JP2022030864A - Image forming system and medium detection method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image forming system and a medium detection method that can detect medium characteristics without largely impairing productivity and specify, before inspection, information on an output object that is likely to be failed in the inspection.SOLUTION: An image forming system comprises: a medium detection unit that is arranged on a conveyance path and detects the characteristics of a medium conveyed at a predetermined speed; a sheet matching determination unit that determines whether the characteristics of the medium detected by the medium detection unit matches a characteristic range of a designated medium; a storage unit that, when the sheet matching determination unit determines that the characteristics of the medium detected by the medium detection unit does not match the characteristics of the designated medium, stores information specifying a page or a page group of the medium; and a control unit that controls the respective units based on a result of determination made by the sheet matching determination unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming system and a media detection method.

Conventionally, a sensor that detects the characteristics of the media (recording medium) is provided in the paper feed path in the image forming apparatus to detect the inconsistency between the media settings and the loaded paper, and printing on the wrong paper is prevented. An image forming apparatus for preventing has been proposed (Patent Document 1).

Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which a reflective light sensor detects reflected light from the media and detects the paper thickness based on the detection output at a position where the media is on standby. Further, Patent Document 1 describes that the job is forcibly interrupted when the paper thickness of the set media and the paper thickness of the media being conveyed are different.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-77855

By the way, as in Patent Document 1, when the job is interrupted when the characteristics of the set media are different from the characteristics of the media being transported, the productivity is lowered.

On the other hand, the output printed on the wrong medium becomes defective at the time of inspection and is disposed of as spoiled paper. For this reason, when an output printed on the wrong medium is generated, it is necessary to specify the number of copies that need to be printed again after inspection and to specify the page or page group, which causes a great deal of trouble. ..

Therefore, the present invention detects media characteristics without significantly impairing productivity, identifies information on output products that may cause inspection defects before inspection, and reduces the time and effort required for reprinting. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming system capable of being capable of, and a media detection method.

In order to solve the above problems and achieve the object of the present invention, the image forming system of the present invention is arranged in a transport path and has a media detection unit and a media detection unit that detect the characteristics of media transported at a predetermined speed. It is provided with a paper match determination unit for determining whether or not the characteristics of the media detected in 1 match the characteristic range of the specified media. In addition, when the paper match determination unit determines that the characteristics of the media detected by the media detection unit do not match the characteristics of the specified media, information for specifying the page or page group of the media. It is provided with a storage unit for storing.

In the media detection method of the present invention, the process of detecting the characteristics of the media conveyed at a predetermined speed by the media detection unit and the characteristics of the detected media and the characteristics of the designated media have been compared and conveyed. It has a step of determining whether or not the media matches the designated media in the paper match determination unit. Further, when the conveyed media does not match the specified media based on the result determined by the paper match determination unit, the storage unit stores information for specifying the page or page group of the media. It has a step to make it.

According to the present invention, it is possible to detect a medium having a possibility of defective inspection without significantly impairing productivity.

It is an overall block diagram of the image formation system which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2A is an enlarged view showing the schematic configuration of the media detection unit. FIG. 2B is a schematic configuration diagram when the paper M is detected by the media detection unit. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the control system of the image formation system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the method of determining the paper match / mismatch determination level in the paper match determination unit. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the media detection method in the image formation system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the media detection method in the image formation system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the media detection method in the image formation system which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the media detection method in the image formation system which concerns on 4th Embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, an example of the judgment level for each sheet of paper when the deer detection method is implemented, the movement of the judgment conversion for the judgment level, the movement of the additional output counter, and the movement of the hold counter are shown. show. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the media detection method in the image formation system which concerns on 5th Embodiment.

Hereinafter, an example of the image forming system and the media detection method according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following examples. In each of the figures described below, the common members are designated by the same reference numerals.

<1. First Embodiment>
1-1. Configuration of Image Forming System FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an image forming system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming system 1 of the present embodiment includes a feeding unit 2, an image forming device 3, an image inspection unit 4, and a paper ejection unit 5.

[Paper Unit]
The paper feed unit 2 includes a paper feed tray 23 and a media detection unit 90. The paper feed tray 23 can store a large amount of paper (a part of recording material, also referred to as “media”). The paper feed unit supplies (feeds) paper from the paper feed tray 23 to the image forming apparatus 3 side based on the instruction content of the job. Paper is fed from the paper feed tray 23 by driving a paper feed roller (not shown) provided corresponding to the paper feed tray 23. The paper fed from the paper feed tray 23 is then transported to the image forming apparatus 3 side along the paper transport path 10 of the paper transport unit 18.

The paper transport unit 18 has a paper transport path 10 and a plurality of transport rollers 12. The paper transport path 10 is provided from the paper feed unit 2 to the paper discharge unit 5 via the image forming apparatus 3 and the image inspection unit 4. The paper transport unit 18 transports paper by a plurality of transport rollers based on the instructions of the control unit 6.

[Image forming device]
The image forming apparatus 3 is an electrophotographic image forming apparatus, and forms a full-color image by superimposing toner images of each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). It is a possible tandem color image forming device.

The image forming apparatus 3 controls the media detecting unit 90, the image reading unit 21, the operation display unit 22, the image forming unit 24, the intermediate transfer belt unit 25, the secondary transfer roller 27, and the fixing unit 28. It is provided with a part 6.

The media detection unit 90 is installed on the paper transport path 10 of the paper fed from the paper feed unit 2 to the image forming apparatus 3, and is arranged on the upstream side of the secondary transfer roller 27 in the paper transport direction. The media detection unit 90 includes a physical characteristic value detection unit 91 (see FIG. 3) and a position detection unit 93 (see FIG. 3). The physical property value detection unit 91 has a function as a paper thickness detection unit 95 (see FIG. 3) for detecting the paper thickness of the conveyed paper and a basis weight detection unit 94 (see FIG. 3) for detecting the basis weight of the paper. Has the function as. Further, the position detection unit 93 detects the position of the tip of the conveyed paper.

FIG. 2A is an enlarged view showing the schematic configuration of the media detection unit 90. Further, FIG. 2B is a schematic configuration diagram when the paper M is detected by the media detection unit 90.

The media detection unit 90 includes a paper pressing unit 92, a physical characteristic value detection unit 91, a rotary shaft 96, and a position detection unit 93. The paper pressing portion 92 is arranged on the lower side in the vertical direction of the paper transport path 10, and has a function of pressing the conveyed paper M upward. The paper pressing portion 92 moves in the vertical direction due to the rotation of the rotating shaft 96 shown in FIG. 2B.

The rotary shaft 96 is composed of a rod-shaped member having a semicircular cross section, and is rotatably configured by a motor (not shown). When the rotary shaft 96 rotates and comes into contact with the paper pressing portion 92, the paper M is pushed up toward the physical property value detecting portion 91, and when it is rotated and does not come into contact with the paper pressing portion 92, the paper pressing portion The 92 is arranged at a position where it does not come into contact with the conveyed paper M.

The physical characteristic value detection unit 91 is arranged on the upper side of the paper transport path 10 in the vertical direction, and is arranged at a position facing the paper pressing unit 92. The physical characteristic value detection unit 91 includes a paper thickness detection unit 95 and a basis weight detection unit 94. The physical property value detection unit 91 detects the paper thickness and basis weight of the paper M by sandwiching the paper M pushed up by the paper pressing unit 92 with the rotation of the rotating shaft 96 with the paper pressing unit 92. do. The paper thickness detection unit 95 detects the paper thickness of the paper M sandwiched between the physical characteristic value detection unit 91 and the paper pressing unit 92. The basis weight detecting unit 94 includes a light emitting unit and a photodetecting unit (not shown), and the paper M is determined by the amount of light transmitted from the light emitting unit and detected by the photodetecting unit among the light emitted from the light emitting unit. Detects the basis weight of. Information on the paper thickness and basis weight detected by the physical characteristic value detection unit 91 is sent to the control unit 6 described later.

The position detection unit 93 is arranged on the downstream side of the paper pressing unit 92 and the physical property value detection unit 91 in the paper transport path 10. The position detection unit 93 detects the tip position of the paper M whose thickness and basis weight are detected by the physical characteristic value detection unit 91. The position detection unit 93 can be configured by using, for example, a contact type sensor. As the non-contact type sensor, a reflection type or a transmission type optical sensor can be used. The information detected by the position detection unit 93 is sent to the control unit 6, which will be described later.

The media detection unit 90 detects the paper thickness and the basis weight, and detects the position of the tip of the paper by transporting the paper in the first paper feed mode or the second paper feed mode. The first paper feed mode is a paper feed mode in which the paper is conveyed at the position of the media detection unit 90 at the transfer speed applied in normal image formation. When the first paper feed mode is applied, the media detection unit 90 performs media detection in a state where the media is conveyed at the transfer speed applied in normal image formation. In this case, since the transport speed does not decrease, it is possible to prevent a decrease in productivity. In the second paper feed mode, the paper is fed at a slower transfer speed than the first paper feed mode at the position of the media detection unit 90, or the paper feed is temporarily stopped at the position of the media detection unit 90. The mode. When the second paper feed mode is applied, the media is detected by the media detection unit 90 in a state where the media is conveyed at a transfer speed slower than the transfer speed applied in normal image formation, or the media is detected. Media detection is performed by the media detection unit 90 in a state where the media transfer is stopped. In this case, the media characteristics can be detected more accurately.

In the present embodiment, it is determined whether or not the printed matter to be output is a defective product based on the information of the paper thickness and the basis weight of the paper detected by the physical characteristic value detection unit 91. Further, based on the information detected by the position detection unit 93, the position information of the paper determined to be defective and the job information are acquired, and the information is stored in the control unit 6. A description of the control of the media detection unit 90 will be described in detail later.

Returning to FIG. 1, each part of the image forming apparatus 3 will be described. The image reading unit 21 reads the image of the original. The image reading unit 21 includes an automatic document feeder 21a called an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) and a document image scanning device (scanner) 21b. The automatic document feeder 21a conveys the document placed on the document tray by the transport mechanism and feeds it to the document image scanning device 21b. The image reading unit 21 can continuously read images of a large number of originals placed on the document tray by the cooperation of the automatic document feeding device 21a and the document image scanning device 21b. The document image scanning device 21b optically scans a document conveyed on the contact glass by the automatic document feeder 21a or a document placed on the contact glass by the user, and CCD (Charge) the reflected light from the document. Coupled Device) The image of the original is read by forming an image on the light receiving surface of a sensor or the like. The image reading unit 21 generates image data based on the reading result of the original image scanning device 21b.

The operation display unit 22 has a function as an operation unit that accepts a user's input operation and a function as a display unit that displays various information in addition to the user. The operation display unit 22 is composed of, for example, a touch panel type liquid crystal display unit, and is capable of accepting operations by the user and displaying information to the user. It is also possible to configure the operation unit with a mouse, a tablet, or the like, and to configure the operation unit separately from the display unit.

The image forming unit 24 includes four image forming units 26Y, 26M, 26C, and 26K for forming toner images of each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). ing. Each of the four image forming units 26Y, 26M, 26C, 26K includes a photoconductor drum, a charger, an exposure device, a developer, a static eliminator, a drum cleaner, and the like. The image forming unit 24 forms a toner image of each color by controlling the operation of each of the image forming units 26Y, 26M, 26C, and 26K.

The image forming unit 24 forms a toner image on the surface of the photoconductor drum of each of the image forming units 26Y, 26M, 26C, and 26K. The formation of the toner image is performed by the following process. First, the surface of the photoconductor drum is charged by a charger. Next, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor drum by exposing the surface of the charged photoconductor drum with an exposure device to eliminate the charge. Next, by supplying toner to the surface of the photoconductor drum by a developing device, the electrostatic latent image is developed by adhering the toner. By the above process, a toner image is formed on the surface of the photoconductor drum. At that time, a yellow toner image is formed on the photoconductor drum of the image forming unit 26Y, and a magenta toner image is formed on the photoconductor drum of the image forming unit 26M. Further, a cyan toner image is formed on the photoconductor drum of the image forming unit 26C, and a black toner image is formed on the photoconductor drum of the image forming unit 26K.

The intermediate transfer belt portion 25 is composed of a rotating endless belt. In the intermediate transfer belt unit 25, toner images of each color formed on the surface of the photoconductor drum of each image forming unit 26Y, 26M, 26C, 26K are sequentially transferred to the surface thereof. The transfer of the toner image from the photoconductor drum to the intermediate transfer belt portion 25 is performed by a primary transfer roller (not shown). At this time, the toner images of each color are superimposed and transferred to the intermediate transfer belt portion 25. Transcription at this stage is called primary transcription. As a result, a color toner image is formed on the intermediate transfer belt portion 25.

The secondary transfer roller 27 collectively transfers the color toner image formed on the intermediate transfer belt portion 25 to the conveyed paper. Transcription at this stage is called secondary transcription. At the time of the secondary transfer, the paper is fed to the secondary transfer roller 27 from the resist portion 14 provided in the paper transport path 10 at the timing when the toner image arrives at the secondary transfer roller 27.

The resist unit 14 is composed of, for example, a pair of resist rollers. The pair of resist rollers are arranged so as to be in contact with each other with a predetermined pressing force. In the resist unit 14, the paper conveyed by the paper transfer path 10 is abutted against the contact portions of the pair of resist rollers. As a result, the skew of the paper is corrected and the paper transfer is temporarily stopped. Further, the pair of resist rollers feeds the paper toward the secondary transfer roller 27 by rotating while sandwiching the paper, and swings in the middle of the feeding in a direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction. Correct the misalignment in the width direction of the paper.

Then, when the toner image arrives at the secondary transfer roller 27, the paper is fed from the resist unit 14 to the secondary transfer roller 27, so that the color toner image on the intermediate transfer belt unit 25 is secondary to the paper. Transferred. As a result, a color toner image is formed on the paper. After that, the paper is conveyed to the fixing unit 28.

The fixing portion 28 is composed of a pair of rollers composed of a fixing roller and a pressure roller. A heater is built in the fixing roller, and the fixing roller and the pressure roller are arranged in a state of being in pressure contact with each other. In the fixing section 28, the paper conveyed through the secondary transfer roller 27 is nipated by a pair of rollers to pressurize and heat the paper, so that the toner on the paper is heated and melted, and the molten toner is transferred to the paper. It is crimped. As a result, a color image can be fixed on the paper. In the fixing unit 28, the paper to which the fixing process has been performed is conveyed to the image inspection unit.

[Image inspection unit]
The image inspection unit 4 is composed of two image reading units 40 and 41 arranged in the vicinity of the paper transport path 10. One image reading unit 40 is provided above the paper transport path 10 in the vertical direction, and the other image reading unit 41 is provided below the paper transport path 10 in the vertical direction. The image reading units 40 and 41 read the image formed on the paper according to the instruction from the control unit 6, and are arranged after the image forming apparatus 3. The image reading units 40 and 41 are composed of in-line sensors in which line-shaped sensors extending in the transport width direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction are arranged. The in-line sensor is a general sensor composed of, for example, a CCD or a CMOS sensor. The image reading unit 40 reads the image on the front side of the paper sent to the image sensor unit by the paper transport path 10. Further, the image reading unit 41 reads the image on the back side of the paper sent to the image inspection unit by the paper transport path 10. The read image data is sent to the control unit 6. The paper whose image has been read by the image inspection unit 4 is conveyed to the paper ejection unit 5.

[Paper ejection unit]
The paper ejection unit 5 includes a transport path switching unit 30, a paper ejection tray 32, and a sub tray 31. The transport path switching unit 30 switches the conveyed paper to the paper transport path 10a side or the paper transport path 10b side based on the instruction from the control unit 6. As a result, the conveyed paper is distributed to the output tray 32 or the sub tray 31 and discharged. For example, in the present embodiment, in the paper match determination unit 80 described later, the paper determined to be “mismatch” is discharged to the sub tray 31 as “spoiled paper”, and the paper determined to be “matched” is discharged to the output tray. It is discharged to 32.

1-2. Control Configuration of Image Forming System FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a control system of the image forming system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, the image forming system 1 includes the above-mentioned paper feeding unit 2, the image forming device 3, the image inspection unit 4, and the paper ejection unit 5. The image forming apparatus 3 includes a control unit 6, an operation display unit 22, a paper transport unit 18, an image forming unit 24, an image processing unit 52, a fixing unit 28, a communication unit 60, a media detection unit 90, a paper matching determination unit 80, and a storage unit. The part 70 is provided.

The control unit 6 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The control unit 6 comprehensively controls each unit of the image forming system 1 by the CPU reading a predetermined processing program stored in the ROM, expanding the program into the RAM, and executing the expanded program by the CPU.

Under the control of the control unit 6, the communication unit 60 is a communication unit (not shown) of each part of the paper feed unit 2, the image inspection unit 4, the paper ejection unit 5, and an external device (for example, a personal computer) (not shown). ) And send and receive various data via the network. The communication unit 60 communicates with the communication unit of each unit via, for example, a communication network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network).

The image processing unit 52 performs scheduled image processing on the image data read by the image reading unit 21 or the image data received via the communication unit 60. The predetermined image processing includes, for example, gradation correction processing, halftone processing, and the like. The gradation correction process is a process of correcting the gradation value of each pixel of the image data so that the density of the image formed on the paper matches the target density. The halftone process is, for example, error diffusion process, screen process using a systematic design method, or the like.

In the image forming apparatus 3, under the control of the control unit 6, image processing is performed by the image processing unit 52 based on image data transmitted from an external device such as a personal computer, and intermediate transfer is performed by the image forming unit 24. An image is formed on the belt portion 25. After that, the secondary transfer roller 27 and the fixing portion 28 form a desired image on the paper.

Further, in the media detection unit 90, under the control of the control unit 6, the basis weight detection unit 94 detects the basis weight of the paper conveyed from the paper feed unit 2 side, and the paper thickness detection unit 95 detects the basis weight. The paper thickness of the paper conveyed from the paper feed unit 2 side is detected. Further, in the media detection unit 90, under the control of the control unit 6, the position detection unit 93 detects the position of the paper tip of the paper conveyed from the paper feed unit 2 side. Information on the basis weight, paper thickness, and paper tip position of the paper detected by the media detection unit 90 is sent to the control unit 6.

In the paper match determination unit 80, under the control of the control unit 6, the paper thickness or / or basis weight of the paper detected by the media detection unit 90 is the paper thickness or / or) of the paper specified by the user. Determine if it matches the basis weight. The data of the paper thickness and the basis weight of the paper specified by the user are stored in the control unit 6 in advance. The paper match determination unit 80 compares the data stored in advance in the control unit 6 with the data detected by the media detection unit 90, and thus characteristics of the paper conveyed from the paper feed unit 2 side. Determines whether or not matches the characteristics of the specified paper.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a method for determining the paper match / mismatch determination level in the paper match determination unit 80. First, a case where the media detection unit 90 detects the basis weight or the thickness of the paper in a state where the paper is conveyed in the first paper feed mode applied to normal image formation will be described. When the paper thickness or basis weight of the paper specified by the user is set as the "judgment value" (reference value), the error between the basis weight or thickness of the paper detected by the media detection unit 90 and the "judgment value". However, when it is ± 3% or less, the paper match determination unit 80 determines that it is “match”. On the other hand, when the error between the basis weight or thickness of the paper detected by the media detection unit 90 and the "judgment value" is larger than ± 3% and ± 6% or less, the paper match determination unit 80 is determined to be "difficult to determine". If the error between the basis weight or thickness of the paper detected by the media detection unit 90 and the "judgment value" is larger than ± 6%, the paper match determination unit determines "mismatch". do.

When the paper match determination unit 80 determines that the paper is "difficult to determine", for example, the determination result is "match" based on the respective determination results of the paper conveyed before and after the paper determined to be "difficult to determine". Or it is changed to "mismatch". An example of changing this determination result will be described in detail later.

Next, the media detection unit 90 detects the basis weight or the thickness of the paper in a state where the paper is conveyed in the second paper feed mode, which is slower than the first paper feed mode applied to normal image formation. The case will be described. When the error between the paper thickness or basis weight of the paper detected by the media detection unit 90 and the "determination value" is ± 5% or less, the paper match determination unit 80 determines that the paper matches. On the other hand, when the error between the paper thickness or basis weight of the paper detected by the media detection unit 90 and the "determination value" is larger than ± 5%, the paper match determination unit 80 determines "mismatch". do.

In the present embodiment, when the paper is conveyed in the first paper feed mode applied to normal image formation and the paper thickness or (and) basis weight is detected, the media detection is performed without reducing the productivity. It can be carried out. On the other hand, the media detection unit 90 detects the paper thickness or (and) basis weight in a state where the paper is conveyed in the second paper feed mode, which is slower than the first paper feed mode applied to normal image formation. In this case, the accuracy of the detection result is higher than in the case of the first paper feed mode. Therefore, as described above, when the paper is conveyed in the second paper feed mode, the determination level may be narrowed (reduced) as compared with the case where the paper is conveyed in the first paper feed mode. It is possible to improve the judgment accuracy.

In FIG. 4, an example has been described in which the determination level when transporting in the first paper feed mode is divided into two and the determination level when transporting in the second paper feed mode is divided into three, but the present invention is limited to this. However, various changes are possible. Further, the matching area and the non-matching area of the determination level are not limited to those shown in FIG. 4, and various changes can be made.

Under the control of the control unit 6, the storage unit 70 stores the determination result in the paper match determination unit 80 in association with the information of the corresponding page or page group. Here, the page group means a unit of a collection of pages when an output such as a booklet is formed by a series of pages. In the storage unit 70, the determination results are sequentially stored for each sheet to be conveyed. That is, the determination result for the total number of pages or the number of page groups is stored.

The storage unit 70 may be configured to store the total number of pages or the number of page groups except when the paper match determination unit 80 determines “match”, and also stores the determination results of all the papers. It may be configured to be used. Further, in the storage unit 70, the determination result is stored in a state where it can be output as a printed matter. As a result, the user can print, for example, information for specifying the total number of pages or the number of page groups determined to be "mismatch" as the determination result.

The operation display unit 22 can display the information of the determination result stored in the storage unit 70 under the control of the control unit 6. Further, among the determination results stored in the storage unit 70 by the operation from the operation display unit 22, for example, additional printing is performed for the total number of pages or page groups determined to be "mismatch". Can be done.

1-3. Control method of image forming system Next, a media detection method in the image forming system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a media detection method in the image forming system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

When printing is started in the image forming system 1, paper feeding is started from the paper feeding unit 2 under the control of the control unit 6 (step S1). In this embodiment, a case where paper is conveyed in the second paper feed mode will be described as an example.

After the paper feeding from the paper feeding unit 2 is started, the position detecting unit 93 of the media detecting unit 90 determines whether or not the paper has reached the media detecting unit 90 (step S2). If it is determined as "NO" in step S2, that is, if it is determined that the paper has not reached the media detection unit 90, the detection of the paper tip based on the information of the position detection unit 93 is continued in step S2.

When it is determined as "YES" in step S2, that is, when it is determined that the paper has reached the media detection unit 90, the media detection unit 90 detects the paper thickness and basis weight of the conveyed paper ( Step S3). The paper thickness and basis weight detected in step S3 are sent to the control unit 6.

Next, the paper matching determination unit 80 compares the paper thickness and basis weight of the conveyed paper with the paper thickness and basis weight of the paper designated by the user under the control of the control unit 6, and is conveyed. It is determined whether or not the received paper matches the designated paper (step S4). The match or mismatch determination level here is as described with reference to FIG.

If "YES" is determined in step S4, that is, if it is determined that the conveyed paper "matches" the designated paper, the control unit 6 completes printing the set number of sheets. It is determined whether or not this has been done (step S5).

On the other hand, when it is determined as "NO" in step S4, that is, when it is determined that the conveyed paper is "mismatched" with the designated paper, the corresponding paper is "" in the paper ejection unit 5. It is discharged as "spear paper" (step S6). Then, the determination result 71 is stored in the storage unit 70, and the additional output counter is incremented by 1 (step S7). The additional output counter is a value obtained by integrating the number of pages or the number of page groups that require additional printing, and is the number of sheets discharged as "spoiled paper" in step S6. This additional output counter is stored in, for example, a storage unit 70.

Next, the control unit 6 determines whether or not the set number of prints has been printed (step S5). If it is determined as "NO" in step S5, that is, if it is determined that printing of the set number of sheets has not been completed, the processes of steps S1 to S5 are repeated. On the other hand, if "YES" is determined in step S5, that is, if it is determined that printing of the set number of sheets has been completed, the additional output counter is displayed on the operation display unit 22 (step S8). As a result, the user can confirm the integrated value of the number of pages or the number of page groups that require additional printing.

Next, the control unit 6 determines whether or not there is an output instruction for additional printing for the displayed additional output counter (step S9). The user can issue an output instruction for additional printing for the additional output counter by input from an external device or the operation display unit 22. If "YES" is determined in step S9, that is, if the user gives an output instruction for additional printing, the control unit 6 sets the number of copies to be printed based on the additional output counter (step S10). After that, the process returns to step S1 and printing is started again.

Here, printing of the total number of pages or the number of page groups discharged as spoiled paper in step S6 of the previous stage is executed again. After that, when steps S1 to S10 are repeated and the additional output counter becomes zero, that is, when all the set number of sheets are output as normal printed matter, there is no output instruction for additional printing from the user. Therefore, the control unit 6 ends the printing process.

On the other hand, if it is determined as "NO" in step S9, that is, if there is no output instruction for additional printing from the user, the control unit 6 ends the printing process without performing additional printing.

Through the above steps, in the media detection method of the present embodiment, the media characteristics such as the paper thickness and the basis weight can be detected in the state where the paper is conveyed, so that the productivity is not significantly impaired. Further, it is possible to detect an inconsistency between the media setting and the set paper, which cannot be detected by the image inspection unit 4.

In the present embodiment, the number of pages or the number of page groups that have become spoiled paper can be output again before the inspection work. As a result, it is possible to save the trouble of printing again after it is determined that the product is defective due to a wrong paper after inspection. As a result, the work time can be shortened and the loss of man-hours can be reduced.

Further, in the present embodiment, in the flow shown in FIG. 5, even if the number of pages or page groups that have become spoiled paper is not re-output, the number of pages or pages that have become spoiled paper is not performed. Information on the number of groups is stored in the storage unit 70. Therefore, the user can know the information before the inspection, can print again based on the information, and can save the trouble of inputting the job again.

Further, in the present embodiment, it is not necessary to stop the feeding of the paper when the media detection unit 90 detects the paper thickness and the basis weight of the paper. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in productivity in the image forming apparatus 3.

In this embodiment, after adding the additional output counter shown in step S7, if the number of additional output counters exceeds a predetermined number of times, a step of stopping the operation of the entire image forming system 1 may be added. .. That is, if the number of spoiled papers is larger than the predetermined number of sheets, all the loaded papers may be different from the designated papers. Therefore, in this case, by temporarily stopping the operation of the entire image forming system 1, it is possible to prevent unnecessary continuation of printing. Further, in this case, the operation of the image forming system 1 may be stopped under the control of the control unit 6, and a message prompting the user to confirm the set paper may be displayed on the operation display unit 22.

<Second embodiment>
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a media detection method in the image forming system according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Since the configuration of the image forming system that executes the media detection method in the present embodiment is the same as the configuration of the image forming system 1 in the first embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted. Further, in the present embodiment, the flow from step S1 to step S7 is the same as that in FIG. 4, so duplicate description will be omitted.

In the present embodiment, when it is determined as "YES" in step S5, that is, when it is determined that printing of the set number of sheets has been completed, the control unit 6 is instructed by the user to print the determination result 71. It is determined whether or not there is (step S28). The user can execute the print instruction of the determination result 71 from the operation display unit 22 or an external device as needed.

If "YES" is determined in step S28, that is, if the control unit 6 determines that there is a print instruction for the determination result 71, the control unit 6 outputs the determination result 71 as a printed matter. After that, the control unit 6 ends the printing process. On the other hand, if it is determined as "NO" in step S28, that is, if the control unit 6 determines that there is no print instruction of the determination result 71, the control unit 6 ends the printing process.

In the present embodiment, information on the total number of pages or the number of page groups (determination result 71) discharged as spoiled paper can be output according to the user's instruction. By making it possible to output the determination result in this way, it is possible to improve the work efficiency when printing the required number of sheets again.

<Third embodiment>
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a media detection method in the image forming system according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Since the configuration of the image forming system that executes the media detection method in the present embodiment is the same as the configuration of the image forming system 1 in the first embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted. Further, in the present embodiment, the flow from step S1 to step S7 is the same as that in FIG. 4, so duplicate description will be omitted.

In the present embodiment, when "YES" is determined in step S5, that is, when it is determined that printing of the set number of sheets has been completed, under the control of the control unit 6, based on the additional output counter. The number of copies to be printed is set (step S18).

Next, the control unit 6 determines whether or not the additional printing based on the additional output counter is completed (step S19). For example, if the additional output counter is zero in step S18, that is, if the additional output is completed, it is determined as "YES" in step S19, and the control unit 6 ends the printing process. Even if the spoiled paper is not ejected in the printing steps from step S1 to step S7, since the additional output counter is zero in step S18, it is determined that the additional printing is completed in step S19.

On the other hand, if "NO" is determined in step S19, that is, if the control unit 6 determines that the additional printing has not been completed, the printing steps of steps S1 to S19 are repeated again. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the printing process is repeated until the additional output counter becomes zero. Then, when the additional output counter becomes zero, the control unit 6 ends the printing process.

In the present embodiment, it is possible to automatically reprint the total number of pages or the number of page groups for the amount discharged as spoiled paper. Therefore, it is not necessary to reprint the insufficient number of sheets after the inspection. As a result, it is possible to prevent a decrease in the efficiency of the printing work. Other than that, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

<Fourth Embodiment>
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a media detection method in the image forming system according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Since the configuration of the image forming system that executes the media detection method in the present embodiment is the same as the configuration of the image forming system 1 in the first embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted. In this embodiment, a case where paper is conveyed in the first paper feed mode will be described as an example.

In the present embodiment, the flow from step S1 to step S3 is the same as that in FIG. 4, so the same reference numerals are given and duplicate description will be omitted. In step S3, after the paper thickness and basis weight of the conveyed paper are detected by the media detection unit 90, the paper match determination unit 80 is designated as the conveyed paper under the control of the control unit 6. The degree of matching with the paper is determined (step S34). In step S34, the determination is made by comparing the paper thickness and the basis weight detected by the media detection unit 90 with the paper thickness and the basis weight of the paper designated by the user. In the present embodiment, the paper is conveyed in the first paper feed mode, and here, the degree of paper match is determined at the three determination levels of “match”, “mismatch”, and “difficult to determine” shown in FIG. It is sorted. In the following description, the case where the determination level is "match" will be described as "level 1", the case where the determination level is "difficult to determine" will be described as "level 2", and the case where the determination level is "mismatch" will be described as "level 3".

First, when the paper matching degree in step S34 is level 1 (step S35), the hold counter and the hold flag are reset when the hold counter is counted for the determination level of the paper conveyed in the previous stage. (Step S36). The hold counter is a counter added when the paper matching degree is level 2 (“difficult to determine”). In addition, a hold flag is set for paper having a paper matching degree of level 2.

Here, FIG. 9 shows an example of the determination level for each sheet when the media detection method in the present embodiment is implemented, the operation of the determination conversion for the determination level, the operation of the additional output counter, and the operation of the hold counter. An example is shown. In FIG. 9, the paper match degree is “matched”, that is, level 1 is indicated by “○”, “difficult to judge”, that is, level 2 is indicated by “?”, And “mismatch”, that is, level 3 is indicated by “x”. ing.

In FIG. 9, attention is paid to, for example, the fifth sheet of paper conveyed. Since the determination level of the fifth sheet is level 1, in the flow shown in FIG. 8, the process proceeds to step S35. In the case of the fifth sheet, the determination level of the sheets conveyed to the third and fourth sheets in the previous stage is level 2, and the hold counter is 2. Therefore, when it is determined that the fifth sheet is level 1, the hold counter 2 is reset and the hold flags of the third and fourth sheets are reset (as shown in step S36). Here, the determination level is changed to level 1).

On the other hand, focusing on the first and second sheets of paper, the determination level is determined to be level 1, but when the first and second sheets of paper are detected by the media detection unit 90, The hold counter is zero. Therefore, in the step S36 of the first and second sheets of paper, the hold counter remains zero. Then, the process proceeds to step S50.

Next, when it is determined that the paper matching degree in step S34 is level 2 (step S37), the control unit 6 determines the next step based on the determination level of the previously conveyed paper. (Step S38). If it is determined in step S38 that the determination level of the previous sheet is level 1 or level 2, the control unit 6 adds one hold counter (step S42) and is the target of determination. The hold flag is set for the paper (step S43). For example, the third, fourth, tenth, and eleventh sheets of paper are processed in the steps of step S38, step S42, and step S43. Then, the process proceeds to step S50.

On the other hand, when it is determined in step S38 that the determination level of the previous sheet is level 3, the control unit 6 ejects the sheet to be determined as spoiled paper (step S39). After that, the control unit 6 adds one additional output counter (step S40), and changes the determination level of the paper to be determined from level 2 to level 3 (step S41). For example, the seventh and eighth sheets of paper are processed in the steps of step S38, step S39, step S40, and step S41. Then, the process proceeds to step S50.

Next, when it is determined that the paper matching degree in step S34 is level 3 (step S44), the control unit 6 ejects the paper to be determined as spoiled paper (step S45), and adds the paper. One output counter is added (step S46). After that, the control unit 6 determines whether or not there is a hold flag (step S47).

If the control unit 6 determines in step S47 that there is a hold flag, the hold counter is added to the additional output counter (step S48), and the hold counter and the hold flag are reset (step S49). For example, the twelfth sheet of paper is processed in the steps S44 to S49. That is, the hold flag attached to the 10th and 11th sheets is reset in step S49 when the 12th sheet is the target of determination. Then, the process proceeds to step S50.

If the control unit 6 determines in step S47 that there is no hold flag, the process proceeds to step S50 as it is.

Next, the control unit 6 determines whether or not the set number of prints has been printed (step S50). If "NO" is determined in step S50, that is, if it is determined that printing of the set number of sheets has not been completed, steps S1 to S50 are repeated.

On the other hand, when "YES" is determined in step S50, that is, when it is determined that printing of the set number of sheets has been completed, under the control of the control unit 6, based on the additional output counter and the hold counter. The number of copies to be printed is set (step S51). Here, the total number of the additional output counter and the hold counter is the number of printed copies to be set.

Next, the control unit 6 determines whether or not the additional printing based on the additional output counter and the hold counter is completed (step S52). If it is determined as "YES" in step S52, that is, if it is determined that the additional printing is completed, the control unit 6 ends the printing process. On the other hand, if it is determined as "NO" in step S52, that is, if it is determined that the additional printing is not completed, the control unit 6 repeats the steps of steps S1 to S52 again. In step S52, it is determined that the additional printing is completed when the additional output counter and the hold counter become zero.

In the present embodiment, media detection can be performed at the transport speed (first paper feed mode) normally applied by the image forming apparatus 3. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a decrease in productivity. In addition, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

<Fifth Embodiment>
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a media detection method in the image forming system according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Since the configuration of the image forming system that executes the media detection method in the present embodiment is the same as the configuration of the image forming system 1 in the first embodiment, duplicate description will be omitted. Further, in the present embodiment, since the flow from step S1 to step S50 is the same as that in FIG. 9, the same reference numerals are given and duplicate description will be omitted.

In the present embodiment, when it is determined as "NO" in step S50, that is, when it is determined that printing of the set number of sheets has not been completed, the control unit 6 has an arbitrary constant N for the hold counter. Determine if it is greater than. Here, the constant N is an arbitrary constant determined by the user. For example, when there is a desire to improve the accuracy of media detection, the constant N is set to a smaller number.

If the control unit 6 determines that the hold counter is larger than an arbitrary constant N, that is, if it is determined to be "YES" in step S53, the paper transport unit 18 is controlled by the control unit 6. , The paper feed mode is switched to the second paper feed mode (step S54). After that, the steps of steps S1 to S50 are repeated.

By the way, FIG. 4 shows an example in which when the paper is conveyed in the second paper feed mode, the determination level is determined by two levels, “match” and “mismatch”. In the present embodiment, the determination process of step S34 performed after step S54 is determined at two levels of "match" and "disagreement" according to the determination level shown in FIG. In this case, in the determination process of step S34 performed after step S54, there is no paper determined to be level 2 (difficult to determine), so that the hold counter does not increase.

On the other hand, the subsequent steps when it is determined to be "YES" in step S50, that is, when it is determined that printing of the set number of sheets has been completed, is the same as that of the fourth embodiment. Therefore, duplicate explanation is omitted.

In the present embodiment, when the hold counter is larger than an arbitrary constant N, the accuracy of media detection can be improved by slowing the transport speed. Therefore, it is possible to more accurately detect the number of printed copies that require reprinting. In addition, if "difficult to judge" continues, by slowing down the transport speed, it is actually judged as "difficult to judge" even though it falls within the range of "match", and additional printing is performed. Since it is possible to reduce the number of such target papers, it is possible to prevent unnecessary additional printing. Further, this embodiment also has the same effect as that of the fourth embodiment.

In the above-described embodiment, the paper thickness and the basis weight are detected and the characteristics of the paper are determined based on the detection result. However, at least either the paper thickness or the basis weight is detected and the detection result is used. Based on this, the characteristics of the paper may be determined. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the paper thickness and basis weight are detected and the characteristics of the paper are determined based on the detection results. However, the characteristics of other paper types are detected to determine the characteristics of the paper. It may be configured to be used.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the media detection unit 90 is provided in the image forming apparatus 3, but it may be provided on the paper feed unit 2 side.

The above-described embodiments have been described in detail in order to explain the present invention in an easy-to-understand manner, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the described configurations. For example, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of the embodiment with another configuration, and it is also possible to add another configuration to the configuration of the embodiment. Further, it is possible to add / delete / replace a part of the configuration of the embodiment with another configuration.

1 ... image forming system, 2 ... paper feeding unit, 3 ... image forming device, 4 ... image inspection unit, 5 ... paper ejection unit, 6 ... control unit, 10 ... paper transport path, 12 ... transport roller, 14 ... resist unit , 18 ... Paper transport section, 21 ... Image reading section, 22 ... Operation display section, 23 ... Feed tray, 24 ... Image forming section, 25 ... Intermediate transfer belt section, 27 ... Secondary transfer roller, 28 ... Fixing section, 30 ... Transport path switching unit, 31 ... Sub tray, 32 ... Paper output tray, 40, 41 ... Image reading unit, 52 ... Image processing unit, 60 ... Communication unit, 70 ... Storage unit, 71 ... Judgment result, 80 ... Paper match Judgment unit, 90 ... Media detection unit, 91 ... Physical property value detection unit, 93 ... Position detection unit, 94 ... Basis weight detection unit, 95 ... Paper thickness detection unit, 96 ... Rotating shaft

Claims (14)

A media detector that is placed in the transport path and detects the characteristics of the media to be transported,
A paper match determination unit that determines whether or not the characteristics of the media detected by the media detection unit match the characteristic range of the specified media.
Information that identifies the page or page group of the media when the paper match determination unit determines that the characteristics of the media detected by the media detection unit do not match the characteristics of the specified media. A storage unit that memorizes
A control unit that controls the continuation or stop of printing based on the determination result of the paper match determination unit.
An image forming system comprising. The storage unit is the total number of pages of the media detected by the media detection unit, or the total number of pages of the media determined by the paper match determination unit to not match the characteristics of the designated media, or the totalization. The image forming system according to claim 1, which stores the number of page groups. Equipped with a display unit that can display various information related to image formation
The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein the display unit displays information about pages or page groups stored in the storage unit, or information about the number of pages of integration or the number of pages of integration. The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein the information about the page or the page group, or the information about the total number of pages or the total number of page groups is stored in the storage unit in a state where it can be output as a printed matter. .. Equipped with an operation unit that can input settings related to image formation
The operation unit can input an additional print instruction based on the information about the page or the page group stored in the storage unit, or the information about the total number of pages or the total number of page groups. The image forming system described in. The second aspect of claim 2 includes a control unit that automatically executes additional printing based on the information about the pages or page groups stored in the storage unit, or the information about the total number of pages or the total number of page groups. Image formation system. A transport unit for transporting the media to the media detection unit in the first paper feed mode or the second paper feed mode is provided.
The paper match determination unit detects the media according to a determination level determined to determine whether or not the characteristics of the media detected by the media detection unit match the characteristic range of the specified media. Judge the media detected by the unit and
The determination level of the paper match determination unit for the media conveyed in the first paper feed mode is
The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein the determination level is set more finely than the determination level for the media conveyed in the second paper feed mode. When the media is conveyed in the second paper feed mode, the paper match determination unit determines the media at two determination levels of match or mismatch, and the media feeds the first paper. The image forming system according to claim 7, wherein the media is determined at three determination levels of match, mismatch, or difficult to determine when the media is conveyed in the mode. In the paper match determination unit, the characteristic range in which the media detected by the media detection unit and the designated media are determined to match, or the characteristic range in which it is determined to be inconsistent, is the characteristic range of the first paper feed mode. The image forming system according to claim 8, wherein the case and the case of the second paper feed mode are different. When the paper matching determination unit determines that the media conveyed in the second paper feed mode is difficult to determine, the control unit determines based on the determination result of the media conveyed before and after the media. The image forming system according to claim 9, wherein the determination result of the media is changed. The image forming system according to claim 8, wherein the control unit stops printing when the paper match determination unit continues to be inconsistent or difficult to determine a predetermined number of times or more. When the paper match determination unit continues to be inconsistent or difficult to determine a predetermined number of times under the first paper feed mode, the control unit moves from the first paper feed mode to the second paper feed mode. The image forming system according to claim 8. The media detection unit detects at least either the paper thickness or the basis weight, and at the same time,
The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the paper matching determination unit can determine at least either the paper thickness or the basis weight. The process of detecting the characteristics of the conveyed media in the media detection unit,
A step of comparing the characteristics of the detected media with the characteristics of the designated media, and determining whether or not the conveyed media matches the designated media in the paper match determination unit.
When the conveyed media does not match the specified media based on the result determined by the paper match determination unit, the storage unit stores the page or information for identifying the page group of the media. Process and
Media detection method with.

Images