JP5084854B2 - Printing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus using a roll sheet.

  In a printing apparatus that prints on a roll sheet wound in a roll shape, a user loads and unloads the roll sheet. Even if the roll remains in use, it may be removed and reloaded later. It is desirable for the apparatus to recognize the remaining amount of roll when reloading.

  In the apparatus disclosed in Patent Literature 1, when the user selects the remaining amount printing mode when removing the roll sheet, the apparatus records the remaining sheet amount information on the end portion of the sheet. The next time the user reloads and uses the sheet, the user can see the remaining amount information recorded on the sheet and input the value from the keyboard so that the apparatus can recognize the remaining amount. It has become.

JP-A-9-166937

  However, in the apparatus of Patent Document 1, if the user removes the roll sheet without selecting the remaining amount printing mode, the remaining amount is not recorded on the sheet. I don't know. In other words, conventionally, the user has to always operate with consciousness to set the remaining amount printing mode when removing the sheet, and cannot recover if the user forgets it.

  The present invention has been made based on recognition of the above-described problems. The main object of the present invention is to enable sheet information to be recorded without the user being particularly conscious, so that the device or user can read the sheet information of the removed roll sheet no matter what timing the user removes the roll sheet. To make it easily identifiable.

The printing apparatus of the present invention includes a sheet supply unit that holds and supplies continuous sheets, a print unit that prints on the sheets supplied from the sheet supply unit, a cutter unit that cuts the printed sheets, and a control unit If has, under control of the control unit, and recording sheets having different information from the cut mark on the area between the next image each time to print one image by the print unit, and, on the sheet By cutting the downstream side and the upstream side of each of the plurality of images printed by sequentially determining the cutting position based on the cut mark, the cutter unit cuts the sheet for each image and cuts the region as dust. Further, when the printing of the last image and the recording of the last sheet information among the plurality of images are completed under the control of the control unit, Image and the sheet is cut by the cutter between the last sheet information, the last sheet information and returning feed a sheet containing the recorded region in the sheet feeding unit.

  According to the printing apparatus, sheet information is recorded in a blank area between the next image every time one image is recorded. Even if the trailing edge of the last image is cut, the blank area behind the remaining image remains, and the sheet information is recorded in the sheet leading area in the next use.

  According to the present invention, the sheet information is recorded without any particular attention of the user, and the apparatus or the user can easily obtain the sheet information of the removed roll sheet regardless of the timing at which the user removes the roll sheet. Can be identified.

Schematic showing the internal configuration of the printing device Block diagram of control unit Diagram for explaining the operation in single-sided print mode and double-sided print mode Diagram showing the relationship between the print image and margin area and the cutting position Flowchart diagram showing the single-sided printing operation sequence The flowchart figure which shows the sequence of the surface printing in the double-sided printing The flowchart figure which shows the sequence of the back side printing in the double-sided printing

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a printing apparatus using an inkjet method will be described. The printing apparatus of this example uses a long and continuous sheet (a continuous sheet longer than the length of a repeated printing unit (referred to as one page or unit image) in the conveyance direction), and is used for both single-sided printing and double-sided printing. It is a compatible high-speed line printer. For example, it is suitable for the field of printing a large number of sheets in a print laboratory or the like. In this specification, even if a plurality of small images, characters, and blanks are mixed in the area of one print unit (one page), what is included in the area is collectively referred to as one unit image. . That is, the unit image means one print unit (one page) when a plurality of pages are sequentially printed on a continuous sheet. In some cases, an image is simply referred to as a unit image. The length of the unit image varies depending on the image size to be printed. For example, the length in the sheet conveyance direction is 135 mm for the L size photograph, and the length in the sheet conveyance direction is 297 mm for the A4 size.

  The present invention can be widely applied to printing apparatuses that require drying using ink, such as printers, multifunction printers, copying machines, facsimile machines, and various device manufacturing apparatuses. The present invention is also applicable to a printing apparatus that draws a latent image on a sheet provided with a photosensitive material with a laser or the like and performs printing by a liquid developing method. The present invention is not limited to print processing, but can be applied to a sheet processing apparatus that performs various processes (recording, processing, coating, irradiation, reading, inspection, etc.) that require drying on a continuous sheet.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the printing apparatus. The printing apparatus according to the present embodiment is capable of duplex printing on the first surface of the sheet and the second surface on the back side of the first surface, using the sheet wound in a roll shape. Inside the printing apparatus, there are roughly a sheet supply unit 1, a decurling unit 2, a skew correction unit 3, a printing unit 4, an inspection unit 5, a cutter unit 6, an information recording unit 7, a drying unit 8, a reversing unit 9, and a discharge unit. Each unit includes a transport unit 10, a sorter unit 11, a discharge unit 12, and a control unit 13. The discharge unit 12 includes a sorter unit 11 and performs a discharge process. A sheet is conveyed by a conveyance mechanism including a roller pair and a belt along a sheet conveyance path indicated by a solid line in the drawing, and is processed in each unit. Note that at an arbitrary position in the sheet conveyance path, the side close to the sheet supply unit 1 is referred to as “upstream”, and the opposite side is referred to as “downstream”.

  The sheet supply unit 1 is a unit for holding and supplying a continuous sheet wound in a roll shape. The sheet supply unit 1 can store two rolls R <b> 1 and R <b> 2, and is configured to selectively pull out and supply a sheet. The number of rolls that can be stored is not limited to two, and one or three or more rolls may be stored. Moreover, if it is a continuous sheet | seat, it will not be restricted to what was wound by roll shape. For example, the continuous sheet | seat provided with the perforation for every unit length may be return | folded and laminated | stacked for every perforation, and may be accommodated in the sheet | seat supply part 1. FIG. A reader 22 for optically reading the coded sheet information recorded on the sheet is provided in the vicinity of the outlet of the sheet supply unit 1.

  The decurling unit 2 is a unit that reduces curling (warping) of the sheet supplied from the sheet supply unit 1. The decurling unit 2 uses two pinch rollers for one driving roller, and curls the sheet by curving and passing the sheet so as to give the curl in the opposite direction, thereby reducing the curl.

  The skew correction unit 3 is a unit that corrects skew (inclination with respect to the original traveling direction) of the sheet that has passed through the decurling unit 2. The sheet skew is corrected by pressing the sheet end on the reference side against the guide member.

  The printing unit 4 is a sheet processing unit that forms an image by performing a printing process on the conveyed sheet from above with the print head 14. That is, the print unit 4 is a processing unit that performs a predetermined process on the sheet. The printing unit 4 also includes a plurality of conveyance rollers that convey the sheet. The print head 14 has a line type print head in which an inkjet nozzle row is formed in a range that covers the maximum width of a sheet that is supposed to be used. The print head 14 has a plurality of print heads arranged in parallel along the transport direction. In this example, there are seven print heads corresponding to seven colors of C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), LC (light cyan), LM (light magenta), G (gray), and K (black). . The number of colors and the number of print heads are not limited to seven. As the inkjet method, a method using a heating element, a method using a piezo element, a method using an electrostatic element, a method using a MEMS element, or the like can be adopted. Each color ink is supplied from the ink tank to the print head 14 via an ink tube.

  The inspection unit 5 optically reads the inspection pattern or image printed on the sheet by the printing unit 4 using a scanner, and inspects the nozzle state of the print head, the sheet conveyance state, the image position, etc., and the image is printed correctly. This is a unit for determining whether or not. The scanner has a CCD image sensor and a CMOS image sensor.

  The cutter unit 6 is a unit including a mechanical cutter 20 that cuts a printed sheet into a predetermined length. The cutter unit 6 further includes a cut mark sensor 19 for optically detecting a cut mark recorded on the sheet and a plurality of conveying rollers for sending the sheet to the next process. A trash can 17 is provided in the vicinity of the cutter unit 6. The trash box 17 accommodates small sheet pieces that are cut off by the cutter unit 6 and discharged as trash. The cutter unit 6 is provided with a sorting mechanism for discharging the cut sheet to the trash box 17 or shifting it to the original conveyance path.

  The information recording unit 7 is a unit that records print information (unique information) such as a print serial number and date in a non-print area of the cut sheet. Recording is performed by printing characters and codes using an inkjet method, a thermal transfer method, or the like. An edge sensor 21 for detecting the leading edge of the cut sheet is provided on the upstream side of the information recording unit 7 and the downstream side of the cutter unit 6. That is, the edge sensor 21 detects the edge of the sheet between the cutter unit 6 and the recording position by the information recording unit 7, and the information recording unit 7 controls the timing of information recording based on the detection timing of the edge sensor 21. The

  The drying unit 8 is a unit for heating the sheet printed by the printing unit 4 and drying the applied ink in a short time. Inside the drying unit 8, hot air is applied at least from the lower surface side to the passing sheet to dry the ink application surface. The drying method is not limited to the method of applying hot air, and may be a method of irradiating the sheet surface with electromagnetic waves (such as ultraviolet rays and infrared rays).

  The sheet conveyance path from the sheet supply unit 1 to the drying unit 8 is referred to as a first path. The first path has a U-turn shape between the printing unit 4 and the drying unit 8, and the cutter unit 6 is located in the middle of the U-turn shape.

  The reversing unit 9 is a unit for temporarily winding a continuous sheet on which front surface printing has been completed when performing double-sided printing, and reversing the front and back. The reversing unit 9 is a path (loop path) (referred to as a second path) from the drying unit 8 through the decurling unit 2 to the printing unit 4 for supplying the sheet that has passed through the drying unit 8 to the printing unit 4 again. It is provided on the way. The reversing unit 9 includes a winding rotary body (drum) that rotates to wind the sheet. The continuous sheet that has been printed on the surface and has not been cut is temporarily wound around the winding rotary member. When the winding is completed, the winding rotary member rotates in the reverse direction, and the wound sheet is fed out in the reverse order to the winding and supplied to the decurling unit 2 and sent to the printing unit 4. Since this sheet is turned upside down, the printing unit 4 can print on the back side. More specific operation of duplex printing will be described later.

  The discharge conveyance unit 10 is a unit for conveying the sheet cut by the cutter unit 6 and dried by the drying unit 8 and delivering the sheet to the sorter unit 11. The discharge conveyance unit 10 is provided in a route (referred to as a third route) different from the second route in which the reversing unit 9 is provided. A path having a movable flapper at a branch position (referred to as “discharge branch position”) in order to selectively guide the sheet conveyed on the first path to one of the second path and the third path. A switching mechanism is provided.

  The discharge unit 12 including the sorter unit 11 is provided on the side of the sheet supply unit 1 and at the end of the third path. The sorter unit 11 is a unit for sorting printed sheets for each group as necessary. The sorted sheets are discharged to a plurality of trays that the discharge unit 12 has. In this way, the third path has a layout that passes below the sheet supply unit 1 and discharges the sheet to the opposite side of the printing unit 4 and the drying unit 8 across the sheet supply unit 1.

  As described above, the sheet supply unit 1 to the drying unit 8 are sequentially provided in the first path. The tip of the drying unit 8 is branched into a second route and a third route, the reversing unit 9 is provided in the middle of the second route, and the tip of the reversing unit 9 joins the first route. A discharge part 12 is provided at the end of the third path.

  The control unit 13 is a unit that controls each unit of the entire printing apparatus. The control unit 13 includes a CPU, a storage device, a controller including various control units, an external interface, and an operation unit 15 that is input and output by a user. The operation of the printing apparatus is controlled based on a command from a host device 16 such as a controller or a host computer connected to the controller via an external interface.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the concept of the control unit 13. A controller (range enclosed by a broken line) included in the control unit 13 includes a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 203, an HDD 204, an image processing unit 207, an engine control unit 208, and an individual unit control unit 209. A CPU 201 (central processing unit) controls the operation of each unit of the printing apparatus in an integrated manner. The ROM 202 stores programs executed by the CPU 201 and fixed data necessary for various operations of the printing apparatus. The RAM 203 is used as a work area for the CPU 201, used as a temporary storage area for various received data, and stores various setting data. The HDD 204 (hard disk) can store and read programs executed by the CPU 201, print data, and setting information necessary for various operations of the printing apparatus. The operation unit 15 is an input / output interface with a user, and includes an input unit such as a hard key and a touch panel, and an output unit such as a display for presenting information and a sound generator.

  A dedicated processing unit is provided for units that require high-speed data processing. An image processing unit 207 performs image processing of print data handled by the printing apparatus. The color space (for example, YCbCr) of the input image data is converted into a standard RGB color space (for example, sRGB). Various image processing such as resolution conversion, image analysis, and image correction is performed on the image data as necessary. Print data obtained by these image processes is stored in the RAM 203 or the HDD 204. The engine control unit 208 performs drive control of the print head 14 of the print unit 4 according to print data based on a control command received from the CPU 201 or the like. The engine control unit 208 also controls the transport mechanism of each unit in the printing apparatus. The individual unit control unit 209 includes a sheet supply unit 1, a decurling unit 2, a skew correction unit 3, an inspection unit 5, a cutter unit 6, an information recording unit 7, a drying unit 8, a reversing unit 9, a discharge conveyance unit 10, and a sorter unit. 11 and a sub-controller for individually controlling each unit of the discharge unit 12. The individual unit control unit 209 controls the operation of each unit based on a command from the CPU 201. The external interface 205 is an interface (I / F) for connecting the controller to the host device 16 and is a local I / F or a network I / F. The above components are connected by the system bus 210.

  The host device 16 is a device serving as a supply source of image data for causing the printing apparatus to perform printing. The host device 16 may be a general-purpose or dedicated computer, or a dedicated image device such as an image capture having an image reader unit, a digital camera, or a photo storage. When the host device 16 is a computer, an OS, application software for generating image data, and a printer driver for the printing device are installed in a storage device included in the computer. Note that it is not essential to implement all of the above processing by software, and a part or all of the processing may be realized by hardware.

  Next, the basic operation during printing will be described. Since the printing operation differs between the single-sided printing mode and the double-sided printing mode, each will be described.

  FIG. 3A is a diagram for explaining the operation in the single-sided print mode. The sheet supplied from the sheet supply unit 1 and processed by the decurling unit 2 and the skew feeding correction unit 3 is printed on the front surface (first surface) by the printing unit 4. An image (unit image) having a predetermined unit length in the conveyance direction is sequentially printed on a long continuous sheet to form a plurality of images side by side. The printed sheet passes through the inspection unit 5 and is cut for each unit image in the cutter unit 6. The cut sheet is recorded with print information on the back side of the sheet by the information recording unit 7 as necessary. Then, the cut sheets are conveyed one by one to the drying unit 8 and dried. Thereafter, the sheet is sequentially discharged and stacked on the discharge unit 12 of the sorter unit 11 via the discharge conveyance unit 10. On the other hand, the sheet left on the print unit 4 side by cutting the last unit image is sent back to the sheet supply unit 1, and the sheet is wound on the roll R1 or R2.

Thus, in single-sided printing, the sheet passes through the first path and the third path and is processed, and does not pass through the second path. In summary, in the single-sided print mode, the following sequences (1) to (6) are executed under the control of the control unit 13.
(1) A sheet is sent out from the sheet supply unit 1 and supplied to the printing unit 4;
(2) Repeat printing of unit images on the first side of the supplied sheet by the printing unit 4;
(3) Repeat cutting of the sheet by the cutter unit 6 for each unit image printed on the first surface;
(4) The sheets cut for each unit image are passed through the drying unit 8 one by one;
(5) The sheets that have passed through the drying unit 8 one by one are discharged to the discharge unit 12 through the third path;
(6) The last unit image is cut and the sheet left on the print unit 4 side is sent back to the sheet supply unit 1.

  FIG. 3B is a diagram for explaining the operation in the duplex printing mode. In double-sided printing, the back (second side) print sequence is executed after the front (front) side (first side) print sequence. In the first front surface print sequence, the operation in each unit from the sheet supply unit 1 to the inspection unit 5 is the same as the one-sided printing operation described above. The cutter unit 6 is conveyed to the drying unit 8 as a continuous sheet without performing a cutting operation. After the surface ink is dried by the drying unit 8, the sheet is guided not to the path on the discharge conveyance unit 10 (third path) but to the path on the reversing unit 9 (second path). In the second path, the sheet is wound around the winding rotary body of the reversing unit 9 that rotates in the forward direction (counterclockwise direction in the drawing). When all of the scheduled printing on the surface is completed in the printing unit 4, the trailing edge of the print area of the continuous sheet is cut by the cutter unit 6. With reference to the cutting position, the continuous sheet on the downstream side (printed side) in the conveying direction is wound up to the rear end (cutting position) of the sheet by the reversing unit 9 through the drying unit 8. On the other hand, at the same time as the winding, the continuous sheet remaining on the upstream side in the conveying direction (on the printing unit 4 side) with respect to the cutting position is not supplied to the decurling unit 2 at the sheet leading end (cutting position). 1 and the sheet is wound on roll R1 or R2. By this rewinding, collision with the sheet supplied again in the following back surface printing sequence is avoided.

  After the above-described front surface print sequence, the back surface print sequence is switched. The winding rotary body of the reversing unit 9 rotates in the opposite direction (clockwise direction in the drawing) to that during winding. The end of the wound sheet (the trailing edge of the sheet at the time of winding becomes the leading edge of the sheet at the time of feeding) is fed into the decurling unit 2 along the path of the broken line in the figure. In the decurling unit 2, the curl imparted by the winding rotary member is corrected. That is, the decurling unit 2 is provided between the sheet supply unit 1 and the printing unit 4 in the first path and between the reversing unit 9 and the printing unit 4 in the second path, and functions as a decal in any path. It is a common unit. The sheet whose front and back sides are reversed is sent to the printing unit 4 through the skew correction unit 3 and printed on the back side of the sheet. The printed sheet passes through the inspection unit 5 and is cut into predetermined unit lengths set in advance in the cutter unit 6. Since the cut sheet is printed on both sides, recording by the information recording unit 7 is not performed. Cut sheets are conveyed one by one to the drying unit 8, and sequentially discharged and stacked on the discharge unit 12 of the sorter unit 11 via the discharge conveyance unit 10.

As described above, in duplex printing, a sheet passes through the first path, the second path, the first path, and the third path in this order. In summary, the following sequences (1) to (11) are executed under the control of the control unit 13 in the duplex printing mode.
(1) A sheet is sent out from the sheet supply unit 1 and supplied to the printing unit 4;
(2) Repeat printing of unit images on the first side of the supplied sheet by the printing unit 4;
(3) Pass the sheet printed on the first surface through the drying unit 8;
(4) The sheet that has passed through the drying unit 8 is guided to the second path and wound on the winding rotary body of the reversing unit 9;
(5) After repeated printing on the first surface, the sheet is cut by the cutter unit 6 behind the last printed unit image;
(6) The sheet is wound around the winding rotary body until the end of the cut sheet passes through the drying unit 8 and reaches the winding rotary body. At the same time, the sheet cut and left on the print unit 4 side is sent back to the sheet supply unit 1;
(7) When the winding is completed, the winding rotating body is rotated in the reverse direction, and the sheet is supplied again to the printing unit 4 from the second path;
(8) Repeat printing of unit images by the printing unit 4 on the second surface of the sheet supplied from the second path;
(9) Repeat cutting of the sheet by the cutter unit 6 for each unit image printed on the second surface;
(10) The sheets cut for each unit image are passed through the drying unit 8 one by one;
(11) The sheets that have passed through the drying unit 8 one by one are discharged to the discharge unit 12 through the third path.

  One feature of the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment is that each time one image is printed on a continuous sheet, sheet information is recorded together with a cut mark in a blank area between the next images. Even if the trailing edge of the last image is cut, the blank area behind it is left. That is, after the last image is cut, the sheet information is recorded in the head area in the next use. Therefore, even when the roll sheet that has been rewound after cutting is removed, the printing apparatus can read and recognize the sheet information recorded at the leading end of the roll sheet at the next use. Alternatively, the user can easily recognize the sheet information. The user can set the recognized sheet information by inputting from the input unit (the input unit of the printing apparatus main body or the input unit of the host device 16).

  Here, the sheet information is a record in which a one-dimensional or two-dimensional code pattern in which the sheet information is coded and characters that can be read by the user are arranged side by side. The sheet information is information regarding at least one of the remaining sheet amount (remaining roll amount), the sheet type, and the sheet width. Or it is the information regarding the printed image, for example, the serial number or name of the image. Or it is the information regarding at least 1 of a recording date, environmental temperature, and environmental humidity. Details will be described later.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a print image and a blank area on a sheet and a cutting position. On the sheet, image areas 101 and margin areas 100 are alternately arranged. A blank area 105 is disposed upstream of the most upstream image area 101. Cut marks 102 and sheet information 103 are recorded by the print head 14 in the margin areas 100 and 105. The downstream cut line 104 a is a boundary between the downstream side of the blank area 100 and the upstream side of the image area 101. The upstream cut line 104 b is a boundary between the upstream side of the blank area 100 and the downstream side of the image area 101. The most upstream cut line 104 c is a boundary between the upstream side of the image area 101 of the image printed at the end of the job and the margin area 105. One image is printed in one image area 101. “One image” here refers to the entire image recorded in one image area 101, and even if a plurality of small images divided in the area are arranged, It is defined as “one image”.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a detailed operation sequence of single-sided printing in the printing apparatus having the above-described configuration. When the operation is started, in step S10, the sheet supply unit 1 selects one of the rolls R1 and R2 and starts sheet feeding. In step S11, the reader 22 attempts to read the sheet information (FIG. 4B, sheet information 103) recorded at the leading edge of the fed sheet, and determines whether there is sheet information. If it is determined in step S11 that the reader 22 has sheet information at the leading edge of the sheet (Yes), the process proceeds to step S12. In step S12, sheet information is acquired based on the reading result read by the reader 22, and stored. The sheet information includes a sheet type, a sheet width, a sheet remaining amount, a recording date and time at the time of previous recording, and environmental temperature and humidity. In the subsequent step S15, acquisition of the recording date and time at the time of image recording, acquisition of environmental temperature, and acquisition of environmental humidity are performed.

  If it is determined in step 41 that the sheet information cannot be read and there is no sheet information, the process proceeds to step S13. In step S13, the apparatus issues an alarm to the user that sheet information cannot be acquired. In step S14, the apparatus manually inputs sheet information (sheet type, sheet width, remaining sheet amount, etc.) of the sheet to be used to the user, continues printing without sheet information, or print operation. Prompts you to choose whether to suspend. In step S14, if the user selects continue printing (Yes), the process proceeds to step S15. If interrupt is selected (No), the printing operation is interrupted.

  Subsequent to step S15, in step S16, an image serial number is assigned to the print image. In step S17, the remaining sheet amount at the time of image recording is calculated. This remaining amount calculation is calculated by subtracting the sheet cut amount at the time of image recording from the remaining sheet amount obtained by acquiring sheet information (step S12) or manually inputting sheet information.

  In step S18, based on the sheet information obtained as described above, optimum values of print control parameters such as ink dot arrangement, ink dot shot amount, ink dot shot timing, roller feed amount, and roller feed speed are calculated. To set the operation of the device.

In step S19, the sheet deterioration state is calculated using the sheet type and other information acquired in step S12. This sheet deterioration calculation is performed using the following (Expression 1) and (Expression 2) for the outermost peripheral portion of the roll of the sheet and other portions.
Sheet deterioration condition coefficient of roll outer periphery = A × (d + B × a) × (e + B × b) × c (Formula 1)
Sheet degradation state coefficient other than the outer periphery of the roll = A × (d + C × a) × (e + C × b) (Formula 2)
Where A: (recording date and time at the time of image recording-recording date and time at the previous recording)
B: (Environment temperature at the time of image recording + Environment temperature at the time of previous recording)
C: (Environment temperature at the time of image recording-Environment temperature at the time of previous recording)
a, d: Temperature degradation coefficient b, e: Humidity degradation coefficient c: Roll outer circumference coefficient. The coefficient is obtained in advance through experiments or the like.

  In step S20, based on the result of the above calculation, it is determined whether or not sheet deterioration is significant. If the determination in step S20 is Yes, that is, if the sheet deterioration state coefficient exceeds the threshold value determined for each sheet, it is determined that the sheet has deteriorated, and the process proceeds to step S26. In step S26, an alarm of sheet deterioration is issued to the user. In step S27, the user is prompted to select whether to continue printing or interrupt the printing operation. In step S27, if the user selects to continue printing (Yes), the process proceeds to step S21. If interrupt is selected (No), the printing operation is interrupted.

  In step S21, an image is printed on one image area (FIG. 4A, image area 101). During the printing operation, ink ejection and sheet conveyance are controlled with the optimum print control parameters in each sheet area determined in step S18.

  In step S22, a cut mark serving as a mark for cutting the sheet is recorded by the print head 14 in a blank area adjacent to the printed image area (FIG. 4A, blank area 100). At the same time, sheet information (FIG. 4A, sheet information 103) is recorded by the print head 14 in the same margin area. The sheet information to be recorded here includes the sheet type, the sheet width, the remaining sheet amount at the time of image recording, the recording date and time, the environmental temperature, the environmental humidity, the image serial number, and the like. Such information is recorded as a one-dimensional or two-dimensional code pattern. At the same time, at least a part of the information is recorded adjacent to the code pattern by letters or numbers so that the user can visually recognize the information.

  In step S23, the sheet is cut by the cutter 20 at the downstream cut line (FIG. 4A, downstream cut line 104a). The position of the downstream cut line can be determined from the timing at which the cut mark sensor 19 detects the recorded cut mark.

  In step S24, it is determined whether it is the last image of the print job. If it is not the last image (No), the process proceeds to step S25. In step S25, the cutter 20 cuts the sheet along the upstream cut line (FIG. 4A, upstream cut line 104b). The position of the upstream cut line can also be determined at the timing when the cut mark sensor 19 detects the recorded cut mark. The sheet cut for each unit length is dried by the drying unit 8, and is discharged to the discharge unit 12 of the sorter unit 11 through the discharge conveyance unit 10. After step S25, the process returns to step S15 and the same processing is repeated.

  If it is determined in step S24 that the image is the last print job (Yes), the process proceeds to step S28. In step S28, the same sheet information as described above is recorded by the print head 14. Then, as shown in FIG. 4C, the sheet is cut by the cutter 20 along the most upstream cut line 104c.

  In step S29, the upstream side of the cut continuous sheet is rewound onto the roll R1 or R2. Rewinding is performed by rotating the roll held by the sheet supply unit 1 in the direction opposite to the rotation at the time of supply. Thus, the single-sided printing sequence is completed.

  As described above, each time one image is recorded, a recording operation (step S22) in which sheet information is recorded in a blank area between the next image, and the leading edge and the trailing edge of each recorded image alternately. The cutting operation (steps S23 and S25) to be cut off is repeated. Since the sheet is not cut along the cut line after step S28, the sheet is left with the cut mark 102 and the sheet information 103 remaining at the leading end of the cut sheet (margin area 105) as shown in FIG. 4B. It will be rewound. In other words, when the front surface printing operation is completed, the sheet that has been cut leaving the blank area in which the sheet information is recorded last among the blank areas is sent back to the sheet supply unit 1.

  Even if the user removes the rewound roll R1 or R2 for maintenance or replacement with another roll, sheet information is held at the leading edge of the sheet. When the user sets the same roll in the sheet supply unit 1 again, the sheet information is read by the reader 22 and is automatically reset, so that the printing process can be resumed smoothly. Even if a situation in which the reader 22 cannot read the sheet information occurs, if the user visually recognizes the information recorded in letters and numbers and manually inputs it from the input unit, the sheet information can be easily re-established. Can be set.

  In step S22, the sheet information may not be recorded. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4C, only the cut mark 102 is recorded in the margin area 100, and the sheet information 103 is recorded together with the cut mark 102 only in the last (most upstream) margin area 105.

  Next, a series of print job flows during duplex printing will be described. As described above, in the double-sided printing, the front side printing is performed first, followed by the back side printing. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a front surface printing sequence in double-sided printing. In FIG. 6, steps having the same numbers as those in FIG. 5 are the same processing, and therefore, the description of overlapping will be omitted and different steps will be mainly described.

  The processing from step S10 (sheet feeding) to step S21 (image printing) is the same as the example of FIG. Following the processing in step S21, sheet information is recorded in the margin area in step 28. The sheet information to be recorded here is the same as the above example, and the coded pattern and characters or numbers are recorded together.

  In a succeeding step S24, it is determined whether or not the image is the last image of the print job. If it is not the last image (No), the process returns to step S16 and the same processing is repeated to repeatedly print the image. As described with reference to FIG. 3, in the surface printing in the double-sided printing, the continuous sheet is not cut into a unit length, and the printed sheet is wound around the winding drum of the reversing unit 9.

  If it is determined in step S24 that the image is the last print job (Yes), the process proceeds to step S22. In step S22, a cut mark is recorded in a margin area (FIG. 4, margin area 105). In step S30, the continuous sheet is cut along the most upstream cut line 104c. In step S29, the upstream side of the cut continuous sheet is rewound onto the roll R1 or R2. The sheet printed on the downstream side is not cut and wound up around the reversing unit 9 to the end. In step 31, the printed sheet is wound up to the end on the winding drum of the reversing unit 9. Thus, the front surface printing sequence in the double-sided printing is completed.

  In this way, in front side printing, every time one image is recorded by the printing unit, the recording operation (step S22) for recording sheet information in the blank area between the next image is repeatedly executed.

  Subsequently, a back surface printing sequence is started. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a back surface printing sequence in duplex printing. In FIG. 7, steps having the same numbers as those in FIGS. 5 and 6 are the same processing.

  In FIG. 7, in step S <b> 11, the winding drum of the reversing unit 9 rotates in the reverse direction, and the sheet is fed by feeding the wound sheet. The sheet is conveyed to the printing unit 4 through the decurling unit 2 and the skew correction unit 3.

  Prior to the image printing in step 21, the processes in steps S15 to S19 are performed. In step 21, an image is printed on the back side of the sheet. Next, in step 22, cut marks are recorded in the margin area (FIG. 4, margin area 100), and sheet information is recorded in the same margin area in step S23.

  In the sheet S23, the sheet is cut along the downstream cut line 104a for each unit length. In step 25, the sheet is cut along the upstream cut line 104b of the same margin area. The cut sheet is subjected to a drying process in the drying unit 8, and is discharged to the discharge unit 12 of the sorter unit 11 through the discharge conveyance unit 10. Thus, the duplex printing sequence is completed.

  The back side printing is a recording operation (step S22) in which sheet information is recorded in a blank area between the next image every time one image is recorded, and the leading edge and the trailing edge of each recorded image alternately. The cutting operation (steps S23 and S25) to be cut off is repeated.

  As shown in FIG. 4B, the sheet that has been rewound onto the roll R1 or R2 after the front surface printing has the cut mark 102 and the sheet information 103 remaining at the leading edge (margin area 105). Therefore, the same effect as that described above can be obtained. Further, an image serial number is recorded in each margin area of the sheet that has been printed on the front side. Therefore, even when a print error occurs due to a sheet conveyance jam or a system trouble, the user can easily grasp where the error has occurred in the print job by looking at the image serial number.

As described above, every time one image is printed by the printing unit 4, sheet information is recorded in a margin area between the next image. That is, the sheet information is recorded without the user being particularly conscious. For this reason, even if the user removes the continuous sheet (roll) from the sheet supply unit 1 at any timing, the apparatus or the user can easily identify the sheet information of the removed continuous sheet .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sheet supply part 4 Printing part 6 Cutter part 8 Drying part 13 Control part 14 Print head 19 Cut mark sensor 20 Cutter 22 Reader 100 Margin area 101 Image area 102 Cut mark 103 Sheet information 104a Downstream cut line 104b Upstream cut line

Claims (9)

A sheet supply unit that holds and supplies continuous sheets;
A printing unit for printing on the sheet supplied from the sheet supply unit;
A cutter unit for cutting the printed sheet;
A control unit,
Under control of the control unit, the recording sheets having different information from the cut mark on the area between the next image every time printing one image by the print unit, and, based on the cut mark on the sheet By cutting the downstream side and the upstream side of each of the plurality of images printed by determining the cutting position in order with the cutter unit, the sheet is cut for each image and the area is cut off as dust.
Under the control of the control unit, when the printing of the last image and the recording of the last sheet information among the plurality of images are finished, the sheet is cut by the cutter between the last image and the last sheet information, A printing apparatus , wherein a sheet including an area in which the last sheet information is recorded is sent back to the sheet supply unit . The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet information is information related to at least one of a remaining sheet amount, a sheet type, and a sheet width. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet information is information related to a printed image. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet information is information related to at least one of recording date and time, environmental temperature, and environmental humidity. By control of the controller, it characterized that you record the cut mark with the sheet information to the blank area, the printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The print according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor that reads the cut mark, wherein the control unit determines a position to cut the sheet based on a reading result of the sensor. apparatus. It has recorded the sheet information read reader further, the control unit and sets the operation of the apparatus on the basis of the read of the reader, according to any one of claims 1 to 6 Printing device. Wherein the control unit is configured and sets the operation of the device based on the recorded sheet information to the information input by the user is recognized, printing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7. Under the control of the control unit, a plurality of images are sequentially printed on the first surface of the sheet, the printed sheet is reversed on the first surface, and a plurality of images are formed on the second surface on the back side of the first surface The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , wherein the printing apparatus can sequentially print and double-sided printing on a sheet.

Images