JP2020023108A - Recording system and control method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a recording system that reduces user man-hours when paper feeding is restarted.SOLUTION: A recording medium loaded on a loading part is fed to a conveyance path by first feeding means, and the recording medium on the conveyance path is fed to a recording apparatus body by second feeding means. Control for stopping the first feeding means and the second feeding means, and control for stopping the first feeding means and preventing the stop of the second feeding means are performed as control for stopping feeding.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording system having a loading unit for loading a recording medium to be fed to a recording apparatus main body, and a control method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a recording apparatus that separates stacked sheets one by one and prints the sheets includes a sheet feeding mechanism that takes out and feeds a sheet from a stacking unit, and a sheet that is fed from the sheet feeding mechanism. Some recording apparatuses include an intermediate conveyance section that conveys the sheet to a sheet feeding section of the main body of the recording apparatus. In the case where the paper feed is stopped during the printing operation, the paper feed is stopped by stopping the functions of the paper feed mechanism and the intermediate conveyance unit. In the sheet-fed printing press described in Patent Literature 1, the paper feed mechanism and the intermediate conveyance unit are immediately stopped when a paper conveyance abnormality occurs, thereby suppressing waste paper and preventing damage to the mechanism of the multi-sheet printing press main body. In.

JP-A-6-191018

  However, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-157, there is a possibility that the sheet present on the intermediate transport unit when the paper feed stop is executed is not fed to the recording apparatus main body, and the paper remains on the intermediate transport unit after the paper feed is stopped. In this case, before the printing is restarted, the user must perform an operation of removing the sheet on the intermediate conveyance unit.

  An object of the present invention is to solve such a conventional problem. In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a recording system and a control method that reduce the number of user steps when restarting sheet feeding.

  In order to solve the above problems, a recording system according to the present invention includes a loading unit capable of loading a recording medium, a recording device main body that performs recording on the recording medium fed from the loading unit via a conveyance path, A first feeding unit that feeds the recording medium loaded on the loading unit to the transport path, and a first feeding unit that feeds the recording medium on the transport path to the recording apparatus main body. 2 feeding means, first stopping means for stopping the first feeding means and the second feeding means, and second stopping means for stopping the first feeding means and not stopping the second feeding means. And the following.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the user man-hour at the time of restarting paper feed can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a configuration of a recording system. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a recording unit. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining displacement of a mode of a recording unit. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a configuration of a control system of the recording system. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a configuration of a control system of the recording system. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an operation of the recording system. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining an operation at the time of maintenance of the recording head. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the sheet feeding unit. 9 is a flowchart illustrating switching control of a paper feed stop configuration. 9 is a flowchart illustrating switching control of a paper feed stop configuration. 9 is a flowchart illustrating switching control of a paper feed stop configuration. 9 is a flowchart illustrating switching control of a paper feed stop configuration.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments do not limit the present invention according to the claims, and all combinations of features described in the present embodiments are not necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. . The same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each of the drawings, arrows X and Y indicate a horizontal direction and are orthogonal to each other. Arrow Z indicates the vertical direction.

<Recording system>
FIG. 1 is a front view schematically showing a recording system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The recording system 1 is a sheet-fed inkjet printer that manufactures a recorded material P ′ by transferring an ink image onto a recording medium P via a transfer body 2. The recording system 1 includes a recording device 1A and a transport device 1B. In the present embodiment, the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction indicate the width direction (full length direction), the depth direction, and the height direction of the recording system 1, respectively. The recording medium P is transported in the X direction.

  It should be noted that “recording” is not limited to forming significant information such as characters and figures, but also includes forming images, patterns, and patterns on a recording medium or processing the medium regardless of significance. A case is also included, and it does not matter whether or not it has been exposed so that humans can perceive it visually. Further, in the present embodiment, sheet-shaped paper is assumed as the “recording medium”, but may be cloth, plastic film, or the like.

  The components of the ink are not particularly limited, but in the present embodiment, it is assumed that an aqueous pigment ink containing a pigment as a coloring material, water, and a resin is used.

<Recording device>
The recording device 1A includes a recording unit 3, a transfer unit 4, peripheral units 5A to 5D, and a supply unit 6.

<Recording unit>
The recording unit 3 includes a plurality of recording heads 30 and a carriage 31. Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the recording unit 3. The recording head 30 discharges liquid ink onto the transfer body 2 to form an ink image of a recording image on the transfer body 2.

  In the case of the present embodiment, each recording head 30 is a full line head extending in the Y direction, and the nozzles are arranged in a range covering the width of the image recording area of the recording medium of the maximum usable size. I have. The recording head 30 has an ink ejection surface with nozzles opened on the lower surface thereof, and the ink ejection surface faces the surface of the transfer body 2 via a minute gap (for example, several mm). In the case of the present embodiment, since the transfer body 2 is configured to move cyclically on a circular orbit, the plurality of recording heads 30 are radially arranged.

  Each nozzle is provided with a discharge element. The ejection element is, for example, an element that generates pressure in the nozzle to eject ink in the nozzle, and a known inkjet head technology of an inkjet printer can be applied. As the ejection element, for example, an element that ejects ink by causing film boiling in the ink by an electro-thermal converter to form a bubble, an element that ejects ink by an electro-mechanical converter, and an ink that utilizes static electricity to discharge ink. An element that discharges the ink may be used. From the viewpoint of high-speed and high-density recording, a discharge element using an electro-thermal converter can be used.

  In the case of the present embodiment, nine recording heads 30 are provided. Each recording head 30 ejects different types of ink. The different types of ink are, for example, inks having different color materials, such as yellow ink, magenta ink, cyan ink, and black ink. One recording head 30 discharges one type of ink, but one recording head 30 may discharge a plurality of types of ink. When a plurality of recording heads 30 are provided in this manner, some of them may eject ink (for example, clear ink) containing no coloring material.

  The carriage 31 supports a plurality of recording heads 30. Each recording head 30 has an end on the ink ejection surface side fixed to the carriage 31. Thereby, the gap between the ink ejection surface and the surface of the transfer body 2 can be maintained more precisely. The carriage 31 is configured to be displaceable while mounting the recording head 30 under the guidance of the guide member RL. In the case of the present embodiment, the guide members RL are rail members extending in the Y direction, and a pair of guide members RL are provided apart from each other in the X direction. A slide portion 32 is provided on each side of the carriage 31 in the X direction. The slide portion 32 engages with the guide member RL and slides in the Y direction along the guide member RL.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating a displacement mode of the recording unit 3 and a right side surface of the recording system 1. At the rear of the recording system 1, a recovery unit 12 is provided. The recovery unit 12 has a mechanism for recovering the ejection performance of the recording head 30. Examples of such a mechanism include a cap mechanism for capping the ink ejection surface of the recording head 30, a wiper mechanism for wiping the ink ejection surface, and a suction mechanism for suctioning the ink in the recording head 30 from the ink ejection surface under a negative pressure. be able to.

  The guide member RL extends from the side of the transfer body 2 to the recovery unit 12. The recording unit 3 can be displaced between a discharge position POS1 indicated by the solid line and the recovery position POS3 indicated by the broken line by the guidance of the guide member RL. Is moved by

  The ejection position POS1 is a position at which the recording unit 3 ejects ink to the transfer body 2, and is a position where the ink ejection surface of the recording head 30 faces the surface of the transfer body 2. The recovery position POS3 is a position retracted from the ejection position POS1, and is a position where the recording unit 3 is located on the recovery unit 12. The recovery unit 12 can execute a recovery process for the recording head 30 when the recording unit 3 is located at the recovery position POS3. In the case of the present embodiment, the recovery processing can be executed even during the movement of the recording unit 3 before reaching the recovery position POS3. There is a preliminary recovery position POS2 between the ejection position POS1 and the recovery position POS3, and the recovery unit 12 controls the recording head 30 at the preliminary recovery position POS2 while the recording head 30 is moving from the ejection position POS1 to the recovery position POS3. Preliminary recovery processing can be performed.

<Transfer unit>
The transfer unit 4 will be described with reference to FIG. The transfer unit 4 includes a transfer drum (transfer cylinder) 41 and an impression cylinder 42. Each of these bodies is a rotating body that rotates around a rotation axis in the Y direction, and has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface. In FIG. 1, the arrows shown in the figures of the transfer drum 41 and the impression cylinder 42 indicate the rotation directions thereof, and the transfer drum 41 rotates clockwise and the impression cylinder 42 rotates counterclockwise.

  The transfer drum 41 is a support that supports the transfer body 2 on its outer peripheral surface. The transfer body 2 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the transfer drum 41 continuously or intermittently in the circumferential direction. When provided continuously, the transfer body 2 is formed in an endless belt shape. When provided intermittently, the transfer body 2 is formed into a plurality of segments in the form of a strip having ends, and each segment can be arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the transfer drum 41 in an arc at an equal pitch.

  Due to the rotation of the transfer drum 41, the transfer body 2 cyclically moves on a circular orbit. By the rotation phase of the transfer drum 41, the position of the transfer body 2 can be distinguished into a pre-ejection processing region R1, an ejection region R2, post-ejection processing regions R3 and R4, a transfer region R5, and a post-transfer processing region R6. The transcript 2 passes through these regions cyclically.

  The pre-ejection processing area R1 is an area where pre-processing is performed on the transfer body 2 before the recording unit 3 ejects ink, and is an area where processing is performed by the peripheral unit 5A. In the case of the present embodiment, a reaction liquid is applied. The ejection region R2 is a formation region where the recording unit 3 ejects ink to the transfer body 2 to form an ink image. The post-ejection processing areas R3 and R4 are processing areas for performing processing on the ink image after ink ejection, the post-ejection processing area R3 is an area where processing is performed by the peripheral unit 5B, and the post-ejection processing area R4 is a peripheral unit 5C. Is an area where the process is performed. The transfer area R5 is an area where the transfer unit 4 transfers the ink image on the transfer body 2 to the recording medium P. The post-transfer processing region R6 is a region where post-processing is performed on the transfer body 2 after the transfer, and is a region where processing by the peripheral unit 5D is performed.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the discharge region R2 is a region having a certain section. The sections of the other areas R1, R3 to R6 are narrower than the discharge area R2. In the case of the present embodiment, in the case of a clock face, the pre-ejection processing region R1 is located at approximately 10:00, the ejection region R2 is approximately in the range from 11:00 to 1:00, and the post-ejection processing region R3 is approximately. The position is at 2 o'clock, and the post-ejection processing region R4 is approximately at 4 o'clock. The transfer region R5 is located at approximately 6 o'clock, and the post-transfer processing region R6 is approximately at 8 o'clock.

  The transfer body 2 may be composed of a single layer, but may be a laminate of a plurality of layers. In the case of a configuration with a plurality of layers, for example, it may include three layers of a surface layer, an elastic layer, and a compression layer. The surface layer is the outermost layer having an image forming surface on which an ink image is formed. By providing the compression layer, the compression layer absorbs the deformation, disperses the fluctuation with respect to the local pressure fluctuation, and can maintain the transferability even at the time of high-speed recording. The elastic layer is a layer between the surface layer and the compression layer.

  Various materials such as resin and ceramic can be used as appropriate for the material of the surface layer, but a material having a high compression modulus in terms of durability and the like can be used. Specific examples include an acrylic resin, an acrylic silicone resin, a fluorine-containing resin, and a condensate obtained by condensing a hydrolyzable organic silicon compound. The surface layer may be subjected to a surface treatment in order to improve the wettability of the reaction solution, the transferability of an image, and the like. Examples of the surface treatment include a frame treatment, a corona treatment, a plasma treatment, a polishing treatment, a roughening treatment, an active energy ray irradiation treatment, an ozone treatment, a surfactant treatment, and a silane coupling treatment. You may combine these two or more. Also, an arbitrary surface shape can be provided on the surface layer.

  Examples of the material of the compression layer include acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, acrylic rubber, chloroprene rubber, urethane rubber, and silicone rubber. At the time of molding such a rubber material, a predetermined amount of a vulcanizing agent, a vulcanization accelerator and the like are blended, and further, a filler such as a foaming agent, hollow fine particles or salt is blended as necessary, and the porous rubber material is blended. It may be. Thus, the bubble portion is compressed with a change in volume in response to various pressure fluctuations, so that deformation in directions other than the compression direction is small, and more stable transferability and durability can be obtained. Porous rubber materials include those having a continuous pore structure in which each pore is continuous with each other and those having an independent pore structure in which each pore is independent, but any structure may be used. May be.

  Various materials such as resin and ceramic can be used as appropriate for the member of the elastic layer. Various elastomer materials and rubber materials can be used in terms of processing characteristics and the like. Specific examples include fluorosilicone rubber, phenylsilicone rubber, fluorine rubber, chloroprene rubber, urethane rubber, nitrile rubber, and the like. In addition, ethylene propylene rubber, natural rubber, styrene rubber, isoprene rubber, butadiene rubber, ethylene / propylene / butadiene copolymer, nitrile butadiene rubber and the like can be mentioned. In particular, silicone rubber, fluorosilicone rubber, and phenylsilicone rubber are advantageous in terms of dimensional stability and durability because of their low compression set. In addition, the change in elastic modulus due to temperature is small, which is advantageous in terms of transferability.

  Various adhesives and double-sided tapes can be used between the surface layer and the elastic layer and between the elastic layer and the compression layer to fix them. Further, the transfer body 2 may include a reinforcing layer having a high compression elastic modulus in order to suppress lateral elongation when the transfer body 41 is mounted on the transfer drum 41 and to maintain stiffness. Further, a woven fabric may be used as the reinforcing layer. The transfer body 2 can be produced by arbitrarily combining the layers made of the above materials.

  The outer peripheral surface of the impression cylinder 42 is pressed against the transfer body 2. At least one grip mechanism for holding the leading end of the recording medium P is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the impression cylinder 42. A plurality of grip mechanisms may be provided apart from each other in the circumferential direction of the impression cylinder 42. The ink image on the transfer body 2 is transferred when the recording medium P passes through a nip portion between the impression cylinder 42 and the transfer body 2 while being conveyed in close contact with the outer peripheral surface of the impression cylinder 42. A drive source such as a motor for driving the transfer drum 41 and the impression cylinder 42 is common to these, and the driving force can be distributed by a transmission mechanism such as a gear mechanism.

<Peripheral unit>
The peripheral units 5A to 5D are arranged around the transfer drum 41. In the case of the present embodiment, the peripheral units 5A to 5D are an applying unit, an absorbing unit, a heating unit, and a cleaning unit in this order.

  The application unit 5A is a mechanism that applies a reaction liquid onto the transfer body 2 before the recording unit 3 discharges ink. The reaction liquid is a liquid containing a component that increases the viscosity of the ink. Here, increasing the viscosity of the ink means that the colorant or resin constituting the ink chemically reacts or physically adsorbs when it comes into contact with a component that increases the viscosity of the ink. That is, an increase in the viscosity of the ink is observed. In order to increase the viscosity of the ink, not only the case where the viscosity of the entire ink is increased, but also the case where the viscosity is locally increased due to aggregation of a part of the ink component such as a coloring material or a resin. Is also included.

  The component that increases the viscosity of the ink is not particularly limited, such as metal ions and a polymer coagulant, but a substance that causes a change in the pH of the ink and agglomerates the coloring material in the ink can be used. Can be used. Examples of the reaction liquid application mechanism include a roller, a recording head, a die coating device (die coater), and a blade coating device (blade coater). If the reaction liquid is applied to the transfer member 2 before the ink is ejected to the transfer member 2, the ink that has reached the transfer member 2 can be immediately fixed. Thus, bleeding in which adjacent inks are mixed can be suppressed.

  The absorption unit 5B is a mechanism that absorbs a liquid component from an ink image on the transfer body 2 before transfer. By reducing the liquid component of the ink image, bleeding of an image recorded on the recording medium P can be suppressed. If the reduction of the liquid component is described from a different viewpoint, it can be expressed that the ink constituting the ink image on the transfer body 2 is concentrated. Concentrating the ink means that a decrease in the liquid component contained in the ink causes an increase in the content ratio of the solid component such as a coloring material and a resin contained in the ink to the liquid component.

  The absorption unit 5B includes, for example, a liquid absorbing member that comes into contact with the ink image and reduces the amount of the liquid component of the ink image. The liquid absorbing member may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the roller, or the liquid absorbing member may be formed in an endless sheet shape and run cyclically. In terms of protecting the ink image, the liquid absorbing member may be moved in synchronization with the transfer member 2 by setting the moving speed of the liquid absorbing member to be the same as the peripheral speed of the transfer member 2.

  The liquid absorbing member may include a porous body that comes into contact with the ink image. In order to suppress the adhesion of the ink solids to the liquid absorbing member, the pore diameter of the porous body on the surface in contact with the ink image may be 10 μm or less. Here, the pore diameter indicates an average diameter, and can be measured by a known means, for example, a mercury intrusion method, a nitrogen adsorption method, SEM image observation, or the like. The liquid component is not particularly limited as long as it does not have a fixed shape, has fluidity, and has a substantially fixed volume. For example, water, an organic solvent, and the like contained in the ink and the reaction liquid are examples of the liquid component.

  The heating unit 5C is a mechanism for heating the ink image on the transfer body 2 before the transfer. By heating the ink image, the resin in the ink image melts, and the transferability to the recording medium P is improved. The heating temperature can be equal to or higher than the minimum film forming temperature (MFT) of the resin. The MFT can be measured by a generally known method, for example, each device based on JIS K 6828-2: 2003 or ISO2115: 1996. From the viewpoint of transferability and image fastness, heating may be performed at a temperature higher than MFT by 10 ° C. or more, and further, may be performed at a temperature higher by 20 ° C. or more. As the heating unit 5C, for example, a known heating device such as various lamps such as infrared rays, a hot air fan and the like can be used. In terms of heating efficiency, an infrared heater can be used.

  The cleaning unit 5D is a mechanism for cleaning the transfer body 2 after the transfer. The cleaning unit 5D removes ink remaining on the transfer member 2, dust on the transfer member 2, and the like. As the cleaning unit 5D, a known method such as a method of bringing a porous member into contact with the transfer member 2, a method of rubbing the surface of the transfer member 2 with a brush, and a method of scraping the surface of the transfer member 2 with a blade is used as appropriate. Can be. The cleaning member used for cleaning may have a known shape such as a roller shape or a web shape.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the application unit 5A, the absorption unit 5B, the heating unit 5C, and the cleaning unit 5D are provided as peripheral units, but a cooling function of the transfer body 2 is provided to some of these units, or , A cooling unit may be added. In the present embodiment, the temperature of the transfer body 2 may increase due to the heat of the heating unit 5C. If the ink image exceeds the boiling point of water, which is the main solvent of the ink, after the recording unit 3 discharges the ink onto the transfer member 2, the absorption performance of the liquid component by the absorption unit 5B may be reduced. By cooling the transfer body 2 so that the ejected ink is maintained at a temperature lower than the boiling point of water, the absorption performance of the liquid component can be maintained.

  The cooling unit may be a blowing mechanism for blowing air to the transfer body 2 or a mechanism for bringing a member (for example, a roller) into contact with the transfer body 2 and cooling the member by air cooling or water cooling. Further, a mechanism for cooling the cleaning member of the cleaning unit 5D may be used. The cooling timing may be a period after the transfer and before the application of the reaction liquid.

<Supply unit>
The supply unit 6 is a mechanism that supplies ink to each recording head 30 of the recording unit 3. The supply unit 6 may be provided on the rear side of the recording system 1. The supply unit 6 includes a storage unit TK for storing ink for each type of ink. The storage unit TK may be configured by a main tank and a sub tank. Each storage section TK and each recording head 30 communicate with each other through a flow path 6a, and ink is supplied from the storage section TK to the recording head 30. The flow path 6a may be a flow path for circulating ink between the storage unit TK and the recording head 30, and the supply unit 6 may include a pump or the like for circulating ink. A degassing mechanism for degassing bubbles in the ink may be provided in the middle of the flow path 6a or in the storage part TK. A valve for adjusting the ink pressure and the atmospheric pressure may be provided in the middle of the flow path 6a or in the storage section TK. The height of the reservoir TK and the recording head 30 in the Z direction may be designed such that the ink liquid level in the reservoir TK is lower than the ink ejection surface of the recording head 30.

<Transport device>
The transport device 1B is a device that feeds the recording medium P to the transfer unit 4 and discharges the recorded material P ′ on which the ink image has been transferred from the transfer unit 4. The transport device 1B includes a feed unit 7, a plurality of transport cylinders 8, 8a, two sprockets 8b, a chain 8c, and a recovery unit 8d. In FIG. 1, the arrows inside the figures of the respective components of the transport device 1B indicate the rotation direction of the components, and the outer arrows indicate the transport path of the recording medium P or the recorded material P ′. The recording medium P is transported from the feeding unit 7 to the transfer unit 4, and the recorded matter P 'is transported from the transfer unit 4 to the collection unit 8d. The feed unit 7 may be referred to as an upstream side in the transport direction, and the collection unit 8d may be referred to as a downstream side.

  FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the sheet feeding unit 7. The feeding unit 7 includes a loading portion 7B on which a plurality of recording media P can be loaded, and feeds the recording media P from the loading portion 7B to the intermediate transport portion 7C by vacuum suction and moving back and forth one by one. It includes a feeding mechanism 7A. The intermediate conveyance section 7C, which is a conveyance path connecting the paper supply unit 7 and the main body of the recording apparatus 1A, is configured to be inclined in the direction of the most upstream conveyance cylinder 8, and is separated from the paper supply mechanism section 7A. The sent recording medium P is fed to the transport cylinder along the surface of the intermediate transport section 7C, that is, on the transport path. The intermediate transport section 7C includes an intermediate transport section stop device 7E, and the opening / closing mechanism of the intermediate transport section stop device 7E can open and close (block) the transport path of the recording medium. Further, a paper thickness detection sensor 7D is provided in the transport path between the loading section 7B and the intermediate transport section 7C, and measures the thickness of the recording medium P sent from the loading section 7B to the intermediate transport section 7C. Each of the transfer cylinders 8 and 8a is a rotating body that rotates around a rotation axis in the Y direction, and has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface. At least one grip mechanism for holding the leading end of the recording medium P (or the recorded matter P ') is provided on the outer peripheral surface of each of the transport cylinders 8 and 8a. The gripping operation and the releasing operation of each gripping mechanism are controlled so that the recording medium P is transferred between adjacent transport cylinders.

  The two transport cylinders 8a are transport cylinders for reversing the recording medium P. When recording the recording medium P on both sides, after the transfer to the front surface, the recording medium P is transferred from the impression cylinder 42 to the transport cylinder 8a without passing to the transport cylinder 8 adjacent to the downstream side. The recording medium P is turned upside down via the two transfer cylinders 8a, and is transferred again to the impression cylinder 42 via the transfer cylinder 8 on the upstream side of the impression cylinder 42. As a result, the back surface of the recording medium P faces the transfer drum 41, and the ink image is transferred to the back surface.

  The chain 8c is wound between two sprockets 8b. One of the two sprockets 8b is a driving sprocket and the other is a driven sprocket. The chain 8c runs cyclically by the rotation of the drive sprocket. The chain 8c is provided with a plurality of grip mechanisms spaced apart in the longitudinal direction. The grip mechanism grips the end of the recorded matter P '. The recorded material P 'is transferred from the transport cylinder 8 located at the downstream end to the gripping mechanism of the chain 8c, and the recorded material P' gripped by the gripping mechanism is transported to the collection unit 8d by the traveling of the chain 8c, and the gripping is released. You. Thereby, the recorded matter P 'is stacked in the collection unit 8d.

<Post-processing unit>
Post-processing units 10A and 10B are provided in the transport device 1B. The post-processing units 10A and 10B are arranged downstream of the transfer unit 4 and are mechanisms for performing post-processing on the recorded matter P '. The post-processing unit 10A performs a process on the front side of the recorded matter P ′, and the post-processing unit 10B performs a process on the back side of the recorded matter P ′. Examples of the content of the processing include a coating on the image recording surface of the recorded material P ′ for the purpose of protecting the image, polishing the image, and the like. Examples of the content of the coating include application of a liquid, welding of a sheet, and lamination.

<Inspection unit>
Inspection units 9A and 9B are provided in the transport device 1B. The inspection units 9A and 9B are arranged downstream of the transfer unit 4 and are mechanisms for inspecting the recorded matter P ′.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the inspection unit 9A is an imaging device that captures an image recorded on the recording P ', and includes, for example, an imaging element such as a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor. The inspection unit 9A captures a recorded image during a continuous recording operation. Based on the image photographed by the inspection unit 9A, it is possible to confirm a temporal change such as a tint of the recorded image and determine whether or not the image data or the recorded data can be corrected. In the case of the present embodiment, the inspection unit 9A has an imaging range set on the outer peripheral surface of the impression cylinder 42, and is arranged so as to be able to partially capture a recorded image immediately after transfer. The inspection unit 9A may inspect all the recorded images, or may inspect every predetermined number.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the inspection unit 9B is also a photographing device that photographs an image recorded on the recorded matter P ', and includes, for example, an image sensor such as a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor. The inspection unit 9B captures a recorded image in a test recording operation. The inspection unit 9B can photograph the entire recorded image, and can make various basic settings for various corrections on the recorded data based on the image photographed by the inspection unit 9B. In the case of the present embodiment, it is arranged at a position where the recorded matter P 'conveyed by the chain 8c is photographed. When the recorded image is photographed by the inspection unit 9B, the traveling of the chain 8c is temporarily stopped, and the whole is photographed. The inspection unit 9B may be a scanner that scans the recorded matter P '.

<Control unit>
Next, a control unit of the recording system 1 will be described. 4 and 5 are block diagrams of the control unit 13 of the recording system 1. The control unit 13 is communicably connected to a host device (DFE) HC2, and the host device HC2 is communicably connected to a host device HC1.

  The host device HC1 generates or stores document data that is the basis of a recorded image. The document data here is generated in the form of an electronic file such as a document file or an image file. This document data is transmitted to the host device HC2, and the host device HC2 converts the received document data into a data format usable by the control unit 13 (for example, RGB data expressing an image in RGB). The converted data is transmitted as image data from the host device HC2 to the control unit 13, and the control unit 13 starts a recording operation based on the received image data.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the control unit 13 is roughly divided into a main controller 13A and an engine controller 13B. The main controller 13A includes a processing unit 131, a storage unit 132, an operation unit 133, an image processing unit 134, a communication I / F (interface) 135, a buffer 136, and a communication I / F 137.

  The processing unit 131 is a processor such as a CPU, executes a program stored in the storage unit 132, and controls the entire main controller 13A. The storage unit 132 is a storage device such as a RAM, a ROM, a hard disk, and an SSD, stores a program executed by the CPU 131 and data, and provides a work area to the CPU 131. The operation unit 133 is, for example, an input device such as a touch panel, a keyboard, and a mouse, and receives an instruction from a user. For example, various user interface screens related to printing are displayed on the touch panel, and print settings and instructions for executing or canceling each function can be received from the user.

  The image processing unit 134 is, for example, an electronic circuit having an image processor. The buffer 136 is, for example, a RAM, a hard disk, or an SSD. The communication I / F 135 communicates with the host device HC2, and the communication I / F 137 communicates with the engine controller 13B. In FIG. 4, broken arrows indicate the flow of processing of image data. Image data received from the host device HC2 via the communication IF 135 is accumulated in the buffer 136. The image processing unit 134 reads the image data from the buffer 136, performs predetermined image processing on the read image data, and stores the read image data in the buffer 136 again. The image data after the image processing stored in the buffer 136 is transmitted from the communication I / F 137 to the engine controller 13B as print data used by the print engine.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the engine controller 13B includes control units 14, 15A to 15E, and performs acquisition of the detection results of the sensor group and the actuator group 16 included in the recording system 1 and drive control. Each of these control units includes a processor such as a CPU, a storage device such as a RAM and a ROM, and an interface with an external device. Note that the division of the control units is merely an example, and a part of the control may be executed by a plurality of subdivided control units, or conversely, a plurality of control units may be integrated and their control contents may be integrated. It may be configured to be performed by one control unit.

  The engine control unit 14 controls the entire engine controller 13B. The recording control unit 15A converts the recording data received from the main controller 13A into a data format suitable for driving the recording head 30, such as raster data. The print control unit 15A controls the ejection of each print head 30.

  The transfer control unit 15B controls the application unit 5A, controls the absorption unit 5B, controls the heating unit 5C, and controls the cleaning unit 5D.

  The reliability control unit 15C controls the supply unit 6, controls the recovery unit 12, and controls the drive mechanism that moves the recording unit 3 between the ejection position POS1 and the recovery position POS3.

  The transport control unit 15D controls the drive of the transfer unit 4 and controls the transport device 1B. The inspection control unit 15E controls the inspection unit 9B and controls the inspection unit 9A.

  Among the sensor group / actuator group 16, the sensor group includes a sensor for detecting the position and speed of the movable portion, a sensor for detecting temperature, an image sensor, and the like. The actuator group includes a motor, an electromagnetic solenoid, an electromagnetic valve, and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the feeding unit 7 has a processing unit 401, a storage unit 402, a communication I / F 403, and a feeding mechanism 404 in its own unit. The processing unit 401 loads and executes the program stored in the storage unit 402 to control the entire feeding unit 7 as a whole. The processing unit 401 can communicate with the processing unit 131 of the main controller 13A via the communication I / F 403. For example, when the processing unit 131 controls the processing unit 401, the feeding operation and the recording operation in the recording system 1 are performed. Is realized. The feeding mechanism 404 includes the configuration in FIG. 8, for example, a feeding mechanism unit 7A, an intermediate conveying unit 7C, and an intermediate conveying unit stopping device 7E.

  In the present embodiment, a description will be given assuming that the processing unit 401 controls both the feeding mechanism unit 7A and the intermediate conveyance unit stop device 7E. However, the processing unit 401 may control the feeding mechanism unit 7A, and the processing unit 131 may control the intermediate conveyance unit stop device 7E.

<Operation example>
FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the recording operation. The following steps are performed cyclically while the transfer drum 41 and the impression cylinder 42 are rotated. As shown in state ST1, first, the reaction liquid L is applied to the transfer body 2 from the application unit 5A. The portion of the transfer body 2 to which the reaction liquid L has been applied moves as the transfer drum 41 rotates. When the portion to which the reaction liquid L has been applied reaches below the recording head 30, ink is ejected from the recording head 30 to the transfer body 2 as shown in state ST2. Thus, an ink image IM is formed. At that time, the ejected ink mixes with the reaction liquid L on the transfer body 2, thereby promoting the aggregation of the coloring material. The ejected ink is supplied to the recording head 30 from the storage section TK of the supply unit 6.

  The ink image IM on the transfer body 2 moves as the transfer body 2 rotates. When the ink image IM reaches the absorption unit 5B, the liquid component is absorbed from the ink image IM by the absorption unit 5B as shown in a state ST3. When the ink image IM reaches the heating unit 5C, as shown in a state ST4, the heating unit 5C heats the ink image IM, the resin in the ink image IM melts, and the ink image IM is formed. The recording medium P is transported by the transport device 1B in synchronization with the formation of such an ink image IM.

  As shown in the state ST5, the ink image IM and the recording medium P reach the nip portion between the transfer body 2 and the impression cylinder 42, the ink image IM is transferred to the recording medium P, and the recorded matter P 'is manufactured. . After passing through the nip portion, the image recorded on the recorded matter P 'is photographed by the inspection unit 9A, and the recorded image is inspected. The recorded material P 'is transported by the transport device 1B to the collection unit 8d.

  When the ink image IM on the transfer body 2 has reached the cleaning unit 5D, it is cleaned by the cleaning unit 5D as shown in the state ST6. After the cleaning, the transfer body 2 has made one rotation, and the transfer of the ink image onto the recording medium P is repeatedly performed in the same procedure. In the above description, for ease of understanding, the transfer of the ink image IM to one recording medium P is performed once in one rotation of the transfer body 2. The transfer of the ink image IM to the plurality of recording media P can be continuously performed.

  If such a recording operation is continued, maintenance of each recording head 30 is required. FIG. 7 shows an operation example at the time of maintenance of each recording head 30. The state ST11 indicates a state where the recording unit 3 is located at the ejection position POS1. The state ST12 indicates a state in which the recording unit 3 has passed the preliminary recovery position POS2, and the recovery unit 12 performs a process of recovering the ejection performance of each recording head 30 of the recording unit 3 during the passage. Thereafter, as shown in the state ST13, in the state where the recording unit 3 is located at the recovery position POS3, a process of recovering the ejection performance of each recording head 30 is executed by the recovery unit 12.

<Another configuration example>
In the above embodiment, the recording unit 3 has a plurality of recording heads 30, but may have one recording head 30. The recording head 30 may not be a full line head, and may be a serial type in which ink is ejected from the recording head 30 to form an ink image while moving a carriage in which the recording head 30 is removably mounted in the Y direction. Good.

  The conveyance mechanism of the recording medium P may be another method such as a method of nipping and conveying the recording medium P by a pair of rollers. In a method in which the recording medium P is conveyed by a pair of rollers, a roll sheet may be used as the recording medium P, or the roll sheet may be cut after the transfer to produce a recorded matter P ′.

  In the above-described embodiment, the transfer body 2 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the transfer drum 41. However, another method such as a method in which the transfer body 2 is formed in an endless band shape and travels cyclically may be used.

  The storage section TK in the configuration diagram of the supply unit 6 is divided into a buffer tank and a replacement ink tank. The buffer tank is an ink tank that supplies ink to each recording head of the recording unit 3, and the replacement ink tank is an ink tank that supplies ink to the buffer tank. Float sensors are installed at a plurality of locations in the buffer tank, and it is possible to detect the remaining amount of ink in the buffer tank at multiple levels. Further, it is determined whether or not ink is being supplied from the replacement ink tank to the buffer tank by a float sensor installed in the buffer tank. When the ink supply from the replacement ink tank to the buffer tank is completed, the state of the replacement ink tank held by the main controller is set to “empty state”. The replacement ink tank is not provided with a sensor for detecting the remaining amount.

  A two-dimensional barcode is attached to each of the replacement ink tank and the replacement ink tank installation location, and each two-dimensional barcode has information including an identifier, a name, a lot number, and a unique serial number. In addition to the ink tanks, other replacement parts also come with a two-dimensional barcode, which is read at the time of replacement and holds information such as billing information, replacement date and time, and the number of times when the replacement button is pressed from the UI. I do.

  If it is determined that the ink remaining in the buffer tank is in a state that requires ink supply from the replacement ink tank, and that the replacement ink tank is ready to start supplying ink, the ink from the replacement ink tank is supplied to the buffer tank. Start ink supply. Once the supply is started, all the ink in the replacement ink tank is supplied to the buffer tank, and at the same time the replacement ink tank becomes empty, the tank state of the replacement ink tank held by the main controller is changed to “empty”. State ”. Further, the supply is not performed in the same replacement ink tank. Only when the replacement completion button is pressed on the UI, the supply of ink from the replacement ink tank to the buffer tank can be started at any time.

  The feeding unit 7 realizes the feeding operation of the recording medium P by taking out the recording medium P by the feeding mechanism unit 7A and activating the intermediate conveyance unit 7C. Here, the activation of the intermediate transport unit 7C refers to a state in which the intermediate transport unit stop device 7E existing on the intermediate transport unit 7C is opened, and the recording fed to the intermediate transport unit 7C by the feed mechanism unit 7A. This indicates a state in which the medium P can be fed to the paper feeding unit 801 of the main body of the recording apparatus 1A.

  The feeding unit 7 includes a first feeding stop configuration that stops the feeding mechanism unit 7A and the intermediate conveyance unit 7C as a configuration for stopping the feeding, and an intermediate conveyance unit 7C that stops the feeding mechanism unit 7A. Has a second paper feed stop configuration that does not stop the paper feeding. Here, the stop of the intermediate transport unit 7C is a state in which the intermediate transport unit stopping device 7E existing on the intermediate transport unit 7C is closed (cut off), and the recording medium P on the intermediate transport unit 7C is used as the main body of the recording apparatus 1A. 2 shows a state in which the sheet is not fed to the sheet feeding unit 801.

  Note that, in the present embodiment, a configuration in which the intermediate transport unit stopping device 7E is closed is described as a configuration for stopping the feeding operation of the intermediate transport unit 7C, but another configuration may be employed. For example, the intermediate transport unit 7C is configured to be substantially horizontal, and a transport roller is provided so that the recording medium P can be transported on the transport path of the intermediate transport unit 7C. Then, by stopping the motor that drives the transport roller, the feeding operation may be stopped.

  When the first paper feed stop configuration is performed, the feeding of the recording medium P from the stacking unit 7B to the intermediate conveyance unit 7C and the feeding of the recording medium P from the intermediate conveyance unit 7C to the main body of the recording apparatus 1A are stopped. As a result, the recording medium P present on the intermediate conveyance unit 7C at the time of stopping the sheet feeding is not fed to the sheet feeding unit 801 of the main body of the recording apparatus 1A, but remains on the intermediate conveyance unit 7C after the sheet feeding is stopped. Therefore, before restarting the feeding, the user needs to remove the recording medium P remaining in the intermediate conveyance section 7C. On the other hand, when the second paper feed stop configuration is performed, the feeding of the recording medium P from the stacking unit 7B to the intermediate conveyance unit 7C is stopped. However, since the feeding of the recording medium P from the intermediate conveyance unit 7C to the main body of the recording apparatus 1A is continued, the recording medium present on the intermediate conveyance unit 7C at the time of stopping the sheet feeding is fed to the main body of the recording apparatus 1A. After the paper feed is stopped, the recording medium does not exist on the intermediate conveyance section 7C.

  With reference to FIG. 9, a description will be given of control performed when the feeding of the feeding unit 7 is stopped. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a control process when the paper supply of the feeding unit 7 is stopped. Each process of the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 9 is realized by the processing unit 401 under the control of the processing unit 131.

  When the printing operation of the recording apparatus 1A is started, the processing unit 401 starts the intermediate conveyance unit 91 in S91, and starts the feeding mechanism unit 7A in S92. As a result, the recording medium P in the stacking section 7B is fed one by one to the sheet feeding section 801 of the main body of the recording apparatus 1A. When the recording medium P is fed from the stacking section 7B to the intermediate conveyance section 7C, the sheet thickness is measured by the sheet thickness detection sensor 7D. The paper thickness detection sensor 7D is disposed on the upstream side in the transport direction of the intermediate transport section 91, and measures the thickness of the recording medium P fed by the feed mechanism section 7A.

  In S93, the processing unit 401 compares the value measured by the paper thickness detection sensor 7D with a predetermined paper thickness upper limit value and a predetermined paper thickness lower limit value. As a result of the comparison, if the measured value of the paper thickness is equal to or larger than the upper limit set value of the paper thickness, the process proceeds to S96, and the processing unit 401 stops the paper feeding mechanism unit 7A and the intermediate conveyance unit 7C (first paper feeding). Stop configuration). The first paper feed stop configuration has an effect of preventing the mechanism from being damaged due to feeding of the recording medium P having a paper thickness equal to or greater than the paper thickness upper limit set value to the main body of the recording apparatus 1A. After S96, the process in FIG. 9 ends.

  Also, as a result of the comparison, if the acquired paper thickness measurement value is equal to or less than the paper thickness lower limit set value, the process proceeds to S97, and the processing unit 401 stops the paper feeding mechanism unit 7A (second paper feeding). Stop configuration). With the second paper feed stop configuration, there is an effect that the user does not need to perform an operation of removing the recording medium P on the intermediate conveyance unit 7C when restarting the printing operation after the paper feed is stopped. After S97, the processing in FIG. 9 ends.

  If the result of comparison indicates that the acquired measured value of the paper thickness is within the effective range of the paper thickness set value (greater than the paper thickness lower limit set value and smaller than the paper thickness upper limit set value), the process proceeds to S94. The processing unit 401 determines whether the user has performed a print operation canceling operation. The print operation cancel operation is, for example, a user instruction operation by pressing a print cancel button on a user interface screen displayed on the touch panel of the operation unit 133.

  When it is determined that the user has performed the print operation canceling operation, in S97, the processing unit 401 stops the sheet feeding mechanism unit 7A (second sheet feeding stop configuration). On the other hand, when it is determined that the print operation cancel operation has not been performed by the user, in S95, the processing unit 401 determines whether there is a subsequent print job. If it is determined that there is a subsequent print job, the processing unit 401 continuously feeds the recording medium P from the stacking unit 7B, and performs the paper thickness determination in S93 again. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no subsequent print job, in S96, the processing unit 401 stops the sheet feeding mechanism unit 7A and the intermediate conveyance unit 7C, and ends the processing in FIG.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 10, a description will be given of control for switching the paper feed stop configuration depending on the state of the ink tank. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a control process for switching the paper feed stop configuration according to the state of the ink tank. Each process of the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 10 is realized by the processing unit 401 under the control of the processing unit 131. Steps S101 to S107 except for S104 are the same as S91 to S097 except for S94 in FIG. 9, and thus description thereof will be omitted.

  As a result of the comparison in S103, if the obtained measured value of the paper thickness is within the effective range of the paper thickness set value (greater than the paper thickness lower limit value and smaller than the paper thickness upper limit value), in S104, The processing unit 401 determines whether the remaining amount of ink in the buffer tank satisfies the condition that the ink needs to be supplied and the replacement ink tank is in a state in which supply cannot be started. If it is determined that the condition is satisfied, in step S107, the processing unit 401 stops the sheet feeding mechanism unit 7A (second sheet feeding stop configuration). Here, the state in which the buffer tank needs to supply ink refers to a state in which the buffer tank has at least the remaining amount of ink that can normally print at least the number of recording media P present on the intermediate conveyance unit 7C. According to the second paper feed stop configuration, the printing medium P present on the intermediate conveyance unit 7C is fed to the main body of the printing apparatus 1A when printing is stopped, and printing is performed using the ink remaining in the buffer tank. There is an effect that as many output products can be output as possible without interrupting the printing operation. If it is determined in S104 that the above condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to S105, and the same processing as in FIG. 9 is executed.

  Next, control for switching the paper feed stop configuration according to the presence or absence of a subsequent print job will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a control process for switching the paper feed stop configuration according to the presence or absence of a subsequent print job. Each process of the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 11 is realized by the processing unit 401 under the control of the processing unit 131. S111 to S117 are the same as S91 to S97 in FIG. 9, but differ from FIG. 9 in the case where it is determined in S114 that the printing operation cancellation operation has been performed by the user. If it is determined in S114 that the user has performed the print operation cancel operation, the process proceeds to S118, and the processing unit 401 determines whether there is a subsequent print job. If it is determined that there is a subsequent print job, in step S117, the processing unit 401 stops the paper feed mechanism (second paper feed stop configuration). The second paper feed stop configuration has the effect of eliminating the need for the user to remove the recording medium P on the intermediate transport unit 7C when restarting the printing operation to perform a subsequent print job.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no subsequent print job, in step S116, the processing unit 401 stops the sheet feeding mechanism unit 7A and the intermediate conveyance unit 7C (first sheet feeding stop configuration). The first paper feed stop configuration has an effect of reducing waste paper generated when paper feed is stopped in a situation where there is no subsequent print job and there is no need to restart the printing operation.

  Next, control of switching of the paper feed stop configuration when a printing operation is canceled by a user setting will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a control process of switching the paper feed stop configuration when the printing operation is canceled according to the user setting. Each process of the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 12 is realized by the processing unit 401 under the control of the processing unit 131. S121 to S127 are the same as S091 to S097 in FIG. 9, but differ from FIG. 9 in the case where it is determined in S124 that the user has performed the print operation canceling operation. If it is determined in S124 that the printing operation cancel operation has been performed by the user, the process proceeds to S128, and the processing unit 401 determines whether or not the paper feed stop configuration to be performed when the printing operation is canceled is set. If it is determined that the printing operation cancel operation has been performed, and if the user has set to execute the first paper feed stop configuration, the process proceeds to S126, and the processing unit 401 executes the paper feeding mechanism unit 7A and the intermediate conveyance. The unit 7C is stopped (first paper feed stop configuration). With the first paper feed stop configuration, when there is a user's desire to reduce the work when the printing operation is restarted, the user performs the work of removing the recording medium P on the intermediate transport unit 7C when the printing operation is restarted. This has the effect of eliminating the need.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the print operation cancel operation has been performed, and if the user has set to execute the second paper feed stop configuration, the process proceeds to S127, and the processing unit 401 sets the paper feed mechanism unit 7A to Stop (second paper feed stop configuration). According to the second paper feed stop configuration, when there is a user's desire to reduce the damage of the recording medium P, there is an effect of reducing the waste paper generated when the paper feed is stopped.

(Other Examples)
The present invention supplies a program for realizing one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or an apparatus via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in a computer of the system or the apparatus read and execute the program. This process can be realized. Further, it can be realized by a circuit (for example, an ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

  Reference Signs List 1 Recording system: 7 Feeding unit: 7A Feeding mechanism: 7B Loading unit: 7C Intermediate transport unit: 7E Intermediate transport unit stop device: 131 Processing unit: 132 Storage unit: 801 Paper feed unit

Claims (23)

A recording system comprising: a loading unit capable of loading a recording medium; and a recording apparatus main body that performs recording on the recording medium fed from the loading unit via a conveyance path,
First feeding means for feeding the recording medium loaded on the loading section to the transport path;
Second feeding means for feeding the recording medium on the conveyance path to the recording apparatus main body,
First stopping means for stopping the first feeding means and the second feeding means,
And a second stopping means for stopping the first feeding means and not stopping the second feeding means.   2. The recording system according to claim 1, further comprising control means for controlling the first stop means and the second stop means based on a condition.   3. The recording system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the first stop unit and the second stop unit based on a user instruction regarding printing.   4. The recording system according to claim 3, wherein the control unit stops the first feeding unit by the second stopping unit when an instruction to cancel printing is given.   The recording system according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the first stop unit and the second stop unit based on the presence or absence of a succeeding job.   The recording system according to claim 5, wherein the control unit stops the first feeding unit by the second stopping unit when a succeeding job exists.   The recording system according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls the first stop unit and the second stop unit based on a setting by a user.   3. The recording system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the first stop unit and the second stop unit based on a remaining amount of ink in an ink tank used for the printing.   9. The recording system according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the first stop unit and the second stop unit based on information on a thickness of the recording medium. 10.   10. The method according to claim 9, wherein when the thickness of the recording medium is larger than a predetermined value, the control means stops the first feeding means and the second feeding means by the first stopping means. The recording system described. The image forming apparatus further includes a blocking unit configured to block a conveyance path to the recording apparatus main body,
The recording system according to claim 1, wherein the second stopping unit does not cause the blocking unit to block the transport path.   The recording system according to claim 11, wherein the conveyance path is inclined so as to descend toward the recording apparatus main body. A control method executed in a recording system including a loading unit capable of loading a recording medium, and a recording apparatus main body that performs recording on the recording medium fed from the loading unit via a conveyance path,
A first feeding step by first feeding means for feeding the recording medium loaded on the loading section to the transport path;
A second feeding step by a second feeding unit for feeding the recording medium on the conveyance path to the recording apparatus main body;
A first stopping step of stopping the first feeding means and the second feeding means;
A second stopping step of stopping the first feeding means and not stopping the second feeding means.   The control method according to claim 13, further comprising a control step of controlling the first stop step and the second stop step based on a condition.   The control method according to claim 14, wherein the control step controls the first stop step and the second stop step based on a user instruction regarding printing.   16. The control method according to claim 15, wherein the control step executes the second stop step when an instruction to cancel printing is given.   17. The control method according to claim 15, wherein the control step controls the first stop step and the second stop step based on the presence or absence of a succeeding job.   18. The control method according to claim 17, wherein the control step executes the second stop step when a succeeding job exists.   17. The control method according to claim 15, wherein the control step controls the first stop step and the second stop step based on a setting by a user.   17. The control method according to claim 15, wherein the control step controls the first stop step and the second stop step based on a remaining amount of ink in an ink tank used for the recording.   21. The control method according to claim 20, wherein the control step executes the second stop step when the thickness of the recording medium is larger than a predetermined value. The image forming apparatus further includes a blocking unit that blocks a conveyance path to the recording apparatus main body,
22. The control method according to claim 13, wherein the second stopping step does not cause the blocking unit to block the transport path.   23. The control method according to claim 22, wherein the transport path is inclined so as to descend toward the recording apparatus main body.

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