Copying machine designed to successively copy two different documents on different recording medium surfaces

A copying machine capable of operating in the divisional copying mode in which first and second documents, such as the successive pages of an open book, placed on the contact glass are copied on different recording medium surfaces, respectively. The copying machine is provided with copying condition setting means capable of individually setting different copying conditions, such as copied image density, for the first and second documents, respectively. The first document and the second document are scanned under the copying condition set for the first document and under the copying condition set for the second document, respectively, and the first and second documents are copied on different recording medium surfaces, respectively.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention: 
The present invention relates to a copying machine and, more specifically, 
to a copying machine incorporating a copying system capable of 
successively copying two different documents, such as the successive pages 
of an open book, on two different recording medium surfaces. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Recently, an electrophotographic copying machine, such as disclosed in U.S. 
Pat. No. 4,017,173, incorporating a copying system capable of successively 
copying two different documents on two different recording medium surfaces 
has been proposed to improve the efficiency of copying operation. In such 
a copying machine, the successive pages of an open book placed on the 
contact glass are scanned successively and are copied on the respective 
surfaces of two separate copying sheets or on the opposite sides of a 
single copying sheet in a single copying cycle. Accordingly, copying 
sheets need not be cut in a predetermined size, and hence such a copying 
machine is capable of efficient copying operation. 
However, the conventional copying machine incorporating such a copying 
system is merely capable of successively copying different documents in 
the same copying conditions. 
As regards copied image density, one of the copying conditions, for 
example, in copying the successive pages of an open book placed on the 
contact glass in a single copying cycle, the copying machine is unable to 
be set in two different copying conditions appropriate to the different 
pages, respectively. Therefore, when the two pages are different from each 
other in original image density, one or both of the pages are not copied 
in a desired copied image density. Such a problem arises also in 
successively copying two different documents different from each other in 
original image density in a single copying cycle. 
As regards copying magnification, another copying condition, in 
successively copying two documents different from each other in size in a 
single copying cycle, the sizes of the respective copied images of the two 
documents are different from each other, because the conventional copying 
machine is unable to be set in different copying magnifications for the 
two documents, and hence it is impossible to obtain the copies of the same 
image size from documents different from each other in size. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a copying 
machine incorporating such a copying system capable of being set in 
different copying conditions appropriate to two different documents placed 
on the contact glass, respectively. 
It is another object of the invention to provide a copying machine 
incorporating such a copying system capable of successively copying two 
different documents setting the copied image density individually. 
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present 
invention will become more apparent from the following description taken 
in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The constitution of a copying machine incorporating the present invention 
will be described hereinafter with reference to FIG. 1. 
The copying machine is capable of being set in two copying modes, namely, a 
first copying mode in which the entire copying area of the contact glass 
is scanned continuously to copy the image of a document placed on the 
contact glass on a single copying surface, and a second copying mode in 
which the copying area is divided across the scanning direction into a 
first copying area and a second copying area, and different documents 
placed in the first and second copying areas, respectively, are scanned 
individually to copy the doucments on different copying surfaces, 
respectively. The second copying mode will be referred to as "the 
divisional copying mode" hereinafter. 
A contact glass 1 formed of a glass plate is mounted with a document 2 to 
be copied. A scanning optical system (hereinafter referred to as 
"scanner") 3 is disposed below the contact glass 1. The scanner 3 
comprises an exposure lamp 4 for illuminating the document 2, reflecting 
mirrors 5, 6 and 7, a projecting lens 8, a reflecting mirror 9, and a 
mechanism, not shown, for synchronously operating those components. 
In copying operation, the exposure lamp 4 and the first reflecting mirror 5 
travel leftward, as viewed in FIG. 1, to scan the document 2, while the 
second reflecting mirror 6 and the third reflecting mirror 7 travel 
leftward, as viewed in FIG. 1, at half the speed of the first reflecting 
mirror 5 so that the length of focusing light pass is always constant. A 
photosensitive drum 10 is rotated counterclockwise as indicated by an 
arrow in FIG. 1 in synchronism with the leftward travel of those movable 
components of the scanner 3. Consequently, an electrostatic latent image 
of the document 2 is formed over the circumference of the photosensitive 
drum 10. The electrostatic latent image is developed, is transferred to a 
copying sheet, and then is fixed by well-known means. 
Indicated at 12 is a microprocessor for controlling the copying machine, 
which includes memories A and B storing predetermined values of copied 
image density. Indicated at 13 is an exposure controller which controls 
the luminous intensity of the exposure lamp 4 by supplying an electric 
power corresponding to the set values of copied image density stored in 
the memories so that the copied image density coincides with a desired 
copied image density, and indicated at 14 is a scanner driver. 
Indicated at 23 is a divisional copying mode selection key which, when 
operated, gives a divisional copying mode selection signal to the 
microprocessor 12. Indicated at 30 and 31 are copied image density 
selection keys for selecting a copied image density suitable for the 
document. A copied image density setting key 24 is operated to store a 
selected copied image density in the memories A and B of the 
microprocessor 12. Indicated at 25 and 26 are copied image density setting 
request indicator. 
Copying operation in the divisional copying mode will be described 
hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. 
Referring to FIG. 2, a book 20 opened at a desired page is placed on the 
contact glass 1 with the right-hand edge thereof in contact with a 
document scale 11, and then a print key 21 is operated once to produce the 
respective copies 20a and 20b of the successive pages of the open book 20. 
In setting the copying machine in the divisional copying mode, the copied 
image density setting request indicator LED's 25 and 26 light up when the 
divisional copying mode selection key 23 is operated to select the 
divisional copying mode. Copied image densities appropriate to the pages 
of the open book, respectively, are decided by operating the copied image 
density selection keys 30 and 31, and then the copied image density 
setting key 24 is operated to store the desired copied image densities in 
the memories of the microprocessor 12. Then, the microprocessor 12 
actuates a scanner driver 14 to scan the documents individually. During 
the scanning operation, the exposure controller 13 controls the luminous 
intensity of the exposure lamp 4 by regulating the power to be applied to 
the exposure lamp 4 according to the set copied image densities stored in 
the memories thereof so that the images are copied in desired image 
densities, respectively. 
The manner of operation of the copying machine in the divisional copying 
mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b). 
As illustrated in FIG. 3(a), first, a page 20B (hereinafter referred to as 
"document surface B") having a higher page number than the other page 20A 
(hereinafter referred to as document surface A") as shown in FIG. 3(b) is 
subjected to a first copying operation, in which the first copying area is 
scanned by the scanner 3 from a point D to a point C as illustrated in 
FIG. 3(a) to produce a copy 20b of the document surface B as shown in FIG. 
2. Then, the movable components are returned to a position corresponding 
to a point A, and then the page 20A, namely, the document surface A, is 
subjected to a second scanning operation, in which the second copying area 
is scanned by the scanner 3 from a point B to the point D to produce a 
copy 20a of the document surface A. Thus the copies are delivered in the 
reverse order of page, and thereby the copies are piled up with a copy 
having a smaller page number above a copy having a larger page number. 
The arrangement of the control panel of the copying machine will be 
described hereinafter with reference to FIG. 4. 
The control panel is provided with the print key 21, an indicator 22 for 
indicating the number of copies, the divisional copying mode selection key 
23, the copied image density setting key 24, the copied image density 
setting request indicator LED 25 for indicating request for setting a 
copied image density for a document placed in the second copying area for 
divisional copying operation, the copied image density setting request 
indicator LED 26 for indicating request for setting a copied image density 
for a document placed in the first copying area for divisional copying 
operation, a ten-key numeric keyboard 28 for setting the number of copies 
to be produced, a clear/stop key 29 capable of clearing the set number of 
copies to reduce the set number to one and stopping the copying operation 
while a plurality of the same copies are being produced, a copied image 
density selection key 30 for setting a copied image density higher than 
the present copied image density, a copied image density selection key 31 
for setting a copied image density lower than the present copied image 
density, and a copied image density level indicating LED's 32 for 
indicating the level of the set copied image density among nine levels of 
copied image densities. 
The manipulation of the control panel and the corresponding operation of 
the copying machine will be described hereinafter. 
Ordinarily, the copying machine is set in the first copying mode, in which 
the entire copying area of the contact glass 1 is scanned continuously to 
copy a document placed on the contact glass 1 on a single copying surface. 
When the divisional copying mode selection key 23 is depressed, the 
copying machine is set in the divisional copying mode. When the divisional 
copying mode selection key 23 is not depressed, the LED 27 for indicating 
the setting of the copying machine in the divisional copying mode and the 
LED's 25 and 26 for indicating request for setting copied image densities 
for documents placed in the second and first copying areas, respectively, 
for divisional copying operation do not light up, and any data of copied 
image density is not stored in the memory if the copied image density 
setting key 24 is depressed. When the divisional copying mode selection 
key 23 is depressed to select the divisional copying mode, a routine 
represented by the flow chart of FIG. 5 is executed. It is to be noted 
that the flow chart of FIG. 5 shows the succession of operations, not the 
program for the microprocessor for controlling the copying machine. 
The succession of operation of the copying machine will be described with 
reference to FIG. 5. 
A decision is made at step S1 as to whether or not the divisional copying 
mode selection key 23 is depressed. When the decision is NO, the routine 
goes to step S2, where copying operation in the first copying mode is 
carried out. When the decision at step S1 is YES, the routine advances to 
steps S3 and S4, where the LED 27 for indicating the selection of the 
divisional copying mode and the LED for indicating request for setting a 
copied image density for the second copying area, namely, for the document 
surface A, in the contact glass 1 are lighted up. Then, at step S5, the 
copied image density setting key 30 or 31 is operated to set a desired 
copied image density for the second copying area. At step S6, a decision 
is made as to whether or not the print key 21 is depressed. When the 
decision at step S6 is YES, the routine advances to steps S7 and S8, where 
the set copied image density is stored in the memory A and stores the 
contents of the memory A in the memory B. When the decision at step S6 is 
NO, the routine goes to step S9, where a decision is made as to whether or 
not the copied image density setting key 24 is depressed. When the 
decision at step S9 is YES, the routine goes to step S10, where the set 
copied image density is stored in the memory A. Then, at step S11, the LED 
25 indicating request for setting a copied image density for the second 
copying area is turned off, and then, at step S12, the LED 26 for 
indicating request for setting a copied image density for the first 
copying area is lighted up. At step S13, similarly to the operation at 
step S5, a copied image density for the first copying area is set by 
operating the copied image density selection key 30 or 31. At step S14, a 
decision is made as to whether or not the print key 21 is depressed. When 
the decision at step S14 is YES, the routine goes to step S15, where the 
set copied image density is stored in the memory B. When the decision at 
step S14 is NO, a decision is made at step S16 as to whether or not the 
copied image density setting key 24 is depressed. When the decision at 
step S16 is NO, the routine returns to step S14, where a decision is made 
again as to whether or not the print key 21 is depressed. When the 
decision at step S16 is YES, the routine goes to step S17, where the set 
copied image density is stored in the memory B. 
Thus, when the divisional copying mode is selected, desired copied image 
densities for the first and second copying areas, respectively, are set 
through the foregoing procedure. When the print key 21 is depressed after 
the copied image densities have been thus set, the exposure controller 13 
controls the luminous intensity of the exposure lamp 4 by regulating the 
power to be applied to the exposure lamp 4 according to the set copied 
image density stored in the memory B in the first scanning operation for 
scanning the first copying area in the contact glass 1, and according to 
the set copied image density stored in the memory A in the second scanning 
operation for scanning the second copying area in the contact glass 1 so 
that the documents are copied in the desired copied image densities, 
respectively. Thus, in copying the document surface A and the document 
surface B of the book placed on the contact glass 1 as illustrated in FIG. 
2, the respective copies of the document surface A and the document 
surface B are printed in the desired copied image densities, respectively. 
The copied image density level indicating LED's 32 indicate the level of 
the copied image density for the first copying area in scanning the first 
copying area and indicate the level of the copied image density for the 
second copying area in scanning the second copying area. It is also 
possible to simultaneously indicate the levels of the copied image 
densities for both the first and second copying areas by employing copied 
image density indicating LED's each capable of glowing in two different 
colors. 
FIG. 6 illustrates a control panel, in another embodiment, according to the 
present invention. This control panel is provided with a set of copied 
image density level indicating LED's 32A for indicating the copied image 
density level for the first copying area, and a set of copied image 
density level indicating LED's 32B for indicating the copied image density 
level for the second copying area, to indicate the respective copied image 
density levels individually. 
Although the invention has been described as applied to a copying machine 
capable of setting copied image densities for divisional copying areas, 
respectively, it is also possible to apply the present invention to a 
copying machine in which other copying condition, such as magnification, 
are set selectively for separate divisional copying areas. 
Furthermore, in the embodiments described herein, the luminous intensity of 
the exposure lamp is controlled according to the set copied image density 
to print the copy in a desired copied image density, it is also possible 
to print the copy in a desired copied image density by controlling the 
developing bias. 
It is further understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing 
description is preferred embodiments of the disclosed device and that 
various changes and modifications may be made in the invention without 
departing from the spirit and scope thereof.