Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha

Minolta Company, Ltd.

Kadotaro Nishimori

Masazumi Ito

Kimihiko Higashio

Akio Kato

Masaaki Oyabu

Yoshiaki Hata

Yoshiaki Takano

Tomokazu Kato

Syuzi Maruta

Hiroyuki Ideyama

Tsugihito Yoshiyama

Yoshifumi Shibata

Tadafumi Shimizu

Yoshihiko Hatta

Manabu Kamitamari

Osamu Toyama

Yoichi Kawabuchi

Toru Matsui

Keiji Nakatani

Tadashi Ohira

Yutaka Irie

Kaoru Hashimoto

Toshiyuki Yamashita

Kanji Wada

Masahiro Higaki

Toru Okatani

Keiji Yoshida

Tatsuya Tanigawa

A copying machine having an original feeding unit for feeding originals onto a platen glass which is operable in a two-original feeding mode where two originals are placed side by side in a particular position on the platen glass, and a sheet handling unit which is operable in a binding mode where copy sheets which copied images are bound. When the two-original feeding mode is selected, a selection of the binding mode is inhibited. When the two-original feeding mode is selected after the binding mode was selected, a warning is generated to inform that the sheet handling unit becomes impossible to be operated in the binding mode. When a copying operation is started without in spite of the generation of the warning, the binding mode is canceled.

Copying apparatus

An image forming apparatus provided with a plurality of sheet supply inlets respectively accommodating different kinds of sheets and a selecting member for selecting a desired kind of sheets. When a desired kind of sheets is selected by the selecting member, a check is made to determine whether the presently selected sheets are the same kind, for example, the same size, as the sheets which have been selected prior to the operation of the selecting member. When the presently selected sheets are the same kind as the sheets selected prior to the operation of the selecting member, the apparatus is controlled so that a sheet supply inlet accommodating the same kind of sheets as the sheet selected prior to operation of the selecting member but different from the sheet supply inlet used for sheet supply prior to the operation of the selecting member, for example, a sheet supply inlet in which the same kind of sheets are oriented in a different direction, is selected. The invention provides an image forming apparatus with improved operational efficiency.

Image forming method and apparatus having improved copy sheet supply

The image forming apparatus according to the present invention is connectable to an external device through a communication line, and includes an image forming device for forming an image on paper and a device for setting specified set conditions in the image forming device. The image forming apparatus performs image forming operation corresponding to the set conditions, and further includes a receiving device for receiving a control signal from the communication line and a transmission device for transmitting the set conditions through the communication line in response to reception of the control signal.

Image forming apparatus with improved efficiency of maintenance control

An image duplicating apparatus of the type having an IC-card controlled mode of operation in which are to be established standard conditions for copying operation when predetermined initial requirements are satisfied in the absence of an IC card set in the apparatus, and IC-card optional conditions for copying operation when the predetermined requirements are satisfied in the presence of an IC card set in the apparatus. The apparatus includes a control for selecting duplicating conditions within the apparatus and a memory for storing data representative of the selected duplicating conditions in responses to a first state in which the IC-card is not set in the apparatus, and for storing data fetched from the IC-card in response to a second state when the IC-card is set in the apparatus. The control is responsive to transition from one state to the other for establishing either the standard conditions or the optional conditions for a copying operation.

Image duplicating apparatus for use with an external data storage medium

The present invention relates to a selection setting method for various types of office automation equipment, with the object of simplifying the selection of functions provided by the equipment. A function setting method for setting predetermined values corresponding to a plurality of functions provided by an apparatus 1 in accordance with message displays displayed on a display 71. The function setting method provides message displays GP, GM or GR corresponding to the most important elements of the functions and which are displayed in prioritized order in accordance with the purpose for which the apparatus 1 is to be used.

Multi-function electronic device and method of setting the function

A control system of image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes image forming apparatus and a portable maintenance device connectable thereto. The image forming apparatus transmits first condition data indicating conditions of the apparatus to the portable maintenance device when the portable maintenance device is connected thereto, and the portable maintenance device receives the condition data from the image forming apparatus when it is connected to the image forming apparatus. Also, the portable maintenance device can be input second condition data indicating conditions of the image forming apparatus, and displays at least one piece of stored guide information on the basis of the first and second condition data.

Image forming apparatus capable of efficient maintenance work

An electric stapler is disposed at the bottom of a tray on which printed sheets are stacked, and is movable along the bottom of the tray. Printed sheets are aligned on the tray along a reference line. The stapler moves along the bottom of the tray and stops at determined points to staple the aligned sheets. A control section is stored with data about the number and location of stapling points proper for each sheet size. The size of printed sheets to be stapled is detected, and the movement of the stapler is controlled so that the stapler can staple at proper points for the detected sheet size.

Finisher with a stapler

A copying machine which includes a document support for supporting a document to be copied; an image forming device having first, second and third image forming modes for forming an image of the document on the document support on a copying sheet; an area specifying unit for specifying at least first and second areas of the document and for dividing the document into first and second areas and an area other than the first and second areas; an automatic specifying unit operable in response to a specification by the area specifying unit to specify one of the first, second and third image forming modes automatically according to predetermined rules relative to the first, second and third areas of the document, respectively; a manual specifying unit for manually changing one of the image forming modes which has been specified by the automatic specifying unit; and a control unit for controlling the image forming device by which images corresponding to the first, second and third areas can be formed under the image forming mode specified by either the automatic specifying unit or the manual specifying unit.

Device and method for forming an image of a document in more than one

A copying apparatus of the present invention includes an original tray on which a plurality of originals can be placed; a conveying mode selecting apparatus for selecting a first mode and the second mode; a conveying apparatus for taking out one original at a time out of the plurality of originals placed on the original tray in the first mode for setting the same to an exposure position and for taking two originals continuously out of the plurality of originals placed on the original tray in the second mode for setting the same to the exposure position; an automatic paper feeding apparatus for automatically feeding sheets of copy paper of a prescribed the size one by one; a manual paper feeding apparatus for manually feeding sheets of copy paper of an arbitrary size; a paper feeding selecting apparatus for selecting either the automatic paper feeding apparatus or the manual paper feeding apparatus; and a controlling apparatus for inhibiting simultaneous selection of the second mode and the manual paper feeding apparatus.

Copying machine capable of copying two originals on one sheet of paper

A copying apparatus produces a composite copy from an original document having a plurality of sheets and a final sheet having a desired format or overlay. The original document and the final format sheet are placed together in the same sheet feeding device. The format sheet is the last sheet in the sheet feeding device. The original sheets are fed to a printing device having a single exposure section. Images on the original sheets are copied onto blank paper which is fed to the printing device from a first paper location. The copies of the original documents are then sent to a second or intermediate paper location. The final sheet having the desired overlay or format is then fed to the same exposure section of the printing device. The copies of the original documents which are stored in the second paper location are then fed to the printing device, and the image on the format sheet is copied onto the paper received from the second paper location. The finished composite copies are then exited from the copying apparatus. The finished composite copies include images from both the original sheets and the format sheet.

Copying apparatus having a single exposure portion for final originals

A copying machine including a specifying unit movable along the document support for specifying a particular point and operable to divide an area of the document support into a first area, delimited between the exposure start position to the particular point, and a second area delimited between the particular point and the exposure terminating position; a first developing unit with a mass of developing material of first color therein and operable to develop an electrostatic latent image into a visible powder image, a second developing unit with a mass of developing material of second color therein and operable to develop the electrostatic latent image into a visible powder image, and an erasing unit for erasing the electrostatic latent image before the electrostatic latent image is developed by one of the first and second developing unit; a mode specifying unit for specifying relative to the first and second areas one of a first mode in which the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive medium is developed into the visible powder image of first color with the use of the first developing unit, a second mode in which the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive medium is developed into the visible powder image of second color with the use of the second developing unit, and a third mode in which the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive medium is erased with the use of the erasing unit.

Multi-color copying machine having a simultaneous color copy mode and an

A copying apparatus includes a circulating type original document feeder for feeding a plurality of originals from a tray, one by one, onto an exposure section. Each original is exposed to light from an optical system and an image of each original is copied onto a sheet. The apparatus also includes a counter for counting the number of originals fed from the feeder, a binding unit for binding sheets, and a controller for inhibiting the operation of the binding unit when the value counted by the counter is over a standard. The feeder may operate in a first feeding mode where each original is fed to the exposure section with only its first side facing the optical system, or in a second feeding mode where each original is fed twice to the exposure section, once with its first side facing the optical system and then once with its other side facing the optical system. The apparatus also operates in a first copying mode where each sheet is subjected to only one copying operation, and a second copying mode where each sheet is subjected to a plurality of copying operations. An operation mode is selected from a combination of one of the two feeding modes and one of two copying modes. A standard is then determined according to the selection of the operation mode in order to prevent the binding unit from receiving a number of sheets in excess of its storage capacity.

Copying apparatus provided with an automatic document feeder and a sheet

A copying machine having the APS mode for automatically selecting size of copy paper based on the size of the original and the copying magnification includes an APS mode setting switch, copy paper selecting switch for manually selecting the size of the copy paper and a controller for controlling the copying machine such that the operation of the copy paper selecting switch is inhibited when the APS mode is set. When the APS mode is set in the copying machine, the copy paper having the size selected by the copy paper selecting switch is inhibited even if the user operates the copy paper selection switch, due to the operation of the controller.

Copying apparatus having means for inhibiting manual setting of paper

An image forming apparatus which forms images on sheets fed selectively automatically or manually, and finishes copy sheets such as stapling them into booklets and/or stamping them under a control provided by an electronic control system. The control system prohibits simultaneous operations of finishing and feeding sheets manually.

Image forming apparatus

A scan-mode changeable image duplicating apparatus having operational parameters and modes of operation and operative to duplicate a document in accordance with selected ones of the operational parameters and modes of operation, including a recirculating document feeder unit having a document storage tray and a passageway through which a document is to be withdrawn from the tray and returned to the tray by way of an exposure position in which the document is to be scanned, a scanning unit for scanning a document in the exposure position, the scanning unit being movable back and forth with respect to the exposure position, a control system for controlling the document feeder unit and the scanning unit to operate either in a scanner-moved scanning mode in which the scanning unit is driven to move with respect to the exposure position to scan a document fixedly held in the exposure position and a document-moved scanning mode in which the scanning unit is fixed with respect to the exposure position and scans a document being moved with respect to the exposure position, and keys for entering desired ones of the operational parameters and the modes of operation for automatically selecting the scanning mode in which the control system is to control the document feeder unit and the scanning unit.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Kadotaro Nishimori