Patent Publication Number: US-8526838-B2

Title: Image forming apparatus in which a print mode of a document image can be arbitrarily selected

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from: U.S. provisional application 61/150,244, filed on Feb. 5, 2009, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus including an auto document feeder (ADF/RADF) to automatically feed documents one by one to an image reading section, and a manual feed tray to stack a sheet on which a document image is printed, and particularly to an image forming apparatus in which a print mode of a document image fed by an auto document feeder can be arbitrarily selected for the size of a sheet on a manual feed tray. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Hitherto, a copying machine as an image forming apparatus includes a printer section, an image reading section, and an auto document feeder to feed documents one by one to the image reading section. When a document is set on the auto document feeder, a document width detection sensor detects a document width as a length in a direction orthogonal to a document feed direction, and the document is sequentially read and is temporarily stored in a memory. The printer section includes one or plural paper feed cassettes to contain standard size sheets, and feeds a sheet in a selected paper feed cassette at a specified timing to an image forming section including, for example, a photoconductive drum and the like. 
     Besides, the copying machine includes a manual feed tray on which a user can arbitrarily stack a sheet irrespective of sheet size. When paper feed using the manual feed tray is selected, the sheet on the manual feed tray is fed to the image forming section. With respect to the sheets stacked on the paper feed cassette and the manual feed tray, the stack direction is determined on the assumption that the whole area of the document image of the same size is printed in equal magnification (first stack direction), or they are stacked in a direction (second stack direction) rotated by 90 degrees with respect to the first stack direction in order to perform reduced printing, enlarged printing or the like. 
     An image forming apparatus is proposed in which a manual feed tray is provided with a sheet width detection sensor to detect a sheet width as a length in a direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of a stacked sheet, information of the sheet size is displayed on a display panel based on the sheet width of the sheet on the manual feed tray detected by the sheet width detection sensor, and the user selects the size of the sheet stacked on the manual feed tray from among plural sheet size candidates (JP-A-2006-018081). 
     For example, when the sheet width detection sensor detects a sheet width “a”, there is a case where the long side length of an A4 size sheet is detected as “a”, or the short side length of an A3 size sheet is detected as “a”. Besides, when the sheet width detection sensor detects a sheet width “b”, there is a case where the long side length of an A5 size sheet is detected as “b”, or the short side length of an A4 size sheet is detected as “b”. In such a case, selection is made as to the sheet size and as to whether the sheet stack direction is the first stack direction or the second stack direction. 
     As a result, in the related art image forming apparatus, duplex printing or printing with automatic variable magnification can be performed for the sheet stacked on the manual feed tray. 
     However, in the foregoing related art image forming apparatus, the use of the manual feed tray corresponds to only the standard image formation to print the whole area of the document image on the sheet in the same direction, and it can not be necessarily said that the function of the manual feed tray on which sheets of various sizes can be freely stacked is effectively used. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention has an object to provide an image forming apparatus in which image formation in different patterns is enabled for a sheet on a manual feed tray based on size information of a document image, and images of various print patterns can be formed using the manual feed tray. 
     In order to solve the problem, according to an aspect of the invention, an image forming apparatus includes an image reading section including an auto document feeding section to convey stacked documents one by one to a scanner section, an image forming section to form an image on a sheet conveyed to a printing section based on image information read by the image reading section, a manual feed tray section to stack sheets, a document width detection sensor to detect, as a document width, a length of a document stacked on the auto document feeding section in a direction orthogonal to a document conveyance direction, a sheet width detection sensor to detect, as a sheet width, a length of a sheet stacked on the manual feed tray in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction, a print pattern memory to store, correspondingly to sheets of various sizes, print patterns in which the whole area of a document image can be printed according to a document size, a control section which receives sheet width detection information from the sheet width detection sensor and document width detection information from the document width detection sensor as input information, selects one or plural print patterns corresponding to the input information from the print pattern memory, displays the selected print patterns on a monitor, and displays document size patterns and print patterns for the sheet, and a print pattern selection section by which a user selects, from one or plural print pattern images displayed on the monitor, one pattern in which a document image is printed on the sheet stacked on the manual feed tray. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an outer appearance perspective view of an image forming apparatus of an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a longitudinal sectional view of the image forming apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a control block diagram of image formation to a sheet using a manual feed tray of the image forming apparatus shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a flowchart for explaining an operation of a control block shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, an embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is an outer appearance perspective view of an image forming apparatus of an embodiment of the invention, and  FIG. 2  is a longitudinal sectional view of the image forming apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the image forming apparatus of the embodiment includes an image reading section R and an image forming section P, which are disposed up and down. The image reading section R includes an auto document feeder (ADF/RADF)  1 , and has a function to scan and to read an image of a sheet document and a book document by a scanner section  2 . The auto document feeder  1  includes a sheet document detection switch  4  to detect the presence or absence of a sheet document stacked on a sheet document stack tray  3 , and a document width detection sensor to detect the sheet document stacked on the sheet document stack tray  3  in a document width direction as a direction orthogonal to a sheet document conveyance direction. The sheet document stack tray  3  is provided with a pair of document guide members  5  which are disposed to be opposite to each other in the width direction of the document and can be integrally moved in a direction of approaching each other and separating from each other along the document width direction. When a sheet document is stacked on the document stack tray  3 , the document guide members  5  are adjusted to the width of the sheet document, so that the document width detection sensor detects the document width of the sheet document. 
     The image forming section P has a function to form a developer image (toner image) on a sheet-like sheet based on image information such as an image read from a document by the image reading section R or image data transmitted to the image forming apparatus from an external equipment. In the image forming section P, developing units ( 6 Y,  6 M,  6 C,  6 K) of respective colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C) and black (K), photoconductive drums ( 7 Y,  7 M,  7 C,  7 K) corresponding to the developing units of the respective colors, and toner image forming units ( 8 Y,  8 M,  8 C,  8 K) including a laser exposure device to expose the photoconductive drums of the respective colors with image lights based on image signals of the respective colors are arranged along an intermediate transfer belt  9 . 
     Latent images formed on the photoconductive drums by the laser exposure device are developed by the developing units to obtain toner images. The toner images on the photoconductive drums of the respective colors are transferred to the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate transfer belt  9  by primary transfer rollers ( 10 Y,  10 M,  10 C,  10 K). The toner images on the intermediate transfer belt  9  in which the final black toner image is transferred and superimposed are transferred to the sheet-like sheet by a secondary transfer roller  11  at a secondary transfer position. Then, when the sheet to which the non-fixed toner images are transferred passes through a nip part of a fixing unit  12  including a heat roller and a pressure roller, the non-fixed toner images are melted by heat and pressure and are fixed to the sheet. 
     The sheets are contained in plural paper feed cassettes  13  disposed in the up-and-down direction, and the sheet in the paper feed cassette  13  is conveyed through a sheet conveyance path  14  extending in the up-and-down direction via the secondary transfer position to the fixing unit  12 . 
     On the other hand, a manual feed tray  15  is disposed at the outside of the side wall section close to the sheet conveyance path  14  of the printer section P. The manual feed tray  15  is provided with a sheet width detection sensor to detect the width of a sheet in a direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of a sheet stacked on the tray. The manual feed tray  15  is provided with a pair of sheet guide members  16  which are disposed to be opposite to each other in the width direction of the sheet and are integrally movable in the direction of approaching each other and separating from each other along the sheet width direction. When the sheet is stacked on the manual feed tray  15 , the sheet guide members  16  are adjusted to the width of the sheet, so that the sheet width detection sensor detects the width of the sheet. 
     When the sheet on the manual feed tray  15  is selected and copying is performed, when a print button of an operation switch section  18  arranged on an operation panel  17  shown in  FIG. 1  is depressed, image formation is started in a print pattern selected through an after-mentioned monitor  19  with touch switch. The sheet on the manual feed tray  15  is conveyed to a register roller  20 , and an image is transferred to the sheet by the secondary transfer roller  11  at the secondary transfer position and at a specified timing, and the sheet is discharged to a storage tray  21  through the fixing unit  12 . 
     The print patter is stored in a memory  23 , and is formed such that a CPU  22  to control the whole operation of the image forming apparatus controls the image forming operation. The image formation in accordance with the print pattern is performed using the enlargement, reduction and rotation functions of the image and is performed except for equal magnification printing. 
     For example, there are exemplified a standard print mode between standard sizes in which the whole area of a document image of a size (for example, A4 size) different from a size (for example, A3 size) of a sheet is printed on the sheet or is printed on a half area of the sheet, and a special print mode in which a document image of a standard size is printed on a sheet of a non-standard size, or printing can be made at an arbitrary position of a sheet by setting of a margin position or the like. 
     The CPU  22  reads plural sheet-like documents by the scanner section  2  through the auto document feeder  1  and can execute the print mode as stated above for the read data stored in the memory  23 . 
       FIG. 3  is a control block diagram of image formation to a sheet using the manual feed tray of the image forming apparatus shown in  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , and  FIG. 4  is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a control block shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     In  FIG. 3 , a detection signal of the sheet width detection sensor  31  provided on the manual feed tray  15  and detection information of the document width detection sensor  32  provided on the auto document feeder (ADF/RADF)  1  are inputted to the CPU  22 . The memory  23  stores data of the standard print mode and the special print mode. When a manual feed tray selection switch  37   a  which is provided on a setting section  37  of the operation switch section  18  and selects paper feeding using the manual feed tray is turned ON, a standard print mode screen denoted by  19 A or a special print mode screen denoted by  19 B is displayed on the monitor  19  with touch screen. 
     When the sheet size based on the sheet width detected by the sheet width detection sensor  31  is standard, and the document size based on the document width detected by the document width detection sensor  32  is standard and has the same series as the sheet size, for example, when both the sheet size and the document size are A series (standard series), and when they are the same in size or different in size, the CPU  22  reads the standard print mode from the memory  23 , and displays the standard print mode screen  19 A on the monitor  19  with touch switch. 
     Besides, when the series based on the sheet width detected by the sheet width detection sensor  31  and the series based on the document width detected by the document width detection sensor  32  are standard but are different from each other, for example, when the sheet size is the B series and the document size is the A series, or the sheet is non-standard size, the special print mode is read from the memory  23 , and the special print mode screen  19 B is displayed on the monitor  19  with touch switch. 
     Besides, the standard print mode screen  19 A and the special print mode screen  19 B can be arbitrarily changed by depressing the “NEXT”, “BACK” display section at the lower part of the screen. 
     The standard print mode screen  19 A displays sheets of specifiable standard sizes at the right side based on the sheet width information detected by the sheet width detection sensor  31 , and displays document patterns at the left side based on the document width information detected by the document width detection sensor  32 . That is, when the document width detection sensor  32  detects the document width “a”, and when this length “a” is the length of the long side of an A4 size document or the short side of an A3 size document in the standard size, A4 size document patterns are displayed correspondingly to pattern numbers  1 ,  2  and  3  displayed at the left end, and A3 size document patterns are displayed correspondingly to pattern numbers  4 ,  5  and  6 . Besides, A4 size sheet patterns are displayed at the right end correspondingly to the pattern numbers  1 ,  4  and  5 , and A3 size sheet patterns are displayed correspondingly to the pattern numbers  2 ,  3  and  6 . 
     An area indicated by a broken line surrounding a document pattern and a sheet pattern as well as each pattern number on the monitor  19  with touch switch is a touch switch, and when the user depresses a touch switch of a desired print pattern, the CPU  22  instructs the image forming section  35  and a manual feed tray paper feed driving section  38  to perform the image formation in the selected print pattern. 
     Incidentally, in a state where plural documents are set on the auto document feeder  1 , the CPU  22  reads the standard print mode or the special print mode from the memory  23  based on the document width information detected by the document width detection sensor  32 . 
     On the standard print mode screen  19 A, the pattern number  1  indicates a pattern in which for example, the whole area of an A4 size document image is printed on an A4 size sheet in equal magnification, the pattern number  2  indicates a pattern in which for example, an A4 size document image is printed on one side of an A3 size sheet in equal magnification, and the pattern number  3  indicates a pattern in which for example, an A4 size document image is enlarged and is printed on the whole area of an A3 size sheet. 
     Besides, the pattern number  4  indicates a pattern in which for example, an image area exists only at one side of an A3 size document image and the image is printed on an A4 size sheet in equal magnification, the pattern number  5  indicates a pattern in which for example, an A3 size document image is reduced and is printed on the whole area of an A4 size sheet, and the pattern number  6  indicates a pattern in which for example, an A3 size document image is printed on the whole area of an A3 size sheet in equal magnification. Incidentally, these patterns are merely examples, and printing between an A4 size document image and an A5 size sheet, or printing between an A5 size document image and an A3 size sheet may be performed. 
     Besides, the order of the print patterns indicated by the pattern numbers  1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  4 ,  5  and  6  may be changed according to the use frequency or the like. Besides, by inputting an user ID  33  to the CPU  22 , the print patterns may be displayed in accordance with the use frequency of each user or previously registered priority. 
     In the pattern numbers  4  and  5 , since the document image is printed on the sheet of the size smaller than the size of the document image, when an energy-saving switch  37   b  provided in the setting section  37  of the operation switch section  18  is turned ON, the priority of the print patterns of the pattern numbers  4  and  5  is changed to No.  1  and No.  2 , and printing in automatic reduction is performed by selecting one of them. 
     Next, the special print mode screen  19 B displays document image patterns at the left side of the screen and shows a case where the sizes of all the document image patterns in pattern numbers  1 ,  2 ,  3  and  4  are, for example, A4 size. As stated above, the patterns of the document images are specified to, for example, the A4 size by only the detection width information of the document width detection sensor  32 , and is automatically specified when the user designates the use of the A4 document by, for example, the setting section  37 , or the user specified by the user ID uses the A4 document. Of course, in the special print mode, similarly to the standard print mode, the document size may be set based on the detection information of the document width detection sensor  32 . 
     On the special print mode screen  19 B, with respect to the sheet patterns displayed at the right end, pattern numbers  1  and  2  indicate the case where the sheets are non-standard sheets different from the document size, and the stacking directions of the sheets on the manual feed tray are different. The pattern number  1  indicates the state where the document width in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the sheet is longer than that of the pattern number  2 . 
     Besides, on the special print mode screen  19 B, the pattern number  3  indicates a pattern in which when the size of the sheet is larger than the size of the document image and the sheet width is equal to the document width, the document image is printed on the corner of the sheet in equal magnification, and the pattern number  4  indicates a pattern in which although the relation between the document size and the sheet size is the same as that of the pattern number  3 , the document image is printed on the center part of the sheet in equal magnification. These print patterns are selected by depressing the touch switch of the pattern selected by the user, and the CPU  22  instructs the image forming section  35  and the manual feed tray paper feed driving section  37  to perform image formation in the selected print pattern. 
     Incidentally, although the A series is exemplified for both the document size and the sheet size, it is needless to say that a letter size and a legal size may be used. 
     As stated above, when the print pattern in the standard print mode and the special print mode is determined, and a print switch  34  is turned ON, plural documents stacked on the auto document feeder  1  are fed one by one, and the document image is read by the scanner  2  and is stored in the memory  23 . When reading of all the documents is ended, image formation is started based on the document image information stored in the memory  23 . The sheet on the manual feed tray  15  is conveyed one by one to the secondary transfer position, the document image is transferred to the sheet in the print pattern determined in the standard print mode or the special print mode, and the sheet on which the document image is fixed by the fixing unit  12  is discharged to the storage tray  21 . Incidentally, in the case of duplex printing, the sheet is conveyed from the storage tray  21  to a register roller  40  through a duplex reversing conveyance path, the document image is formed on the back side at the secondary transfer position, and the sheet passes through the fixing unit  12  and is discharged to the storage tray  21 . 
     The operation of the control block diagram shown in  FIG. 3  will be described on the basis of the flowchart shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     When the user stacks sheets of the print size to be desired on the manual feed tray  15  or uses sheets already, stacked on the manual feed tray  15  and prints, the sheet width detection sensor  31  detects the sheet width of the sheet on the manual feed tray  15  (ACT  1 ), and the document width detection sensor  32  detects the document width (ACT  2 ). 
     When the user turns ON the manual feed tray selection switch  37   a  of the setting section  37  in order to print the image of the document stacked on the auto document feeder  1  by using the sheet stacked on the manual feed tray  15  (ACT  3 ), the standard print mode screen is displayed on the monitor  19  with touch switch (ACT  4 ). 
     At ACT  5 , when the user desires printing in the standard print mode, advance is made to ACT  6  while the display of the standard print mode screen is kept. When the user depresses the “NEXT” touch switch of the monitor  19  with touch switch in order to select printing in the special print mode as the mode other than the standard print mode, advance is made to ACT  16  and the special print mode is selected. Then, the special print mode screen  19 B is displayed (ACT  17 ), and advance is made to ACT  7 . 
     At ACT  6 , it is determined whether a mode is an energy-saving mode, and when the energy-saving mode switch  37   b  is not turned ON, advance is made to ACT  7 . 
     At ACT  7 , it is determined whether the user ID  33  is inputted. When the user ID is inputted, the print patterns registered by the user are displayed, or the print pattern display is changed in the priority according to the user&#39;s use frequency, and advance is made to ACT  9 . 
     At ACT  9 , the user depresses the touch switch of the pattern to be printed among the print modes displayed on the monitor  19  with touch switch, and selects the print pattern, and advance is made to ACT  10 . 
     At ACT  10 , when the print switch  34  is turned ON, auto document feeding is started by driving of the auto document feeder (ACT  11 ), and the scanner section  2  reads the document image (ACT  12 ). Incidentally, when the document is fed to the scanner section  2 , or when the document image is read, the length of the document in the feed direction is also detected, and the size of the document is detected. The read document image is temporarily stored in the memory  23 , and when reading of all document images is ended, the image formation process is executed in accordance with the print mode (ACT  13 ), paper feed driving of the manual feed tray  15  is performed (ACT  14 ), and the document image is formed on the sheet in the selected pattern. 
     When it is determined at ACT  6  that the energy-saving mode switch  37   b  is ON, the energy-saving print patterns are preferentially displayed on the standard print mode screen display (ACT  15 ), and advance is made to ACT  9 . The document image is formed on the sheet in the print pattern selected from the print patterns in the priority mode (ACT  10  to ACT  14 ). 
     As stated above, according to the embodiment, when the image of the document stacked on the auto document feeder  1  is printed on the sheet stacked on the manual feed tray  15 , unless a print pattern in which the size of the document is larger than the sheet size is set, it is possible to prevent occurrence of misprint that a part of the document image protrudes from the sheet and is printed. Besides, various size sheets are used by the selection of the user, and the document image can be printed in various modes. The document image can be formed in various patterns by using the manual feed tray. 
     The present invention can be carried out in various modes without departing from the sprit or the gist thereof. Accordingly, the foregoing embodiment is merely an example in every point, and should not be interpreted restrictedly. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims and is not restricted by the present specification. Further, all modifications, various improvements, substitutions and alterations belonging to the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.