Patent Grant
8840106
1. Field of the Invention
Aspects of the present invention generally relate to an image forming apparatus having a sheet stacking apparatus that stacks sheets, a control method for the image forming apparatus, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
The variation in image forming apparatuses advances, and an image forming apparatus is used to connect a large number of apparatuses, such as a sheet stacking apparatus for feeding or discharging a sheet or a finishing apparatus, to the image forming apparatus for cooperation.
A sheet stacking apparatus for discharging a printed sheet has, as an accessory, an elevating tray or a carriage to carry a large amount of sheets. The elevating tray is usually moved up to stack the printed sheets. However, the elevating tray needs to be mechanically moved down to extract the sheet from the sheet stacking apparatus.
Therefore, if a power supply of the sheet stacking apparatus is turned off while the elevating tray is moved up, the power supply needs to be turned on again so that the elevating tray is moved down to extract the sheet remaining in the sheet stacking apparatus.
A sheet stacking apparatus that feeds a sheet before printing includes an open button to open the sheet stacking apparatus. When detecting that the open button is pressed, the sheet stacking apparatus is mechanically opened. Therefore, if the power supply of the sheet stacking apparatus is turned off in a normal state, the power supply then needs to be turned on again and the open button of the sheet stacking apparatus needs to be pressed to extract the sheet remaining in the sheet stacking apparatus.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-35826 discusses a sheet stacking apparatus in which an elevating tray is moved down when a power supply of the apparatus is turned off to extract the sheet from the apparatus. In the sheet stacking apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-35826, the elevating tray is also moved down when the power supply is turned off, and the sheet can be thus extracted.
However, in the sheet stacking apparatus discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-35826, the elevating tray is always moved down without a consideration of a case where there are not any sheets in the sheet stacking apparatus when the power supply is turned off. Therefore, an unnecessary time is required so that the elevating tray is moved up when the power supply is turned on again.
The above operation is not addressed when the sheet is not extracted with a configuration of the feeding sheet stacking apparatus when the power supply is turned off.
An aspect of the present invention relates to a method for preventing a remaining sheet from being left in a sheet stacking apparatus for a long time by allowing a user to check whether there is a remaining sheet left in the sheet stacking apparatus when a power supply of a main body is turned off.
According to an aspect of the present invention, an image forming apparatus which performs image forming processing on sheets and outputs the sheets to a sheet stacking unit includes an instruction unit configured to issue an instruction for shutting down the image forming apparatus, an acquisition unit configured to acquire a remaining amount of sheets stacked in the sheet stacking unit, and a control unit configured to display, when the instruction unit receives the instruction, a warning indicating a shift to a state in which sheets are not extractable from the sheet stacking unit, based on the remaining amount of sheets acquired by the acquisition unit.
Further features and aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
Various exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.
Referring to
The image forming apparatus main body 1 includes a photosensitive drum 29. Further, the image forming apparatus main body 1 includes, around the photosensitive drum 29, a transfer charger 24 that uniformly charges the photosensitive drum 29, a separation charger 25 that separates the sheet P from the photosensitive drum 29, and a cleaner 23 that collects toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 29 without transfer.
The feeding sheet stacking apparatuses 2, 3, and 4 include sheet stacking units 10, 11, and 12 that individually contain the sheets P, and sheet feed units 9, 8, and 19 that respectively feed the sheets P contained in the sheet stacking units 10, 11, and 12. The feeding sheet stacking apparatuses 2, 3, and 4 include elevating trays 13, 14, and 15 that adjust a sheet surface height of the sheet P to a position for feeding the sheets P by the sheet feed units 9, 8, and 19, and sheet conveyance units 16, 17, and 18 that convey the sheets P.
A sheet detection sensor 27 detects the sheet P fed to the image forming apparatus main body 1 from the feeding sheet stacking apparatus 2, 3, or 4, and the sheet P contacts a registration roller 26. Skew of the sheet P is corrected and the sheet P is conveyed to the transfer charger 24 to transfer a toner image to the sheet P. Then, a conveyance belt 28 conveys the sheet P toward a fixing roller 31.
The fixing roller 31 includes a pair of rollers. A top roller of the fixing roller 31 as the pair has a halogen heater 32 built-in. A thermistor 30 is disposed near the top roller of the fixing roller 31 to detect a temperature of the fixing roller 31. The halogen heater 32 keeps a high temperature of the fixing roller 31. The sheet P passing through the fixing roller 31 is conveyed to the inserter 5.
The inserter 5 includes a sheet stacking unit 35 that stores the sheet P, a sheet conveyance unit 34 that feeds the sheet P stored in the sheet stacking units 35 and then conveys the sheet P, and an elevating tray 36 that moves up the sheet P to the sheet surface height so that the sheet conveyance unit 34 feeds the sheet P.
The stacker 6 includes a sheet stacking unit 38 that stores the sheet P, a sheet conveyance unit 37 that conveys the sheet P stored in the sheet stacking units 38, and an elevating tray 39. Further, a diverter 40 switches a conveyance path of the stacker 6. The stacker 6 in
The finisher 7 includes a discharge tray 41 that stacks the sheet P, and stacks the sheet P discharged via a conveyance path 43 to the discharge tray 41. A saddle unit 42, which is surrounded by a dotted line in the finisher 7 as illustrated in
An operation unit 45 includes a display device that displays a printing status of the image forming apparatus, and an input device that inputs a print setting. Further, the operation unit 45 displays a button for receiving a shutdown instruction (instruction for turning off the power) of the image forming apparatus main body 1 on a user interface (UI) screen. The image forming apparatus main body 1 includes a power switch for receiving an instruction for directly shutting down the power or an instruction for supplying the power, from a user. The power switch is also referred to as a seesaw switch. According to the present exemplary embodiment, the image forming apparatus main body 1 can receive the instruction for remotely shutting down the power from a data processing apparatus to turn off the power, as a unit except for the power switch. Further, the image forming apparatus main body 1 can receive the instruction for shutting down the power, notified at a power-off time set by the user with a power-off timer operated in the image forming apparatus main body 1.
Referring to
The main controller 200 of the image forming apparatus main body 1 includes, via an image bus interface (I/F) 213, a raster image processor (RIP) interface (I/F) 214, a data compression unit 215, a device interface (I/F) 216, and an image processing unit 217. The main controller 200 further includes a CPU bus 212 and an image bus 224.
A network cable 203, which is connectable to an external device via a network, is connected to the network interface (I/F) 208. A line cable 204 for connection with the external device via a telephone line is connected to the modem 209.
The CPU 205 executes a program for controlling the entire main controller 200. The RAM 206 is managed by a program operating on the CPU 205. The RAM 206 is also used as a reception buffer that temporarily stores image data received from the external device or an image data buffer that temporarily stores image data rasterized by a raster image processor (RIP) 221. The ROM 210 stores the program operating on the CPU 205, or data. The HDD 211 is a nonvolatile device that can store various data for a long term.
The operation unit I/F 207 connects the operation unit 45 to the main controller 200. The image bus interface (I/F) 213 connects the CPU bus 212 to the image bus 224.
The RIP 221 is connected to the RIP I/F 214 via a data bus 218. The RIP 221 is a rasterizing board having a function for converting page-description language data (PDL data) input from the external device into bitmap image data. The RIP I/F 214 connects the RIP 221 to the image bus 224 via the data bus 218. The data compression unit 215 compresses the rasterized image data.
A sheet stacking apparatus 222 is connected to the device I/F 216 via a data bus 219, and a finisher 223 is connected to the device I/F 216 via a data bus 220. The sheet stacking apparatus 222 performs sheet post-processing corresponding to the stacker 6 in
The CPU 205 issues a control command to the finisher 223 and the sheet stacking apparatus 222 in response to a signal instructed via the network cable 203 from the operation unit 45 or the external device via the data buses 219 and 220. The image processing unit 217 performs various types of image processing of the bit map image data generated by the RIP 221. The image processing unit 217 further has a function for digital processing of the bit map image data.
Referring to
The CPU 205 in
A remaining amount detection sensor 309 detects the number of remaining sheets P stacked in the sheet stacking unit 307, and notifies the CPU 205 of the number of remaining sheets P.
The elevating tray 310 is positioned at a height corresponding to the number of remaining sheets P in the sheet stacking unit 307 to stack the sheet P conveyed via the sheet conveyance unit 303 and the diverter 306. In general, door lock 308 is set to prevent the extraction of the sheet P by opening a manual door 311.
The CPU 205 detects that a door open button 305 is pressed. Then, the elevating tray 310 is moved down, and the door lock 308 is released. At this time, the manual door 311 can be opened to extract the sheet P stored in the sheet stacking unit 307.
The discharging sheet stacking apparatus 300 is connected to a power supply 301. When the power supply 301 does not supply the power, the CPU 205 cannot operate the elevating tray 310 and cannot set and release a door lock mechanism of the manual door 311. That is, after turning off the power supply 301, the manual door 311 cannot be manually opened/closed. Therefore, if the power is shut down while the sheet P is stacked to the elevating tray 310, the sheet P stacked on the elevating tray 310 cannot be extracted, unless an instruction for turning on the power supply 301 again is issued.
However, the CPU 205 moves down the elevating tray 310 and releases the door lock 308 while the power supply 301 is turned on, then shutting down the power supply 301. At this time, even when the power supply 301 is shut down, the manual door 311 can be opened to extract the sheet P stored in the sheet stacking unit 307.
In step S501, the CPU 205 detects in the sheet stacking state in
In step S503, the CPU 205 releases the door lock 308. Then, the present processing ends. Referring to
In step S601, the CPU 205 detects that the user closes the door. In step S602, the CPU 205 sets the door lock 308 to a locking state. In step S603, the CPU 205 controls the elevating tray mechanism to move up the elevating tray 310. Then, the present processing ends.
As a consequence, the elevating tray 310 of the discharging sheet stacking apparatus 222 returns to the initial stacking stop position.
According to the present exemplary embodiment, referring to
Control is described to display, on a display unit, a warning indicating that the state shifts to such a state in which the sheet P cannot be extracted from any of the sheet stacking apparatuses. Specifically, when the CPU 205 receives a shutdown instruction with the power switch from the user, the warning is displayed to indicate shifting to a state in which the sheet P cannot be extracted, based on the remaining amount of the sheets P from each of the connected sheet stacking apparatuses.
In step S1100, the CPU 205 receives a shutdown instruction. In step S1101, the CPU 205 determines whether the shutdown instruction is issued with the physical power switch (seesaw switch) operated in the image forming apparatus main body 1 by the user. If the CPU 205 determines that the shutdown instruction is not issued with the seesaw switch (NO in step S1101), then in step S1111, the CPU 205 performs predetermined shutdown processing. The present processing ends.
In step S1102, the CPU 205 acquires the remaining amount of the sheets P in all of the discharging sheet stacking apparatuses (stackers) with the remaining amount detection sensor 309 disposed in each tray. In step S1103, the CPU 205 determines whether the remaining amount of the sheets P is null in all of the discharging sheet stacking apparatuses (stackers). If the CPU 205 determines that the remaining amount of the sheets P is null in all of the discharging sheet stacking apparatuses (stackers) (NO in step S1103), then in step S1111, the CPU 205 performs predetermined shutdown processing. Then, the present processing ends.
If the CPU 205 determines that the remaining amount of the sheets P is not null in all of the discharging sheet stacking apparatuses (stackers) (YES in step S1103), then in step S1104, the CPU 205 causes the display unit of the operation unit 45 connected to the image forming apparatus main body 1 to display a warning screen prompting the user to extract the sheet P.
The warning screen illustrated in
The UI screen illustrated in
In step S1105, the CPU 205 determines whether there is a discharging sheet stacking apparatus 222 from which the sheet P cannot be extracted when the power supply 301 is shut down, out of the discharging sheet stacking apparatuses 222 in which the remaining amount of the sheets P is not null. If the CPU 205 determines that there is not a discharging sheet stacking apparatus 222 from which the sheet P cannot be extracted when the power supply 301 is shut down (YES in step S1105), then in step S1111, the CPU 205 executes predetermined shutdown processing. The present processing ends.
If the CPU 205 determines that there is a discharging sheet stacking apparatus 222 from which the sheet P cannot be extracted when the power supply 301 is shut down (NO in step S1105), then in step S1106, the CPU 205 determines whether an open instruction for the door of the discharging sheet stacking apparatus 222 can be issued. If the CPU 205 determines that an open instruction for the door of the discharging sheet stacking apparatus 222 can be issued (YES in step S1106), then in step S1107, the CPU 205 displays open instruction buttons 1302, 1303, and 1305 on the warning screen illustrated in
If the CPU 205 determines that an open instruction for the door of the discharging sheet stacking apparatus 222 cannot be issued (NO in step S1106), the processing proceeds to step S1108.
In step S1108, the CPU 205 determines whether an instruction of the forcible shutdown button 1304 is received from the user via the warning screen in
If the CPU 205 determines that the instruction of the forcible shutdown button 1304 is not received from the user via the warning screen in
If the CPU 205 determines that the remaining amount of the sheets P is not null in all of the discharging sheet stacking apparatuses with the remaining amount detection sensor 309 (NO in step S1109), the processing proceeds to step S1110. In step S1110, the CPU 205 determines whether a predetermined time has passed without an operation on the warning screen or an operation or instruction, such as for opening or closing the discharging sheet stacking apparatus 222, detectable by the CPU 205, after the CPU 205 displays the warning screen in
If the CPU 205 determines that the predetermined time has not passed without the operation on the warning screen or the operation or instruction, such as for opening or closing the discharging sheet stacking apparatus 222, detectable by the CPU 205 (NO in step S1110), the processing returns to step S1108.
The CPU 205 executes the shutdown processing in step S1111. Then, the shutdown processing is performed on the discharging sheet stacking apparatus 222. The power supply 301 stops supplying power, and the discharging sheet stacking apparatus 222 is shut down.
With the above-described sequence, when the power supply 301 of the image forming apparatus is shut down, it is checked whether the remaining amount of the sheets P in the discharging sheet stacking apparatus 222 is null. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the sheet P from being left in the discharging sheet stacking apparatus 222 for a long time.
In step S1104, the user is notified of the discharging sheet stacking apparatus 222 in which the remaining amount of the sheets P is not null. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the troublesomeness that the user moves to the image forming apparatus main body 1 to check the remaining amount of the sheets P in all of the discharging sheet stacking apparatuses 222.
In step S1108, it is possible to prevent a complicated operation of removal of all sheets P by the user who wants to shut down the power supply 301 even if the sheet P remains in any of the discharging sheet stacking apparatuses 222.
In step S1109, if it is detected that the remaining amount of sheets P is null in any of the discharging sheet stacking apparatuses 222, the shutdown operation automatically starts. Thus, the operation for issuing the shutdown instruction again from the user can be omitted.
The first exemplary embodiment is applied to a discharging sheet stacking apparatus. Alternatively, it can be applied to a feeding sheet stacking apparatus. In the feeding sheet stacking apparatus, the sheet can be extracted at the shutdown time to keep the quality thereof if the sheet P is left for a long time.
Referring to
In the feeding sheet stacking apparatus 700 in
In general, the elevating tray 706 is positioned at the height corresponding to the remaining number of sheets P in the sheet stacking unit 705 to convey the sheet P via the sheet feed unit 703. With the elevating tray 706 of the sheet feed tray, a driving arm that holds the sheet feed tray includes a mechanism similar to that discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-149436, thereby moving up/down the driving arm.
The CPU 205 detects that the user presses a tray open button 704. Then, the CPU 205 moves down the elevating tray 706 and operates a tray opening mechanism 1701 illustrated in
The CPU 205 is connected to a power supply 701. When the power supply 701 does not supply power, the CPU 205 cannot operate the elevating tray 706 or a tray opening mechanism 708. However, the CPU 205 moves down the elevating tray 706 while the power supply 701 is turned on. While the tray opening mechanism 708 opens the sheet stacking unit 705, the CPU 205 can shut down the power supply 701. At this time, even when the power supply 701 is shut down, the sheet P stored in the sheet stacking unit 705 can be extracted.
A processing flow executed by the CPU 205 when the sheet P stored in the feeding sheet stacking apparatus 700 is extracted is described with reference to
In step S901, the CPU 205 detects in a state illustrated in
In step S1001, the CPU 205 detects that the tray is closed by an operation of the user. In step S1002, the CPU 205 moves up the elevating tray 1708. The present processing ends.
Thus, the feeding sheet stacking apparatus 700 returns to the initial state.
According to the present exemplary embodiment, the CPU 205, which is built in the feeding sheet stacking apparatus 700, realizes shutdown processing of the feeding sheet stacking apparatus 700. The flow is the same as the processing flow according to the first exemplary embodiment with replacement of the discharging sheet stacking apparatus 300 with the feeding sheet stacking apparatus 700.
With the feeding sheet stacking apparatus 700, when the power supply of the image forming apparatus is shut down, it is checked that the remaining amount of the sheets P in the sheet stacking apparatus is null, and it is possible to prevent the sheet P from being left in the feeding sheet stacking apparatus 700 for a long time.
According to the first and second exemplary embodiments, in step S1107 in the flowchart of
Thus, when an instruction for opening the sheet stacking apparatus is issued, a time for moving down the elevating tray can be omitted. Therefore, a time for extracting the sheet P can be shortened.
The flowcharts in
At this time, a UI screen (setting screen) illustrated in
The CPU 205 allows the setting screen in
In such a case, in step S1103 in
In the flowchart of
Thus, a setting may be prepared to select the type of shutdown by the user to issue a warning.
The CPU 205 displays the UI screen (setting screen) illustrated in
With the setting for warning using the UI screen illustrated in
Aspects of the present invention can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus (or devices such as a CPU or MPU) that reads out and executes a program recorded on a memory device to perform the functions of the above-described embodiment (s), and by a method, the steps of which are performed by a computer of a system or apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing a program recorded on a memory device to perform the functions of the above-described embodiment(s). For this purpose, the program is provided to the computer for example via a network or from a recording medium of various types serving as the memory device (e.g., computer-readable storage medium).
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all modifications, equivalent structures, and functions.
This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-019435 filed Feb. 1, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012-019435 | Feb 2012 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8400653 | Fujino | Mar 2013 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 2009-035826 | Feb 2009 | JP |
| 2009-149436 | Jul 2009 | JP |
| 2010189148 | Sep 2010 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20130193641 A1 | Aug 2013 | US |
