GB2250102A

GB2250102A - Reducing the power consumption of a copier exposure lamp

Info

Publication number: GB2250102A
Application number: GB9200225A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tsuneo Obara
Original assignee: Fuji Xerox Co Ltd
Current assignee: Fujifilm Business Innovation Corp
Priority date: 1988-05-07
Filing date: 1992-01-07
Publication date: 1992-05-27
Anticipated expiration: 2012-01-07
Also published as: JPH01281461A; KR900018755A; GB2249525A; GB9200225D0; GB2250102B; GB9200227D0; DE3915024A1; GB8910225D0; GB2249525B; GB2219971A

Abstract

The current supplied to the exposure lamp 102 associated with carriages 101, 105, 109, 112 of a document scanning system is reduced during a return operation of the scanning system. The amount of the reduction may be varied dependant upon the degree of magnification to be provided by the scanning system for the next copy to be produced. <IMAGE>

Description

STORAGE APPARATUS AND SYSTEMATIC DESIGNING METHOD THEREOF FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention generally relates to a systematic design method for a storage apparatus whose total power consumption is within a predetermined range.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART The manufacture of storage apparatus, such as copiers, respective subsystems have been designed individually in accordance with required functions and performances thereof. Such a design approach has satisfied manufacture of storage apparatuses that can be operated on general household power lines. Thus, there were no particular problems in power consumption. When problems have occurred, individual tailoring or repair work has sufficed to overcome them.

However, when a high-speed and multi-function storage apparatus is manufactured, the apparatus will consume a large amount of power. This may cause a problem because the apparatus cannot be operated on the general household power line. In other words, a general household power source can supply maximum power of 1.5 kVA (100V, 15A) including reactive power, but the power consumption of the copier can easily exceed 1.5 kVA, particularly in the case of a storage device or a copier which operates at a speed of as many as 60 copies per minute.

As mentioned above, however, power consumption of conventional production model apparatuses have actually been within 1.5 kVA when measured. Naturally, there have been no specific design procedures as to what should be regulated or controlled in order to maintain the power consumption less than 1.5 kVA. Thus, the only way of overcoming the power source problem is to provide a special power source capable of, for example, 2 kVA or 2.5 kVA if the power consumption exceeds 1.5 kVA to meet performance requirements. However, if purchasing of a copier necessitates a power line construction, then that copier will not meet the need of a market.That is to say, if the power construction is needed, then (1) users must commit to a new contract with a power company; (2) if a power line of 200 V or 20 A is not available within the office, then construction of an external power line is necessary, causing a high construction expense; (3) if the power line of 200 V or 20 A is available within the office, then only indoor power construction is needed, but an expense of about $1,000 is required; (4) even if the power construction can be done, the copier cannot be moved easily, thus causing a problem when changing layout in the office; and (5) the copier cannot be delivered into the office for demonstration until the power construction is completed, therefore hampering sales activity.

In fact, sales quantity of copiers of 2.0 kVA is forecasted to be only less than l/lOth of that of 1.4 kVA.

Therefore, with storage apparatuses having high speeds and high levels of performance, it is advantageous to have a power conbumption of 1.5 kVA from a point of view of more sales quantity. Individual designs of the respective subsystems in a conventional way cannot accomplish the above-mentioned lower power; therefore, the entire storage apparatus must be designed in a systematic way.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks and provides a design method in which total power consumption is maintained within the allowed power rating available to households, and provides a storage apparatus obtained through such a design method.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

To achieve the objects of allocating energy on the basis of functions and performances required, actually measuring power consumption of a prototype storage apparatus, and further improving power factor and/or efficiency by stealing power as required if the total power consumption is in excess of a predetermined value, and in accordance with the purposes of the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, a design method is provided permitting total system design under unified regulation throughout the copier, i.e., on a subsystem basis as well as on a component basis. Thus, not only can the total power consumption be maintained within an allowed power rating, but the apparatus can also be repaired systematically when a problem arises.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate a preferred embodiment of the intention and, together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a system design according to the present invention; Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an overall general arrangement of a copier; Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an arrangement of the subsystems of the copier of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating a hardware arrangement of a CPU; Fig. 5 is a diagram illustrating a transfer data structure and a transmission timing in serial communication; Fig. 6 is a time chart showing intervals in one communication cycle; Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the state division of a main system; Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an arrangement of an optical system; Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating a lens-driving system; Fig. 10 is a diagram showing a summary of subsystems of the optical system; Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the scan cycle of the optical system; Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating systems associated with a belt;; Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating panel division on a sensitive material belt; Fig. 14 is a diagram showing a summary of the functions of the IMM subsystem; Fig. 15 is a diagram showing the timing chart of a control sequence of a marking system; Fig. 16 is a diagram showing a mounting of a U/I that employs a display; Fig. 17 is a diagram showing a perspective view of the U/I that employs the display in Fig. 16; Fig. 18 is a diagram showing the selection mode picture; Fig. 19 is a diagram showing pictures except for the selection picture; Fig. 20 is a diagram showing a hardware of the U/I; Fig. 21 is a diagram showing a software arrangement of the U/I; Fig. 22 is a diagram showing a summary of a paper delivery system;; Fig. 23 is a diagram showing an arrangement of an upper, a middle, and a lower tray for the paper delivery system of Fig.

22; Fig. 24 is a diagram showing an arrangement of a duplex tray; Fig. 25 is a diagram showing a summary of a DADF; Fig. 26 is a diagram showing an example of a photo sensor layout; Fig. 27 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the DADF of Fig. 26; Fig. 28 is a diagram showing an arrangement of a sorter; Fig. 29 is a diagram showing a driving system of the sorter; Fig. 30 is a diagram showing the operation of the sorter; Fig. 31 is a diagram showing system design items that should be considered; Fig. 32 is a diagram showing a current waveform; Fig. 33 is a diagram illustrating a sagging system; Fig. 34 is' an energy system diagram; Fig. 35 is a diagram showing current versus torque characteristics; Fig. 36 is a diagram showing a fuser; Fig. 37 is a diagram showing the timing of a fuser cut; ; Fig. 38 is a circuit diagram of a fuser subsystem; Fig. 39 is a diagram showing effects of the fuser cut of Fig. 37; Fig. 40 is a diagram showing an example of the layout of a timing belt; Fig. 41 is a diagram illustrating gain down of an exposure lamp; Fig. 42 is a diagram illustrating the effects of the gain down of the exposure lamp; and Fig. 43 is a diagram illustrating control of a cleaner blade.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present invention will now be described in detail by way of example. In this embodiment, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, a copier is described as one type of storage apparatus. The following section of the application describes the general arrangement of a copier to which the present invention is applied and an embodiment of a method of the system design of a storage apparatus according to the present invention within the general arrangement of the copier.

Fig. 2 illustrates an example of a general construction of a copier to which the present invention is applied.

A copier to which the present invention is applied is of a type in which a base machine 1 can be equipped with more than one optional device. The base machine 1, which forms a basic arrangement, comprises a platen glass 2 on which a document is placed, an optical system 3 and a marking system 5 under the platen glass 2. In the meantime, the base machine 1 is provided with an upper tray 6-1, a middle tray 6-2, and a lower tray 6-3 which are adapted to be drawn forwardly, thereby improving operability and saving space when installing the copier in an office, while also implementing a neat design of the copier so that the trays do not project from the base machine 1. Also, inverters 9, 10 and a duplex tray 11 are disposed in a paper transferring system 7, which transfers the paper in the paperfeeding tray.Above the base machine 1 is mounted a user interface 12 formed of a CRT display, while above the platen glass 2 is provided a DADF 13 (duplex auto document feeder), a device for transferring documents having information on both sides thereof. The user interface 12 is of a stand or upright type and is adapted for mounting a card device thereunder.

The following are optional devices for the base machine 1.

The DADF 13 can be replaced by any one of an RDH 15 (recycling document handler, a device for returning the document to the document feeding position to automatically feed the document in a repetitive fashion), or an ordinary ADF (auto document feeder, a device for-transferring the documents automatically), and a platen cover. An MSI 16 (multi-sheet inserter, a manual inserter tray) and HCF 17 (high capacity feeder, a tray of high capacity) can be provided on the supply side of the paper transferring system 7, while one or more sorters 19 can be disposed on the take-up side thereof.

If the DADF 13 is disposed, a simple catch tray 20 or the sorter 19 may be mounted. If the RDH 15 is mounted, an offset catch tray 21 in which each set of copies is stacked alternately and a finisher 22 which staples each set of copies, may be mounted. Further, a folder 23 having a paper-folding function may also be mounted.

The present invention is characterized in that a variety of functions are provided by considering users' needs, and copy work is fully automated from beginning to end thereof. Further, the aforementioned user interface 12 displays the selection of the functions, selection of the execution conditions, and other menus on the CRT display, thus permitting every user to operate the apparatus easily.

One major function is that the display picture is selectively displayed on the CRT display to divide the copy modes into a basic copy, a more feature copy, and an advanced feature copy, thereby displaying selection of functions and settings of execution conditions of that function as well as moving the cascade on the picture by means of a key input so as to selectively specify the functions or to enable input of execution conditions.

Functions of the copiers to which the present invention applies include a fundamental function, an automation function, an optional function, a display function, a diagnosis function, and so on.

The fundamental function allows use of regular sizes of paper, such as A6 to A2 and B6 to B3 as well as irregular sizes of paper, having incorporated three-stage trays as previously described. The fundamental function permits a seven-stage fixed magnifying factor and adjustment of an arbitrary magnification of increments and magnification of a fine adjustment of 0.15% increments in the range from 99% to 101%. Further, a fixed seven-stage magnification mode and a photograph mode include a density selection function, a duplex function, a left and right binding margin setting function, and a billing function.

The auto function includes a paper selection function for automatically selecting the paper in accordance with the document size, a magnification factor selection function with the paper being specified, a density control function, a start function performed upon fuser-ready after power is switched on, a clear function, and a power-saving function performed some time after the copy work is over.

The optional functions include synthesized copy, an interrupt, a preheat mode, a setting-clear of the number of sheets of paper, an all-clear for returning to the auto mode, information for illustrating functions, a P-key for allowing use of an IC card, a full job recovery in which maximum-lock return of the document is done for restricting the setting of the number of sheets and in which DADF is used, a purge for discharging the paper except for jammed paper, a copying of the entire area of the document without edge erasure, an editor for partially copying the document and for copying with part of the document being deleted, a job program for reading and processing each job, an interleaving for inserting a sheet of white paper between respective copies, and deletion of inside/frame for a book style copy.

The display function utilizes the CRT display for jam display, indication of the remaining number of sheets of paper, remaining amount of toner, indication that the tank is full of recovered toner, indication of a waiting time for the fuser to warm up, and display of the messages for providing the operator with information on conflict of function selected and conditions of the machine.

The diagnosis function includes an initialization of NVRAM, an input check, an output check, a history file of the number of jams and the number of pages fed, trimming of initial values for marking, processing code for sensitive material belt, registration gate ON-timing, and various configuration settings.

Optionally, MSI, FCF, colors (red, blue, green, brown) for second developing, and an editor can suitably be provided.

The entire system of the present invention having the aforementioned functions has the following advantages.

First, a high-speed, high-performance copier is implemented with a power consumption of 1.5 kVA. Thus, the control system far this is such that the respective operation modes may be performed within a total power consumption of 1.5 kVA, the respective functions being assigned electric power in such a way that the total power will not exceed 1.5 kVA. Also a table of energy allocation from which one can grasp an energy delivery route of the copier is provided for supervising and verifying the energy distribution within the copier.

Further, expensive parts are made within the factory for improvement of technology and standardization of the parts. Also improvement of life of the picture material as a hardware and reducing cost of toner will make reduction of the cost of picture material.

Further, reducing the rate of defective part production and a longer life of the systems are implemented, in/out conditions of the respective parameters are clearly defined, and a reduction of technical problems due to insufficient design consideration is implemented, thereby accomplishing "no maintenance" of 100 kCV (kilo copy volume).

Further, in the present apparatus, a microcarrier made of ferrite is used as toner particle for fine pictures and a method is used in which a picture is developed by means of repelling a magnetic field. A highly sensitive all-color organic sensitized belt formed of organic sensitized material in a multi-layer is used as a light sensitive material. Further half tone is expressed through a pictorial mode in which a set point is fully utilized. By these arrangements, generation of copies is improved and black points are reduced, thereby implementing a high quality of pictures over conventional pictures.

Further the apparatus has a full mode in which the copy operation in a specified mode is effected upon activation of a start key after simply setting the document in place and then inputting the number of sheets to be copied. Also the apparatus is arranged so that the various mode settings can be selected in response to user requirements, including setting of the copy modes with the aid of a picture which has been divided into the basic copy, the more feature copy, and advanced feature copy. These interfaces are effected by means of the CRT display and a small number of keys and LED's disposed around the CRT display, thereby permitting setting of the mode through a user-friendly display menu. Additionally, storing the copy modes and execution conditions thereof into a non-volatile memory or an IC card permits automated procedures of required operations.

In a copier to which the present invention is applied, a program stored in the IC card determines the functions of the copier. Thus changing the program in the IC card, from card to card, permits discrimination with respect to usage of the copier.

This discrimination will further be illustrated by way of an example.

A first example is a case where a plurality of companies use a single copier installed in a multi-tenant building or a copier is used by a plurality of different departments within a company or a factory. The latter case necessitates budget supervision, and a copylyzer or the like has been used conventionally for supervising the use of the copier by the respective departments through conventional means.

Assume that this copier is of a relatively high level system arrangement in which the base machine 1 in Fig. 2 is provided with the IC card device, the DADF 13, the sorter 19, user interface 12, the feeding tray (6-1 to 6-3), and the duplex tray 11. Some people or departments of the co-users may need the DADF 13 and the sorter 19 and some other people or departments of the users may not need any additional devices.

If these people or departments are supposed to share the cost of the copier in terms of a volume of copy, people or departments which make copies only in a small quantity will not agree to an introduction of a copier with various optional devices incorporated, leading to a difficult adjustment between people or departments which may want to use the copier in high level mode of usage.

In such a case, IC cards in accordance with the manner of usage by the respective people or departments can be provided so that people or departments which want to use the high level mode of usage are charged more expenses for many functions. For example, a bearer of an IC card of the highest level is able to conveniently use the DADF 13, the sorter 19, the feeding trays 6-1, 6-2, and 6-3, and the duplex tray 11 for improved efficiency of clerical work. Whereas people who do not need sorting of the copied paper may use only the catch tray 20, thereby saving costs. A second example is a case where business people run a self-service copy shop using the IC cards. In a shop a plurality of copiers are disposed to which the IC card devices 22 are mounted.A client asks for an IC card in accordance with a service manner he wants to have and sets the IC card to a copier that he prefers to use on a self-service basis. A client who is not accustomed to the copier can ask for an IC card in which a display function for illustrating how to operate the copier is stored as a program, and he sets the card to the copier. Thus, the client may be able to obtain a display of various operation information on U/I 12 and then carry out copy work without confusion. Whether or not the DADF 13 can be used or whether or not multi-color storage can be carried out may be specified by the IC cards. Also restricting models of copiers becomes possible, thereby permitting supervision of the clients in accordance with copy charge.

Conditions for copy work such as the number of sheets of the copy made or the sizes of the copy paper may be stored in the IC cards, thus making it easier to charge for the service and also permitting steady clients more favorable service and as discount service.

A third example is a service in which programs for the specific users are stored in the IC cards. For example, patent and law firms often have to make a copy with a relatively large enlargement factor such as 200% because they wish to copy to a size as large as the original dimension when they study a patent publication, which has been reduced through a photoengraving process. Also, in preparing drawings to submit before government offices, original drawings are reduced or enlarged in small increments to meet the requirements of the government offices.

Similarily departments of a city hall or a ward office which require copying of resident cards, prepare duplicates of original documents or abstracts of resident cards, deleting the descriptions of persons not actually claimed and picture information which should be confidential to protect personal privacy. Thus, some users wish to use the copiers in a manner quite different from others. If the copier is to incorporate functions to fulfill all these requirements, then the console panel will necessarily be complex and the ROM in the copier will be of a large size. Thus, providing IC cards on a specific user basis and enabling the user to set the cards into the machine permits implementatation of a copier having functions which are most suited to that specific user.

With patent bureaus, for example, purchasing an IC card for exclusive use will permit selection of reduction or enlargement of 200% as well as ordinary parameters of reductions and enlargement of a fixed magnification. Further, for example, reduction and enlargement may be with an increment of 1% within a range where an incremental adjustment of size is required. Further, the department which issues the residential cards will be able to start by operating a ten-key switch, including categories of residential cards, columns and items of the cards that should be deleted on the display such as a liquid crystal display unit, and so forth. Thus, thereafter, pushing a start button permits copying a required portion from the original document or editing and storing a necessary portion of the card.

Fig. 3 is a diagram for illustrating an arrangement of the subsystem of a copier to which the present invention applies.

Fig. 4 is a diagram for showing the hardware arrangement by employing CPU's.

The copier to which the present invention applies consists of nine subsystems as shown in Fig. 3; i.e., four subsystems including a SQMGR (sequence manager) subsystem 32, CPM subsystem 33, an IMM subsystem 34, and a marking subsystem 35 on a main circuit board 31, and five subsystems around the four systems including a U/I subsystem 36 and an INPUT subsystem 37, an OUTPUT subsystem 38, an OPT subsystem 39, and an IEL subsystem 40. Since the CHM subsystem 33 and the IMM subsystem 34 as well as the SQMGR subsystem 32 are carried out by the software under a main CPU 41 shown in Fig. 4, the subsystems 33 and 34 are connected with the SQMGR subsystem 32 through an interface (shown in solid lines) between the subsystems, which requires no communication.Other systems are connected through a serial communication interface (dotted lines) since they are operated under a CPU other than the main CPU 41. These subsystems will be illustrated as follows.

The SQMGR subsystem 32 is a sequence manager which receives information for setting copy modes from the U/I subsystem 36 to issue job commands to the respective subsystems establishing synchronism between the respective subsystems for efficient copy work, while also monitoring the states of the respective subsystems at all times by promptly judging and handling the situation when trouble occurs.

The CPM subsystem 33 is a subsystem which performs control of paper storing tray, a duplex tray, and a manual insertion tray, controlling feeding of the copy paper control for the purging operation of the copy paper.

The IMM subsystem 34 is a subsystem which performs division of the panel on the sensitive material belt, control of running/ stopping of the sensitive material belt, control of a main motor and other control related to the sensitive material belt. The marking system 35 is a subsystem for controlling corotron, an exposure lamp, a developing equipment, a potential of the sensitive material belt, and control of the toner density. The U/I subsystem 36 is a subsystem which performs all the control of the user interface, and displays the machine states, job management such as determination of the copy mode, and a job recovery.

The INPUT subsystem 37 is a subsystem which performs automatic feeding of a document (DADF), semiautomatic feeding of the document (SAD), feeding computer-formed documents (CFF), control of two-sheet automatic feeding of the documents (2-up), recycled automatic feeding of the document (RDH), and detection of the size of a document.

The OUTPUT subsystem 37 controls the sorter and the finisher, outputting the copied paper in the mode of sorting, stacking, or non-sorting, and outputting with the copied documents being bound up.

The OPT subsystem 39 is a subsystem for scanning when the document is exposed, moving a lens, control of a shutter and a PIS/NON-PIS, and moving a carriage in the LDC mode.

The IEL subsystem 40 is a subsystem for erasing unwanted images on the sensitive material belt, erasing the front end and back end of the image, and erasing images in accordance with the editing mode.

The above-mentioned systems are formed of 7 CPU's shown in Fig. 4 as a heart of the system, which permits flexible adaptation to combinations of the base machine 1 with peripheral optional devices. A main CPU 41 on the main board includes software for the SQMGR subsystem 32, the CHM subsystem 33, and the IMM subsystem 34, and is connected with the respective CPU 42 to 47 through the serial bus 53. CPUs 42 through 47 communicate directly with the respective subsystems through the serial communication interface shown in Fig. 3. The serial communication is effected between the main CPU 41 and the other CPUs 42 to 47 at a preselected timing where one communication cycle is 100 msec in time.For this purpose, an accurate timing is required, and signals that cannot be timed with the timing of the serial communication are processed in the interrupt mode through separate hot lines, different from the serial bus 53, via interrupt ports (INT terminal signal) provided at the respective CPUs. In other words, allowing the copy operation at a process speed of 64 cpm (A4LEF) and a process speed of 309 mm/sec and setting the control precision of a REGI-gate to +1 mm causes jobs that cannot be processed within a communication cycle of 100 msec as mentioned above. To assure execution of such jobs, the hot line is required.

Thus, the copier according to the present invention is adapted to employ a systematic arrangement of software corresponding to the various optional devices with which the copier can be equipped. Such a systematic arrangement is employed because (1) if the base machine 1 is to be provided with an operation control program for all of these optional devices, a very large memory capacity will be required, and (2) the copier should be arranged so that these optional devices can still be used without replacement of the ROM or provision of an additional ROM area when new devices are developed in the future or the present optional devices are improved.

For this reason, the base machine 1 has a basic memory area for controlling the basic construction of the copier and an additional memory area for storing the programs which are read from the IC card together with the function information according to the invention. In the additional memory area are stored various programs including the control program for the DADF 13 and the control program for the user interface 12. When the IC card is set to the IC card device 22 with the required optional devices being mounted to the base machine 1, the program required for the copy work is read from the card and loaded into the additional memory devices. The loaded program cooperates with or overrides the program which has been stored in the basic memory area for controlling copy work in order to perform copy work. The memory used is a non-volatile memory formed for a random access memory backed up by a battery. Of course, other storage media including the IC cards, magnetic cards, and floppy disks may be used as a non-volatile memory. This embodiment of the copier is arranged so that the settings of density of pictures and enlargement factors can be preset for fewer operating steps performed by the operator and the preset values are stored in the non-volatile memory.

Figs. 5(a) to 5(c) are diagrams illustrating a transfer data structure and a transmit timing in the serial communication, and Fig. 6 is a time chart indicating communications intervals in one communication cycle. In serial communication between the main CPU 42 and the respective CPU's (42 to 47), the amount of data shown in Fig. Sa is assigned to each CPU. Fig. 5a shows, in the case of the user interface, that the transmitting data TX from the main CPU 41 is of 7 bytes and the receiving data RX is of 15 bytes and the transmitting timing tj for the next slave or optical CPU 45 (Fig. 5c) is 26 ms. According to this example, the total amount of communication is 86 bytes, which means a period of about 200 ms at a communication speed of 9600 BPS. Then the data length consists of a header, a command, and data as shown in Fig. 5b.Considering transmission and reception with a maximum data length of Fig. 5a, an overall communication cycle will be as shown in Fig. 6. Here, on the basis of 9600 BPS, the time required for transmitting on byte is 1.2 ms, and the time required for the slave to initiate transmission after it has received the data is lems, thereby defining one communication cycle to be equal to 100 ms.

Fig. 7 is a diagram for illustrating a break down of the state of the main system.

A division of the states of the main system ensures efficiency and accuracy of control in such a way that the machine states from the power-on to the copy operation, as well as some states after the copy Operation, are divided into some number of states to define specific jobs to be performed at the respective states and the following state1 can only be performed after the jobs in the respective states have been completed. The respective states are assigned flags; thus, the respective subsystems can decide, by referring to these flags, what state the main system is at and then decide what the respective subsystems should do. The respective subsystems are also state-divided and are assigned flags in accordance with the respective states. The main system refers to these flags of the subsystems to know the states of the respective subsystems for management.

When the power supply is on, the copier enters a processorinitialized condition so that a decision is made based on whether it is in the diagnostic-mode or the user mode (copy mode). The diagnostic-mode is a mode which is used by the service operator, when repairing, for performing various tests on the basis of the condition set by an NVM.

At an initialized condition in the user mode, initialization is performed in accordance with the contents of the NVM. For example, the carriage is set to a home position, the lens is set to a position of a magnification of 100%, and the respective subsystems are also commanded initialization thereof. When initialization is completed, the system enters a standby state.

The standby is a state until a start button is pushed after all the subsystems have initialized, in which a message "PLEASE WAIT" appears on the full auto mode picture. Then the sensitive lamp is on for idle rotation of the fuser for a required amount of time, and the U/I will display a message "PLEASE COPY" when the fuser is warmed up to a predetermined control temperature.

This standby condition is for only about several seconds at the first power-on.

A set up is a prewarning condition after the start button is pushed to activate the copy operation, in which a main motor and a sorter motor are caused to operate to adjust the constants such as VDDP of the sensitive material belt. Also, the ADF motor becomes ON, feeding of the first document is initiated, the first document copy arrives at the registration gate to detect the size thereof, the tray and the magnification are determined in the APMS mode, and then the ADF document is pulled by a platen. Then the second document of the ADF is advanced to the register gate, thereby shifting to the cycle up.

A cycle up is a state that exists until the first panel comes to a get park point after the belt is divided into some pitches for panel management. In other words, a pitch is determined in accordance with the copy mode, and the optical subsystem is informed of the magnification for lens movement. Then, when the CHM subsystem and the IMM subsystem are informed of the copy mode and the magnification is recognized to have been set, length of scanning is determined by the size of paper and the magnification, and then the optical subysytem is informed of the length of scanning. When the marking subsystem is informed of the copy mode, the IMM checks a panel L/E which depends on the pitch when the marking subsystem has completed its preparatory work. When the first copy panel is found and the pause point is reached, the system enters the cycle.The cycle repeats the copy operation while at the same time performing ADC (Automatic Density Control), AE (Automatic Exposure), and DDP control, etc. When R/L=counts of sheets, the document is replaced. This is repeated until a required number of documents have been proceeded and a coincidence signal is output, causing the system to enter the cycle down.

The cycle down is a state in which carriage scan and paper feed, etc, are terminated, and management after the copy operation is performed. In the cycle down, the respective corotron and the developing equipment are shut off, and the panel next to the last used panel is located at the stop park position to avoid fatigue of a particular panel due to concentrated repetitive use.

The system usually returns to the standby, but returns to the set up if a restart key is pushed for restarting when the copy operation has been carried out in the platen mode. The system also shifts to the cycle down from the set up or from the cycle up if some factors for the cycle down, e.g., paper jamming, are caused.

In the case where jamming has occurred, the paper is automatically fed once the jammed paper is removed. Generally, when the jamming occurs, the system shifts from any state in the order of cycle down, standby, and then purge. Upon purge the system shifts to the standby or the set up, but shifts to the cycle down if the jamming occurs again. The belt down occurs, for example, when the jamming occurs between a tacking point and the tray, where the jammed paper can be removed by disengaging the belt clutch to stop the belt driving. The "hard down" is a state when it becomes dangerous due to opening an interlock or control becomes impossible due to clock failure, in which case the 24 volt power supply is shut off. Then the system shifts to standby when these factors of the belt down and hard down are removed.

Fig. 8a is a general side view of the optical system, Fig. 8b is a top view, and Fig. 8c is a cross-sectional view taken along the X-X line of Fig. 8b.

A scan exposure device 3 in this embodiment employs a PIS (procession imaging system) method in which the image is exposed on a photo-sensitized material at a speed higher than moving velocity of the sensitive material belt 4 as well as a method in which the second scan system B is fixed and the first scan system A is arranged to move independently of the other. The first scan system A consists of a first carriage 101 having an exposure lamp 102 and a first mirror 103 and a second carriage 105 having a second mirror 106 and a third mirror 107, and scans the document placed on the platen glass 2. On the other hand, the second scan system B consists of a third carriage 109 having a fourth mirror 104 and a fifth mirror 111 and a fourth carriage 112 having a sixth mirror 113. A lens 108 is positioned on the optical axis of the third mirror 107 and the fourth mirror 110, and it is moved by a lens motor in accordance with the magnification but is fixed during scan exposure.

The first and second scan systems, A and B are driven by a carriage d.c motor 114. Transmission shafts 116 and 117 are disposed on both sides of an output shaft 115 of the carriage motor 114, and timing belts ll9a and 119b are provided between a timing pulley 115a secured to the output shaft 115, and timing pulley 116a and 117a secured to the transmission shafts 116 and 117.

A capstan pulley 116 is secured on the transmission shaft 116b, and a first wire cable 121a is provided in a crosswise manner between drive rollers 120a and 120b, in opposition to the pulley 116. The first carriage 101 is secured on the wire cable 121a, while at the same time the wire cable 121a is wound around a reduction pulley 122a mounted on the second carriage 105, so that when the carriage motor 114 is rotated in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure, the first carriage 101 moves at a velocity of V1 in the direction of the arrow shown, while the second carriage 105 moves at a velocity of V1/2 in the same direction. Between a timing pulley 117b fixed on the transmission shaft 123 disposed in opposition to the timing pulley 117b is provided a timing belt 119c.A second wire cable 121b is provided between a capstan pulley 123b of the transmission shaft 123 and a driven roller 120c disposed in opposition to the capstan pulley 123b. On the wire cable 121b is secured the aforementioned fourth carriage 112, while the wire cable 121b is wound around a reduction pulley 122b mounted on the third carriage 109 so that when the carriage motor 114 is caused to rotate in the direction of the arrow shown, the fourth carriage 112 moves to a velocity of V2 in the direction shown in the figure, while at the same time the third carriage 109 moves at a velocity of V2/2 in the same direction.

Further, as shown in Fig. 8b, on a transmission shaft 117 is provided a PIS clutch 125 (magnetic clutch) for transmitting the rotation of the timing pulley 117a to the timing pulley 117b, which is driven into engagement when the electric power to the PIS 125 is shut off, thereby transmitting rotation of a rotating shaft 115 to the transmission shafts 117 and 123. When the electric power supplied to the PIS 125 causes it to disengage, the rotation of the rotating shaft 115 is not transmitted to the transmission shafts 117 and 123. Also, as shown in Fig. 8c, an engagement protrusion 126a extends upon activation of a LDC lock solenoid 127, thereby fixing the transmission shaft 116 or the first scan system A, which will cause the LDC lock switch 129 to become ON. In addition, an engagement protrusion 130a is provided on the side surface of the timing pulley 123a.An engagement bar 130b engages an engagement protrusion 130a upon activation of a PIS lock solenoid 131 to thereby fix the transmission shaft 123, thus the second scan system B will cause the PIS lock switch 132 to become ON. With the scan exposure device thus far described, an exposure method of either the PIS mode (procession imaging system) or the NON-PIS mode is selected upon disengagement of the PIS clutch 125. In the PIS mode, when the magnifying factor is greater than 65%, the PIS clutch 125 is caused to engage, thereby causing the second scan system B to move at a velocity of V2. Thus, the exposure point of the sensitive material belt 4 is caused to move in the reverse direction of the photosensitized material to relatively increase the scan speed V1 .,.

greater than the process speed Vp, thereby increasing the number of copied sheets per unit time. At this time, v1 = Vp*3.5/(3.5M-l) where V1 = 432.5 mm/s, assuming M = 11.

Further, V2 depends on the diameters of the timing pulley 117b and 123a, thus V2 = (1/3 to 1/4). On the other hand, with the NON-PIS mode, in order to prevent an increase in speed of the scan system and an increase in lighting power and also to retard power consumption, if the reduction factor is, for example, less than 64%, disengaging the PIS clutch 125 and causing the PIS lock solenoid to become ON will fix the second scan system B to scan with the exposure point being fixed, thereby avoiding loads on drive systems and an increase in power for lighting the document and thus maintaining the total power consumption less than 1.5 kVA.

The lens 108, as shown in Fig. 9a, is slidably mounted to a supporting shaft 136, which in turn is secured on a lens carriage 135 disposed below the platen glass 2. The lens 108 is connected to a Z-direction lens motor 137 by means of a wire (not shown).

Rotation of the Z-direction lens motor 137 causes the lens 108 to move along the supporting shaft 136 in the Z-paramater (vertical in the figure) thereby varying the magnification factor. The lens carriage 135 is mounted slidably to a supporting shaft 139 close to the base while also being connected to an X-direction lens motor 140 by means of a wire (not shown) rotation of which causes the lens carriage 135 to move along the supporting shaft 139 in the X-parameter (lateral direction in the figure), thereby varying the magnification. These lens motors, 137 and 140 are 4-phase stepping motors. When the lens carriage 135 rotates along a curved surface of a lens cam 143, it thereby rotates a large gear 144 to cause a mounting base 146 of the second scan system by means of a wire cable 145.Therefore, rotation of the X-direction lens motor permits setting of the distance between the lens 108 and the second scan system B with respect to a predetermined magnification.

Further as shown in Fig. 9b, a lens shutter 147 is mounted on one of the side surfaces of the lens 108 by means of a link mechanism 148 so that the lens shutter can be opened and closed at will. The lens shutter 147 opens during an image scan and closes after the image scan by means of ON or OFF of a shutter solenoid 149. The purpose of shielding light by means of the lens shutter 147 is to form a DDP patch and an ADC patch on the sensitive material belt and to prevent erasure of an image when the second scan system B returns in the PIS mode.

Fig. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a summary of the subsystems of the optical system. The optical CPU 45, connected with the main CPU 41 through the serial communication and the hot line, controls the respective carriages and the lenses in order to form a latent image on the sensitive material in the copy mode transmitted from the main CPU 41. A control power supply 152 consists of the supplies for logic (5 V), analog (+15 V), solenoid and clutch (24 V), and a motor supply 153 of 38 V.

A carriage regi-sensor 155 is positioned at a registry posi tion corresponding to the first mirror 101 and providing a signal when an actuator on the first scan system A fails to depress the carriage regi-sensor 155. This signal is sent to the optical CPU to determine a position or a timing for registration and to determine a home position P when returning the first scan system A. To detect the position of the carriage, a first home sensor 156a, and a second home sensor 156b are provided, and the first home sensor 156a is disposed at a predetermined position between the registry-position and the stopping position of the first system A for detecting the position of the first scan system A to provide an output. The second home sensor'156b detects the position of the second scan system to provide an output.

A rotary encoder 157 is of a type which provides pulse signals of a phase A and a phase B, the phase difference therebetween being 90 , in accordance with the rotational angle of the carriage motor 114. The rotary encoder 157 has been designed to have a shaft pitch of 0.1571 mm/pulse of timing pulley of the first scan system at 200 pulse/rotation. A solenoid 159 for variable magnification causes a variable magnification lens (not shown) through the CPU 45 and recognizes movement of the variable magnification lens by means of ON/OFF operation of a variable magnification switch 160. Lens home sensors 161 and 162 are sensors for detecting the home positions of the X-direction lens motor 140 and the Z-direction lens motor 137. The LDC lock solenoid 127 fixes the first scan system A at a preselected position under control of the CPU 45.The LDC lock solenoid 127 confirms the lock thereof by means of an LDC lock switch 129; The PIS lock solenoid 131 is to fix the second scan system when the PIS clutch 125 is released in the NON-PIS mode. The PIS lock solenoid 131 confirms the lock condition by means of the PIS lock switch 132. The PIS clutch 125 is of a type which causes the clutch to disengage when energized and to engage when not energized. The PIS clutch 125 permits power saving in the PIS mode, thus contributing to acomplishing total power of 1.5 kVA.

Fig. 11a and llb illustrate control of the scan cycle of the optical system, which scans the first scan system A at a specified magnification and scan length. The control is activated when a scan start signal is received from the hot line.

An image scan count is the number of counts of the encoder clock from the interruptions by the registration sensor to the end of the scan, on the basis of a scan length data received from the main.

First, after a reference clock data in accordance with the magnification is set, the carriage motor is caused to rotate in the direction of the scan (CW) (step 2) to control acceleration when scanning (step 3). Then at step 4, the PLL (phase control) mode is set, the regi-sensor initiates the image scan (step 5) if an interrupt signal indicative of OFF is present. When the count exceeds the above-mentioned scan length (step 6), the PLL mode is disabled, and the velocity mode is set instead to cause the carriage motor to rotate in the return direction (CCW). Then at step 8, decision is made based on whether or not interruption from CW to CCW (reverse rotation signal) is requested and if so, acceleration when returning is controlled (step 9).When counts of the encoder reach a predetermined brake-initiating point (step 10), deceleration when returning is controlled (step 11) causing the carriage motor to stop (step 12) if the reverse rotation signal is present. Also, as shown in Fig. llb, the number of counts to turn the shutter ON (open) is set so that the shutter is opened when the number of counts in the encoder becomes greater than the shutter ON count and the shutter is closed when the number of counts of the encoder is greater than the shutter OFF count Thereafter the image scan is terminated.

The belt periphery consists of the imaging and the marking system. The imaging system is supervised by the IMM subsystem 34 to write and erase latent images while the marking system is supervised by the marking subsystem 35 to perform charging, exposure, surface potential detection, developing, transfer, etc. In the present invention, the IMM subsystem 34 and the marking subsystem 35 cooperate for performing panel management, patch formation on the belt, etc. to achieve high speed copy and high quality of picture.

Fig. 12 illustrates an outline of the belt periphery.

Within the base machine 1 is disposed an organic sensitive material belt 4. The organic sensitive material belt is coated with charge-generating layers and transfer layers, etc. in multilayer fashion to form photo-sensitive material, and has therefore a higher degree of freedom as compared to an Se-deposited photosensitive drum as well as it provides a large peripheral space around the belt, thus permitting an easy layout. In the meantime, a belt has a property of shrinkage and stretch as well as the diameter of a roll varying with a temperature difference.

Thus, a belt hole is provided at a distance from the belt seam and a train of pulses is produced in accordance with rotational velocity of the motor by means of an encoder, thereby generating a machine clock. Counting the machine clock for one rotation of the belt at all times permits correction of the timing of the registration gate, and a pitch signal that is a reference for starting the carriage in accordance with shrinkage and stretch of the belt. The organic sensitive material belt in this embodiment of the invention is longer than 1 m and can carry four sheets of paper of A4 size and three sheets of A3 size, and panel (imageforming area on the belt) must be supervised at all times to assure copy result of the desired panel because the belt has a seam.For this purpose, the embodiment is arranged in such a way that the position of the panel is determined with reference to the belt hole provided at a distance from the seam on the belt; the number of panels (number of pitches) to be placed on the belt are determined in accordance with the copy mode specified by the users and the paper size; and a signal is output when the panel from which the first copy is to be made takes up the position of a get park in the vicinity of a roll 201 after operating the start button, signaling that a copy can be made from this moment.

The organic sensitive material belt 4 is adapted to be charged uniformly by a charge corotron (charger) 211 and is driven clockwise as shown in the figure at a constant velocity. When the first panel approaches the regi (portion to be exposed) 231 by a predetermined amount of time, a pitch signal is outputted. Thus, the timing between the carriage scan and the paper feed is effected on the basis of the pitch signal. The surface of the belt charged by the charge corotron 211 is exposed to light at an exposure portion 231. The exposure of portion 231 is incident with the exposure of the photo image of the document placed on the platen glass 2, which in turn is disposed on the upper surface of the base machine 1. For this purpose, exposure lamp 102, a plurality of mirrors 101 to 113 for transmitting the reflected light from the surface of the document lit by the exposure lamp 102, and an optical lens 108 are provided. The mirror 101 is scanned for reading the image of the document. The mirrors 110, 111, and 113 form a second scan optical system, called a PIS (Precession Image Scan), in which the second optical system is scanned in the direction opposite to the movement of the belt for increased relative speed between the two in order to overcome a difficulty in increasing the process speed, thereby accomplishing a copy speed of a maximum of 64 sheets/min (CPM).

Picture information obtained in a slit-like manner at the exposure portion 231 forms a static latent image in accordance with the document on the organic sensitive material belt 4.

After the static latent image is subjected to erasure of unwanted images and portions between images and side erasure at an IEL 215 (Inter Image Lamp), the static latent image is then developed to form a toner image by a developing device 216 normally of black toner or by a developing device 217 of color toner. The toner image moves with rotation of the organic sensitive material belt 4, passing by a pretransfer corotron (image transferrer) 218 and a transfer corotron 220. The pretransfer corotron 218 is generally for retarding electrical adhesive force of toner with the aid of application of an alternating current for ease of movement of the toner.Being lit from behind by the pretransfer lamp 225 (also used for erasure) prior to' the transfer, the belt formed of a transparent material serves to retard electrical adhesive force of the toner, thus facilitating the transfer.

In the meantime, the copy paper received in the supply tray of the base machine 1 or the copy paper fed manually through the manual insertion tray 16 is advanced with the aid of an advancement roll and is guided by an advancing path to pass between the organic sensitive material belt 4 and the transfer corotron 220.

Advancement of the paper is effected basically by the LEF (Long Edge Fee), where the registration gate is controlled to open anc close so that the tip end of the paper coincides with an exposureinitiating position at the tacking point, thereby transferring the toner image onto the copy paper.

The paper is released from the sensitive material belt 4 by a detacking corotron 221 and a finger 222. After completion of the transfer process,the paper passes through the gap between a heat 232 and a pressure roll for heat-fixing, and then passes between a transfer rolls 234 and 235 to be delivered onto a delivery tray not shown.

After removing the copy paper therefrom, the sensitive material belt 4 is treated by a preclean corotron 224 for ease of cleaning, lit by a lamp 225 from behind to erase the unwanted charge, and then scratch off the unwanted toner dregs are removed by a blade 226.

A patch is formed on the belt 5 between images by a patch generator 212, and the static potential of the patch portion is detected by an ESV sensor 214 for density adjusting. Also, the belt 4 is provided with a hole, as mentioned previously, which is detected by a belt hole sensor 213 for determining the belt speed, thereby controlling the process speed. An ADC 219 (Auto Density Control) compares the amount of light reflected from the toner deposited on the patched portion with the amount of the reflected light when the toner is not deposited to detect level of deposition, while also detecting by a pop sensor 223 the situation that the paper is not released properly but has wrapped around the belt.

Fig. 13 illustrates how the panels are divided on the sensitive belt 4. The belt hole 252 is provided at a distance 1 away from the seam, e.g., 70 mm for a total circumferential length of 1158 mm of the sensitive material belt 4. Reference numerals 253 and 254 are the first and the last panels when the sensitive material belt surfacer is divided into N pitches. In the figure, B is a space between the panels, C is a panel length, and D is a panel pitch. The panel pitch is 289.5 mm for 4-pitch division, 386 mm for 3-pitch division, and 579 mm for 2-pitch division, respectively. A relation A = B/2 is maintained so that the seam 251 will be in the middle between the LE (Lead Edge) of the panel 253 and the TE (Tail Edge) of the panel 254.

While the LE of the panel is required to coincide with the LE of the paper, the TE of the panel does not necessarily coincide with that of the paper but does with the TE of a maximum size paper to which the panel is applied.

Fig. 14 is a block diagram illustrating a summary of functions. The IMM subsystem 34 performs serial communication with the IEL subsystem 40 through a bus line and sends an interrupt signal through the hot line so as to control with high precision, thus performing supervision for image formation. At the same time the IMM subsystem 34 sends a control signal to the marking subsystem 35 and the CHM subsystem 33 for controlling jobs associated with the belt.

The IMM subsystem detects the hole provided on the organic sensitive material belt 4 for controlling the main motor while also determining the position of panel formation, thus performing panel supervision. Further, the IMM subsystem allows idle rotation of the fuser for maintaining a fixing roll at a required temperature for a quick copy service in a cold temperature environment. When the start key is operated, the subsystem enters the set-up state to adjust constant values such as VDDP prior to the copy operation. When the copy cycle is entered, the subsystem 34 performs erasure of the lead edge and the tail edge of the image for forming a necessary image area on the basis of the size of the document. The subsystem 34 also forms patches for toner density adjustment within the image area.

Further, upon detection of a "hard down" such as jamming and belt failure, the IMM subsystem stops the belt or communicates with the sequence manager to stop the machine.

The input/output signal and the operation of the IMM subsystem are described below.

The detection signals on toner in a black toner bottle 261 and a color toner bottle 262 are input to the IMM subsystem to detect the remaining amount of the toner.

From an optical registration sensor 155 are input a PG request signal which is outputted from the IMM subsystem to the marking system, a bias request signal, and an optical registration signal on which an ADC request signal is based.

The size of the document is input from plate document size sensors S6 to Slo, and an area to be erased by the IEL 215 is determined on the basis of this size and the paper size.

A belt hole signal is input from a belt hole sensor 213 for controlling the process speed by the main motors 264 and 265 to compensate for variation of the time required for the belt to run one turn. Two main motors are employed and operated at an operating point for good efficiency to thereby provide the motor power efficiently in accordance with level of the load for efficient utilization of electric power within the intended total power consumption. Also, regenerative braking by the motors is effected for improved accuracy of stop-positioning. The motors can be operated in a reverse rotational direction. This is for removing toner dregs or paper dust deposited on the blade when cleaning the sensitive material belt with the blade being in close contact with the belt. Driving the belt by the motors is performed through a belt clutch 267, thus the belt can also be selectively stopped.Pulses are generated by an encoder in synchronism with rotation of the motors, which pulses are used as a machine clock in accordance with the belt speed.

When the belt hole cannot be detected by the belt hole sensor for a certain time interval or the size of the hole has changed, the IMM subsystem informs the sequence manager to stop the machine.

The IMM subsystem communicates serially with the IEL subsystem 40 while also sending an interrupt signal through the hot line to provide an IEL enable signal, an IEL image signal, an ADC patch signal, and an IEL black band signal. The IEL image signal erases the unwanted image and the ADC patch signal specifies through the IEL subsystem 40 the shape and the area of the patch region formed by the patch generator 212 as well as adjusts the amount of charge or constant static potential of 500 to 600 V.

The IEL black band signal forms a black band between the images with a predetermined space for depositing toner, which serves as a kind of lubricant so that the blade 226 will not damage the belt 4 which can be prevented particularly when the amount of toner is very small resulting in an almost white paperlike copy. Further the IMM subsystem communicates with the marking subsystem 35 through the hot line to provide a patch formation request signal, a bias request signal, and an ADC request signal on the basis of the optical regi-signal. The marking subsystem 35 receives these signals for driving the patch generator 212 to form the patch. The system 35 also drives an ESV sensor 214 to detect the static potential, and drives the developing machine 216 and 217 to form the toner picture.The system 35 also drives and controls the pretransfer corotron 218, the transfer corotron 220 and the detacktcorotron 221.

The IMM subsystem provides a pitch reset signal 1, upon which the start is timed.

A detection signal indicates whether or not the color developing unit is equipped to input to the IMM subsystem, thereby detecting whether the toner in the developing unit is black or color.

The CHM subsystem 33 is a registration gate trigger signal fro the IMM subsystem so that the paper coincides with the end of the image at the tacking point, while also the IMM subsystem calculates an amount of correction for correcting the timing to open the registration gate, if required.

The toner scratched off by the blade 226 is recovered in a toner recovery bottle 268, a detection signal indicative of the amount of toner in the bottle 268 is input to the IMM subsystem to thereby alarm if a predetermined amount is exceeded.

Further, the IMM prevents an abnormal rise in temperature by a fan motor 263 to thereby maintain the environmental temperature within a tolerated range for high quality picture of copy.

Fig. 15 shows a timing chart. Time reference for the control is the position of the optical registration sensor. The IEL is turned OFF at a predetermined time (T1) after the optical sensor ON/OFF signal. That is, the IEL remains on until T1 for erasing the lead end of the image and then turns OFF after T2 for erasing the tail end of the image. Thus, the image is formed with the aid of the IEL image signal and the lead end of the paper is caused to coincide with the lead end of the image at the tacking point by controlling the registration gate timing. After-formation of the image, the ADC patch signal is generated upon a patch generator signal (T5 after the reference time) to form a patch in the image. After patch formation, the bias request signal is output (after T6) for development.Thereafter, the ADC request signal is output (after T7) for detecting density of the toner. The black band signal causes a black band to be formed in the image.

During the AE (Auto Exposure) scan, ON or OFF operation of the IEL image signal is not effected.

Fig. 16 illustrates a user interface having a display when it is mounted. Fig. 17 shows an overall view of the user interface that employs a display.

Most prior art user interfaces have been of a console panel type in which keys, LED's, liquid crystal displays, etc. are disposed, including those of backlit type and with message displayers, for example. A console panel of the backlit type in which a display board having a fixed message disposed at predetermined position is selectively backlit by means of a lamp or the like so that the backlit message can be formed. A console panel having a message display is formed of liquid crystal display elements, etc. so that it can display various messages at any time without having to provide a large display area. Which type of these console panels should be employed depends on individual copiers considering complexity of the system and operabililty of the copier.

The present invention does not employ a conventional console panel described previously as a user interface but employs a stand type of display. Employing a display allows mounting of the display above the copier's main body 1 (base machine) three dimensionally, thus particularly the user interface 12 can be placed at the back corner on the right of the copier main body 1 as shown in Fig. 16a. If the user interface 12 is to be placed at the very back and on the right of the main body of the copier (base machine) 1 as shown in Fig. 16b then the copier can be designed to be compact in size without paying much of attention to the user interface 12.

Also, in copiers, the height of the platen or the height of the copier is designed to be as high as the waist of the operator for ease of setting of the document, thereby placing limitations on the height of the copier. The conventional console panel has been mounted on a surface level of the same height, and an operation unit and a display unit for selecting functions or setting execution conditions are disposed at a considerable distance from the operator's eyes. In this respect, the user interface 12 is higher than the platen as shown in Fig. 16c or nearly as high as the operator's eye level, thus that location is not lower than the operator eye level but in front of and to the right of the operator eyes, facilitating the copier operation.In addition, mounting the display closer to the eye level permits effective use of space below the interface as a mounting space for a control printed circuit boards of the user interface or the card device 24. Thus, structural alteration for mounting the card device 24 is not necessary and the card device 24 can be mounted without change in the overall perspective view at all, while also allowing mounting the display at a position and a height at which it can be seen comfortably. The display may be fixed at a predetermined angle or, of course, at a variable angle.

When applying a display to the user interface in this manner, the orientation thereof can easily be adjusted unlike a conventional panel that is mounted two dimensionally at a location close to the operator, thus the display picture may be directed to the left as shown in Fig. 16c, and somewhat upwardly aiming at the operator's eye level as shon in Fig. 16b, i.e., centrally upward (toward the operator's eyes), thereby providing a user interface with good operability and visibililty. Employing such an arrangement permits the operator sitting at the middle of the copier to perform setting of the document copy and operation of the user interface.

When employing the display, the amount of information corresponding to the high level of functions is necessarily large, requiring a large display area. Thus it is difficult to implement a compact panel in accordance with the compact size of the copier because employing a compact size display causes a problem of display density in providing all the necessary information in a single picture, and difficulty in providing a picture for the operator that can be seen and recognized comfortably.

In the present invention, a variety of ideas are applied in order to achieve a compact but readable display.

For example, with the user interface according to the present invention, the display picture is switched in accordance with the respective modes to display menus such as settings of function selection and execution conditions thereof, while also being adapted to move a cascade (cursor) on the picture through key operation for specifying a selection and to input execution conditions of the selection. Also some selections of the menu may be displayed in a pop-up manner (overlap display and window display) for more display contents. As a result, the display picture can still be neatly arranged for improved operability even if a large number of available functions and setting conditions are to be displaced.

In this manner, the display is effected in the invention through division of information into multiple pictures, division of the respective picture area, adjustment of intensity, gray display and other display techniques. Further, the operation keys and LED's are carefully combined to simplify configuration of the operating unit while also diversifying and simplifying the control and content of the display and operation input, thereby implementing compactness and multi-functions of the copier. The general appearance of a user interface arranged by using a CRT display is illustrated in Fig. 17. In this example, the key/LED board is disposed below a CRT display 301, at the front, and on the right of the CRT display 301.The selection mode picture is divided into a plurality of regions, one of which is used as a selection region, the selection region further being divided vertically to define each of which as a cascade region to be selectively set. For this purpose, on the key/LED board are provided below the selection region of the vertically divided picture the cascade keys 319-1 to 319-5 for selecting and setting the cascade, and mode selection keys 308 to 310 for switching the selection mode pictures, the other keys (302 to 304, 306, 307, 315 to 318) and the LED's (305, 311 to 314) are positioned on the right hand side.

The pictures include a selection mode picture for selecting the copy mode, a review picture for confirming settings of the copy mode, a full auto picture for carrying out the copy work in the standard mode, an information picture for providing a picture for illustrating multi-function copy mode, and a jam picture for suitably displaying the location of the jam when it occurred.

Fig. 18 is a diagram for illustrating the selection mode picture. The selection mode picture includes three pictures, i.e., a basic copy, a more feature copy, and an advanced copy as shown in Fig. 18a to Fig. 18c, and are selectively displayed on the CRT display by operating the mode selection keys 308 to 310.

Of these three pictures, the basic picture is a picture in which the most commonly used functions are categorized into groups.

The more feature copy picture is a picture in which the next commonly used functions are categorized into groups. The advanced copy picture is a picture in which the remaining non-common specialized functions are categorized into groups.

The respective selection mode is basically divided into a message area A formed of the upper 2 lines, a setting-state display area B formed of 3 lines, and a selection area C formed of 9 lines. The message area A displays a J code message when the copy execution condition are in conflict with each other, a U code message when the hardware malfunction requires a service by the service man, and a C code message for prompting the operator with various cautions.

The J code message is provided with a combination check table for copy execution conditions in accordance with settings of the respective cascades. When the start key 318 is operated, the table is interrogated and if there is any conflict, the J code is output. The setting-state display includes a B display selection state of other modes, for example, a selection state of the more feature copy and the advanced copy with respect to the basic copy picture. When the cascade state of the selection C is non-default (lowest), the selection are displays that cascade.

The selection area C displays the cascade names on the upper area thereof, the lowest stage of which is the default area, and above the default area is an area for those other than the default, thus enabling individual selection in five cascade areas through cascade key operation. Thus, if selection operation is not performed, the default area is selected so that all the default states will become those for full auto copy mode. Setting of a selection is effected by the cascade keys 319-1 to 319-5 disposed below the cascade area divided into five columns. On the right side of the message area A is defined a count unit for displaying a set count and a mode count while the lower one line of the setting state display area B is used as a maintenance information unit indicating a toner full-up and a toner replenish.The contents of the cascade area of the respective selection mode pictures will be described as follows.

The basic copy picture consists of the cascades of "paper tray," "reduction/enlarge," "duplex copy," "copy density," and "sorter." Auto is the default of "paper tray" and in which case the tray containing the same size of paper as the document copy is automatically selected. By operating the cascade key, the region other than default can be specified to select any one of the manual insertion tray, the large capacity tray, the upper tray, the middle tray, and the lower tray. Also, as shown in the figure, each tray's section displays ICON (pictorial symbol) of the size and the type of paper for easy recognition of the paper contained therein. The paper is set to be delivered either in the longitudinal direction or in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

Equal size is the default of "reduction/enlargement," which is specified as either "auto matrix" or "fixed/arbitrary." In automatic, the copy operation is carried out with the magnifying factor being automatically set in accordance with the size of the paper selected. The magnifying factor (linear factor) may be set arbitrarily from 50 to 200% with an increase of 1%. In the "fixed/arbitrary," the specific contents to be set may be displayed on the pop up picture by operating the cascade key to enable selection of the fixed magnifying factors of 50.7%, 704, 81%, 100%, 121%, 141%, and 200% as well as selection of arbitrary magnifying factors varying successively with an increase of 1%.

Single side copy is the default of "duplex copy," and the document-to-copy relation can be selected in the mode of double side-to-single side, double side-to-double side, or single sideto-double side in non-default modes. For example, the double side-to-single side represents that a single sided copy is made from a double sided document, the single side-to-double side represents that a double sided copy is made from a single sided document. In the case where the double sided copy is to be made, the paper,one side of which has been copied, is first received in the duplex tray and then that paper is again discharged from the duplex tray for copy operation on the other side.

Auto is the default of "copy density," and seven different levels of density can be set in non-default modes. Also, the seven different levels of density setting is available in the photograph mode, too. The setting of these levels is effected through the pop up picture.

Copy-receive is the default of "sorter" and non-default modes include the page collation and the stack. The page collation is a mode for sorting the copied paper into the respective bins of the sorter while the stack is a mode for stacking the copied paper one over the other in order.

The more- feature copy picture consists of the cascades such as "special document," "binding margin," "color," "interleaving paper" and "take-up surface" as shown in Fig. 18b. The "special document" can select a function (LDC) of copying a large-size document, a function (CFF; computer form feeder) for counting holes for each page to copy the trained pages of a computer output, and a double page function (2-up) for copying two sheets of documents on a single sheet of paper.

The "binding margin" is for setting a binding space in the range of 1 to 16 mm on the right end of or on the left end of the copied paper, and left binding, right binding, and the size of the binding margin can be set in the non-default mode.

Black is default for "color," and in addition to the default, red can be selected.

"Interleaving paper" is a function for inserting a sheet of white paper between the respective OHP copy (over head projector), which can be selected in the non-default mode.

"Take up surface" is a function for causing the copied paper to be discharged with a specified surface of the paper, the front or rear surface, up or down.

The specialized copy picture consists of a "job memory," "edit/synthesis," "fine adjustment of equal-enlargement," and "frame erasure" as shown in Fig. 18c.

"Job memory" is a page program for which cards are used, in which program a plurality of jobs are registered and are recalled to perform the auto copy operation upon depressing of the start key. The'recall and register thereof can be selected in the nondefault modes.

"Edit/synthesis" enables selection of an edit function and a synthesis function in the non-default modes. The edit function is a function for inputting data required for editing through an editor, and the functions of partial color, partial photograph, partial deletion, and marking color can be selected through this "edit/synthesis." In the partial color, only a specified area of the copy paper is copied in one color and the remainder is copied in black. The partial photograph allows a photograph to be copied in a specified area. The partial deletion prevents a specified area of the copy paper from being copied. The marking color enables, for example, a light color print over a specified portion so that it gives an effect as if the portion is marked with that color.The synthesis function is a function in which the duplex tray is used to make a single copy from two sheets of documents, which includes sheet synthesis and parallel synthesis.

The sheet synthesis is a function in which both a first and a second documents are copied on a sheet of paper with one picture being copied entirely over the other, which allows the two documents to be copied in different colors. On the other hand, the parallel synthesis is a function in which the first and second original copies are copied side by side on a single sheet paper, one being just touched with the other.

"Equal enlargement fine adjustment" is for setting enlargement factors from 99 to 101% with an increments of 0.15%, and is selected in non-default modes.

"Frame erasure" is for not copying the peripheral area of the document as if "a frame" is set to the periphery of the picture information. The default thereof is a standard in which frame erasure is done with 2.5 mm. And an entire-surface copy, in which setting of the arbitrary dimensions and the frame erasure are selected, is selected in non-default modes.

Fig. 19 shows an example of a picture other than selection mode pictures.

Review picture is for displaying the states of the copy modes which is selected through the aforementioned selection mode picture, and displays the state of setting of cascades of the respective selection modes in one picture as shown in Fig. 19b.

This review picture displays selected item i.e., cascade name and the mode selected i.e., selection at that time. The display is, for example, in a gray back if the selected mode is the default and is inverted in a background of normal intensity if the selected mode is in non-default.

Full auto picture is a picture as shown in Fig. iSa which is displayed when the power is switched on, when a preheat key 306 is operated, or'when the all-clear key 316 is operated. This is a picture when the cascades of the respective selection mode pictures are all set to default. In this picture, setting the document on the platen, inputting the number of copies to make through the ten key switch, and then operating the start key 318 enables selection of the same size of paper as the document, and the copy of the present number of sheets is carried out.

Information picture is a picture for providing an illustration picture of how to make a copy in the respective copy modes shown in Fig. 19c, and is displayed upon operation of the information key 302. Inputting the information codes shown in the picture through the ten key switch causes a display of the illustration picture.

Jam picture is displayed in superposition to the picture that has been displayed while the copy operation is in progress.

The intensity of the previous picture is lowered by a unit level to make a distinct jam display.

(C) Display manner In the present invention, as mentioned referring to Fig. 18 and Fig. 19, the display picture is divided into a plurality of pictures, each of which is selectively displayed, thereby simplifying the information in one picture with the least amount of unnecessary information in each case. The display manner is changed in accordance with the display area of that layout and input setting state etc., thereby forming easy-to-see and easyto-grasp pictures with accent. For example, the selection mode picture is divided into the message area (including the count area), setting state display area (including the maintenance information area), and the selection area, each area being displayed in different manners.For example, the message area including the count area displays only the train of message characters in high intensity with a black background, similar to the display of a console panel of the backlit type. Also in the setting state display area, the cascade names are displayed in the inverted mode (characters are dark, background is bright) in a "net-like" background where dots are displayed with a predetermined uniform density. That is, the respective cascade is represented in a card image. Below the setting state display area is a single line used as the maintenance information area for indicating that a toner bottle is fuel or needs to be replenished. The maintenance information is of a nature different from the setting state display information, and thus is easy to distinguish therefrom so that a display manner similar to that in the message area is employed.In the selection area, the entire cascade display area is displayed in a low intensity gray display, and the selections and cascade names are displayed with inversion in the background of the "net-like" periphery. In addition to this display, the background of the area of selection that has been set is displayed with high intensity (inverted dis play). Also, the selection of the paper tray in the basic copy picture in which the cascade indicates "run out of paper," is displayed with the characters in high intensity in a background of black.

The full auto picture shown in Fig. 19a has a layout in which the display area is arranged in such a way that the background is displayed in the dark "net-like" display, and the area for displaying the operator instructions such as "document setting" is displayed with a bright "net-like" display while at the same time the border therebetween is edged for improving the clarity of display In this manner the display can be implemented in a wide variety of combinations by suitably modifying it at will.

Particularly, the boundary between the display with high intensity background (normal intensity according to white paper), the gray gradation display with lower intensity, and the display with a predetermined density of bright-and-dark dots, is trimmed as shown for a visual three-dimensional effect, thereby providing a "card-like" image. The background of the respective areas being displayed in different manners with trimming, the invention provides the operator with an easy-to-see and clearly distinguished display content in each area. Also, the characters displayed in the inverted display or the blinking display will give noticeable alarm of every display information to the users.In addition to arranging intensity of the train of the characters and the background thereof, the present invention is also characterized in that ICON (pictorial characters) are added to the selections, cascade names, and train of characters for a more symbolic display manner from a standpoint of image association. For example, in the basic copy picture, the ICON is added at the beginning of the cascade names "reduction/enlargement," "duplex copy," "copy density," and "sorter," as well as at the end of the paper size in lower, middle, and upper sections in the selection of "paper tray." An ICON is to visually convey to the users the information which would otherwise have less accent due to a simple train of characters, and is advantageous in that some information can be conveyed to the users more accurately and intuitively than the train of characters.

The user interface is formed of the CRT display and the key/LED board as shown in Fig. 17, and particularly the CRT display is used in the present invention for displaying the selections and settings thereof, thereby minimizing parts count of the keys and the LED's on the key/LED board. Selection and setting of the desired functions can be effected with eight keys, i.e., the mode selection keys 308 to 310 for switching the pictures and the cascade keys 319-1 to 319-5 for selecting the respective cascade areas.Thus, once any one of the basic copy picture, the more feature copy picture, and the advanced copy picture has been selected by operating the mode selection keys 308 to 310, all the functions can be selected through only operation of the cascade key 319-1 to 319-5 and interrupting numerical data by means of the ten-key switch 307, thereby carrying out the copy operation through the desired copy function. The cascade keys 319-1 to 319-5 are arranged in pairs so that keys for upward movement and keys for downward movement of the cascade are used for moving the setting-cursor up and down within the cascade area to select and to set the desired function.The selection mode pictures are selected through the mode selection keys 308 to 310 and only one of the three pictures is displayed, thus the LED 311 to 313 are used to indicate which of selection mode keys 308 to 310 the picture on display is selected by. That is, operating the mode selection keys 308 to 310 to display the selection mode picture causes illumination of the LED's 311 to 313 corresponding to the mode selection keys 308 to 310.

It is not quite easy for the operator to learn and make full use of the many functions provided. Therefore, the information key 302 is used to provide the users with an illustrative picture of how to make a copy in each mode of copy operation. The information function is carried out as follows. First, when the information key 302 is operated, a list of information codes is displayed on an information index picture as shown in Fig. 19c.

Selecting and inputting the information code specified by the picture through the ten-key switch 307 causes the information pop-up picture corresponding to the code to appear, which pop-up picture displays the illustrative picture of the copy mode.

As mentioned above, the selection mode pictures are divided into three groups of pictures and various functions defined by three pictures are selected and set. Thus, confirmation of the overall setting states including other pictures is required. It is the review key 303 that is used to confirm the setting states of all the pictures.

A dual language key 304 is a key for switching the language on the display picture. With increasing international events, people who communicate in a variety of languages will often share the same apparatus. In order to overcome the language barrier in such circumstances, display data and font memory are available in two languages, e.g., Japanese and English, and operating a dual language key 304 permits selective display of the picture in either Japanese or English. A plurality of languages, not restricted to only two languages, may be provided so that the dual language key 304 allows the operator to select the languages in a predetermined sequence.

The pre-heat key 306 is a key for entering the pre-heat mode for power-saving in a standby state of the copier and for returning from the standby state to the copy operation. Operating the pre-heat key 306 enables selection of either the preheat mode or the full auto mode. Thus, the LED 305 is used to indicate in which of these two modes is the copier. The all-clear key 316 is for clearing the copier i.e., for setting the full auto mode in which the respective selection modes are set to the default thereof, and permits display of the full auto picture, which tells the operator that the currently selected copy mode is the full auto mode as shown in Fig. 19a.

The interrupt key 315 is used when another copy has to be made urgently while preceding consecutive copy operation is in progress. Upon completion of the interrupt, removal of the interrupt is effected to return to the previous copy operation.

The LED 314 is for indicating whether the interrupt key 315 is valid or the interrupt has been removed.

The stop key 317 is used for halting the copy operation while it is being carried out, or for setting the number of copies to be made, or setting the bins of the sorter.

The start key 318 is operated to initiate the copy operation upon completion of selecting a function and setting of the execution conditions of the function selected.

Fig. 20 shows an arrangement of the hardware of the user interface; and Fig. 21 shows a software arrangement of the user interface.

Basically, the system of the user interface provided with a U/I CPU 46 is formed of a CRT board 331, the CRT display 301, and a key/LED board 333 as shown in Fig. 20. The CRT board 331 is provided with a U/I CPU 46 for generally controlling the overall system, a CRT controller 335 for controlling the CRT display 301, a key board/display controller 336 for controlling the key/LED board 333. The user interface system is also provided with memory means including a program memory (ROM) 337 for storing the aforementioned respective programs, a frame memory (ROM) 338 for storing the frame data, a RAM T39 part of which is formed as a non-volatile memory to store the respective tables and display control data etc., while also being used as a work area, two sets of V-RAM (video RAM) 340, and a character generator 342.

The CRT display 301 is, for example, 9 inches in size, has a display-color of paper white, and has a treated non-glare surface. Using this size picture, titles (characters) as many as 60 x 15 are formed, where total number of dots is 480 x 240 within a display area of 160 mm (H) x 110 mm (V), dot pitch is 0.33 mm x 0.46 mm, and dot structure of the title of 8 x 16.

Thus, displaying Chinese characters and "kana" (phonetic symbols in Japanese language) by 16 dots x 16 dots, and alphanumerics and marks of 8 dots x 16 dots, permits display of Chinese characters and "kana" of 30 x 15 characters. Each display is specified in four levels of graduation, normal brightness, gray 1, gray 2, and black level on a title basis. Reverse display and blinking display are also affected. The input signal timing is used in such a way that the video data is processed for 48 m out of 64 m of the period of a horizontal synchronized signal and for 15.36 ms out of 16.9 ms of the period of a vertical synchronized signal, where the dot frequency fd is 10 MHz and the dot structure is 480 x 240.

The keyboard/display controller 336 receives a clock of 2.7648 ?*iz that is obtained by dividing down to 1/4 the output of a clock generator 346, from which the U/I CPU 46 is supplied clocks. The keyboard/display controller 336 divides the input signal down to 1/27 by a prescaler to obtain 102 kHz, which provides a key/LED scan time of 4.98 ms.

The scan time, if it is too long, takes too long a time to detect the input signal; therefore the data may not be read in properly if the operator's key operation time is too short. Conversely, if the scan time is too short, the frequency of the CPU operation will be too high causing a lower through-put. This optimum scan time should be selected taking these factors into account.

Software arrangement of the user interface consists of a monitor having functions such as I/O management and task management and communication protocol, a video controller having functions such as a key input management and picture output management, and a job controller having functions such as decision of the selection and mode-detecting as shown in Fig. 17.

Thus, as for key input, physical information of the keys is processed by the video controller and the mode is recognized by the job controller for checking the key-accept conditions to control the job. The job controller performs control of the picture on the basis of information on machine states and information on selection modes, etc., to issue the interface commands to the video controller, which in turn executes the commands to edit and draw the picture. A key-change detector unit 362 and other blocks for processing, producing, and controlling the other data which are described as follows have been shown on a predetermined program basis (module). These structural bases are grouped only for convenience of illustration, and some are further formed of a plurality of modules.

In the video controller, the key-change detector 362 is for checking a duplicated operation and continuous pressing, with the aid of a physical key table 361 with respect to the physical key information received from a monitor. A key converter 363 is for converting the physical key thus detected and currently being pressed into a logic key (logic information), and requests the job controller to acknowledge the condition of that logic key (current key). A converter table 364 is referred by the key converter 363 when converting the physical key into the logic key.

For example, a cascade key, too, is a physical key but has a different logic information depending upon the pictures; therefore conversion from the physical-key is controlled on the basis of the display picture information of a display control data 367.

A picture switching unit 368 receives the key acknowledge signal and the logic key from the job controller, or receives the logic key directly from a key converter 363 in the video controller. If the key is not assigned a mode-renewal function, or a state renewal function, calls the basic-copy picture and the more feature copy picture, and in accordance with the thus received basic key, the picture switching unit 368 renews the display control data 367 to the corresponding picture number of the display picture with such a mere picture switching key as develops a pop-up picture by moving a cascade. For this purpose, the picture switching unit 368 stores the logic key for developing the pop-up picture to renew the display control data 367 so that the pop-up picture is developed if the other key is not input within 750 ms after that logic key is operated.This process is to prevent the pop-up picture from being developed every time a selection relating to the pop-up picture is temporarily selected in the course of making a desired selection.

Thus even though it is actually a logic key for developing the pop-up picture, the logic key input is ignored if the other key is input within 750 ms after that logic key has been input. In the case of renewal of a state due to an occurrence of jamming, renewal of copy mode such as cascade movement etc., and renewal of message and counts, a display control unit 369 receives the interface command from the job controller for analyzing it to renew the display control data 367.

The display control data 367 has data for controlling the display of the respective pictures such as a picture number to be displayed and information on display variables in the picture.

The dialog data 370 is a data base of a hierarchical structure having basic frames of the respective pictures, the display data of the respective frame, the reference address of variable data of the display data (address in the display control data 367 in which information on display variables are stored). The dialog edit unit 366 reads the basic frame of the picture to be displayed, and display the data from the dialog data 370 that are displayed on the basis of the picture number stored in the display control data 367. The dialog edit unit 366 also determines the display data in accordance with the information on the display control data 367 for editing the picture and to draw and develop the display picture on the V-RAM 365.

A management key 374 is for interrogating a state table 371 to confirm whether or not the logic key can be accepted, and if acceptable, the management key 374 confirms the key logic providing that the other key information is not input within 750 ms thereafter, and sends the key logic to the key control unit 375.

The key control unit 375 receives and processes the key logic to renew the copy mode 378, to check the mode, and to output the copy-execution command, and knows the machine state to transfer the display control information to a display management 377, thereby performing display control. A copy mode 378 sets the respective copy setting information of the basic copy, more feature copy, and advanced feature copy. The display management unit 377 provides the interface commands, on the basis of the process result from the key control unit 375 or key management 374, to the video controller to activate the interface routine (display control unit 369).

A job control unit 376 receives the machine operation information to provide a command for machine control after the start key is operated, thereby managing execution of the copy operation of an individual document.

A command control unit 373 informs the state management unit 372 and the job control unit 376 of the command state received from the main body while also, during execution of a job, receiving the commands for execution of the job from the job control unit 376 and transmitting them to the main body.

Therefore when the start key is operated and the key control unit 375 sets the command corresponding to the copy mode to a transmission buffer 380 to carry out the copy operation, the commands indicative of machine state are received successively by a receive buffer 379. These commands are transferred to the job control unit 376 via the command control unit 373 so that a next command is output, causing the machine to execute the copy operation every time each sheet of copy is completed, until a machine stop command is output after a required number of sheets of copy work has been done; During this copy operation, if a command indicative of an occurrence of jamming is received, then the state management unit 372 recognizes the jamming state through the command control unit 373 to renew the state table 371, while also causing a display management unit 377 to provide the video controller with the interface command for controlling the jam picture control through the key control unit 375.

Referring to Fig. 22, the upper tray 6-1, the middle tray 6-2, and the lower tray 6-3 as a paper tray, and duplex tray 11 are equipped within the base machine. Optionally, a large capacity tray (HCF) 17 and the manual paper insertion tray (MSI) 16 are equipped on the side of these trays. On each tray are provided a no-paper sensor, a size sensor, and a clutch. The nopaper sensor is a sensor for detecting presence of the copy paper in the feeding tray and the size sensor is a sensor for deciding the size of the paper. The clutch is a component for controlling ON and OFF for driving of the respective paper advancing rolls.

In this manner, setting the same size of copy paper in the plural feeding trays permits feeding the same size of paper from the other feeding tray automatically when one of the feeding trays runs out of paper.

Feeding copy paper is performed by a feed motor exclusively provided, which is a step motor. A feed sensor detects whether or not the feeding of the paper is being performed normally. A gate solenoid is used for registration in which the lead ends of the copy paper fed out are aligned properly. Unlike conventional solenoids, the gate solenoid functions to control in such a way that the gate opens to allow the paper to pass through when energized. Thus, in the standby state in which the paper has not yet arrived, the solenoid is not supplied with electric power so that the gate remains open for saving total power consumption. Immediately before the copy paper arrives, the gate solenoid is energized for closing the gate, thereby not allowing the paper to pass. Thereafter, the solenoid is de-energized to open the gate at a timing for the copy paper again to be delivered.Controlling in this way minimizes variation of the gate position at a time when the lead end of the copy paper is blocked, thereby positioning the copy paper accurately even if the copy paper is strongly depressed against the gate.

In the case where the same paper is copied through a duplex mode in which the paper is copied on both sides thereof or though a synthesis mode, in which a plurality of copy processes are carried out on the same side of the paper, the paper is directed to a transfer route, for stacking in the duplex tray 11. In the duplex mode, the paper is stacked directly in the duplex tray 11 from the transfer route while in the synthetic mode the paper is transferred to an inverter 10 for the synthetic mode, and then the paper is directed to the duplex tray 11 after it is turned around. A gate 503 is provided at a branching point at which the route splits from the transfer route 501 into two directions, one toward a paper take up exit 502 leading to a sorter, and the other toward duplex tray 11.On the duplex tray 11 side, there are provided gates 505 and 506 for switching the transfer route at a branching point leading to a synthetic mode inverter 10.

Also, a gate 507 is provided at the paper take up exit 502 so that the paper can be taken up with the copied side facing up by turning the paper by a tri-roll inverter 9.

The upper tray and middle tray are capable of storing about 50 sheets of paper sizes, of which are A3 to B5, legal size, letter, special B4, and 11 by 17. These trays have a tray motor 551, as shown in Fig. 23, which causes a tray 552 to tilt when the remaining sheets of paper are few. These trays are also provided with three paper size sensors 553 to 555 for detecting paper size, no-paper sensor 556 for detecting that the tray runs out of paper, and a surface control sensor 557 for adjusting tray height. To prevent the tray from climbing too high, an emergency switch 558 is provided. The lower tray can contain about 1100 sheets of paper of the same size as those in the upper tray and the middle tray.

Referring to Fig. 22, the duplex tray can contain about 50 sheets of paper of the same size as those in the aforementioned trays. It is a tray that is used to temporarily contain the copied papers when the papers are to be copied on the same side more than one time, or the papers are to be copied on both sides alternately. The feed roll 507 and the gate 505 are provided at the transfer path on the entrance side of the duplex tray 11 by which selection of paper-transfer is effected depending on whether it is in the synthesis mode or the duplex mode.For example, in the duplex mode, a sheet of paper transferred down from above is directed to the feed roll 509 side while in the synthesis mode the sheet of paper transferred down from above is directed by the gates 505 and 506 to the inverter 10 for the synthesis mode, and then the paper is turned and directed by the gate 506 to a feed roll 510 and the duplex tray 11.

To allow the duplex tray 11 containing the paper to fall freely to a predetermined edge position, a tray-inclining angle of about 17 to 20 degrees is generally required. However, since the duplex tray 11 is accommodated in a narrow space for overall compact size of the apparatus in the present invention, an inclining angle of a maximum of only 8 degrees is allowed. For this reason, the duplex tray 11 is provided with a side guide 561 and an end guide 562 as shown in Fig. 24. The side guide and the end guide are controlled so that they are stopped at a position corresponding to the paper size when the paper size is decided.

A large capacity tray (HCF) is a supply tray that can accommodate many thousand sheets of the copy paper. For example it may often be appropriate to buy only the base machine for customers who need no expansion or reduction of documents or who need copies in only small quantities. Whereas the duplex tray or the large capacity tray are often required for those customers who need copies in large quantities, or who need complex copy work. To meet such a wide variety of requirements, the copier system according to the present invention is of an arrangement in which the respective peripheral devices can easily be attached or detached. -Further, some of the peripheral devices are provided with independent CPUs (Central Processing Units) for divided control by a plurality of CPUs. This arrangement not only improves availability of products that can meet customers' needs but also indicates possibility of new types of copy work that may come with provision of the new peripheral devices, which makes introduction of this copier system very attractive in that the apparatus can propel the evolution of the office work.

The manual paper insertion tray (MSI) 16 is a tray that can accommodate about 50 sheets of paper of the sizes A2F to A6F, particularly large sizes of paper which cannot be accommodated in other trays. With this type of conventional manual paper insertion tray, the copy paper is supplied manually one by one. Thus, the paper is advanced at the time of manual paper insertion, overriding other modes of paper supply thereby eliminating the necessity for the operator to select the tray. In contrast to this, a manual paper insertion tray 16 according to the present invention can set a plurality of copy paper at the same time.

Therefore, if the paper is supplied from the manual insertion tray 16 upon setting of the paper, then the feed of the paper may possibly be started while setting of a plurality of paper is in progress.

To prevent such a case, the manual paper insertion tray 16 is adapted to be selective.

The present invention employs an arrangement in which a measure roll 513, a feed roll 512 and a take away roll 511 are integrally mounted for compactness of the apparatus. After the lead end of the paper is nipped by the take away roll 511, the lead end of the paper is detected by a feed-out sensor which temporarily stops the device, thereby effecting pre-registration for aligning image-transfer position,, and for absorbing any variation in feeding the paper. The paper fed-out is transferred to the image-transfer position of the sensitive material belt 4 through an aligner device 515.

In Fig. 25, the DADF 13 is mounted on the platen 2 of the base machine 1. The DADF 13 is provided with a document tray 602 on which documents 601 are placed. On the document supply side of the document tray 602 a supply paddle 603 is disposed to send out the documents 601 one by one. The documents 601 thus supplied are delivered between a first drive roller 605 and its driven roller 606, and then between a second drive roller 607 and its driven roller 608, toward an arcuate delivery path 609.

Further, the arcuate delivery path 609 is merged into the manual insertion transfer path 610 to be connected with a horizontal transfer path 611. At the exit of the arcuate delivery path 609 a third drive roller 612 is provided, and adapted to be moved up and down by means of a solenoid (not shown), so that it can be moved into and out of driven engagement with the driven roller 613. The horizontal transfer path 611 is provided with a stop gate 615 driven into rotation by a drive motor (not shown) and is also connected to a turning delivery path 616 toward the arcuate delivery path 609. The turning delivery path 616 is provided with a fourth drive roller 617.Also, a belt drive roller 619 is provided on the platen glass 2 in opposition to the exit of the horizontal delivery path 611, so that the belt 621, sandwiched between its driven roller 620, can be driven in the normal and reverse directions. A fifth drive roller 622 is provided. A sixth drive roller 623 is provided on the aforementioned manual insertion transfer path 610. Two drive rollers 623 are provided in front and back of the base machine 1 (in a direction normal to the paper) and are capable of simultaneously advancing two sheets of paper of the same size. Reference numeral 625 is a cleaning tape for cleaning the surface of the supply paddle 603 with a seventh drive roller 626.

Next, the photosensors S1 to S12 will be described with reference to Fig. 26. The S1 is a no-paper sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the document 601 on the document tray 602.

The S2 is a take away sensor for detecting the passage of the document. S3 and 54 are feed sensors provided along the manual delivery path 610. The Sg is a registration sensor for detecting whether or not the tilted feeding of the document is corrected by a skew roller 627 and is positioned at the predetermined position on the stop gate 615. The S6 to S10 are paper, size sensors for detecting the size of the document paper, and the S11 is a take up sensor for detecting whether or not the document has been discharged. The S12 is an end sensor for detecting the end lead of the cleaning tape 625.

Next the operation of the DADF 13 of the aforementioned arrangement will be described with reference to Fig. 27. Fig.

27(a) is the platen mode in which the document copy 601 is placed on the platen for exposure. Fig. 27(b) is the simplex mode, in which the document copies 601 are placed in the document tray 602 in layer with the surface to be copied facing up. Pressing the start button causes the first drive roller 605 and the second drive roller 607 to rotate. The third drive roller 612 moves upwardly to be out of engagement with the driven roller 613 while at the same time the stop gate 615 descends to block the horizontal delivery path 611. Thereby, the document copy 601 passes through the arcuate delivery path 609 to be depressed against the stop gate 615 (1 to 2).At this position in the stop gate 615, the document is corrected in its position by the skew roller 627 so that the lead end of the document is perpendicular to the horizontal delivery path 611 while at the same time the size of the document is detected by the sensors S6 to Slo. Then, the third drive roller 612 moves downwardly to abut the driven roller 613 while the stop gate 615 moves up to open the horizontal delivery path 611. The third drive roller 612, a belt drive roller 619, and the fifth drive roller 622 rotate to deliver the document toward the required position on the platen 2 for exposure with the surface thereof to be copied facing downwardly, and the document copy is then discharged. This operation also applies to a case where a single document is delivered through the manual delivery path 610. In addition to a function in which the document is delivered one by one, the simplex mode has a function of delivering two document copies of the same size (2-up), delivering a large size of document (LDC), and a computer form feeder (CCF) for delivering continuous paper for computers.

Fig. 27(c) is the duplex mode, which is the same as the aforementioned process 1 to 3 of Fig. 27(b) in that the document is exposed on one side thereof. When exposure of one side of the paper is completed, the belt drive roller 619 rotates in the reverse direction, the third roller 612 moves upwardly out of engagement with the driven roller 613, and the stop gate 615 descends to block the horizontal delivery path 611. Thus, the document paper is delivered to the turning delivery path 616 then is further driven by the fourth drive roller 617 and the second drive roller 607 to pass through the arcuate delivery path 609 and then is depressed against the stop gate 615 (4 to 5). Then, the third drive roller 612 moves downwardly into engagement with the driven roller 613, while the stop gate 615 moves up to open the horizontal delivery path 611.The third drive roller 612, the belt drive roller 619, and the fifth drive roller 622 rotate to send the document paper for exposure toward the predetermined position on the platen 2 with the reverse surface of the document facing down. Upon completion of exposure of the both sides of the document copy, the belt drive roller 619 again rotates in the reverse direction, thereby delivering the document delivered to the turning delivery path 616 again. Thereafter, the document passes over the platen 2, and is discharged by the fifth driven roller 622 in like manner (7 to 10). Therefore, the documents thus discharged are stacked in a layer, in the order they were initially stacked in the document tray 602, with the surface first subjected to the copy process facing downwardly.

In Fig. 28, the sorter 19 has a sorter main body 652 and twenty bins 653 on a movable cargo 651. Within the sorter main body 652 are provided a belt drive roller 656 for driving a delivery belt 655 and its driven roller 657 as well as a chain drive sprocket 660 for driving a chain 659 and its driven sprocket 661. The belt drive roller 656 and chain drive sprocket 660 are driven by a sorter motor 658. Above the delivery belt 655 are provided a paper entrance 662, paper exit 663 and a switching gate 665 driven by a solenoid not shown. Also, the chain 659 is provided with an indexer 666 for feeding the copy paper to the respective bins. As shown in Fig. 29, rotation of the drive shaft 671 of the sorter motor 658 is transmitted to a pulley 673 by means of a timing belt 672.Rotation of the pulley 673 is transmitted to the belt drive roller 656 while also being transmitted to the chain drive sprocket 660 through a gear assembly 674.

The operation of the sorter will now be described with reference to Fig. 30. Fig. 30(a) shows a non-sort mode, in which the switching gate 665 is positioned at "non sort" to deliver the copy paper to the uppermost take-up tray. Fig. 30(b) shows a sort mode in which the switching gate 665 is shifted to "sort," thus odd-number sheets are delivered to odd-number trays in a downward direction and even-number sheets are delivered to evennumbered trays in an upward direction. The time required for sorting is reduced. Fig. 30(c) and Fig. 30(d) illustrate a stack mode. Fig. 30(c) shows an example of four document copies, four copies for each document. Fig. 30(d) shows a case in which a maximum number of sheets per bin is exceeded, for example if 50 sheets is exceeded then the remainder will be contained in the next bin.

An arrangement of a copier as a storage apparatus has been described in detail. The power consumption of such a copier, operating at a high speed of 64 sheets per minute of A4 size copy, and employing a large number of components for high-level functions, will be large. Since the electric power source available at households or offices is of a voltage of generally 100 V and a current capacity of 15 A maximum, the allowable power consumption will be 1.5 kVA at the most.

If the power consumption is not of primary importance, then a special power source capable of 20 A can be employed. However, as mentioned in earlier, considering probable sale quantity of the copiers, whether or not the total power consumption can be assured within 1.5 kVA is a very fundamental aspect of a product concept.

In order to implement power consumption of the copier within 1.5 kVA, it is necessary to supervise the toner-material, the properties of parts (both mechanical and electrical) to be used, the control method of the respective subsystems, the timing diagram, etc., under a standarized rule throughout the entire copier. For example, toner-material can indirectly influence power consumption and performance of the storage apparatus. That is, if fixing toner requires high temperatures, then a large current has to be allowed to flow through the fuser lamp thus requring a large power consumption, while if so called low melt toner, which melts at low temperatures, is used, then the fuser requires less power consumption, thus devoting more current for motors, etc., for increased operating speeds. Another problem to be considered is the type of sensitive material which should be used.If the sensitive material is of high sensitivity, then the exposure lamp will require a lesser amount of light, thus saving lamp power. Also, if the exposure lamp has good charge properties then the capacity of a high voltage power supply (referred to as HVPS hereafter) can be small. But this does not mean that sensitive material of good sensitivity and charge characteristics is all that is needed. No matter how good a sensitivity and good charge characteristics the material may have, poor developing property with toner does not permit high quality copy results. Therefore, the sensitive material should be selected in terms of only sensitivity and charge characteristics but also its combined effects with the toner. Further, decision of which of a fluorescent lamp and a halogen lamp is used affects not only power consumption of the copier but also the size of the storage apparatus.In other words, a halogen lamp has a small tube diameter thus it does not affect the height of the storage apparatus too much. Further, it is more advantageous than the fluorescent lamp in terms of cost. The problem is that it consumes a large amount of power and cannot stand "G" i.e.,'rate of the carriage acceleration to gravitational acceleration in scan back if scanning is at high speeds. Whereas the fluorescent lamp has a tube diameter of about 40 mm which causes a somewhat greater height of the storage apparatus but has a mechanical strength that can stand "G," and above all, is advantageous in power consumption. Thus, the type of the lamp is determined by comparing these factors. Also, control method affects efficiency, therefore power consumption. For example, conversion from AC to DC is necessary in the LVPS subsystem and HVPS subsystem and this conversion efficiency affects power consumption.

It is of great importance whether a series dropper method is used or chopper method is used or pulse width conversion method (PWM).

If the latter is to be used then the problem is whether bipolar devices are used or unipolar devices are used as a switching element. Thus, it should be apparent that a systematic approach is required in selecting even a single lamp or toner.

In this manner, even changing one component affects not only the power consumption but also the size of the entire apparatus, and control method etc. thus, mere usage of small-power consuming components is not a sufficient answer. Fruther, changing the components may not be done independently of the other subsystems.

Consequently, a systematic approach is of vital importance in implementing the total power consumption within 1.5 kVA.

Having discussed the necessity of system design, Fig. 31 now illustrates what items should actually be considered to be regulated. From Fig. 31, it should be appreciated that the system design should be done on a system basis and a component-to-beused basis. On the basis of the systems, regulation is required for improving power factor, determining the operation of DC or AC, timing-disperson, stealing, and power-allocation.

The power factor improvement is of vital necessity to minimize reactive power of the entire system. The determination of system operation on DC or AC represents whether either alternating current or direct current should be allowed to flow through a given load, and comparison in efficiency and possiblity of improvement of the efficiency are criterion in deciding employment of which of the two should be used. Such a selection includes a question of whether an AC motor or a DC motor should be used.

The DC motor requires a low voltage power supply circuit (referred to as LVPS hereafter) which converts alternating current into direct current. Since total efficiency is determined by the product of the motor efficiency and the conversion efficiency of the LVPS, the total efficiency is 0.36 assuming that the motor efficiency is 0.6 and the conversion efficiency of the LVPS is 0.6. An AC motor can directly operate on alternating current, and efficiency thereof is about 0.3 to 0.4. Thus, taking the comparison result and possibility of improvement in conversion efficiency of the LVPS into account, it can be decided which type of motor to use. In this manner, whether a part of the system is to be operated on direct current or on alternating current is a matter that has to be considered on a total system basis.

The timing-dispersion is for averaging out load throughout the entire system operation. Current waveforms when a copier is operative are shown, for example, in Fig. 32. This wave is so shaped because the load becomes sometimes capacitive and sometime inductive in various forms depending on the operating timings.

The problem is whether or not the total power consumption exceeds 1.5 kVA when the load current is at its peak value. Minimizing the difference between the peaks and the valleys of the current waveforms by regulating the load fluctuation can control the power consumption within 1.5 kVA even if it is over 1.5 kVA.

However, timing-dispersion is not a complete solution. For example, to achieve a high speed copy operation of 64 sheets per minute, actual operation timing necessitates a large amount of current to flow for quickly returning the first can system to its home position, during which a peak current is inevitable. In the case where the peak current still results after the timingdispersion, energization of the other load is stopped when the load current reaches the peak value. This de-energization is called a stealing by which the loads are balanced by the amount of power consumption on a component basis as well as on a subsystem basis in advance. This is the target on a subsystem basis, within which target the required specification have to be satisfied.

As described above, designing the individual systems independently of the others cannot control the power consumption within 1.5 kVA only, but the systematic approach can implement the maximum power less than 1.5 kVA.

Likewise, regulation of components to be used is also needed in terms of six items, i.e., efficiency, power factor, drive torque and total power of each component determined by its efficiency, power factor, and drive torque, selection of components, and attractive force.

The selection of components represents which components supplied by which maker should be chosen in selecting components for a given design part. As mentioned above, even a single component can affect the entire system considerably; therefore it is persuasive that employment of components should be done on a total system basis.

The attractive force is a pulling-force that solenoid loads require. How much attractive force should be provided to drive the solenoid loads require decision. The solenoid load may take a wide variety of forms depending on such considerations as a shape of a link mechanism. Thus, it is necessary to know on an entire system basis the attractive force that the solenoid should provide, thereby utilizing electric power effectively.

As is apparent from the description above, individual design of the respective systems in a conventional way cannot achieve the power consumption of less than 1.5 kVA, but regulation on a system basis and a component basis can implement the total power within 1.5 kVA.

Once items to be regulated are determined in the system design, a method to manage these items i.e., a procedure to perform the system design is of interest, considering in various aspects how the procedure can be conveniently formed in a flow similar to that shown in Fig. 1.

In accordance with Fig. 1, fundamental systems are first determined at process 01. Specifically, this process determines questions such as the maximum power consumption in VA which should be set, the number of copies per minute which should be set, whether or not a sagging system should be employed, and creation of an energy distribution diagram. The purpose of the sagging system would be to allow the copier to halt when the temperature of the fuser decreases. In other words, assuming a lowest allowable temperature for toner-fixing is Tg, the fuser is conventionally designed so that the lowest allowable temperature does not become lower than Tg, as shown in Fig. 33 by a curve of 700.For this purpose, a large amount of current has to be supplied into the fuser lamp, which may cause the total power consumption to increase over 1.5 kVA. The sagging system is to allow the fuser temperature to drop below Tg, as shown in Fig. 33 by curve 700 and to cause the copier to halt operation thereof at a time to. Additionally, when employing the sagging system, the copier should be arranged so that the number of copies successively processed should be set to at least 100 sheets. Further, the operation of the copier is automatically resumed when the fuser temperature rises after the halt of operation.

The energy diagram is, as shown in Fig. 34, a diagram which shows which subsystem the copier is provided, and illustrates in a hierarchy of loads which are connected to the respective subsystems. For example, as shown in Fig. 34, the LVPS is provided with an LVPS-2, and an LVPS-3 in addition to an LVPS-1 having 4 outputs for the processor. The LvPS-2, not shown, is used as a power supply for servo, and is adapted to provide a voltage of 36.5 V while the LVPS-3 is used as a power supply for the sorter and is adapted to provide 24 V. The reason why the LVPS is arranged in 3 separate units is that the power supply for driving circuits that are operative at all times is distinguished from the supply required only for driving the optional devices, thereby saving power capacity of the supplies for the optional devices.In other words, if all the 24-volt supply is to be obtained from the LVPS-1, then the LVPS has to be capable of supplying the optional sorter. Therefore it is very uneconomical.

Thus, the power supplies for the optional devices are arranged separately so that the supplies are used only when the optional devices become operative. Describing the LVPS in more detail, a sensor is connected with a +5 V supply of the LVPS-1 and the solenoid is connected with a +24 V supply of the LVPS-1. Although not shown, the CRT power supply for user interface is obtained from a + 5 V supply. Referring to Fig. 34, when the power consumption of the solenoid is increased by a certain amount, it can intuitively be known how much the load of the subsystem LVPS-1 is increased and accordingly, the total power is increased by that amount. For example, when the power consumption is reduced and the power factor or efficiency of the LVPS-1 is simultaneously improved, the contribution to the overall performance can be easily calculated.Fig. 34 illustrates part of the energy distribution, actually including more subsystems with which the respective loads are connected.

When determination of the fundamental systems at process 01 is completed, target values are set on a component basis and on a subsystem basis at process 01. If the total power requirement from the respective subsystems for meeting the required specification is less than 1.5 kVA there will be no problem but if it is in excess of 1.5 kVA then a target value is set and the design work is performed to satisfy this target value. Then the copier is made on trial at process 03, and measurement is performed at process 04. Torque and current are measured on a component basis, and total efficiency, timing, and current etc. are measured on a current basis. If the measurement of the consumed power at process 04 is decided to be less than 1.5 kVA then the design is said to have been completed. If not, then process 06 is performed.

There would be no problems if the targets are accomplished at all the subsystems. However, there can be a case where the target values of the current are still not enough to meet the requirements. Process 06 is provided for this case. In process 06, improvement of the power factor, the efficiency, stealing are performed for reducing power consumption in order to maintain less than 1.5 kVA. This is an essential item for effectively utilizing electric power. For example, the load of the LVPS is a large capacitance to cause a leading phase, while the motor is an inductive load to cause a lagging phase. The power factor for the LVPS, the motor, and the entire system level must be improved. In other words, improvement of the power factor of the entire system is needed in order for the LVPS and the motor to be well balanced when they work together.

The same idea is also true of the efficiency. As stated above, the more the efficiency is improved the more effectively the electric power is used. The motor is expected to operate at an operating point of maximum torque but the torque, as shown in Fig. 35, depends on current or load. In other words, the current increases with increasing load while the torque decreases. In such a case, a shaft is supported by, for example, a ball bearing for "less load" so that the torque of the motor can be used fully. This is because it is more advantageous in terms of cost with metal bearings or plastic bearings than with ball bearings but the ball bearing is more advantageous in terms of power consumption and noise reduction. Stealing can be effectively performed with an exposure lamp, which will be described later.

Other approaches include substitution for other components, for example re-layout of the belt routing, and deletion of bleeder resistances of the LVPS, which will also be described later.

After these measures are taken, resultant power consumption is measured at process 07, and if the total power consumption is less than 1.5 kVA then the design is said to have been completed.

If it is not less than 1.5 kVA the flow returns to process 01 to repeat the above-described processes.

Thus, the copier can be designed in a systematic way.

Having understood the flow of the system design, it is nec essay to know what should actually be effected as a measure for implementing 1.5 kVA. Thus, a specific example will be shown as follows.

A first question in the fuser system is what material should be used for a heat roll. Aluminum, which has been used conventionally can be replaced by copper, which permits improvement of heat transfer efficiency and reduction of power consumption.

Also, tolerance of the fuser lamp is changed, for example, from 3% to *2%. If the tolerance of the fuser lamp is l3% when the rating of the fuser lamp is 800 vA, then the power supply must have a capacity of 824 VA. However, the power supply needs only 816 VA if the tolerance is *2%, thereby saving electric power.

Further, when the scan system returns, fuser cut is effected in the fuser subsystem to stop supply of current to the fuser lamp to make the load as consistent as possible. The fuser cut is illustrated with reference to Fig. 36 through Fig. 39. Fig.

36 is a diagram for illustrating an arrangement of the fuser, in which the heat roll 710 is incorporated within two fuser lamps 713 and 714. These lamps are of a type in which halogen gas is charged in a silica glass, which are widely used as fuser lamps.

The paper is delivered through a paper delivery path 712 between the heat roll 710 and a pressure roll 711. A finger 715 functions to prevent the paper from wrapping around the heat roll.

With this construction, the fuser lamps 713 and 714 are of different ratings. For example, the lamp 713 is of 800 VA and the lamp 714 of 500 VA. The lamp 713 is normally on but is not supplied with current for a given length of time when the scan system returns, while the lamp 714 comes on only when the copy operation is not in progress. In other words, the fuser is assigned 800 VA as a normal power since electric power also has to be supplied to the motor while the copy operation is in progress. However, when the scan system returns, the motor has to be supplied more current to quickly return the scan system to its home position. Therefore, the lamp 713 also goes out for a pre determined length of time during this period to save a power of 800 VA for the motor. At this time, the fuser consumes no power.

On the other hand, the motor is inoperative in the standby condi tion when the copy operation is not in progress; thus the power now saved is applied to the lamp 713 to thereby store heat in the fuser with 1300 VA, including the power from the lamp 714. Addi tionally, the fusers A and B in Fig. 34 designate that there are two fuser lamps.

The timing of the fuser cut is shown in Fig. 37. Fig. 37 is a timing chart for a case where the DADF is used and the length thereof is 2, i.e. the number of sheets to copy is 2. With this copier, when the scan is completed and the return is initiated, a scan end signal is output. The fuser cut is effected with refer ence to the scan end signal. First, the current to the lamp 713 is cut for a predetermined length of time B, a given length of time A after the rising edge (FIRST SCAN END in Fig. 34) of the scan end signal which is output upon completion of the first scanning. This is a normal fuser cut.Thus, current to the lamp 713 cis again cut for predetermined length-of time BF given length of time A after the rising edge (LAST SCAN END in Fig. 34) of the scan end signal when the second scanning is completed, but this time around electric power is needed for the DADF to replace the document. Therefore the fuser cut is once again effected.

The second fuser cut is performed for a given length of time D, a predetermined length of time C after the rising edge of the scan end signal. If the fuser cut is prolonged just because power can be saved, timing at which the sagging is entered becomes short.

Thus, it is necessary to set these predetermined lengths of time A, B, C, and D such that the load is made uniform most efficiently in accordance with the peak of power consumption. In the above description, the required data e.g., the number of copies to be made can be obtained from the main CPU.

Fig. 38 is a diagram for illustrating a circuit arrangement of the fuser subsystem. In Fig. 38, the fuser unit 716 is formed of fuser lamps 717 and 718, a thermostat 719, and thermistors 720 and 721. The fuser lamps 717 and 718 are connected with the power supply 724 through SSR (solid state relay 722 and 723, respectively.) Reference numeral 725 is a relay and reference numeral 726 is a fail-safe circuit. In this fuser subsystem circuit, assuming that the fusers 717 and 718 correspond to 713 -(800 VA) and 714 (500 VA), the SSR-1 772 stops supply of current to the fuser lamp 717 to perform the fuser cut upon a signal in Fig.

37b which is output from the main CPU (not shown). The SSR-2 773 is closed only when the main CPU causes the copier to be in the standby state, during which time the fuser lamp 718 lights up.

The thermostat 719 is-disposed in-the vicinity of the heat roll 710 (Fig. 36) for opening the circuit to deenergize the fuser lamp 717 and 718 when the ambient temperature of the heat roll 710 increases, thereby preventing the fuser roll from being damaged by abnormal high temperatures. The thermistor 720 is connected with the main CPU for monitoring the fuser temperature. A thermistor 721 is also provided for monitoring the fuser temperature and is connected with the fail safe circuit 726. The fail safe circuit 726 detects the fuser temperature from a change in resistance of the thermistor 721 and decides that the fuser has malfunctioned when the fuser reaches a predetermined temperature, thus stopping the supply of current to the fuser lamp by means of the relay 725.In other words, the fuser temperature is controlled in dual ways by the thermostat 719 and also by the thermistor 721. Since the fuser is heated with 1300 VA in the standby state as mentioned above, overheating may possibly cause an abnormal fuser temperature. The fail safe circuit 726 mohitors the states of the copier using various sensors (not shown) so that it drives the relay 725 and/or the SSR 722 and 723 to stop supply of current to the fuser lamps 717 and 718 when any malfunction occurs. Fig. 39 is a diagram for showing the effect of the fuser cut shown in Fig. 37. In Fig. 39, the time axis is different in scale for scanning and returning. The polarity of the scan end signal is opposite to that shown in Fig. 37.A solid line shows a current waveform when the fuser cut is not done and a dotted a a.dotted-ine illustrates current wavef.ormwhenj.the fuser cut is performed. These waveforms clearly show the effect of the fuser cut. In the case where the fuser cut is not effected, not only is the current for the scan system required to return when replacing the document but also the current for the document replacement is needed. -Thus peak current appears as shown by the solid line in Fig. 39. Performing fuser cut evidently reduces the current. The downward peaks of the dotted line corresponds to the fuser cut performed two times in Fig. 37 when replacing the document.

Since the motor is for transmitting its drive power to the belts and wires to drive the scan system and the sensitive material belt etc., it is necessary to choose a motor having a good efficiency. In addition to this, it is also necessary that reduction and optimization of the load be done by employing ball bearings for rotary shafts and implementating lighter load weights (for example, reduction of a carriage weight of the first scan system).

Also routing the belts and the wires is investigated to change layout thereof as required. If tension of the belts and the wires is too low then the power of the motor is not effectively transmitted. Similarly, the load will be too large if the tension is too high. Thus, the layout of the belts and wires is critical. This necessitates determination of the location of an idler installation and the length of the belts etc. so that the motor is applied as an optimum load. Making the respective roller diameters large and lowering rotational speeds of the respective shafts will assure a good result. This is because power loss due to frictional resistances of the drive system is proportional to the rotational speed thereof. Fig. 40 shows a specific example of the layout of the timing belt. Fig. 40 is a rear side view of the main body of the copier, in which, as described in the topic of an imaging module, two main motors 727 and 723 are used so that the motors can operate at operating points for good efficiency. A first main motor 727 is adapted to drive the high capacity tray (HCF), the manual insertion tray (MSI), paper delivery roll (TRA), the developing equipment (DEVE), the duplex out (DUP OUT) and three feeders. A second main motor 728 is oriented to drive the sensitive material belt (P/R), the cleaner, the fuser, the inverters and the duplex in (DUP IN). Then the respective parts of the copiers are adapted to be driven at given rotational speeds by suitably selecting gear ratios of the gears and the diameters of the pulleys. Arrows in Fig. 40 designate the rotational direction of the timing belt.

In this manner, judiciously apportioning loads to the two motors in accordance with the distance from the main motors and the sizes of the loads permits retarding variation of the load.

Additionally, the reason why the timing belts are combined with the pulleys is that the force transmitting efficiency thereof is 98%, higher than that of 95t of the combination of a combination chain and sprocket. This is more advantageous than the chain and sprocket in terms of power consumption, though it is less advantageous in terms of a degree of freedom in the design.

As to the exposure system, it is necessary to improve power factor of the exposure lamp for decreased power consumption.

Specifically, the lighting-up circuit is caused to be phaseleading and the pre-heat circuit is made phase lagging, thereby improving overall power factor. By this arrangement, assuming that the lighting frequency is 100 kHz, the power factor was improved from 70% of a conventional apparatus to about 79%, and the efficiency was improved to 81%, thus the product of the efficiency and the power factor is improved to about 64% from about 60% of the conventional apparatus.

Improving a reflector enclosing the exposure lamp can also .

reduce the power consumption of the exposure lamp, because the higher the reflection efficiency of the reflector, the less amount of light is required to be emanated. For example, employing a super reflection mirror whose reflector surface is mirror-finished through electrolytic polishing increases the reflected light by approximately 20%, being effective to achieve power consumption of less than 1.5 kVA. Likewise, improving transmissivity of a lens used in the exposure subsystem is also effective. The transmissivity of the lens is normally approximately 0.9. If the transmissivity can be improved to 0.93 by applying a coating to this lens, then the power consumption can be reduced by approximately 20 VA.In other words, poor transmissivity of the lens will require more current to obtain a required amount of exposure light; therefore better transmissivity will require less amount of exposure light, thus permitting reduction of the amount of current.

In the exposure subsystem, stealing can be performed by reducing the gain of the exposure lamp when the scan system returns. That is, when returning, the scan system needs a large amount of power while the exposure lamp does not have to be left energized in principle; thus a corresponding amount of power can be apportioned to the scan system. However, since deenergizing the exposure lamp will cause a delay of the start of the next copy operation which in turn causes fogs, the lamp current should be set to a lowest limit of the control range. Fig. 41 shows an example thereof. Assuming that lamp current control range of the exposure lamp is 0.8 to 3.0 A and a current in this range is represented using 8 bits.In scanning, 8-bit data ("controlled current" in Fig. 41) of the current that is determined by the document and magnification etc. is output from the optical CPU (reference numeral 45 in Fig. 4). A predetermined amount of current is supplied to the exposure lamp in accordance with the 8-bit data. At the falling edge of the scan end signal is set a fixed current data "00"; therefore the lamp current is 0.8 A, the lowest value in the control range. When the "return" is completed and then the next scan is initiated, the lamp current is again controlled by the "controlled current" data. At this time, the time T during which the fixed current flows should be set in such a way that the stealing can be performed most efficiently.

The gain down of the exposure lamp thus far described is illustrated in Fig. 42. In the figure, a solid line shows a current waveform when the gain down is effected while a dotted line shows a current waveform when the gain down is not performed. If the gain down is not performed, then the current is at its peak when returning. This is due to the fact that speed control of the scan system requires, when returning, a large amount of current for servo in addition to the current for the exposure lamp.

It should be appreciated that application of the gain down of the exposure lamp can offset the servo load of the scan system to a certain degree. Disagreement between the solid line and the dotted line results from the time constant required for the effect of the gain down to appear due to a large amount of current used. It should be noted that in Fig. 42, the time axis of the scanning and the time axis of the return are in a different scale.

The description above has been presented with the fixed value being the minimum or lowest value in the control range.

This is because the stealing has been considered as a priority and the fixed value can of course be a larger value if starting of the next copy operation is considered as a higher priority.

Also, the "controlled currents" before and after the fixed current is generally different because between the "controlled currents" the document may be replaced or the magnificationmay be changed.

The above description is an example in which the lamp current of the exposure lamp when returning is maintained constant, but more precise control is preferred in some cases depending on the copy mode. For example, it is necessary to increase the amount of exposing light in the reduction mode of copy. If the lamp current returning is fixed to 0.8 A then the copy-initiating time of the next copy operation is too long, thereby fogs may occur. Thus, as mentioned below, the lamp current may be varied in accordance with the magnification when returning. For example, the data R of the lamp current when returning is given by the following equations: When 50 < m < 64, R=D-60 When 64 5 m < 72, R=D(354-ll*m) When 72 < m < 200 R=D-60 where D is the present value of the "controlled current," m is the magnification.

From this, not only stealing but also initiation of the copy can be performed well.

Employment of a latching solenoid permits reduction in power consumption. Conventional solenoids require a constant supply of current during driving while the latching solenoid requires no current once it is driven into a latch condition though it requires current for a given time for driving. Thus, a latching solenoid can contribute to a power saving of the solenoid system.

Fig. 43 shows a cleaner blade that is driven by the latching solenoid. The cleaner blade is provided for removing toner deposited on the sensitive material belt, and the cleaner blade 730 is in contact with the sensitive material belt 731 in an ordinary consecutive copy operation as shown in Fig. 43a. To control the cleaner blade, a solenoid control signal and a relay control signal are needed, and to arrange as shown in Fig. 43a, the solenoid control signal is set from "1" to "0" as shown in Fig. 43b and the relay control signal is set to "1" only for a predetermined length of time T. The relay is supplied with current only for the time period T to become latched. This operation causes the cleaner blade 730 to move toward an arrow 733 to cause the blade to abut the sensitive material belt 731.The time T, during which the current flows through the relay, may be of the order of 100 msec. Reference numeral 734 in the figure indicates the direction of rotation of the sensitive material belt. The above mentioned operation of the solenoid is the state in which the copy operation is in progress. On the edge of the cleaner blade are deposited not only paper dust but also foreign materials. Thus, when the copy operation is not in progress, the cleaner blade 730 is disengaged from the sensitive material belt 731 to eliminate the foreign material. In this case, the solenoid control signal is set from "0" to "1" as well as the relay control signal is set to "1" for the time T during which the current is allowed to flow through the relay as shown in Fig. 43d.

Thereby the cleaner blade 730 is moved in the direction of an arrow 735 to disengage from the sensitive material belt 731.

Since the clutch is adapted to generally operate when energized, some applications require constant supply of current.

Thus this type of clutch is disadvantageous if the total power consumption is to be maintained within 1.5 kVA. In such cases, the use of a reverse-operation clutch, through which the following mechanism is driven when the current is blocked, permits a power saving. For example, the belt clutch may be conveniently constructed by the reverse-operation clutch. The belt clutch is for transmitting the torque of the main motor to drive the sensitive material belt for driving the belt into rotation, and is engaged when the main motor is operating and is disengaged when the main motor is inoperative. Thus, it should be understood that it is only when the main motor which requires a large amount of current is inoperative that the belt clutch is supplied current.

As mentioned previously, the LVPS consists of 3 units each of which has one converter, and AC is converted into DC on a unit basis. A chopper method or PWM is employed from a point of view of efficiency for converting AC into DC, a switching device of which is an FET, which is a unipolar amorphous device used for transformer core material, thereby reducing switching loss which in turn improves efficiency of the LVPS. Also, in the LVPS subsystem, bleeder resistors are eliminated and a dummy resistor and choke coils are inserted. Generally, bleeder resistors are inserted within the input line thereof to overcome a rush current problem. This bleeder resistor can be a direct cause of power loss and is, therefore, eliminated. In that case, however, the circuit needs be arranged or the suitable components should be employed so that the circuit will not be affected by a rush current.

The LVPS supplies the current in accordance with the size of the load but the load when the copier is in a standby condition is very different from that when the copier is operative; therefore the load is not consistent and there is a possibility of causing an abnormal phenomenon. To avoid such cases the dummy resistor is connected when the load is rather small to balance out the load. Of course, insertion of the dummy resistor causes more power loss but is not troublesome in terms of total power consumption of 1.5 kVA, because the dummy resistor is inserted in the standby condition i.e., when the load is small, moreover the abnormal phenomenon rather loses product value.

Provision of the choke coil improves the power factor. The LVPS feeds a capacitive load, and thus is of a leading phase.

Therefore, insertion of the choke improves the power factor as well as decreases the reactive power. The HVPS should be of a divided type for the same reason as the LVPS. How many units the HVPS should be divided into can suitably be determined con sidering required voltages, power, and functions. For example, the units may be arranged by four units, e.g., a charge unit, a transfer unit, a bias unit and other units including a pre-charge unit and a pre-transfer unit etc. A chopper method or PWM is employed to convert from AC into DC as in the LVPS for improved efficiency, switching device of which chopper is preferably an FET, which is a unipolar device.By this arrangement, the efficiency can be improved to 508 for AC-operated systems from a conventional value of 40%, and to 75% for DC-operated systems from a conventional value of 60%, respectively, thus saving a total of about 20 VA in overall power consumption. Also using a thick wire for the transformer primary winding can reduce power loss.

Conventional NMOS-type CPU's in subsystems on printed circut boards is replaced by CMOS-type CPU's, thereby saving a power of about 1.5 VA. The load in the DADF subsystem may be reduced as in the motor subsystem by adding more pulleys, modifying the belt-length, or modifying the route of the belts.

As is apparent from the aforementioned description, according to the present invention, a design method in which the apparatus can be considered on a component basis as well as on a system basis throughout the entire arrangement thereof. Thus, following the procedures of .the design method, the power consumption can be maintained within a legal power rating without difficulty. Since the entire apparatus is considered in a systematic way, an appropriate measure can be taken easily when some problems occur or when a part is substituted.

Claims

1. A storage apparatus, comprising: an exposure lamp for illuminating a document; a scanning system for scanning the document with light emitted from the exposure lamp; and lamp gain adjusting means for adjusting luminance of the exposure lamp, the lamp gain adjusting means reducing a gain of the exposure lamp at a return operation of the scanning system.

2. The apparatus of Claim 1, where in a quantity of gain reduction by the lamp gain adjusting means is changed in accordance with the storage magnification.