JP2020044665A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

To achieve an image forming device that can suppress a paper from being supplied and printed in a state where sides of the paper are reversed in performing back-side printing.SOLUTION: If a user gives a reply that the user hopes that test preview operation is performed (S2:Yes), the test preview operation is performed. The test preview operation is performed only on one paper in a paper cassette for back-side printing. A control part conveys a paper P to an image forming mechanism (S3), reads-out an image file of test preview images memorized in a memorizing part, and forms the images on the paper using the image forming mechanism and outputs the paper. The user visually confirms the paper outputted to a paper discharge part, and if confirming an image other than the test preview images, can determine that both sides of the paper P are reversed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a medium (paper) and outputs the image.

  Various types of media (paper) on which an image is formed and output by a printer (image forming apparatus) are used, and the output modes are also various. As the output mode, there are one-sided printing in which an image is formed and output on only one side of a sheet, and double-sided printing in which an image is formed and output on both sides. In particular, when performing one-sided printing, paper that has already been printed on one side and is blank on the other side (backing paper) can be used as the paper to be used. There is a case where back paper printing for forming and outputting an image can be performed. Such backing paper printing, for example, when users create materials etc. that are used only for themselves in the workplace and the presence or absence of images on the back side does not matter, paper that has already been used can be reused, This is extremely effective because the consumption of new paper can be reduced.

  In order to perform printing, a paper feed tray in which a large number of sheets are stacked and stored therein is generally used, and particularly when such backing paper printing is performed, an image is already formed. In order to prevent a new image from being overwritten on the formed surface (back surface) and not printing on the surface (front surface) where the image should be originally formed, for example, the front and back of paper in a paper feed tray Is required to be appropriate (for example, the surface is on the upper side).

  If the orientation of the paper is not proper as described above, re-printing or wasteful consumption of the paper occurs. Therefore, a technique for appropriately determining the orientation of the front and back of the paper, especially in the case of back paper printing, has been proposed. I have. Here, the front surface is the surface on the side of the blank state, and the back surface is the surface on which an image has already been formed. For example, in Patent Document 1, the presence or absence of an image on the front side is identified using a sensor, and when the image is recognized, normal printing is performed without performing new printing on this sheet. A technique for discharging the paper to a different discharge destination than when the paper is performed is described. In this case, instead of performing a new print, a mark indicating the back side (back side mark) is printed on the side on which the image has been formed in this manner, and thereafter, the front and back of this paper is It can be easily recognized only by the presence or absence of this mark. Thus, wasteful consumption of paper can be suppressed.

  Further, in Patent Document 2, as described above, before printing, the presence or absence of an image on the side of the sheet is recognized by a sensor, and if the image is recognized, the sheet is fed without printing. An image forming apparatus for returning the sheet to the side is described.

  According to such a technique, when performing back paper printing, it is possible to suppress printing on paper supplied in a state where the front and back are not proper, and to suppress wasteful consumption of paper.

JP-A-10-97112 JP 2007-203692 A

  In the above technology, a new sensor for recognizing the presence / absence of an image on a surface (front surface) on which printing is to be performed is required in order to determine whether or not the front and back of the paper are appropriate. Forming equipment became expensive. Further, depending on an image formed in advance on a sheet, it may be difficult to recognize the image by a sensor.

  For this reason, it is desired to realize an image forming apparatus having a simple configuration that suppresses the printing from being performed by erroneously supplying the front and back sides of the paper when performing the back paper printing.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and has as its object to provide a technique capable of solving the above-described problems.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an image forming mechanism that forms and outputs an image on the medium conveyed from a paper supply unit that accommodates a plurality of media, and a state in which the image is formed on one surface in advance. An image forming apparatus for performing back paper printing, wherein another image is formed on the other surface of the medium accommodated in the sheet feeding unit by the image forming mechanism and output, and the test is a predetermined image. A storage unit for storing a preview image as an image file, and a test preview operation for forming and outputting the test preview image on the other surface of the one medium conveyed from the paper feeding unit to the image forming mechanism. And a control unit for performing the operation.

  With the above configuration, it is possible to realize, with a simple configuration, an image forming apparatus capable of suppressing the printing from being performed by erroneously supplying the front and back of the paper when performing the back paper printing.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation when a test preview operation is performed in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4 is an example of display on a display unit in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state of a sheet output in a test preview operation in the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. The image forming apparatus 1 is a multifunction peripheral, and has a printing function of forming an image on a sheet (medium) and outputting the image. The image is an image based on a print job or an image read from a document. FIG. 1 mainly illustrates a mechanical configuration of the image forming apparatus 1. In FIG. 1, a mechanism (image forming mechanism) for executing a printing function is provided mainly in the lowermost main body 10, and a printed sheet is output on the upper part of the main body 10. A paper discharge unit 11 is provided. A document reading unit 30 that performs an operation of optically reading a document when executing an image reading function of reading a supplied current image is provided above the paper discharge unit 11. On the upper side of the document reading unit 30, a document feeding unit 40 that transports a document from which an image is to be read one by one to the document reading unit 30 is provided. Since the document reading unit 30 and the document feeding unit 40 are not directly related to the present invention, their detailed description will be omitted. On the front side of the document reading unit 30, a display unit 51, which is a display for displaying various information in the image forming apparatus 1, and an operation unit 52 having a large number of operation keys for receiving user operations are provided upward. Note that the display unit 51 is actually a touch panel display, and virtual operation keys are also appropriately displayed in the display unit 51, and operations using the operation keys are also performed. The structure shown in FIG. 1 is not different from a conventionally known image forming apparatus (multifunction peripheral).

  In FIG. 1, a paper feed tray (paper feed unit) 12 that accommodates a large number of papers P to be printed and is detachable from the main body 10 is provided at a lower portion of the main body 10. By rotating the roller 14, the paper P is conveyed upward one by one from the paper feed tray 12. In FIG. 1, a flow in which the paper P is transported when printing is performed is indicated by a broken line as a paper transport path R. 1, only one set of the sheet feed tray 12, the sheet feed roller 13, and the transport roller 14 is shown. However, actually, a plurality of these are provided according to the type of the sheet P. Further, when backing paper printing is performed, a paper feeding tray 12 for backing paper printing and a paper feeding roller 13 and a transport roller 14 attached thereto are provided. A cover that can be opened and closed while being detached from the main body 10 is attached to the paper feed tray 12, and when the cover is open, the user supplies paper P to the paper feed tray 12.

  On the downstream side of the paper transport path R of the main body 10 (above the paper feed tray 12), there is provided a photosensitive drum 15 on which an image pattern made of toner is formed on a cylindrical surface. This image pattern is transferred to the surface of the sheet P when the sheet is conveyed upward while being nipped by the body drum 15 and the transfer roller 16. In order to form such an image pattern on the surface of the photoconductor drum 15, a charging unit 17 for uniformly charging the surface of the photoconductor drum 15, and the charged surface of the photoconductor drum 15 is exposed with this image pattern. Thus, an exposure unit 18 for forming a potential distribution corresponding to the image pattern on the surface, and a developing unit 19 for supplying toner to the surface after the potential distribution is provided are provided. Further, a cleaning unit 20 for removing and initializing the toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum 15 is also provided.

  The paper P on which the image pattern has been transferred is heated and pressed when it is transported upward by the fixing roller 21 maintained at a high temperature on the upper side, so that the image pattern is fixed on the paper P. Thereafter, the paper P is guided to the paper discharge unit 11 by the discharge roller 22 and output.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration related to control in the image forming apparatus 1. Here, a control unit 100 including a CPU for performing overall control is provided. The image forming mechanism 110 includes the photosensitive drum 15, the transfer roller 16, the charging unit 17, the exposure unit 18, the developing unit 19, the cleaning unit 20, and the like in FIG. 1, and functions to form and fix an image on the paper P. I do. The paper transport mechanism 120 includes the paper feed roller 13, the transport roller 14, the discharge roller 22, and the like in FIG. 1. The paper transport mechanism 120 properly transports the paper P from the paper feed tray 12 to the image forming mechanism 110, and It functions to properly discharge the paper P. The control unit 100 appropriately controls the image forming mechanism 110 and the sheet conveying mechanism 120 when performing the printing operation. Similarly, in order for the document reading mechanism 130 including the document reading section 30 to obtain image data from a document, the document transport mechanism 140 including the document feeding section 40 and the like is appropriately controlled by the control section 100. Is controlled.

  The control unit 100 performs the above-described printing operation and reading operation by recognizing the operation by the operation unit 52. At this time, the display unit 51 is used to display necessary information or to display virtual operation keys as described above. Further, a storage unit 150 including a hard disk and a nonvolatile memory for storing various data including the image data obtained as described above is provided. Further, especially when the above-described printing operation is performed based on a print job, a network connection unit 160 serving as an interface for receiving a print job from a computer connected via a network is also provided.

  As described above, a plurality of paper feed cassettes 12 and the like are actually provided, and which paper feed cassette 12 (the paper P in it) is used is determined depending on the size of the paper P and whether or not to perform back paper printing. The control unit 100 recognizes the content of the received print job and which paper cassette 12 to use (from which paper cassette 12 the paper P is conveyed to the image forming mechanism 110 side) by operating the operation unit 52. be able to. As described above, each sheet cassette 12 can be attached to and detached from the main body 10, but the control unit 100 detects that the sheet cassette 12 is currently mounted by a sensor (not shown) that detects the attachment or detachment. Can be recognized. Similarly, the control unit 100 can recognize the presence or absence of the sheet P in the sheet cassette 12, and when the sheet P runs out in the sheet cassette 12 or when the remaining amount of the sheet P decreases, The display 51 displays a warning to that effect.

  Here, in the image forming apparatus 1, single-sided printing is performed. In this case, printing is performed on the upper surface (front surface) of the sheets P stacked in the sheet cassette 12. . On the other hand, the lower surface (back surface) of the paper P may be blank, but printing can also be performed on the paper P (back paper) on which an image is formed in advance on the back surface. In this case, it is set so that an image is not newly formed on a surface on which an image is formed (one surface: back surface), and an image is formed on a blank surface (the other surface: front surface). Is done. For this purpose, it is necessary that the front and back sides of the paper P in the paper feed cassette 12 for backing paper printing are always appropriately maintained as predetermined, for example, so that the front side is on the upper side.

  In the image forming apparatus 1, when performing back paper printing, a test preview operation is performed, whereby the user can determine whether the front and back of the paper P in the paper cassette 12 for back paper printing is proper. Can be determined. The test preview operation is an operation of forming and outputting a preset test preview image on the surface of one sheet of paper P in the paper feed cassette 12 for back paper printing. The test preview image is set in such a pattern that when the image is formed in advance on the surface of the paper P and when the test preview image is further formed in an overlapping manner, both the test preview image and the original image can be confirmed. You. For example, a grid pattern or the like over the entire print area can be used as the test preview image. Since the image data (image file) is stored in the storage unit 150, the control unit 100 stores the image file. It can be read from the unit 150 and used in the test preview operation.

  By visually observing the paper P output after the test preview operation, the user can recognize whether the front and back of the paper P in the paper feed cassette 12 is appropriate. At this time, one sheet of paper P is used, but such a check of the front and back of the paper P is performed only immediately after the paper cassette 12 is reset (removed from the main body 10 and then mounted again). It is enough to go. In this case, consumption of the paper P can be minimized.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing this operation. First, the control unit 100 recognizes whether or not the paper feed cassette 12 for backing paper has been reset (S1). Specifically, the recognition that the paper feed cassette 12 for the backing paper has been reset is made by removing the paper feed cassette 12 once, re-attaching the paper feed cassette 12, and loading two or more sheets P in the paper feed cassette 12. Recognized by being present. By resetting the paper feed cassette 12, it can be estimated that the paper feed cassette 12 that newly contains many sheets of paper P has been mounted. If the sheet cassette 12 is reset (S1: Yes), the control unit 100 uses the display unit 51 to inquire of the user whether to perform a test preview operation (S2). FIG. 4A is an example showing a display on the display unit 51 (touch panel display) in this case. If the sheet feed cassette 12 is reset but the sheets P have not been replenished and the test preview operation is not required, the user may reply that the test preview operation is unnecessary (S2: No). .

  When the user replies that the user wants to perform the test preview operation (S2: Yes), the test preview operation is performed. The test preview operation is performed only on one sheet of paper P in the paper cassette 12 for back paper printing. Therefore, the control unit 100 controls the paper transport mechanism 120 to transport the paper P to the image forming mechanism 110 (S3). Thereafter, the control unit 100 reads out the image file of the test preview image stored in the storage unit 150, forms it on the paper P using the image forming mechanism 110, and outputs it (S4).

  FIG. 5A shows an example of a test preview image used in this case. Here, the test preview image has a grid pattern over the entire printing range of the paper P. FIG. 5B illustrates an example of the front surface of the paper P when an image is formed on the front surface of the paper P (when the front and back sides of the paper P are stored in the paper feed cassette 12 with the opposite side being appropriate). It is. In this case, the surface of the sheet P after the output (S4) is equal to FIG. 5A if the state of the front and back in the paper feed cassette 12 is proper, and FIG. 5 (c), the identification is easy. Further, when the paper P is simply output to the paper output unit 11 without performing the test preview image, the front and back sides of the output paper P can be identified only by the state of the paper P in the paper output unit 11. Depending on the state of the output sheet P, the front and back sides may not be correctly determined. On the other hand, when a test preview image as shown in FIG. 5A is formed on the front surface, the surface on which the test preview image is formed is the surface of the sheet P (the surface on which the image should be formed). I can certainly recognize that there is. At this time, if the test preview image is, for example, in the form of a lattice as described above, the test preview image and the original image overlap as shown in FIG. 5C, and the state of the front and back of the paper P in the paper feed cassette 12 is changed. It is possible to easily recognize that it was not appropriate.

  The user visually checks the paper P output to the paper output unit 11, and if an image other than the test preview image can be confirmed as shown in FIG. 5C, the front and back of the paper P are not appropriate. Can be determined. Therefore, the control unit 100 uses the display unit 51 to inquire the user of the determination result (S5). FIG. 4B is an example showing the display of the screen of the display unit 51 in this case. When an image other than the test preview image is overlapped with the test preview image on the paper P as shown in FIG. 5C, it is estimated that the front and back of the paper P in the paper feed cassette 12 is not appropriate ( S5: No). In this case, after the user removes the sheet cassette 12 and turns the sheet P upside down (S6), the user can mount the sheet cassette 12 again. As a result, the sheet cassette 12 is reset (S1), and the operations after the inquiry (S2) as to whether or not to perform the test preview operation are performed again. However, for example, when the user operates “OK” on the screen of FIG. 4B, it is not necessary to newly perform a test preview operation in this case, and an inquiry is made as to whether or not to perform a test preview operation ( It is good also as a setting which does not perform operation after S2).

  In the above operation, when the user visually confirms the output paper P (S4), the control unit 100 may display the used test preview image on the display unit 51. Thus, the user can more easily recognize whether or not an image other than the test preview image exists on the surface of the sheet P.

  The above-described test preview operation is performed by using the configuration of a normal image forming apparatus except for storing image data of a test preview image in the storage unit 150 in advance and performing printing using the image data. Can be. For this reason, the configuration itself shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is not different from the conventional image forming apparatus. Therefore, the above-described image forming apparatus 1 can have a simple configuration and can be obtained at low cost.

  Further, even if the user confirms the sheet P after the test preview operation described above and can confirm an image other than the test preview image (an image formed in advance on the surface of the sheet P), the user may not be able to print the image. If it is determined that no problem occurs, the front and back of the sheet P are determined to be appropriate (S5: Yes), and thereafter, printing (back page printing) may be performed on the sheet P as it is.

  At this time, it is also possible to set such that different test preview images can be used according to the purpose of printing. In this case, the storage unit 150 stores a plurality of image files corresponding to the plurality of test preview images, and the user can select one of them by operating the operation unit 52. It is preferable that the plurality of test preview images can be displayed on the display unit 51. At this time, a test preview image other than that shown in FIG. 5A can be appropriately set and used.

  In the above example, the test preview operation is performed when the paper feed cassette 12 for backing paper printing is mounted (reset). However, the timing at which the test preview operation is performed can be set as appropriate. For example, a test preview operation may be performed on the first sheet when performing back paper printing (performing printing using the paper P conveyed from the paper cassette 12 for back paper printing). .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 10 Main body 11 Paper discharge unit 12 Paper feed tray (paper feed unit)
13 feed roller 14 transport roller 15 photoreceptor drum 16 transfer roller 17 charging section 18 exposure unit 19 developing unit 20 cleaning unit 21 fixing roller 22 discharge roller 30 document reading section 40 document feeding section 51 display section 52 operation section 100 control section 110 Image forming mechanism 120 Paper transport mechanism 130 Document reading mechanism 140 Document transport mechanism 150 Storage unit 160 Network connection unit P Paper R Paper transport path

Claims (4)

An image forming mechanism for forming and outputting an image on the medium conveyed from a paper supply unit containing a plurality of media is provided, and is stored in the paper supply unit in a state where an image is formed on one surface in advance. An image forming apparatus that performs backing paper printing for forming and outputting another image on the other surface of the medium by the image forming mechanism,
A storage unit that stores a test preview image that is a predetermined image as an image file,
A control unit that causes the image forming mechanism to perform a test preview operation of forming and outputting the test preview image on the other surface of the one medium conveyed from the sheet feeding unit;
An image forming apparatus comprising: The paper feeding unit is detachable from a main body provided with the image forming mechanism,
The control unit is configured to perform the test preview operation when the paper supply unit containing a plurality of the media in a state where an image is formed on one surface in advance is mounted on the main body. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1. A display unit for displaying information;
The controller inquires, after the test preview operation, whether or not the setting of the one surface and the other surface in the sheet feeding unit of the medium output by the test preview operation is appropriate. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the setting is not appropriate, an instruction to reverse the front and back of the medium in the paper feeding unit is displayed on the display unit.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit causes the display unit to display the test preview image after the test preview operation.

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