Image forming apparatus

Abstract

Disclosed is an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, including: an apparatus main body having an image forming portion that forms an image on a recording material; and an operation portion having a display portion displaying information about image formation and a notification portion notifying a state of the image forming apparatus, the operation portion being slidably provided in the main body between a first position in which the entire display portion is exposed from the apparatus main body and a second position in which the entire display portion is not exposed from the apparatus main body. A display portion is received in the main body such that at least a portion of the display portion is invisible from outside of the main body. When the operation portion is located at the second position, the notification portion is disposed at a position where the notification portion is visible from outside of the main body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus having an operation panel. Background Art

[0002] An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material is provided with an operation panel including a display for displaying information regarding the progress status of image formation or various setting contents. Currently, such image forming apparatuses tend to have larger operation displays in order to improve the visibility of the display and increase the amount of information to be displayed.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-53818 discloses an image forming device whose screen can be expanded when a larger screen is required by accommodating a portion of a flexible display having a touch panel on a surface within an accommodating portion and then pulling the display out of the accommodating portion as needed. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-12224 discloses an image forming device provided with a display device including a light emitting portion that emits light of a predetermined color to display the status of the image forming device.

[0004] However, when the light emitting portion disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-12224 is provided on the operation panel housed in the accommodating portion disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-53818, sufficient notification performance for the user cannot be achieved depending on the arrangement of the operation panel. In particular, when the light emitting portion is provided in the portion of the operation panel housed in the accommodating portion, there is a problem in that the notification performance is greatly reduced when the operation panel is housed in the accommodating portion. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material according to the present invention includes:

[0006] an apparatus main body having an image forming portion that forms an image on a recording material; and

[0007] an operating portion having a display portion and a notification portion, the display portion displaying information about image formation, the notification portion notifying of a status of the image forming apparatus, the operating portion being slidably provided in the apparatus body between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the entire display portion is exposed from the apparatus body, and in the second position the display portion is housed in the apparatus body so that at least a portion of the display portion is not visible from the outside of the apparatus body,

[0008] wherein when the operating portion is located at the second position, the notification portion is provided at a position where the notification portion is visible from outside the device body.

[0009] Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 2 is a diagram showing a perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention in a state in which the operation panel is stored.

[0012] Figure 3 is a diagram showing a perspective view of an operation panel of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 4 is a diagram showing a perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention in a state in which the operation panel is exposed and before the operation panel is rotated.

[0014] Figure 5 is a diagram showing a perspective view of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention in a state in which the operation panel is exposed and after the operation panel is rotated.

[0015] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image forming system including an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an operation panel of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 8A 、 Figure 8B and Figure 8C : is a diagram illustrating the operation of the operation panel of the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 9 is a flowchart of a panel state detection process executed by the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 10 is a flowchart of a light amount adjustment process executed by the image forming apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image forming system including an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 12 is a diagram showing a perspective view of a part of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 13 is a flowchart of a lamp interlock process executed by the image forming apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0024] (First embodiment)

[0025] <Configuration of Image Forming System>

[0026] Will refer to Figures 1 to 6 The configuration of the image forming system A1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is described in detail.

[0027] The image forming system A1 has an image forming apparatus 1 and a processing device 16 .

[0028] The image forming apparatus 1 forms an image on a sheet S as a recording material, and conveys the sheet S on which the image has been formed to the processing device 16 or discharges it to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 discharges the sheet S conveyed by the processing device 16 to the outside of the image forming apparatus 1. The detailed configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described later.

[0029] Alternatively, the processing device 16 is exemplified as a finisher connected to the image forming apparatus 1 to expand the functions of the image forming apparatus 1. The processing device 16 performs user-specified processing, such as stapling processing, punching processing, and binding processing, on the sheets S on which images have been formed and conveyed by the image forming apparatus 1. The processing device 16 conveys the sheets S on which the user-specified processing has been performed to the image forming apparatus 1.

[0030] <Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus>

[0031] Will refer to Figures 1 to 6 The configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is described in detail.

[0032] The image forming apparatus 1 has an apparatus main body 1 a, an operation panel 2, a controller 10, a storage device 11, a power supply device 12, a fixing portion 13, a reader 14, an image forming portion 15, a sheet cassette 19A, a sheet cassette 19B, a detection sensor 30, a detection sensor 31, an ejection tray 161 a, an ejection tray 161 b, and a seesaw type or tactile type main body power switch (not shown) for turning on / off the main power supply.

[0033] The apparatus body 1 a has a fixing portion 13 , an image forming portion 15 , a sheet cassette 19A, and a sheet cassette 19B.

[0034] An operation panel 2, serving as an operation portion, is provided in the apparatus body 1a of the image forming apparatus 1 so that the operation panel 2 can be housed in the space below the reader 14. The operation panel 2 is arranged so that the operation panel 2 can move relative to the apparatus body 1a in a direction Y or a direction opposite to the direction Y, and further, in a state where the operation panel 2 has moved in the direction Y, the operation panel 2 can rotate about a rotation axis parallel to the direction X. The operation panel 2 operates under the control of the controller 10. The detailed configuration of the operation portion 2 will be described later.

[0035] The controller 10 controls the overall operation of the image forming apparatus 1, the operation of the processing device 16, and the operation of the notification device 17. The controller 10 is provided with a CPU 100, a memory 101, and a timer 102.

[0036] The CPU 100 controls the operations of the operation panel 2, the power supply device 12, the fixing portion 13, the reader 14, the image forming portion 15, and the processing device 16 connected to the controller 10. The CPU 100 reads out a program 110 stored in the storage device 11 and executes the program to control the reader 14, the image forming portion 15, and the processing device 16 while using the memory 101 as a work area. The CPU 100 performs image processing on image data input from the reader 14, stores the image data on which the image processing has been performed in the storage device 11, and transmits the image data to the image forming portion 15, where an image forming process for forming an image on a sheet S is performed.

[0037] The CPU 100 outputs a control signal for controlling the operation of the operation panel 2 to the operation panel 2. The CPU 100 reads out display image data stored in the storage device 11 and outputs the data to the operation panel 2 to display an image on the operation panel 2.

[0038] The CPU 100 controls the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 based on the calculation result of the coordinates of the touch position on the touch panel 22 (described later) of the operation panel 2 indicated by the electrical signal input from the operation panel 2. The CPU 100 performs a mode switching operation (described later) based on the count value counted by the timer 102. In the mode switching operation, the image forming apparatus 1 switches from the standby mode to the sleep mode that consumes less power.

[0039] The CPU 100 executes a panel state detection process (described later) for determining the state of the operation panel 2 based on the electrical signals input from the detection sensors 30 and 31, and executes a light amount adjustment process (described later). When the CPU 100 changes the light amount of the status display portion 24 in the light amount adjustment process, the CPU 100 generates a control signal (command) for changing the light amount of the status display portion 24 and outputs the generated control signal to the operation panel 2.

[0040] The memory 101 temporarily stores data required when the CPU 100 executes the program 110 .

[0041] The timer 102 measures time by counting a count value under the control of the CPU 100 while the CPU executes various processes.

[0042] The storage device 11 stores various programs 110 related to controlling the image forming apparatus 1, display image data, and print data. The various programs 110 stored in the storage device 11 include a software package for causing the controller 10 to execute various processes. The display image data stored in the storage device 11 is data for displaying an image on the operation panel 2.

[0043] The power supply device 12 receives power from a commercial power line via an outlet (not shown) and supplies the power supplied from the commercial power line to the respective devices of the image forming system A1 under the control of the CPU 100 .

[0044] The fixing portion 13 fixes the toner image on the sheet S by applying heat and pressure to the sheet S onto which the toner image has been secondarily transferred, which is conveyed by the intermediate transfer belt 155 and the secondary transfer roller 156. The fixing portion 13 conveys the sheet S onto which the toner image has been fixed to the discharge tray 161a or the discharge tray 161b.

[0045] The reader 14 optically reads an image of a document placed on a glass surface (not shown), converts it into image data, and outputs the converted image data to the image forming portion 15 .

[0046] The image forming section 15 performs an image forming process for forming an image on a sheet S fed from the sheet cassette 19A or the sheet cassette 19B based on image data input from the reader 14. The image forming section 15 has photosensitive drums 150Y, 150M, 150C, and 150K, charging devices 151Y, 151M, 151C, and 151K, developing devices 152Y, 152M, 152C, and 152K, primary transfer rollers 153Y, 153M, 153C, and 153K, a laser scanner unit 154, an intermediate transfer belt 155, and a secondary transfer roller 156.

[0047] The photosensitive drums 150Y, 150M, 150C, and 150K are driven to rotate by a driving device (not shown). Toner images are formed on the photosensitive drums 150Y, 150M, 150C, and 150K by the charging devices 151Y, 151M, 151C, and 151K, the developing devices 152Y, 152M, 152C, and 152K, and the laser scanner unit 154.

[0048] The charging devices 151Y, 151M, 151C, and 151K charge the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 150Y, 150M, 150C, and 150K, respectively.

[0049] The developing device 152Y forms a yellow toner image on the photosensitive drum 150Y by attaching yellow toner to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 150Y by the laser scanner unit 154 .

[0050] The developing device 152M forms a magenta toner image on the photosensitive drum 150M by attaching magenta toner to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 150M by the laser scanner unit 154 .

[0051] The developing device 152C forms a cyan toner image on the photosensitive drum 150C by attaching cyan toner to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 150C by the laser scanner unit 154 .

[0052] The developing device 152K forms a black toner image on the photosensitive drum 150K by attaching black toner to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 150K by the laser scanner unit 154 .

[0053] The primary transfer roller 153Y primarily transfers the yellow toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 150Y by the developing device 152Y onto the intermediate transfer belt 155 by applying a primary transfer bias.

[0054] By applying a primary transfer bias, the primary transfer roller 153M primarily transfers the magenta toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 150M by the developing device 152M onto the intermediate transfer belt 155 so that the magenta toner image is superimposed on the yellow toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 155 .

[0055] By applying a primary transfer bias, the primary transfer roller 153C transfers the cyan toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 150C by the developing device 152C to the intermediate transfer belt 155 so that the cyan toner image is superimposed on the yellow toner image and the magenta toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 155.

[0056] By applying a primary transfer bias, the primary transfer roller 153K transfers the black colorant image formed by the developing device 152K on the surface of the photosensitive drum 150K to the intermediate transfer belt 155 so that the black colorant image is superimposed on the yellow colorant image, magenta colorant image and cyan colorant image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 155.

[0057] Image data output from the reader 14 or image data transmitted and received from an external device (not shown) via a network is input to the laser scanner unit 154. The laser scanner unit 154 irradiates the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 150Y, 150M, 150C, and 150K charged by the charging devices 151Y, 151M, 151C, and 151K with laser beams according to the input image data to form electrostatic latent images on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 150Y, 150M, 150C, and 150K.

[0058] A full-color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 155 by superimposing and primarily transferring the corresponding toner images by the primary transfer rollers 153Y, 153M, 153C, and 153K.

[0059] The secondary transfer roller 156 forms a secondary transfer section together with the intermediate transfer belt 155. By applying a secondary transfer bias, the secondary transfer roller 156 secondarily transfers the full-color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 155 onto a sheet S fed from the sheet cassette 19A or the sheet cassette 19B in the secondary transfer section. The secondary transfer roller 156, together with the intermediate transfer belt 155, conveys the sheet S onto which the full-color toner image has been secondarily transferred to the fixing section 13.

[0060] In the sheet cassette 19A, sheets S are accommodated.

[0061] In the sheet cassette 19B, sheets S are accommodated.

[0062] The detection sensor 30 is provided below the reader 14. The detection sensor 30 is a photointerrupter-type optical sensor having a light-emitting portion (not shown) that emits light and a light-receiving portion (not shown) that receives the light emitted from the light-emitting portion. The detection sensor 30 detects the light-blocking member 71 that moves along with the operation panel 2 and the shaft portion 62, and outputs an electrical signal to the controller 10 based on the detection result.

[0063] The detection sensor 31 is provided below the reader 14. The detection sensor 31 is a photointerrupter-type optical sensor having a light-emitting portion (not shown) that emits light and a light-receiving portion (not shown) that receives light emitted from the light-emitting portion. The detection sensor 31 is provided at a position different from the position where the detection sensor 30 is provided in the Y direction, which is the direction in which the operation panel 2 moves. The detection sensor 31 detects the light-blocking member 71 that moves along with the operation panel 2 and the shaft portion 62, and outputs an electrical signal to the controller 10 based on the detection result.

[0064] The sheet S on which the conveyed toner image has been fixed by the fixing portion 13 is discharged onto the discharge tray 161 a via the processing device 16 , or is discharged onto the discharge tray 161 a as it is without passing through the processing device 16 .

[0065] The sheet S on which the conveyed toner image has been fixed by the fixing portion 13 is discharged onto the discharge tray 161 b via the processing device 16 , or is discharged onto the discharge tray 161 b as it is without passing through the processing device 16 .

[0066] <Configuration of the operation panel>

[0067] Will refer to Figures 2 to 7 The configuration of the operation panel 2 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0068] The operation panel 2 has a panel controller 20 , a display portion 21 , a touch panel 22 , an operation sound generation portion 23 , a status display portion 24 , a key input portion 25 , an interface portion 26 , and a touch panel controller 220 .

[0069] The panel controller 20 controls the overall operation of the operation panel 2 by exchanging electric signals with the controller 10 via the interface portion 26. The panel controller 20 is provided with a CPU 200, a ROM 201, a RAM 202, and a timer 203.

[0070] The CPU 200 executes a control program stored in the ROM 201 to perform various arithmetic processes in accordance with a control signal input from the CPU 100 via the interface section 26. By executing the control program, the CPU 200 controls the operations of the display section 21, the operation sound generating section 23, the status display section 24, the key input section 25, the interface section 26, and the touch panel section 220.

[0071] The CPU 200 switches between the image of the image data previously stored in the ROM 201 and the image of the display image data input from the CPU 100 via the interface section 26 so that the display section 21 displays it. The CPU 200 calculates the coordinates of the touch position on the touch panel 22 based on the coordinate data input from the touch panel controller 220, and outputs an electric signal to the CPU 100 via the interface section 26 according to the calculation result of the coordinates of the touch position.

[0072] The CPU 200 changes the lighting state of the state display portion 24 based on a control signal input from the CPU 100 via the interface portion 26 .

[0073] Specifically, the CPU 200 can adjust the light amount of the state of the display part 24 based on the control signal input from the CPU 100 via the interface part 26, and control the lighting state of the display part 24 so that the display part 24 emits light having a first light amount or a second light amount greater than the first light amount.

[0074] In the ROM 201, various programs such as a control program related to the control of the operation panel 2 and information and data related to the connection with the image forming apparatus 1 are stored. The information related to the connection includes information about the fact that the connection with the image forming apparatus 1 has been established and information obtained from the image forming apparatus 1. The information obtained from the image forming apparatus 1 includes information about the status of the image forming apparatus 1 (such as standby mode, sleep mode, and error detection) and count information such as the number of printed sheets.

[0075] The RAM 202 is used as a work area in which data is temporarily stored during arithmetic operations by the CPU 200 .

[0076] When the CPU 200 executes various processes, the timer 203 performs time keeping under the control of the CPU 200 and counts the count value.

[0077] The display portion 21 is a liquid crystal panel that, under the control of the CPU 200, displays images of image data previously stored in the ROM 201 or images of display image data input from the controller 10 via the interface portion 26. The images displayed on the display portion 21 include images of information regarding image formation (such as the number of sheets on which images are formed and the size of the sheets S on which images are formed) or images of input keys for setting values ​​related to image reading (such as file size). Images of image data stored in the ROM 201 of the operation panel 2 and images of display image data received by the operation panel 2 from the controller 10 are switched and displayed on the display portion 21 under the control of the CPU 200.

[0078] The touch panel 22 is provided on the display portion 21. The touch panel 22 is configured to be visible due to the transparent screen of the display portion 21. The touch panel 22 is connected to the panel controller 20 via the touch panel controller 220. The touch panel 22 detects a user's touch operation on the image displayed on the display portion 21 and outputs an electrical signal to the touch panel controller 220 based on the detection result.

[0079] The operation sound generation section 23 generates an operation sound according to an operation on the touch panel 22 under the control of the panel controller 20 .

[0080] The status display portion 24 as a notification portion is provided with an LED as a light emitting portion that emits light for notifying the user of the status of the image forming apparatus 1. Figure 2 As shown, the status display portion 24 is provided in a position visible from the outside when the operation panel 2 is stored in the apparatus body 1a. The status display portion 24 turns LEDs on and off according to the status of the image forming apparatus 1, and changes the lighting state under the control of the panel controller 20. The status display portion 24 is provided with LEDs having multiple colors (for example, including red and green), and displays the status of the image forming apparatus 1 by changing the color or lighting pattern according to the status of the image forming apparatus 1. The status of the image forming apparatus 1 includes the status of a job being executed and the status of an error such as a sheet shortage or a jam.

[0081] The key input section 25 is provided on the operation panel 2 at a position outside the display section 21 and includes hardware keys such as a key for starting a job of the image forming apparatus 1, numeric keys for inputting numerical values, and a key for instructing transition to the sleep mode. The key input section 25 receives input of settings or job instructions for the image forming apparatus 1 from the user through the above-mentioned keys, and outputs an electrical signal to the panel controller 20 according to the received input. Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the key input portion 25 of the operation panel 2 is omitted.

[0082] The interface portion 26 exchanges electric signals between the CPU 100 of the controller 10 and the CPU 200 of the panel controller 20 .

[0083] The touch panel controller 220 operates under the control of the panel controller 20. The touch panel controller 220 detects a touch position of the user on the touch panel 22, and outputs coordinate data to the CPU 200 according to the detected touch position.

[0084] The operation panel 2 of the above configuration has both the display portion 21 and the touch panel 22. However, the configuration of the operation panel 2 is not limited to this configuration, and may have a touch panel display having both the functions of the display portion 21 and the touch panel 22.

[0085] The operation panel 2 configured as described above is provided in the apparatus main body 1a so that the operation panel 2 can be operated as follows. Figure 2 The operation panel 2 is in the storage position and the Figure 4 The operation panel 2 is shown to be in an exposed state and moves between the exposed positions. Figure 5 As shown, the operation panel 2 is provided in the apparatus body 1 a so that the operation panel 2 can rotate about a rotation axis parallel to the direction X in an exposed state.

[0086] The exposed position, in which the operation panel 2 is in an exposed state, is a first position in which each of the display portion 21, the touch panel 22, and the key input portion 25 is completely exposed from the device body 1a. The stored position, in which the operation panel 2 is in a stored state, is a second position in which at least a portion of each of the display portion 21, the touch panel 22, and the key input portion 25 is stored in the device body 1a and is not visible from the outside. The stored position includes a third position in which each of the display portion 21, the touch panel 22, and the key input portion 25 is completely stored in the device body 1a and is not visible from the outside.

[0087] When the operation panel 2 is in the exposed state in which the operation panel 2 is located in the exposed position, the entire display portion 21 is visible from the outside. In addition, when the operation panel 2 is in the exposed state in which the operation panel 2 is located in the exposed position, the entire touch panel 22 is in an operable state for user touch operation, and the entire key input portion 25 is in an operable state for user press operation.

[0088] When the operation panel 2 is in the stored state in which the operation panel 2 is located in the stored position, at least a portion of the display portion 21 is not visible from the outside, but at least a portion of the display portion 21 is visible from the outside. In addition, when the operation panel 2 is in the stored state in which the operation panel 2 is located in the stored position, at least a portion of the touch panel 22 is in a state in which it cannot be operated by the user, and at least a portion of the key input portion 25 is in a state in which it cannot be operated by the user.

[0089] The status display portion 24 is visible from the outside of the apparatus body 1 a regardless of whether the operation panel 2 is in the exposed position or the stored position.

[0090] <Operation of Image Forming Apparatus>

[0091] Will refer to Figures 1 to 6The operation of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0092] When an image forming job is input on the touch panel 22 of the operation panel 2 , the controller 10 receives the image forming job from the touch panel 22 via the touch panel controller 220 , the panel controller 20 , and the interface portion 26 to start an image forming operation.

[0093] When the image forming operation starts, the sheet S accommodated in the sheet cassette 19A or the sheet cassette 19B is conveyed to a secondary transfer portion formed by the intermediate transfer belt 155 and the secondary transfer roller 156 .

[0094] In the image forming portion 15 , the surface of the photosensitive drum 150Y is charged by the charging device 151Y.

[0095] Next, the laser scanner unit 154 irradiates the surface of the photosensitive drum 150Y with a laser beam based on the image data of the document read by the reader 14 or the image data received from an external device (not shown) via a network. Thus, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 150Y.

[0096] Next, the developing device 152Y attaches yellow toner to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 150Y to form a yellow toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 150Y.

[0097] Next, the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 150Y is primarily transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 155 by the primary transfer roller 153Y.

[0098] Through similar processing, magenta, cyan, and black toner images are formed on the photosensitive drums 150M, 150C, and 150K, respectively. These toner images are transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 155 in a manner superimposed on the yellow toner image by applying a primary transfer bias to the primary transfer rollers 153M, 153C, and 153K. Thus, a full-color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 155 according to the image signal.

[0099] The full-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 155 is conveyed to the secondary transfer portion by the rotation of the intermediate transfer belt 155 .

[0100] Next, the full-color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt 155 and conveyed to the secondary transfer portion is transferred onto the sheet S conveyed by the sheet cassette 19A or the sheet cassette 19B in the secondary transfer portion.

[0101] The sheet S onto which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed to a fixing portion where the toner image is fixed by a heating and pressure process.

[0102] The sheet S on which the toner image has been fixed is conveyed to the processing device 16. When the user specifies a stapling process, a punching process, or a binding process, the specified process is performed on the sheet S and the sheet S is discharged onto the discharge tray 161a. When the user does not specify a stapling process, a punching process, or a binding process, or when the processing device 16 is not connected, the sheet S is discharged onto the discharge tray 161b without performing these processes.

[0103] <Mode Switching Operation of Image Forming Apparatus>

[0104] Will refer to Figure 6 A mode switching operation of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0105] The CPU 100 can perform a standby mode and a mode transition operation for transitioning to a sleep mode whose power consumption is smaller than that of the standby mode.

[0106] In the standby mode, the power supply device 12 supplies power to the controller 10 and the devices to be used, and does not supply power to the devices not to be used, under the control of the CPU 100. For example, when the user selects to read an image, the power supply device 12 supplies power to the reader 14 (which is the device to be used), and does not supply power to the image forming section 15 and the processing device 16 (which are the devices not to be used).

[0107] When the image forming apparatus 1 has not been used for a certain period of time, or when a shift instruction to the sleep mode has been accepted from the user via the touch panel 22 , the CPU 100 performs a mode shift operation of shifting the current mode from the standby mode to the sleep mode.

[0108] When the current mode shifts from the standby mode to the sleep mode, the power supply device 12 stops supplying power to the device to which power has been supplied during the standby mode, according to the control of the CPU 100 .

[0109] When the CPU 100 detects an input from the user in sleep mode, the CPU 100 performs a mode transition operation to return the sleep mode to the standby mode. For example, when the CPU 100 receives an input from the user on the touch panel 22 in sleep mode to return the sleep mode to the standby mode, the CPU 100 performs a mode transition operation to return the sleep mode to the standby mode. Even if there is no input from the user in sleep mode, the CPU 100 performs a mode transition operation to return the sleep mode to the standby mode when there is an input from the reader 14 indicating that a document has been placed on the reader 14.

[0110] <How to check the status of the operation panel>

[0111] Will refer to Figures 2 to 5 、 Figures 8A to 8C A method of detecting the state of the operation panel 2 of the image forming apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0112] Figure 8A The exposed state in which the operation panel 2 is located at the exposed position is shown. Figure 8B An intermediate state is shown in which the operation panel 2 is located at an intermediate position between the exposed position and the stored position. Figure 8C The operation panel 2 is shown in a stored state at the stored position.

[0113] exist Figure 8A 、 Figure 8B and Figure 8C In the embodiment, the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the detection sensors 30 and 31 are arranged so that the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion are perpendicular to the Figure 8A 、 Figure 8B and Figure 8C The light shielding member 71 passes through the space between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the detection sensor 30 and passes through the space between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the detection sensor 31. In addition, the operation panel 2 has a recess (not shown) in which Figure 8C In the illustrated state, light emitted from the light emitting portion of the detection sensor 30 can reach the light receiving portion of the detection sensor 30 through the recess without blocking the light emitted from the light emitting portion of the detection sensor 30 .

[0114] When the operation panel 2 is in the first state ( Figure 4 When the detection sensor 30 is in the exposed state (the state shown in FIG), the light emitting portion of the detection sensor 30 is blocked by the light blocking member 71 and the light blocking member 71 is detected. Figure 8A When the operation panel 2 is in the exposed state, the detection sensor 31 does not detect the light blocking member 71 because the light emitted from the light emitting portion of the detection sensor 31 is not blocked by the light blocking member 71 but is received by the light receiving portion of the detection sensor 31. Figure 8A In this case, the CPU 100 determines that the operation panel 2 is in the exposed state based on the detection results of the detection sensor 30 and the detection sensor 31.

[0115] When the operation panel 2 is in the intermediate state as the third state, the detection sensor 30 does not detect the light blocking member 71 by receiving the light emitted from the light emitting portion and not being blocked by the light blocking member 71. Figure 8BWhen the operation panel 2 is in the intermediate state, the detection sensor 31 does not detect the light blocking member 71 because the light emitted from the light emitting portion of the detection sensor 31 is received by the light receiving portion of the detection sensor 31 without being blocked by the light blocking member 71. Figure 8B In this case, the CPU 100 determines that the operation panel 2 is in the intermediate state based on the detection results of the detection sensor 30 and the detection sensor 31.

[0116] When the operation panel 2 is in the second state ( Figure 2 When the light emitting portion of the detection sensor 30 is in the stored state (as shown in the state), the light emitting portion of the detection sensor 30 is received by the receiving portion without being blocked by the light blocking member 71 and the light blocking member 71 is not detected. Figure 8C The detection sensor 31 detects the light blocking member 71 by blocking the light emitted from the light emitting portion of the detection sensor 31, as shown in FIG. Figure 8C In this case, the CPU 100 determines that the operation panel 2 is in the stored state based on the detection results of the detection sensor 30 and the detection sensor 31.

[0117] The operation panel 2 is configured so as not to be positioned in the depth direction ( Figure 8C Rightward in the direction of Figure 8C A portion of the display portion 21 of the operation panel 2 is stored in the apparatus body 1a in the intermediate state, and a portion of the display portion 21 other than the portion stored in the apparatus body 1a is exposed to the outside of the apparatus body 1a.

[0118] The detection sensors 30 and 31 are not limited to optical sensors and may be configured by mechanical sensors such as switches. Detection and non-detection of the light shielding member 71 by the detection sensors 30 and 31 may be reversed from the above description.

[0119] <Panel Status Detection Processing>

[0120] Will refer to Figure 9 The panel state detection process performed by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is described in detail.

[0121] Figure 9 The panel state detection process shown is started when the main power of the image forming apparatus 1 is turned on. Figure 9 Here, “ON” refers to the fact that the detection sensor 30 or the detection sensor 31 detects the light shielding member 71 .

[0122] First, the CPU 100 determines whether the detection sensor 30 detects the light shielding member 71 (whether it is “ON”) based on an electric signal in response to the detection result input from the detection sensor 30 (step S101 ).

[0123] When the detection sensor 30 detects the light shielding member 71 (step S101: Yes), the CPU 100 determines that the operation panel 2 is in the exposed state (step S102), executes control for the case where the operation panel 2 is in the exposed state, and then completes the panel state detection process. In this case, the CPU 100 notifies the CPU 200 of the operation panel 2 that the operation panel 2 is in the exposed state by outputting an electrical signal to the operation panel 2 indicating that the operation panel 2 is in the exposed state.

[0124] In contrast, when the detection sensor 30 does not detect the light blocking member 71 (step S101 : NO), the CPU 100 determines whether the detection sensor 31 detects the light blocking member 71 (whether ON) based on the electric signal input from the detection sensor 31 (step S103 ).

[0125] When the detection sensor 31 detects the light shielding member 71 (step S103: Yes), the CPU 100 determines that the operation panel 2 is in the retracted state (step S104), executes control for the case where the operation panel 2 is in the retracted state, and then completes the panel state detection process. In this case, the CPU 100 notifies the CPU 200 of the operation panel 2 that the operation panel 2 is in the retracted state by outputting an electrical signal indicating that the operation panel 2 is in the retracted state to the operation panel 2.

[0126] On the other hand, when the detection sensor 31 does not detect the light shielding member 71 (step S103: No), the CPU 100 determines that the operation panel 2 is in the intermediate state (step S105), performs control for the case where the operation panel 2 is in the intermediate state, and then completes the panel state detection process. In this case, the CPU 100 notifies the CPU 200 of the operation panel 2 that the operation panel 2 is in the intermediate state by outputting an electrical signal indicating that the operation panel 2 is in the intermediate state to the operation panel 2.

[0127] <Light Amount Adjustment Processing>

[0128] Will refer to Figure 10 A light amount adjustment process performed by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0129] When the user operates the image forming apparatus 1 with its operation panel 2 exposed, the user's operation can be guided by the operation panel 2. Therefore, the user can be notified of the state of the image forming apparatus 1 by lighting the state display portion 24 of the operation panel 2.

[0130] In contrast, when a user operates the image forming apparatus 1 with its operation panel 2 in the retracted state, the user's operation may not be guided by the operation panel 2. Consequently, the user may not be fully informed of the status of the image forming apparatus 1 by the illumination of the status display portion 24 of the operation panel 2. Furthermore, when the operation panel 2 is in the retracted state, it is more difficult for the user to visually recognize the illumination of the status display portion 24 than when the operation panel 2 is exposed, which may reduce the notification performance of the illumination.

[0131] In view of the above problem, the CPU 100 executes the following operation in response to the change between the stored state and the exposed state of the operation panel 2: Figure 10 The light amount adjustment process shown is to change the lighting state of the state display portion 24.

[0132] Figure 10 The light amount adjustment process shown is started when the CPU 100 completes the panel state detection process.

[0133] First, the CPU 100 determines whether Figure 9 The panel state detection process shown in FIG. 2 is used to determine whether the state of the operation panel 2 is in the stored state (step S201 ).

[0134] When the operation panel 2 is in the stored state (step S201 : YES), the CPU 100 increases the light amount setting value to set the light amount of the state display portion 24 to a larger value than when the operation panel 2 is in the exposed state (step S202 ).

[0135] Next, the CPU 100 performs control to illuminate the status display portion 24 with the light amount set in step S202 (step S203 ), and thereafter completes the light amount adjustment process.

[0136] In contrast, when the operation panel 2 is in the exposed state or the intermediate state (step S201 : NO), the CPU 100 skips the process of step S202 without changing the setting of the light amount of the status display portion 24 , and executes the process of step S203 .

[0137] In the light amount adjustment process, when the CPU 100 determines that the operation panel 2 is in the exposed state, the CPU 100 outputs a control signal for controlling the status display portion 24 so that the status display portion 24 emits light having a first light amount to the operation panel 2. Furthermore, when the CPU 100 determines that the operation panel 2 is in the stored state, the CPU 100 outputs a control signal for controlling the status display portion 24 so that the status display portion 24 emits light having a second light amount greater than the first light amount to the operation panel 2.

[0138] When the operation panel 2 is located at the third position, the CPU 100 outputs a control signal for causing the status display portion 24 to emit light having a third light quantity greater than the second light quantity to the operation panel 2. Furthermore, while the status display portion 24 emits light having the third light quantity when the operation panel 2 is located at the third position, the status display portion 24 emits light having the second light quantity when the operation panel 2 is located at the second position in which the operation panel 2 is in an intermediate state.

[0139] The exposure amount of the status display portion 24 from the apparatus body 1a changes in response to the position of the operation panel 2. Furthermore, the smaller the exposure amount of the operation panel 2 from the apparatus body 1a, the greater the light amount of the light emitting portion.

[0140] In the above-described light quantity adjustment process, the light quantity of the status display portion 24 is the same when the operation panel 2 is in the exposed state as when the operation panel 2 is in the intermediate state. However, the light quantity adjustment process is not limited to this, and the light quantity adjustment process may be configured so that, based on the fact that the exposure of the operation panel 2 from the device body 1a changes in response to the position of the operation panel 2, the light quantity of the light-emitting portion of the status display portion 24 increases as the exposure of the operation panel 2 from the device body 1a decreases. With this configuration, since the light quantity of the light-emitting portion of the status display portion 24 decreases as the exposure of the operation panel 2 from the device body 1a increases, power consumption can be suppressed.

[0141] As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, control is performed so that the light intensity of status display portion 24 changes in response to the state of operation panel 2. In particular, in this embodiment, the light intensity of status display portion 24 is controlled so that the light intensity of status display portion 24 becomes larger when operation panel 2 is in the retracted state than when operation panel 2 is in the exposed state. With this configuration, the risk of a decrease in the performance of notification to the user through light emission from status display portion 24 when operation panel 2 is in the retracted state can be reduced.

[0142] In this embodiment, an operation panel 2 is provided that includes a display portion 21 that displays information related to image formation and a status display portion 24 that indicates the status of the image forming apparatus 1. The operation panel 2 is slidably disposed within the apparatus body 1a between a first position in which the entire display portion 21 is exposed from the apparatus body 1a and a second position in which the display portion 21 is retracted within the apparatus body 1a so that at least a portion of the display portion 21 is not visible from the outside of the apparatus body 1a. When the operation panel 2 is in the second position, the status display portion 24 is positioned so that the status display portion 24 is visible from the outside of the apparatus body 1a.

[0143] With this configuration, even when the operation panel 2, which can be accommodated in the apparatus body 1a, is accommodated in the apparatus body 1a and is difficult to visually recognize, the user can easily recognize the status of the image forming apparatus 1. Furthermore, the risk of a decrease in the performance of notifying the user of the status of the image forming apparatus 1 can be reduced.

[0144] (Second embodiment)

[0145] <Configuration of Image Forming System>

[0146] Will refer to Figure 11 and Figure 12 The configuration of the image forming system A2 according to the second embodiment of the present invention is described in detail.

[0147] exist Figure 11 In, with Figure 6 The same parts are assigned the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0148] The image forming system A2 has the image forming apparatus 1, the processing device 16, and the notification device 17. In addition, the image forming system A2 may be configured without having the processing device 16.

[0149] By control of the CPU 100 of the image forming apparatus 1 , the notification device 17 notifies the state of the image forming apparatus 1 in response to the state of the operation panel 2 .

[0150] <Light interlock processing>

[0151] Will refer to Figure 13 A lamp interlock process performed by the image forming apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0152] Figure 13 The lamp interlock process shown is started when the CPU 100 completes the panel status detection process.

[0153] First, the CPU 100 determines whether Figure 9 The panel state detection process shown in FIG. 1 determines whether the state of the operation panel 2 is in the storage state (step S301 ).

[0154] When the operation panel 2 is in the stored state (step S301 : YES), the CPU 100 determines whether the notification device 17 is connected to the image forming apparatus 1 (step S302 ).

[0155] When the notification device 17 is connected (step S302 : YES), the CPU 100 sets the status display portion 24 and the notification device 17 to illuminate in an interlocking manner (step S303 ). Specifically, the CPU 100 controls the illumination of the notification device 17 in synchronization with the illumination timing of the status display portion 24 .

[0156] Next, the CPU 100 illuminates the status display portion 24 in response to the status of the operation panel 2 (step S304 ), after which the lamp interlock process is completed.

[0157] In contrast, when the operation panel 2 is in the exposed state or the intermediate state (step S301 : NO), the CPU 100 jumps to step S304 .

[0158] Furthermore, when the notification device 17 is not connected (step S302 : NO), the CPU 100 jumps to step S304 .

[0159] In this embodiment, the notification device 17, which is always exposed from the outside of the apparatus main body 1a, is controlled so that the status of the image forming apparatus 1 is notified in synchronization with the timing at which the status display portion 24 notifies the status of the image forming apparatus 1. With this configuration, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, when the operation panel 2 is in the stored state, it is possible to prevent the performance of notifying the user of the status of the image forming apparatus 1 from being degraded.

[0160] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and variations may be made without departing from the gist thereof.

[0161] In the first and second embodiments described above, the status display portion 24 uses light for notification. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the status notification portion may be provided so as to use sound instead of or in addition to light. In this case, by arranging the status notification portion in a position where it can be visually recognized from the outside, the user can clearly hear the sound without being blocked by the device body 1a, thereby suppressing degradation of notification performance.

[0162] In the first and second embodiments described above, the operation panel 2 is configured to be housed below the reader 14 of the image forming apparatus 1. However, the configuration is not limited to this configuration. The operation panel 2 may be configured to be bendable, flexible, or extendable and retractable.

[0163] In the first and second embodiments described above, the CPU 100 performs control based on the electrical signals input from the detection sensors 30 and 31, and performs control to change the light amount of the status display portion 24. However, the configuration is not limited to this configuration, and the CPU 200 may perform control based on the electrical signals input from the detection sensors 30 and 31, and perform control to change the light amount of the status display portion 24.

[0164] In the first and second embodiments described above, the status of the image forming apparatus 1 is notified by emitting light from the light emitting portion provided on the status display portion 24. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and a sound generating portion may be provided as a notification portion that emits sound, instead of or in addition to the status display portion 24, so that the status of the image forming apparatus 1 is notified by sound emitted from the sound generating portion. In this case, the volume of the sound emitted from the sound generating portion may be varied. For example, the sound generating portion may be configured to emit a sound having a first volume when the operation panel 2 is in the first position, and to emit a sound having a second volume greater than the first volume when the operation panel 2 is in the second position.

[0165] In the case where the sound generating portion is provided in the operation panel 2, when the operation panel 2 is housed in the device body 1a, the sound emitted by the sound generating portion may have difficulty reaching the outside of the device. Therefore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the volume of the sound emitted by the sound generating portion can be changed in response to the amount of storage of the operation panel 2 relative to the device body 1a. Specifically, the device can be configured so that as the exposure of the operation panel 2 from the device body 1a decreases, the volume of the sound emitted by the sound generating portion increases. With this configuration, the user can easily recognize notifications from the status display portion 24.

[0166] While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments.The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.

[0167] This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-47847, filed March 25, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

Claims

1. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, comprising: an apparatus main body having an image forming portion that forms an image on a recording material; as well as an operating portion having a display portion that displays information about image formation and a notification portion that notifies of a status of the image forming apparatus, the operating portion being slidably provided in the apparatus body between a first position in which the entire display portion is exposed from the apparatus body and a second position in which the display portion is housed in the apparatus body so that at least a portion of the display portion is not visible from the outside of the apparatus body, wherein when the operating portion is located at the second position, the notification portion is provided at a position where the notification portion is visible from outside the device body.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, The notification portion may include a light emitting portion that emits light, and the notification portion may be configured to notify a state of the image forming apparatus by lighting up the light emitting portion.

3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the light amount of the light emitting portion is adjustable, and The light emitting portion emits light having a first light quantity when the operating portion is located at the first position, and emits light having a second light quantity greater than the first light quantity when the operating portion is located at the second position.

4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, The operating portion is movable to the first position, the second position, and a third position, wherein the operating portion is stored in the device body at the third position so that the entire display portion is not visible from the outside.

5. The image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the operating portion is located at the third position, the light emitting portion emits light having a third light quantity greater than the second light quantity.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the notification portion has a sound generating portion that emits a sound, and wherein the notification portion is configured to notify a state of the image forming apparatus through a sound emitted by the sound generating portion.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the volume of the sound generating portion is adjustable, and When the operating portion is located at the first position, the sound generating portion emits a sound having a first volume, and when the operating portion is located at the second position, the sound generating portion emits a sound having a second volume greater than the first volume.

8. The image forming apparatus according to claim 7, The operating portion is movable to the first position, the second position, and a third position, wherein the operating portion is stored in the device body at the third position so that the entire display portion is not visible from the outside.

9. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, When the operating portion is located at the third position, the sound generating portion emits a sound having a third volume greater than the second volume.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A controller controls a notification device provided to be always exposed to the outside of the apparatus body so as to notify the state of the image forming apparatus in synchronization with a timing at which the notification portion notifies the state of the image forming apparatus.

Images