JP2819737B2 - Image recording device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus that changes image recording following both sides and one side of recording paper.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image recording apparatus of this type is provided with two detection sensors at predetermined positions, for example, a start point and an end point, on a transport path for transporting a recording sheet, and records images on both sides of the recording sheet. ), Or when printing on both sides or one side in the simplex mode in which printing is performed on one side of the recording paper, the recording paper detected by an input signal from each of the detection sensors. Detects the paper passage time passing through the conveyance path, determines whether the paper passage time is within the specified passage time on the conveyance path of the predetermined recording paper, if the paper passage time is outside the specified passage time, Judging that a recording paper jam or a component failure has occurred, the printing is stopped, and an error display or the like is performed.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, in the above-described image recording apparatus, for example, when an attempt is made to perform printing in a duplex mode,
There is a problem that even when the jam of the duplex portion occurs frequently, the printing is performed in the duplex state and the jam occurs.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and when performing printing in a duplex mode, after checking whether a jam in a duplex is likely to occur, if it is determined that the jam is likely to occur,
An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus capable of performing smooth printing by switching to simplex printing without forcing printing in duplex.

[Means for solving the problem]

According to the present invention, in an image recording apparatus that performs image recording on one of both sides and one side of a recording sheet, detecting means such as a detection sensor for detecting a failure of a duplex portion when recording images on both sides, and a history of the failure. Memorize
When the image recording on both sides of the recording paper is determined as a failure of the image recording based on the history of the storage means during the image recording on both sides of the recording paper, the image recording on the both sides is recorded on one side according to the history. And a controller having image recording changing means such as a CPU for changing the image recording and the like.

[Action]

When the detecting means detects a failure of the duplex portion in the conveyance of the recording paper, for example, when recording the image on both sides,
The storage unit stores the history of the failure, and the image record changing unit determines whether to change the image recording on both sides to a substitute single-sided image recording according to the history, for example, the occurrence rate of the failure. .

Therefore, even if a failure occurs in the duplex portion, the printing operation can be continued by the simplex without stopping the printing operation.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings of FIGS.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image recording apparatus according to the present invention.

In the figure, when an image is recorded (printed) in a simplex mode, a photoconductor 12 charged by a laser beam oscillated from a laser
To form a toner latent image, and then
The formed toner latent image is transferred by a transfer charger 19 to a recording sheet 18 which is conveyed from a paper feed tray 15 by a conveying roller 16 on an upper conveying path 17a of a conveying path 17, and printing is performed. Transporting the recording paper 18 on which
20 transports and discharges the paper to the discharge tray 21. When printing in the duplex mode, printing is performed in the same manner as in the simplex mode, and the recording paper 18 is transported by the transport roller 20 to the discharge tray 21.
Once. Thereafter, the recording paper 18 is taken in again, and the taken-in recording paper 18 is conveyed from the lower conveyance path 17b to the upper conveyance path 17a by a conveyance roller (not shown). As a result, printing is performed on the other surface of the recording paper 18, and the recording paper 18 that has been printed by the duplex is conveyed and discharged to the discharge tray 21 by the conveyance rollers 20.

In the vicinity of the conveying rollers 16 and 21 of the image recording apparatus, first and second sensors 30 and 31 for detecting a recording sheet are disposed, respectively. When the first sensor 30 detects the recording paper 18 conveyed from the paper feed tray 15 by the driving of the conveyance roller 16, the first sensor 30 sends a detection signal of the ON state to the controller 32 through an interface unit (hereinafter, “I / F unit”). Is output to the CPU 34 via 33. When the second sensor 31 detects the recording paper 18 conveyed or discharged to the discharge tray 21 by driving the conveyance roller 20, the second sensor 31 outputs a detection signal of an ON state to the CPU 34 via the I / F unit 33. I have.

The controller 32 includes the above-described I / F unit 33, CPU 34, RAM 35
And ROM36.

The RAM 35 stores the number of occurrences of jams (hereinafter, referred to as "DLD" and "SLD") due to a failure such as a paper jam in double-sided printing and single-sided printing or a defective driving of a transport roller as shown in FIG. It stores history data such as numbers (hereinafter, referred to as “DPN” and “SPN”) and jam occurrence rates (hereinafter, referred to as “DJR” and “SJR”).

The ROM 36 stores data of an allowable jam occurrence rate (hereinafter, referred to as “Nd”) in double-sided printing as shown in FIG. It stores comparison data (hereinafter referred to as “Nsd”) indicating whether or not it is good (if it is unlikely).

The CPU 34 can detect the occurrence of a jam, the number of occurrences, the number of prints, the number of prints, and the like based on detection signals input from the first and second sensors 30 and 31 for recording paper detection during double-sided printing and single-sided printing. it can. For example, the failure detection of the duplex portion is determined based on the time from when the detection signal input from the second sensor 31 is once turned on to when it is turned on again. This allows the DLD in RAM 35,
SLD, DPN, and SPN data are rewritten and controlled, and DLD / DPN and SLD / SPN are calculated and DJR (= DLD / DP
N) and SJR (= SLD / SPN) are found, and DJR and SJR
Is rewritten. The rewriting of the history data may be performed once or plural times.

Further, the CPU 34 compares the jam occurrence rates of DJR <Nd and SJR / DIR <Nsd, changes the double-sided printing to the single-sided printing, determines whether or not it can be substituted, and displays an indication at the upper part of the apparatus. It is displayed on the unit 37.

Next, the operation of the history data rewrite control will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In the figure, a CPU 34 includes first and second recording paper detecting
It is determined whether a jam has occurred based on the detection signals input from the sensors 30 and 31 (step 101).

If no jam has occurred, it is next determined whether or not printing has been completed (step 102). Also,
If a jam has occurred, it is determined whether the jam has occurred in double-sided printing or single-sided printing (step 10).
3). This determination can be made based on whether the printing mode is duplex or simplex.

Here, if the jam occurrence is one-sided printing, RAM3
The SLD of 5 is incremented by one (step 104), and if the occurrence of a jam is double-sided printing, the DLD of the RAM 35 is incremented by one (step 105), and the process proceeds to step 102 to determine whether the printing is completed. I do.

If the printing has not been completed in step 102, the process returns to step 101 and the above operation is repeated.
When the printing is completed, it is determined whether the printing is a two-sided printing or a one-sided printing (step 106).

If the print is a two-sided print, RA
Increase by the amount of M35 DPN printed (Step 10
7) If the print is single-sided, RAM35
The SPN is increased by the amount printed (step 108), and the above operation ends.

Next, a control operation for changing the print operation is performed in a fourth operation.
This will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In the figure, when a jam occurs at the time of printing and the rewriting of the history data in the RAM 35 in FIG. 3 is completed, the CPU 34 calculates DLD / DPN and SLD / SPN to obtain DJR and SJR. The data of DJR and SJR are rewritten (steps 201 and 202). And the DJR obtained above is DJR
<Nd, that is, it is determined whether it is within the allowable jam occurrence rate Nd described above (step 203).

Here, if the DJR is not within the allowable range of the jam occurrence rate Nd, it is determined that the change to the one-sided printing is impossible, and the operation ends. When the DJR is within the allowable range of the jam occurrence rate Nd, then SJR / DJR <Nsd, that is, the ratio of the jam occurrence rate of single-sided printing to double-sided printing SJR / DJ
It is determined whether or not R is lower than the comparison data Nsd (step 204).

Here, when the ratio SJR / DJR of the jam occurrence rate is not lower than the comparison data Nsd, it is determined that the change to the one-sided printing is impossible, and the operation is ended. Also, the ratio of jam occurrence rate SJ
If R / DJR is lower than the comparison data Nsd, it is determined that it is possible to change from double-sided printing to single-sided printing, and a message to that effect, for example, "Duplex failure, may a simplex be used?" In addition to the display on the display 37, the host computer (not shown) is notified by communication so as not to receive the double-sided print command from the host computer (step 205), and the operation is terminated.

Therefore, according to the present invention, if the operator selects the simplex mode in response to the message displayed on the display unit 37, it is possible to substitute double-sided printing for single-sided printing and continue. Also, since only a one-sided print command is received from the host computer, a simplex unique print operation can be performed.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, when a jam in a duplex portion, a component failure, or the like occurs, it is determined whether or not the printing operation by the simplex is possible according to the history of the failure, and if possible, the printing operation by the simplex is performed. Therefore, even if a failure occurs, the operation can be continued without stopping the printing operation, and the operability of the apparatus can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image recording apparatus according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the contents of data stored in storage means of the controller shown in FIG.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the history data rewrite control, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the control operation for changing the print operation. 11 ... Laser oscillation section, 12 ... Photoconductor, 13 ... Development section, 15
… Paper feed tray, 16, 20,… transport roller, 17… transport path, 18… recording paper, 21… discharge tray, 30, 31… sensor for recording paper detection, 32… controller 33 ... Interface (I / F), 34 ... Central processing unit (CPU),
35… RAM, 36… ROM, 37… Display unit.

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) H04N 1/00 H04N 1/04 B41J 3/00 B41J 3/60

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An image recording apparatus for recording an image on one of both sides and one side of a recording sheet, comprising: a detecting unit for detecting a failure when recording the images on both sides; and a storage unit for storing a history of the failure. An image recording change unit that changes the double-sided image recording to a single-sided image recording in accordance with the history when the detecting unit detects a failure during image recording on both sides of the recording paper. An image recording apparatus characterized by the following.