Image forming device providing various operation modes

• US 20040109189A1
• Filed: 11/12/2003
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ikeda, Akihiro, Isozaki, Atsushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,333,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.13
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0057 Conveying sheets before or after scanning arrangements for conveying sheets as part of the scanning operation H04N1/04 and subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00588 to the scanning position H04N1/00572, H04N1/00594 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00591 from the scanning position H04N1/00572 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00602 Feed rollers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00655 Apparatus in common for different handling operations H04N1/00575, H04N1/00594, H04N1/00596, H04N1/00618 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00657 Compensating for different handling speeds of different apparatus or arrangements for handling a plurality of sheets simultaneously, e.g. mechanical buffering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1215 Feeding using one or more cylindrical platens or rollers in the immediate vicinity of the main scanning line

Abstract

An image forming device providing a document image reading mode, image recording mode, copying mode, recording sheet feeding mode, and recording sheet discharge mode. When interruption of feeding of a document or a recording sheet is detected by a sensor, the current driving force transmission path is switched and set to another driving force transmission path corresponding to an operation mode different from the current operation mode at which the interruption occurs.

Claims

1. An image forming device capable of providing at least a document reading mode and an image recording mode, the image forming device comprising:

a document feeder that feeds a document in one direction in a document feed path for performing a document reading operation in the document reading mode;

a recording sheet feeder that feeds a recording sheet in one direction in a recording sheet feed path for recording an image on the recording sheet in the image recording mode;

a single drive motor;

a drive force transmission mechanism for selectively transmitting a rotation of the drive motor to one of the document feeder and the recording sheet feeder in accordance with a selected operation mode, the driving force transmission mechanism providing at least a first position and a second position;

a first power transmission arrangement drivingly connecting the drive force transmission mechanism to the document feeder at the first position of the drive force transmission mechanism;

a second power transmission arrangement drivingly connecting the drive force transmission mechanism to the recording sheet feeder at the second position of the drive force transmission mechanism, the first power transmission arrangement being disconnected from the drive force transmission mechanism when the second power transmission arrangement is drivingly connected to the recording sheet feeder;

first detection means that detects interruption of feeding of one of the documents and the recording sheet at respective one of the document feed path and the recording sheet feed path; and

a control unit that controls the drive force transmission mechanism for switching power transmission between a first transmission phase where the drive motor is drivingly connected to the document feeder through the first power transmission arrangement and a second transmission phase where the drive motor is drivingly connected to the recording sheet feeder through the second power transmission arrangement, the control unit comprising first changing means for changing a current transmission phase to one of remaining transmission phases when the first detection means detects the interruption.

2. The image forming device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the drive motor is rotatable in a forward direction and a reverse direction;

and

wherein the drive force transmission mechanism comprises;

a sun gear including a first gear drivingly engaged with the drive motor and a second gear coaxially and integrally with the first gear;

a planetary gear constantly engaged with the second gear and orbitally rotatable about the second gear;

a rotary member concentric with the sun gear and rotatable in a same direction as the sun gear when the sun gear rotates in the forward direction so as to orbitally rotate the planetary gear around the sun gear, and unrotatable when the sun gear rotates in the reverse direction so as to only allow the planetary gear to rotate on an axis but prevents the planetary gear from its orbital movement, the control unit controlling rotational direction of the sun gear and rotational angular position of the rotary member for determining at least first and second stop positions of the planetary gear, the planetary gear being only engaged with the first power transmission arrangement at the first stop position, and the planetary gear being only engaged with the second power transmission arrangement at the second stop position.

3. The image forming device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the rotating member has an circumference area formed with a plurality of recesses and projections that are one of indented and protruded in a diametrical direction of the rotating member and alternately disposed with each other, each of the recesses and projections having a specific circumferential length, and the driving force transmission mechanism further comprising a sensor switch connected to the control unit, the sensor switch detecting each of the recesses for detecting angular rotational position of the rotary member.

4. The image forming device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the remaining transmission modes comprise a copy mode, a recording sheet feeding mode, and a recording sheet discharge mode, and

wherein the driving force transmission mechanism further provides a third position, fourth position and fifth position;

and

wherein the image forming device further comprises;

a third power transmission arrangement engagable with the driving force transmission mechanism at the third position for providing the copy mode;

a fourth power transmission arrangement engagable with the driving force transmission mechanism at the fourth position for providing the recording sheet feeding mode; and

a fifth power transmission arrangement engagable with the driving force transmission mechanism at the fifth position for providing the recording sheet discharge mode.

5. The image forming device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the plurality of recesses includes at lease five recesses for defining the operation modes.

6. The image forming device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second detecting means that detects a removal of one of the document and the recording sheet whose feeding operation has been interrupted, from respective one of the document feeding path and the recording sheet feed path;

wherein the control unit further comprises a second changing means that performs switching from the one of the remaining transmission phases to a previous transmission phase during which the first detection means has been detected the interruption for automatically restoring the previous transmission mode.

7. The image forming device as claimed in claim 6, wherein the drive motor is rotatable in a forward direction and a reverse direction;

and

wherein the drive force transmission mechanism comprises;

a sun gear including a first gear drivingly engaged with the drive motor and a second gear coaxially and integrally with the first gear;

a planetary gear constantly engaged with the second gear, and orbitally rotatable about the second gear;

a rotary member concentric with the sun gear and rotatable in a same direction as the sun gear when the sun gear rotates in the forward direction so as to orbitally rotate the planetary gear around the sun gear, and unrotatable rotating when the sun gear rotates in the reverse direction so as to only allow the planetary gear to rotate on an axis but prevents the planetary gear from its orbital movement, the control unit controlling rotational direction of the sun gear and rotational angular position of the rotary member for determining at least first and second stop positions of the planetary gear, the planetary gear being only engaged with the first power transmission arrangement at the first stop position, and the planetary gear being only engaged with the second power transmission arrangement at the second stop position.

8. The image forming device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the rotating member has an circumference area formed with a plurality of recesses and projections that are one of indented and protruded in a diametrical direction of the rotating member and alternately disposed with each other, each of the recesses and projections having a specific circumferential length, and the driving force transmission mechanism further comprising a sensor switch connected to the control unit, the sensor switch detecting each of the recesses for detecting angular rotational position of the rotary member.

9. The image forming device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the remaining transmission modes comprise a copy mode, a recording sheet feeding mode, and a recording sheet discharge mode, and

wherein the driving force transmission mechanism further provides a third position, fourth position and fifth position;

and

wherein the image forming device further comprises;

a third power transmission arrangement engagable with the driving force transmission mechanism at the third position for providing the copy mode;

a fourth power transmission arrangement engagable with the driving force transmission mechanism at the fourth position for providing the recording sheet feeding mode; and

a fifth power transmission arrangement engagable with the driving force transmission mechanism at the fifth position for providing the recording sheet discharge mode.

10. The image forming device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the plurality of recesses includes at lease five recesses for defining the operation modes.