Combined alarm display and numerical display for electrophotographic copying machine

• US 4,688,929 A
• Filed: 07/03/1984
• Issued: 08/25/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Taniguchi, Akihiko, Kato, Itsuro, Nakanishi, Yasushi, Migita, Haruyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Grimley, Arthur T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENDEGRASS, JOAN H
• Application Number:
  US06/627,566
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 355/14 C, 355/14 SH, 355/14 R, 364/410, 340/715, 340/784, 340/752, 340/756, 340/762, 340/524, 340/783, 340/525, 340/286 M, 368/241, 368/242
• US Class Current: 399/81
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/502 relating to the structure of the control menu, e.g. pop-up menus, help screens
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/70 Detecting malfunctions relating to paper handling, e.g. jams

Abstract

An electrophotographic copying machine includes a control circuit, a combined display responsive to the control circuit for showing the number of one or more copied papers, and the position of any paper jam or the operation condition. The combined display utilizes figure segments illuminated to form any figure, silhouette segments of the figure segments illuminated to provide a silhouette of the copying machine, and position marks illuminated to indicate the position of trouble in the machine and its operation conditions.

Claims

1. An electrophotographic copying machine, comprising:

numerical display means for displaying a number of copies to be made, said numerical display means including at least two numerical figures of a block-eight formation, each of said figures including seven display segments; and

alarm display means for schematically indicating the occurrence and location of trouble within the copying machine, said alarm display means including at least some of said numerical display segments of said numerical display means and a plurality of additional display segments.

2. A copying machine according to claim 1, wherein said alarm display means further includes a plurality of trouble markers.

3. A copying machine according to claim 1, wherein said display segments of said numerical display means included in said alarm display means schematically represent at least a part of said copying machine.

4. A copying machine according to claim 3, further including control means for selectively illuminating said numerical display segments and said additional display segments.

5. A copying machine according to claim 1, further including means for indicating the operation condition of said copying machine, said operation condition representing the attachment of a copy paper cassette and a copied paper reception tray to said copying machine, and an empty condition in said attached paper cassette.

6. The copying machine according to claim 1, further including means for cyclically flickering said alarm display means to indicate the occurrence of an abnormal condition in connection with said copying machine.

7. In an apparatus, a display for displaying numerical information and disparate pictorial information relating to a condition of said apparatus, comprising:

at least one segmented numerical display for displaying said numerical information including a plurality of display segments; and

schematic pictoral information display means for schematically displaying the condition of said apparatus, said schematic display means including a plurality of additional display segments;

said plurality of display segments including at least some dual function display segments;

said schematic pictoral information display means utilizing said dual function display segments and said additional display segments to schematically display at least a portion of said apparatus.

8. A display according to claim 7, wherein said apparatus is an electrophotographic copying machine.

9. A display according to claim 7, wherein said at least one segmented numerical display is a block-eight formation having seven discrete display segments.

10. A display according to claim 7, wherein said at least a portion of said apparatus is a silhouette of an electrophotographic copying machine.

11. A display according to claim 7, further including control means for selectively illuminating at least some of said plurality of display segments and said additional display segments for schematically displaying the condition of said apparatus.

12. The display according to claim 7, further including trouble markers to indicate the location of trouble in said apparatus on said schematic pictoral information display means.

13. An electrophotographic copying machine, comprising:

numerical display means for displaying a number of copies to be made, said numerical display means including at least two numerical figures of a block-eight formation, each of said numerical figures including seven display segments;

alarm display means for indicating a position within the copying machine which requires maintenance, said alarm display means including at least some display segments of said numerical display means and a plurality of additional display segments superimposed on said numerical display means;

means for selectively illuminating said numerical display means or said alarm means; and

control means, responsive to the detection of said maintenance requirements, for selectively illuminating at least a portion of said numerical display means to form a silhouette of said copying machine, said plurality of additional display segments being illuminated in combination with the silhouette to indicate the position within the copying machine which requires maintenance.

14. A copying machine according to claim 13, wherein the positions within the copying machine which require maintenance include positions related to a copy paper jam along the copy paper path, a low supply of developing agent, empty paper trays, a faulty photoreceptor, and damage to copy paper path sensors.

15. A copying machine according to claim 13, wherein said means for selectively illuminating said alarm means illuminates said at least two numerical figures of a block-eight formation in green and illuminates said additional display segments superimposed on said numerical display segments in red to visually differentiate between a maintenance requirement and a trouble-free copying operation within said copying machine.