JP4661044B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for forming a high-gloss and high-quality image on a recording material by an electrophotographic image forming apparatus.

  With the progress of the advanced information society in recent years, image forming apparatuses such as copiers and printers have become widespread not only in business establishments but also in general households, and miniaturization of these apparatuses is progressing. In addition to televisions, personal computers, game machines, and other types of mobile devices, the colorization of video has been rapidly progressing. With this, the need for colorization has also increased in electrophotographic image forming apparatuses. Yes. In the progress of colorization in all these devices, for example, color copiers and color printers that anyone can use are installed in bookstores and convenience stores, and users can easily copy various materials and brochures. Services such as printing and printing are increasing. In particular, recently, digital still cameras have been rapidly used for various conveniences such as shooting while monitoring images, playing back and confirming the shot images, and transmitting the shot images using a network. However, there is a strong need for users who want to output video shot with such a digital still camera with a color printer or the like.

  By the way, as an image output by a conventional electrophotographic image forming apparatus, a black-and-white image mainly composed of characters and line drawings as represented by a word processor document has been generally used. In such an image, if the gloss is glossy, it is difficult to see the characters. Therefore, the image forming apparatus has been adjusted to adjust the toner fixing temperature and fixing time so that the output image has a low gloss. On the other hand, high gloss is desirable for outputting photographic quality images such as images taken with a digital still camera. Therefore, an image forming apparatus capable of forming such a high gloss image on recording paper has been devised. For example, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, a thermoplastic transparent resin layer is provided on a base material of recording paper, and toner is embedded in the transparent resin layer and fixed, whereby image smoothness is achieved.・ Improved gloss. Further, in the image forming apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2, the transfer sheet is peeled off from the fixing belt while cooling at a temperature lower than the toner image fixing temperature, and the toner granularity of the image receiving layer is reduced, thereby reducing the image. Improves smoothness and gloss.

  In general, an image forming apparatus accommodates recording papers of various sizes ranging from a postcard size (100 mm × 148 mm) to an A3 size (297 mm × 420 mm), for example, in the size of an input image. Recording paper of a size corresponding to the size is used. In addition, the fixing belt of the image forming apparatus may be coated with silicone rubber or fluorine rubber as a release agent on the surface of a heat-resistant polyimide base material (see, for example, Patent Documents 3 and 4). However, when a high gloss image is formed on recording paper of various sizes by such an image forming apparatus, the following problems are concerned.

  FIG. 15 is a plan view when the fixing belt B is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the belt surface, and shows the positional relationship between the fixing belt B and a postcard-sized recording paper P1 conveyed by the fixing belt. It is. After the toner image is transferred to the image area A1 on the paper surface of the recording paper P1 (here, the paper surface facing the fixing belt B), the recording paper P1 is pressed against the belt surface of the fixing belt B and further heated. As a result, the toner image is fixed on the recording paper P1. When such a fixing process is repeated many times for a large number of recording sheets, foreign matters such as paper dust generated from the edge of the recording sheet adhere to the fixing belt B and gradually accumulate. Further, since the recording paper P1 is pressed against the fixing belt B with a certain pressure, the edge portion of the recording paper P1 may come into contact with the fixing belt B and the fixing belt B may be damaged. Such various foreign matters and scratches cause an image defect called a defect. As shown in a region D in FIG. 15, the foreign matter and scratches are along the side parallel to the conveyance direction of the recording paper, and the fixing belt. A streak occurs on B.

  When the recording paper P2 having an A3 size larger than the postcard size is used in a state where such foreign matter or scratch is generated, the foreign matter or scratch does not enter the image area A2 of the recording paper P2 as shown in FIG. As a result, the image quality of the image formed on the recording paper P2 is significantly reduced. In particular, as shown in Patent Document 1, when a recording paper having a surface coated with a thermoplastic resin is used, the thermoplastic resin in a molten state protrudes from the edge portion of the recording paper and adheres to the fixing belt B. In addition, if it adheres to a position that enters the image area, there is a problem that foreign matters and scratches on the fixing belt B are easily taken in. Furthermore, when the recording paper is peeled off from the fixing belt B after cooling after fixing as shown in Patent Document 2, since the resin also captures the irregular shape of the foreign matter and scratches during the cooling, recording is performed. The uneven shape appears clearly on the paper.

  The foreign matter and scratches on the fixing belt as described above reduce the smoothness and glossiness of the image formed on the recording paper. In addition, in an image with a high gloss surface, image quality defects caused by such foreign objects and scratches are more noticeable than in the case of a low gloss output image, resulting in a significant reduction in image quality. It becomes.

JP 63-92965 A JP 2002-91048 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-115279 Japanese Patent No. 2903972

  Under the background as described above, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can repeatedly form high-gloss and high-quality images without causing image quality defects.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a storage unit that stores a recording material, a supply unit that supplies the recording material stored in the storage unit, and an image process that processes and outputs image data. An image forming unit that forms a toner image according to the image data output from the image processing unit and transfers the formed toner image to a recording material; and a recording material on which the toner image is transferred by the image forming unit. A first fixing unit that fixes the toner image on the recording material by heating and pressurizing, a switching unit that switches the conveyance path, and a recording material on which the toner image is fixed by the first fixing unit are discharged. A discharging means, a plurality of support members, a belt having a predetermined width that is circulated in a state of being stretched by the plurality of support members, and sandwiching any one of the plurality of support members and the belt A pressure member that is provided at an opposing position and is pressed against the support member to form a nip region with the support member, and a recording surface on which a toner image of a recording material is formed is located in the nip region. And a heating / cooling unit that heats the recording material while being pressed against the surface of the fixing belt and cools the recording material after heating, and is fixed to the recording material by the first fixing unit. Among the plurality of types of recording materials used in the image forming apparatus and the second fixing unit that re-fixes the toner image on the recording material, and the length of the side in the first direction perpendicular to the transport direction is the maximum. Storage means for storing size information including the length of the side of the recording material in advance, and when the second fixing means performs fixing, the image processing means includes a plurality of images to be transferred to the recording material. Each picture Each size is detected, and based on each detected image size and the size information stored in the storage unit, the length of the side in the first direction is the maximum from the plurality of images. A plurality of images that can be arranged on one recording material without overlapping each other is selected, a position where the selected plurality of images should be arranged on the recording material without overlapping each other is determined, and the one recording material The plurality of images determined at positions to be arranged on the material are integrated into one image corresponding to the size of the recording material, and image data representing the integrated one image is generated. the length of the first direction sides supply only the recording medium is the maximum, the switching means, the first of said recording material on which the toner image has been allowed to settle by the fixing means the second fixing means Can be switched so that An image forming apparatus is provided.
According to such an image forming apparatus, foreign matter and scratches generated on the fixing unit do not enter the image, and therefore it is possible to repeatedly form high-gloss and high-quality images.

  Further, according to such an image forming apparatus, it is possible to form a low-gloss image in addition to repeatedly forming a high-gloss and high-quality image.

In a more preferred aspect of the image forming apparatus, the storage unit includes a first storage unit for storing cut paper that is a recording material that has been cut into a predetermined size in advance, and a wound recording material. and a second accommodating means for accommodating a paper roll is, as viewed from the position where the second housing means is provided, arranged on the side of the roll paper is paid out from said second housing means A roll in which the second fixing means is accommodated by the second accommodation means, and a second cutting control means for cutting the roll paper fed from the second accommodation means. When the fixing process is performed on the paper, the second cutting control unit cuts the roll paper with a length corresponding to the size of the image, and the image forming unit forms a toner image on the roll paper. Transfer and the first fixing means Wherein when performing fixing processing on a cut sheet that is accommodated by the first accommodating means, said image forming means transfers the toner image on the cut sheet supplied from the first housing means.
As a result, an image can be formed without wastefully using the recording material.

Further, the image forming apparatus of the present invention, as a more preferable aspect, a cutting member provided on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording material when viewed from the position where the fixing unit or the second fixing unit is provided, A cutting control unit configured to cut the recording material on which the toner image is fixed by the fixing unit or the second fixing unit according to the size of each of the plurality of images by using the cutting member;
Thereby, even when a plurality of images are formed on the same recording material, each image can be cut into an appropriate size and output.

(1) First Embodiment (1-1) Configuration FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 includes an image reading unit 2 that optically reads an image of a document, an image forming unit 3 that forms a toner image on a recording sheet, and a recording sheet that is supplied to the image forming unit 3. And a fixing / discharge unit 5 for discharging the recording paper after fixing the toner image formed on the recording paper. An operation unit 1 is provided on the upper surface of the casing of the image forming apparatus.

  The image reading unit 2 includes an image receiving element, a platen glass, and the like. The original placed on the platen glass is irradiated with light, and the reflected light is read by the image receiving element. Image data is generated by the control unit 10. The image forming unit 3 forms an image based on the image data generated in this manner, and also forms an image based on image data supplied from an external device such as a personal computer (not shown). More specifically, the image forming unit 3 forms a toner image while rotating in the direction of arrow a in the drawing for each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). Photoconductors 301Y, 301M, 301C, and 301K to be charged, chargers 302Y, 302M, 302C, and 302K for uniformly charging the photoconductors, and exposure light modulated based on image data of each color of YMCK. Exposure units 303Y, 303M, 303C, and 303K that form electrostatic latent images of each color YMCK by irradiating the bodies 301Y, 301M, 301C, and 301K, and electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive members 301Y, 301M, 301C, and 301K Developers 304Y, 304M, and toner images are formed on the photoreceptors 301Y, 301M, 301C, and 301K by developing the image with toner. 04C, 304K, cleaners 305Y, 305M, 305C, 305K for cleaning the toner remaining on the photoreceptors 301Y, 301M, 301C, 301K, and erase lamps 306Y, 306M, 306C for erasing the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor. 306K.

  In addition, the image forming unit 3 is laid over a drive roll 309 and a counter roll 311, and an intermediate transfer belt 308 that circulates and moves in the direction of arrow b in the drawing while being in contact with the photoreceptors 301 Y, 301 M, 301 C, and 301 K. A nip region is formed with the photoconductors 301Y, 301M, 301C, and 301K across the transfer belt 308, and the toner images on the peripheral surfaces of the photoconductors 301Y, 301M, 301C, and 301K are transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 308 in this nip region. A nip region is formed between the transfer rolls 307Y, 307M, 307C, and 307K and the opposing roll 311 with the intermediate transfer belt 308 interposed therebetween, and a secondary transfer roll 310 that secondarily transfers the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 308 to the recording paper P. And. The nip region formed by the secondary transfer roll 310 and the opposing roll 311 is hereinafter referred to as “secondary transfer position”.

  The paper feed unit 4 is provided along a conveyance path from a storage tray 41 to a secondary transfer position, a storage tray 41 that stores a large number of recording papers of the same size, a feed roll 42 that extracts the recording paper from the storage tray 41 A conveyance guide 43, a conveyance roll 44 that conveys the recording paper on the conveyance path, and a registration roll 45 that adjusts the timing and posture of feeding the recording paper to the secondary transfer position. The recording paper has a coating layer formed of a thermoplastic resin on the surface (hereinafter referred to as “coated paper”), and in the case of this embodiment, the size is uniformly A3 size.

  Next, the configuration of the fixing / discharging unit 5 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the fixing / discharging unit 5 includes a fixing roll 501, a pressure roll 502, a cooling device 503, a peeling roll 504, a steering roll 505, a fixing belt 506, a discharge belt. A paper tray 507. The fixing belt 506 is an endless belt formed by, for example, coating a thermosetting polyimide film with a width of 320 mm and a thickness of 80 μm with a silicone rubber with a thickness of 35 μm, and the coating surface (belt outer peripheral surface) is extremely smooth. It is finished to be a surface. The fixing belt 506 is revolved at a speed of 50 mm / s in the direction of the arrow r in the figure while being stretched by a plurality of supporting members such as a fixing roll 501, a peeling roll 504, and a steering roll 505. The cooling device 503 is provided along the inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt 506 and cools the fixing belt 506 that moves around.

  The fixing roll 501 and the pressure roll 502 include heat sources h1 and h2 inside the roll, and form a nip region with the fixing belt 506 interposed therebetween. The pressure roll 502 heats the recording paper P passing through the nip area while pressing the recording paper P in the direction of the fixing roll 501, so that the toner image and the coating layer formed on the surface of the recording paper P on the fixing belt 506 side are heated. Melt. The toner image and the coat layer are melted and brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the fixing belt 506, so that the surface becomes smooth. Further, the toner image and the coat layer are kept in a smooth state by being cooled by the cooling device 503. Solidify as it is. When the recording paper P reaches the position of the peeling roll 504 in this state, the recording paper P is peeled off from the fixing belt 506 and discharged to the paper discharge tray 507. Here, the outer diameter of the fixing roll 501 is 50 mm, the outer diameter of the pressure roll 502 is 50 mm, and the pressure load is 250 N.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the image forming apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 is based on the instruction received by the operation unit 1, and the image reading unit 2, the image forming unit 3, the paper feeding unit 4, and the fixing / paper discharging unit. The control part 10 for controlling each part of 5 is provided. The control unit 10 includes an arithmetic device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and various memories such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory of the control unit 10 stores only one recording paper size (A3 size; 297 mm × 420 mm) used in the image forming apparatus 100, and various computer programs such as an image processing program PRG. It is remembered.

  Note that the size of the recording paper may be stored in a memory in accordance with a setting operation performed in advance by a user or a maintenance service person, or may be stored in advance when the image forming apparatus 100 is shipped. good. When forming a plurality of images, the image processing program PRG selects an image suitable for the size of the recording paper based on the size of the recording paper stored in advance and the size of each of the plurality of images. The procedure for allocating to the image area is described. The arithmetic unit of the control unit 10 controls each unit of the image forming apparatus 100 by executing a computer program such as the image processing program PRG.

(1-2) Operation FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating processing performed by the control unit 10 according to the image processing program PRG. The processing shown in FIG. 4 is started after the control unit 10 generates image data based on the reading result by the image reading unit 2, or the control unit 10 receives image data supplied from an external device. This is a process that starts.
First, when there are a plurality of images to be formed, the control unit 10 determines the size of each image indicated by the plurality of image data (here, the area that the image actually occupies on the recording paper is referred to as “image size”). Detect (step S1). For example, when the control unit receives image data indicating five images A, B, C, D, and E, as shown in the schematic diagram of FIG. Will be detected.

  When the size detection is completed, the control unit 10 then selects and specifies an image that fits in one page of A3 size recording paper stored in the memory of the control unit 10 from the plurality of images (step S2). ). Specifically, the control unit 10 places one image (image A) at an appropriate position on the recording paper, and then overlaps the next image (image B) with the image A on the same recording paper. If this determination is affirmative, it is further determined whether the next image (image C) can be additionally arranged so as not to overlap with other images, As described above, the above processing is repeated until an image cannot be added to one page of recording paper. When the image cannot be added to the recording paper for one page, the control unit 10 arranges the next image on the recording paper for the second page, and adds another image to the recording paper for the second page. I'll do it. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5B, among images A to E, images A, B, D, and E are specified as images that fit on the first page of recording paper, and images that fit on the second page of recording paper. An example in which the image C is specified is shown.

  Next, the control unit 10 assigns the image specified in step S2 to the image forming area of the recording paper (step S3). Specifically, the control unit 10 determines an allocation position by calculating a position coordinate for each of the plurality of specified images so that the images are arranged in the image forming area of the recording paper without overlapping each other. To do. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5C, images A, B, D, and E are assigned to the image area AR1 of the first page of recording paper, and image C is assigned to the image area AR2 of the second page of recording paper. An example is shown.

  Finally, the control unit 10 performs an integration process so that a plurality of images allocated to the respective recording sheets become one A3 size image (step S4). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5D, the original four images of images A, B, D, and E are integrated as one image F of A3 size, and the original image C is A3 size. An example in which the images G are integrated is shown. By performing such processing, the recording paper is not wasted, and the recording paper can be used more efficiently.

  When the control unit 10 finishes the above processing, the control unit 10 generates image data indicating the newly generated images F and G, supplies the image data to the image forming unit 3 and instructs the image forming process, and also stores the storage tray 41. The sheet feeding unit is instructed to supply the image forming unit 3 with A3-sized recording paper stored in the image forming unit 3. In response to this instruction, the image forming unit 3 forms a toner image based on the image data, and transfers the formed toner image to the recording paper supplied from the paper supply unit 4. Further, the fixing / discharge unit 5 fixes the toner image on the recording paper under the control of the control unit 10, further cools the recording paper together with the fixing belt 506 by the cooling device 503, and discharges the recording paper to the discharge tray. It discharges to 507.

  Here, FIG. 6 is a plan view of the state in which the A3 size recording sheet is in close contact with the fixing belt 506 as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the belt surface. As shown in FIG. 6, when image forming processing is always performed using recording paper of the same size, foreign matter and scratches on the fixing belt 506 always occur only in the portion indicated by the area d. Therefore, as long as recording paper of the same size is always used repeatedly, it is possible to prevent the above-described foreign matter and scratches from entering the image area of the recording paper, and image quality defects do not occur.

  As described above, according to the image forming apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, since the recording paper of the same size is always used, regardless of whether foreign matter or scratches are generated on the fixing belt 506, it is highly glossy. High-quality images can be repeatedly formed on recording paper. However, if recording paper of the same size is always used regardless of the size of the image, waste such as margins is likely to occur on the recording paper. Therefore, in the first embodiment, when forming a plurality of images, as many images as the size of the recording paper are allocated and formed on one page as much as possible, thereby reducing the waste of the recording paper. It is possible.

(2) Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the image forming apparatus 101 according to the second embodiment, and the same components as those illustrated in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described with a focus on differences from the first embodiment.

  The image forming apparatus 101 shown in FIG. 7 is different from the image forming apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 in that a normal recording paper (hereinafter referred to as coated paper) in addition to a recording paper whose surface is coated with a thermoplastic resin (hereinafter referred to as coated paper). (Referred to as plain paper). For this reason, the fixing / discharge unit 5 of the image forming apparatus 101 has a general fixing device (a first fixing device 51 and a fixing device) for fixing a toner image on recording paper (including both plain paper and coated paper). And a fixing device (referred to as the second fixing device 52) for re-fixing the toner image only on the coated paper. Further, the fixing / discharge unit 5 includes a first conveyance path 54A for guiding the recording paper (plain paper) on which the toner image is fixed by the first fixing device 51 to the first discharge tray 56A. A switching unit 53 is provided for switching the recording paper (coated paper) to one of the second conveyance path 54B for guiding the recording paper (coated paper) to the second fixing device 52. The first transport path 54A and the second transport path 54B are respectively provided with transport rolls 55A and 55B for transporting the recording paper.

  The operation unit 1 includes a mode selection unit 11 for selecting a normal mode for forming a monochrome or color image on plain paper and a photographic mode for forming a photo quality image on coated paper. . Specifically, since a screen capable of selecting the normal mode and the photo mode is displayed in the mode selection unit 11, the user may select a desired mode from the displayed modes.

  The paper feed unit 4 includes a storage tray 41P for storing plain paper used in the normal mode in addition to a storage tray 41N for storing coated paper used in the photographic mode, and these storage trays 41N and 41P. Is provided with a feed roll 42 for extracting the recording paper. Plain paper used in the normal mode is plain paper of various sizes from A3 size to postcard size, and the size of the coated paper used in the photo mode is only one size (for example, A3 size).

  FIG. 8 shows the configuration of the second fixing device 52. As shown in the figure, the second fixing device 52 includes a fixing roll 521, a pressure roll 522, a cooling device 523, a peeling roll 524, a peeling member 525, a steering roll 526, and a fixing roll. A belt 527 and a discharge roll 528 are provided. The fixing belt 527 is an endless belt formed, for example, by coating a thermosetting polyimide film having a width of 320 mm and a thickness of 80 μm with a silicone rubber having a thickness of 35 μm, and the coating surface (belt outer peripheral surface) is extremely smooth. It is finished. The fixing belt is rotated around the fixing roll 521, the peeling roll 524, and the steering roll 526 at a speed of 50 mm / s in the direction of arrow r in the figure. The cooling device 523 is provided along the inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt 527, and cools the fixing belt that moves around.

  Each of the fixing roll 521 and the pressure roll 522 includes heat sources h1 and h2 inside the roll, and forms a nip region with the fixing belt 527 interposed therebetween. The pressure roll 522 heats and melts the toner image formed on the surface of the recording paper on the fixing belt 527 side by pressing the recording paper passing through the nip area in the direction of the fixing roll 521. The heated toner image is brought into close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the fixing belt 527 so that the surface thereof becomes smooth and further cooled by the cooling device 523 to be solidified. When the recording paper reaches the position of the peeling roll 524 in this state, the recording paper is peeled off from the fixing belt 527 by the peeling member 525 and is discharged to the second paper discharge tray 56B through the discharge roll 528. Various conditions such as the outer diameter and pressure load of the fixing roll 521 and the pressure roll 522 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  When the normal mode is selected by the user, the control unit 10 instructs the paper discharge switching unit 53 to set the recording paper (plain paper) conveyance direction to the A direction in FIG. In accordance with this instruction, the paper discharge switching unit 53 switches the paper discharge direction to the A direction. Then, based on an instruction from the control unit 10, the image forming unit 3 transfers a toner image onto plain paper through an image forming process similar to that of the first embodiment. The plain paper on which the toner image has been transferred is subjected to normal fixing processing by the first fixing device 51, and is then conveyed along the first conveying path and discharged to the first paper discharge tray 56A. The toner image on the plain paper outputted in this way is peeled off immediately after being melted by the first fixing device 51, so that the surface thereof is finished with a low gloss.

  On the other hand, when the photograph mode is selected, the image processing as described with reference to FIG. 4 in the first embodiment is executed by the control unit 10. That is, the control unit 10 detects the size of each of the plurality of images, specifies an image that fits within the A3-sized coated paper, and assigns the specified image to the image area of the recording paper (coated paper). Then, the plurality of images after the allocation are integrated into one image corresponding to the size of the coated paper. Thereafter, the toner image is transferred to the coated paper through an image forming process similar to that of the first embodiment in the image forming unit. The coated paper to which the toner image has been transferred is subjected to a normal fixing process by the first fixing device 51 and then conveyed to the second fixing device 52 along the second conveying path 54B. In the second fixing device 52, the fixing process as described in the first embodiment is performed. That is, the coated paper is cooled by the cooling device 523 together with the fixing belt 527 while the coated paper is in close contact with the fixing belt, and then the coated paper is peeled off from the fixing belt 527 and discharged to the second paper discharge tray 56B. When the coated paper is cooled in close contact with the fixing belt in this way, the image is pressed against the smooth surface of the fixing belt 527, and an image having a high gloss surface is obtained.

  According to the second embodiment described above, an image can be formed on plain paper of any size, and a high gloss image can always be formed using coated paper of the same size. When a high-gloss image is formed, coated paper of the same size is always used, so the defect occurrence position on the fixing belt 527 is limited to substantially the same position. Therefore, it is possible to realize a high quality image without causing an image quality defect in the image area.

(3) Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the image forming apparatus 102 according to the third embodiment, and the same components as those illustrated in FIG. 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described with a focus on differences from the second embodiment.

  The image forming apparatus 102 shown in FIG. 9 is different from the image forming apparatus 101 shown in FIG. 7 in that a cutting unit for cutting the coated paper on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the coated paper as viewed from the position of the belt fixing device 101. 6 is provided. Here, FIG. 10 is a plan view of the cutting part 6 when viewed from the direction of arrow Z in FIG. For convenience of explanation, the X direction and the Y direction are defined as shown in FIG.

  The cutting unit 6 includes a transport roll 61, a transport roll 62, a transport roll 63, a transport roll 64, a cutter 65, and a cutter 66. When the transport roll 61 and the transport roll 62 rotate about the axis in the direction of arrow a in the figure and transport the coated paper discharged by the second fixing device 52 in the X direction, the cutter 65 cuts the recording paper In this case, the conveyance of the recording paper is stopped at an appropriate position. The cutter 65 includes two blades extending in the Y direction. As shown in FIG. 9, the two blades are provided at positions where the blade edges face each other across the coated paper conveyance path, and the blade edges are moved up and down in FIG. 9 according to instructions from the control unit 10. The coated paper on the conveyance path is cut by meshing with each other in the direction.

  The conveyance roll 63 in FIG. 10 rotates in the direction of arrow b about the axis, thereby changing the conveyance direction of the coated paper conveyed by the conveyance roll 62 after cutting from the X direction to the Y direction. The cutter 66 includes two blades similar to the cutter 65, and cuts the coated paper in accordance with an instruction from the control unit. The coated paper cut by the cutter 66 is transported in the Y direction by the transport roll 66 and discharged to the paper discharge tray 56C. Note that the coated paper that does not need to be cut by the cutter 65 or the cutter 66 is transported in the X direction by the transport roll 62 and discharged as it is to the paper discharge tray 56B.

  When the normal mode is selected by the user, the control unit 10 instructs the paper discharge switching unit 53 to set the plain paper transport direction to the A direction in FIG. In accordance with this instruction, the paper discharge switching unit 53 switches the paper discharge direction to the A direction. Then, based on an instruction from the control unit 10, the image forming unit 3 transfers a toner image onto plain paper through an image forming process similar to that of the first embodiment. The plain paper on which the toner image has been transferred is subjected to normal fixing processing by the first fixing device 51, and is then conveyed along the first conveying path and discharged to the first paper discharge tray 56A. Since the toner image on the plain paper outputted in this way is peeled off immediately after being melted by the first fixing device 51, the surface thereof has a low gloss finish.

  On the other hand, when the photograph mode is selected, the image processing as described with reference to FIG. 4 in the first embodiment is executed by the control unit 10. That is, the control unit 10 detects the size of each of the plurality of images, then specifies an image that fits on A3-sized coated paper, and assigns the specified image to the image area of the coated paper. Here, for example, as shown in the plan view of FIG. 11, it is assumed that eight images F to M of the same postcard size (100 mm × 296 mm) are allotted to A3 size (297 mm × 420 mm) coated paper. . The control unit 10 integrates images H to O as shown in FIG. 11 into one A3 size image. Thereafter, the toner image is transferred to the coated paper through an image forming process similar to that of the first embodiment in the image forming unit. The coated paper to which the toner image has been transferred is subjected to a normal fixing process by the first fixing device 51 and then conveyed to the second fixing device 52 along the second conveying path 54B. In the second fixing device 52, as described in the first embodiment, the coated paper is cooled by the cooling device 523 together with the fixing belt 527 while the coated paper is in close contact with the fixing belt 527. Thereafter, the coated paper is peeled off from the fixing belt 527 and conveyed to the cutting unit 6.

  The coated paper conveyed to the cutting unit 6 is first cut in the Y direction at the position “1” shown in FIG. Subsequently, the coated paper on which the cut images H and I are formed is transported in the X direction by the transport roll 62, and then the transport direction is changed to the Y direction by the transport roll 63. Then, when this coated paper is cut at the position “4” by the cutter 66 in the X direction, it becomes two postcard-sized coated papers on which images H and I are respectively formed. As a result, the paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray 56C. Thereafter, by cutting in the same manner at the positions “2” and “4”, two postcard-sized coated papers on which the image data J and K are respectively formed are formed. Further, by cutting at positions “3” and “4”, four postcard-sized coated papers on which image data L, M, N, and O are formed are formed. As a result, eight postcard-sized coated papers are finally obtained.

  According to the third embodiment described above, an image can be formed on plain paper of any size, and a high gloss image can be formed using coated paper. When a high-gloss image is formed, coated paper of the same size is always used, so that the occurrence positions of foreign matters and scratches on the fixing belt 527 are limited to substantially the same position. Therefore, it is possible to realize a high quality image without causing an image quality defect in the image area. Furthermore, since the coated paper is freely cut by the cutting unit 6 according to the size of the image, the user does not need to cut the paper by himself / herself, and the image forming apparatus 102 becomes more convenient.

(4) Fourth Embodiment Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the image forming apparatus 103 according to the fourth embodiment, and the same components as those illustrated in FIG. 9 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Hereinafter, the difference between the fourth embodiment and the third embodiment will be mainly described.

  The image forming apparatus 103 shown in FIG. 12 is different from the image forming apparatus 102 shown in FIG. 9 in that two types of recording paper, cut paper and roll paper, can be accommodated. This is where you can do it. Here, the cut paper is plain paper that has been cut into a predetermined size in advance, and is used only in the normal mode in this embodiment. On the other hand, the roll paper is a state in which an extremely long strip-shaped coated paper is wound in layers, and is used by being cut into a necessary size in the photographic mode in the present embodiment. In this embodiment, the width of the roll paper is 297 mm, which is the same as the width of the A3 size, and the maximum size that can be used at one time by cutting the roll paper is A3 size 297 mm × 420 mm.

  In order to use both roll paper and cut paper, the paper feed unit 4 of the image forming apparatus 103 includes a storage tray 41N for storing cut paper and a storage chamber 41R for storing roll paper. It has. A cutter 411 is provided on the side where the roll paper is fed as viewed from the position where the storage chamber is provided. The cutter 411 includes two blades extending in the Y direction similar to the cutters 65 and 66. The two blades are provided at positions where the blade edges face each other across the conveyance path of the roll paper, and the blade edges mesh with each other in the vertical direction of the paper surface of FIG. 12 according to an instruction from the control unit 10. Then, the roll paper on the conveyance path is cut. Note that a plurality of storage trays 41N may be provided, or a paper feed unit that stores roll paper may be attached outside the image forming apparatus 103.

  For example, when the normal mode is selected by the user, the control unit 10 causes the storage tray 41N to supply cut paper, and causes the paper discharge switching unit 53 to change the conveyance direction of the recording paper (cut paper) in the direction A in FIG. Give instructions. In accordance with this instruction, the paper discharge switching unit 53 switches the paper discharge direction to the A direction. Then, based on an instruction from the control unit 10, the image forming unit 3 transfers the toner image onto the recording paper (cut paper) through the same image forming process as in the first embodiment. The recording paper (cut paper) to which the toner image has been transferred is subjected to normal fixing processing by the first fixing device 51, and is then transported along the first transport path 54A and discharged to the paper discharge tray 56A. The

On the other hand, when the photo mode is selected, the control unit 10 executes an image processing process as described with reference to FIG. 4 in the first embodiment. That is, the control unit 10 detects the size of each of the plurality of images, specifies the image that fits in the maximum A3 size recording paper (roll paper), and then specifies the specified image on the recording paper (roll paper). Assign to an area. Then, the plurality of images after the allocation are integrated into one image. However, as shown in FIG. 13, there is a high possibility that there is an unnecessary blank portion on the recording paper (roll paper) of the last page, so the control unit 10 forms it on the recording paper (roll paper) of the last page. It is determined how long a recording paper (roll paper) should be used in order to secure an area that can accommodate an image to be printed. For example, when images P and Q having a size as shown in FIG. 13 are formed, it can be determined that a recording paper (roll paper) having a length 11 may be used. In this way, it is possible to save recording paper (roll paper) corresponding to the length l ₂ as compared with the case where A3 size cut paper is used as shown in FIG. Become. Moreover, since roll paper is cheaper than cut paper, the running cost can be reduced by using cut paper and roll paper in combination.

  After such image processing is performed, the cutter 411 inside the storage chamber 41R of the paper feeding unit 4 cuts the roll paper with the size determined as described above based on an instruction from the control unit 10, and cuts the roll paper. The recorded recording paper (roll paper) is supplied from the paper supply unit 4 to the image forming unit 3. In the image forming unit 3, the toner image is transferred to the recording paper (roll paper) through the same image forming process as in the first embodiment. The recording paper (roll paper) onto which the toner image has been transferred is subjected to normal fixing processing by the first fixing device 51 and then conveyed to the second fixing device 52 along the second conveying path 54B. . In the second fixing device 52, as described in the first embodiment, the recording paper (roll paper) is kept in contact with the fixing belt 527 together with the fixing belt 527 by the cooling device 523. To be cooled. Thereafter, the recording paper (roll paper) is peeled off from the fixing belt 527 and conveyed to the cutting unit 6. The recording paper (roll paper) conveyed to the cutting unit 6 is cut into an appropriate size and discharged to a paper discharge tray.

  According to the fourth embodiment described above, a high gloss image is always printed using the same size coated paper in the width direction of the fixing belt 527 (the axial direction of the fixing roll 521). The occurrence of scratches is limited to substantially the same position, and a high-quality image without causing an image quality defect in the image area can be realized. Further, since the length of the roll paper can be set according to the image size, it is possible to prevent the recording paper from being wasted.

(5) Modifications The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made. An example is shown below.

(5-1) Modification 1
In the embodiment described above, the memory of the control unit 10 stores only one size of the recording paper that can be the target of the fixing process by the fixing / discharge unit 5. By the way, from the viewpoint that paper dust and scratches on the fixing belt are always generated limitedly at the same position, as is clear from the description of the fourth embodiment, what is important in the size of the recording paper is that the recording paper This is the size of the recording paper in the belt width direction (that is, the length of one side in the direction perpendicular to the recording paper conveyance direction) when it is in close contact with the fixing belt. If the length of one side is the same, recording papers of different sizes can be shared. For example, the length of one side in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction when A3 size recording paper is used in landscape orientation is 297 mm, but one side in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction when A4 size is used in portrait orientation Is 297 mm in length. Therefore, both of these recording papers can be used as recording papers for high gloss. Accordingly, the memory of the control unit 10 includes the length of one side in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording paper among the sides of the recording paper that can be processed by the fixing / discharge unit 5. It is sufficient to store the size information. Since a recording sheet having a size that does not match the size information cannot be a processing target of the fixing / discharging unit 5, in such a case, the control unit 10 may perform error notification, for example. .
Since it is only necessary to continuously use recording paper of the same size, the size is not limited to A3 and may be other sizes. However, in order to support images of all sizes, a size as large as possible is preferable. In the above description, a sheet is described as an example of a recording material for forming an image. However, in addition to this, various materials such as a plastic such as an OHP film can be used as the recording material. is there.

(5-2) Modification 2
In the above-described embodiment, it is described that the image processing program PRG first performs the process of arranging the image data A and then determining whether the image data B, C,..., E can be arranged. However, the present invention is not limited to this method, and image data can be selected by a method that can reduce the number of necessary recording sheets.
Further, when image formation is performed according to a procedure such as the above-described image processing program PRG, there is an adverse effect that the order in which images are output does not necessarily match the user's intention. Therefore, when it is desired to keep the order in which the images are output, the number of recording sheets required increases, but in the example of FIG. 5, the images are in the order of A, B, C, D, E. You may use the image processing program which arranges.

(5-3) Modification 3
In the above-described embodiment, the cutters 65 and 66 are described as guillotine-shaped blades, but of course, other modes, for example, a rotating disk-shaped member such as a rolling cutter, Is of course good.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a fixing / discharging unit in the same embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment. It is the flowchart which showed the processing content of the image processing program in the same execution form. It is the figure which showed typically the processing content in each step of the flowchart shown by FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view when the A3 size recording sheet is in close contact with the fixing belt when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the belt surface in the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure showing composition of the 2nd fixing device in the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a third embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view at the time of seeing the cutting part in the embodiment from the Z direction. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement of the cutting part in the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the effect that roll paper is used in the embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the effect that roll paper is used in the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which foreign matter and scratches are generated on a fixing belt in the conventional technique. It is a figure for demonstrating the image quality defect which arises in the prior art.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100, 101, 102, 103 ... Image forming apparatus, 1 ... Operation part, 10 ... Control part, 11 ... Mode selection part, 2 ... Image reading part, 3 ... Image formation part, 301Y, 301M, 301C, 301K ... Photoconductor 302Y, 302M, 302C, 302K ... charger, 303Y, 303M, 303C, 303K ... exposure unit, 304Y, 304M, 304C, 304K ... developer, 305Y, 305M, 305C, 305K ... cleaner, 306Y, 306M, 306C, 306K: Erase lamp, 307Y, 307M, 307C, 307K ... Primary transfer roll, 308 ... Intermediate transfer belt, 309 ... Drive roll, 310 ... Secondary transfer roll, 311 ... Opposite roll, 4 ... Paper feed unit, 41 ... Housed Tray, 411 ... cutter, 42 ... feed roll, 43 ... transport guide, 5 ... fixing and discharging , 51 ... first fixing device, 52 ... second fixing device, 501,521 ... fixing roll, 502,522 ... pressure roll, 503,523 ... cooling device, 504,524 ... peeling roll, 525 ... peeling Members 505, 526 ... steering roll, 506, 527 ... fixing belt, 528 ... discharge roll, 53 ... paper discharge switching unit, 54A, 54B ... transport path, 55A, 55B ... transport roll, 56A, 56B, 56C ... paper discharge Tray, 6 ... cutting section, 61, 62, 63, 64 ... transport roll, 65, 66 ... cutter.

Claims (3)

Storage means for storing the recording material;
Supply means for supplying the recording material stored in the storage means;
Image processing means for processing and outputting image data;
An image forming means for forming a toner image corresponding to the image data output by the image processing means, and transferring the formed toner image to a recording material;
A first fixing unit that heats and pressurizes the recording material onto which the toner image has been transferred by the image forming unit and fixes the toner image on the recording material;
Switching means for switching the transport path;
Discharging means for discharging the recording material on which the toner image is fixed by the first fixing means;
A plurality of support members, a belt having a predetermined width that is circulated in a state of being stretched by the plurality of support members, and a position opposite to any one of the plurality of support members with the belt interposed therebetween. A pressure member that forms a nip region with the support member by being pressed against the support member; and a recording surface on which a toner image of the recording material is formed by the pressure member in the nip region. And a heating / cooling unit that heats the recording material while being pressed against the surface of the recording medium and cools the recording material after heating, and a toner image fixed on the recording material by the first fixing unit. A second fixing means for refixing the recording material;
Storage means for storing in advance size information including the length of the side of the recording material having the maximum length in the first direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction among the plurality of types of recording materials used in the image forming apparatus And
When the second fixing unit performs fixing,
The image processing means detects each image size of a plurality of images to be transferred to a recording material, and based on the detected image sizes and size information stored in the storage means, A plurality of images that can be arranged without overlapping each other on one recording material having the maximum side length in the first direction, and the selected plurality of images overlap each other. The position to be arranged on the recording material is determined, and the plurality of images determined to be arranged on the single recording material are integrated into one image corresponding to the size of the recording material. Generating image data representing the one image,
It said supply means, the length of the first direction sides supply only the recording medium is maximum,
The image forming apparatus, wherein the switching unit performs switching so that the recording material on which the toner image is fixed by the first fixing unit is conveyed to the second fixing unit. The accommodating means is
First storage means for storing cut paper, which is recording paper that has been cut into a predetermined size in advance;
And a second accommodating means for accommodating a paper roll is wound recording paper,
A cutting member provided on the side where the roll paper is fed out from the second storage means, as viewed from the position where the second storage means is provided;
A second cutting control means for cutting the roll paper fed from the second storage means,
When the second fixing unit performs the fixing process on the roll paper stored in the second storage unit, the second cutting control unit has a length corresponding to the size of the image. While cutting the roll paper, the image forming means transfers the toner image to the roll paper,
When the first fixing unit performs the fixing process on the cut sheet stored in the first storing unit, the image forming unit applies toner to the cut sheet supplied from the first storing unit. the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein transferring an image. A cutting member provided on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the recording material when viewed from the position where the second fixing unit is provided;
The recording material on which the toner image has been allowed to settle by the second fixing means, to claim 1 or 2 by using the cutting member and a cutting control means for cutting according to the size of each of the plurality of images The image forming apparatus described.

Images