Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Koichi Kanaya

Osamu Kizaki

Masayuki Hayashi

Nobuaki Tomidokoro

Tomofumi Harada

Yasuo Kawada

Yoshihiro Mitekura

Yasunari Hashimoto

Toshiya Tagawa

Masato Terao

Masahiro Kitayama

Kazuyuki Nakahara

Yutaka Fukuchi

Yoshiyuki Tanimoto

Kazuki Nakahara

A control system for collectively supervising a plurality of copiers or similar image forming apparatuses connected to a control device by communication lines with or without the intermediary of communication control units. To down-load data relating to image formation, the control device determines whether or not a copier of interest is in an inoperative state and, if it is in an inoperative state, automatically sends the data to the copier via a telephone line, an exchange, and a communication control unit. This data is written to storing means built in the copier. To up-load data relating to image formation, the control device causes each copier to automatically send the data stored in the storing means and stores the data in memory means. Up-loading is effected at an optimal time other than the time when the copier is performing an automatic adjustment, is in use, or is quite likely to be used.

System for supervising an image forming apparatus from a remote computer

A control system for collectively supervising a plurality of copiers or similar image forming apparatuses connected to a control device by communication lines with or without the intermediary of communication control units. To down-load data relating to image formation, the control device determines whether or not a copier of interest is an inoperative state and, if it is in an inoperative state, automatically sends the data to the copier via a telephone line, an exchange, and a communication control unit. This data is written to storing means built in the copier. To up-load data relating to image formation, the control device causes each copier to automatically send the data stored in the storing means thereof and stores the data in memory means thereof. Up-loading is effected at an optimal time other than the time when the copier is performing an automatic adjustment, in use, or quite likely to be used.

Control device for controlling a plurality of image forming apparatuses

A control system for collectively supervising a plurality of copiers or similar image forming apparatuses connected to a control device by communication lines with or without the intermediary of communication control units. To down-load data relating to image formation, the control device determines whether or not a copier of interest is an inoperative state and, if it is in an inoperative state, automatically sends the data to the copier via a telephone line, an exchange, and a communication control unit. This data is written to a storage device built in the copier. To up-load data relating to image formation, the control device causes each copier to automatically send the data stored in the storing device thereof and stores the data in a memory thereof. Up-loading is effected at an optimal time other than the time when the copier is performing an automatic adjustment, in use, or quite likely to be used.

Communication control device connected to a plurality of image forming

Control system for controlling the connection of an image forming

A control system for collectively supervising a plurality of copiers or similar image forming apparatuses connected to a control device by communication lines with or without the intermediary of communication control units. To down-load data relating to image formation, the control device determines whether or not a copier of interest is an inoperative state and, if it is in an inoperative state, automatically sends the the copier via a telephone line, an exchange, and a communication control unit. This data is written to a storing device built in the copier. To up-load data relating to image formation, the control device causes each copier automatically send the data stored in the storing device thereof and stores the data in a memory thereof. Up-loading is effected at an optimal time other than the time when the copier is performing an automatic adjustment, in use, or quite likely to be used.

Control device for collectively supervising a plurality of image forming

An automatic document feeder (ADF) for use with an image forming apparatus and freeing the operator from extra work associated with documents discharged after illumination. When the operator intentionally stacks the first page to the last page of documents in this order and sets them on an ADF table face down due to a copy discharge mode which requires the ADF to discharge the last page to the first page in this order face up, the ADF reverses the documents before discharging them. Hence, despite that the ADF discharges the documents from the last page to the first page, it successfully stacks the documents in order of page by turning them over.

Automatic document feeder for an image forming apparatus

A control device for a copier of the type loaded with a recyclic document feeder (RDF) and operable in a two-sided copy mode for producing two-sided copies by sequentially stacking one-sided paper sheets and refeeding them for transferring images on the other side thereof. In the two-sided copy mode, side fences provided on an intermediate tray are moved toward and away from each other in matching relation to the paper size. Even when the entry of a paper sheet in and the refeed of a paper sheet from the intermediate tray occur alternately, paper sheets entered the tray can be accurately controlled in position with no regard to the paper size.

Control means for guide members in an intermediate tray in a duplex

A control method for an image recorder of the type transporting a recording medium substantially vertically from a lower portion to an upper portion inside the recorder. This type of recorder transfers a toner image from a photoconductive element to the medium, and has a toner density sensor for sensing the toner density of a reference density pattern. When the medium jams in the transport path while being transported in the vertical direction, whether it has slipped out of the transported path and dropped to a position where the toner density sensor is located is determined, the sensor is turned on when the operator starts on an operation for removing the medium and when the operator ends such an operation. When the resultant two consecutive outputs from the sensor are different from each other, it is determined that the medium has dropped and the jam is in the vicinity of the sensor.

Control method for detecting a paper jam using a toner density sensor

A device for controlling positioning of a sheet carrying an image on one side thereof, or one-sided sheet, in a predetermined position on an intermediate tray of a copier which is operable in a two-sided copy mode. The one-sided sheet is positioned on the intermediate tray by a pair of side fences and a back fence. The side fences and the back fence each is driven by an exclusive pulse motor to move and stop at a position matching the size of the sheet. Particular amounts of displacement are assigned to each fence on a sheet size basis, and each is adjustable on the operation board of the copier.

Device for controlling sheet positioning on an intermediate tray

A paper feed control device for controlling a paper feed level, or height, to a predetermined level by moving up and down a tray which is loaded with a stack of papers by a motor. A proportional relation between the number of paper fed as counted by a paper counter and the number of encoder pulses which is associated with an amount of movement of the tray is calculated to determine how many pulse will appear before a near-paper-end condition is reached. Based on a result of the decision, the paper feed is controlled.

Paper feed control device for copier which determines the actual number

A paper feed control device for controlling a paper feed level, or height, to a predetermined one by moving up and down a tray which is loaded with a stack of papers by a motor or the like. A proportional relation between the number of papers fed as counted by a paper counter and the number of encoder pulses which is associated with an amount of movement of the tray is calculated to determine how many pulses will appear before a near-paper-end condition is reached. Based on a result of the decision, the paper feed is controlled.

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Yokohama, Japan

Koichi Kanaya