JP5439911B2 - Paper travel position correction method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the paper traveling position correcting how.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a continuous paper printing apparatus using an electrophotographic method or the like, a paper meandering correction device is provided as a part of a paper transport device in order to stably transport a wide variety of print paper such as paper quality, paper thickness, and dimensions. . For example, in the case of a printing apparatus equipped with a pressure roll type fixing device, the influence on the paper running performance is large. In particular, in the case of a continuous paper printing apparatus, an example in which the fixing device has a paper meandering correction device is known. It has been.

  In Patent Document 1, a paper meandering correction device is used as a fixing device, and printing paper is conveyed by pin driving by a tractor and friction driving of a heat roll and a pressure roll. And, in the part where the printing paper is conveyed by the frictional force between the heat roll and the pressure roll, the printing paper meanders from side to side and stress is applied to the printing paper, causing the feed hole to dry up and wrinkle. . For this reason, the edge of the printing paper is detected by the skew sensor, and the paper meandering amount is calculated from the difference from the control target value of the paper meandering correction (the output value of the skew sensor as a reference for paper running). A printing device that corrects the meandering of paper by calculating the amount of paper meandering correction and changing the contact pressure between the heat roll and the pressure roll to the left and right with respect to the support axis of the heat roll from the amount of paper meandering correction is disclosed. ing.

  In Patent Document 2, the control target value of the paper meandering correction control during printing is set as the output of the skew sensor during automatic paper loading. For example, since the heat roll and pressure roll are open during automatic paper loading, and the paper travel position is not affected by the fixing device, the skew sensor output can be calculated by averaging the skew sensor output during automatic paper loading. There is disclosed a continuous recording paper printing apparatus capable of preventing erroneous detection of sensors.

  Further, in Patent Document 3, the sensor output is adjusted so that the reading value of the skew sensor is constant under certain conditions so that the sensor characteristics do not change due to the influence of dirt or paper dust attached to the skew sensor, A continuous paper printing apparatus in which the running position is not affected is disclosed.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining a conventional sheet meandering correction control operation, and FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a relationship between a conventional sheet meandering amount and a motor drive amount. As shown in FIG. 8, a conventional paper meandering correction control procedure inputs a signal from a skew sensor that detects a paper running position to a microprocessor at a certain period when printing paper starts feeding, and performs program processing of the microprocessor. The meandering amount away from the paper travel reference position is stored in the meandering amount storage unit (step S100). The meandering amount calculation unit performs meandering amount calculation processing for calculating the meandering amount average value from the meandering amount stored in the meandering amount storage unit (step S101), and uses the meandering amount average value to determine the previous meandering amount. This time, the meandering amount change rate is calculated from the meandering amount (step S102), it is determined whether the meandering amount average value in the meandering amount storage unit is away from the paper running reference position, and a certain value is added to the drive amount. An offset amount calculation process is performed (step S103). Further, the drive amount from the table showing the relationship between the meandering amount and the motor drive amount shown in FIG. 9 from the meandering amount average value obtained in the meandering amount calculation process of step S101 at regular intervals, and the meandering amount change rate of step S102. A motor drive amount calculation process is performed in which the drive amount of the motor obtained by adding the drive amount from the meandering amount change rate obtained in the calculation process and the drive amount from the offset amount calculation process in step S103 is output to the motor drive circuit. (Step S104).

  As described above, the conventional paper meandering correction device prints by driving the motor by the drive signal from the motor drive circuit and rotating the camshaft, and providing the right and left pressure difference between the heat roll and the pressure roll by the cam. The paper was meandered to the paper running reference position.

  However, in the conventional paper meandering correction device, the pressure roll is mainly caused by the meandering of the paper caused by the type and state of the paper, the meandering of the paper caused by the influence of the printing pattern, and the thermal expansion of the fixing unit. This is to correct the meandering of the paper that occurs due to the balance between the pressure of the heat roll and the heat roll. When not affected by these, mechanical adjustment of a portion related to the paper running is executed in advance so that the paper can be conveyed without meandering without performing the paper meandering correction control.

  However, the paper travel position during automatic paper loading, which is the control target value for the paper meandering correction control, and the paper travel position during printing may not always match due to a mechanical error. In this case, if the paper travel position during automatic paper loading detected by the skew sensor is the control target value for paper meandering correction during printing, the balance between the pressure of the heat roll and the pressure roll is equivalent to the mechanical error. Since the paper meandering correction is performed in a shifted state, there is a problem that the paper running may become unstable due to insufficient or excessive amount of paper meandering correction.

  In addition, if the paper meanders beyond a certain level with respect to the control target value for paper meander correction, printing is stopped as a jam, but there is an error in the paper travel position during automatic paper loading and during printing. If there is, there is a problem that the margin for detecting the jam is reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and eliminates a mechanical error between the paper travel position during automatic paper loading and the paper travel position during printing, and can perform optimal paper meandering correction. It is an object to provide a travel position correction apparatus, a paper travel position correction method, and a program.

In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the present invention provides continuous paper printing in which a toner image transferred onto a continuous paper is fixed by heating and pressurizing and conveying with a heat roll and a pressure roll. A paper traveling position correction method executed by an apparatus, wherein the paper is passed while the heat roll and the pressure roll are not in contact with each other while the paper is being loaded into the continuous paper printing apparatus. Detecting the running position of the paper, printing without correcting the meandering of the paper, and transporting the toner image transferred on the paper while being heated and pressurized by the heat roll and the pressure roll And detecting the travel position of the paper, and the difference between the travel position detected during loading of the paper and the travel position detected by executing printing without correcting the meandering of the paper. Calculating a, based on the difference, the setting a control target value to correct the meandering of the sheet, the heat roll and the pressure of the right and left of the pressure roll running printing running printing Correcting the meandering of the paper by setting the difference to a predetermined correction amount setting value corresponding to the control target value .

  According to the present invention, by correcting a mechanical error between a paper travel position during automatic paper loading and a paper travel position during printing, and changing a control target value for paper meandering correction, a stable paper for printing paper can be obtained. There is an effect that conveyance can be realized.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an electrophotographic continuous paper printing apparatus used in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation panel used during maintenance of the continuous paper printing apparatus of FIG. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating the configuration of the paper meandering correction apparatus in the continuous paper printing apparatus of FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a paper travel position during continuous paper printing and automatic loading. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the sheet meandering amount and the motor drive amount of the sheet meandering correction apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the sheet meandering amount and the panel display contents. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between the sheet meandering amount and the set value of the sheet running correction value. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining a conventional paper meandering correction control operation. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the relationship between a conventional sheet meandering amount and a motor drive amount.

  Exemplary embodiments of a paper traveling position correction apparatus, a paper traveling position correction method, and a program according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an electrophotographic continuous paper printing apparatus used in the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an example of an operation panel used during maintenance of the continuous paper printing apparatus of FIG. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating the configuration of the paper meandering correction device in the continuous paper printing apparatus of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a paper travel position during continuous paper printing and automatic loading. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the paper meandering amount and the motor drive amount of the paper meandering correction apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the paper meandering amount and the panel display. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the content and the relationship between the paper meandering amount and the set value of the paper travel correction value.

  The continuous paper printing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 moves the printing paper 30 by the tractor 11 at the same speed as the cycle of the photosensitive drum 12, and transfers a toner image (not shown) to the printing paper 30 by the transfer device 13. The toner image is melted and fixed on the printing paper 30 by pressurizing and heating the toner image by the fixing device 15 in which the heat roll 15a and the pressure roll 15b are arranged to face each other through the buffer 14 that applies a constant tension to the paper 30. . By pulling the printing paper 30 with a constant tension by the puller roll 16 and the puller 17 arranged in the transport path ahead, the printing paper 30 after printing is folded by the swing fins 18 for folding the printing paper 30, The printing paper 30 is conveyed to the stacker 19 on which the printing paper 30 is stacked. Further, as a characteristic configuration of the continuous paper printing apparatus 10 of FIG. 1, the left and right pressure difference between the skew sensor 20 that detects the meandering amount of the printing paper 30, and the heat roll 15 a and the pressure roll 15 b of the fixing device 15. The meandering correction unit 22 for correcting the meandering of the printing paper 30, the control of the meandering correction of the printing paper 30 using the output of the skew sensor 20 during automatic paper loading as the control target value of the paper running position during printing, and And a control unit 23 that controls the entire continuous printing apparatus 10. Further, the operation panel 21 can be used during maintenance or inspection of the continuous paper printing apparatus 10.

  In the continuous paper printing apparatus 10 described above, since it is necessary to load the printing paper 30 up to the stacker 19 before printing is started, the paper loading operation is automatically executed. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, in the automatic paper loading operation, when the user attaches the top of the printing paper 30 to the tractor 11 and presses an unillustrated automatic paper loading switch, the tractor 11 starts driving. The printing paper 30 is conveyed. The top of the printing paper 30 passes through the buffer 14 and then passes between the heat roll 15a and the pressure roll 15b. At this time, the heat roll 15a and the pressure roll 15b are not in contact with each other. Thereafter, the printing paper 30 passes between the puller roll 16 and the puller 17 and is conveyed to the stacker 19 while being folded by the swing fins 18. In this way, the automatic paper loading operation ends after the printing paper 30 has been conveyed by a specified amount, and then the tractor 11, puller 17, and swing fin 18 are stopped.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the operation panel 21 used during maintenance of the continuous paper printing apparatus of FIG. 1 is mainly used during maintenance or inspection of the continuous paper printing apparatus 10, and includes a panel display unit 211 and A panel input unit 212 and the like are provided. The panel input unit 212 can be used to set various diagnostic modes of the continuous paper printing apparatus and adjustment modes of each mechanism unit, and display the results on the panel display unit 211 for confirmation.

  Next, the sheet meandering correction unit 22 according to the first embodiment varies the pressure difference between the right and left of the heat roll 15a and the pressure roll 15b of the fixing device 15 in FIG. It is a mechanism to correct. In FIG. 3, the motor 222 is driven by the drive signal from the motor drive circuit 221 to rotate the camshaft 223, and the cam 224 creates a pressure difference between the right and left of the heat roll 15 a and the pressure roll 15 b. The meandering of the printing paper 30 can be corrected at the paper running reference position.

  Further, the control unit 23 according to the first embodiment uses the output of the skew sensor 20 during automatic paper loading of FIG. 1 as the control target value of the paper running position during printing, and uses the paper meandering correction unit 22 described above. By controlling, the meandering correction of the printing paper 30 is controlled. As shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 23 receives a signal from the skew sensor 9 and performs a program processing, a microprocessor 231, a meandering amount storage unit 232 that stores a meandering amount away from the paper travel reference position, The meandering amount calculation unit 233 that calculates the meandering amount average value from the meandering amount of the meandering amount storage unit 232, and the meandering amount change rate is calculated from the previous meandering amount and the current meandering amount using the meandering amount average value of the meandering amount storage unit 232 The meandering amount change rate calculating unit 234 and the offset amount calculating unit for determining whether the meandering amount average value of the meandering amount storage unit 232 is away from the paper travel reference position and adding a constant value to the driving amount. 235 and the meandering amount average value, the meandering amount of FIG. 9, the driving amount from the driving amount data table of the motor 222, the driving amount from the meandering amount change rate, and the motor driving amount obtained by adding the driving amount It is composed of a motor drive amount calculation unit 236 to be output to the driving circuit 221.

  FIG. 4 shows the paper travel position during printing and automatic loading. A paper edge indicated by a broken line B is a paper traveling position during automatic paper loading, and is a position serving as a control target value for paper meandering correction control in the prior art. A paper edge indicated by a solid line A is a position where the paper travels stably during printing. These paper edges are detected by the skew sensor 20. In the first embodiment, an example in which the traveling position during printing is shifted to the left by 0.2 mm with respect to the traveling position during automatic paper loading due to a mechanical error. Reference numeral 30 a denotes a feed hole for the continuous printing paper 30.

  When the first embodiment is compared with the conventional example, in the conventional example, the paper meandering correction is performed so that the control target value of the paper running position during printing is set to the position B. It is necessary to correct the paper meandering including a difference of 0.2 mm in the paper running position due to a typical error, and the tolerance of the paper meandering correction control is reduced.

  On the other hand, in the first embodiment, when the diagram showing the meandering amount of the printing paper and the motor driving amount for correcting the meandering in FIG. 5 is seen, B is the paper running position during automatic paper loading. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a sheet meandering amount and a motor driving amount with reference to A, and A is a diagram showing a sheet meandering amount and a motor driving amount based on a running position during printing. When the paper running position B during automatic paper loading is used as a reference, if the paper meanders by 0.6 mm, meandering correction for 60 steps is performed. However, when the paper traveling position A is stabilized during printing, 80 steps of meandering correction is required. Regarding the paper meandering correction, since the paper travel position A during printing is the ideal position, when the paper travel position B during automatic paper loading is used as a reference, a correction amount of 20 steps is insufficient with respect to the ideal meandering correction amount. It becomes. In the conventional example, the paper running position B during automatic paper loading is set as the paper meandering correction control target value. However, in the first embodiment, the meandering correction amount is insufficient or excessive due to the mechanical error of the paper running position. In order to prevent the paper meandering, a mechanical error amount (A−B) is added to the paper meandering correction control target value, and the paper meandering correction control target value is set to A, thereby realizing stable paper running. It is a thing.

  In the first embodiment, a paper travel position correction method for manually setting a mechanical error amount from an operation panel will be described. The operation panel 21 shown in FIG. 2 is mainly used during maintenance of the continuous paper printing apparatus, and includes a panel display unit 211 and a panel input unit 212. Various diagnostic modes of the apparatus and adjustment modes of each mechanism unit can be set by the panel input unit 212, and the results can be displayed on the panel display unit 211 for confirmation. The procedure of the paper travel position correction method using the operation panel 21 will be described below.

  First, (1) the user sets a paper meandering correction control invalid mode from the operation panel 21. (2) The user performs printing by performing automatic paper loading. (3) The user confirms the amount of paper meander displayed on the operation panel 21 during printing. (4) The user sets the paper travel position adjustment mode from the operation panel 21, and determines and inputs the paper travel position correction amount from the paper meander amount confirmed in (3) above. (5) The user who performs the adjustment inputs an adjustment mode in which the paper meandering correction control is invalidated at the panel input unit 212 of the operation panel 21 as shown in (1) above. In this adjustment mode, paper meandering control is disabled during printing, and the difference between the paper running position during automatic loading detected by the skew sensor 20 and the paper running position during printing is converted into a meandering distance and displayed on the panel display unit 211. It is a mode to do.

  As shown in FIG. 6, for example, the display content is “R.40” when meandering by 0.4 mm on the right side, and “L.30” when meandering by 0.3 mm on the left side. It becomes. The reason for invalidating the paper meandering correction control is to confirm the position where the paper travels stably including the mechanical error of the apparatus.

  Subsequently, as shown in (2) above, the user performs printing by executing automatic paper loading. While performing printing, the user confirms the display content of the panel display unit 211 as shown in (3) above. In the first embodiment, since the travel position during printing meanders 0.2 mm to the left with respect to the travel position during automatic paper loading, “L.20” is displayed on the panel display unit 211. Is done.

  Next, as shown in (4) above, the user selects the content to be corrected using FIG. 7 showing the relationship between the predetermined sheet meandering amount and the sheet running position correction amount. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a table that can correct the paper travel position in seven stages is used. This content is described in advance in a manual or the like of this apparatus, and the user checks this manual and selects a setting value. In the first embodiment, since the travel position during printing meanders 0.2 mm to the left with respect to the travel position during automatic paper loading, the correction amount setting value is “F1”. The user inputs the paper travel position adjustment mode to the panel input unit 212 of the operation panel 21 and inputs the correction amount setting value “F1”.

  The above is the paper travel position correction method that is manually set using the operation panel 21 in order to correct the mechanical error amount. In the paper meandering amount calculation processing according to the first embodiment, a position obtained by adding −0.2 mm to the paper running position B during automatic paper loading is set as a control target value for paper meander control, and printing is in progress. The meandering correction amount is calculated from the meandering amount difference at the paper running position to correct the paper meandering.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the mechanical movement between the paper running position during automatic paper loading and the paper running position during printing can be achieved simply by changing the program of the microprocessor 231 without changing the mechanism. The error can be eliminated. In addition, since it is not necessary to make fine adjustments to the mechanism, mechanical errors can be eliminated by a simple operation by the user rather than by maintenance work.

(Second Embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the paper travel position correction method in which the user checks the mechanical error amount using the operation panel 21 and inputs the correction amount has been described. In the second embodiment, A paper running position correction method in which the user confirms the mechanical error amount and automatically sets the correction amount without inputting the correction amount will be described. The procedure of the paper travel position correction method is as follows. First, (a) the paper travel position adjustment mode is set by the operation panel 21. Then, (b) paper is automatically loaded and printing is performed. The user who performs the adjustment inputs the paper travel position adjustment mode to the panel input unit 212 of the operation panel 21 as shown in FIG. In this paper travel position adjustment mode, paper meander control is disabled during printing, and the difference between the paper travel position during automatic loading detected by the skew sensor 20 and the paper travel position during printing is displayed on the panel display 211. In this mode, the difference between the paper travel position during automatic loading and the paper travel position during printing is calculated as a correction value for the paper travel position.

  As shown in (b) above, when the user performs printing by executing automatic loading of printing paper, the paper running position during automatic loading and the printing paper are printed while printing is performed with the paper meandering correction control disabled. The difference in travel position is converted to meandering distance, and this is used as a correction value. In the second embodiment, since the travel position during printing meanders 0.2 mm to the left with respect to the travel position during automatic paper loading, the correction amount is 0.2 mm.

  As a result, in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the meandering amount calculation unit 233 in FIG. 3 adds -0.2 mm to the paper travel position B during automatic paper loading from the obtained correction amount setting value. Since the meandering position is set as the control target value of the paper meandering control and the meandering correction amount is calculated from the meandering amount difference of the paper running position during printing, the same effect as the first embodiment is expected. can do.

  As described above, according to the second embodiment, since the mechanical error between the paper running position during automatic paper loading and the paper running position during printing can be automatically performed, the burden on the user is reduced. As in the first embodiment, a mechanical error between the paper running position during automatic paper loading and the paper running position during printing can be eliminated.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Continuous paper printing apparatus 20 Skew sensor 22 Serpentine correction part 221 Motor drive circuit 222 Motor 223 Camshaft 224 Cam 23 Control part 231 Microprocessor 232 Meander amount memory | storage part 233 Meander amount change rate calculation part 234 Meander amount change rate calculation part 235 Offset calculation part 236 Motor drive amount calculation unit

Japanese Patent No. 3738983 JP 2008-105836 A JP 2008-044748 A

Claims (2)

A paper running position correction method executed by a continuous paper printing apparatus that fixes a toner image transferred onto a continuous paper by heating and pressing with a heat roll and a pressure roll and conveying the toner image,
Detecting the travel position of the paper while the paper is being loaded into the continuous paper printing apparatus by passing the paper while the heat roll and the pressure roll are not in contact with each other;
The printing is performed without correcting the meandering of the paper, and the toner image transferred onto the paper is fixed by heating and pressurizing and transporting the toner image by the heat roll and the pressure roll. Detecting the position;
Calculating a difference between a travel position detected during loading of the paper and a travel position detected by executing printing without correcting the meandering of the paper;
Setting a control target value for correcting the meandering of the paper being printed based on the difference ; and
Correcting the meandering of the paper by setting a pressure difference between the right and left of the heat roll and the pressure roll during printing to a predetermined correction amount setting value corresponding to the control target value ; ,
A paper running position correction method including 2. The paper travel position correction according to claim 1, wherein a left-right pressure difference between the thermal roll and the pressure roll during printing is set based on a predetermined relationship between the paper meandering amount and the paper travel position correction amount. Method.

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