Mechanical arrangement for controlling electrophotographic apparatus

• US 4,394,087 A
• Filed: 06/04/1981
• Issued: 07/19/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ito, Hideo, Irie, Yutaka, Nagata, Kenzo
• Primary Examiner(s): Prescott, A. C.
• Application Number:
  US06/270,398
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 355/14 E, 355/14 C, 355/14 R, 355/3 R, 340/753, 340/754, 340/365 C, 340/712, 340/713, 340/718, 364/518
• US Class Current: 399/81
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/043 with means for controlling illumination or exposure G03G15/041 takes precedence

Abstract

An improved mechanical arrangement which includes a controlled device, an operational device for adjusting an active state of the controlled device through external operations and a control device for controlling the active state of the controlled device in response to operations of the operational device.

The operational device includes an indicating arrangement for indicating changes in the active state of the controlled device stepwise, an UP operating arrangement for increasing one step by one step an indication of the indicating arrangement and a DOWN operating arrangement for decreasing one step by one step the indication of the indicating arrangement, and thus the mechanical arrangement has been made free from erroneous operations due to the improved operational efficiency, simple in structure and highly reliable in actual use.

Claims

1. A mechanical arrangement including a device to be controlled, an operational device for adjusting an active state of said controlled device through external operations and a control means for controlling the active state of said controlled device in response to operations of said operational device,

said operational device comprising:

indicating means for indicating changes in the active state of said controlled device stepwise;

UP operating means for increasing one step by one step an indication of said indicating means; and

DOWN operating means for decreasing one step by one step the indication of said indicating means;

said control means comprising;

means for changing the indication of said indicating means in response to operations of said UP operating means and said DOWN operating means and for changing the active state of said controlled device in accordance with the indication of said indicating means; and

means for setting the indication of said indicating means and the active state of said controlled device to a predetermined standard value when said UP operating means and said DOWN operating means are operated simultaneously.

2. A mechanical arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said UP operating means and said DOWN operating means comprise automatic-reset UP and DOWN switching elements, respectively,

said UP and DOWN switching elements being so arranged as to be closed and opened when depressed and not depressed, respectively,

said control means increasing or decreasing by one step the indication of said indicating means every time either one of said UP and DOWN switching elements is closed once.

3. A mechanical arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein said control means further includes UP and DOWN timer elements for said UP and DOWN switching elements, respectively,

said UP and DOWN timer elements being so arranged as to start the timing operation upon change in the indication of said indicating means,

said control means changing by one step the indication of said indicating means upon termination of the timing operation of either one of said UP and DOWN timer elements in case either one of said UP and DOWN switching elements is being closed when either one of said UP and DOWN timer elements has finished the timing operation.

4. A mechanical arrangement as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein said control means causes said indicating means to maintain the indication even if either one of said UP and DOWN switching elements is opened when said UP and DOWN switching elements have been closed simultaneously so as to reinstate the indication of said indicating means to the standard value.

5. A mechanical arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said controlled device is a lamp, said indicating means indicate light quantity of said lamp by at least three gradual steps, and said control means has the function of associating at least the indication of said indicating means with light quantity of said lamp.

6. A copying apparatus including an exposure lamp, an operational device for adjusting light quantity of said exposure lamp through external operations and a control means for controlling the light quantity of said exposure lamp in response to operations of said operational device,

said operational device comprising:

indicating means for indicating changes in the light quantity of said exposure lamp stepwise;

UP operating means for increasing one step by one step the indication of said indicating means; and

DOWN operating means for decreasing one step by one step the indication of said indicating means;

said control means comprising;

means for changing the indication of said indicating means in response to operations of said UP operating means and said DOWN operating means and for changing the light quantity of said exposure lamp in accordance with the indication of said indicating means; and

means for setting the indication of said indicating means and the light quantity of said exposure lamp to a predetermined standard value when said UP operating means and said DOWN operating means are operated simultaneously.

7. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein said UP operating means and said DOWN operating means comprise automatic-reset UP and DOWN switching elements, respectively,

said UP and DOWN switching elements being so arranged as to be closed and opened when depressed and not depressed, respectively,

said control means increasing or decreasing by one step the indication of said indicating means every time either one of said UP and DOWN switching elements is closed once.

8. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said control means further includes UP and DOWN timer elements for said UP and DOWN switching elements, respectively,

said UP and DOWN timer elements being so arranged as to start the timing operating upon change in the indication of said indicating means,

said control means changing by one step the indication of said indicating means upon termination of the timing operation of either one of said UP and DOWN timer elements in case either one of said UP and DOWN switching elements is being closed when either one of said UP and DOWN timer elements has finished the timing operation.

9. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8, wherein said control means causes said indicating means to maintain the indication even if either one of said UP and DOWN switching elements is opened when said UP and DOWN switching elements have been closed simultaneously so as to reinstate the indication of said indicating means to the standard value.

10. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 6, further having the function of interrupt copying so as to perform another copying mode by interrupting normal copying mode,

said control means further storing in a memory the indication of said indicating means which was indicated during the normal copying mode and setting the indication of said indicating means to the standard value, when the interruption is performed.

11. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein said control device reinstates the indication of said indicating means to the indication which was indicated during the normal copying mode and which was stored in the memory, when the interrupt copying mode is cleared.

12. A copying apparatus including a device to be controlled, an operational device for adjusting an active state of said controlled device through external operations and a control means for controlling the active state of said controlled device in response to operations of said operational device,

said operational device comprising:

indicating means for indicating changes in the active state of said controlled device stepwise;

UP operating means for increasing one step by one step an indication of said indicating means; and

DOWN operating means for decreasing one step by one step the indication of said indicating means;

said control means comprising;

means for changing the indication of said indicating means in response to operations of said UP operating means and said DOWN operating means and for changing the active state of said controlled device in accordance with the indication of said indicating means; and

means for setting the indication of said indicating means and the active state of said controlled device to a predetermined standard value when said UP operating means and said DOWN operating means are operated simultaneously.

13. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 12, wherein said controlled device is an image magnification changing device for changing the magnification of the image to be formed.

14. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein said UP operating means and said DOWN operating means comprise automatic-reset UP and DOWN switching elements, respectively,

said UP and DOWN switching elements being so arranged as to be closed and opened when depressed and not depressed, respectively,

said control means increasing or decreasing by one step the indication of said indicating means every time either one of said UP and DOWN switching elements is closed once.

15. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein said control means further includes UP and DOWN timer elements for said UP and DOWN switching elements, respectively,

said UP and DOWN timer elements being so arranged as to start the timing operation upon change in the indication of said indicating means,

said control means changing by one step the indication of said indicating means upon termination of the timing operation of either one of said UP and DOWN timer elements in case either one of said UP and DOWN switching elements is being closed when either one of said UP and DOWN timer elements has finished the timing operation.

16. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15, wherein said control means causes said indicating means to maintain the indication even if either one of said UP and DOWN switching elements is opened when said UP and DOWN switching elements have been closed simultaneously so as to reinstate the indication of said indicating means to the standard value.

17. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further having the function of interrupt copying so as to perform another copying by interrupting normal copying mode,

said control means further storing in a memory the indication of said indicating means which was indicated during the normal copying mode and setting the indication of said indicating means to the standard value, when the interruption is performed.

18. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 17, wherein said control means reinstates the indication of said indicating means to the indication which was indicated during the normal copying mode and which was stored in the memory, when the interrupt copying mode is cleared.