Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Hirobumi Yoshino

Akira Midorikawa

Masatoshi Hosoi

Tatsuo Hirono

Masayuki Shinada

Masashi Shimada

Yoshihiro Nakashima

Tsutomu Ichinose

Shin Umeda

Masaji Ito

Mitsuo Shibusawa

Yuji Ueno

Takashi Komada

Tatsuo Tani

Hiroyuki Maeda

Fumiyo Kojima

Yoko Nakamura

Goro Mori

Yoshihide Sugiyama

Junichi Kawase

Nobuyoshi Seki

Mitsutoyo Kikuno

Masahiro Minato

Nobuyuki Morii

Toshiyuki Kikuchi

Atsushi Arai

Masashi Kuno

Atuhisa Hujiwara

Takashige Ito

A method of controlling the surface temperature of a heat roller included in a fixing device and having a heater therein by sensing it by a thermistor. The thermistor is held in contact with the heat roller during warm-up operation and in a standby condition or spaced apart from the heat roller while a copying operation is under way. The heater is on/off controlled on the basis of a temperature measured when the thermistor is spaced apart from the heat roller. The method corrects this temperature by comparing temperatures measured in the contact and non-contact positions of the thermistor. In such a correction mode, if the difference between the two measured temperatures does not lie in a predetermined range, the method stops energizing the heater determining that an error has occurred.

Temperature control method for a fixing device

A paper handling apparatus having a plurality of bins, a paper positioning device for positioning paper sheets which are sequentially distributed to the bins, and a stapler for stapling the paper sheets stacked on the bins. A controller causes the paper positioning device to position the paper sheets even after the latter has been stapled by the stapler.

Paper handling apparatus

A paper positioning device having a paper positioning member which is pivotable in abutment against one edge of a paper sheet loaded on a receptacle for moving the paper sheet to a positioning position for thereby positioning the paper sheet. By a simple mechanism and control, the movement of the paper positioning member is slowed down at the positioning position and accelerated until the positioning member reachines it. The paper positioning member performs a pivoting movement twice while a drive shaft associated therewith performs a reciprocating movement once. The device is, therefore, no only durable but also positions paper sheets efficiently and positively without damaging the paper sheets.

Paper positioning device

A paper handling apparatus for use with a copier, printer or similar equipment for sorting a number of paper sheets sequentially driven out of the equipment to prepare paper stacks and binding the paper stacks. The apparatus has a plurality of bins, a sorter for sequentially distributing the paper sheets to the individual bins, a mechanism for positioning the paper sheets distributed to the bins, and a stapler for stapling the paper sheets positioned on the bins. The sorter and the stapler are operable simultaneously with each other. The stapler acts on only those bins which are loaded with paper sheets associated with the last document without exception, while not acting on those bins which are loaded with paper sheets associated with the last document but are loaded with only a single paper sheet. The bin on which the stapler is to act is located at least two bins above the bin where the paper sheets are to be positioned. When a timing at which a paper positioning operation should not be executed is detected, priority is given to a stapling operation with the paper positioning operation being inhibited. Whether or not the bin of interest has undergone paper positioning is determined and, based on the result of decision, which of the paper positioning operation and the stapling operation should be executed is determined. The stapling operation is allowed to occur only at the bins where paper sheets have already been positioned.

An apparatus for use with an office machine for allowing operational conditions of the machine to be set up with ease and promoting easy handling of a menu sheet on which information for selecting the operational conditions are to be written. An operator can condition the machine for desired operation modes simply by marking a menu sheet and then inserting it in a menu sheet reader. Even when the menu sheet jams a transport path defined in the menu sheet reader, for example, it can be dealt with by simple processing.

Operational condition setting device for an office machine

An electrophotographic copier selectively operable with various kinds of toner automatically sets up optimum copy process conditions for any particular characteristic of toner to be used when a toner cartridge is replaced. The copy process conditions are changed upon the lapse of a predetermined delay time after the replacement of a toner cartridge. When an old toner cartridge mounted on the copier is replaced with a new toner cartridge which stores toner of a kind that should not be mixed with toner stored in the former, the copier identifies the new toner cartridge and produces an alarm to inhibit the replacement.

Electrophotographic copier with a capability of automatically setting up

A copying machine including a sheet in which bar codes corresponding to various copying modes are printed, a bar code reader for reading the bar codes from the sheet, a decoding section for decoding signals transmitted from the bar code reader and a control section for setting a copying mode based on data derived from the decoding section.

Copying machine having a bar code reader

A copying system comprises a first circuit for selecting a copying mode or a service program mode responsive to a manipulation of one or a plurality of keys, a second circuit for setting an operation mode to the service program mode when enabled by the first circuit, and a control device for automatically resetting one of a plurality of predetermined service program modes when the second circuit is disabled by the first circuit. Adjusting data for use in adjusting parts of the copying system in the service program mode are entered from the keys, and the predetermined service program modes are automatically reset when the operation mode is changed from the service program mode to the copying mode.

Copying system having copying and service program modes

A machine has a control panel with a plurality of keys controlling various functions. A display exhibits prompts as to the proper operation of the machine. An operator can learn the functions of the keys by manipulating them and observing the resulting prompts. The display additionally exhibits maintenance and (in a diagnostic mode) diagnostic prompts. Sensors respond to various maintenance or diagnostic conditions. Signals from the sensors cause a storage means to supply corresponding prompts to the display to prompt the needed maintenance or diagnostic procedure. When the appropriate procedure has been performed, additional prompts for subsequent procedures will be displayed if appropriate.

Guidance device for manipulation of machine

A power supply control device for a copier of the type having a timer therein is disclosed. The device allows a power supply of the copier to be turned on and off at any desired time which is set through ten keys. Data entered through the ten keys are loaded in a store. The data read out of the store and present time data output from the timer are compared and, as they compare equal, a power supply driver turns on the power supply. Guidance displays are referenced in the event of entering data.

Power supply control device for copier having timer

A copier with an image editing function which extracts desired areas of a plurality of documents in an analog fashion and allows them to be edited on a single transfer sheet. The copier includes an erasing device for selectively erasing an image provided on a photoconductive element, a detaining device for temporarily detaining a transfer sheet, an image inputting device for inputting an image of an original document, and a display device for displaying an input condition. Desired areas of documents are specified and edited with the aid of displays and then copied. Where the specified areas of the documents overlap each other, one of them having priority over the other or a selected one of them is copied. The number of areas to be edited is open to choice. The specified areas are entered through editing keys and usual ten keys. The erasing device is driven by a controller which is responsive to digital signals which are derived from position setting knobs associated with two perpendicular scales. Different colors are used to in correspondence with specified areas or documents. After copying, sheets are stocked in different positions on the basis of an edited content. An image portion inside or outside a specified area is selectable.

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Tokyo, Japan

Hirobumi Yoshino