Image forming apparatus and method therefor

• US 5,999,765 A
• Filed: 07/27/1998
• Issued: 12/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Tomita, Kan
• Primary Examiner(s): MOSES, RICHARD L
• Application Number:
  US09/122,864
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 399/81, 399/45, 399/69, 345/903, 345/173-175
• US Class Current: 399/69
• 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 15/6588 characterised by the copy material, e.g. postcards, large copies, multi-layered materials, coloured sheet material
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00447 Plural types handled
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00472 Small sized, e.g. postcards
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00481 Thick
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00497 Overhead Transparency, i.e. OHP

Abstract

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device that forms a required image on a paper. A paper-feeding tray is capable of advancing and retreating, and is contained in a main body of the image forming apparatus, wherein a plurality of papers can be stacked thereon. A conveying path conveys the paper in the paper-feeding tray to the image forming device. A setting device sets a sort-of-paper when a special paper other than a plain paper is stacked in the paper-feeding tray. A setting device is provided in an operation panel. A setting device can set the sort-of-paper with a single key operation provided in the operation panel, when only one paper-feeding tray is provided with a separation paper-feeding mechanism which can feed paper, including special paper, regardless of the sort-of-paper, and when the special paper is stacked in the paper-feeding tray.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus comprising:

an image forming device that forms an image on a paper;

a paper-feeding tray contained in a main body of said image forming apparatus, wherein a plurality of papers can be stacked on the paper-feeding tray;

a conveying path conveying the paper in said paper-feeding tray to said image forming device;

a setting device setting a sort-of-paper when a special paper other than a plain paper is stacked in said paper-feeding tray, wherein said setting device sets the sort-of-paper with a key operation on an operation panel, and wherein the paper-feeding tray is provided with a separation paper-feeding mechanism feeding the special paper and plain paper stacked on said paper-feeding tray;

a peripheral device for a paper-discharging operation to which the paper on which the image is formed by said image forming device is discharged;

a first selection device for the paper-discharging operation that selects the paper discharging operation of the paper to said peripheral device;

a second selection device for a paper-feeding operation that selects a paper feeding operation of the paper from said paper-feeding trays; and

a reporting device that notifies to re-confirm whether or not the selection of the paper-feeding tray is correct when the paper-feeding operation from said paper-feeding tray indicates that special paper is set by said setting device, while the discharging operation of the paper to said peripheral device is selected by said first selection device for the paper-discharging operation.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a cancellation device canceling the sort-of-paper of the special paper set by said setting device is provided on the basis of a re-setting operation.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a fixing device that fixes the image formed on the paper by the image forming device; and

a temperature changing device that changes a fixing set temperature at said fixing device when a special type of paper is set as a sort-of-paper by a setting device.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image forming condition changing device that changes an image forming condition of said image forming device when the special type paper is set as a sort-of-paper by a setting device.

5. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image forming device that forms an image on a paper;

a paper-feeding tray contained in a main body of said image forming apparatus, wherein a plurality of papers can be stacked on the paper-feeding tray;

a conveying path conveying the paper in said paper-feeding tray to said image forming device;

a setting device setting a sort-of-paper when a special paper other than a plain paper is stacked in said paper-feeding tray, wherein said setting device sets the sort-of-paper with a key operation on an operation panel, and wherein the paper-feeding tray is provided with a separation paper-feeding mechanism feeding the special paper and plain paper stacked on said paper-feeding tray;

a peripheral device for a paper-discharging operation to which the paper after the image is formed thereon by said image forming device is discharged;

a first selection device for the paper discharging operation that selects the paper-discharging operation of the paper to said peripheral device;

a second selection device for a paper feeding operation that selects a paper-feeding operation from said paper-feeding trays; and

a selection invalidating device invalidating the selection of said paper-feeding tray, when the paper-feeding operation from said paper-feeding tray indicates that special paper is set by said setting device, while the discharging operation of the paper to said peripheral device is selected by said first selection device for the paper-discharging operation.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a cancellation device canceling the sort-of-paper of the special paper set by said setting device is provided on the basis of a re-setting operation.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a fixing device that fixes the image formed on the paper by the image forming device; and

a temperature changing device that changes a fixing set temperature at said fixing device when a special type of paper is set as a sort-of-paper by a setting device.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

an image forming condition changing device that changes an image forming condition of said image forming device when the special type paper is set as a sort-of-paper by a setting device.

9. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

an image forming device that forms an image on a paper;

a paper-feeding tray contained in a main body of said image forming apparatus, wherein a plurality of papers can be stacked on the paper-feeding tray;

a conveying path conveying the paper in said paper-feeding tray to said image forming device;

a setting device setting a sort-of-paper when a special paper other than a plain paper is stacked in said paper-feeding tray, wherein said setting device sets the sort-of-paper with a key operation on an operation panel, and wherein the paper-feeding tray is provided with a separation paper-feeding mechanism feeding the special paper and plain paper stacked on said paper-feeding tray;

a peripheral device for a paper-discharging operation to which the paper on which the image is formed by said image forming device is discharged;

a selection device for the paper-discharging operation that selects the paper-discharging operation of the paper to said peripheral device;

a paper jamming detecting device that detects a paper jamming in said peripheral device; and

a reporting device that notifies to confirm a sort-of-paper in said paper-feeding tray when the paper-discharging operation for discharging the paper to said peripheral device is selected by said selecting device for the discharging operation, and when paper jamming in said peripheral device is detected.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein a cancellation device canceling the sort-of-paper of the special paper set by said setting device is provided on the basis of a re-setting operation.

11. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a fixing device that fixes the image formed on the paper by the image forming device; and

a temperature changing device that changes a fixing set temperature at said fixing device when a special type of paper is set as a sort-of-paper by a setting device.

12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

an image forming condition changing device that changes an image forming condition of said image forming device when the special type paper is set as a sort-of-paper by a setting device.

13. An image forming apparatus, comprising:

image forming means for forming an image on a paper;

paper-feeding means contained in a main body of said image forming apparatus for feeding papers, wherein a plurality of papers can be stacked on the paper-feeding means;

conveying means for conveying the paper in said paper-feeding means to said image forming means;

setting means for setting a sort-of-paper when a special paper other than a plain paper is stacked in said paper-feeding means, wherein said setting means sets the sort-of-paper with a key operation on an operation panel, and wherein the paper-feeding means is provided with a separation paper-feeding means feeding the special paper and plain paper stacked on said paper-feeding means;

peripheral means for a paper-discharging operation to which the paper on which the image is formed by said image forming device is discharged;

a first selecting means for the paper-discharging operation for selecting the paper discharging operation of the paper to said peripheral device;

a second selecting means for a paper-feeding operation for selecting a paper feeding operation of the paper from said paper-feeding means; and

a reporting means for notifying to re-confirm whether or not the selection of the paper-feeding means is correct when the paper-feeding operation from said paper-feeding means indicates that special paper is set by said setting means, while the discharging operation of the paper to said peripheral means is selected by said first selection means for the paper-discharging operation.

14. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein a cancellation means for canceling the sort-of-paper of the special paper set by said setting means is provided on the basis of a re-setting operation.

15. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

fixing means for fixing the image formed on the paper by the image forming means; and

temperature changing means for changing a fixing set temperature at said fixing means when a special type paper is set as a sort-of-paper by a setting means.

16. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

an image forming condition changing means for changing an image forming condition of said image forming means when the special type paper is set as a sort-of-paper by a setting means.

17. The image forming apparatus, comprising:

image forming means for forming an image on a paper;

paper-feeding means contained in a main body of said image forming apparatus for feeding papers, wherein a plurality of papers can be stacked on the paper-feeding means;

conveying means for conveying the paper in said paper-feeding means to said image forming means;

setting means for setting a sort-of-paper when a special paper other than a plain paper is stacked in said paper-feeding means, wherein said setting means sets the sort-of-paper with a key operation on an operation panel, and wherein the paper-feeding means is provided with a separation paper-feeding means feeding the special paper and plain paper stacked on said paper-feeding means;

peripheral means for a paper-discharging operation to which the paper after the image is formed thereon by said image forming means is discharged;

a first selecting means for the paper discharging operation for selecting the paper-discharging operation of the paper to said peripheral device;

a second selecting means for a paper feeding operation for selecting a paper-feeding operation from said paper-feeding means; and

a selection invalidating means for invalidating the selection of said paper-feeding means, when the paper-feeding operation from said paper-feeding means indicates that special paper is set by said setting means, while the discharging operation of the paper to said peripheral means is selected by said first selection means for the paper-discharging operation.

18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, wherein a cancellation means for canceling the sort-of-paper of the special paper set by said setting means is provided on the basis of a re-setting operation.

19. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

fixing means for fixing the image formed on the paper by the image forming means; and

temperature changing means for changing a fixing set temperature at said fixing means when a special type paper is set as a sort-of-paper by a setting means.

20. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

an image forming condition changing means for changing an image forming condition of said image forming means when the special type paper is set as a sort-of-paper by a setting means.

21. The image forming apparatus, comprising:

image forming means for forming an image on a paper;

paper-feeding means contained in a main body of said image forming apparatus for feeding papers, wherein a plurality of papers can be stacked on the paper-feeding means;

conveying means for conveying the paper in said paper-feeding means to said image forming means;

setting means for setting a sort-of-paper when a special paper other than a plain paper is stacked in said paper-feeding means, wherein said setting means sets the sort-of-paper with a key operation on an operation panel, and wherein the paper-feeding means is provided with a separation paper-feeding means feeding the special paper and plain paper stacked on said paper-feeding means;

peripheral means for a paper-discharging operation to which the paper on which the image is formed by said image forming means is discharged;

a selecting means for the paper-discharging operation for selecting the paper-discharging operation of the paper to said peripheral means;

a paper jamming detecting means for detecting a paper jamming in said peripheral means; and

a reporting device means for notifying to confirm a sort-of-paper in said paper-feeding means when the paper-discharging operation for discharging the paper to said peripheral means is selected by said selecting means for the discharging operation, and when paper jamming in said peripheral means is detected.

22. The image forming apparatus according to claim 21, wherein a cancellation means for canceling the sort-of-paper of the special paper set by said setting means is provided on the basis of a re-setting operation.

23. The image forming apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising:

fixing means for fixing the image formed on the paper by the image forming means; and

temperature changing means for changing a fixing set temperature at said fixing means when a special type paper is set as a sort-of-paper by a setting means.

24. The image forming apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising:

an image forming condition changing means for changing an image forming condition of said image forming means when the special type paper is set as a sort-of-paper by a setting means.