Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Corporation

Hiranaga Yamamoto

Osamu Wakuda

Hiroyuki Nagao

Hirotaka Toki

Syoichiro Yoshiura

Toyoaki Namba

Yuji Sugimoto

Kenji Okada

Yasuhiro Nakai

Hideo Matsuda

Tatsuo Nomura

Tatsuya Inoue

Yoshiharu Yoneda

Shinji Sugita

Koji Katamoto

Souichi Takata

Tamotsu Fukushima

Kiyoshi Sasoh

Kohki Fukuda

Haruo Nishiyama

Yoshitaka Honda

Tutomu Katoh

Kazuyuki Ohgita

David Isner

Daniel Oliveira

Kazuaki Karasuda

Hotaka Isobe

Michinobu Oono

Kenichi Gomi

An image formation apparatus to ensure provision of sheets used in a host mode process and a guest mode process without increasing the number of sheet cassettes to be mounted at a sheet feed unit and to prevent tedious task due to increase in the sheet feed frequency is provided. In the image formation apparatus, the main CPU identifies the accommodated number of sheets n in the sheet cassette every time one copy mode image formation process ends. This value n is compared with a set value of the number of sheets N read out via a sub CPU. When value n is equal to or less than value N, the copy mode image formation process is interrupted until the sheet cassette is replenished with sheets while waiting for input of image data associated with the guest mode image formation process. When image data associated with the guest mode image formation process is input from an external device during this period, the guest mode image formation process is executed.

Image formation apparatus that can ensure provision of sheets for image formation according to external image data

Process conditions for which setting operation is being accepted are displayed occupying a large area, by displaying no contents relevant to processing functions irrelevant to the setting of process conditions on screen. In order to improve the visual recognition of displayed contents and the operability of setting keys, an initial display on a liquid crystal display is divided into a left-hand display area for displaying an appearance drawing of the copying machine and a right-hand display area for displaying a drawing representing finishing conditions of a copied document. If an operation is made in the left-hand display area where a selection of the inputting of settings is entered on position of the copying machine, the contents relevant to the inputting of settings on position of the copying machine are displayed in the right-hand display area; if an operation is made in the right-hand display area where a selection of the inputting of settings is entered on operations affecting finishing conditions and the like, the contents relevant to the inputting of settings on the operations affecting finishing conditions and the like are displayed in the left-hand display area.

Input display device and method for switching the processing functions displayed in a plurality of display areas

When the manual feeder and developer collecting container is attached to the copier body, there is a space which is formed by translating the developer collecting container in the attaching direction (the B-direction) of the developer collecting container, between the developer collecting container and the rear frame. The manual feeder is attached so that part of the manual feeder is disposed in this space. The attached developer collecting container, is arranged out side of a space which is the paths of the manual feeder for movement in the X-direction and in the Y-direction. The attached manual feeder is disposed outside the space which is the path of the developer collecting container. A lever as a shifting element of shifting a pickup feeding element between active and inactive positions resides in a space defined by translating the mid area across the full sheet width of the acceptable maximum size, in the direction of the sheet thickness. The space of the path of the pickup feeding element for movement between the active and inactive positions, is arranged so as to be in contact with the two planes normal to the direction of the sheet thickness, and the lever resides within this space. This lever is extended to a space defined by translating a boundary area of the full sheet width of the acceptable maximum size in the direction of the sheet thickness so that the extended portion is coupled to a pickup solenoid as the movement drive source for the pickup feeder.

Image processing apparatus with attachable/detachable functional units

A data-processing system consisting of a portable terminal device and a copying machine can effectively work with protection against breakage of data stored in the terminal device. The data-processing system is constructed to work on the following principle: When a given period is measured by a timer for starting the power saving mode, a portable terminal device provides a copying machine with a signal informing of starting the power-saving mode. The copying machine, which received the power-saving-mode starting signal, provides in later the portable terminal device a signal requiring the terminal to cancel the power-saving-mode. When a given period is measured by a timer for starting the power saving mode, the copying machine provides the portable terminal device with a signal requiring the terminal device to start the power-saving mode. A CPU, which received information on request of power-saving-mode, executes the power saving mode. The portable terminal device and the copying machine as the former being mounted on the latter can simultaneously execute the power saving mode, preliminarily sheltering data in the storage.

Data processing system having separable data-processing devices and a deactivable power-saving function

An object of the invention is to provide a coupling structure of driving force transmitting members, wherein the variety of complex-type driving force transmitting parts to be combined by using a plurality of driving force transmitting members can be increased as many as possible. Respective gear members are provided with concave coupling portions on one sides in the axial line direction and convex coupling portions on the other sides in the axial line direction. The respective convex coupling portions are fitted into the respective concave coupling portions, whereby the gear members are coupled to integrally rotate. Thus, it is possible to selectively combine a plurality of gear members and construct many kinds of complex-type gear members.

Coupling structure of driving force transmitting members

The input device for controlling an apparatus includes: a display device for displaying an image represented by a plurality of dots; a touch panel disposed over the display face of the display device for outputting information of a position where the panel is operated in accordance with the displayed image on the display device; a command content determining device for determining the content of the command selected, based on the relationship between the positional information output from the touch panel and the image displayed on the display device, wherein the image displayed on the display device includes an external outline of the apparatus having the input device; and a switching device for switching the display on the display device, into the display frame for setting the operation of a unit corresponding to the operated part of the external outline of the apparatus when part of the external outline of the apparatus displayed on the display portion is operated through the touch panel.

Input device

In a power control unit for controlling a power supply to a load connected to an AC power source by switching on half cycles, following three modes are carried out in the order of presented: a first control mode for continuously supplying a power which is composed of a plurality of half cycle switching waveforms of a first polarity to said load; a second control mode for continuously supplying a power which is composed of a plurality of half cycle switching waveforms of a second polarity to said load, said second polarity being different from said first polarity; and a third control mode for supplying a power of a half cycle of said first polarity and a power of a half cycle of said second polarity to said load in turn. This arrangement can attain an effect that both the harmonic noises and the flickers caused by a rush current are reduced.

Power control unit

A feeding apparatus has a large turntable mounted rotatably on a tray and two paper cassettes installed on the turntable. The paper cassette are movable in a radial direction of rotation of the turntable. Carriage driving mechanisms for moving the paper cassettes are controlled to move the respective paper cassettes to positions closest to the axis of rotation of the turntable when rotating the turntable so that the space occupied by the paper cassettes is minimized. A 180-degree rotation mechanism for rotating the turntable is controlled to rotate the turntable after the respective paper cassettes are moved to the positions closest to the axis of rotation of the turntable, for interchanging the paper cassette on a feeding side and the paper cassette on a non-feeding side. This enables a reduction in the size of the apparatus, irrespective of the sizes and positions of the paper cassettes on the feeding side and non-feeding side.

Feeding apparatus

A large turntable is mounted rotatably on a tray, and two paper cassettes are rotatably installed on the turntable. The turntable is rotated by a 180-degree rotating mechanism and a small angle rotating mechanism, while the paper cassette is rotated by a cassette rotating mechanism. The 180-degree rotating mechanism interchanges the paper cassette on a feeding side and the paper cassette on a non-feeding side by rotating the turntable. The small angle rotating mechanism aligns the center of paper stored in the paper cassette on the feeding side with a feeding center line by rotating the turntable. The cassette rotating mechanism positions the leading edge of the paper in the paper cassette on the feeding side at right angles to a feeding direction by rotating the paper cassette. Since the 180-degree rotating mechanism and the small angle rotating mechanism are installed in positions on the tray outside of the turning space of the turntable, an apparatus of a reduced height and size is achieved.

A carriage driving mechanism moves a paper cassette forward and backward along a feeding direction. A cassette rotating mechanism rotates the paper cassette. A single carriage driving mechanism and a single cassette rotating mechanism are provided for each paper cassette and installed on a level between a cassette circular plate and a large turntable. The carriage driving mechanism includes a driving system constituted by a pulse motor, a series of gears, a pulley, a carriage, a wire wound around the pulley, and guide bars. The cassette rotating mechanism includes a pulse motor and a series of gears. The driving system of the carriage driving mechanism and the cassette rotating mechanism are mounted on the bottom surface of the carriage so as to be level, and move along with the carriage. This configuration enables a reduction in the height and size of a rotatable cassette-type feeding apparatus and an increase in copying functions.

Rotatable cassette type feeding apparatus

A rotatable cassette-type paper feeding apparatus includes a tray, a turning member mounted rotatably on the tray. A first rotating device is used for rotating the turning member, a plurality of paper cassettes installed rotatably on the turning member. A second rotating device is used for rotating the paper cassette in a paper feeding side, and a controller which controls the first rotating device to interchange the paper cassettes in the paper feeding side and in the non-paper-feeding side and which controls the second rotating device to switch the position of the paper cassette in the paper feeding side between sideways and lengthways. This structure achieves a compact rotatable cassette-type paper feeding apparatus capable of storing sheets of paper of various sizes and of feeding the paper sheets both sideways and lengthways by switching their positions.

Rotatable cassette-type paper feeding apparatus

A paper feeding device comprising a tray storing case attachable to and removable from a device housing; a rotatable tray, provided in the tray storing case, which rotates copy paper to a longitudinal and lateral feed position; and a mechanism for lifting up a paper-feed end of a paper holding plate provided in the tray when paper is to be fed. The mechanism is composed of a guide member provided in the device housing; a lift-up guide provided on a side face located on a paper-feed end of the tray; a first rotary bar provided in the tray storing case and driven by the guide member when the tray is attached thereon; and a second rotary bar, a spring and a lift plate driven by the lift-up guide when the tray is in the paper-feed position. The first and second bars are driven simultaneously, thus lifting up the paper-feed end of the paper holding plate. Alternatively, the mechanism comprises at least three springs provided between the tray and the tray storing case; a guide rib provided in the tray storing case; and a pivot pin, a wire and a slide plate provided on the paper holding plate. The guide rib causes the slide plate to rotate and the wire pulls the pivot pin downwards. A simplified and miniaturized mechanism that lifts up and lowers the paper holding plate is thus achieved.

Paper feeding device

The intermediate tray of a copying machine for copying on both sides of recording paper or recording paper feeding apparatus incorporates a mechanism for loosening and separating recording papers by air blow in order to prevent duplicate feed. Conventionally, such constitution could not be commonly applied to recording papers of plural sizes, and the recording paper vibrated due to the air flow to give off a loud noise. In the invention, the air flow is formed by plural nozzles arranged in the widthwise direction of the recording paper, and the nozzles near the both ends are controlled by opening and closing depending on the paper size. When the recording paper is conveyed by vacuum attracting to the belt, the recording paper is attracted closely to the belt, eliminating the space for allowing the air flow to enter in, so that vibration may be prevented.

Sheet feeding apparatus

When stacking up recording papers on a tray and conveying one by one from the top or bottom, they are conveyed by attracting in vacuum to a conveying belt. An example of conveying from the bottom is illustrated. When one recording paper is conveyed, its rear end comes into the attraction region of the conveying belt, and the second recording paper is attracted into the region out of the first recording paper in the attraction region, which results in duplicate feed. Therefore, the size of the attraction region is variable depending on the size of the recording paper so that the attraction region of the conveying belt may not come out from the rear end of the recording paper until the first recording paper is conveyed and its front end is held by the rear rollers of the conveying belt or the like.

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Nara, Japan

Hiranaga Yamamoto