Duplex copying apparatus

• US RE33,940 E
• Filed: 12/14/1988
• Issued: 05/26/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Matsuo, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Moses, R. L.
• Application Number:
  US07/284,136
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 355/243, 355/311, 355/23, 355/24, 355/26, 355/55-57, 355/60, 355/66
• US Class Current: 399/14
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/231 Arrangements for copying on both sides of a recording or image-receiving material
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/5095 Matching the image with the size of the copy material, e.g. by calculating the magnification or selecting the adequate copy material size
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/55 Self-diagnostics; Malfunction or lifetime display

Abstract

There is disclosed a copying apparatus having a duplex copying capability for copying an image of a first document on the front face of a copy paper and an image of a second document on the rear face of the copy paper. This apparatus is controlled so as to inhibit the copying operation in case that the image of the second document can not be contained within the frame of the rear face of the copy paper. Having the magnification varying capability, this apparatus is controlled so as to set an optimum magnification computed from either a size of the first document or the copy paper and a size of the second document.

Claims

1. A copying apparatus having a duplex copying capability for copying an image of a first document on the front face of a copy paper and an image of a second document on the rear face of the copy paper, the apparatus comprising;

means for storing the size or orientation of the first document or the copy paper;

means for detecting the size or orientation of the second document;

means for discriminating whether a copying condition is proper so that the image of the second document is contained within the frame of the rear face of the copy paper by comparing the stored size or orientation and the detected size or orientation, and control means for inhibiting the copying operation when the discriminated condition is improper in response to the discriminating means.

3. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a transparent document support and a document feeding device for feeding the document to and from the transparent document support, and wherein said control means further controls the document feeding device so as to discharge the second document in case the discriminated condition is improper.

4. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said detecting means is disposed in the document feeding device.

25. A copying apparatus a claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second control means, responsive to the discriminating means, for inhibiting the copying operation in the case that the computed magnification is improper.

26. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 25, further comprising a display means for indicating the improper condition in response with the discriminating means.

27. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 25, further comprising a document feeding device for feeding the document to and from a transparent document support, and wherein said control means further controls the document feeding device so as to discharge the second document in the case that the discriminated conditions is improper.

28. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 27, wherein said detecting means is disposed in the document feeding device.

2. A copying apparatus as claimed in claimed 1, further comprising a display means for indicating the improper condition in response to the discriminating means.

5. A copying apparatus having a duplex copying capability for copying an image of a first document on the front face of a copy paper and an image of a second document on the rear face of the copy paper, and a magnification varying capability between a predetermined magnification range, the apparatus comprising:

means for storing the size of the first document or the copy paper;

means for detecting the size of the second document;

means for computing an optimum magnification from the stored size and the detected size;

means for discriminating whether the computed magnification is proper in comparison with the predetermined magnification range of the copying apparatus; and

control means, responsive to the discriminating means, for inhibiting the copying operation in the case that the computed magnification is improper and for allowing the copying operation to start after automatically setting the computed magnification in that case where the computed magnification is proper.

6. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a display means for indicating the improper condition in response with the discriminating means.

7. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a document feeding device for feeding the document to and from a transparent document support, and wherein said control means further controls the document feeding device so as to discharge the second document in the case that the discriminated condition is improper.

8. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said detecting means is disposed in the document feeding device.

9. A copying apparatus having a duplex copying capability for copying an image of a first document on the front face of a copy paper and an image of a second document on the rear face of the copy paper, the apparatus comprising;

means for storing the orientation of the first document or the copy paper;

means for detecting the orientation of the second documents;

means for discriminating whether the stored orientation is the same as the detected orientation; and

control means for inhibiting the copying operation in the case that both orientations are different from each other.

10. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a display means for indicating the improper condition in response with the discriminating means.

11. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a document feeding device for feeding the document to and from a transparent document support, and wherein said control means further controls the document feeding device so as to discharge the second document when the discriminated condition is improper.

12. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein said detecting means is disposed in the document feeding device.

13. A copying apparatus having a duplex copying capability for copying an image of a first document on the front face of a copy paper and an image of a second document on the rear face of the copy paper, the apparatus comprising:

means for storing the size or orientation of the first document or the copy paper;

means for detecting the size or orientation of the second document;

means for discriminating whether the image of the second document is within the frame of the rear face of the copy paper by comparing the stored size or orientation and the detected size or orientation; and

means for suspending the copying operation for the second document when a mis-match between the size or orientation of the copy paper and that of the second document is discriminated by the discriminating means.

14. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 13, further comprising a display means for indicating the mis-match condition between the first and second documents.

15. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the second control means further discharges the second document after the suspension of the copying operation.

16. A copying apparatus having a duplex copying capability for copying an image of a first document on the front face of a copy paper and an image of a second document on the rear face of the copy paper and a document handling capability for feeding the documents to and from a transparent document support, the apparatus comprising:

means for detecting the size or orientation of the documents;

first control means for controlling the copying operation for the first and second documents so as to automatically perform those copying operations in succession;

means for discriminating whether the size or orientation of the second document matches with that of that first document according to the detecting means; and

second control means for suspending, irrespective of the control of the first control means, the copying operation for the second document when the size or orientation of the second document does not match with that of the first document.

17. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a display means for indicating the mis-match condition between the first and second documents.

18. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the second control means discharges the second document after the suspension of the copying operation.

19. A copying apparatus having a document handling capability for feeding the documents to and from a transparent document support, the apparatus comprising:

means for detecting the size or orientation of first and second documents;

first control means for controlling the copying operation for the first and second documents so as to automatically perform those copying operations in succession; and

second control means for suspending, irrespective of the control of the first control means, the copying operation for the second document when the size or orientation of the second document does not match with that of the first document.

20. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 19, further comprising a display means for indicating a mis-match condition between the first and second documents.

21. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein the second control means discharges the second document after the suspension of the copying operation.

22. A copying machine having a duplex copying capability for copying a first image on one side of a copy paper and a second image on the other side of the copy paper, comprising:

means for storing the size of the copy paper;

means for detecting the size of the second image;

means for comparing the size of the copy paper with the size of the second image; and

control means for inhibiting a copying operation when the means for comparing indicates an improper reproduction of the second image relative to the size of the copy paper.

23. A copying machine having a duplex copying capability for copying a first image on one side of a copy paper and a second image on the other side of the copy paper, comprising:

means for storing the orientation of the copy paper, relative to the copying machine;

means for detecting the orientation of the second image;

means for comparing the orientation of the copy paper with the orientation of the second image; and

control means for inhibiting a copy operation when the means for comparing indicates an improper reproduction of the second image relative to the orientation of the copy paper.

24. A copying apparatus having a duplex copying capability for copying an image of a first document on the front face of a copy paper and an image of a second document on the rear face of the copy paper, and a magnification varying capability between a predetermined magnification range, the apparatus comprising:

means for storing the size of the first document or the copy paper;

means for detecting the size of the second document;

means for computing an optimum magnification from the stored size and detected size;

means for discriminating whether the computed magnification is proper in comparison with the predetermined magnification range of the copying apparatus; and

control means, responsive to the discriminating means, for allowing the copying operation to start after automatically setting the computer magnification in the case that the computer magnification is proper.

29. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 24, further comprising a second control means, responsive to the discriminating means, for suspending the copying operation in the case that the computed magnification is improper.

30. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 29, further comprising a display means for indicating the improper condition in response with the discriminating means.

31. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 29, further comprising a document feeding device for feeding the document to and from a transparent document support, and wherein said control means further controls the document feeding device so as to discharge the second document in the case that the discriminated condition is improper.

32. A copying apparatus as claimed in claim 31, wherein said detecting means is disposed in the document feeding device. .Iadd.

33. An image forming apparatus comprising:

means for forming images onto one sheet a plurality of times;

automatic sheet selecting means for selecting the sheet of the proper size on the basis of a size of image and an image forming magnification;

automatic magnification selecting means for selecting the proper image forming magnification on the basis of the size of image and the size of sheet; and

control means for making said automatic sheet selecting means operative when the first image forming operation is performed by said image forming means and for making said automatic magnification selecting means operative when the second image forming operation is performed. .Iaddend. .Iadd.34. An image forming apparatus according to claim 33 wherein said image forming means includes means for forming images onto the second side of said sheet after the images were formed onto the first side of the

34. sheet. .Iaddend. .Iadd.35. An image forming apparatus comprising:

image forming means for forming a plurality of images onto one sheet of copy paper;

automatic paper selecting means for selecting a proper copy paper size on the basis of the size of an original and an image forming magnification;

automatic magnification selecting means for selecting a proper image forming magnification on the basis of the size of an original and the size of copy paper, and

control means for making said automatic paper selecting means operative when a first image forming operation is performed by said image forming means and for making said automatic magnification selecting means operative when a second image forming operation is performed. .Iaddend.

35. Iadd.36. An image forming apparatus comprising:

image forming means for forming a first and a second image from first and second original pages, respectively, onto one sheet of copy paper;

feeding means for consecutively feeding said original pages to said image forming means prior to an image forming operation;

sensor means for determining an original paper size as the original paper is being fed by said feeding means;

a plurality of paper feeders providing different sized copy paper to said image forming means;

automatic paper selecting means for selecting a proper copy paper size and a corresponding paper feeder on the basis of the original paper size of the first original page and an image forming magnification;

automatic magnification selecting means for selecting a proper image forming magnification on the basis of the original paper size of the second original page and a copy paper size, and

control means for making said automatic paper selecting means operative when a first image forming operation is performed by said image forming means with the first original page and for making said automatic magnification selecting means operative when a second image forming operation is performed by said image forming means with the second

36. original page. .Iaddend. .Iadd.37. An image forming apparatus comprising:

document feeding means for consecutively feeding a first and a second document;

sensor means for determining a first and a second document size, respectively, when the first and second documents are fed by said document feeding means;

image forming means for forming a first and a second document image of the first and second documents, respectively, onto a copy paper;

a plurality of paper feeders for providing one of a plurality of different sized papers as the copy paper;

means for selecting a first image forming magnification for forming the first document image onto the copy paper;

automatic paper selecting means for selecting a proper paper size and corresponding paper feeder on the basis of the first document size and the first image forming magnification, the image forming means forming the first document image onto the copy paper fed from the selected paper feeder, and

automatic magnification selecting means for selecting a second image forming magnification on the basis of the second document size and the copy paper size selected by the automatic paper selecting means, the image forming means forming the second document image onto the copy paper. .Iaddend.