JPS6352381B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a composite copying apparatus that compositely copies necessary portions of a plurality of original documents.

In order to create a document that contains data that constantly changes as part of a text with a fixed content, such as a certificate, the format of a manuscript with a fixed content and a manuscript containing data are used. A method of synthetic copying is used.

Conventional composite copying uses a first document with holes in which the format data, i.e., information that changes from time to time, is to be stored. A method is used in which a first original and a second original are superimposed so that a predetermined portion of the original is aligned, and the two are copied as one original using a conventional copying machine.

This method requires special processing such as punching holes in the formatted paper, and has the drawbacks that paper production is complicated and positioning of the first and second originals is troublesome.

There is also a method in which one of the first and second originals is a sheet original and the other is written using a laser beam or CRT, but in this case, special expensive equipment such as a laser beam generator or CRT is required. Moreover, a control device with a large capacity of memory is required for the control, which has the disadvantage of making the device complicated, larger and more expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a copying machine which eliminates the drawbacks of the prior art and can easily synthesize and copy necessary portions from a plurality of originals using a simple device.

To achieve this purpose, the present invention guides the copy paper that has been copied by exposure, development, transfer, etc. to a storage position using known means for the first original, and then feeds the copy paper that was guided to the storage position again when copying the second original. This was achieved by copying the image of the second original on the same side of the copy paper as the first original copy, and then repeating the process for the required number of originals, copying the image of the original on the same side of the copy paper, and then ejecting the paper. .

Copy paper is guided to a storage device separately provided in the middle of a paper guide path between a paper feeder and a paper discharge tray, and a composite paper feed path is circulated from a copying position, for example, a transfer position, via a storage device to a copying position. Alternatively, the transfer drum can also be used as a storage device, copy paper can be attached to the transfer drum, and the copy paper can be fed by repeated rotations of the transfer drum.

In order to make a composite copy of a plurality of originals, it is necessary to be able to easily position each original at a document placement location and to obtain a predetermined composite copy. The first method to meet this requirement is to use paper of the same size as the first manuscript and create a second manuscript with desired information recorded in the position corresponding to when the information of the first manuscript is to be combined. There is a way. When a plurality of pieces of information are to be combined, a third manuscript, a fourth manuscript, etc. are created in the same manner. According to this method, all documents can be easily positioned by simply placing a plurality of documents at predetermined positions on the document.

There are few cases in which it is possible to create a first document in advance, for example, a document in which information is recorded in accordance with the format, as in the first method. Rather, when you want to match a part of an already created manuscript to an arbitrary position on the first manuscript, or because you need to save paper or aggregate data, a large number of identical data may be written on a single sheet of paper. If you want to select necessary data from the original and combine it with the first manuscript, or if you want to combine and copy only the necessary data of a manuscript that also contains unnecessary data with the first manuscript, you can copy only the necessary parts of the manuscript. In many cases, it is required to take out the original document and make a composite copy with the first original document. In this case, the first alignment method described above cannot be used.

There is a need for a method that allows alignment of all types of documents, even when the first alignment method cannot be used.

This request specifies the synthesis position of the first document, specifies the information position of each of the necessary multiple documents below the second document, and specifies the information of each document after the second document (hereinafter simply referred to as the second document). This was achieved by calculating the deviation between the position and the designated synthesis position of the first original, and displacing the relative exposure position of the second original in the moving direction of the copy paper and in the lateral direction according to the value of the deviation.

The document combining position and information position indicating device can be configured by writing a position signal on the document and a position signal reading device provided in the copying machine, and also instructing the position by keying in the control device provided in the copying machine. Constructed by incorporating a control device.

Writing signal positions on a document is not recommended when the document is to be reused or when data from other parts are to be copied in the next copying process because writing marks will remain on the document. In this case, instead of writing the signal position directly, an indicating device consisting of a group of many pressure-sensitive elements installed on the document table where the document is set or at a suitable document placement location is used, and the document is placed on the indicating device. , the position is indicated by applying pressure to a point indicating the synthesis area or information area of the document and extracting a signal.

Furthermore, a CRT display can be used as a position indicating device. Once the original is displayed on the CRT display, the position signal is extracted by specifying the position on the display screen.

An electronic control circuit device is used as an arithmetic device based on instruction signals for the combination position of the first document and the information position of the second document.

As the exposure relative position adjusting means for the deviation of the designated position in the direction of movement of the copy paper, a means for adjusting the timing at which the copy paper arrives at the copy position, for example, the transfer position, is used. For example, the rotation start point of the transfer drum that feeds the copy paper or the registration roller that feeds the temporarily stopped copy paper is adjusted by giving a deviation from the exposure scan start point of the original according to the positional deviation, As means for giving this deviation, a switch and a timer, etc. provided in the exposure scanning path of the document are used. After the exposure scanning device operates the switch, the transfer drum and the registration roller are moved at a time interval corresponding to the deviation by the timer, etc. etc. start rotating. As a result, the information image is copied to the desired position of the first original image. Other known timing adjustment devices may also be used.

The means for adjusting the lateral deviation between the first original and the second original includes a laterally movable original placing glass, an axially movable photosensitive drum, or a laterally movable imaging lens. Use an exposure optical device. The simplest method is to use a large document placement glass and to shift the document itself relative to the glass by using a display device that displays the displacement of the reference position according to the amount of shift. In this case, if the deviation in the direction of movement of the copy paper is also displayed and the originals are shifted and arranged in accordance with the deviation, the above-mentioned deviation adjustment means in the direction of movement of the copy paper becomes unnecessary.

If a document containing unnecessary information is used, the desired composite copy cannot be obtained simply by aligning the first document and the second document. There is a further need to resolve this problem.

This problem can be solved by using an erase means for erasing unnecessary information parts.

As the erasing means, a white masking member for masking the original itself can be used. A masking member is provided on the back side of the mounting glass to mask the four sides outside the position given by the information position designation signal.

As another erase means, an erase light means for exposing a portion of the charged photoreceptor outside the designated information area is used, and the outside of the information area is exposed to the erase light to eliminate static electricity.

As the erase light means, a row of small lamps is used, and the lamps are turned on and off at the timing based on the information position signal to erase the electrical charges in the front side in the scanning direction, the rear side in the scanning direction, and the outer side in the scanning direction from the required area. A method of erasing is used.

In addition, means for regulating the charging area itself and the developing area are used.

The present invention has made it possible to compositely copy the necessary parts of a plurality of originals at the necessary positions by a method consisting of a combination of the above-mentioned means.

The present invention can be used when extracting, copying and categorizing the answers in aggregating questionnaire forms other than the above-mentioned certificate documents, when creating a list from postcards from members, etc., and when stratifying information from various information sources such as newspapers. It can be used in many cases, such as when creating a manuscript by synthesizing the information obtained, or when creating exam question papers.

Embodiments of a copying apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, a first document set at a predetermined position by a document changing device 1 is illuminated by a well-known illumination exposure optical device 5 including a light source 2, a mirror 3, and a lens 4, and is exposed to form an image on a photoreceptor 6. Ru. The surface of the photoreceptor 6 is uniformly charged by a charger 7 and exposed by an illumination exposure optical device 5 to form an electrostatic latent image. While the photoreceptor 6, for example a photoreceptor drum, is moving, the electrostatic latent image is developed and visualized by the developing device 8.

The developed image on the photoreceptor 6 is transferred to a transfer paper 10 as a copy paper fed from a paper feed section 9 at a transfer position. In FIG. 1, a transfer drum 11 is used as a means for conveying the transfer paper 10 to the transfer position.

After the transfer, the photoreceptor 6 is charged and removed by the cleaning device 1.
2, and the process from charging is repeated again.

The transfer paper 10 on which the image of the first original document has been transferred is sent to the storage device 13. In FIG. 1, the transfer drum 11 is also used as a storage device 13. Therefore, the transfer paper 10 fed from the paper feed section 9 is first clamped by a clamp 14 provided on the transfer drum 11. The transfer paper 10 is clamped by the transfer drum 11, rotates once, and is transferred from the photoreceptor 6 to the first
After the image of the original is transferred, it is temporarily stored in a state where it is fixed to the transfer drum 11 at a position that does not contact the photoreceptor 6.

There is a method of changing the distance between the transfer drum 11 and the photoreceptor 6 in order to keep it in a non-contact state with the photoreceptor 6 during storage, and a method of providing a recess in the part of the transfer drum 11 where there is no transfer paper, and using the recess to make the recess close to the photoreceptor 6. Various methods can be used, such as a method of facing the two.

In the above process, the image of the first document is transferred to the transfer paper, and while the transfer paper is stored in the storage device 13, the first document is taken out in the document exchange device 1, and the second document is placed in a predetermined position. Set. Thereafter, the photoconductor 6 is charged, exposed, and developed in the same steps as for the first document, and the second document formed on the photoconductor 6 is
By rotating the transfer paper fed by the storage device 13, for example, the transfer drum 11 again, the image of the original is transferred onto the transfer paper 10, which is sent to the transfer position, on the same surface as the image of the first original. In this way the third
When images of a predetermined number of original documents are copied and combined on the same side of one transfer sheet, the transfer sheet 11 is unclamped, separated from the transfer drum 11, conveyed, fixed by a fixing device 15, and then ejected. paper tray 1
It is discharged at 6.

The document replacing device 1 can be easily replaced manually on the document placing glass 17 of a copying machine, and has a feeding belt 18 to feed and set the manually inserted document to a predetermined position. A semi-automatic or fully automatic document handler may also be used.

When a single format is used repeatedly as the first document, the first document 22 is used as shown in FIG.
It is convenient to configure the document exchange device 1 by a rotating document drum 19 on which a format paper can be fixed by a clamp or the like, and a means 20 for replacing and placing a second document 23 on which information such as data is recorded. It is.

The illumination exposure optical device 5 may be of a fixed illumination type depending on the type of the document exchanger 1, or may be of a scanning type in which a light source etc. are moved back and forth.

In the example of FIG. 1, the light source 2 and some mirrors 3
The lens 4 and some other mirrors 3 are displaced by reciprocating within a predetermined range with respect to the original on the original placing glass 17, and when necessary such as changing the magnification, the light source and the other mirrors 3 are displaced. A slit exposure illumination device is shown that scans and illuminates an original by reciprocating a mirror.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, a slit exposure illumination device exactly the same as that shown in FIG. 1 is used for the document placing glass 17 on which the second document 23 is placed, and
A slit exposure illumination device consisting of a fixed light source 2' and a necessary mirror 3' is used for the original drum 19 used for the first original 22 on the photoreceptor 6 using a common lens 4. statue and second
The image of the original 23 is exposed at the same position. Although the light sources 2 and 2' may be different, when illuminating the first document 19, the light source 2 is moved beyond the illumination scanning range for the second document 23, and is illuminated at a fixed position. The light source 2 and the light source 2' can also be used as a light source.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the transfer drum 11 is also used as a transfer paper storage device after the image of the first original is transferred until the image of the second original is transferred. Therefore, when transferring the image of the second original, the rotation of the photoconductor 6 is necessary to adjust the deviation in the transfer paper feeding direction between the composite position of the first original and the information position of the second original by the timing of feeding the transfer paper. The photoreceptor 6 is rotated with a desired timing shift. At this time, in order to avoid slipping between the photoreceptor 6 and the transfer drum 11, the portion of the transfer drum 11 facing the photoreceptor is formed as a recess at the stop position of the transfer drum 11 to avoid direct contact, or the transfer drum 11 is stopped. At times, a structure may be adopted in which the transfer drum 11 moves away from the photoreceptor 6.

The storage device 13 can be provided separately instead of being shared by the transfer drum 11. For example, the third
As shown in the figure, a transfer paper conveying means 27 includes a roller 24 and a guide 25 or a feed belt 26 for feeding the transfer paper from the paper feed section 9 to the transfer position by the photoreceptor 6.
After being transferred by known means, the transfer paper is fixed by a fixing device 15 and then sent to a storage tray 30 through a storage path 29 which is switchably provided by a first gate 28 with respect to the path to a paper discharge tray 16. When feeding the paper into the storage tray 30, it is always turned upside down so that the leading end is fed as the leading edge, and in the illustrated example, the paper is fed and stored with the copy side facing down.

After one sheet or a predetermined number of transfer sheets on which the first original is copied is stored in the storage tray 30, a second original is copied. In the figure, related parts such as the document exchange device 1, the illumination exposure device 5, and the photoreceptor 6 are the same as in the example of FIG. 1 or 2, and therefore their explanation will be omitted.

When copying the second original, the rotation of the registration roller is stopped by the paper feeding roller in the storage tray 30 or by the registration roller sent out from the storage tray 30 in advance in accordance with the exposure timing and provided in the middle of the transfer paper conveying means 27. The driving is performed under timing adjustment according to the positional deviation calculated by the composite position signal and the information position signal, and the composite position of the transfer paper carrying the image of the first original reaches the transfer position of the photoreceptor 6. When the photoreceptor 6
Adjustments are made so that the information image of the second document formed thereon is located at the transfer position. The transfer paper is stored in the storage tray 30 in a number corresponding to the number of originals to be combined, and is sent again to the transfer position of the photoreceptor 6, so that the transfer paper is repeatedly fed in a circular manner.

After completing the composite copying of the final manuscript, the first gate 2
8, the transfer paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray 16.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, another second gate 31 is provided from the fixing device 15 to the first gate 28, and the case where the transfer paper is sent to the storage tray 30 through the first gate 28 is reversed. In other words, a switching path 32 can be provided to feed the paper into the storage tray in such a state that the copied surface is facing up and the leading edge is the trailing edge in the figure, without being reversed after passing through the fixing device. When the second gate is switched to send the data to the storage tray 30 through the switching path 32,
In the next copying process, the surface of the transfer paper that is opposite to the front surface contacts the photoreceptor and is transferred. In other words, double-sided copying becomes possible.

By providing two gates 28 and 31 to enable switching of two ways of feeding the transfer paper to the storage tray, composite copying, double-sided copying, and even double-sided composite copying can be made possible. That is, the above composite copying operation is performed on one side, and then the second gate 3 is placed on the storage tray 30.
1 through the switching path 32, and then perform the above-mentioned composite copying operation again on the back side, thereby making double-sided composite copying possible.

When making a composite copy of a plurality of originals, the originals are aligned in order to align each information image with a predetermined position on the copy paper. To perform semi-automatic or fully automatic alignment instead of the primitive method of aligning by calculation in an operator's head when manually setting a manuscript.

One method is to use the feed belt 18 of the document exchanger 1.
A reading device 33 is installed in the middle of the document feeding path according to the method shown in FIG. let me remember,
The deviation between the composite position and the information position is calculated and displayed, or the position adjustment means is operated as described later.

Instead of writing in a straight line on the original, a setting table 36 equipped with a reference position display 34 for setting the original and a number of pressure sensitive elements 35 is installed at the place where the original is set, as shown in FIG. Manuscript 22 on top
or 23, and pressurizes a point indicating the range of the composite area or information area 37 of the document. It is also possible to cause the control device to store a complex area or an information area based on a pressure signal from the pressure-sensitive element 35.

The setting table 36 is, for example, the original loading table 38 in FIG.
can be installed on top of the

CRT instead of setting table with pressure sensitive element 35
It is also possible to install a display, display the original on the CRT display, and indicate the composition position, information position, etc. using a light pen or the like.

The document exchange device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an example in which a sheet-like document is conveyed to the exposure position using a belt. However, in the case of a thick book-like document, the document exchange device 1 is flipped up around the pivot and placed on the document placement glass. It is also possible to copy a book-shaped original by exposing 17 and placing the original on it. In this case, set table 3
6 is conveniently moved to a suitable position on the copying machine for use. Known techniques (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 53-91747) can be used as the document conveying system and the switching system between a sheet document and a book document in the document changing device shown in FIG.

When the deviation between the copying position specified in advance in the same way as the synthesis position or the synthesis position of the first original and the position of the specified information to be copied on the original is calculated by the control device, the deviation is calculated. Make corrections. As a positional deviation correction device, a device for adjusting the timing between the exposure of the original or the movement of the photoreceptor and the movement of the copy paper or transfer paper is provided to correct the deviation in the direction of movement of the copy paper. For example, as described above, the control device is provided with a timing device that adjusts the drive timing of the registration rollers that cause the transfer drum and the transfer paper to stop and stand by. For example, a switch and a timer for detecting the scanning movement of the illumination light source are used.

A method is used in which the lens is moved in a direction perpendicular to the optical path in order to compensate for deviations in the lateral direction with respect to the moving direction of the copy paper, that is, in the case of slit exposure, in the longitudinal direction of the slit. In FIG. 5, when exposing information in partial range a of document range A, the image is usually formed on partial range b of range B of the photoreceptor. The photoreceptor corresponds to copy paper or transfer paper. now lens 4
When the lens 4 is moved by l/2 in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis, it moves from the partial area b on the photoreceptor to the partial area b', which is moved by a distance l in the direction in which the lens 4 has moved. That is, by selecting the amount of movement of the lens in the direction perpendicular to the optical path, it is possible to arbitrarily select the image forming position on the photoreceptor, particularly on the copy paper, in the direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the copy paper.

If used in conjunction with magnification conversion by moving the lens 4 along the optical axis, variable magnification copying and composite copying can be performed at the same time. The amount of movement of the lens in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis is set by calculating the deviation between the information position and the specified copying position by the control device using the method described above, and controlling the lens moving device using the signal.

As a structure for moving the lens, for example, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a lens stand 39 to which the lens 4 is fixed is supported by a lens bracket 40, and the lens bracket 40 is rotatably supported by an optical system frame 41. A structure is used in which the lens 4 is moved in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis by screwing the lens 4 onto a screw shaft 42 that is attached to the lens 42 and reversibly rotating the screw shaft 42 directly by a motor 43 or by the motor 43 via a belt or the like. Can be done. If the movement of the lens bracket 40 is guided by a guide bar 44 fixed to the optical system frame 41, the lens can be smoothly reciprocated without tilting. If the optical system frame 41 itself is screwed onto a threaded rod or the like in the same manner as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 and made movable in the optical axis direction, magnification can be changed.

In addition to the method of controlling the copy paper feed timing and lens movement described above, to compensate for the misalignment of the information position, it is also possible to move the original together with the original placing glass in one direction or in two orthogonal directions to set the original position. You can also use a method to adjust the

To adjust the deviation in the lateral direction with respect to the copy paper feeding direction, a method of moving the photoreceptor or the photoreceptor drum, rather than the lens, in the lateral direction, that is, in the direction along the rotation axis of the drum, can also be used.

As an erasing method for erasing unnecessary portions of a document, at least four white masking plates, each movable independently, are provided on the back surface of the document placement glass 17. Of the four masking plates, two are movable in the vertical direction of the document and the other two are movable in the horizontal direction, and each masking plate is moved by a signal indicating the area of information to be copied, so that the four areas outside the copying area are moved. It is shielded from exposure with a masking plate.

As another method, an illumination light source is provided opposite to the moving path of the photoreceptor, and the portion of the photoreceptor outside the copy area that is charged by a signal for specifying the copy area of the original is neutralized.
It is convenient to subdivide the light source in order to eliminate static electricity in the area outside the copying area in the direction transverse to the direction of movement of the photoreceptor, so that the illuminated area can be arbitrarily controlled using, for example, a group of minute lamps in a row. .

When combining information from a plurality of manuscripts, there are cases where it is desired to determine that the pieces of combined information are from different manuscripts. For example, when it is desired to combine and check the front and back patterns in creating an original drawing of the front and back patterns of a double-sided printed board, it is desirable to be able to distinguish between the patterns corresponding to the front and back sides of the combined copy. In this case, the first document is imaged by a normal copying process, and the second document is imaged by a full exposure lamp through a screen 45 for creating a halftone pattern, as shown in FIG. When a light image of the original document is formed on a photoreceptor, a halftone copy is obtained. This makes it possible to distinguish between the two originals. Furthermore, by changing the charging conditions, transfer conditions, or developing bias voltage for each document, it is also possible to change the density of the image of each document and to discriminate each document. Furthermore, it is also possible to provide a plurality of developing sections and change the toner color of each developing section, and develop each document with a different toner, thereby forming images of different colors to identify the documents.

According to the present invention, it has become possible to compositely copy arbitrary plural pieces of information from plural manuscripts without requiring complicated work.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIGS. 1 to 3 are explanatory diagrams of modified examples of the composite copying apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a setting table having a large number of pressure-sensitive elements, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of lateral position shift adjustment. 6 is a plan view of a lens moving device implementing the method of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is an A view of the device of FIG. 6. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Document exchange device, 4... Lens, 5... Illumination exposure optical device, 6... Photoreceptor, 7... Charger, 8... Developing device, 9... Paper feeding device, 10...
Transfer paper (copy paper), 11...Transfer drum, 13...
... Storage device, 14 ... Clamp, 15 ... Fixing device, 16 ... Paper output tray, 19 ... Original drum,
25...Guide, 27...Transfer paper conveyance means, 29
... Storage path, 30 ... Storage tray, 35 ... Pressure sensing device, 36 ... Setting table, 37 ... Information area.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In an apparatus for compositely copying images of a plurality of originals onto the same side of copy paper, a mark provided in the middle of the original feeding path of the original replacing device and indicating the combining position written on the first original. and a reading means for reading a mark indicating the position of the information written below the second manuscript; a means for storing the position information from the reading means; and a reading means for reading the mark indicating the position of the information written below the second manuscript; an image forming means that forms only images within or outside the marks; a calculation means that calculates a deviation between the mark positions between the first original and the second original; and a calculation means that calculates deviation information from the calculation means. and a position adjustment means for moving an image forming position so as to move the images of the second original and subsequent originals to the combining position of the first original.