EP1530746A1

EP1530746A1 - Method for automatically eliminating an error occurring during the operation of an electrographic printing or copying device, electrographic printing or copying device and computer program for said device

Info

Publication number: EP1530746A1
Application number: EP03787798A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Helmut Sippel; Christoph Nemmaier
Original assignee: Oce Printing Systems GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Canon Production Printing Germany GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 2002-08-14
Filing date: 2003-08-14
Publication date: 2005-05-18
Anticipated expiration: 2023-08-14
Also published as: DE50309648D1; DE10237300A1; DE10237300B4; WO2004017144A1; EP1530746B1; US7536118B2; US20060182454A1

Abstract

Errors occurring in the transport path of stock in an electrographic printing or copying device are, wherever possible, automatically eliminated according to the method thus described. The individual modules of the units of the printing device are tested counter to the direction of transport of the stock in order to determine whether the module can eliminate the error or not. In the second case, it is examined whether said module can be obviated. At the end of the test method, the status of each tested module is requested and, according to the result thereof, the printing process is resumed or the printing device is stopped. If a module operates in a defective manner, it is determined whether operation is also possible without said module. If this is the case, it is reported.

Description

Method for automatically correcting an error occurring during the operation of an electrographic printing or copying device, electrographic printing or copying device, and computer program for such a device

Printing or copying devices (hereinafter only referred to as printing devices) are generally made up of several units, each unit being able to consist of modules. Examples are the printing unit and input unit or output unit for a printing material. Such a printing device is e.g. removable from WO 98/18052 AI. There the printing unit has two printing units, which as modules e.g. contains a photoconductor drum, components for generating charge images on the photoconductor drum, a transfer printing module, a fixing module, modules for determining the transport path for the printing material through the printing unit, etc. In addition, an input unit at the input of the printing unit and an output unit for the printing material, e.g. a stacker is provided at the output of the printing unit.

With such a printing device, errors can occur during operation that must be remedied. For example, traffic jams can occur in the transport route, e.g. B. in the transfer printing module or in switch modules arranged in the transport path or in the fixing module. In order to remedy such errors, it is known from WO 98/18055 A1 to provide a flap arrangement which enables access to the transport route. An implementation of such a flap arrangement is described here, as well as further arrangements for enabling access to the transport route in the prior art mentioned. In order to clear a jam of the printing material in these arrangements, operating personnel who operate the flap arrangement are required. US Pat. No. 5,479,240 A describes how an error, for example a paper jam, can be eliminated in a copying machine in the copying station, the paper input unit or output unit without the operator having to intervene. The following steps are carried out:

- First, it is examined whether the error can be remedied automatically. If not, manual removal is requested. - If the error can be eliminated automatically, sensors are used to determine the unit in which the error occurred. When the unit has been determined, it is activated by a CPU, e.g. if the paper sheet is damaged, the sheet should be transported as a mistake. If the further transport of the sheet is not successful within a predetermined time, the system switches to manual error elimination.

- If the further transport by the unit has been carried out successfully, an attempt is made in the further course to carry out the further transport of the sheet by the subsequent units in the transport path until the sheet has reached the output unit.

EP 0 810 484 A1 describes a transport system for a printing material, in which the individual units of the transport system can carry out their task automatically after they have received control information from a central controller. The units are designed in such a way that they can carry out self-diagnosis and self-repair, whereby these activities can be carried out in parallel with the central control system. If the central controller has identified an error, it gives control information to the units in which the type of error is specified. With this information, the unit tries to remedy the error autonomously. EP 0 416 919 A2 discloses the synchronization between image scanning and paper transport in a copier. Copying will stop if it is determined that the paper feed is too slow.

EP 0 583 928 A2 describes a device with which the paper feed in the transport path for the paper can be checked. To do this, the speed of the transport rollers for the paper is measured. If the measured speed does not correspond to a predetermined speed, an error signal is generated.

The problem on which the invention is based is to specify a further method with which errors occurring in the printing device, such as e.g. a jam of the printing materials in the transport route can be eliminated without the intervention of operating personnel.

This problem is solved according to the features of claim 1.

With the method, the control units provided for operating the units under the supervision of a main control unit are additionally used to check the modules of the unit for errors and, if a remediable error is found, to remedy this error. In this case, each module can advantageously be checked in succession per unit, it being expedient to eliminate a printing material error by starting with the last module as seen in the transport direction of the printing material and examining the adjacent and previous modules one after the other. At the end of the test process, the error (s) are eliminated or a status signal "Error not corrected" is issued. Another advantage is that a module that works incorrectly is examined to determine whether operation is possible without this module and, if this is possible, to report this. Further developments of the invention result from the dependent claims.

The troubleshooting can be carried out separately for each unit in this way. However, it is also possible to test all units one after the other in the opposite direction of the transport path of the printing material, and possibly. correct any errors found, if possible.

The invention is further explained using an exemplary embodiment.

Show it :

Fig. 1 is a schematic representation of a printing device for single sheets of printing material according to WO 98/18052 AI.

Fig. 2 is a flowchart of the method.

1 shows a printing device for single sheets of printing material, which is explained in detail in WO 98/18060 AI. Only the components that can be used for the description of the invention are specified, otherwise reference is made to WO 98/18060 AI, which is hereby incorporated into the disclosure. 1, the printing device DR consists of three units, the printing unit 10, the input unit 16 and the output unit 30 for the printing material. The printing unit 10 is made up of modules. For example, switch modules W, two printing units D1 and D2 and fixing modules 12, 14 each have a known construction along the transport paths 50, 52 of the printing material. The printing units D1, D2 can be implemented as electrographic printing units which have a photoconductor drum, on which charge images of the images to be printed are produced in a known manner and which, after being developed by toners in transfer printing modules 44, 46, are transferred onto the printing material. With the help of the switch modules W the individual sheets of the printing material can be fed to the printing units D1, D2 separately or one after the other for printing from the front and back. The input / output units 16, 30 for the printing material are also made up of modules. 1 shows switch modules W through which the sheets of the printing material can be fed to output containers 32 to 36 or output channels to the following units, such as stackers, or in the input unit 16 there are storage containers 18 to 24 for the sheets of printing material and an input channel 26, to which printing material can be fed from other input units, is shown.

The individual units of the printing device DR are controlled by control units ST, the printing unit 10 by the printing control unit D-ST, the input unit 16 by the input control unit E-ST and the output unit 30 by the output control unit A-ST. These control units ST are connected to a main control unit H-ST, which coordinates the operation of the printing device DR. The control units ST are of known construction and are therefore not explained further. Examples of this result from WO 98/39691 AI.

If an error now occurs in the printing device DR during transport of the printing material, for example a jam of the printing material, it must be determined in which unit and in which module of the affected unit the error has occurred. It must also be determined whether the error can be remedied without operator intervention. For this purpose, the control units ST are used, which have so far given "error messages" to the main control unit H-ST when such errors occur, from which it can be seen where the error occurred. The aim of the invention is now to use these error messages in order to automatically eliminate the error, if possible. The prerequisite is that there is a fault in a module that can be remedied without operator intervention. If, for example, there is a fault in a switch module W, you can try to clear the transport path for the printing material by changing the switch position. If this is not possible, an attempt can be made to select a different transport route by setting other switch modules W. It is also possible to proceed if an error occurs in a printing unit or in a fixing module. Here, too, you can try to fix it or look for another free transport route.

The flowchart in FIG. 2 shows how to proceed to e.g. to automatically eliminate an error in the transport path of the printing material. The process from the perspective of the main control unit H-ST is shown. Furthermore, it is assumed in the explanation, for example, that the error is present in the printing unit 10.

After e.g. If it has been determined by the print control unit D-ST that an error has occurred in the transport path of the printing material through the printing unit 10, the system switches to a main error correction mode in step S2 and checks whether the error can be remedied automatically. For this purpose, the error is reported to the main control unit H-ST, which decides whether attempting to correct the error, i.e. whether the error in the fixing module 12 can be remedied and, if this is not possible, whether another transport route to a fixing module can be set. If this is not the case, the method is ended at least for this printing unit and an error signal F1 is sent and fed to the main control unit H-ST, which ends the main error correction mode in a step S16 and reports the status signal F “error not eliminated”.

If the fault can be remedied automatically (step S2), the corresponding control unit D-ST changes to the unit fault remediation mode (step S3). In the next step S4 a command is issued by the control unit D-ST to the module, which is located at the exit in relation to the transport path of the printing material, which causes this module, for example the switch module W4, to empty the transport path for the printing material. In the next step S5, the module tries to empty the transport route. Whether this was possible is checked in step S6. If the error can be rectified, the assigned control unit D-ST reports the status signal SSI "error rectified" in step S7. Subsequently, in step S8, a query is made as to whether all modules of the unit have been processed. If this is not the case, the process continues with step S9 and, seen from the next module, opposite to the transport direction of the printing material, for example the fixing module 14, the command is given to examine the transport route and, if necessary, to empty it, with the result that step S5 follows again , In step S9, the status of the previously examined module can also be communicated to the next module. If it is determined in step S6 that the error cannot be rectified (status signal SSF), but the previous module can use the transport route (step S10), the status signal SS2 is output in step S11, which indicates that the error has not been rectified , but the transport route is free. If this is not possible, the status signal SS3 is output in step S12, which indicates that the error correction has failed and the transport route is blocked by this module.

If the query in step S8 shows that all modules of the printing unit 10 have been processed, the status of all tested modules can be evaluated in the next step S13 and it can be examined in step S14 whether all modules were successful in eliminating the error. If this is the case, the status signal SS4 "error correction mode ended" is output in step S15 and the printing device DR may be restarted. If the query in step S14 is negative, the error signal F2 is output, with the result that e.g. the

Main control unit H-ST stops the printing device DR (status signal F "error not corrected"). The method has been explained using the example of the printing unit 10. The input unit 16 or the output unit 30 can be treated in a comparable manner.

It is also possible to start the test within one unit.

Finally, the method can also be used in such a way that the entire printing device DR is examined, first the modules of the output unit 30 for the printing material, then the modules of the printing unit 10 and finally the modules of the input unit 16.

The procedure according to the invention can be effected by device control of an electrographic printing or copying device which has electronic components such as hardware and firmware and possibly a processor on which a corresponding computer program runs. Computer program products such as storage media (floppy disks, CD-ROMS, magnetic tapes, optical storage disks, etc.) are therefore embodiments of the invention as well as files that are kept on such storage media and exchanged via computer networks (LAN, WAN, Internet) and / or can be spread.

In summary it can be stated again:

Errors that occur in the transport path of a printing material in an electrographic printing or copying device are automatically eliminated as far as possible with the described method. For this purpose, the individual modules of the units of the printing device are successively tested opposite to the transport direction of the printing material with the result of whether the module can eliminate the error or not, and in the second case it is also examined whether this module can be bypassed. At the end of the test procedure, the status of the module checked and, depending on the result, the printing process resumed or the printing device stopped.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

DR printing device

Dl, D2 printing units

W switch modules

H-ST main control unit

D-ST print control unit E-ST input control unit

A-ST output control unit

SS status signal

SSF status signal "Error not fixed"

F error signal = status signal "error not corrected"

Sl to S16 procedural steps

10 printing unit

16 Input unit for the substrate

30 output unit for printing material 12, 14 fixing modules

44, 46 transfer printing modules

50, 52 Transport routes for the substrate

Claims

claims

1. A method for the automatic correction of an error occurring during the operation of a unit having an electrographic printing or copying device, a) in which, after the occurrence of an error in a unit in a main troubleshooting mode, it is first determined whether the error can be automatically removed, b) in in the event that the error can be remedied, individual modules of the unit to be examined are switched to a module error correction mode one after the other, otherwise the main error correction mode is ended, c) in which the modules of the unit are successively opposite to the direction of movement of a printing substrate are treated as follows:

- the module receives the command to correct the error;

- If this is successful or there is no error, a status signal "Error corrected (SSI)" is emitted, otherwise the status signal "Error not corrected (SSF)" is emitted, d) in the event that a module receives the status signal ( SSF) "error not remedied", it is determined whether the operation can be continued without this module and then the status signal (SS2) "operation possible" is emitted, otherwise the status signal (SS3) "error not remedied" is passed on and e) in which after the treatment of all modules in accordance with step d) when a status signal "error not resolved" occurs, the troubleshooting mode is ended for at least one module and the faulty module is reported (error signal F) and otherwise the troubleshooting mode is ended and a status signal (SS4) " Fixed bug ".

, Method according to Claim 1, in which, in the event that a module emits the status signal (SSF) "error not eliminated", it is determined whether this module can be bypassed and then the status signal (SS2) "operation possible" is issued, otherwise the status signal (SS3) "error not resolved" is passed on.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, in which the course of error correction is controlled by a control unit assigned to the unit to be tested, which is controlled by a main control unit (H-ST) assigned to the printing or copying device (DR) ,

4. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which, after handling a module, the following module to be tested is given the command "fix error" and at the same time the status signal is sent from the previous module.

5. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the modules of each unit are examined separately in a plurality of units of the printing or copying device (DR) arranged one behind the other.

6. The method as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, in which, in the case of a plurality of units of the printing or copying device (DR) arranged one behind the other, the module-wise check is carried out until the first unit, starting with the last unit seen in the direction of movement of the printing material.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, in which printing units (10), input / output units (16, 30) of the printing material are used as units of the printing or copying device (DR).

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the printing unit (10) has a plurality of printing units (D1, D2), between which and the input or output units (16, 30) switch modules (W) are arranged such that different transport routes can be set.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims for eliminating a jam of at least one sheet-shaped printing material, wherein the modules are transport modules.

10. Use of the method according to one of claims 1 to 9 for eliminating errors which occur in the modules lying in the transport path of the printing material.

11. Electrographic printing or copying device with means for carrying out a method according to one of claims 1 to 9.

12. Computer program product which, when used in a control computer, effects a method according to one of claims 1 to 9.