JP5690360B2 - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The technique described in this specification relates to a technique for printing a sheet within the stacking limit number of paper discharge trays.

  In the image forming apparatus, continuously printed sheets are sequentially discharged and stacked on a sheet discharge tray. If the number of continuous prints exceeds the stacking limit number of the paper discharge tray, for example, the sheet may not be discharged by the discharge roller, and a paper jam may occur. At that time, the operation of the image forming apparatus may be interrupted based on the detection information of the paper jam detection mechanism.

  In addition, since the number of sheets that can be stacked in the paper discharge tray is determined in advance, a warning is issued to the user when it is determined that the number of sheets to be printed exceeds the maximum number of sheets that can be stacked. There is also a technique for urging the user to remove the printed paper on the tray (Patent Document 1).

  However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, in accordance with a warning issued when the number of continuous prints exceeds the stacking limit number of the paper discharge tray, the user must remove the printed paper from the paper discharge tray in the middle of printing. did not become.

JP 2006-30411 A

  An object of the present invention is to form an image that can finish printing without removing printed paper on a paper discharge tray in the middle of printing even if the number of sheets to be discharged by printing exceeds the limit on the number of sheets stacked in the paper discharge unit. To provide an apparatus.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment relates to an image forming apparatus that discharges a printed sheet on which an image is printed based on image information to a sheet discharge stacking unit.

The image forming apparatus provides an overload determination unit that determines in advance whether or not the scheduled number of discharged sheets exceeds the stacking limit number of the sheet discharge stacking unit, and a warning when the overload determination unit determines that overloading is performed. An overload warning section that emits an error, a reduction adjustment section that adjusts the reduction of the total number of paper discharged by changing the number of originals printed per sheet, and the number of prints of the last print job is greater than or equal to a predetermined number After the reduction adjustment by the reduction adjustment unit for the current print job, before starting the printing operation of the current print job, the paper remaining confirmation that prompts the user to check whether the printed paper remains in the paper discharge stacking unit And a warning section .

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of a paper discharge stacked sheet number reduction adjustment mode of the image forming apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining an operation in a paper discharge stacked sheet number reduction adjustment mode in FIG. 2; FIG.

  Hereinafter, an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment. The image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is a multifunction device having a compact configuration, and includes a scanner unit 4, an automatic document feeder (ADF) 5, a printer unit P, and a FAX unit (not shown). The image forming apparatus 1 also includes a control panel 3, a paper feeding cassette unit 7, a paper feeding / conveying unit 9, a registration roller 11, a fixing unit 15, a paper ejection sensor 17, a paper ejection roller 19, and paper. A paper discharge unit (paper discharge tray) 21, a paper reverse conveyance unit 23, a control unit 25, a storage unit 27, and the like are included.

  The printer unit P irradiates, for example, the document information stored in the storage unit 27 to the photosensitive drum 6 that is an image carrier, for example, by a laser exposure unit, and forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 6. The electrostatic latent image is developed with toner, and the toner developed image is transferred onto the paper S by the transfer member 13. The sheet S is transported from the sheet feed cassette 7 to the registration roller 11 by the sheet feed transport unit 9 and transported to the transfer position 12 at a predetermined timing, and the unfixed toner image on the photosensitive drum 6 is transferred by the transfer member 13. Is done. Then, the sheet S carrying the unfixed toner image is conveyed to the fixing unit 15, and the unfixed toner image is fixed on the sheet S by heating and pressurization, and is discharged to the sheet discharge tray 21 by the discharge roller 19. The

  In the double-sided image formation, when the paper discharge sensor 17 disposed in the vicinity of the paper discharge roller 19 detects the paper S, the paper S is transported to the paper reverse transport unit 23, and the paper S is again passed through the registration rollers 11. The unfixed toner image is transferred to the transfer position 12, transferred to the back side of the paper S, and fixed by the fixing unit 15. Then, the paper is discharged onto a paper discharge tray 21 by a discharge roller 19.

  The document stacking limit number of the ADF 5 is set to be equal to or less than the sheet stacking limit number (A) of the sheet discharge tray 21. Therefore, if a large number of printed sheets S remain on the sheet discharge tray 21 when placing a limited number of originals on the ADF 5, the user removes the remaining printed sheets S. Start printing.

  When the original is printed by the ADF 5, when the single-sided original is printed on one or both sides and when the double-sided original is printed on both sides, the number of the printed sheets S stacked on the paper discharge tray 21 is the number of originals ( B)) or half. Accordingly, the printed sheets S are not stacked on the sheet discharge tray 21 beyond the stacking limit number. However, when double-sided originals are printed on one side, printed paper twice as many as the number of originals B is stacked on the paper discharge tray 21. For this reason, when the number of 2 × B exceeds the discharge stacking limit sheet number A, the number of discharged sheets exceeds the discharge stacking limit sheet number A, and for example, a paper jam occurs at the discharge roller 19.

  Therefore, when double-sided originals are printed on one side by the ADF 5, all the originals are read by the scanner unit 4 by the ADF 5, and the number of originals (B) is counted at that time. The document information read by the scanner unit 4 is stored in the storage unit 27.

  The control unit 25 doubles the counted number of documents B (2 × B) to determine whether the number of 2 × B exceeds the discharge stacking limit number A, and if 2B> A, the user To warn. At that time, as shown in the display unit 40 in FIG. 2, the control panel 3 displays a printing form such as 2 images (2 in 1) or 4 images (4 in 1) on one sheet S. The user can arbitrarily select and determine the mode in which the print mode is displayed, so that the user can print at least half the number of documents B and can adjust the reduction of the number of discharged sheets.

  If the private printing mode is selected, for example, if the user's password is not input at the authentication unit provided on the control panel 3 of the image forming apparatus 1, the user temporarily stored in the storage unit 27, for example. Printing with other print data does not start. For this reason, the user can surely check whether or not printed paper remains in the paper discharge tray 21.

  On the other hand, when the original information is transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1 and printed by the personal computer, the control unit 25 acquires the number of originals (B). If the print mode is arbitrarily selected from the print forms, the reduction of the number of discharged sheets can be adjusted.

  FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of a reduction adjustment mode for performing reduction adjustment of the number of discharged sheets. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the reduction adjustment mode of FIG.

  In FIG. 2, the control block in the reduction adjustment mode includes a control unit 25, a display unit 40 disposed on the control panel 3, for example, a storage unit 25, an authentication unit 49 disposed on the control panel 3, and a personal computer PC. A printer unit P, an ADF 5, and an operation unit 51 disposed on the control panel 3, for example. Each component of these image forming apparatuses is connected via a bus 56.

  The control unit 25 includes a processor 251 including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and a memory 252. The control unit 25 controls the entire image forming apparatus such as the display unit 40, the operation unit 51, the scanner unit 4, the ADF 5, the printer unit P, and the authentication unit 49.

  The memory 252 is, for example, a semiconductor memory, and includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 253 that stores various control programs, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 254 that provides a temporary work area to the processor 251. For example, the ROM 254 stores the discharge unit stacking limit number (A) and the like.

  The display unit 40 is configured by a touch panel, for example. The same display unit as the display unit 40 is also displayed on the personal computer PC. The display unit 40 displays a warning unit 41 that issues a warning when the number of sheets discharged from the paper discharge unit is exceeded, and a print form display unit 42.

  The print form display unit 42 includes a double-sided print display unit 43 for selecting double-sided printing, a “2 in 1” print display unit 44 for selecting image printing for two pages on one sheet, and four pages on one sheet. “4 in 1” print display unit 45 for selecting image printing, no change print display unit 46 for selecting not to change the printing form, and automatic change display unit 47 for automatically selecting “2 in 1” or “4 in 1”, Selection is made by touching each of these display units. In addition, the determination display unit 48 is also displayed on the display unit 40. When the determination display unit 48 is touched, printing in the selected print mode is executed.

  The operation unit 51 includes a first print mode setting unit 52 for single-sided printing of a single-sided document, a second print mode setting unit 53 for double-sided printing of a single-sided document, and a third print mode setting unit 54 for single-sided printing of a double-sided document. A fourth print mode setting unit 55 that performs double-sided printing of a double-sided document is touched. When these print mode setting units are touched, the print mode is selected.

  When the private print mode setting unit 57 is touched, the control unit 25 sets the private print mode and waits for authentication by the authentication unit 49 to start the printing operation.

  The operation in the reduction adjustment mode will be described with reference to FIG.

  In Act 1, it is determined whether the print job is from the personal computer PC or ADF 5. If the print job is from the personal computer PC, the process proceeds to Act 2.

  In Act 2, the scheduled number of discharged sheets (B) is read from the transmitted information, and the process proceeds to Act 3.

  In Act 3, it is determined whether or not the read expected number of discharged sheets (B) exceeds the limit of sheet discharge unit stacking (A). If it exceeds, the process proceeds to Act 4, and if not, the process proceeds to Act 6. . The sheet discharge unit stack limit number (A) is set in consideration of the type of paper used for printing, the thickness of the printed toner image, and the like.

  In Act4, a warning is displayed on the display unit 40, and the process proceeds to Act5.

  In Act 5, the print mode is selected, and when the selection is determined, the process proceeds to Act 6. As shown in FIG. 2, the printing mode is selected by selecting a mode such as double-sided printing or 2in1.

  In Act 6, it is determined whether or not it is the private print mode. If it is the private print mode, the process proceeds to Act7, and if not, the process proceeds to Act8.

  In Act 7, the process waits for user authentication. When the authentication is completed, the process proceeds to Act 8 to start the printing operation.

  In other words, when printing a multi-page document from a personal computer PC, if the scheduled number of discharged sheets B exceeds the limit of sheet stacking (A) of the image forming apparatus 1, the user receives a warning and changes the print form. By setting, it is possible to reduce the number of sheets to be ejected, without causing a paper jam, and without the troublesome work of removing the printed paper S from the paper ejection tray 21 in the middle of printing. Can print up to. For example, even when the 2-in-1 printing mode is selected, the expected number of discharged sheets B is halved. However, if the number exceeds the limit of sheet discharge unit stacking (A), the warning is continued. In addition, when the printing mode is reset to 4in1, the user generates a paper jam by stopping the warning if the scheduled number of discharged sheets (B) after resetting does not exceed the maximum number of sheets to be discharged (A). It is possible to perform printing without causing it to occur. In addition, when such resetting is troublesome, if the automatic change mode display part 47 is touched, 4in1 mode will be selected automatically, for example.

  In this way, when a print job is sent from the personal computer PC to the image forming apparatus 1, the user is not normally near the image forming apparatus 1, so the stacking state of the paper discharged onto the paper discharge stacking unit 21 is grasped. Although not possible, it is possible to continuously print the document image up to the last page without causing problems such as a paper jam.

  On the other hand, in Act1, in the case of a print job from ADF5, in Act9, it is determined whether or not a double-sided original is to be printed on one side, the process proceeds to Act10 for single-sided printing, and to Act15 for double-sided printing.

  In Act 10, the ADF 5 is operated, and the process proceeds to Act 11, where all pages of the document are counted, and the process proceeds to Act 12. Note that in this embodiment, reading of a document usually starts until halfway pages, and printing starts. Therefore, if the number of stacked documents is large, printing is already started when all pages are read. The printing is started after reading.

  In Act 12, since the double-sided original is selected to be printed on one side, the number of pages to be discharged (2B) is twice the number of pages to be discharged, and the actual number of discharged sheets 2B is the sheet discharge unit stacking limit number (A). If it exceeds, the process proceeds to Act13, and if not, the process proceeds to Act15. Note that in the image information obtained by reading the double-sided image with the ADF 5, an image twice the number of pages is counted as the scheduled number of discharged sheets (B).

  In Act 13, a warning is issued in the same manner as Act 4, and the process proceeds to Act 14.

  In Act 14, as in Act 5, when the print mode is selected and determined, the process proceeds to Act 15.

  In Act 15, a print job for feeding a document by the ADF 5 is started, and the process proceeds to Act 6.

  In other words, in the case of printing a document by the ADF 5, the printed paper is not discharged to the paper discharge tray 21 beyond the number of originals set in the ADF 5, except when a double-sided document is printed on one side. This is because, as described above, the limit number of sheets to be stacked on the ADF 5 does not exceed the limit number of sheets to be discharged on the sheet discharge tray 21. Therefore, when a double-sided document is printed on one side, it is only necessary to determine whether or not the actual number of discharged sheets exceeds the sheet discharge stack limit.

  According to the present embodiment, overloading can be prevented without providing a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of printed paper in the paper discharge tray.

  In this embodiment, the sheet discharge tray 21 is not provided with a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of sheets and a sensor for counting the number of sheets to be stacked in order to reduce costs. For this reason, if a large number of printed sheets are left in the sheet discharge tray 21, even if the number of printed sheets is small, the total number of sheets discharged may be exceeded.

  In this case, when the number of jobs printed last is greater than or equal to a predetermined number, a warning may be issued to check whether or not there is forgetting to remove paper on the paper discharge tray 21. In addition, even when a predetermined time has not elapsed since the end of printing of the last printed job, a warning may be issued to check whether or not there is forgetting to remove paper on the paper discharge tray 21. Note that the number of jobs printed last can be acquired from image formation information of the printer unit P or the like.

  In the present embodiment, the document information is transmitted from the personal computer PC to the image forming apparatus, but the document information is transmitted from the external server to the image forming apparatus via a storage medium such as a USB memory or a network. Also good.

  The selection of the print mode is, for example, 2in1 printing (either single-sided printing or double-sided printing) is performed through all pages, but only a few pages of all pages are, for example, 2in1. Also good. In short, it is sufficient that all pages of the document can be printed with the number of sheets within the stacking limit number of the paper discharge tray 21.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the image forming apparatus that prints a toner image on a sheet has been described as an example. However, an image forming apparatus that forms an image by an inkjet method may be used.

  The present embodiment can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the spirit or main features thereof. Therefore, the above-described embodiment is merely an example in all respects and should not be interpreted in a limited manner. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of claims, and is not restricted by the text of the specification. Further, all modifications, various improvements, alternatives and modifications belonging to the equivalent scope of the claims are all within the scope of the present invention.

1 Image forming apparatus 3 Control panel 5 Automatic document feeder (ADF)
21 Paper discharge tray 25 Control unit 40 Display unit 51 Operation unit

Claims (3)

An image forming apparatus that discharges printed paper on which an image is printed based on image information to a paper discharge stacking unit,
An overload determination unit that determines in advance whether or not the expected number of sheets to be discharged exceeds the stacking limit number of the sheet discharge stacking unit;
An overload warning unit that issues a warning when the overload determination unit determines that it is overloaded;
A reduction adjustment unit that adjusts the reduction of the total number of sheets discharged by changing the number of documents to be printed per sheet;
If the number of prints of the last print job is greater than or equal to the predetermined number, after the reduction adjustment by the reduction adjustment unit for the current print job, before the print operation of the current print job is started, the printed paper on the paper discharge stacking unit A remaining paper check warning section that prompts you to check whether or not there is left,
An image forming apparatus.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reduction adjustment unit is capable of selecting a printing form for printing an image of a plurality of pages on one side of a sheet. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a private print mode that starts a printing operation of a document of the user when a user is authenticated by an authentication unit provided in the image forming apparatus.

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