JP3672801B2 - Printing device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus having a paper discharge unit that automatically changes the position of a paper discharge fence according to the paper size of a print paper.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, a stencil printing apparatus includes a scanner unit that reads image data of a document to be printed, a plate making unit that punches a stencil sheet based on image data read by the scanner unit, and a stencil sheet produced by the plate making unit. A printing unit that is mounted on a cylinder and conveys printing paper while applying printing pressure to a rotating plate cylinder to transfer an image to the printing paper, a paper feeding unit that feeds the printing paper to the printing unit, and a printing unit A paper discharge unit that discharges the printing paper printed in step (2), and a plate discharge unit that removes the stencil sheet mounted on the plate cylinder. The operations to be selected by the user can be broadly classified into plate making operations and printing operations. When the plate making operations are selected, the stencil sheet is transferred to the plate cylinder when the stencil sheet is wound around the plate cylinder. Eliminates the stencil, removes the stencil sheet from the stencil sheet, and performs the stencil process. The stencil sheet is then wrapped around the stencil cylinder and attached, and then only one sheet is printed. First print processing is performed. When a printing operation is selected after completion of such a plate making operation, a set number of printing processes are performed to transfer the ink image onto the printing paper by conveying the printing paper while being pressed against the rotating plate cylinder. The discharged printing paper is placed on the paper discharge unit.
[0003]
By the way, the following are proposed as the paper feeding unit and the paper discharging unit. In other words, the paper feed unit includes a paper feed unit for placing a large number of printing papers, and paper size detection means for detecting the paper size of the printing papers placed on the paper feed table. Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the paper discharge unit 100 is provided on a paper discharge tray 101 on which the printed printing paper is discharged and on which the discharged print paper is placed. The paper discharge fence 102 that regulates the placement position by interfering with the print paper to be discharged, and the paper discharge fence movement that can move the position of the paper discharge fence 102 based on the detection result of the paper size detection means Means. The paper discharge fence 102 includes a pair of side fences 102a and 102b that regulate the left and right ends of the discharged print paper, and an end fence 102c that regulates the front end of the print paper to be discharged. The fences 102a and 102b move in the left-right direction, and the end fence 102c moves in the front-rear direction.
[0004]
As shown in FIG. 13, the paper size detection sensor detects the paper size of the printing paper on the paper feed table at predetermined time intervals (step S100). When the paper size is changed, based on the detection result, the paper discharge fence 102 is moved to a position corresponding to the paper size of the printing paper on the paper supply stand by the paper discharge fence moving means (steps S101 and S102). When the plate making operation is selected, if the stencil sheet is wound around the plate cylinder, the stencil sheet is removed from the plate cylinder, and the stencil sheet is punched based on the image data. A plate making process is performed, a plate making process in which the stencil sheet subjected to the plate making process is wound around and attached to a plate cylinder is performed, and then a first printing process in which only one sheet is printed is performed. The printing paper subjected to the first printing process is regularly placed at a predetermined position on the paper discharge tray 101 by the paper discharge fence 102. Even when the printing operation is selected, the printing paper subjected to the printing process is regularly placed at a predetermined position on the paper discharge tray 101 by the paper discharge fence 102. That is, the user does not need to adjust the position of the paper discharge fence 102 every time the paper size of the printing paper to be used is changed.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, according to the conventional example, when the print paper on the paper feed tray is replaced with a paper of a different paper size while the previous print paper remains on the paper discharge tray 101, the position corresponding to the current paper size. Since the paper discharge fence 102 is moved, the paper discharge fence 102 and the remaining printing paper interfere with each other, which may damage the printing paper or lock the paper discharge fence 102.
[0006]
In order to solve such a problem, a paper remaining detection sensor for detecting whether or not there is print paper on the paper discharge tray 101 is provided. Proposals have been made to prohibit the movement of the paper fence 102. However, there is no guarantee that the remaining paper detection sensor will not detect errors, and it is necessary to install an expensive sensor with high detection accuracy to prevent erroneous detection as much as possible. Become.
[0007]
Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and without providing a paper remaining detection sensor, the printing paper on the paper feed tray remains in the state where the previous printing paper remains on the paper discharge tray. An object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus capable of preventing interference between a paper discharge fence and remaining printing paper as much as possible even when the paper is replaced with one of a different paper size.
[0008]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, a paper feed unit having a paper size detecting means for detecting the paper size of the print paper placed on the paper feed table, and the print paper subjected to the printing process are discharged and the discharged print A paper discharge tray on which the paper is placed; a paper discharge fence that interferes with the print paper discharged on the paper discharge tray to regulate the placement position; and the position of the paper discharge fence is movable. In a stencil printing apparatus comprising a paper discharge section having a paper discharge fence moving means for changing the position of the paper discharge fence based on the detection result of the paper size detection means, The printing device receives a plate making operation command or a printing operation command from a computer connected to the printing device, When the printing paper having a paper size smaller than the paper size of the printing paper at the time of the previous plate making / printing operation is placed on the paper feed table, the paper discharge fence moving means moves the paper discharge fence. And a warning message confirming whether or not the printing paper on the paper discharge tray has been removed. In the display device of the computer It is characterized by outputting.
[0009]
In this printing apparatus, a warning message is output without moving the paper discharge fence, and it is confirmed whether or not printing paper remains on the paper discharge tray by the warning message. When the printing paper remains, the printing paper is removed. .
[0010]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a plurality of paper feed units having a paper size detecting means for detecting the paper size of the print paper placed on the paper feed table, and the print paper subjected to the printing process are discharged and discharged. A paper discharge tray on which the printed paper is placed, a paper discharge fence that interferes with the print paper discharged on the paper discharge tray and regulates the placement position, and the position of the paper discharge fence is movable. A paper discharge unit having a paper discharge fence moving means for changing the position of the paper discharge fence based on a detection result of the paper size detection means, The printing device receives a plate making operation command or a printing operation command from a computer connected to the printing device, When the paper feed tray of the printing paper having a paper size smaller than the paper size of the printing paper at the time of the previous plate making / printing operation is selected, the discharge fence moving means moves the discharge fence. And a warning message confirming whether the printing paper on the paper discharge tray has been removed. In the display device of the computer It is characterized by outputting.
[0011]
Even in this printing apparatus, a warning message is output without moving the paper discharge fence, and it is confirmed by the warning message whether or not printing paper remains on the paper discharge tray, and when it remains, the printing paper is removed. .
[0012]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the printing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, when the plate making operation is selected, when the warning message is issued, the warning message is stopped and the paper discharge fence is stopped. The paper discharge fence is moved by a moving means, and a series of plate making operations is executed.
[0013]
In this printing apparatus, in addition to the operation of the invention of claim 1 or 2, the fact that the plate making operation is selected even though a warning message is issued means that the printing paper on the paper discharge tray has been removed. In this case, a movement process of the paper discharge fence and a series of plate making operations are executed.
[0014]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the printing apparatus according to the first to third aspects, when the printing operation is selected, when the warning message is issued, the warning message is stopped and the paper discharge fence is stopped. The paper discharge fence is moved by a moving means, and a series of printing operations are executed.
[0015]
In this printing apparatus, in addition to the effects of the first to third aspects of the invention, the fact that the printing operation is selected even though a warning message is output means that the printing paper on the paper discharge tray has been removed. In this case, the paper discharge fence moving process and the printing operation are executed.
[0016]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the printing apparatus according to the first to fourth aspects, the paper discharge fence is discharged with a pair of side fences that regulate left and right ends of the print paper to be discharged. It is comprised from the end fence which controls the front end of the said printing paper.
[0017]
In this printing apparatus, in addition to the effects of the first to fourth aspects of the invention, the left and right positions and the front position of the discharged printing paper can be regulated.
[0018]
The invention according to claim 6 is the printing apparatus according to claims 1 to 5, wherein when the plate making operation command and the printing operation command are output from the computer connected to the computer via the network, When the printing paper having a paper size smaller than the paper size of the printing paper at the time of the printing operation is placed on the paper feed stand, the warning message is output to the computer and a plate making operation command or a printing operation command is output. Asking for confirmation.
[0019]
In this printing apparatus, in addition to the effects of the first to fifth aspects of the invention, the operator of the computer can recognize the possibility that the printing paper remains on the paper discharge tray.
[0020]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0021]
(First embodiment)
1 to 11 show a first embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a stencil printing apparatus. 1 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of the stencil printing apparatus, FIG. 2A is a front view of the operation panel 51, FIG. 2B is a diagram showing the contents of a warning display, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the paper discharge tray 46, FIG. 5 is a front view of the paper discharge tray 46, FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the paper discharge tray 46, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a circuit block diagram of the stencil printing apparatus, FIG. 9 is a flowchart of the plate making operation, FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the printing operation, and FIG. 11 is a detailed flowchart of the discharge fence moving process.
[0022]
In FIG. 1, the stencil printing apparatus mainly includes a document reading unit 1, a plate making unit 2, a printing unit 3, a paper feeding unit 4, a paper discharging unit 5, and a plate discharging unit 6.
[0023]
The document reading unit 1 includes a document setting table 10 on which a document to be printed is placed, reflection-type document sensors 11 and 12 that detect the presence of documents on the document setting table 10, and documents on the document setting table 10. The document transport rolls 13 and 14 to be transported, the stepping motor 15 that rotationally drives the document transport rolls 13 and 14, and the image data of the document transported by the document transport rolls 13 and 14 are optically read and converted into electrical signals. A contact type image sensor 16 for conversion and a document discharge tray 17 for placing a document discharged from the document setting table 10 are provided. Then, the document placed on the document setting table 10 is transported by the document transport rollers 13 and 14, and the image sensor 16 reads the image data of the transported document.
[0024]
The plate making unit 2 includes a base paper storage unit 19 that stores the rolled long stencil base paper 18, a thermal head 20 that is disposed downstream of the base paper storage unit 19, and a position opposite to the thermal head 20. The platen roll 21, the pair of base paper feed rolls 22 disposed downstream of the platen roll 21 and the thermal head 20, the light pulse motor 23 for rotationally driving the platen roll 21 and the base paper feed roll 22, and a pair of A base paper cutter 24 disposed downstream of the base paper feed roll 22. Then, the long stencil sheet 18 is transported by the rotation of the platen roll 21 and the base paper feed roll 22, and each point-like heating element of the thermal head 20 selectively generates heat based on the image data read by the image sensor 16. Thus, the stencil sheet 18 is thermally perforated to make a stencil, and the stencil sheet 18 thus made is cut by a stencil sheet cutter 24 to produce a stencil sheet 18 having a predetermined length.
[0025]
The printing unit 3 is configured by an ink-permeable member having a porous structure at the outer peripheral portion, and is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 26 that rotates in the direction of arrow A in FIG. The stencil sheet 18 detects whether or not the stencil sheet 18 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 26 by detecting the base sheet clamp portion 27 that clamps the leading end of the stencil sheet 18 and the detection piece 28a of the plate cylinder 26. It has a confirmation sensor 28, a reference position detection sensor 30 that detects the reference position of the plate cylinder 26 by detecting a detection piece 29 of the plate cylinder 26, and a rotary encoder 31 that detects the rotation of the main motor 25. The rotational position of the plate cylinder 26 can be detected by detecting the output pulse of the rotary encoder 31 based on the detection output of the reference position detection sensor 30.
[0026]
The printing unit 3 includes a squeegee roll 32 disposed inside the plate cylinder 26 and a doctor roll 33 disposed in proximity to the squeegee roll 32, and is surrounded by the squeegee roll 32 and the doctor roll 33. Ink 34 is stored in the outer peripheral space. As the ink 34 adhering to the outer periphery of the rotating squeegee roll 32 passes through the gap with the doctor roll 33, only the ink 34 having a predetermined film thickness is attached to the squeegee roll 32. Is supplied to the inner peripheral surface. Further, a press roll 35 is provided at a position facing the squeegee roll 32 and outside the plate cylinder 26, and the press roll 35 is pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 26 by the driving force of the solenoid device 36. And a standby position that is separated from the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 26. The press roll 35 is shifted from the standby position to the pressing position in synchronization with the paper feeding operation from the paper feeding unit 4, and is positioned at the pressing position only when the printing paper 37 passes through the lower part of the plate cylinder 26. Sometimes it is in the standby position.
[0027]
Then, the front end of the stencil sheet 18 conveyed from the plate making unit 2 is clamped by the stencil sheet clamp unit 27, and the plate cylinder 26 is rotated in this clamped state so that the stencil sheet 18 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder 26, The printing paper 37 conveyed from the paper supply unit 4 in synchronization with the rotation of the plate cylinder 26 is pressed against the stencil sheet 18 of the plate cylinder 26 by the press roll 35, whereby ink is punched from the stencil sheet 18 on the printing sheet 37. The transferred image is printed.
[0028]
The paper feed unit 4 includes a paper feed tray 38 on which the print paper 37 is stacked, primary paper feed rolls 39 and 40 that transport only the uppermost print paper 37 from the paper feed base 38, and the primary paper feed. A pair of secondary paper feed rolls 41 for conveying the printing paper 37 conveyed by the rolls 39 and 40 between the plate cylinder 26 and the press roll 35 in synchronization with the rotation of the plate cylinder 26, and the pair of secondary paper feed rolls And a paper feed sensor 42 that detects whether or not the printing paper 37 has been conveyed between the two. The primary feed rolls 39 and 40 are configured to selectively transmit the rotation of the main motor 25 via the feed clutch 43. The detailed configuration of the paper feed tray 38 will be described below.
[0029]
The paper discharge unit 5 includes a paper separation claw 44 that separates the printed printing paper 37 from the plate cylinder 26, and a conveyance path 45 that conveys the printing paper 37 separated from the plate cylinder 26 by the paper separation claw 44. And a paper discharge tray 46 on which the print paper 37 discharged from the transport path 45 is placed. The detailed configuration of the paper discharge tray 46 will be described below.
[0030]
The plate discharging unit 6 includes a pair of plate conveying rolls 47 that convey the used stencil sheet 18 while peeling it from the plate cylinder 26, a plate discharging motor 48 that rotationally drives the pair of plate discharging conveyance rolls 47, and a pair of plate discharging conveyance rolls. A stencil box 49 for storing the stencil sheet 18 conveyed by 47 and a stencil sensor 50 for detecting whether or not the stencil sheet 18 has been conveyed to the stencil box 49 by a pair of stencil conveying rolls 47 are provided.
[0031]
As shown in FIG. 2, the stencil printing apparatus is provided with an operation panel 51. The operation panel 51 includes a plate making / printing selection key 52, a start key 53, a stop key 54, a menu key 55, a numeric key 56, and a trial printing key. Various keys such as 57 are provided, and a display panel 58 for displaying various data (such as warnings) is provided. The plate making operation can be selected by selecting the plate making with the plate making / printing selection key 52 and pressing the start key 53. The printing operation can be selected by selecting printing with the plate making / printing selection key 52 and pressing the start key 53.
[0032]
Next, the configuration of the paper feed tray 38 will be described. In FIG. 3, a pair of paper feed fences 81 for restricting the left and right ends of the stacked printing paper 37 are arranged on the paper feed tray 38, and the pair of paper feed fences 81 move symmetrically with respect to the center position. It is provided as possible. The paper feed tray 38 is provided with a paper presence / absence sensor 82 for detecting whether or not the printing paper 37 is placed, and a paper size detecting means 83 for detecting the size of the placed paper. The paper size detection sensor 83 detects the movement position of the pair of paper feed fences 81 to detect the width of the print paper 37 and the paper length to detect whether the print paper 37 is placed vertically or horizontally. The sheet size of the printing sheet 37 is detected by detection data from the sheet size potentiometer 84 and the sheet length sensor 85.
[0033]
Next, the configuration of the paper discharge tray 46 will be described. 4 to 7, the paper discharge tray 46 is disposed at a position where the print paper 37 to be discharged falls, and a pair of side fences 59 and 60 serving as a paper discharge fence and an end fence are disposed on the paper discharge tray 46. 61 is provided. The pair of side fences 59 and 60 and the end fence 61 can be shifted between an upright position that interferes with the discharged print paper 37 and restricts the placement position, and a tilt position that cannot restrict the placement position of the print paper 37. Is provided. The pair of side fences 59, 60 are symmetrically provided in the left-right direction with respect to the center position, and the end fence 61 is movably provided in the front-rear direction. The pair of side fences 59, 60 are discharged. The left and right edges of the printing paper 37 are restricted, and the end fence 61 restricts the front edge of the discharged printing paper 37.
[0034]
Then, the pair of side fences 59 and 60 and the end fence 61 are moved by the paper discharge fence moving means 62 to a position corresponding to the paper size of the printing paper 37 on the paper feed table 38 based on the detection result of the paper size detecting means 83. Moved. The paper discharge fence moving means 62 includes a side fence motor 63, a plurality of gears 64 that transmit the rotation of the side fence motor 63 at a reduced speed, and a pair of left and right timing belt moving means 65 that move in synchronization with the output of the gear 64. The side fences 59, 60 are fixed to the timing belts 65a of the pair of timing belt moving means 65. The pair of side fences 59 and 60 are moved synchronously by driving the side fence motor 63. The paper discharge fence moving means 62 has an end fence motor 66, a plurality of gears 67 that transmit the rotation of the end fence motor 66 at a reduced speed, and a timing belt moving means 68 that moves by the output of the gear 67. The end fence 61 is fixed to the timing belt 68a of the timing belt moving means 68. The end fence 61 is moved by driving the end fence motor 66.
[0035]
Further, the paper discharge platform 46 includes a side fence home position sensor 69a (shown in FIG. 8) that detects the home position of the pair of side fences 59 and 60, and an end fence home that detects the home position of the end fence 61. A position sensor 69b (shown in FIG. 8) is provided. The side fence home position sensor 69a is the position of the maximum width of the pair of side fences 59 and 60, and the end fence home position sensor 69c is the maximum front position of the end fence 61 as the home position.
[0036]
Further, the paper discharge tray 46 is provided so as to be housed in the apparatus main body (not shown) in a state where all of the pair of side fences 59 and 60 and the end fence 61 are in the tilted position.
[0037]
Next, a control system of the stencil printing apparatus will be described. In FIG. 8, the input data of the operation panel 51, the sensor outputs of the paper presence sensor 82, the paper size potentiometer 84, the paper length sensor 85, and the like are output to a control device (CPU) 70, and the control device 70 receives these input data. Based on the above, the document reading unit 1, the plate making unit 2, the printing unit 3, the paper feeding unit 4, the paper discharging unit 5, and the plate discharging unit 6 are controlled, and the display on the display panel 58 of the operation panel 51 is controlled. Further, the control device 70 controls the storage means 73, and the storage means 73 sequentially updates and records the paper size data of the printing paper 37, for example. Further, the control device 70 controls writing and reading of the ROM 71 and the RAM 72 in which various programs are stored, and executes, for example, the flows shown in FIGS. The details of this control will be described in detail in the section of action described below.
[0038]
Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. First, the plate making operation will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the control device 70 fetches the paper size of the printing paper 37 at the time of the previous plate making / printing operation from the data of the paper size detection means 83 and stores this data in the storage means 73, for example. When the printing paper 37 on the paper feed tray 38 is replaced, the paper size of the printing paper 37 is fetched from the data of the paper size detection means 83 (step S1). When the printing paper 37 having a paper size smaller than the paper size of the printing paper 37 at the time of the previous plate-making / printing operation is placed on the paper feed tray 38, a warning display shown in FIG. Confirm that the paper on the paper discharge tray has been removed "is displayed on the display panel 58 (steps S2 and S3). Here, the size comparison of the paper sizes is determined to be small if either the vertical dimension or the horizontal dimension is small, and is determined to be large if both are large or both are the same and the other is large. Further, when the current paper size is the same or larger than the previous one, even if the print paper 37 remains on the paper discharge tray 46, no interference occurs due to the movement of the paper discharge fences 59, 60, 61. do not do.
[0039]
That is, even when the printing paper 37 placed on the paper feed tray 38 is replaced as in the prior art, the paper discharge fences 59, 60, 61 are not immediately moved by the paper discharge fence moving means 62. The operator sees the warning display and removes the printing paper 37 if the printing paper 37 remains on the paper discharge tray 46.
[0040]
When the plate making mode is selected and the start key 53 is pressed to select the plate making operation (step S4), if the warning message is issued, the warning message is stopped (steps S5 and S6), and the discharge is performed. The side fences 59 and 60 and the end fence 61 are moved by the paper fence moving means 62 (step S7). If there is no warning message, the process immediately moves to the paper discharge fence movement process. The detailed flow of the paper discharge fence moving process will be described below.
[0041]
When the movement process of the paper discharge fences 59, 60, 61 is completed, if the stencil sheet 18 is wound around the plate cylinder 26, the stencil sheet 18 is removed from the plate cylinder 26 (step S8). Based on the image data, a plate making process for perforating the unstenciled stencil sheet 18 is performed (step SS9), and a plate forming process for winding and mounting the stencil sheet 18 subjected to the plate making process on the plate cylinder 26 is performed (step S10). When this plate-making process is properly completed, the first printing process is performed (step S11). This completes the series of plate making operations (step S12).
[0042]
Next, the printing operation will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the control device 70 fetches the paper size of the printing paper 37 at the time of the previous plate making / printing operation from the data of the paper size detection means 83 and stores this data in the storage means 73, for example. When the printing paper 37 of the paper feed tray 38 is replaced, the paper size of the printing paper 37 is taken from the data of the paper size detection means 83 (step S20). When the printing paper 37 having a paper size smaller than the paper size of the printing paper 37 at the time of the previous plate-making / printing operation is placed on the paper feed tray 38, a warning display shown in FIG. Confirm that the paper on the paper discharge tray has been removed "is displayed on the display panel 58 (steps S21 and S22). Here, the size comparison of the paper sizes is the same as the above case, and if either one of the vertical dimension and the horizontal dimension is small, it is determined that it is small, and both are large or one is the same and the other is large. It is judged that it is big. Further, when the current paper size is the same or larger than the previous one, even if the print paper 37 remains on the paper discharge tray 46, no interference occurs due to the movement of the paper discharge fences 59, 60, 61. do not do.
[0043]
That is, even when the printing paper 37 placed on the paper feed tray 38 is replaced as in the prior art, the paper discharge fences 59, 60, 61 are not immediately moved by the paper discharge fence moving means 62. The operator sees the warning display and removes the printing paper 37 if the printing paper 37 remains on the paper discharge tray 46.
[0044]
When the printing mode is selected and the start key 53 is pressed, that is, when the printing operation is selected (step S23), if the warning message is issued, the warning message is stopped (steps S24 and S25). ), The side fences 59 and 60 and the end fence 61 are moved by the paper discharge fence moving means 62 (step S26). If there is no warning message, the process immediately moves to the paper discharge fence movement process. The detailed flow of the paper discharge fence moving process will be described below.
[0045]
When the paper discharge fence moving process is completed, the output of the base paper confirmation sensor 28 is checked (step S27). If the output of the base paper confirmation sensor 28 is off, that is, if the stencil base paper 18 is not mounted on the plate cylinder 26, error processing is performed (step S28), and the processing ends. If the output of the base paper confirmation sensor 28 is on, that is, if the stencil paper 18 is mounted on the plate cylinder 26, the printing process is performed. That is, the plate cylinder 26 is rotated, the printing paper 37 is fed from the paper feeding unit 4 in synchronization with the rotation, and the fed printing paper 37 is pressed against the stencil sheet 18 of the plate cylinder 26 by the press roll 35. Thus, the ink image is transferred to the printing paper 37, and the printed printing paper 37 is discharged to the paper discharge unit 5. Such a printing process is terminated when the set number of remaining prints reaches zero (steps S29 and S30).
[0046]
Next, details of the paper discharge fence movement processing flow will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 11, the side fence motor 63 is driven to move the side fences 59 and 60 in the home position position direction, that is, in the direction of increasing the interval (step S50). When the output of the side fence home position sensor 69a is turned on, the rotation of the side fence motor 63 is switched to reverse drive, and the side fence motor 63 is driven when it is moved by a desired distance (Xmm) with reference to the home position position. Is stopped (steps S51 to S54).
[0047]
Next, the end fence motor 63 is driven to move the end fence 61 in the home position position direction, that is, in the direction away from the paper discharge port (step S55). When the output of the end fence home position sensor 69b is turned on, the rotation of the end fence motor 66 is switched to the reverse drive, and the end fence motor 66 is driven when the end position is moved by a desired distance (Ymm) based on the home position position. Is stopped (steps S56 to S59). As described above, the positions of the pair of side fences 59 and 60 and the end fence 61 are automatically set to positions corresponding to the paper size of the printing paper 37 on the paper feed tray 38.
[0048]
As described above, when the printing paper 37 having a paper size smaller than the paper size of the printing paper 37 at the time of the previous plate making / printing operation is placed on the paper feed tray 38, the paper ejection fence 59 by the paper ejection fence moving means 62 is used. , 60, 61 is not performed, and a warning message is output to confirm whether the print paper 37 on the paper discharge tray 46 has been removed, so that the warning message is output without moving the paper discharge fence. Thus, whether or not the printing paper 37 remains on the paper discharge tray 46 is confirmed by a warning message. When the printing paper 37 remains, the printing paper 37 is removed. Accordingly, even if the printing paper 37 on the paper feeding tray 38 is replaced with one of a different paper size in a state where the previous printing paper 37 is left on the paper ejection tray 46 without providing the paper remaining detection sensor, the paper ejection fence. Interference between 59, 60, 61 and the remaining printing paper 37 can be prevented as much as possible. That is, it is possible to prevent the printing paper 37 from being damaged and the paper discharge fences 59, 60, 61 from being locked.
[0049]
In this embodiment, when the plate making operation is selected, if the warning message is issued, the warning message is stopped, and the discharge fences 59, 60, 61 are moved by the discharge fence moving means 62, and Execute a series of plate making operations. If the plate making operation is selected in spite of the warning message, it can be determined that the printing paper 37 of the paper discharge tray 46 has been removed. In this case, the paper discharge fences 59, 60, 61 are moved. Since a series of processing and plate making operations are executed, it is possible to prevent interference between the paper discharge fences 59, 60, 61 and the remaining printing paper 37 as much as possible during a series of plate making processing steps.
[0050]
In this embodiment, when the printing operation is selected, if the warning message is issued, the warning message is stopped, and the discharge fences 59, 60, 61 are moved by the discharge fence moving means 62, and , Execute a series of printing operations. If the printing operation is selected even though the warning message is issued, it can be determined that the printing paper 37 of the paper discharge tray 46 has been removed. In this case, the paper discharge fences 59, 60, 61 are moved. Since the processing and the printing operation are executed, it is possible to prevent interference between the paper discharge fences 59, 60, 61 and the remaining printing paper 37 as much as possible during the printing process.
[0051]
In this embodiment, since the warning message is based on visual recognition display, the possibility of remaining paper can be recognized visually. The warning message is a visual recognition display by the display panel 58, but may be a voice recognition means by voice. It is also possible to use both. The visual recognition display may be a graphic instead of a character as in this embodiment, or may be a display by a combination of a character and a graphic.
[0052]
In the present embodiment, the paper discharge fence includes a pair of side fences 59 and 60 that restrict the left and right ends of the discharged print paper 37 and an end fence 61 that restricts the front end of the print paper 37 to be discharged. Therefore, the placement position of the printing paper 37 is appropriately regulated. The paper discharge fence may be the end fence 61 alone.
[0053]
Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the stencil printing apparatus is connected to a personal computer (computer) 80 through a network, and the stencil printing apparatus can be controlled by the personal computer 80. Is output, when the printing paper 37 having a paper size smaller than the paper size of the printing paper 37 at the time of the previous plate making / printing operation is placed on the paper feed tray 38, the warning message is displayed on the personal computer 80. And the confirmation of the plate making operation command and the printing operation command are requested. With this configuration, the operator of the personal computer 80 can recognize the possibility that the printing paper 37 remains on the paper discharge tray 46, so that an appropriate response can be easily taken.
it can. In addition, the plate making operation and the printing operation can be selected immediately from the personal computer 80 after an appropriate response such as a paper removal instruction.
[0054]
In this embodiment, the warning message is executed only when the paper size of the current printing paper 37 is smaller than the paper size of the printing paper 37 at the previous plate making / printing operation, and the previous plate making / printing operation is performed. If the paper size of the current printing paper 37 is the same or larger than the paper size of the printing paper 37 at the time, the movement of the paper discharge fences 59, 60, 61 will not interfere with the printing paper 37. Although the warning message is not output, the warning message may be output uniformly regardless of the paper size when the printing paper 37 on the paper feed tray 38 is replaced.
[0055]
In this embodiment, the fence movement of the paper discharge fences 59, 60, 61 is temporarily moved to the home position, and then moved to a desired position, but has a means for storing the fence position. If it is memorized, it can be moved directly to a desired position, and the fence can be moved quickly.
[0056]
In this embodiment, the paper size detecting means is composed of the paper size potentiometer 84 and the paper length sensor 85, so that only the standard paper size can be detected, but the non-standard paper size can also be detected. In this case, it is possible to move the paper discharge fences 59, 60, 61 more appropriately.
[0057]
In the present embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a stencil printing apparatus has been described. However, the present invention can be similarly applied to a printing apparatus other than a stencil, in which a paper discharge fence is automatically adjusted to the paper size of the printing paper. Is.
[0058]
(Second embodiment)
14 to 16 show a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a stencil printing apparatus having a plurality of paper feed units. 14 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of the stencil printing apparatus, FIG. 15 is a front view of the operation panel 151, and FIG. 16 is a circuit block diagram of the stencil printing apparatus.
[0059]
As shown in FIG. 14, the stencil printing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes an apparatus main body 202 and a paper feed base 203 set below the apparatus main body 202. The apparatus main body 202 includes a scanner unit 204 that reads image data of a document to be printed, a plate making unit 205 that punches stencil paper based on the image data read by the scanner unit 204, and a stencil produced by the plate making unit 205. A printing unit 208 that feeds the printing paper P to the rotating drum 206 while applying a printing pressure to the rotating drum 206 by a press roll 207 and transfers the image to the printing paper P, and a printing paper to the printing unit 208. The apparatus main body side paper feeding unit 209 that feeds P, a paper discharge unit 210 that discharges the printing paper P printed by the printing unit 208, and a plate discharge unit 211 that removes the stencil sheet mounted on the drum 206 are provided. ing. The paper feed cradle 203 includes a gantry upper paper feed unit 212 that feeds the printing paper P to the printing unit 208 and a gantry lower paper feed unit 213 that similarly feeds the print paper P. The scanner unit 204 includes document size detection means for detecting the document size.
[0060]
The apparatus main body side paper feeding unit 209 conveys the apparatus main body tray 214 which is a paper feed tray on which a large number of printing papers P are placed, and the uppermost printing paper P stacked on the apparatus main body tray 214 one by one. A primary paper feed roll 215 and a secondary paper feed roll that conveys the printing paper P conveyed by the primary paper feed roll 215 between the drum 206 and the press roll 207 in synchronization with the rotation of the drum 206. 216. The primary paper feed roll 215 is rotationally driven by an apparatus main body tray drive motor 217 (shown in FIG. 16).
[0061]
The gantry upper sheet feeding unit 212 conveys the gantry upper tray 218 that is a sheet feeding tray on which a large number of printing papers P are loaded, and the uppermost printing paper P stacked on the gantry upper tray 218 one by one. A secondary paper feed roll 219 and two pairs of upper transport rolls 220 for transporting the printing paper P transported by the primary paper feed roll 219 to the secondary paper feed roll 216 are provided. The primary paper feed roll 219 and the upper transport roll 220 are rotationally driven by a gantry upper tray drive motor 221 (shown in FIG. 16). The upper transport roll 220 is driven by the gantry upper tray drive motor 221 and is also rotationally driven by the gantry lower tray drive motor 227 described below.
[0062]
The under-frame sheet feeding unit 213 conveys the bottom sheet tray 224, which is a sheet feeding tray on which a large number of printing sheets P are placed, and the uppermost printing sheet P loaded on the under-frame tray 224 one by one. The sheet feeding roll 225 includes two pairs of lower conveyance rolls 226 that convey the printing paper P conveyed by the primary sheet feed roll 225 to the upper conveyance roll 220. The primary paper feed roll 225 and the lower transport roll 226 are rotationally driven by a gantry lower tray drive motor 227 (shown in FIG. 16).
[0063]
In other words, the stencil printing apparatus 201 has three sheet feeding trays, ie, an apparatus main body tray 214, a frame upper tray 218, and a frame lower tray 224, and selectively print paper P to the printing unit 208 from these three sheet feeding trays. Can be transported. In each of the paper feed trays 214, 218, and 224, paper presence / absence sensors 228, 229, and 230 (shown in FIG. 16) that detect whether or not the print paper P is placed, and the prints that are placed. Paper size sensors 231, 232, and 233 (shown in FIG. 16) for detecting the paper size of the paper P are provided.
[0064]
As shown in FIG. 15, an operation panel 240 is provided on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 202. The operation panel 240 has a mode selection key 241, such as plate making and printing, and a setting confirmation for confirming the selected mode setting. There are provided a key 242, a start key 243 for starting the selected plate making operation, a stop key 244 for stopping the started plate making operation, a numeric key 245 for inputting the number of prints, a test printing key 246 for performing a test printing, and the like. Yes. The operation panel 240 is provided with a liquid crystal display panel 247 for displaying various data, and the liquid crystal display panel 247 is configured as a liquid crystal touch panel. There is a tray designation menu button (not shown) in the liquid crystal touch panel, and when this is depressed, the screen switches to the tray designation screen. Further, although not shown here, an enlargement / reduction mode setting mode button for performing enlargement / reduction processing of an image read by the scanner unit 204 is provided in the liquid crystal touch panel.
[0065]
Next, the control system of the stencil printing apparatus 201 will be described. In FIG. 16, input data of the operation panel 240, outputs of the paper presence / absence sensors 228, 229, and 230, paper size sensors 231, 232, and 233 are output to a control unit (CPU) 250. Based on these input data, the scanner unit 204, the plate making unit 205, the printing unit 208, the apparatus main body side paper supply unit 209 (including the apparatus main body tray drive motor 217), the paper discharge unit 210, the plate ejection unit 211, and the mount The sheet feeding unit 212 (including the gantry upper tray driving motor 221) and the gantry lowering sheet feeding unit 213 (including the gantry lower tray driving motor 227) are collectively controlled, and display on the operation panel 240 is controlled. The control unit 250 controls writing and reading of the ROM 251 and the RAM 252 in which various programs are stored, and selects any one of the apparatus main body tray 214, the gantry upper tray 218, and the gantry lower tray 224, and selects the selected tray. Feed paper from.
[0066]
Also in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the control unit 205 captures the paper size of the printing paper P at the previous plate making / printing operation from the data of the paper size sensors 231, 232, and 233. The data is recognized by storing the data in, for example, the RAM 252 and, when the tray selection is changed, the paper size of the printing paper P is fetched from the data of the paper size sensor 231 or the like. When a tray of printing paper P with a paper size smaller than the paper size of printing paper P at the time of the previous plate making / printing operation is selected, a warning message is displayed, that is, “check whether the paper on the paper discharge tray has been removed. Please display "on the liquid crystal display panel 247. Here, the size comparison of the paper sizes is determined to be small if either the vertical dimension or the horizontal dimension is small, and is determined to be large if both are large or both are the same and the other is large. If the current paper size is the same or larger than the previous paper size, no warning is displayed because there is no interference with the movement of the paper discharge fence even if the print paper P remains on the paper discharge table.
[0067]
That is, even when the tray selection is changed as in the prior art, the paper discharge fence moving means does not immediately move the paper discharge fence. The operator sees the warning display and removes the printing paper P if the printing paper P remains on the paper discharge tray.
[0068]
This prevents interference between the paper ejection fence and the remaining printing paper P as much as possible even if the tray selection is changed while the previous printing paper P is left on the paper ejection tray without providing a paper remaining detection sensor. it can. That is, it is possible to prevent the printing paper P from being damaged or the paper discharge fence from being locked.
[0069]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the paper feed unit having the paper size detecting means for detecting the paper size of the print paper placed on the paper feed table and the print paper subjected to the printing process are discharged. A paper discharge tray on which printed and discharged print paper is placed, a paper discharge fence that interferes with the print paper discharged on the paper discharge tray and regulates the placement position, and the paper discharge fence A stencil printing apparatus comprising: a paper discharge section having a paper discharge fence moving means for changing the position of the paper discharge fence based on a detection result of the paper size detection means. The printing device receives a plate making operation command or a printing operation command from a computer connected to the printing device, When the printing paper having a paper size smaller than the paper size of the printing paper at the time of the previous plate making / printing operation is placed on the paper feed table, the paper discharge fence moving means moves the paper discharge fence. And a warning message for confirming whether or not the printing paper on the paper discharge tray has been removed is output, so that the warning message is displayed without moving the paper discharge fence. In the display device of the computer Is output, and a warning message is used to check whether print paper remains on the paper discharge tray. If it remains, the print paper is removed. Even if the printing paper on the paper feed table is replaced with one of a different paper size while the printing paper is left, interference between the paper discharge fence and the remaining printing paper can be prevented as much as possible.
[0070]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the plurality of paper feed units having the paper size detecting means for detecting the paper size of the print paper placed on the paper feed table, and the printed print paper are discharged and discharged. A paper discharge tray on which printed paper is placed, a paper discharge fence that interferes with the print paper discharged on the paper discharge tray and regulates the placement position, and the position of the paper discharge fence is moved. A printing apparatus including a paper discharge unit including a paper discharge fence moving unit configured to change a position of the paper discharge fence based on a detection result of the paper size detection unit; The printing device receives a plate making operation command or a printing operation command from a computer connected to the printing device, When the paper feed tray of the printing paper having a paper size smaller than the paper size of the printing paper at the time of the previous plate making / printing operation is selected, the discharge fence moving means moves the discharge fence. And a warning message confirming whether the printing paper on the paper discharge tray has been removed. In the display device of the computer Since a warning message is output without moving the paper ejection fence, whether or not printing paper remains on the paper ejection tray is confirmed by the warning message, and when it remains, the printing paper is removed. Even if a paper feed tray with a different paper size is selected in the state where the previous print paper is left on the paper discharge tray without the paper remaining detection sensor, the paper discharge fence and the remaining print paper Interference can be prevented as much as possible.
[0071]
According to a third aspect of the invention, in the printing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, when the plate making operation is selected, if the warning message is issued, the warning message is stopped and the discharge is stopped. Since the paper fence moving means moves the paper discharge fence and performs a series of plate making operations, in addition to the effect of the invention of claim 1 or 2, the plate making operation is performed even though a warning message is issued. When the selection is made, it can be determined that the printing paper on the paper discharge tray has been removed. In this case, the movement process of the paper discharge fence and the series of plate making operations are executed. Interference between the paper discharge fence and the remaining printing paper can be prevented as much as possible.
[0072]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the printing apparatus according to the first to third aspects, when the printing operation is selected, when the warning message is issued, the warning message is stopped and the discharge is stopped. Since the paper fence moving means moves the paper discharge fence and executes a series of printing operations, in addition to the effects of the inventions of the first to third aspects, the printing operation is performed even though a warning message is issued. If the selection is made, it can be determined that the printing paper on the paper discharge tray has been removed. In this case, the movement of the paper discharge fence and the printing operation are executed. Interference with printing paper can be prevented as much as possible.
[0073]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the printing apparatus according to the first to fourth aspects, the paper discharge fence includes a pair of side fences and a paper discharge that regulate left and right ends of the print paper to be discharged. In addition to the effects of the first to fourth aspects of the invention, the left and right positions and the front position of the discharged printing paper can be regulated.
[0074]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the printing apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the printing apparatus is connected to a computer through a network, and when a plate making operation command or a printing operation command is output from the computer, the previous plate making is performed. When the printing paper having a paper size smaller than the paper size of the printing paper at the time of the printing operation is placed on the paper feed table, the warning message is output to the computer and a plate making operation command or printing operation is output. Since confirmation of the command is required, in addition to the effects of the inventions of claims 1 to 5, the operator of the computer can recognize the possibility that the printing paper remains on the paper discharge tray, so that appropriate measures can be taken easily. be able to.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of a stencil printing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 2A and 2B show a first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 2A is a front view of an operation panel, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the configuration of the paper feed table according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a side view of the sheet discharge table according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a front view of a sheet discharge table according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the sheet discharge table according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view showing the first embodiment of the present invention as seen from the bottom surface side of the paper discharge table.
FIG. 8 is a circuit block diagram of a stencil printing apparatus according to the first embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a plate making operation according to the first embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a printing operation according to the first embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 11 is a detailed flowchart of the paper discharge fence moving process according to the first embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a paper discharge table for explaining a conventional example.
FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating movement of a paper discharge fence according to a conventional example.
FIG. 14 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of a stencil printing apparatus showing a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a front view of an operation panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a circuit block diagram of a stencil printing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Document reader
2 Plate making part
3 Printing Department
4 Paper feeder
5 Output section
6 Discarding part
37 Printing paper
38 Paper feeder
46 Output tray
58 Display panel
59, 60 Side fence (discharge fence)
61 End fence (discharge fence)
62 Discharge fence moving means
80 Personal computer (computer)
83 Paper size detection means
84 Paper size potentiometer (paper size detection means)
85 Paper length sensor (paper size detection means)

Claims (2)

A paper feed unit having paper size detection means for detecting the paper size of the printing paper placed on the paper feed tray;
The printing paper that has been subjected to the printing process is discharged, a discharge tray on which the discharged printing paper is placed, and a discharge tray that interferes with the print paper discharged on the discharge tray and restricts the placement position. A paper discharge unit having a paper fence and a paper discharge fence moving unit that can move the position of the paper discharge fence and changes the position of the paper discharge fence based on a detection result of the paper size detection unit. In the printing device,
The printing device receives a plate making operation command or a printing operation command from a computer connected to the printing device,
When the printing paper having a paper size smaller than the paper size of the printing paper at the time of the previous plate making / printing operation is placed on the paper feed table, the paper discharge fence moving means moves the paper discharge fence. And a warning message for confirming whether or not the printing paper on the paper discharge tray has been removed is output to the display device of the computer . A plurality of paper feed units having paper size detection means for detecting the paper size of the printing paper placed on the paper feed tray;
The printing paper that has been subjected to the printing process is discharged, a discharge tray on which the discharged printing paper is placed, and a discharge tray that interferes with the print paper discharged on the discharge tray and restricts the placement position. A paper discharge unit having a paper fence and a paper discharge fence moving unit that can move the position of the paper discharge fence and changes the position of the paper discharge fence based on a detection result of the paper size detection unit. In the printing device,
The printing device receives a plate making operation command or a printing operation command from a computer connected to the printing device,
When the paper feed tray of the printing paper having a paper size smaller than the paper size of the printing paper at the time of the previous plate making / printing operation is selected, the discharge fence moving means moves the discharge fence. And a warning message for confirming whether or not the printing paper on the paper discharge tray has been removed is output to the display device of the computer .

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