IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS, SHEET DISCHARGING DEVICE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE SHEET DISCHARGING DEVICE

Abstract

An image forming apparatus, a sheet discharging device and method of controlling the sheet discharging device are disclosed. They require no instructions from users and no recording materials for initial setting of a staple when the users exchange a staple cartridge.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a color image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an illustration showing the relation of a controller, an engine control part, and a sheet discharging device control part of the color image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 3( a) and 3(b) are flowcharts showing the operations of a sheet discharging device according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing the stapling/printing operation in the first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a sheet discharging device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sheet discharging device according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a timing chart showing the stapling/printing operation in the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a table showing sheet discharging reservation commands and processing time information from the sheet discharging device in the case of the first embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a table showing sheet discharging reservation commands and processing time information from the sheet discharging device in the case of the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 illustrates relationship between the sheet discharging device control part and the staple unit.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus, comprising: an image forming part for forming an image on recording materials;a sheet discharging device for stapling recording materials after images are formed;a transporting means arranged to transport said recording materials to said image forming part and said sheet discharging device;a sheet discharging device control means for controlling an operation of said sheet discharging device; anda controller for controlling said image forming part and said sheet discharging device control means, andwherein said sheet discharging device control means is configured to detect whether or not staples have been exchanged, upon receiving a staple instruction from said controller and, to control said sheet discharging device to execute an initial setting by using a recording material that is a target of the staple instruction, upon detecting that said staples have been exchanged.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sheet discharging device control means informs said controller of time information that is required for said initial setting, and said controller changes the start timing of image forming in accordance with said time information, upon detecting that said staples have been exchanged.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said controller changes said image forming timing based on said time information to be later than the start timing of image forming in a case where staples are not exchanged.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claims 1, wherein said initial setting is an operation which exposes the staple tips.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an engine control means for controlling an operation of said image forming part, wherein said controller instructs said engine control means to start image forming.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said controller transmits printing reservation information to said engine control means, and transmits sheet discharging reservation information to said sheet discharging device control means.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image forming part comprises: a photosensitive drum; a developing means for developing an electrostatic latent image on a surface of said photosensitive drum; a transfer means for transferring an image developed on the surface of said photosensitive drum to said recording materials; and a fixing means for fixing images on the surface of said recording materials.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sheet discharging device is capable of exchanging a staple cartridge that houses staples, and exchange of said staples is detected based on whether said staple cartridge is mounted or not.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said sheet discharging device comprises a first transporting path and a second transporting path, andwherein a first stapling means is disposed in said first transporting path and a second stapling means is disposed in said second transporting path; said sheet discharging device control means being configured to detect whether or not staples of said first stapling means have been exchanged, upon receiving a staple instruction to said first stapling means from said controller and, being configured to control said sheet discharging device to transport said recording materials to said first transporting path, and execute said initial setting on a recording material that is a target of the staple instruction of said first stapling means, while controlling said sheet discharging device to transport said recording materials to said second transporting path so as to make said second stapling means execute stapling, upon detecting that said staples have been exchanged.

10. A sheet discharging device for use coupled to an image forming apparatus, comprising: a staple device for stapling recording materials transported from said image forming apparatus;a staple detecting means for detecting the existence of staples in said staple device;a sheet discharging device control means for controlling an operation of said sheet discharging device, andwherein said sheet discharging device control means is configured to detect whether or not staples have been exchanged, upon receiving a staple instruction from said image forming apparatus and, to control said sheet discharging device to execute an initial setting by using a recording material that is a target of said staple instruction, upon detecting that said staples have been exchanged.

11. The sheet discharging device according to claim 10, wherein said sheet discharging device control means is configured to inform said sheet discharging device's controller of time information that is required for said initial setting, upon detecting that said staples have been exchanged.

12. The sheet discharging device according to claim 10, wherein said initial setting is an operation which exposes the staple tips.

13. The sheet discharging device according to claim 10, wherein said sheet discharging device is capable of exchanging a staple cartridge that houses said staples, and exchange of said staples is detected based on whether said staple cartridge is mounted or not.

14. The sheet discharging device according to claim 10, further comprising a first transporting path and a second transporting path, and wherein a first stapling means is disposed in said first transporting path and a second stapling means is disposed in said second transporting path; said sheet discharging device control means detecting whether or not staples of said first stapling means have been exchanged, upon receiving a staple instruction to said first stapling means from said controller and, controlling said sheet discharging device to transport said recording materials to said first transporting path, and executing said initial setting by using a recording material that is a target of a staple instruction of said first stapling means, while controlling said sheet discharging device to transport said recording materials to said second transporting path so as to make said second stapling means execute stapling, upon detecting that said staples have been exchanged.

15. The sheet discharging device according to claim 10, further comprising a memory means for memorizing information, and wherein said memory means memorizes the information indicating that there are no staples if said staple detecting means detects that there are no staples.

16. A method of controlling a sheet discharging device having a stapling means for stapling batches of recording materials, the method comprising: receiving an instruction to begin staple processing on a given batch of recording materials;detecting if the staple cartridge has been exchanged since the previous staple processing step was completed; andcontrolling the sheet discharging device to perform initial setting of the stapling processing during the current staple processing using the given batch of recording materials, if the staple cartridge has been exchanged after the previous staple processing.