JP2010262082A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce blank pages of continuous paper generated at image forming of a new job after stop processing in an image forming device which forms an image on the continuous paper. <P>SOLUTION: In a device which makes sequential printing to the continuous paper by the image forming devices provided upstream and downstream, when stopping is instructed, as shown in Fig.6 (a), conveyance of the continuous paper 101 is stopped at the end of image forming using print data in an upstream machine print buffer 180 for the continuous paper 101. At this time, the print data in a downstream machine print buffer 280 remains without printing a few pages. When image processing for a new job is started next, the processing is restarted from the state as shown in Fig.6 (a), and as shown in Fig.6 (b), image forming is performed continuously without a blank on the continuous paper 101 by the print data of the next job. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Image forming apparatuses that form images on continuous paper that is conveyed are known. An example of the overall configuration of a continuous paper image forming system 100 which is this type of apparatus is shown in FIG. In the apparatus shown in this figure, after the image forming apparatus 110 prints an image on the front surface of the continuous paper 101, the image forming apparatus 210 provided on the downstream side prints on the back surface of the continuous paper 101. ing. The continuous paper 101 is a long paper in which perforations are formed for each page and each page can be separated. The image forming apparatus 110 transports the continuous paper 101 stored in the storage unit 154 by the transport unit 150 having a transport path constituted by rollers or the like, and transfers the image formed by the developing unit 130 to the continuous paper 101. The fixing unit 140 fixes the image. The image forming apparatus 210 has the same configuration as the image forming apparatus 110, and prints an image on the back surface of the continuous paper 101 on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus 110. The intermediate buffer device 310 is disposed between the image forming devices 110 and 210, temporarily stores the continuous paper 101 discharged from the image forming device 110, and has a speed at which the image forming devices 110 and 210 convey the continuous paper 101. It is a device that absorbs misalignment. The reversing mechanism device 320 is a device that is disposed between the image forming apparatuses 110 and 210 and reverses the continuous paper 101.

  Next, the end operation of the image forming process of the continuous paper image forming system 100 will be described. When the image forming apparatus 110 forms the image of the last page on the continuous paper 101, the continuous paper 101 is conveyed as it is, and the position corresponding to the back surface of the last page reaches the developing unit 230 of the image forming apparatus 210. When an image is formed on the back surface, the continuous paper 101 is further conveyed and stored in the storage unit 256. When this storage is completed, the conveyance process of the conveyance unit 150 and the conveyance unit 250 is finished.

When the continuous paper image forming system 100 performs the next image processing again, the above state is resumed, and the image forming apparatuses 110 and 210 sequentially print on the continuous paper 101. In this case, before resuming the image processing, nothing is printed on the continuous paper 101 in the path from the storage unit 256 of the image forming apparatus 210 to the developing unit 130 of the image forming apparatus 110 and is stored in the storage unit 256. .
On the other hand, in the case where the multi-layer configuration is not used, for example, even when the image forming apparatus 110 operates alone, the printed page is discharged or stored in a storage unit or the like in the image forming apparatus 110. Therefore, there is a portion where nothing is printed on the continuous paper positioned in the conveyance path on the downstream side of the developing unit 230. Since the next printing is resumed from this state, a portion where nothing is printed is wasted.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for preventing half-finished printing by controlling the stop timing according to the data creation status of an image to be transferred when printing on continuous paper to be conveyed is stopped. Is described. However, a situation in which nothing is printed on the continuous paper when printing is stopped or restarted is the same as that of the image forming apparatus described above.

JP 2008-114510 A

  An object of the present invention is to reduce the occurrence of a portion where nothing is printed on a continuous paper when the next printing is resumed after a stop process is performed on the printing on the continuous paper.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus that conveys a single recording medium continuous in the longitudinal direction, first image data representing a first image, and a first image corresponding to the first image. An acquisition unit that acquires second image data representing two images, and a first image corresponding to the first image data acquired by the acquisition unit are formed on a storage medium that is transferred by the transfer unit. The first image forming means and the recording medium provided downstream of the first image forming means in the transport direction of the recording medium and image-formed by the first image forming means. A second image forming means for forming a second image corresponding to the first image in accordance with the second image data acquired by the means; and a first image corresponding to the first image data. Has been formed by the first image forming means And transporting the recording medium by the transporting means when the second image forming means has not finished forming the second image corresponding to the first image formed on the recording medium; A first operation for stopping image formation by the first image forming means and the second image forming means; and a first image corresponding to the first image data is displayed as the first image forming means. And after the second image forming unit has formed the second image corresponding to the first image formed on the recording medium, the conveyance unit transports the recording medium. And the second operation of stopping the image formation by the first image forming unit and the second image forming unit, the operation of the conveying unit, the first image forming Means and the second image forming means Characterized in that it comprises a row unit.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the first aspect, the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect includes the second image data acquired by the acquiring unit when the executing unit executes the first operation. The second image corresponding to the first image that has been formed on the recording medium by the first image forming unit, and the second image that has not yet been formed by the second image forming unit. Storage means for storing the second image data to be expressed, and the execution means, when the acquisition means acquires the new first image data and the second image data, the new first data Formation of a first image according to image data is started by the first image forming means, and formation of a second image according to the second image data stored in the storage means is By the image forming means 2 When the second image forming unit finishes forming the second image corresponding to the second image data stored in the storage unit, the second image forming unit responds to the new second image data. The formation of the second image is started.

  An image forming apparatus according to a third aspect of the present invention comprises the accommodating means for accommodating the recording medium on which an image is formed in the configuration of the first or second aspect, wherein the executing means executes the second operation. In this case, a first image corresponding to the first image data is formed by the first image forming means, and the second image forming means corresponds to the second image corresponding to the first image. After the recording portion of the recording medium on which the image is formed is accommodated in the accommodating means, the conveyance of the recording medium by the conveying means, and the image of the image by the first image forming means and the second image forming means. The formation is stopped.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the first or second aspect, in the case where the execution unit causes the first operation to be performed, the first image forming unit performs the first operation. A recording portion of the recording medium on which the first image corresponding to the image data is formed, and the second image corresponding to the first image is formed by the second image forming unit, is recorded on the second recording medium. The conveyance means stops the conveyance of the recording medium by the conveyance means after being conveyed by the conveyance means by a distance determined from the second image formation position by the image formation means.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the fourth aspect, the distance by which the conveying unit conveys the recording medium from the second image forming unit by the second image forming unit is determined by the user. Is provided with a distance specifying means for specifying.

  An image forming apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the execution unit includes the first image data and the second image acquired by the acquisition unit. When the amount of the recording medium on which an image according to data is formed is insufficient, or the image according to the first image data and the second image data acquired by the acquisition unit is the first image data When the material used when forming the image forming unit and the second image forming unit is insufficient, the conveying unit, the first image forming unit, and the second image forming unit are connected to the first image forming unit. The second operation is executed.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the execution unit transports the recording medium by the transport unit by causing the execution unit to execute the first operation. And the first image forming unit and the second image forming unit stop forming the image, and the acquisition unit obtains the new first image data and When the second image data is not acquired, the first image forming unit forms the first image corresponding to the first image data by executing the second operation. And after the second image forming means finishes forming the second image corresponding to the first image formed on the recording medium, the conveying means conveys the recording medium; First image forming means and the first image forming means Characterized by stopping the formation of the image by the image forming means.

  An image forming apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the first operation and the second operation are performed by the execution unit. An operation specifying means specified by the user is provided.

An image forming apparatus according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the first image forming means places the first image on one recording surface of the recording medium. Forming,
The second image forming means forms a second image on the other recording surface of the recording medium.

  An image forming apparatus according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is the image forming apparatus according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the execution unit executes the first operation when the second operation is performed. The display means displays that there is a second image that is not formed by.

  According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus for conveying a single recording medium continuous in the longitudinal direction, an acquiring means for acquiring image data representing an image, and a memory conveyed by the conveying means. An image forming unit that forms an image according to the image data acquired by the acquiring unit, a storage unit that stores the recording medium on which the image is formed, and an image according to the image data The conveyance of the recording medium by the conveying unit is stopped after the forming unit finishes forming and before the recording part of the recording medium on which the image corresponding to the image data is formed is accommodated in the accommodating unit. And a second operation for stopping the recording medium by the conveying means after the recording portion of the recording medium on which an image corresponding to the image data is formed is accommodated in the accommodating means. Among the operations, either in operation, characterized in that it comprises an execution unit to be executed by said conveying means and said image forming means.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to the eleventh aspect, the execution unit has an amount of the recording medium on which an image according to the image data acquired by the acquisition unit is formed. In the case where there is a shortage, or when the material used when the image forming unit forms an image corresponding to the image data acquired by the acquiring unit is insufficient, the transport unit, the image forming unit And performing the second operation.

  In an image forming apparatus according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to any one of the eleventh to twelfth aspects, the execution unit transports the recording medium by the transport unit by executing the first operation. And when the acquisition unit does not acquire new image data by a predetermined period after the image formation by the image forming unit is stopped, the second operation is performed. By executing, after the previous image forming unit finishes forming the image according to the image data, the conveyance of the recording medium by the conveying unit and the image formation by the image forming unit are stopped. Features.

  In an image forming apparatus according to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the configuration according to any one of the eleventh to thirteenth aspects, either one of the first operation and the second operation is performed by the execution unit. An operation specifying means specified by the user is provided.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the next image forming process is resumed after the stop process is performed on the image forming on the continuous paper, a portion where no image is formed on the continuous paper occurs. Can be reduced.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, when starting the image forming process for new image data, the second image forming is performed using the image data that has not been formed on the recording medium with the previous image data. An image can be formed by the means.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to complete the image formation on the recording medium by the first and second image forming units and store the recording medium on which the image formation has been completed in the storing unit.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in a state in which the image formation by the second image forming unit is not completed, the recording medium that has already been recorded by the first image forming unit is advanced by a predetermined distance. Can be stopped.

  According to the invention described in claim 5, the distance in the invention described in claim 4 can be set.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, if the material is insufficient for the next image formation, the image formation on the recording medium by the immediately preceding image formation processing is stopped after the next image formation. Can do.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the image formation of the data that has not been image-formed in the immediately preceding image forming process is performed on the recording medium after the stoppage by the first operation is longer than the predetermined period. Done.

  According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the first operation and the second operation can be appropriately selected.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, images can be formed on two recording surfaces, for example, the front and back surfaces of a recording medium.

  According to the tenth aspect, the operator can know that there is a second image that is not formed by the second image forming means.

  According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, when the next image forming process is resumed after the stop process is performed on the printing on the continuous paper, there is a portion where no image is formed on the continuous paper. Can be reduced.

  According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, if the material is insufficient for the next image formation, the image formation on the recording medium by the immediately preceding image formation processing is stopped before the next image formation. Can do.

According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the image formation of the data that has not been image-formed in the immediately preceding image forming process is performed on the recording medium after the stoppage by the first operation is longer than the predetermined period. Done.

  According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the first operation and the second operation can be appropriately selected.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a conventional continuous paper image forming system 100. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration diagram of a continuous paper image forming system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of the whole this embodiment. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of each unit of a continuous paper image forming system 100 according to the present embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the operation | movement in the case of setting the mode of the whole apparatus in this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing the progress of printing performed on the front and back of continuous paper 101 in the immediate stop mode of the present embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing the progress of printing performed on the front and back of continuous paper 101 in the stack stop mode of the present embodiment. In this embodiment, it is a flowchart which shows operation | movement in the case of performing the process which judges stop elapsed time. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation when mode setting is performed for each job in the present embodiment. It is a front view which shows the example of a display of the operation part 411 at the time of setting the stop method for every job. It is a flowchart which shows the process of "eject" in the modification of this embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process of "output to a stack" in the modification of this embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a sheet conveyance process after printing is stopped according to a modification of the embodiment. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation example in which an operation mode is automatically changed according to a printer state. It is the flowchart which showed the detail of the process of step S405 shown in FIG. 16 is a table showing a list of check items in the exception processing shown in FIG. It is a front view which shows the example of a display of the display panel which displays the status of a job. It is a flowchart which shows the process which performs the status display shown in FIG.

[Configuration of the embodiment]
FIG. 2 shows an overall configuration diagram of the continuous paper image forming system 100 according to the present embodiment. Here, portions corresponding to the respective portions of the continuous image forming system 110 shown in FIG.

  The image forming apparatus 110 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes an operation panel 161 and a control unit 160. The operation panel 161 has a liquid crystal display screen and a touch panel provided on the front surface thereof, and various inputs can be performed by touching the positions of buttons and the like displayed on the liquid crystal display screen. The control unit 160 controls each unit of the apparatus, and details will be described later. The image forming apparatus 210 is also provided with an operation panel 261 and a control unit 260, which have the same configuration as the operation panel 161 and the control unit 160 described above. The image forming apparatuses 110 and 210 are cooperatively controlled by the image forming control apparatus 410, and the image forming control apparatus 410 sends image data supplied from the external apparatus 510 to the image forming apparatuses 110 and 210 in accordance with a procedure described later. Output. The operation unit 411 has a liquid crystal display screen and a touch panel provided in front of the liquid crystal display screen. By touching the position of a button or the like displayed on the liquid crystal display screen, various operations are input to the image formation control device 410. Can be done.

  Further, the developing units 130 and 230 shown in FIG. 2 are the same as those shown in FIG. 1, and the photosensitive drums 132 and 232 are exposed inside and exposure for forming an electrostatic latent image on the surface thereof. LED exposure devices 136 and 236 for performing, and developing units 138 and 238 for attaching toner to the electrostatic latent image are included. The above is the outline of this embodiment. Here, in order to show the conveyance situation of the continuous paper 101 in this embodiment in three dimensions, FIG. 3 shows the overall appearance of this embodiment.

  Next, FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing in more detail each part described above. As shown in the figure, the control unit 160 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 162, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 163 storing a program used by the CPU 162, and a RAM (Random Access) used as a work area of the CPU 162. Memory) 164, and these constitute a general computer. The CPU 162 appropriately writes and reads data to and from the NVRAM 165 and the HDD (hard disk device) 166 which are nonvolatile RAMs.

The CPU 162 performs various displays on the liquid crystal display screen of the operation panel 161 via the operation panel interface 168 and receives data input from the operation panel 161.
A mechanism unit 120 illustrated in FIG. 4 is a block that includes the conveyance unit 150, the developing unit 130, the fixing unit 140, the storage unit 154, and the like illustrated in FIG. The CPU 162 controls the mechanism unit 120 via the mechanism unit interface 167 to control paper conveyance, exposure, transfer, and the like in cooperation. The image forming control device continuous interface 169 exchanges data between the image forming control device 410 and the CPU 162.
Further, the control unit 260 and the mechanism unit 220 in the image forming apparatus 210 have the same configuration as the control unit 160 and the mechanism unit 120 described above, respectively.

  The image forming control apparatus 410 includes a CPU 412, a ROM 413 that stores programs used by the CPU 412, and a RAM 414 that is used as a work area of the CPU 412, and these constitute a general computer. . The CPU 412 appropriately writes and reads data to and from the NVRAM 415 and the HDD (hard disk device) 416, which are nonvolatile RAMs, and controls the image forming apparatuses 110 and 210 via the control unit interface 417. Image data is received from the external device 510 via the device interface 419.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, there are various operation modes, and the operation will be described below for each operation mode. In this embodiment, the mode can be set for each job, or the mode can be set for the entire apparatus. First, the case where the mode of the entire apparatus is set will be described. Here, the job is a unit of a set of image data indicating an image corresponding to an area for one page in the continuous paper 101. For example, it is a set of image data necessary for forming an image on the continuous paper 101 for one document.

(Operation when mode is set for the entire device)
FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation when setting the mode of the entire apparatus. In step S100 shown in the figure, stop mode setting confirmation is performed. In the stop mode, when an instruction to stop printing is given, an “immediate stop mode” that immediately stops the paper conveyance and a page on which printing has been performed are conveyed to the storage unit 256 and stacked and stopped. Stop mode (hereinafter referred to as stack stop mode). These mode settings are performed in advance by the operator operating the operation unit 411. Note that mode setting may be performed by operating the operation panel 161 or the operation panel 261. The mode setting information can be transferred between the image forming apparatuses 110 and 220 and the image forming control apparatus 410. Regardless of which mode setting is performed, the information is transmitted to the other. Make a move.

  Here, the “immediate stop mode” will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 schematically shows printing performed on the front and back of the continuous paper 101. As shown in FIG. 6A, on the continuous paper 101, each page is sequentially printed on the front side by the image forming apparatus 110 which is the upstream machine, and is turned upside down by the reversing mechanism apparatus 320 and then the downstream machine. A certain image forming apparatus 210 prints on the back side of each page.

  In the state shown in FIG. 6A, the conveyance of the continuous paper 101 is stopped immediately after the execution of one job having print data for N pages. An upstream machine print buffer 180 in the figure is a buffer for storing data to be printed on the upstream machine side, and is set in the NVRAM 165, the HDD 166, or the RAM 164. In the state shown in the drawing, the upstream machine print buffer 180 has completely output the job data and is empty. That is, in the “immediate stop mode”, the upstream machine print buffer 180 outputs print data for the last page of the job currently being executed, and when the developing unit 130 finishes transferring the data to the continuous paper 101, the continuous paper 101 Stop the transport. The upstream print point shown in the drawing is a position on the conveyance path where the transfer for one page is completed in the developing unit 130.

  On the other hand, the downstream machine print buffer 280 is a buffer for storing data to be printed on the image forming apparatus 210 side which is a downstream machine, and is set in the NVRAM 265, HDD 266 or RAM 264. In the state shown in the drawing, the downstream machine print buffer 280 stores print data of the back side of (N-4) to N pages. In this case, when the last page has been printed on the upstream side, no printing is performed on the back side of the (N-4) to N pages on the downstream side, and these pages of the continuous paper 101 are illustrated. In this way, the printing remains on the transport path from the downstream print point (position on the transport path where transfer of one page is completed in the developing unit 230) to the upstream print point, and only the front surface has been printed. . In this case, the page between the upstream printing point and the fixing unit 140 is in a state where only the transfer is performed, and the page on the downstream side of the fixing unit 140 is in a state where the fixing is completed.

  When the next job is executed from the above-described state, as shown in FIG. 6B, the upstream machine continuously prints one page of the next job on the front surface of the continuous paper 101 on the surface of the continuous paper 101 in the upstream machine. Print, and then print a few pages in order. At this time, in the downstream machine, in conjunction with the conveyance of the continuous paper 101, the print data on the back side of the (N-4) to N pages remaining in the downstream print buffer 280 is sequentially used on the front surface of the continuous paper 101. Backside printing is performed at positions corresponding to pages (N-4) to N of the previous job that was printed. With the above processing, no page is not printed on the continuous paper 101 between the stop and restart of the print processing.

  In the above processing, the data for each page of the job is separated from the front and back by the image formation control device 410, and then the data for the front page (first image data) and the data for the back page (second image data), respectively. ) May be transferred to the image forming apparatuses 110 and 210, or all the front and back data are transferred to the image forming apparatuses 110 and 210, and the data for the front page is extracted (extracted) in the image forming apparatus 110. Data may be first image data), or back page data may be extracted in the image forming apparatus 210 (the extracted data is second image data).

Next, the “stack stop mode” will be described with reference to FIG. In this mode, when print stop is instructed, as shown in FIG. 7A, the back side printing is executed until the print data in the downstream machine print buffer 280 becomes empty. That is, a pair of front and back prints are completed. Then, the continuous paper 101 is further conveyed, and the last page is stored in the storage unit 256. Here, the illustrated stack point is the position of the rear end of the page stored in the storage unit 256.
When the execution of the next job is instructed, the continuous paper 101 is conveyed from the above-described state, and each page of the next job is sequentially printed as shown in FIG. In this case, the portion of the continuous paper 101 located between the stack point and the upstream print point shown in FIG. 7A is stacked in a state where nothing is printed.

Returning to FIG. 5, when “immediate stop mode” is confirmed in step S100, the processing of the CPU 412 proceeds to step S101, sets its own control mode to “immediate stop mode”, and the image forming apparatus 110. , 210 is also set to “immediate stop mode”.
Then, it waits for the start of the job (step S102), and when it starts, the printing operation is executed (step S104). Next, it is monitored whether or not the end of the currently executing job is detected (step S105). If the end is not detected, the execution of the printing operation is continued.

On the other hand, when the end of the job is detected in step S105, it is determined whether or not the next job can be printed (step S106). That is, the next job is transferred from the image forming control apparatus 410 to the image forming apparatuses 110 and 210, and it is determined whether printing is ready. This determination is performed when the CPU 412 of the image forming apparatus 410 receives a status signal indicating that printing is possible from the image forming apparatuses 110 and 210. If the determination in step S106 is “Yes”, the process returns to step S102, and the processes in steps S102 to S105 are performed again. When the next job is continuously performed, the print data of the previous job is continuously shifted from the print data of the previous job, so that the upstream image forming apparatus 110 transfers the print data of the new job to the continuous paper 101. When printing is started, it is conveyed to the downstream image forming apparatus 210, and printing is sequentially performed on the corresponding back-side pages by the image forming apparatus 210, and no blank page is generated on the continuous paper 101.
When the determination in step S106 is “No”, the conveyance of the continuous paper 101 is immediately stopped when the upstream print buffer 180 (see FIG. 6) of the upstream image forming apparatus 110 becomes empty (step S107). ), The state shown in FIG. The processing of the CPU 412 returns to step S100 again, and when a new job is started, printing starts from the state shown in FIG. 6A, and no blank page is generated on the continuous paper 101.

  On the other hand, when the “stack stop mode” is confirmed in step S100 shown in FIG. 5, the processing of the CPU 412 proceeds to step S108 and sets its own control mode to “stack stop mode” and the image forming apparatuses 110 and 210. For “”, “Stack stop mode” is set. Then, the process proceeds to steps S109 to S112, which are the same as steps S101 to S106. If it is determined in step S112 that the next job cannot be printed, the continuous paper 101 is conveyed until printing of all the print data in the downstream machine print buffer 280 is completed, and the front and back of the current job are printed. Complete for all pages. Further, as shown in FIG. 7A, the continuous paper 101 is conveyed and stopped until the rear end of the last page is positioned at the stack point. Then, the process of the CPU 412 returns to step S100 again, and when a new job is started, printing starts from the state shown in FIG. 7A, and from the stack point shown in FIG. 7A to the upstream print point. The portion of the continuous paper 101 located between the two is stacked in a state where nothing is printed.

  The above is the operation when mode setting is performed for the entire apparatus. However, as shown in FIG. 8, the processing of step S107 may be replaced with step S107 'to which step S805 for determining the stop elapsed time is added. In step S805, it is determined whether or not an elapsed time after the conveyance of the continuous paper 101 in step S107 exceeds a preset time. If it has not exceeded, it is determined whether or not the next job has started (step S806). If it has not started, the process returns to step S805 to determine the elapsed time. Thereafter, steps S805 and S806 are circulated until the next job starts, and the elapsed time is continuously monitored. If the next job starts, the process proceeds to step S100 (see FIG. 5). On the other hand, if the elapsed time exceeds the set time before the next job starts, the process proceeds to step S807, and the trailing edge of the last page of the continuous paper. Is transferred to the stack point, and the process returns to step S100. The processing in step S807 is the same as the processing in step S113 shown in FIG.

  Such a process is performed for the following reason. If the image forming apparatus 110 or 210 has stopped for a long time in the state shown in FIG. 6A, there is a page that has not been fixed yet in the image forming apparatuses 110 and 210. It may be expected to change due to environmental effects. In some cases, it is not preferable to leave the long continuous paper 101 for a long time in a state where the printing on the back surface is not completed. For this purpose, the continuous paper 101 is conveyed to fix all images, and the print contents are determined.

(Operation when setting the mode for each job)
Next, the operation when mode setting is performed for each job will be described with reference to FIG. First, in step S200, it is determined whether or not an operation instruction has been issued. Processing when an operation instruction is given will be described later. When no operation instruction is given, it is determined whether or not the job is started (step S201). If “Yes”, the process proceeds to steps S202 and S203. Since these steps are the same as steps S104 and S105 (see FIG. 5) described above, description thereof is omitted. When the end of the job is detected in step S203, the stop method set for the job is confirmed in step S204. This stop method is either “immediate stop processing” in step S107 shown in FIG. 5 or “transport to stack and stop” in step S113. These are set prior to execution of the job.

  Here, FIG. 10 shows a display example of the operation unit 411 when setting a stop method for each job. A job name is displayed in the window W1 shown in FIG. Although the job name written in the header of the job transferred from the external apparatus 510 is displayed as it is, the job name input using the keyboard of the operation unit 411 may be used as the job name. Further, buttons B1 and B2 for setting a stop method are displayed in the window W2 shown in FIG. The button B1 is a button for setting “immediate stop” and the button B2 is set to “transport to stack and stop” (stop after completion of job), and the stop method of the button being pressed is set to the job. In this case, when the buttons B1 and B2 are pressed, the lighting is displayed, and the operator can visually confirm the set stop method. Such a stop method setting may be set on the operation panels 161 and 261 of the image forming apparatuses 110 and 210 and transferred to the image forming control apparatus 410.

  Returning to FIG. In step S204, the stop method for the job set as described above is confirmed, and in the case of immediate stop, the process proceeds to step 205, and the same stop process as the process of step S107 (see FIG. 5) is performed. . As a result, the conveyance of the continuous paper 101 is stopped in the state shown in FIG. On the other hand, if the stop is confirmed by outputting to the stack in step S204, the same stop process as the process in step S113 (see FIG. 5) is performed. As a result, the conveyance of the continuous paper 101 is stopped in the state shown in FIG.

  Next, a case where an operation instruction is given in step S200 will be described. The operation instructions include “eject” and “output to stack”. These operation instructions may be input by an operator by operating the operation unit 411 or the operation panels 161 and 261, or may be automatically instructed by the apparatus.

  Next, the “eject” process will be described with reference to FIG. “Eject” is a process of discharging the continuous paper 101 without printing when the image forming apparatuses 110 and 120 are stopped. First, in step S600, the upstream machine print buffer 180 and the downstream machine print buffer 280 are cleared. That is, after the image forming apparatuses 110 and 120 are stopped, the pending print data is cleared and the subsequent printing is not performed. In step S601, the position of the page of the final data for which the transfer process has been completed (the final page for which transfer has been completed: hereinafter referred to as the final page for transfer completion) is confirmed. If this final transfer end page has already been transported to the stack point, the continuous paper 101 has already been discharged, and the processing ends without further transport operation (step S602).

  On the other hand, if the final transfer end page has not been conveyed to the stack point, the process of step S603 or S604 is performed according to the position of the final transfer end page. When the final transfer end page is between the transfer position of the downstream image forming apparatus 210 and the stack point, the process proceeds to step S603, and the image forming apparatuses 110 and 210 move to the distance from the transfer position of the downstream apparatus to the stack point. The continuous paper 101 is transported by the corresponding transport amount and stopped.

If it is determined in step S601 that the final transfer end page is located between the transfer position of the upstream image forming apparatus 110 and the transfer position of the downstream image forming apparatus 210, the process proceeds to step S604. The image forming apparatuses 110 and 210 convey the continuous paper 101 by the conveyance amount corresponding to the distance from the transfer position of the upstream machine to the stack point, and stop.
In the transport process in steps S603 and S604, a fixing process by the fixing unit 140 or the fixing unit 240 is performed for a page that has only been transferred and has not been fixed yet.

  Next, the “output to stack” process will be described with reference to FIG. In the “output to stack” process, the upstream machine print buffer 180 and the downstream machine print buffer 280 are not cleared unlike the “eject” process, and the print process is performed using all the print data in each buffer. I do. First, the process proceeds to step S700, and the position of the final page at the end of transfer is confirmed. If this final transfer end page has already been transported to the stack point, the continuous paper 101 has already been discharged, and the process ends without performing any further printing and transport operations (step S701).

  The position check in step S700 is performed in the same case as in step S601, and the process proceeds to steps S702 and S703 depending on each case. Regarding the conveyance processing of the continuous paper 101, steps S702 and S703 are the same as steps S603 and S604, respectively. However, in steps S702 and S703, printing on the front and back surfaces of the continuous paper 101 is completed using the print data in the flow machine print buffer 180 and the downstream machine print buffer 280, and the fixing process is also completed.

  The above-described embodiment is an example of the present invention. For example, the following modifications can be applied to the present invention. In addition, you may apply combining embodiment and the following modification example mentioned above as needed.

(1) Modification 1
In the above-described embodiment, in the immediate stop mode, when the upstream image forming apparatus 110 completes transfer using the print data of the last page in the upstream machine print buffer 180, the continuous sheet is immediately printed. Although the conveyance is stopped, the continuous paper 101 may be conveyed by a predetermined distance after the last page is transferred. This fixed distance may be set as a default for the image forming apparatuses 110 and 120, or may be set for each job.

An example of processing in this case is shown in FIG. The process in FIG. 13 is the same as that in FIG. 9 except that steps S304 and S305 are added. In FIG. 13, for simplification of description, assuming that “immediate stop” is set for each job, confirmation of the stop method and the branch processing associated therewith are omitted.
In step S304 shown in FIG. 13, the travel distance from the end of the final transfer until the continuous paper 101 is stopped is read. When this mileage is set by default of the apparatus, it is read from the storage area where the value is stored, and when it is set for each job, it is read from the part storing the attribute data of the job. In step S305, the image forming apparatus 110, which is an upstream machine, transfers the final print data of the job, and then conveys the continuous paper 101 for the travel distance read in step S304. Paper transport stops.

The setting of the travel distance is arbitrary, and the distance may be set according to various situations. For example, if the travel distance after the transfer is set to the distance until the page at the transfer position is completely fixed, the fixing process is not performed in the image forming apparatuses 110 and 210 even when the immediate stop process is performed. The page disappears.
There are pages that are not printed as much as the travel distance is set, but the amount may be determined as appropriate according to the use situation. The travel distance is generally considered to be an integral multiple of the length of the page (length in the transport direction), but a fraction less than the length of the page may be used.

(2) Modification 2
In the embodiment described above, the mode of the entire apparatus is determined in advance, or the mode is set for each job. Instead of (or in addition to) this, the operation mode may be automatically changed according to the state of the printer.

An example of the operation in this case is shown in FIG. The process illustrated in FIG. 14 is the same as the process in FIG. 5 except for the processes in steps S407 to S408. That is, steps S401, 402, 403, 404, 405, and S406 are the same as steps S101, S102, S104, S105, S106, and S107, respectively, and steps S410 to S415 are the same as steps S108 to S113, respectively.
Next, the process of step S407 will be described. In this process, when it is determined in step S405 shown in FIG. 14 that the next job can be printed, it is determined whether or not a situation corresponding to a predetermined exception process is reached before the job is completed. It is. For example, a case where the remaining amount of paper runs out during the execution of the next job and the job cannot be completed is regarded as an exception process.

  Details of step S405 are shown in FIG. In step S500 shown in FIG. 15, the length of the paper used for the next job is calculated. The length of the paper used in the next job (that is, the length of the paper stored in the storage unit 154 of the image forming apparatus 110) is multiplied by the number of pages of the job, and the paper used in the next job Calculate the cumulative length. In step S501, the remaining amount of paper in the storage unit 154 of the image forming apparatus 110 is confirmed. The image forming control device 410 makes an inquiry to the image forming device 110 and confirms it by a response signal. For example, the remaining amount may be detected by a sensor provided in the storage unit 154, or the initial number when the continuous paper 101 is set in the storage unit 154 is registered in advance, and the page is printed each time printing is performed. You may detect by subtracting a number.

In step S502, the cumulative length of paper used in the next job is compared with the remaining amount of paper. If the remaining amount of paper is smaller, it is determined that there is an exception process.
If it is determined in step S502 that the remaining amount of paper is greater, the process advances to step S503 to perform processing for selecting an item to be checked from a preset list. This selection process is a process for automatically and sequentially selecting each item in the list. Note that the operator may input selection items using the operation unit 411. This input may be performed on the operation panels 161 and 261, and the information may be transferred to the image forming control apparatus 410.
Here, FIG. 16 shows a list of preset check items. This list stores prescribed values (life prescribed values) for replacement of consumables and parts such as an air filter, a developer, and a fixing lamp, and actual use results up to the present time. If there is no item to be selected in step S504, it is determined that there is no exception processing as a check end, and the process returns to step S402 shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S504 that there is a selection item, the process proceeds to step S505, where the usage time when the next job is completed is added to the current usage record value of the target product, and the value is the life specified value. Is greater than The use record may be grasped by the image formation control device 410 through integration management, or may be grasped from the response signal by making an inquiry to the image forming devices 110 and 210. If the determination in step S505 is “Yes”, it is determined that there is an exception process.

On the other hand, if “No” is determined in step S505, the process returns to step S503, and thereafter, the check of each item is repeated in the same manner as described above.
If it is determined in step S407 that there is an exception process, the process advances to step S408, and the continuous sheet 101 is conveyed at the timing when the upstream image forming apparatus 110 has transferred all the print data of the current job. Stop. That is, it stops in the state shown in FIG. In step S409, exception processing is performed. This process is a process in which the operator replaces or replenishes the corresponding parts and consumables while the operations of the image forming apparatuses 110 and 210 are stopped. After this process is completed, the process returns to step S402.

(3) Modification 3
You may add control which displays so that the condition of a printing process and a conveyance process may be known to an operator. FIG. 17 is a display example of the display panel of the operation unit 411 when such control is performed. The same display may be performed on the operation panels 161 and 261.
In FIG. 17, a table is displayed, and each item displays a job ID, a job name, a queue, a format, and a status. The status display in this table is performed by the process shown in FIG. When the job starts, the process proceeds from step S900 to step S901, and the status of the job is confirmed. Regarding the job status, the image forming control apparatus 410 makes an inquiry to the image forming apparatuses 110 and 210 and grasps it from the response signal. Then, according to the confirmed status, the status display of each item shown in FIG. 17 is performed (steps S902 to S905).
By displaying the status in this manner, the operator is shown the process of print processing, and various attentions are urged in the work.

  Further, instead of the status control as shown in FIG. 17, for example, lighting buttons such as “printing”, “upstream printing”, “downstream printing”, “printing completed”, and the like are provided according to the status confirmation result. Thus, these buttons may be turned on / off.

(4) Modification 4
In the embodiment and the modification described above, the two image forming apparatuses have taken an example of a stacked configuration in which printing is performed in cooperation with each other upstream and downstream. However, the present invention can be applied to a single image forming apparatus alone. Can be applied.
In other words, a process for stopping the sheet immediately after the transfer is performed based on the final print data, or a sheet transport process is performed until the transferred sheet is discharged through the fixing process (or stored in a predetermined storage unit). What is necessary is just to switch. Even in this case, if the conveyance of the sheet is stopped immediately after the transfer, a portion that is not printed on the sheet can be eliminated. Further, immediately after the transfer, it may be configured to convey a distance (preset distance) that does not lead to discharge to the paper, and in this case also, the portion that is not printed on the paper is reduced. be able to.
In the above-described embodiment, an example of duplex printing on continuous paper has been described. However, the image forming apparatus 110 and the image forming apparatus 210 may be configured to form an image on one side of continuous paper. In this case, for example, the image forming apparatus 110 forms an image of Y (yellow) M (magenta) C (cyan) K (black), and the image forming apparatus 210 has colors other than Y, M, C, and K ( For example, an example of forming an image of a metallic color or a transparent color) can be considered. In this example, the first image data representing an image of a color other than Y, M, C, and K on the same page, and the second image data representing an image of a color other than Y, M, C, and K Corresponds.

Regardless of double-sided printing or single-sided printing, the relationship between the image data and the image formed on the continuous paper (recording medium) has the following modes. First, the first image data may be image data indicating each image of a plurality of pages, or may be image data of a single page. Therefore, the image (first image) formed on the recording medium (continuous paper) based on the first image data may be each image of a plurality of pages, or based on the image data of a single page. The images may be images of the same content that are continuously printed, or the images of each page constituting a plurality of sets (for example, when three sets of 10 pages of image data are printed) based on image data of a plurality of pages. Sometimes there are.
Correspondingly, the second image data may also indicate each image of a plurality of pages, or may indicate a single image.

  In the embodiment, the first image data indicating each image of a plurality of pages is used, and the back image corresponding to each page (for example, if the first image data is data indicating an odd page image, the second image Although the data indicates data indicating an even page image), the first image data and the second image data may be data indicating a single page image. Even in this case, the second image corresponding to the second image data is formed on the recording medium on which the image corresponding to the first image data is formed. Furthermore, the first image data may be image data indicating the contents of a plurality of pages, and the second image data may be image data of a single page. In this case, the content of each page is image-formed on the front surface of the recording medium, and the same image is formed on the back surface regardless of the page corresponding to the second image data.

  That is, the correspondence between the first image and the second image formed on the recording medium is set according to the printing mode. Some specific examples will be given to organize understanding. For example, image data indicating first to nth back pages corresponding to the surface of a continuous sheet on which an image based on image data (first image data) indicating first to nth front pages is formed ( An image based on the second image data may be formed, and may be formed on the surface of the continuous paper on which an image based on the image data (first image data) indicating the first to nth front pages is formed. Correspondingly, the same image based on the same image data (second image data) may be formed. Further, there are cases where the first to nth pages are set to be printed repeatedly by several sets. In that case, the same as described above. In contrast to the above specific example, the images of the first to nth back pages may be associated with the same front image. Alternatively, a correspondence relationship in which all the front surfaces are the same and all the back surfaces are the same may be set.

(5) Modification 5
In the above-described embodiment and modification, an electrophotographic image forming apparatus is taken as an example. However, the image forming method is not limited to this, and any method may be used. For example, you may perform image formation by an inkjet system. In this case, since the transfer and the fixing are performed at the same time, there is no unfixed state after the transfer.

(6) Modification 6
In the above-described embodiment and modification, continuous paper that can be separated by perforations is taken as an example, but the type of continuous paper is not limited to this, and any type may be used. For example, roll paper without perforations may be used. In this case, the pages are separated page by page by a post-processing device that performs sheet cutting. In addition, any medium may be used as long as it is an image-formed medium such as an OHP film.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Continuous paper image forming system, 101 ... Continuous paper, 110, 210 ... Image forming apparatus, 310 ... Intermediate buffer apparatus, 320 ... Reverse mechanism apparatus, 120, 220 ... Mechanism part, 130, 230 ... Developing part, 132, 232 ... photosensitive drum, 136, 236 ... LED exposure device, 138, 238 ... developing unit, 140, 240 ... fixing unit, 150, 250 ... transport unit, 154 ... storage unit, 256 ... storage unit, 160, 260 ... control unit, 161, 261 ... operation panel, 162, 262 ... CPU, 163, 263 ... ROM, 164, 264 ... RAM, 165, 265 ... NVRAM, 166, 266 ... HDD, 167, 267 ... mechanism interface, 168, 268 ... Panel interface for operation, 169, 269 ... Image formation control device interface, 180 ... Upstream machine Lint buffer, 280 ... downstream machine print buffer, 410 ... image forming control device, 411 ... operation unit, 412 ... CPU, 413 ... ROM, 414 ... RAM, 415 ... NVRAM, 416 ... HDD, 417 ... control unit interface, 418 ... Operation unit interface, 419 ... external device interface, 510 ... external device

Claims (14)

Conveying means for conveying a single continuous recording medium in the longitudinal direction;
Obtaining means for obtaining first image data representing a first image and second image data representing a second image corresponding to the first image;
A first image forming unit that forms a first image corresponding to the first image data acquired by the acquiring unit on the storage medium conveyed by the conveying unit;
The second image acquired by the acquisition unit with respect to the recording medium provided on the downstream side in the transport direction of the recording medium with respect to the first image forming unit and formed with the image by the first image forming unit. A second image forming means for forming a second image corresponding to the first image according to the data;
The first image forming unit finishes forming the first image corresponding to the first image data, and the second image corresponding to the first image formed on the recording medium is formed. When the second image forming unit is not finished, the conveyance of the recording medium by the conveying unit and the image formation by the first image forming unit and the second image forming unit are stopped. 1 and the second image corresponding to the first image formed on the recording medium after the first image forming unit has formed the first image corresponding to the first image data. After the second image forming unit finishes forming the image, the conveyance of the recording medium by the conveying unit and the image formation by the first image forming unit and the second image forming unit are stopped. Any one of the second operations to be performed, Serial conveying means, an image forming apparatus characterized by comprising an execution means for executing the first image forming means and said second image forming means. In the case where the execution unit causes the first operation to be executed, of the second image data acquired by the acquisition unit, the first image formed by the first image forming unit on the recording medium Storage means for storing second image data representing the second image corresponding to the second image that has not yet been formed by the second image forming means,
The execution means includes
When the acquisition means acquires new first image data and second image data,
Formation of the first image according to the new first image data is started by the first image forming means, and second according to the second image data stored in the storage means. Image formation is initiated by the second image forming means;
When the second image forming unit finishes forming the second image corresponding to the second image data stored in the storage unit, the second image corresponding to the new second image data The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus is started. A storage means for storing the recording medium on which an image is formed;
The execution means includes
In the case of executing the second operation,
A first image corresponding to the first image data is formed by the first image forming unit, and the second image corresponding to the first image is formed by the second image forming unit. After the recording portion of the recording medium is accommodated in the accommodating means, the conveyance of the recording medium by the conveying means and the image formation by the first image forming means and the second image forming means are stopped. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming apparatus comprises: The execution means includes
In the case of executing the first operation,
A first image corresponding to the first image data is formed by the first image forming unit, and the second image corresponding to the first image is formed by the second image forming unit. The recording portion of the recording medium is transported by the transporting unit by a distance determined from the formation position of the second image by the second image forming unit.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein conveyance of the recording medium by the conveyance unit is stopped. 5. The image formation according to claim 4, further comprising a distance designation unit that allows a user to designate a distance that the conveyance unit conveys the recording medium from a position where the second image formation unit forms the second image. apparatus. The execution means includes
When the amount of the recording medium on which an image corresponding to the first image data and the second image data acquired by the acquisition unit is formed is insufficient, or the first image acquired by the acquisition unit When the material used when the first image forming unit and the second image forming unit form an image corresponding to one image data and the second image data is insufficient, the conveying unit The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first image forming unit and the second image forming unit are configured to execute the second operation. The execution means includes
A predetermined period after the conveyance of the recording medium by the conveyance unit and the image formation by the first image forming unit and the second image forming unit are stopped by executing the first operation. When the acquisition unit has not acquired the new first image data and the second image data before elapse of
By executing the second operation, the first image forming unit finishes forming the first image corresponding to the first image data, and the first image formed on the recording medium After the second image forming unit finishes forming the second image corresponding to the recording medium, the recording unit conveys the recording medium, and the first image forming unit and the second image forming unit The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein image formation is stopped. The operation specifying means for the user to specify one of the first operation and the second operation as the operation to be executed by the execution means is provided. Image forming apparatus. The first image forming means forms a first image on one recording surface of the recording medium,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second image forming unit forms a second image on the other recording surface of the recording medium. The execution means causes the display means to display that there is a second image not formed by the second image forming means when the first operation is executed. The image forming apparatus according to any one of? Conveying means for conveying a single continuous recording medium in the longitudinal direction;
Acquisition means for acquiring image data representing an image;
An image forming unit that forms an image according to the image data acquired by the acquiring unit on the storage medium conveyed by the conveying unit;
Storage means for storing the recording medium on which an image is formed;
After the image forming unit finishes forming the image corresponding to the image data, the recording part of the recording medium on which the image corresponding to the image data is formed is stored in the storage unit. A first operation for stopping the conveyance of the recording medium by the conveying means, and the recording by the conveying means after the recording portion of the recording medium on which an image corresponding to the image data is formed is accommodated in the accommodating means. An image forming apparatus comprising: an execution unit that causes the conveying unit and the image forming unit to perform any one of a second operation of stopping the medium. The execution means according to claim 11 comprises:
When the amount of the recording medium on which the image according to the image data acquired by the acquisition unit is formed is insufficient, or the image according to the image data acquired by the acquisition unit is the image forming unit 12. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein when the material used when forming is insufficient, the second operation is executed by the conveying unit and the image forming unit. The execution means includes
The acquisition unit is newly updated after a predetermined period elapses after the conveyance of the recording medium by the conveyance unit and the image formation by the image forming unit are stopped by executing the first operation. If the image data is not acquired,
By executing the second operation, after the previous image forming unit finishes forming the image according to the image data, the recording unit transports the recording medium and the image forming unit forms the image. The image forming apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the image forming apparatus is stopped. The operation specifying means for a user to specify any one of the first operation and the second operation as the operation to be executed by the execution means is provided. Image forming apparatus.

Images