image forming apparatus increases has been proposed. Some of these apparatuses share the whole or a part of the transport path between image reading and image forming due to cost reduction and miniaturization.

[0003]

However, in an image forming apparatus having a common carry path, when a user mistakenly starts printing while a document is set, the image is printed on the document. In some cases, the original was dirty.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to reduce the possibility that a document is stained even if a user starts an image forming operation while setting the document by mistake. An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an image reading function, wherein the image reading means is arranged upstream of the transfer means on the same side as the transfer means with respect to the transport path. In the image forming apparatus, when the image forming is started in the image forming mode, the image reading unit is operated, and when there is any image on the sheet on which the image is formed, control different from normal image forming is performed. It is characterized by.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an image forming apparatus (laser printer) according to the present invention.

A paper on which an image is to be formed or a document from which an image is to be read is fed from a paper cassette 109 by a paper feeding means 103 or a manual paper feeding port by a manual paper feeding means 112. Pressure means 10
6. The paper is conveyed in the order of the heating means 107 and discharged from the paper discharge port.

When an image is to be formed, the exposure means 101 controls the photosensitive member 102 based on an image signal from the control means 110.
To form a latent image. Developing means 1 on latent image on photoreceptor 102
13 toner is applied. The toner image formed on the photoreceptor 102 is transferred onto a sheet by a transfer unit 114, and the toner image on the sheet is controlled by a pressing unit 106 so as to be at a temperature required for a predetermined fixing. Is fixed on the sheet by a fixing unit including a heating unit 107.

Next, the operation of the laser printer will be described with reference to FIGS.

The control means 302 is a laser printer 301
The exposure unit 303, the image reading unit 305, the sheet feeding unit 306, the fixing unit 307, and a printer (not shown) which are not directly related to the present invention so as to perform a desired operation in response to an operation signal from a host computer 307 connected to the printer. Means required for the image forming operation.

The laser printer 301 has an image reading mode for reading an image of a document on which an image is formed in advance,
An image forming mode for forming an image on a blank sheet, an image forming mode for forming an image on a template on which an image is formed in advance, and a portion where an image is formed in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction in advance. The operation is started in four modes of the image mask mode in which no new image is formed.

In the image reading mode, an image information signal from the image reading means is transmitted to the host computer 307 via the control means 302 while the paper is fed in the above-described transport order (S210), and the control is terminated. . When operating in other modes, the control means 302 starts the image forming operation while operating the image reading means 305 (S202).

While the image reading unit 305 does not detect an image, the image forming process is continuously performed (S209). When the image reading unit 305 notifies the control unit 302 that the image has been detected, the control unit 302 determines whether or not the operation is in the template mode (S204). If the mode is the template mode, the image forming process is continuously performed (S209).

If the mode is not the template mode, it is determined whether or not the mode is the image mask mode (S205). If the mode is the image mask mode, the image signal is not transmitted to the exposure means 303 corresponding to the portion (S207). When the mode is not the image mask mode, the control unit 302 determines whether any toner image has already been formed on the sheet (S20).
6) If there is a toner image, the sheet is discharged while controlling the fixing unit 307 to a predetermined temperature necessary for fixing the toner image (S211), and if there is no toner image, the fixing unit 307 is heated. The paper is discharged without performing (S21
2). However, in either case, the control unit 302 does not transmit a new image signal to the exposure unit 303 after detecting the image.

[0016]

As apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, an image reading function is provided, and the image reading means is arranged upstream of the transfer means on the same side as the transfer means with respect to the transport path. In the image forming apparatus, the image reading unit is operated even when the image forming is started in the image forming mode, and when there is any image on the sheet on which the image is formed, control different from normal image forming is performed. Therefore, even if the user starts the image forming operation while setting the document by mistake, the effect of preventing contamination of the document can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an image forming apparatus (laser printer) according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the image forming apparatus (laser printer) according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus (laser printer) according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 301 Laser printer (image forming apparatus) 101, 303 Exposure means 102 Photoconductor 103, 306 Feeding means 105, 305 Image reading means 106 Pressurizing means 107 Heating means 114 Transfer means 302 Control means 307 Fixing means

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Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An image forming apparatus having an image reading function, wherein an image reading unit is arranged upstream of a transfer unit on the same side as a transfer unit with respect to a transport path, wherein image formation is started in an image forming mode. An image forming apparatus characterized in that the image reading device is operated even when the image is formed, and if there is any image on the sheet on which the image is to be formed, control different from normal image formation is performed. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control different from normal image formation is not to form an image in an area where an image exists. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control different from normal image forming is to end the image forming operation. 4. A control different from normal image formation means that when an image is detected, if unfixed toner has already adhered to the sheet, the sheet is discharged while the fixing unit is operated, and 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the unfixed toner is not attached, the sheet is discharged without operating the fixing unit.