JPH0595947U - Multi-cassette type image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] In a multi-cassette type image forming apparatus, when a recording paper shortage occurs in one of the paper feed cassettes inserted in multiple stages in the main body, the paper feeding cassette causing the recording paper shortage The purpose is to enable the operator to be notified appropriately by displaying the other of the above. [Structure] Upper and lower sheet feeding cassettes 10 and 11 separately for the main body 1
Indicator lights (12a to 12d), (13
a to 13d) and each sheet feeding cassette 1 inserted in the main body 1
Sensors 16 and 17 for detecting the presence or absence of recording paper in 0 and 11
Indicator lamps (12a to 12d) corresponding to the paper feed cassette 10 or 11 when the sensor 16, 17 detects that the recording paper in the paper feed cassette 10 or 11 has run out,
(13a to 13d) blinks and the indicator light control part 20 is comprised and comprised.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a multi-cassette type image forming apparatus having a plurality of paper feed cassettes.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 In a cut sheet feeding type facsimile machine, multiple paper feed cassettes that accommodate cut recording sheets of different sizes can be inserted into the main body of the device so that the recording paper size can be selected according to the received document size. The multi-cassette type is becoming popular.

By the way, not only in the case of a facsimile apparatus but also in a cassette sheet feeding type image forming apparatus, the apparatus becomes inoperable when all the recording sheets accommodated in the sheet feeding cassette are consumed, so that the cassette cannot be operated. When the recording paper inside is consumed and the remaining recording paper runs out, it is necessary to provide some kind of notification means to notify the operator immediately to that effect and prompt the supply of recording paper. In the case of the above-mentioned multi-cassette type facsimile apparatus, conventionally, as a countermeasure against this, when one of the paper feed cassettes becomes empty, the fact is indicated by a liquid crystal display (LCD) provided on the operation panel on the upper surface of the main body. It is displayed as a message to inform the operator.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in the case of the multi-cassette, unlike the case of the single-cassette, simply displaying the recording paper shortage on the liquid crystal display can be applied to any one of the multi-stage paper cassettes inserted in the main body. As a result, it is inconvenient for the operator to force trial and error to insert and remove the paper cassette.

Therefore, when one of the paper feed cassettes runs out of recording paper, it may be possible to display the other of the paper feed cassettes on the liquid crystal display and output a message to that effect. Due to the limited number of characters allowed, it is only applicable to those with a large display.

The present invention focuses on such a problem as described above, and in a multi-cassette type image forming apparatus, when a recording paper shortage occurs in any of the paper feed cassettes inserted in a plurality of stages in the main body, The purpose is to display the type of paper feed cassette that has run out of recording paper so that the operator can be notified accordingly.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The multi-cassette type image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes, as a means for achieving the above object, an indicator light provided on the front face of the main body separately from the paper feed cassette and a paper feed cassette inside each of the paper feed cassettes inserted into the main body. It is provided with a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of recording paper, and an indicator light control unit for blinking an indicator light corresponding to the paper feed cassette when the sensor detects that the recording paper runs out in the paper feed cassette.

[0008]

[Action]

 According to this device, when recording paper runs out in one of the paper feed cassettes inserted in multiple stages in the main body, the sensor detects that there is no paper in the paper feed cassette and inputs this sensor detection signal. The indicator control unit that is in use blinks the indicator corresponding to the paper feed cassette in which the sensor detects that the recording paper is out, among the indicator lights provided on the front side of the main body separately for the paper feed cassette, and informs the operator to that effect. It will be announced.

[0009]

【Example】

 1 and 2 show an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a front loading type W cassette type facsimile machine.

First, referring to FIG. 2, an outline of the facsimile apparatus will be described. On the upper surface of the apparatus main body 1, an operation panel 2 including a liquid crystal display 3 is provided on the front side, and a transmission document is set in the central portion. A document mount 4 and a recording paper ejecting unit 5 are provided for ejecting recording paper taken from a paper feeding cassette, which will be described later, after an image is formed in the image forming unit in the main body 1. Further, on the left side surface of the main body 1, there is provided a document discharge section 6 through which the document set in the document mount 4 is discharged through the reading section in the main body 1. Reference numeral 7 indicates a handset for communication.

On the front surface of the main body 1, cassette accommodating portions 8 and 9 are vertically opened, and paper cassettes 10 and 11 accommodating recording papers of different sizes are inserted in the cassette accommodating portions 8 and 9, respectively. It is detachably attached. On the front surface of the main body, in the vicinity of the cassette storage portions 8 and 9, indicator lights (12a to 12d) composed of a plurality of LEDs indicating the presence and type of the cassette-containing recording paper for each of the paper feed cassettes 10 and 11 are provided. , (13a to 13d) are provided.

These indicator lights (12a to 12d) and (13a to 13d) are attached to the substrates 12 and 13, respectively, and the substrates 12 and 13 must be assembled inside the window holes 14 and 15 provided in the body cover. Is mounted on the front side of the main body. The indicator lights (12a to 12d) corresponding to the upper paper feed cassette 10 and the indicator lights (13a to 13d) corresponding to the lower paper feed cassette 11 are recording papers stored in the paper feed cassettes 10 and 11, respectively. The recording paper type indicator (A4, A5R, B4 or B5R) that is lit depending on the size and is laid out immediately above is illuminated to indicate that the recording paper is stored in each of the paper feed cassettes 10 and 11. Then, it serves to inform the type of recording paper stored in the cassette. Specifically, in the case of the example shown in FIG. 2, for the upper-stage sheet feeding cassette 10, the indicator lamp 12a is turned on to illuminate the A4 display to notify that the cassette accommodation recording sheet is A4 size, and the lower stage. As for the paper feed cassette 11, the indicator lamp 13c is turned on to illuminate the B4 display to notify that the recording paper accommodated in the cassette is of B4 size.

On the other hand, in the apparatus main body 1, as shown in FIG. 1, the sensors 16 and 17 which are inserted into the main body 1 and detect the presence / absence of recording paper in the upper and lower paper feeding cassettes 10 and 11 are the same. The sensors 18 and 19 for detecting the type of recording paper and the lighting control circuit 21 are controlled based on the sensor signals input from these sensors, and the display provided separately for the paper feed cassettes 10 and 11 on the front surface of the main body. An indicator light controller 20 composed of a CPU is provided for selectively lighting or blinking the lights (12a to 12d) and (13a to 13d).

Here, the sensors 16 and 17 for detecting the presence / absence of the recording paper are attached to the upper positions of the main body 1 facing the recording papers P1 and P2 in the paper feeding cassettes 10 and 11, respectively. Sensors 18 and 19 for detecting the type of paper are mounted inside the main body 1 at inner positions facing the rear plates of the paper feed cassettes 10 and 11, respectively. In this case, reflective photoelectric switches are used for the recording paper presence / absence detection sensors 16 and 17 and the recording paper type detection sensors 18 and 19, and in the former case, the target provided on the bottom of the cassette is the recording paper P1. , P2 is used to detect the presence / absence of recording paper, and the latter detects the recording paper type by the attachment position of a marker that is preliminarily attached to the rear plate of the cassette in accordance with the accommodated recording papers P1 and P2. Become.

Therefore, the indicator lamp control unit 20 to which the sensor signals from the sensors 16 and 17 and the sensors 18 and 19 are input, is supplied by the sensors 16 and 17 to the upper sheet feeding cassette 10 and the lower sheet feeding cassette 11. When it is detected that there is a recording sheet in the paper cassettes 10 and 11, the indicator lamps (12a to 12d) and (13a) corresponding to the recording sheet sizes detected by the sensors 18 and 19 at the same time are detected via the lighting control circuit 21. ~ 13 d) is turned on to notify that the recording papers P1 and P2 are stored in the respective paper feed cassettes 10 and 11 and what size the stored recording papers P1 and P2 are. At the same time, the recording sheet presence / absence sensor 16 corresponding to the upper sheet feeding cassette 10 or the recording sheet presence / absence sensor 17 corresponding to the lower sheet feeding cassette 11 causes the sheet feeding cassette 10 or When it is detected that there is no recording paper in 11, the control operation is executed through the lighting control circuit 21 to switch the corresponding indicator lamp from the lighting state to the blinking state in which lighting ON / OFF is repeated.

With such a configuration, when recording paper runs out in any of the paper feed cassettes 10 and 11, the indicator lights (12a to 12d) or (13a to 13d) provided on the front surface of the main body. ) Corresponds to the flashing state from the previously lit state, so that the fact that the recording paper has run out and which of the upper and lower paper feed cassettes has run out of recording paper will be immediately notified. .. Therefore, the operator should prepare the recording paper of the size that blinks and then pull out the paper feed cassette with the blinking indicator light and replenish the recording paper. It is possible to deal swiftly and accurately without the need to check the paper cassette that caused the trouble by trial and error.

If the indicator lights (12a to 12d) and (13a to 13d) provided on the front surface of the main body separately for the upper and lower paper feed cassettes 10 and 11 are made to blink, the shortage of recording paper can be notified. With existing models that notify the user of the recording paper shortage on the operation panel 2 on the top of the main unit, the fact that the recording paper shortage occurs cannot be known unless the operator is present at the installation location of the device. The advantage is that you can confirm that fact. In other words, in the case of a facsimile machine, the operator does not always have to be present at the reception when the recording paper is consumed. Therefore, if the recording paper can be visually recognized even from a remote place, unexpected recording paper can be prevented. It will be a very good place to do.

In the embodiment, a plurality of indicator lamps are provided for the upper and lower paper feed cassettes so that the presence or absence of recording paper and the size of the accommodated recording paper can be displayed. For models that use multiple dedicated cassettes that are prepared for each replacement, only one indicator light is required on the front of the main unit for each paper feed cassette. Further, although the case of the simplest W cassette has been described in the embodiment, the present invention can be similarly applied to the case where the paper feed cassette is inserted into the main body in three or more stages. Further, the present invention can be applied not only to the facsimile machine but also to a general multi-cassette type image forming apparatus having a plurality of paper feed cassettes.

[0019]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above, in the multi-cassette type image forming apparatus of the present invention, when one of the paper feed cassettes runs out of recording paper, the indicator light provided for each of the paper feed cassettes blinks on the front face of the main body to inform the operator. Since the notification is sent, it is clear from a remote place whether the recording paper has run out and which of the multi-stage paper cassettes inserted in the main body has run out of recording paper.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a structural explanatory view of a main part of a facsimile apparatus showing an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a facsimile apparatus showing an embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Device Main Body 2 Operation Panel 3 Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) 4 Original Mount 5 Recording Paper Ejection Section 6 Original Ejection Section 7 Handset 8, 9 Cassette Storage Section 10, 11 Paper Feed Cassette 12, 13 Substrate 12a-12d, 13a-13d Display Lamp (LED) 14, 15 Window hole 16, 17 Recording paper presence / absence detection sensor 18, 19 Recording paper type detection sensor 20 Indicator lamp control unit 21 Lighting control circuit P1, P2 Recording paper

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An indicator lamp provided on the front surface of the main body separately from the paper feed cassette, a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of recording paper in each paper feed cassette inserted in the main body, and a recording paper running out in the paper feed cassette by this sensor. A multi-cassette type image forming apparatus, comprising: an indicator lamp control unit for blinking an indicator lamp corresponding to the sheet feeding cassette when the sheet is detected.