Electrophotography – Diagnostics – Document handling
Reexamination Certificate
1996-10-03
2001-03-20
Braun, Fred L (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Diagnostics
Document handling
C399S322000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06205297
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a recording apparatus for sequentially feeding cut sheets into the apparatus and printing.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, in a recording apparatus for sequentially feeding cut sheets into the apparatus and printing, when a residual paper is confirmed in the apparatus before activating the apparatus into a print wait status, a process is immediately performed by regarding a jam (paper jam) or the in-apparatus residual paper is soon automatically discharged to the outside of the apparatus irrespective of an instruction from the outside.
The inventors of the present invention have proposed a recording apparatus having an emergency stop function for forcedly stopping the driving of the recording apparatus from the outside. In such an apparatus, there is considered a method whereby when an instruction for an emergency stop is received during the paper transporting operation, a process is immediately performed by regarding a jam.
In the recording apparatus without the automatic paper discharging function as mentioned above, therefore, before the apparatus is activated to the print wait status or when the paper remains at the time of the emergency stop, the user has to eliminate the residual paper from the inside of the apparatus of a complicated construction by himself.
When the automatic paper discharging operation is performed before the recording apparatus enters the print wait status, if optional apparatuses such as paper feeding apparatus, paper discharging apparatus, and the like are connected around the recording apparatus, a matching of the operation with the peripheral apparatuses cannot be obtained and a paper jam occurs or, in the worst case, a damage of the apparatus can also occur.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to solve the above problems and to provide a recording apparatus which can smoothly perform a paper discharging operation when a paper remains in the recording apparatus.
In the specification, the operation to discharge the residual paper on the basis of an instruction from the outside is called an automatic paper discharge.
To accomplish the above object, according to the invention, there is provided a recording apparatus comprising: in-apparatus residual paper checking means for checking the presence or absence of an in-apparatus residual paper before shifting to a print wait status; automatic paper discharging means for keeping the apparatus in a paper discharge wait status and allowing the apparatus to wait until an instruction is issued from the outside when there is an in-apparatus residual paper and, when the instruction from the outside is received, for driving a paper transporting system and ejecting the in-apparatus residual paper to the outside of the apparatus; and external interface processing means for notifying the outside of paper residual information and accepting the paper discharging instruction from the outside, wherein when the instruction is issued from an external apparatus, the automatic paper discharge can be immediately executed and the external apparatus can execute the paper discharge in accordance with an ambient status.
External interface processing means for ignoring the paper discharging instruction from the outside until a printing apparatus enters a predetermined automatic paper discharge wait status is provided for the recording apparatus, thereby making it possible to prevent the automatic paper discharge being executed in a state in which the recording apparatus itself is in a status in which an automatic paper discharge is not possible.
Further, the external interface processing means for informing the outside of a fact that the automatic paper discharge can be performed at a time point when the printing apparatus enters the predetermined automatic paper discharge wait status is provided for the recording apparatus, thereby enabling an external control apparatus (or operator) to confirm that the recording apparatus has entered the automatic paper discharge possible status.
An automatic paper discharge wait time of the recording apparatus is limited and when no paper discharge instruction is generated within a predetermined time, it is decided that a jam has occurred, thereby making it possible to prevent the occurrence of an inconvenience such that the recording apparatus enters a dangerous state or an inconvenience which is caused by performing the automatic paper discharge in a status in which the automatic paper discharge is not possible.
Particularly, by setting a limitation (time when the occurrence of a jam is judged) of the automatic paper discharging wait to a time such that since the paper continuously remains on a transporting path, the paper is consequently curled and cannot be transported, a paper jam or damage to the apparatus which occurs by trying to discharge the paper that cannot be transported can be prevented.
Particularly, with respect to a recording apparatus for thermally fixing, as a condition for the automatic paper discharge wait status, by setting an automatic paper discharge wait temperature of a fixing device to a lowest temperature at which a developing agent is not deposited to the fixing device, a phenomenon such that the unfixed developing agent is deposited to the fixing device by the automatic paper discharge is prevented. By setting the automatic paper discharge wait temperature of the fixing device to the highest temperature at which the generation of a fire or smoke from the paper does not occur or a burned trace is not formed on the paper when the paper remains in the fixing device, it is possible to prevent the apparatus from entering a dangerous state in the automatic paper discharge wait status.
Further, with respect to the recording apparatus for performing a thermal fixing process, by setting a limitation (time at which the occurrence of a jam is judged) in the automatic paper discharge wait status to a time such that the generation of a fire or smoke from the paper does not occur or a burned trace is not formed on the paper at the automatic paper discharge wait temperature set in the case where the paper remains in the fixing device, it is possible to prevent the apparatus from entering a dangerous state in the automatic paper discharge wait status.
To accomplish the above object, according to the invention, there is provided a recording apparatus comprising: emergency stop means for stopping a driving system in response to an instruction from the outside; in-apparatus residual checking means for checking the presence or absence of an in-apparatus residual paper after completion of the execution of an emergency stop; automatic paper discharging means for stopping a paper transporting system and waiting until an instruction is generated from the outside when there is a presence of the in-apparatus residual paper and for driving the paper transporting system and ejecting the in-apparatus residual paper to the outside of the apparatus when the instruction from the outside is received; and external interface processing means for notifying the outside of paper residual information and for accepting a paper discharging instruction or an emergency stop instruction from the outside, wherein even when the instruction for the emergency stop is received during the paper transportation, the in-apparatus residual paper is not processed while regarding the occurrence of a jam but can be set to a target of the automatic paper discharge.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4090787 (1978-05-01), Hubbard et al.
patent: 4373802 (1983-02-01), Yuge et al.
patent: 4585333 (1986-04-01), Yamagishi
patent: 5034771 (1991-07-01), Makita
patent: 5459553 (1995-10-01), Kim
patent: 5461460 (1995-10-01), Lee
patent: 5479240 (1995-12-01), Lee et al.
patent: 5489968 (1996-02-01), Rossbach et al.
patent: 5534976 (1996-07-01), Kim
patent: 5678123 (1997-10-01), Kim
Sato Kaoru
Tachibana Tatsuto
Braun Fred L
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
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