JP4586355B2 - Parallel processing printer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a parallel processing printer, and more particularly to a parallel processing printer including a plurality of units that can be used continuously even if a mechanical failure occurs in some units.

  When creating a large amount of printed matter, high-speed printing is realized by arranging multiple printing units in parallel, distributing print jobs to these printing units, and operating these printing units in parallel. Various parallel processing printers have been proposed.

As such a printer, for example,
(1) A configuration in which a printing unit is unitized and stacked in a parallel printer system, and the units are connected and used, and a sheet supply path and a discharge unit are shared between adjacent units (Patent Document 1) ,and
(2) In a printing apparatus including a plurality of paper feed trays, a plurality of paper feed units, a plurality of print units, a paper discharge transport unit, and a paper discharge tray, between each print unit and the paper discharge transport unit. A printing apparatus (Patent Document 2) comprising a plurality of paper discharge stacks for storing printed paper for a predetermined time and discharging the printed paper to the abolished conveyance unit after a predetermined time;
and so on.

Although both Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose a configuration in which a control unit is provided on a base on which a stack in which printing units are stacked is placed, a control unit is provided in any of the printing units. The configuration is not disclosed.
JP 2002-103735 A JP 2002-104724 A

  These parallel processing printers are provided with a main controller for receiving print job data from an external computer and allocating the print job data to each printing unit and controlling the entire parallel processing printer.

  Since the main controller is an electronic circuit, the failure rate is very low. On the other hand, in each unit such as a printing unit and a paper supply / discharge unit, a failure due to a temporal factor such as damage to a mechanical part due to a paper jam or the like, wear of mechanical parts, and influence of temperature and humidity is likely to occur.

  In a conventional parallel processing printer, if a mechanical failure occurs in any unit, even if it is minor, the entire parallel processing printer cannot be used unless the failed unit is repaired. there were.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above problem, and is a parallel processing printer comprising a plurality of units, which can be used continuously even if a mechanical failure occurs in some units. The purpose is to provide.

  The invention described in claim 1 includes a plurality of printing units having printing means for recording an image on a recording medium, a paper feeding unit having paper feeding means for supplying the recording medium to each printing unit, and printing in the printing unit. A parallel processing printer comprising: a stacking unit having stacking means for stacking recording media on which images are recorded and discharged; and a main controller for controlling the printing means, the sheet feeding means, and the stacking means The printing unit, the paper feeding unit, and the integrated unit are all detachable, and at least two of the printing unit, the paper feeding unit, and the integrated unit are the main controller. Is formed so that it can be mounted, and the main controller is mounted on one of them. Relating to the processing printer.

  In the parallel processing printer, at least two of the plurality of printing units, paper feeding units, and stacking units are formed so that a main controller can be attached thereto, and one of them is attached with the main controller. .

  Therefore, when a unit to which the main controller is attached fails, when the failure is a mechanical part failure and does not affect the main controller, the main controller is removed from the unit and By mounting the controller on a mountable one, it is possible to continue printing with only the remaining units. The failed unit may be removed from the parallel processing printer and repaired. As a result, although the performance is lowered, it is possible to prevent printing from being impossible at least until the repair of the failed unit is completed, so that the user does not need to delay the work.

  Further, unlike the printing apparatuses described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 in which an independent housing that houses a main controller (control unit) is disposed below a stack in which printing units are stacked, the parallel processing according to the present invention. In the printer, since the main controller is housed inside any unit, the main controller can be made compact and light because it does not have an independent housing for housing the main controller. Further, since an interface for connecting each unit to the main controller is not necessary, wiring can be simplified.

  The main controller prints a print image on a recording medium in the printing unit, supplies the recording medium to the printing unit by the paper feeding unit, and collects the recording medium on which the printing image is recorded by the printing unit. Has a function of controlling the integration of. When one or more computers are connected to the parallel processing printer, the main controller also has a function of allocating a print job input from the computer to each printing unit.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there are provided a plurality of printing units having printing means for recording an image on a recording medium, a paper feeding unit having paper feeding means for supplying the recording medium to each printing unit, and printing in the printing unit. A stacking unit having stacking means for stacking recording media on which images have been recorded and discharged, a print controller for controlling the print means, a paper feed controller for controlling the paper feed means, and the stacking means. A parallel processing printer comprising: an integrated controller for controlling; the print controller; the paper feed controller; the printing means via the integrated controller; the paper feed means; and a main controller for controlling the stacking means. The print controller in the print unit, the paper feed controller in the paper feed unit, The controller is built in the integrated unit, and the printing unit, the paper feed unit, and the integrated unit are all detachable, and at least of the printing unit, the paper supply unit, and the integrated unit. The second aspect relates to a parallel processing printer in which the main controller is configured to be mountable, and one of the main controllers is mounted.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there are provided a plurality of printing units having printing means for recording an image on a recording medium, a paper feeding unit having paper feeding means for supplying the recording medium to each printing unit, and printing in the printing unit. A stacking unit having stacking means for stacking recording media on which images have been recorded and discharged, a print controller for controlling the print means, a paper feed controller for controlling the paper feed means, and the stacking means. A parallel processing printer comprising: an integrated controller for controlling; the print controller; the paper feed controller; the printing means via the integrated controller; the paper feed means; and a main controller for controlling the stacking means. The print controller is built in the print unit, and the paper feed controller and the integrated controller are incorporated. The printing unit, the paper feeding unit, and the integrated unit are all detachably formed in the paper feeding unit and the integrated unit, and the printing unit, At least two of the paper feed unit and the integrated unit are related to a parallel processing printer in which the main controller is formed so that the main controller can be mounted, and the main controller is mounted on one of them.

  In the parallel processing printer as well, as in the parallel processing printer according to claim 1, at least two of the plurality of printing units, paper feeding units, and integrated units are formed so that a main controller can be attached thereto, Moreover, a main controller is attached to one of them.

  Therefore, if one of the units fails, and the failure is a mechanical part failure and does not affect the main controller, remove the main controller from the unit and attach it to a sound unit. It becomes possible to continue printing with only the remaining units.

  Further, in the parallel processing printer, the printing unit, the sheet feeding unit, and the stacking unit are controlled by the printing controller, the sheet feeding controller, and the stacking controller, respectively.

  Therefore, exchange of print data between the main controller and the print controller and allocation of print data in the main controller are performed in a printer language, and the print data allocated in the print controller is converted from printer language to bitmap data. Printing can be performed by inputting to the printing means. Here, when data having the same contents are compared, the printer language has a smaller data capacity than the bitmap, so that even printing data over multiple pages can be quickly allocated.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, an image is recorded by a plurality of printing units having printing means for recording an image on a recording medium and paper feeding means for supplying the recording medium to the printing means, and printing means in the printing unit. A parallel processing printer comprising: a stacking unit having stacking means for stacking the discharged recording medium; and a main controller for controlling the printing means, the paper feeding means, and the stacking means, The unit and the integrated unit are both formed to be detachable, and at least two of the printing unit and the integrated unit are formed so that the main controller can be attached thereto, and one of them is the main controller. It is related with the parallel processing printer characterized by mounting | wearing.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, an image is recorded by a plurality of printing units having a printing unit for recording an image on a recording medium, a paper feeding unit for supplying the recording medium to the printing unit, and a printing unit in the printing unit. A stacking unit having stacking means for stacking the discharged recording medium, a print controller for controlling the printing means, a paper feed controller for controlling the paper feed means, an integration controller for controlling the stacking means , A parallel processing printer comprising the print controller, the paper feed controller, the printing means, the paper feed means, and a main controller for controlling the stacking means via the integration controller, wherein the print controller and the The paper feed controller is built into the printing unit, and the integrated controller is built into the integrated unit. The printing unit and the integrated unit are both detachable, and at least two of the printing unit and the integrated unit are formed so that the main controller can be attached to one of them. The present invention relates to a parallel processing printer to which the main controller is mounted.

  In these parallel processing printers, not only the printing unit but also the paper feeding unit is provided in the printing unit, so that the paper feeding unit is unnecessary. Therefore, these parallel processing printers have the feature that they can be configured compactly in addition to the features provided in the parallel processing printer according to claim 1.

  A sixth aspect of the present invention is the parallel processing printer according to the second, third, or fifth aspect, wherein the main controller, the print controller, the paper feed controller, and the integrated controller are connected by a common bus. The present invention relates to a parallel processing printer.

In the parallel processing printer, the main controller is connected to the same common bus regardless of which unit is mounted. Therefore, if the main controller can be mounted, the main controller is connected to any unit. Can be installed.
.

  A seventh aspect of the present invention relates to the parallel processing printer according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the printing unit includes auxiliary paper feeding means.

  In the parallel processing printer, when a paper feeding unit fails, the failed paper feeding unit can be removed as necessary, and printing can be continued while feeding paper from the auxiliary paper feeding means in the printing unit.

  Therefore, the user can continue printing even when the paper feed unit fails.

  The invention according to an eighth aspect is the parallel processing printer according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the main controller responds to a response from each of the remaining units in a state where the failed unit is removed. The present invention relates to a parallel processing printer that determines whether or not printing can be continued, and when printing can be continued, reallocates print data to a printing unit and continues printing.

  In the parallel processing printer, when the failed unit is removed, the main controller recognizes a new unit configuration without the failed unit based on responses from the remaining units. Then, the main controller determines whether or not printing can be continued with the new configuration. When printing can be continued, printing data can be reassigned to the printing unit and printing can be continued.

  The invention described in claim 9 is provided with failure display means for displaying the location and type of failure in the parallel processing printer according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the main controller has a failure in the unit. The parallel processing printer is characterized in that the location and type of the failure that has occurred are displayed on the failure display means.

  In the parallel processing printer, when a failure occurs in any unit, the location and type of the failure are displayed on the failure display means, so that the user can immediately grasp the location and type of the failure.

  The invention according to claim 10 is the parallel processing printer according to claim 9, wherein the main controller has a failure determination means for determining whether the failure remains in the unit or between the units. When a failure occurs in a unit, the failure display means also displays a determination result as to whether the failure in the failure determination means remains in the unit or between the units. About.

  In the parallel processing printer, when a failure occurs, the failure display means displays whether the failure remains in the unit or between the units, so that the user should continue printing or It is easy to determine whether printing should be stopped and repaired.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the parallel processing printer according to any one of the second, third, fifth, and sixth aspects, the main controller, the print controller, the paper feed controller, and the integrated controller include: The present invention relates to a parallel processing printer that is serially connected by the common bus.

  In the parallel processing printer, since the main controller, the print controller, the paper feed controller, and the integrated controller are serially connected by a common bus, the main controller is moved from one unit to another unit. Sometimes it has the feature that it is not necessary to change the connection of the common bus.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the parallel processing printer according to any one of the second, third, and fifth aspects, the main controller has a function of at least one of the paper feed controller and the integrated controller. In addition, among the paper feed controller and the integrated controller , the main controller having the function relates to a parallel processing printer that is not configured as an independent controller.

  In the parallel processing printer, since the main controller also serves as at least one of the paper feed controller and the paper discharge controller, the paper feed controller and paper discharge controller that are shared by the main controller can be omitted. Has a feature that can be simplified.

Specifically, such a parallel processing printer has the following functions: (a) The main controller has the functions of both a paper feed controller and a paper discharge controller; Those that have neither a controller nor a paper discharge controller,
(B) The main controller has a function of a paper feed controller, and therefore, an independent circuit device having a main controller and a paper discharge controller, and (c) the main controller has a function of a paper discharge controller, Therefore, some independent circuit devices have a main controller and a paper feed controller.

  As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a parallel processing printer including a plurality of units, which can be used continuously even if a mechanical failure occurs in some units.

1. Embodiment 1
An example of the parallel processing printer of the present invention will be described below.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the parallel processing printer 1000 according to the first embodiment includes a sheet feeding unit 4, a printing unit 2 </ b> A, a printing unit 2 </ b> B, and an integrated unit 6 that are stacked in this order from the bottom to the top. It has a configuration. 2 and 3, the paper feed unit 4, the printing unit 2A, the printing unit 2B, and the integrated unit 6 are formed to be detachable from each other.

  The paper feed unit 4 supplies recording paper to the printing unit 2A and the printing unit 2B. Then, the recording paper on which a predetermined print image is printed by the printing unit 2A and the printing unit 2B is accumulated in the accumulation unit 6.

  In the vicinity of the side surface of the parallel processing printer 1000 located on the left side in FIG. 1, a duct-shaped common paper discharge path 8 for sending the printed recording paper printed by the printing unit 2A and the printing unit 2B to the stacking unit 6 is provided. ing. On the other hand, a duct-type common paper feed path 10 that supplies recording paper from the paper feed unit 4 to the print unit 2A and the print unit 2B is provided in the vicinity of the side surface located on the right side in FIGS.

  The paper feed unit 4, the printing unit 2 </ b> A, the printing unit 2 </ b> B, and the integrated unit 6 are provided with a main controller mounting slot 12 that is a PCI slot for mounting the main controller 100. In addition to the main controller mounting slot 12, a paper feed controller 104 is provided in the paper feed unit 4, a print controller 102 is provided in the print units 2A and 2B, and an integrated controller 106 is provided in the integrated unit 6. The paper feed controller 104, the print controller 102, and the integrated controller 106 are also mounted in the respective units via the paper feed controller mounting slot 104A, the print controller mounting slot 102A, and the integrated controller mounting slot 106A. The paper feed controller mounting slot 104A, the print controller mounting slot 102A, and the integrated controller mounting slot 106A are all PCI slots.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the main controller 100 is mounted in the main controller mounting slot 12 of the printing unit 2A. The main controller 100, in addition to the printing unit 2A, includes the paper feeding unit 4 and the printing unit 2B. , And the main controller mounting slot 12 of the integrated unit 6. When the main controller 100 is attached to any unit, the main controller 100 is connected to the paper feed controller 104, the print controller 102, and the integrated controller 106 via a common bus 120 as shown in FIG.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of each unit will be described.

1-1 Configuration of each unit (1) Printing unit The printing unit 2A and the printing unit 2B (hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as "printing unit 2") are high as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. It has a box-shaped housing 22 that is flat in the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, positioning holes 24 for positioning are respectively provided at the four corners of the bottom plate 22A of the housing 22, and printing is performed by inserting into the positioning holes 24 at the four corners of the top plate 22B. A positioning pin 25 for projecting the unit 2A and the printing unit 2B from each other protrudes.

  An in-unit bus 14 that forms a part of the common bus 120 is provided in the vicinity of the left side plate 22 </ b> C inside the housing 22.

  Of the positioning hole 24 and the positioning pin 25, the one located on the left side in FIG. 5 also has a function as a socket and plug for connecting the intra-unit bus 14, and the positioning pin of the printing unit 2A is used as the positioning hole of the printing unit 2B. When inserted in 24, the intra-unit bus 14 of the printing unit 2A and the intra-unit bus 14 of the printing unit 2B are electrically connected.

  A main controller mounting slot 12 and a print controller mounting slot 102A are provided in the vicinity of the bottom plate 22A inside the housing 22. The print controller 102 is mounted in the print controller mounting slot 102A.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a sub-feed hopper 26 for storing a bundle of recording paper P B is provided above the main controller mounting slot 12 and the print controller mounting slot 102A, and further above that a printing is performed. A paper discharge buffer 28 for temporarily holding the recording paper P is provided. The sub paper feeding hopper 26 corresponds to auxiliary paper feeding means in the parallel processing printer of the present invention.

  Both the sub paper feed hopper 26 and the paper discharge buffer 28 are formed in a tray shape, and a stacking plate 30 and a stacking plate 32 are placed on the bottom plate, respectively. A hinge 30B and a hinge 32B are provided on the stacking plate 30 and the stacking plate 32, and an end on the downstream side, that is, the leading end side with respect to the conveyance direction a of the recording paper P is indicated by a solid line in FIG. 5 by the hinge 30B and the hinge 32B. Thus, a swing end 30A and a swing end 32A that can swing up and down are formed. Coil springs 30C and 32C are provided below the swing end 30A and the swing end 32A, and the swing end 30A and the swing end 32A are biased upward by the biasing force from the coil spring 30C and the coil spring 32C. Has been. The sub paper feed hopper 26 and the paper discharge buffer 28 are further provided with a swing end 32A and a swing end 32A against the biasing force from the coil spring 30C and coil spring 32C, respectively. A restraining mechanism (not shown) for restraining the bottom plate is provided. By being restrained by the restraining mechanism, the swinging end 30A and the swinging end 32A come into contact with the sub-sheet feeding hopper 26 and the bottom plate of the sheet discharge buffer 28 as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG.

  In the sub paper feed hopper 26, the bundle of recording paper P is placed on the stacking plate 30. The front end side of the paper bundle B is urged upward by the swinging end portion 30A urged upward by the coil spring 30C, abuts against a later-described pickup roller 46, and is held in a paper feedable state.

  On the other hand, in the paper discharge buffer 28, the printed recording paper P is placed on the stacking plate 32. The recording paper P placed on the stacking plate 32 is urged upward by a swinging end 32A urged upward by a coil spring 32C, and comes into contact with a separation paper discharge roller 57 described later, The branch guide path 58 is held in a state where paper can be discharged.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a print engine 34 that prints a print image on the recording paper P is provided above the end of the sub paper feed hopper 26 on the side where the swinging end 30 </ b> A is provided. The print engine 34 corresponds to a printing unit in the parallel processing printer of the present invention.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, 5, and 6, the print engine 34 includes a guide rod 36 that extends in the main scanning direction (in the direction of arrow S in FIG. 6) parallel to the depth direction D, An ink jet head 38 supported so as to be movable in the main scanning direction S by a guide rod 36, and a head driving mechanism for reciprocating the ink jet head 38 at a predetermined main scanning speed when an image is printed on the recording paper P (FIG. Between the nip rollers 40 and 42, and the nip rollers 40 and 42 disposed so as to sandwich the inkjet head 38 along the sub-scanning direction (direction of arrow F in FIG. 6) orthogonal to the main scanning direction S. And a guide plate 44 that forms a slit-shaped gap relative to the inkjet head 38. The nip rollers 40 and 42 convey the recording paper P along the sub-scanning direction F at a predetermined sub-scanning speed.

  The ink jet head 38 has a plurality of nozzles (not shown) arranged on the lower surface portion thereof at a pitch corresponding to the pixel density of the image to be recorded along the main scanning direction S, and is also driven in the main scanning direction by the head driving mechanism. While moving to S, the ink is ejected and stopped from each nozzle based on the digitized image information, and the image information is recorded on the recording paper P conveyed along the sub-scanning direction F by the nip rollers 40 and 42. A corresponding image is formed.

  In the print engine 34, instead of the inkjet head 38, a photosensitive drum is exposed with a laser beam to form a latent image, and the formed latent image is developed and fixed with toner. Various printing heads and printing mechanisms such as a printing mechanism, a thermal printing head, a sublimation type thermal transfer printing mechanism, a melt type thermal transfer printing mechanism, and a stencil printing type printing mechanism can be used.

  In the vicinity of the right side plate 22 </ b> D in the housing 22, a duct-shaped paper feed guide path 50 is provided in the vertical direction as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, 5, and 6. As shown in FIG. 3, the paper feed guide path 50 opens in a slit shape on the bottom plate 22 </ b> A and the top plate 22 </ b> B of the housing 22. The paper feed guide path 50 forms a part of the common paper feed path 10. Conveying rollers 50 </ b> A for conveying the recording paper P are provided at the entrance and the exit of the paper feed guide path 50.

  A sub paper feed path 52 is provided between the paper feed guide path 50 and the sub paper feed hopper 26, and a print paper feed guide path 54 is provided between the sub paper feed hopper 26 and the print engine 34. ing. At the portion where the sub paper feed path 52 branches in the paper feed guide path 50, the first paper feed path for temporarily storing the paper feed path of the recording paper P fed from the paper feed unit 4 in the sub paper feed hopper 26 is provided. A paper feed path switching device 51 is provided for switching between the path and the second paper feed path for feeding the paper feed guide path 50 upward. The sheet feeding path switching device 51 is formed by a path switching blade 51A that is a piece-like member that switches the sheet feeding path, and a rotating shaft 51B that is provided at one end of the path switching blade 51A and rotates the path switching blade 51A. Yes. The path switching blade 51A rotates around the rotation shaft 51B to take either the first position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 5 or the second position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. When the path switching blade 51A takes the first position, a first paper feed path is formed, and when the path switching blade 51A takes the second position, a second paper feed path is formed.

  In the vicinity of the left side plate 22 </ b> C in the housing 22, a duct-shaped discharge guide path 56 is provided in the vertical direction as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, 5, and 6. As shown in FIG. 3, the paper discharge guide path 56 opens in a slit shape on the bottom plate 22 </ b> A and the top plate 22 </ b> B of the housing 22. The paper discharge guide path 56 forms part of the common paper discharge path 8. Conveying rollers 56 </ b> A that convey the recording paper P upward are provided at the entrance and the exit of the paper discharge guide path 56.

  A branch guide path 58 is provided between the paper discharge guide path 56 and the paper discharge buffer 28. A separation paper discharge roller 57 is provided at the entrance of the branch guide path 58.

  When the recording paper P is supplied to the printing engine 34, the pickup roller 46 pressed against the recording paper P in the sub paper feed hopper 26 is rotated by a predetermined amount. As a result, one sheet of recording paper P is separated from the sub paper feeding hopper 26, and this one sheet of recording paper P is inserted into the print paper feed guide path 54 by the conveying force from the pickup roller 46, and the print paper feed. It is conveyed along the guide path 54 to the nip roller pair 40. If the length of the print paper feed guide path 54 is relatively long and the recording paper P cannot be reliably transported to the nip roller pair 40 only by the transport force from the pickup roller 46, the print paper feed guide path 54 is in the middle of the print paper feed guide path 54. A pair of conveyance rollers may be arranged so that the recording paper P conveyed halfway along the printing paper feed guide path 54 may be conveyed to the nip roller pair 40 by this conveyance roller pair.

(2) Paper feed unit 4
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the paper feed unit 4 has a box-shaped housing 402 that is flat in the height direction.

  Positioning pins 403 protrude from the four corners of the top plate 402B of the housing 402. The four positioning pins 403 are respectively inserted into the corresponding positioning holes 24 of the printing unit 2B, whereby the printing unit 2B and the paper feeding unit 4 are positioned relative to each other.

  An in-unit bus 414 that forms part of the common bus 120 is provided in the vicinity of the left side plate 402C inside the housing 402, and one end of the in-unit bus 414 is electrically connected to the positioning pin 403. Accordingly, when the positioning pin 403 of the housing 402 is inserted into the positioning hole 24 of the printing unit 2B, the intra-unit bus 414 in the paper feeding unit 4 and the intra-unit bus 14 in the printing unit 2 are electrically connected, A part of the common bus 120 is formed.

  A main controller mounting slot 12 and a paper feed controller mounting slot 104A are provided near the bottom plate 402A inside the housing 402. The paper feed controller 104 is installed in the paper feed controller installation slot 104A. Both the main controller mounting slot 12 and the paper feed controller mounting slot 104A are connected to the intra-unit bus 414.

  Above the main controller mounting slot 12 and the paper feed controller mounting slot 104A, a paper feed tray 404 for storing a bundle of recording paper P is provided. Inside the paper feed tray 404, a stacking plate 406 on which a stack B of recording paper P is stacked is provided. The loading plate 406 is biased from below by a coil spring 408. A duct-shaped paper feed guide path 410 is provided upward from the upper edge of the paper feed tray 404. The paper feed guide path 410 opens in a slit shape on the top plate 402B. A pickup roller 416 that separates one sheet of recording paper P in the paper feed tray 404 and sends it to the paper feed guide path 410 is provided at the entrance of the paper feed guide path 410, and the recording paper P is provided at the exit. A conveying roller 412 is provided to send the upper side upward. The paper feed guide path 410 forms the lower end of the common paper feed path 10. The paper feed tray 404, the stacking plate 406, the coil spring 408, the paper feed guide path 410, and the pickup roller 416 constitute paper feed means in the parallel processing printer of the present invention.

(3) Integrated unit 6
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the integrated unit 6 has a box-shaped housing 602 that is flat in the height direction.

  A central portion of the top plate 602B of the housing 602 is recessed in a rectangular shape, and a paper discharge tray 604 is formed. The bottom surface of the paper discharge tray 604 is inclined downward from right to left in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, positioning holes 606 for positioning are provided at the four corners of the bottom plate 602A of the housing 602, respectively. An in-unit bus 614 that forms part of the common bus 120 is provided in the vicinity of the left side plate 602 </ b> C inside the housing 602. One end of the intra-unit bus 614 is electrically connected to the positioning hole 606. Therefore, when the four positioning pins 25 of the printing unit 2A are inserted into the corresponding positioning holes 606 of the integrated unit 6, the printing unit 2A and the integrated unit 6 are not only positioned with respect to each other, but also within the unit of the integrated unit 6. The bus 614 and the intra-unit bus 14 in the printing unit 2 are electrically connected to form a common bus 120.

  A main controller mounting slot 12 and an integrated controller mounting slot 106A are provided near the bottom plate 602A inside the housing 602. The integrated controller 106 is mounted in the integrated controller mounting slot 106A. Both the main controller mounting slot 12 and the integrated controller mounting slot 106A are connected to the intra-unit bus 614.

  A duct-shaped discharge guide path 608 is further provided in the vicinity of the left side plate 602 </ b> C inside the housing 602. One end of the paper discharge guide path 608 is opened in a slit shape on the bottom plate 602 A of the housing 602, and the other end is opened on the side wall of the paper discharge tray 604. Conveying rollers 610 are provided at the entrance and the exit of the paper discharge guide path 608, respectively. The paper discharge tray 604, the paper discharge guide path 608, and the conveyance roller 610 correspond to a stacking unit in the parallel processing printer of the present invention.

1-3 Operation of Parallel Processing Printer The operation of the parallel processing printer 1000 will be described below.

(A) Normal operation First, the normal operation will be described.

  First, the operation of the main controller 100 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in step S100 in FIG. 9, the main controller 100 is in a standby state when no print data is input.

  When print data for several pages is input in the printer language from the external interface to the parallel processing printer 1000, the print data is received by the main controller 100 in step S102.

  In step S104, the main controller 100 allocates print data to the print unit 2A and the print unit 2B based on the number of sheets to be printed and the number of the print units 2, and at the same time determines a paper feed sequence and a paper discharge sequence. To do.

  When the print data is assigned to each print unit 2 and the paper feed sequence and paper discharge sequence are determined, in step S106, the assigned print data is transferred to the print unit 2A and the print unit 2B, and at the same time, the paper feed sequence. Accordingly, paper is fed from the paper feeding unit 4 to the printing unit 2A and the printing unit 2B.

  When a signal indicating that printing of the print data allocated from the print unit 2A and the print unit 2B via the print controller 102 has been completed is input to the main controller 100, a paper conveyance command is input to the integrated controller 106 in step S108. Then, the main controller 100 discharges paper from the printing unit 2A and the printing unit 2B to the stacking unit 6 according to the paper discharge sequence.

  In step S110, it is determined whether printing of all print data has been completed. If there is print data that has not been printed yet, the process returns to step S106 to print the print data. On the other hand, when printing of all the print data is completed, the process returns to step S100 and enters a standby state.

  Next, the operation of the print controller 102 in each print unit 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

  When no print data is input from the main controller 100, the print controller 102 is in a standby state as shown in step S200 in FIG.

  When the print data allocated by the main controller 100 is input, the print controller 102 receives the print data in step S202. The received print data is converted from the printer language into, for example, bitmap data, and at the same time, in step S204, it is determined whether there is a sufficient number of recording sheets P in the sub paper feed hopper 26, and the number of recording sheets P is sufficient. If not, the main controller 100 is requested for the recording paper P.

  In response to the request, the main controller 100 supplies a predetermined number of recording sheets P from the sheet feeding unit 4 to the sub sheet feeding hopper 26 through the sheet feeding guide path 410 and the sub sheet feeding path 52.

  When a predetermined number of recording papers P are supplied to the sub paper feeding hopper 26, the recording paper P is sent one by one from the sub paper feeding hopper 26 to the printing engine 34 by the pickup roller 46, and at the same time, the bit map in which the printing data is changed is changed. Data is input to the print engine 34 to perform printing.

  When printing of the allocated print data is completed, the print controller 102 transmits a print end signal to the main controller 100 in step S208.

  The paper feed controller 104 is also in a standby state as shown in step S400 in FIG. 11 when no paper feed command is input from the main controller 100.

  When the main controller 100 determines the paper feed sequence, the main controller 100 instructs the paper feed unit 2A or the print unit 2B to feed the recording paper P based on the determined paper feed sequence. Is input to the paper feed controller 104. In step S402, the paper feed controller 104 receives the paper feed command. In step S404, the paper feed path switching device 51 is switched so that paper is fed to the printing unit 2A and the printing unit 2B in accordance with the received paper feeding command.

  For example, when the paper feed command is a command to feed paper to the printing unit 2A, in the paper feeding route switching device 51 of the printing unit 2A, the route switching blade 51A is moved to the first position indicated by the solid line in FIG. By switching, the recording paper P supplied from the paper feeding unit 4 is introduced into the sub paper feeding hopper 26 via the sub paper feeding path 52 of the printing unit 2A. Then, the pickup roller 416 and the conveyance roller 412 are driven to feed the recording paper P to the printing unit 2A.

  On the other hand, if the paper feed command is a command to feed the printing unit 2B, the recording paper P fed from the paper feeding unit 4 is fed to the printing unit 2B through the printing unit 2A. In the printing unit 2A, the path switching blade 51A of the paper feeding path switching device 51 is switched to the second position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5, and in the printing unit 2B, the path switching blade of the paper feeding path switching device 51 is switched. 51A is switched to the first position indicated by the solid line in FIG. As a result, a second paper feed path is formed in the print unit 2A, and a first paper feed path is formed in the print unit 2B. Therefore, the recording paper P passes through the paper feed guide path 50 in the print unit 2A. It passes through upward and is supplied to the printing unit 2B.

  As shown in step S600 in FIG. 12, the stacking controller 106 is in a standby state until a paper conveyance command is input from the main controller 100.

  When printing is finished in the printing unit 2A and the printing unit 2B and a sheet conveyance command is input from the main controller 100 to the accumulation controller 106, the accumulation controller 106 receives the sheet conveyance command in step S602 in FIG.

  In step S604, the separation discharge roller 57 is driven in the printing unit 2 designated by the paper conveyance command, and the printed recording paper P printed by the print engine 43 and discharged to the discharge buffer 28 is printed. Then, the paper is discharged to the paper discharge guide path 56 (common paper discharge path 8) through the branch guide path 58. Then, the common paper discharge path 8 is conveyed to the paper discharge tray 604 of the stacking unit 6.

(B) Action at the time of abnormality (1)
Next, an operation when an abnormality occurs in the parallel processing printer 1000 will be described by taking as an example a case where the main controller 100 is attached to the printing unit 2A.

  Assume that an error has occurred in the printing unit 2A as shown in FIGS. In FIG. 14, “x” added to the printing unit 2A indicates that an error has occurred in the printing unit 2A and printing cannot be continued.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 15, when the print controller 102 of the print unit 2A detects that an error has occurred in the print unit 2A in step S800, in step S802, the print controller 102 displays the print unit 2A. The main controller 100 is notified of the occurrence of an error and the type of error that has occurred.

  When there is an error notification, the main controller 100 determines in step S804 whether the error is a unit error or a common error. Here, a unit error refers to a failure that is closed inside one unit and can be recovered only by repairing or replacing the failed unit. In the case of the printing unit 2A, deformation or breakage of the mechanism part, For example, a failure of the ink-jet head 38 may be mentioned. On the other hand, a common error is a failure that spans two or more units and cannot be dealt with by repairing or replacing the failed unit, specifically the printing unit 2A.

  In this case, since the error in the printing unit 2A is a unit error, in step S806, the main controller 100 can be recovered by removing the printing unit 2A on the display (not shown) of the parallel processing printer 1000 or the like. A message is displayed.

  When the display shows the display, the user or service person shuts off the parallel processing printer 1000 (step S808). In step S810, the printing unit 2A is removed and the main controller 100 is removed from the printing unit 2A, and is attached to another healthy unit, for example, the printing unit 2B. The removed main controller 100 may be attached to the paper feeding unit 4 or the integrated unit 6 instead of being attached to the printing unit 2B.

  When the main controller 100 is attached to the sound printing unit 2B, the parallel processing printer 1000 is turned on again in step S812.

  When the power is turned on again, the main controller 100 confirms responses from the printing unit 2B, the paper feeding unit 4, and the integrated unit 6 in step S814, and there is no printing unit 2A, and the printing unit 2B, paper feeding unit. 4 and a new apparatus configuration consisting only of the integrated unit 6 is recognized. In step S816, the print data is redistributed according to the new apparatus configuration, and normal printing is continued.

  On the other hand, if the error is a common error, the main controller 100 displays on the display of the host computer (not shown) that the parallel processing printer 1000 is abnormal, and in step S820, the parallel processing printer 1000 displays the error. Stop the operation itself.

(C) Action at the time of abnormality (2)
The operation when an abnormality occurs when the main controller 100 is attached to a unit other than the printing unit 2A and the printing unit 2B, for example, the paper feeding unit 4, is as follows, for example.

  As shown in FIG. 16, when the paper feed controller 104 detects that there is an error in the paper feed unit 4 in step S900, in step S902, the error is detected and the type of the detected error is notified. Here, it is assumed that the error is a mechanical error and not a main controller 100 error.

  When the main controller 100 receives the notification, the main controller 100 displays on the display (not shown) of the parallel processing printer 1000 that it can be restored if the paper feeding unit 4 is removed (step S904).

  When the indication is displayed on the display, in step S906, the user or service person shuts off the power of the parallel processing printer 1000, removes the paper feed unit 4, and removes the main controller 100 from the paper feed unit 4 for other purposes. It is attached to a sound unit, for example, the printing unit 2A, the printing unit 2B, or the integrated unit.

  When the main controller 100 is attached to a sound unit, the parallel processing printer 1000 is turned on again in step S908.

  When the power is turned on again, the main controller 100 confirms responses from the printing unit 2A, the printing unit 2B, and the integrated unit 6 in step S910, and there is no paper feeding unit 4, and the paper feeding unit 2A, printing. A new apparatus configuration consisting only of the unit 2B and the integrated unit 6 is recognized.

  Here, since both the printing unit 2A, the printing uni, and the printing unit 2B have the sub paper feeding hopper 26, printing can be continued by feeding paper from the sub paper feeding hopper 26 to the printing engine 34. Therefore, in step S912, the main controller 100 redistributes the print data according to the new device configuration and continues normal printing.

(D) Features of Parallel Processing Printer 1000 Since the parallel processing printer 1000 according to the first embodiment can mount the main controller 100 on any of the printing unit 2A, the printing unit 2B, the paper feeding unit 4, and the integrated unit 6. If either the printing unit 2A or the printing unit 2B fails, the user can remove the main controller 100 from the defective printing unit 2 and install it in another healthy unit. There is no need to delay.

  Moreover, since the main controller 100 is housed in the housing of any unit, the main controller 100 can be made compact and light because it does not have an independent housing for housing the main controller. Further, since an interface for connecting each unit to the main controller is not necessary, wiring can be simplified.

  Further, since the print controller 102, the paper feed controller 104, and the integrated controller 106 are provided as controllers for controlling each unit, the main controller 100 does not need to be provided with a circuit for directly controlling each unit. Therefore, the configuration of the main controller 100 can be simplified. In addition, the main controller 100 distributes the print data received in the printer language format from the external interface to the print controller 102 of each print unit 2 in the printer language, and the print data distributed by the print controller 102 is a bitmap. Since the print engine 34 is driven after being converted into data, a large amount of print data can be exchanged between the main controller 100 and the print controller 102 at high speed.

  Furthermore, the printing units 2A and 2B and the stacking unit 6, and the paper feeding unit 4 and the printing units 2A and 2B are provided with only one common paper ejection path 8 and common paper feeding path 10, respectively. Compared with the case where a plurality of paper discharge paths and paper supply paths are provided for each printing unit 2, the parallel processing printer 1000 can be formed more compactly.

2. Embodiment 2
17 and 18 show another example of the parallel processing printer according to the present invention. 17 and 18, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 3 indicate the same elements as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

  As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, in the parallel processing printer 1002 according to the second embodiment, the main controller mounting slot 12 is provided only in the printing unit 2A and the printing unit 2B.

  Therefore, when the printing unit 2A or the printing unit 2B fails, the printing can be continued by removing the main controller 100 from the defective printing unit 2 and mounting the printing unit 2 on the healthy side.

  The parallel processing printer 1002 according to the second embodiment is the same as the parallel processing printer according to the first embodiment except for the above points. Therefore, the configuration of the printing unit 2, the paper feeding unit 4, and the stacking unit 6, the arrangement of these units, and the operation and overall operation of each unit are the same as those of the parallel processing printer 1000 according to the first embodiment. is there.

3. Embodiment 3
FIG. 19 shows still another example of the parallel processing printer according to the present invention. 19, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 3 denote the same elements as those shown in FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 19, the parallel processing printer 1004 according to the third embodiment replaces the paper feed controller 104 and the integrated controller 106 in the parallel processing printer 1000 of the first embodiment with a paper feed / discharge controller 108 as the paper feed unit 4. The configuration is provided. The paper supply / discharge controller 108 has a function in which the paper supply controller 104 and the integrated controller 106 in the first exemplary embodiment are combined into one, in other words, paper supply from the paper supply unit 4 to the print unit 2A and the print unit 2B. The parallel processing printer 1004 according to the third embodiment has a function of controlling the integration from the printing unit 2A and the printing unit 2B to the integration unit 6. The parallel processing printer 1004 according to the third embodiment is the same as the parallel processing printer according to the first embodiment except for the above points. Are the same.

4). Embodiment 4
The parallel processing printer according to the fourth embodiment is an example in which the paper feeding unit 4, the printing unit 2A, the printing unit 2B, and the integrated unit 6 in the parallel processing printer according to the first embodiment are housed in a rack instead of being stacked.

  The configuration of the parallel processing printer 1006 according to the fourth embodiment is shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 1 to 3 indicate the same elements as those shown in FIGS. 1 to 3.

  As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the parallel processing printer 1006 has a rack 18, and the paper feed unit 4, the printing unit 2 </ b> A, the printing unit 2 </ b> B, and the integrated unit 6 are housed in the rack 18 in this order from below. . As shown in FIG. 20, the paper feed unit 4, the printing unit 2A, the printing unit 2B, and the stacking unit 6 are all formed in a drawer shape, and can be detached from the rack 18 by being pulled forward.

  Although the common bus 120 is not shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, for example, a common bus is provided near the back plate inside the rack 18, and the paper feeding unit 4, the printing unit 2 </ b> A, the printing unit 2 </ b> B, and the integrated unit 6 are provided. When the printer is inserted, the paper feed controller 104, the print controller 102, and the integrated controller 106 can be configured to be connected to the common bus by connectors.

  Except for the above points, the parallel processing printer 1006 has the same configuration and function as the parallel processing printer 1000 of the first embodiment.

  The parallel processing printer 1006 has the following features in addition to the same features as the parallel processing printer 1000 of the first embodiment. That is, as described above, each unit can be detached from the rack 18 by pulling it forward, so that when the print unit 2A or the print unit 2B fails, for example, the failed print unit 2 is simply pulled forward and removed from the rack 18. Can be removed. Therefore, it is not necessary to lift the unit located above the printing unit 2, so that the failed unit can be removed very easily.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the parallel processing printer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exploded cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration in which the parallel processing printer according to the first embodiment is disassembled into a paper feeding unit, a lower printing unit, an upper printing unit, and an integrated unit. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a configuration in which the parallel processing printer according to the first embodiment is disassembled into a paper feeding unit, a lower printing unit, an upper printing unit, and an integrated unit. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing how two print controllers, a paper feed controller, an integrated controller, and a main controller are connected by a common bus in the parallel processing printer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing details of the internal structure of the printing unit. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing details of the internal structure of the printing unit. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing details of the internal structure of the paper feed unit. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing details of the internal structure of the integrated unit. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an operation sequence of the main controller. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the operation sequence of the print controller. FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an operation sequence of the paper feed controller. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an operation sequence of the integrated controller. FIG. 13 shows the parallel processing printer according to the first embodiment. When one of the print controllers of the two print units detects an abnormality in the print unit, the failed print unit is removed and the main controller is removed from the failed unit. It is a schematic exploded view which shows the place transferred to a healthy unit. FIG. 14 shows the parallel processing printer according to the first embodiment. When one of the two print controllers of the print unit detects an abnormality of the print unit, the failed print unit is removed and the main controller is removed from the failed unit. It is a schematic exploded view which shows the place transferred to a healthy unit. FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating an operation procedure when the print controller detects an error in one print unit in the parallel processing printer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating an operation procedure when the paper feed controller detects an error in the paper feed unit in the parallel processing printer according to the first embodiment. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the overall configuration of the parallel processing printer according to the second embodiment. FIG. 18 is an exploded cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration in which the parallel processing printer according to the second embodiment is disassembled into a paper feeding unit, a lower printing unit, an upper printing unit, and an integrated unit. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the overall configuration of the parallel processing printer according to the third embodiment. FIG. 20 is a perspective view illustrating the overall configuration of the parallel processing printer according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the overall configuration of the parallel processing printer according to the fourth embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

2 printing unit 2A printing unit 2B printing unit 4 paper feeding unit 6 stacking unit 8 common paper ejection path 10 common paper feeding path 12 main controller mounting slot 14 unit internal bus 18 rack 22 housing 22A bottom plate 22B top plate 22C side plate 22D side plate 26 Sub paper feed hopper 28 Paper discharge buffer 30 Stack plate 32 Stack plate 34 Print engine 50 Paper feed guide path 52 Sub paper feed path 54 Print paper feed guide path 56 Paper discharge guide path 100 Main controller 102 Print controller 104 Paper feed controller 106 Stacking Controller 108 Feed / discharge controller 120 Common bus 402 Housing 404 Paper feed tray 410 Paper feed guide path 414 Unit internal bus 602 Housing 604 Paper output tray 614 Unit internal bus 1000 Parallel processing printer 1002 Column process printer 1004 parallel processing printer 1006 parallelism printer

Claims (12)

A plurality of printing units having printing means for recording an image on a recording medium, a paper feeding unit having paper feeding means for supplying a recording medium to each printing unit, and an image recorded by the printing means in the printing unit and discharged A parallel processing printer comprising an integration unit having an integration means for integrating the recorded recording medium, and a main controller for controlling the printing means, the paper feed means, and the integration means,
The print unit, the paper feed unit, and the integrated unit are all detachable, and at least two of the print unit, the paper feed unit, and the integrated unit can be attached to the main controller. A parallel processing printer, wherein the main controller is mounted on one of them. A plurality of printing units having printing means for recording an image on a recording medium, a paper feeding unit having paper feeding means for supplying a recording medium to each printing unit, and an image recorded by the printing means in the printing unit and discharged An integration unit having an integration means for integrating the recorded recording medium, a print controller for controlling the printing means, a paper feed controller for controlling the paper feed means, an integration controller for controlling the accumulation means, and the print controller A parallel processing printer comprising: the paper feeding controller; the printing means via the accumulation controller; the paper feeding means; and a main controller for controlling the accumulation means,
The print controller is built in the print unit, the paper feed controller is built in the paper feed unit, and the integrated controller is built in the integrated unit,
The printing unit, the paper feeding unit, and the integrated unit are all detachable, and at least two of the printing unit, the paper feeding unit, and the integrated unit are formed so that the main controller can be attached. And a parallel processing printer in which the main controller is mounted on one of them. A plurality of printing units having printing means for recording an image on a recording medium, a paper feeding unit having paper feeding means for supplying a recording medium to each printing unit, and an image recorded by the printing means in the printing unit and discharged An integration unit having an integration means for integrating the recorded recording medium, a print controller for controlling the printing means, a paper feed controller for controlling the paper feed means, an integration controller for controlling the accumulation means, and the print controller A parallel processing printer comprising: the paper feeding controller; the printing means via the accumulation controller; the paper feeding means; and a main controller for controlling the accumulation means,
The print controller is built in the print unit, and the paper feed controller and the integrated controller are built in either the paper feed unit or the integrated unit,
The printing unit, the paper feeding unit, and the integrated unit are all detachable, and at least two of the printing unit, the paper feeding unit, and the integrated unit are formed so that the main controller can be attached. And a parallel processing printer in which the main controller is mounted on one of them. A plurality of printing units having printing means for recording an image on a recording medium and paper feeding means for supplying the recording medium to the printing means, and a recording medium on which an image is recorded and discharged by the printing means in the printing unit are integrated. A parallel processing printer comprising: a stacking unit having a stacking unit; and a main controller for controlling the printing unit, the sheet feeding unit, and the stacking unit,
The printing unit and the integrated unit are both formed to be detachable, and at least two of the printing unit and the integrated unit are formed so that the main controller can be attached thereto, and one of them is the A parallel processing printer comprising a main controller. A plurality of printing units having printing means for recording an image on a recording medium and paper feeding means for supplying the recording medium to the printing means, and a recording medium on which an image is recorded and discharged by the printing means in the printing unit are integrated. A stacking unit having stacking means, a print controller for controlling the printing means, a paper feed controller for controlling the paper feed means, an integrated controller for controlling the stacking means , the print controller, the paper feed controller, A parallel processing printer comprising the printing unit, the sheet feeding unit, and a main controller for controlling the stacking unit via the stacking controller;
The print controller and the paper feed controller are built in the print unit, and the integrated controller is built in the integrated unit,
The printing unit and the integrated unit are both formed to be detachable, and at least two of the printing unit and the integrated unit are formed so that the main controller can be mounted, and the main controller is included in one of them. A parallel processing printer characterized by being mounted.   6. The parallel processing printer according to claim 2, wherein the main controller, the print controller, the paper feed controller, and the integrated controller are connected by a common bus.   The parallel processing printer according to claim 1, wherein the printing unit includes an auxiliary paper feeding unit.   When the failed unit is removed, the main controller determines whether printing can be continued based on responses from the remaining units. If printing can be continued, the main controller reallocates the print data to the printing units. The parallel processing printer according to claim 1, wherein printing is continued.   A failure display means for displaying a location and type of failure is provided, and the main controller causes the failure display means to display the location and type of a failure that has occurred when a failure occurs in a unit. The parallel processing printer according to any one of 1 to 8.   The main controller has a failure determination means for determining whether the failure remains in the unit or between the units, and when a failure occurs in the unit, the failure display means in the failure determination means The parallel processing printer according to claim 9, wherein a determination result as to whether the fault remains in the unit or between the units is also displayed.   7. The main controller, the print controller, the paper feed controller, and the integrated controller are serially connected via a common bus, according to any one of claims 2, 3, 5, and 6. Parallel processing printer. Controller The main controller, as well as comprising at least one of the functions of the paper feed controller and the integrated controller, among the paper feed controller and the integrated controller, what the main controller has its function, independent The parallel processing printer according to claim 2, wherein the parallel processing printer is not configured as a printer.

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