JPH0512272B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus equipped with an image forming apparatus such as a double-sided copying machine, a laser printer, or a liquid crystal printer that forms images on both sides of a sheet.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art As image forming apparatuses, such as copying machines, have become more multi-functional, many products have been commercialized that are equipped with double-sided copying functions and composite copying functions.

As shown in FIG. 6, this double-sided composite copying machine has a paper discharge path 203 that directly discharges the sheet copied by the photosensitive drum 201, a switchback path 205 that reverses the conveyance direction of the copied sheet, and a switchback path 205 that reverses the conveyance direction of the copied sheet. Synthesis route 207 to flip the front and back of the sheet
and switchback pathway 205 or synthetic pathway 2
07, an intermediate tray 209 that temporarily stores the sheets conveyed to the intermediate tray 209, a paper feeder 211 that sends out the sheets stored in the intermediate tray 209, and a sheet feeder 211 that turns over the sheets sent out by the paper feeder 211 and transfers them to the photosensitive drum 201. A paper feed path 213 is provided for supplying paper to the paper feed path 213.

When single-sided copying is performed using this double-sided composite copying machine, the sheet copied by the photosensitive drum 201 is directly discharged from the paper discharge path 203.

In addition, in the case of double-sided copying, the conveyance direction of the sheet copied on one side is reversed in the switchback path 205, and then stored in the intermediate tray 209, and then fed to the drum 201 through the paper feed path 213, and the sheet is copied on the back side of the sheet. By doing so, copies are made on both sides of the sheet.

Furthermore, in the case of composite copying, the sheet copied on one side is transferred to the intermediate tray 20 via the composite path 207.
9 and feed it through the paper feed path 213 to the drum 20.
1 and copies again on the previously copied surface, thereby performing composite copying.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, switchback path 205 is longer than composite path 207, even though there are more opportunities to perform double-sided copying than to perform composite copying. Therefore, there were many opportunities for sheet jams.

[Purpose of the invention]

This invention provides a highly reliable image processing device that can make the path for forming images on both sides of a sheet shorter than the path for forming images multiple times on the same sheet surface, and has less chance of sheet jams. The purpose is to obtain.

[Embodiments of the invention]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<Configuration> (Overall Configuration) The image processing device 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a mounting table 2,
A sheet conveying device 4 placed on this mounting table 2,
An image forming apparatus such as a copying machine 5 attached to the sheet conveying apparatus 4 is provided.

(Configuration of Copying Machine 5) The copying machine 5 includes a platen 77 made of contact glass on which a document is set, and a document cover 75 attached to the back side with a hinge so that it can be opened and closed.
The image forming section 7, the intake section 11 into which the paper feed cassette 9 is set, the paper feed rollers 13, 15 that feed out the sheets of the paper feed cassette 9 set in the intake section 11, and these paper feed rollers 13, 15.
Paper feed path 1 that conveys sheets sent out by
7, 19 and a paper feed path 21 that transports sheets from the sheet transport device 4, and a paper feed path 17, 19, 2.
A registration roller 55 that aligns the leading edge of the sheet supplied from 1, a conveyor belt 57 that conveys the sheet whose registration has been corrected by the registration roller 55 to the image forming section 7, and a conveyor belt 57 that conveys the sheet on which an image has been formed in the image forming section 7. It also includes a discharge roller 95 for discharging the paper.

The image forming section 7 includes a slit illumination device 79 movable in the left-right direction along the platen 77, two movable reflecting mirrors 81 that guide a light image of an image of a document illuminated by the slit illumination device 79,
83, a lens 85, and two fixed reflectors 87,
89; a photosensitive drum 59 that forms an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the image of the document on the outer peripheral surface exposed by the exposure optical device; a charging device 61; an unnecessary charge eraser 63; A developing device 65 that visualizes the electrostatic latent image formed on the drum 59 with toner, a transfer device 67 that transfers the toner on the photosensitive drum 59 onto a sheet, a separating charge device 69, and a sheet transfer device from the photosensitive drum 59. a separation claw 71 that separates the
, a conveyance roller 91 , and a fixing device 93 are provided.

Incidentally, in order to perform composite copying, toner of a plurality of colors is provided, and copies are made using toner of a designated color.

(Configuration of Sheet Conveyance Device 4) The sheet conveyance device 4 includes a paper discharge path 101 for discharging sheets discharged from the copying machine 5, and a paper discharge tray 103 for storing sheets discharged from this paper discharge path 101. , a reversing path (first path) 105 for reversing the front and back sides of the sheet copied by the copying machine 5;
and a storage unit, for example, an intermediate tray 107 that stores the sheets conveyed through this reversing path 105 from one side.
, a conveying path (second path) 109 that supplies the sheet conveyed through the reversing path 105 to the intermediate tray 107 from the other side of the intermediate tray 107, and a conveying path (second path) 109 that supplies the sheet conveyed through the reversing path 105 to the intermediate tray 107; A paper feed path (third path) 111 that supplies paper to the section 7 is provided. Furthermore, transport route 1
09 and paper feed path 111 are partially common path 11
7, with a switching guide 145 at the branching part.
is provided.

The paper ejection path 101 is provided with a conveyance roller 102 and a paper ejection roller 104 . Further, a switching guide 108 is provided at the branching portion to the reversing path 105.

A conveying roller 106 is provided on the reversing path 105 . In addition, the reverse path 105 and the common path 1
A switching guide 143 is provided at the branch portion 17 and the branch portion.

The intermediate tray 107 has first and second moving means, for example, stoppers 11, which are movable back and forth at the front and rear ends.
3,115 are provided. These stops 1
For example, racks 112 and 114 are attached to gears 114 and 115 as shown in FIG.
It is designed to be driven by motors 118 and 122 via 16. In addition, Rack 112, 11
4 are provided at positions where they do not interfere with each other.

Further, on the side of the reversing path 105 on the intermediate tray 107, a sheet feeding means, for example, a sheet feeding roller 119 is provided so as to be movable up and down. It's summery.

Furthermore, a paper ejection roller 141 is provided in the paper feed path 109.
is provided.

Further, the paper feed path 111 including the common path 117 includes a guide 120 that guides the sheet, a separating means 147 that separates the sheet sent out by the paper feed roller 119 into one sheet, and a sheet separated by the separating means 147. Guide 123,1
25, and conveyance rollers 124, 126, and 127.

The separating means 147 includes, for example, a paper feed roller 149 that rotates in the conveying direction of the sheet, and this paper feed roller 1.
A separating roller 151 is provided for repelling the sheet following the sheet conveyed by the conveyor 49.

<Operation> In such a configuration, this device operates as follows.

(Double-sided copying operation)...See FIG. 2 First, the document cover 75 shown in FIG. 1 is opened, a document is set on the platen 77, and copying conditions are set. The stopper 113 is set as shown in FIG.
Move like.

In this state, when the copy button is pressed, a sheet is fed from the paper feed cassette 9 according to the size and the image forming section 7 copies the sheet. The copied sheet is discharged by a paper discharge roller 95 and supplied to a reversing path 105 by a switching guide 108. This sheet is discharged onto the intermediate tray 107, the leading end of which is regulated by a stopper 113, and the second
It is accommodated as shown in Figure B.

When the above operations are performed for the set number of sheets, the platen 7
The user turns over the original on the intermediate tray 107 or sets the next original to prepare for copying onto the back side of the sheet stored in the intermediate tray 107. When this preparation for copying is completed, the second
As shown in Figure C, the paper feed roller 119 falls onto the sheet and rotates to feed out the top paper.

The leading edge of the fed sheet rises along the guide 120 as shown in FIG.
The sheet is separated into one sheet at 47 and fed across the paper discharge port of the reversing path 105 to the common path 117. The direction of this sheet is changed by a guide 123, and conveyance rollers 124, 126, 127 move the sheet along the sheet feeding path
11, and is supplied to the paper feed path 21 of the copying machine 5.

Then, the image forming unit 7 copies the sheet on the back side, and the sheet is discharged from the paper discharge path 101 to the paper discharge tray 103 . This operation is performed until there are no more sheets stored in the intermediate tray 107.

(Synthetic copying operation)...See FIG. 3. As in the case of double-sided copying, the original is set on the platen 77, and copying conditions are set. At this time, the toner color is also specified. The stopper 1 is set according to the size of the copy sheet specified by this copy condition setting.
15 moves as shown in FIG. 3A. Note that the switching guides 143 and 145 are also switched.

In this state, when the copy button is pressed, the sheet is copied onto the sheet fed from the paper feed cassette 9 according to the size, as in the case of double-sided copying, and transferred to the common path via the reversing path 105 as shown in FIG. 3B. 117 and is supplied to the intermediate tray 107 from the conveyance path 109.

When the above operation is performed for the set number of sheets, the stoppers 113 and 115 are moved to the left as shown in FIG. 3C. Further, the next document is set on the platen 77, and the toner color is specified.

When this preparation for copying is completed, the paper feed roller 119 falls onto the sheet and rotates to feed out the uppermost paper as shown in FIG. 3D.

This sent out sheet is separated into one sheet by the separating means 147 and supplied to the paper feed path 21 from the common path 117.

Then, the image forming section 7 copies the previously copied sheet using toner of a different color, and the sheet is discharged from the paper discharge path 101 to the paper discharge tray 103 .
This operation is performed until there are no more sheets stored in the intermediate tray 107.

<Effects of Embodiment> According to the embodiment described above, there is a reversing path (first path) 105 for reversing the front and back sides of a sheet copied by the copying machine 5, and a sheet conveyed through this reversing path 105. Intermediate tray 107 accommodated from one side
, a conveyance path (second path) 109 having a common path 117 that supplies the sheets conveyed through the reversing path 105 from the other intermediate tray 107 to the intermediate tray 107; Since a sheet feeding path (third path) 111 having a common path 117 for supplying the image forming unit 7 from the 105 side is provided, the sheet copied by the copying machine 5 is transferred to the reversing path (first path) during double-sided copying. ) 105 to an intermediate tray 107, and the sheets accommodated in this intermediate tray 107 are supplied to the image forming section 7 via a paper feed path 111. Further, during composite copying, the sheet conveyed through the reversing path 105 is further supplied to the intermediate tray 107 via the conveying path 109, and this intermediate tray 107
The sheets accommodated in the image forming section 7 are supplied to the image forming section 7 via the paper feed path 111 in the same manner as in the case of double-sided copying.

Therefore, the path during double-sided copying, which is frequently used, is shorter than the path during composite ejection, reducing the chance of sheet jams, and improving the reliability of the apparatus.

In addition, instead of providing a switchback path as in the past, the conveyance path 109 and the paper feed path 111 are partially shared by the common path 117, so the path becomes compact as shown in Figure 1, making it possible to downsize. It is.

Furthermore, the stoppers 113 and 115 are connected to the intermediate tray 1.
When a sheet is stored in 07, it is moved to a position according to the sheet size, so alignment during sheet storage is good.

[Modified example]

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and for example, the following modifications are possible.

(1) In the above embodiment, the copying machine 5 and the sheet conveying device 4
Although the image processing device 1 and the image processing device 1 are shown as separate bodies, the two may be integrated.

(2) In the embodiment described above, the sheets stored in the intermediate tray 107 are supplied to the image forming unit 7 from the reversing path 105 side, but the sheets may be supplied to the image forming unit 7 from the paper ejection roller 141 side. .

〔Effect of the invention〕

In summary, the present invention provides an image processing apparatus that stores a sheet on which an image has been formed in an image forming section in a storage section and then supplies the sheet to the image forming section again to form an image. a first path for supplying a sheet on which an image has been formed to the storage section from one side; and a second path for supplying a sheet on which an image has been formed in the image forming section to the storage section from the other side.
Since the second path and the third path for supplying the sheet stored in the storage section to the image forming section are provided, the path for forming images on both sides of the sheet can be used to form images on the same sheet surface multiple times. It is possible to obtain a highly reliable image processing device that is shorter than the path to be formed and has fewer chances of sheet jams.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 show an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of an image processing device, FIGS. 2 and 3 are operation explanatory diagrams, and FIG. is a diagram showing a moving mechanism of a stopper. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the prior art. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Image processing device, 2... Placing table, 4... Sheet conveying device, 5... Copying machine, 7... Image forming section, 101... Paper discharge path, 105... Reversing path,
107... Intermediate tray, 109... Conveyance route, 1
11... Paper feeding path, 113, 115... Stopper, 119... Paper feeding roller.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An image processing apparatus that stores a sheet on which an image has been formed in an image forming section in a storage section and then supplies the sheet to the image forming section again to form an image, comprising:
A first path that supplies a sheet with an image formed in the image forming unit to the storage unit from one side, and a second path that supplies the sheet with an image formed in the image formation unit to the storage unit from the other side. and a third path for supplying the sheet stored in the storage section to the image forming section. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second route and the third route are partially common. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the third path includes separating means for separating into one sheet the sheets supplied from the storage section to the image forming section. Image processing device.