Electrophotography – Machine operation – Having power supply
Reexamination Certificate
2003-04-25
2004-09-14
Barrera, Ramon M. (Department: 2832)
Electrophotography
Machine operation
Having power supply
C335S181000, C335S229000, C335S234000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06792225
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a multifunctional and energy saving typed image forming apparatus which even a physically handicapped person having a visual disorder can operate easily, and a special switch used in the above-mentioned image forming apparatus.
Due to the multifunctional operation of the image forming apparatus, concerning a power switch, used are two kinds of such switches, one is used on the assumption that it will not be used for normal condition, while the other is used on the assumption that it will be used frequently. An example of the former is a main power switch, and an example of the latter is an operational power supply switch.
When the main power switch is ON, and the operational power switch is OFF, the image forming apparatus is under energy saving condition, and therefore the energy consumption is lower, though the image forming apparatus remains multifunctional.
When the main power switch is ON, and the operational power switch is also ON, and when the image forming apparatus has not been operated for a predetermined time, the apparatus turns itself OFF automatically, by which energy saving can be performed, which is preferable from the point of view of global environmental conservation.
FIG. 5
is a perspective view of a conventional image forming apparatus. Image forming apparatus
51
is composed of document feeding device
52
which feeds the documents to a unillustrated glass platen, operational section
53
, by which a user designates operations to image forming apparatus
51
, image forming section
54
which forms images on a transfer sheet, and sheet trays
55
which convey paper sheets, one by one, to image forming section
54
.
Operational power supply switch
56
is a push-type switch, provided on operational section
53
. The push-type switch is structured so that the power supply is turned on and off by each push, and the button of a push-type switch returns to the original position, accordingly it is impossible to show the condition of ON or OFF by the appearance of the switch.
Main power switch
57
is a seesaw switch. The seesaw switch is structured so that a push to one side is the ON position, and a push to the other side is the OFF position, accordingly a push on the seesaw switch shows whether it is ON or OFF.
FIG. 6
is a block diagram of the image forming apparatus. Condition control section
61
is composed of an unillustrated CPU, a control program of image processing means
62
, and a memory device to memorize the control program, and page memory
63
which temporally stores readout images. Control section
53
and document feeding device
52
, both of which are also shown in
FIG. 5
, FAX control section
64
, printer control section
65
, network interface
66
, and image output section
67
, are connected to condition control section
61
, and all of them function based on instructions from condition control section
61
.
FAX control section
64
is a device which sends or receives images through a telephone circuit, and printer control section
65
controls image forming section
54
as well as sheet tray
55
, also shown in
FIG. 5
, and forms the images stored in page memory
63
on the transfer sheet. Condition control section
61
is connected to network interface
66
, which is used for forming the images on the transfer sheet by the printing instruction from a computer on a LAN, and is used for sending the image data in page memory
63
to the computer on the LAN.
Image forming apparatus
51
uses a switch for activating or deactivating the primary side voltage, and a switch for activating or deactivating a secondary side voltage. Total control of the power supply of image forming apparatus
51
is realized by activating or deactivating the primary side voltage, while the control of the power supply of the sections, except condition control section
61
, FAX control section
64
and network interface
66
is performed by activating or deactivating the secondary side voltage. Main power supply switch
57
is used for turning on and off the primary side voltage, while operational power supply switch
56
is used for turning on or off the secondary side voltage.
ON/OFF operation of operational power supply switch
56
can be directly controlled by condition control section
61
. When a FAX or instruction for printing from a computer arrives, while operational power supply switch
56
is off, condition control section
61
can automatically turn on operational power supply switch
56
, to printout the received images onto a transfer sheet. Further, when the printing is completed, power is automatically turned off.
If main power switch
57
is turned off, it is impossible to receive a FAX or instruction for printing from the computer, and accordingly, main power switch
57
normally remains in the ON position, and it is not turned off except in special cases, such as when image forming apparatus
51
is transported.
If a switch is used which does not show the on-off condition, such as commonly used operational power supply switch
56
, it is almost impossible to recognize the operating condition of image forming apparatus
51
for a physically handicapped person having a visual disorder. A switch that can show the condition of ON/OFF, such as a seesaw switch used in main power supply switch
57
should be used from the point of view of universal design.
When a switch, such as a conventional seesaw switch that shows the ON/OFF condition is used, it is still impossible to control the ON/OFF switch condition by condition control section
61
. For its countermeasure, the image data received by FAX control section
64
and network interface
66
is memorized in page memory
63
, whereby, when the amount of the data is very large, there is a risk that the memorized data will overflow.
Further, by such a seesaw switch, it is impossible to perform remote control of the power supply of image forming apparatus
51
which is connected to a network environment, and a person must take the trouble to go to image forming apparatus
51
to turn on the power supply, which is rather inconvenient.
Still further, a conventional power supply switch having an electromagnetic reset function, can work only for cutting off the circuit, which cannot be used for the operational power supply switch.
In order to avoid this problem, considered is a method that only ON/OFF switching of control section
53
is performed by operational power supply switch
56
, and that the apparatus is activated while operating section
53
is off, whichever the condition of operational power supply switch
56
may be. However this is still not a preferable operating method, because the countermeasure of an abnormal event such as a paper jam can become quite complicated.
Among conventional switches, a switch exists having one directional electromagnet and a permanent magnet, by which the circuit is turned off not only by an electric signal but also by a manual push. However such a switch can be turned from on to off, but cannot be turned from off to on. Accordingly, when information such as a FAX message enters during the energy saving mode (that is, the operational switch is off), it is necessary to save the information in a memory means, or to allow the image forming apparatus to function, though the operational switch is off. In the former case, an enormous volume of memory is necessary, and in the latter case, it is not logical that the machine works though the switch is off.
According to the present invention, the switch can be turned on to off, and off to on, by electrical signals or manual operation. Therefore, for changing to energy saving mode, the operational switch is turned off by manual operation or electrical signals, and when communication information enters from the outside, the operational switch is turned on by the electrical signals to receive the communication information, and when receiving is completed, the operational switch is turned off by electrical signals to be in the energy saving mode. That is, a multifun
Matsudaira Tadashi
Oyama Hiroshi
Sugano Masashi
Takahashi Katsunori
Watanabe Masayuki
Barrera Ramon M.
Frishauf Holtz Goodman & Chick P.C.
Konica Corporation
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