Electrophotography – Machine operation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-29
2001-08-28
Chen, Sophia S. (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Machine operation
C399S043000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06282387
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a complex-type digital copying machine that can be provided with option units, an example of which is a finisher.
There is a conventional digital copying machine that can be provided with option units, an example of which is a finisher. In this type of digital copying machine, the operation of the main body of the digital copying machine is controlled in accordance with the processing speed of the finisher. For example, at the start of a copying operation, the main body of the digital copying machine is made to stand by until the end of the operation of the finisher, such as the operation of initialization or the operation of changing the sheet discharge bin position for use in the copying process. In the standby state, the main motor (drum motor) and other motors employed in the main body of the digital copying machine are kept rotating.
If the print start request that uses a different sheet discharge bin from the one used last is made (i.e., when the copy button is depressed, the printer-mode printing is requested, the facsimile-mode printing is requested, or the like), the conventional digital copying machine to which the finisher is connected first rotates the motors, including the main motor, and then requests that the finisher move the sheet discharge bins.
As can be seen from this, movement of the bins of the finisher is started when the motors are rotating. A sheet supplied from a sheet feed cassette is made to stop immediately in front of the register rollers and waits for the finisher to complete the movement of the bins. Thereafter, the sheet is fed to the image formation section. While the sheet is waiting for the completion of the bin movement, the motors keep rotating in an idle manner.
When printing operations are executed successively, there may be a new print request, and this printing will uses a different sheet discharge bin from the presently used one. Even in this case, the bins are moved, with the motors rotating. The supplied sheet waits for the completion of the bin movement immediately in front of the register rollers, and is then fed to the image formation section.
When the bin presently in use becomes replete with stacked sheets, the sheet discharge bins are moved. In this case as well, the bins are moved, with the motors rotating in the idle manner. That is, the supplied sheet waits for the completion of the bin movement in front of the register rollers, and is then fed to the image formation section.
In the case where the bin moving distance of the finisher is long or the bin moving speed is low, the time required for the bin movement is inevitably long. Hence, the motors of the main body of the digital copying machine have to rotate in the idle manner. This being so, consumables driven by the motors, such as a photosensitive drum, deteriorate in a short period of time.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is intended to solve the problem that an image forming apparatus performs unnecessary operations, which are caused by operations other than the image forming operation, and that the deterioration of the consumables thereof are accelerated, accordingly. According to the present invention, the unnecessary operations of an image forming apparatus, which are due to operations other than the image forming operation, are reduced, and the deterioration of the consumables are therefore suppressed.
An image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises: sheet feed means for feeding an image formation medium; image forming means for forming an image on the image formation medium fed by the sheet feeding means; discharge means for discharging the image formation medium on which the image is formed by the image formation means; and control means for controlling timings at which an operation of the image forming means is started, when image formation processing is executed by the image forming means, in such a manner that the timings are controlled in accordance with a first time required for operations other than the operation of the image forming means and a second time required for starting up the image forming means.
Another image forming apparatus according to the present invention comprises: sheet feed means for feeding an image formation medium; image forming means for forming an image on the image formation medium fed by the sheet feeding means; discharge means including a plurality of sheet discharge bins to which the image formation medium bearing the image formed by the image forming means is selectively discharged on the basis of settings regarding image formation processing; determination means for determining whether or not the sheet discharge bins to which image forming medium is discharged are switched from one to another, when the image formation processing is executed by the image forming means; and control means for controlling timings at which an operation of the image forming means is started, in such a manner that the timings are controlled in accordance with a first time, a second time and a third time when the determination means determines that the sheet discharge bins are switched from one to another, the first time being a time required for the discharge means to switch the sheet discharge bins, the second time being a time required for starting up the image forming means, and the third time being a time required for the sheet feed means to feed the image formation medium.
An image forming method according to the present invention is for use in an image forming apparatus comprising: sheet feed means for feeding an image formation medium; image forming means for forming an image on the image formation medium fed by the sheet feeding means; and discharge means for discharging the image formation medium on which the image is formed by the image formation means. The method is featured in that timings at which an operation of the image forming means is started are controlled when image formation processing is executed by the image forming means, in such a manner that the timings are controlled in accordance with a first time required for operations other than the operation of the image forming means and a second time required for starting up the image forming means.
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 hereinafter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4914485 (1990-04-01), Emori et al.
patent: 5309204 (1994-05-01), Sato et al.
Chen Sophia S.
Foley & Lardner
Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
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