JPH04150452A - Facsimile equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make wrongly loaded recording paper easily recognizable by providing a rear heating means which heats the rear of recording paper, discoloration detecting means, and informing means and respectively making the heating means and informing means to detect and inform the wrong loading when recording paper is wrongly mounted down. CONSTITUTION:A rear heating means 11 which heats the rear of recording paper 2 and discoloration detecting means 12 which detects a blackened part produced by heating are provided on as paper feeding route from a recessed housing section 3 to a recording paper exit 7. When the recording paper 2 is wrongly loaded upside down, the heated section is discolored to black, since the heat sensitive surface of the paper 2 faces the means 11. Accordingly, the means 12 detects the discolored part and various kinds of information is given based on the detected result of the means 12. When the recording paper 2 is properly loaded, the paper is not discolored, but remains in the original white color, since the rear which is nonsensitive to heat is heated by the heating means 11. Therefore, the discoloration detecting means 12 detects 'no discoloration' and the recording paper 2 is fed to the next process as it is.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a facsimile machine that uses thermal recording paper.

[Conventional technology]

In facsimiles, thermal recording paper wound into a roll is generally used as recording paper.

When loading this recording paper into a facsimile machine, the recording paper is dropped into the storage recess of the facsimile machine, and the unwinding end of the recording paper is inserted into the paper feeding section.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, it is often the case that recording paper is loaded with the feeding direction reversed by mistake. In this case, the recording paper will be turned upside down and will not print, making it useless. Therefore, important received information may be overlooked.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile device that can detect and notify the user of errors in loading the front and back sides of recording paper.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention provides a facsimile machine that uses heat-sensitive recording paper, which includes a back side heating means for heating the back side of the loaded recording paper, a discoloration detection means for detecting a portion that has changed color due to heating, and a notification result of the detection. It is equipped with a notification means.

[For production]

When the recording paper is loaded with the front side reversed, the heat-sensitive surface facing the back side changes color due to heating by the back side heating means.

This discolored portion is detected by the discoloration detecting means and notified by the notifying means.

When the recording paper is properly loaded, the recording paper is heated from the back side of the heat-sensitive surface by the back side heating means. Therefore, no color change occurs and no color change detection is performed.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 3.

Inside the main body case 1, there are provided four storage parts 3 for storing heat-sensitive roll-shaped recording paper 2, and a cover 4 for opening and closing the storage recess 3 is provided so as to be rotatable upward around a support shaft 5. . The cover 4 has a document placement plate 4a, and the document placed thereon is ejected from the document outlet 6 of the main body case 1 after being read.

A recording paper output lower is provided on the back side of the main body case l, and the recording paper 2 loaded in the storage recess 3 is fed out by a platen roller 8 and discharged from the recording paper output lower. A thermal cutter 9 for printing on the surface of the recording paper 2 is provided facing the platen roller 8, and a cutter 10 for cutting the recording paper 2 is provided on the lower side thereof.

The paper feeding path from the storage recess 3 to the recording paper output lower is further provided with a back surface heating means 11 for heating the back surface of the recording paper 2, and a discoloration detection means 12 for detecting a portion that has turned black due to heating. The back surface heating means 11 is composed of a heating element that generates heat when energized, and for example, one having a structure that is a simplified version of a thermal head for printing is used. The color change detection means 12 is composed of a light receiving element such as a CCD (solid-state imaging device) and means for binarizing the detection signal, and is provided with a light emitting source for illuminating the detection portion. The back heating means 11 is installed so that it can be retracted by a retractable drive bag a (not shown) so as not to interfere with the detection by the discoloration detecting means 12.

An operation panel 13 is provided at the front of the main body case 1, and the operation panel 13 is provided with a liquid crystal display device 14 and a light emitting element 15 such as a light emitting diode.

The alarm sound generator 16 is provided at an appropriate location on the operation panel 13 or the main body case l. Further, a cover close detector 17 for detecting whether the cover 4 is closed is provided on the main body case. The liquid crystal display device 14. Light emitting element 1
5. and alarm sound generator 16 each serve as a notification means.

The control device 18 includes a central processing unit, a memory device, a line control device, etc., and controls the entire facsimile machine, and a part thereof is provided with a front-back determination control unit 10. The front/back determination control section 19 performs the control operation shown in FIG. 2.

The front/back 'II constant operation with the above configuration will be explained. Recording paper 2
To load the paper, open the cover 4 and insert the roll of recording paper 2.
The four copies of the recording paper 2 are placed in the storage compartment 3, the feeding end of the recording paper 2 is inserted into the -1- of the platen roller 8, and the cover 4 is closed.

When the cover 4 is closed, the cover closed detector 17 is turned on (step (SIN) in FIG. 2), and this detection (ti'
4:, in response to 1. According to a command from the front/back determination control unit 19, the back side heating means) 1 or the back side of the recording paper 2 is heated (S2
). The discoloration detection means 12 illuminates the heated portion with light (S3) and detects the heated portion of the recording paper 2.

If the recording paper 2 is loaded upside down as shown in Figure 3,
Since the heat-sensitive surface faces the back surface heating means 11, the heated portion changes color to black. Therefore, discoloration is detected by discoloration detection means [2] (S6), and various notifications (S6) are made based on this detection result.
6) is performed. That is, the alarm sound generation source 16 generates an oscillating sound, the light emitting element I5 blinks, and a character is displayed on the liquid crystal display bag a14 to indicate that loading is incorrect.

When the recording paper 2 is properly loaded as shown in Figure 1,
The back surface of the recording paper 2, which is a non-thermal surface, is heated by the back surface heating means 113, so that it remains its original white color without changing color, and the detection result by the color change detection means 12 shows no change in color (S4). , it moves on to the next operation.

When the facsimile device is loaded upside down in this way, the user can be made aware of the loading error by various notifications. Since the recording paper 2 becomes black only when it is loaded incorrectly, the staining and loss of the recording paper 2 due to the blackening for front/back determination hardly poses a problem. Also, this blackened part is the unwinding end of the recording paper 2, and in a facsimile machine that has a general automatic cutting function, it is cut off by the cutter 10 during a test cut after loading the recording paper 2, so the blackened part is actually not a problem at all.

In the embodiment described above, the back surface heating means 11 was placed on the downstream side of the platen roller 8 in the paper feeding direction. You can place it anywhere. Alternatively, the back surface heating means 11 may be fixed in position, and the paper may be slightly fed to perform detection by the discoloration detection means 11.

Further, in the embodiment described above, the notification is given in the case of incorrect loading, but the notification may be made by outputting a synthesized voice or the like when the loading is done properly.

Furthermore, although the recording paper 2 used in the above embodiments is one that changes color to black, the present invention can also be applied to cases where recording paper that changes color to various other colors is used.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The facsimile device of the present invention is provided with a heating means for the back side of the recording paper, a discoloration detection means, and a notification means. Therefore, if the recording paper is loaded with the wrong side facing up, the recording paper will change color due to heating, and the discolored portion will be heated on the back side. The detection result is notified. Therefore, there is an effect that the user can easily notice the loading error.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration explanatory diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the operation of the front/back determination control section, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a loading error state. 1...Main body case, 2...Recording paper, 4...Cover, 8...Platen roller, 9...No.-Maru head, 1
1... Back side heating means, 12... Discoloration detection means, 13
...Operation panel, 15...Light emitting element (notification means),
16... Alarm sound generator (notification means), 17...
Cover closed detector, 19... front/back determination control unit

Claims (1)

[Claims] In facsimile machines that record on thermal recording paper,
A facsimile machine characterized by being provided with a back side heating means for heating the back side of loaded recording paper, a discoloration detecting means for detecting a portion that has changed color due to heating, and a notifying means for notifying the detection result of this means.