JPH0223137A - Automatic original feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent paper jam and exactly guide sheets by integrating both a decision part which display an alarm sign if a side alignment guide fails to operate during the operation with the signals from a guide sensor and a sheet size sensor, and a sheet size decision control part which changes the delivery direction or does not permit the delivery according to the size of a sheet, on a control unit. CONSTITUTION:When a sheet of original is put on a loading table 12 and a side alignment guide 35 operates properly, this condition is checked by a guide sensor S8 attached to said guide 35 and the automatic feeding process may be ready to start. Responding to the action of this alignment guide 35, the cross size of the sheet is detected by a sheet size detecting sensor S9 attached to said guide 35 and according to the detected size, the delivery speed, for example, is changed by a sheet size decision control part 47. If the sheet is too small to be delivered, the delivery is not permitted, whereby preventing a forced delivery or jam. Furthermore, if the alignment guide 35 fails to operate during operation, an alarm 36 displays a sign via a guide operation state decision part 45.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (a) Industrial Application Field The present invention relates to an automatic document feeder that is connected to an image forming device such as a copying machine and automatically feeds a plurality of documents one by one to the image forming device. In particular, the present invention relates to detection in a document and document conveyance control in accordance with the detection.

(0) Conventional technology Conventionally, some copying machines have been equipped with an automatic document feeder, but there are no equivalent restrictions on the documents that can be used with this feeder, and there are no restrictions on the document transport method depending on the document size. There is also no change control.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the conventional example described above, there are no restrictions on document size, changes in the transport method, etc., and therefore small size documents that are mechanically impossible to transport. Problems may occur if documents such as the following are used.Also, since the conveyance speed remains constant regardless of changes in document size, 1. This may cause jams, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic document feeder that can detect the size of a document to be automatically fed and change the feeding method or disallow feeding for optimal control. .

(d) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances. For example, as shown in FIG. In the automatic document feeder, the document placing table (12) is provided with a width shifting guide (35) that moves according to the document size and guides one side of the document. The control unit (40) includes a guide sensor (Sa) that detects the width of the document, and a document size detection sensor (S) that outputs a signal according to the width of the document.
S, ) signal causes the width guide (35) to move during operation.
The present invention is characterized by having a guide operation state determination section (45) that displays an alarm in case of malfunction of the document, and a document size determination control section (47) that changes or disallows the conveyance method depending on the document size.

(Based on the configuration of one or more actions, when the document is placed on the placing table (12) and the width shifting guide (35) operates normally, it is detected by the guide sensor (S8) and automatic feeding becomes possible. As the width guide (35) operates, the document size detection sensor (S) detects the widthwise size of the document, and the document size determination control unit (4) detects the widthwise size of the document according to this size.
7), for example, the conveyance speed is changed.

Furthermore, if the size is too small to be transported, transport is not permitted, thereby preventing unreasonable transport, jams, etc.

(f) Example Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 2, the overall configuration of an automatic document feeder installed in a copying machine is described. Reference numeral 1 is a copying machine, 2 is a platen glass of an image forming section of the copying machine, and the copying machine 1
An automatic document feeder 10 is installed above the platen glass 2.

The automatic document feeder 10 has a document tray 12 tilted downwardly fixed to the opening of the device main body 11 which has a dogleg-shaped cross section and has one side open. A half-moon roller 15 is provided to send out the originals S from the bottom of the plurality of originals S. A paper feed belt 16 and a separation belt 17 are disposed opposite to each other at the tip of the mounting table 12.
A document conveyance path β is provided from the belt 16, 17 toward the platen glass 2 by a guide 19, and a conveyance roller 20 is provided in the middle of the conveyance path β1. On the platen glass 2, a conveyor belt 21 is driven and driven by a roller 2.
2 and 23, and are arranged close to each other, so that the document S from the conveyance path β1 is conveyed to a predetermined position on the platen glass 2 and set therein.

At the left end of the conveyor belt 21, there is a recycle conveyance path β8 which is guided by a guide 25 toward the upper side of the document mounting table 12 via the outside of the conveyance path I21, and a discharge path which is guided by a guide 26 toward a discharge table 27 on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 1. β is formed by bifurcating. Conveyance rollers 29 and 30 are provided in each of the conveyance paths βo and β3. In addition, the conveyance path β* + '2
At the branch part 3, a switching claw 31 is connected to the document S on the platen glass 2.
is provided so as to guide it to either the conveyance path I2 or I3. On the other hand, a reversing conveyance path β4 for double-sided copying is formed in communication between the conveyance paths β1 and 23 by a guide 32.

Next, the drive 1 control system will be described. First, the mounting table 12
An entrance document sensor S1 is located at the front end of the transport path β, a paper feed sensor S,, S, is located on the transport path β8, a paper discharge sensor S4 is located on the transport path β8, and a paper discharge sensor S4 is located on the transport path β8. A reversal sensor S11+Ss is arranged at I24 so as to optically detect the document S. In addition, a recycling sensor S is provided on the mounting table 12 to detect one circulation of the document bundle.
, is provided.

On the other hand, a belt drive motor M1 is connected to the roller 22 of the conveyor belt 21 via a brake BK, and this drive system is provided with a photoelectric sensor BC that detects the amount of belt movement. Belts 16,17 and rollers 15 are drivingly connected by a separation motor M. Conveyance roller 20, 29.30
is driven by a transport motor M, and this drive system is provided with a photoelectric sensor FC for detecting the amount of transport. Furthermore, the switching claw 31 is provided with a switching solenoid SL, and the mounting table 12 is provided with a recycling motor RM.

Then, as shown in FIG. 3, each sensor S1 to S, , BC
, FC signals are input to the control unit 4o and processed,
With this output signal, each motor M, ~Ms
, RM, brake BK.

Operate solenoid SL. Further, signals are exchanged with the copying machine 1, and automatic feeding is started in response to an operation signal to the copy key.

Therefore, the automatic document feeder 10 is provided with a control system depending on the document size, and this control system will be described with reference to FIG.

First, a width guide 35 for guiding one side of the document S is movably provided on one of the left and right sides of the mounting table 12. Then, a guide sensor S detects whether the guide 35 is operated so as to touch one side of the document S, and a document size detection sensor S9 detects the size in the width direction of the document from the amount of movement of the guide 35. provided.

The control unit 40 includes a document detection section 41 to which the signal from the sensor S8 is input, and a width shifting detection section 4 to which the signal from the sensor S6 is input.
2, a document width detection section 43 to which the signal of the sensor S is input; output signals of the copy key K and the detection sections 41 and 42 are input to the guide operation state determination section 45;
In the case of N, the operating state of the guide 35 is determined. and,
When the guide 35 is inoperative, a display signal is output to the alarm 36 and the gate of the input section 46 is closed. The input unit 46 inputs the document medium signal from the detection unit 43 to the document size determination control unit 47 based on the OK signal from the determination unit 45, and this control unit 47 includes an appropriateness determination unit 49 and a conveyance speed changing unit 50. The driver D drives the separation motor M1. In addition, the conveyance prohibition section S1 causes an alarm 3 when conveyance is impossible.
A display signal is output to 6.

The operation of this embodiment will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, when a bundle of originals S is placed on the mounting table 12, it is detected by the sensor S□, and the signal is input by operating the copy key to enter an automatic feeding state. Therefore, if the width shifting guide 35 is not operating at this time, the guide operating state determining section 45 of the control unit 40 outputs a display signal to the alarm 36, the alarm 36 lights up to warn you, and the separation motor Ml is in a stopped state. is maintained. On the other hand, move the width guide 35 according to the size of the document S, and
When it touches the side and operates so that it can guide, this is the sensor S,
is detected, and the alarm 36 is turned off.

Further, due to the operation of the guide 35, a signal from the sensor S9 is inputted to the detection section 43 to detect the inside of the document, and the input section 4
6, the document size is input to the control unit 47 and determined. Then, if the document S is a predetermined appropriate size, the appropriateness determining section 49 changes the conveyance speed, and if the document S deviates from the appropriate size, the changing section 50 changes the conveyance speed and drives the separation motor M2. Therefore, the roller 15 and the paper feeding and separating belt 1
6.17 rotates, and S is separated and fed one by one from the bottom. On the other hand, if the document S is of a size that cannot be conveyed, the conveyance prohibition section 51 displays an alarm to warn you and disallows conveyance. Sent by

Next, the fed document S1 is transferred to the conveyance path β and the roller 2.
0 to the conveyor belt 21 (Il, and this belt 2
1, the document is guided onto the platen glass 2 with its surface facing downward. At this time, when the sensor S3 detects the document S, the photoelectric sensor BC starts counting, and after a predetermined count, the motor M1 stops and the brake BK is activated, so that the document S
is positioned and set at a predetermined position on the platen glass 2.

Thereafter, the copying operation is started, and copies are made along with exposure scanning, and after copying, the original S is moved between the switching pawl 31 and the motor
By entering in the reverse direction, it is discharged, for example, through the conveyance path 12s. In this way, the automatic feeding of the document S is repeated.

Note that the sensor S4 is not limited to a variable resistor, but may also be a digital encoder or the like.

(G) As described in detail, according to the present invention, when a document is placed on the document table in an automatic document feeder, the size of the document is detected and the conveyance method is changed and the document is prohibited. It is possible to prevent troubles or jams caused by forced transportation.

This will check the operation of the width guide on the document placement table.
The guide allows the manuscript to be guided reliably.

Since the document size is detected using the movement of the width guide, the sensor structure is simplified.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the main parts of an embodiment of the automatic document feeder of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the overall configuration of the automatic document feeder, and FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of the control system, and FIG. 4 is a four-chart of operation. 40--Control unit 45--Guide operation state determination section 47--Document size determination control section, S.
...Guide sensor S, ...Document size detection sensor S...Document

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In an automatic document feeder that sequentially conveys documents placed on a document platform, there is provided a width guide that moves to the document platform according to the size of the document and guides one side of the document. The width shifting guide is provided with a guide sensor that detects its operating state and a document size detection sensor that outputs a signal according to the width of the document, and the control unit uses the signals from the guide sensor and the document size detection sensor to The present invention is characterized by having a guide operation state determination unit that displays an alarm if the width guide is malfunctioning during operation, and a document size determination control unit that changes or disallows the conveyance method depending on the document size.
Automatic document feeder.