JPH1179472A - Undefined paper sheet sizing system and printing device using it - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an undefined paper sheet sizing device and a printing device using it which is inexpensive and capable of measuring the length of a paper sheet in longitudinal direction only by a sensor incorporated in a normal printing device. SOLUTION: An empty undefined paper sheet P is fed to a paper sheet feeding port 2 without actually performing a printing. Because the paper sheet reacts against a paper sheet detector sensor 4 at a certain point of time, the time is recorded and then the paper sheet P is fed at a constant speed. Also, because the paper sheet detector sensor 4 detects the absence of the paper sheet at a certain point of time, that time is also recorded, and the sheet P is delivered from a paper sheet delivery port 3. In addition, because the moving speed of the paper sheet P is known systematically or predetermined, the length of the sheet P is calculated as the product of the moving speed by the recorded time interval.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for judging the size of an irregular-size sheet in a printer, a facsimile, a copy, or the like capable of printing on an irregular-size sheet, and a printing apparatus such as a printer using the method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There have been many demands for printing on irregular-size paper sheets, and in order to meet such demands, most printing apparatuses are provided with various methods. In this case, the information required by the printing apparatus for its operation is “dimensions of irregularly shaped paper”.

Conventionally, the following method has been used to obtain this information. (1) Input by user: This is a method in which the user actually measures the paper with a ruler or the like and inputs the dimensions using numeric keys or the like. For example, in the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-67823, a user measures and inputs the size of a sheet of irregular size. This method has the possibility of user's troublesome measurement, erroneous input, measurement error, etc. (2) Automatic measurement by specialized sensor: Equipped with a special sensor on the tray where paper is set, and automatically by setting paper This is the method by which the dimensions can be obtained. For example, JP
In the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 124646/1990, the paper size (however, limited to a standard size) is automatically detected by a dedicated sensor provided on the tray. In this method, the device becomes expensive only for the sensor. In particular, from the viewpoint of accuracy, a method capable of performing measurement in units of millimeters is generally expensive.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and has been made to be able to automatically measure not only standard size paper but also non-standard size paper, and to solve the problem caused by the user's decision based on the automatic measurement. An object of the present invention is to provide a paper size determination method and a printing device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive irregular-size sheet size determination method and a printing apparatus which measure the length direction of a sheet using only a sensor included in an ordinary printing apparatus.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for judging the size of an irregularly shaped paper, which is performed in a printing apparatus capable of outputting an image to the irregularly shaped paper. The method is characterized in that the irregular size paper is passed in advance, and the dimension of the irregular shape paper in the feed direction is determined by automatically measuring the dimension of the irregular shape paper in the feeding direction.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for judging the size of an irregular sheet, the feed direction of the irregular sheet based on an output of a sensor for detecting the presence of an existing sheet in a printing apparatus capable of outputting an image to the irregular sheet. Automatic measurement of dimensions by measuring means,
It is characterized by making a judgment.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus capable of outputting an image to an irregular-size sheet, wherein the dimension of the irregular-size sheet in the feed direction is determined by passing the irregular-size sheet in advance. And a means for judging the dimension of the irregular-shaped paper in the feeding direction based on the output of the measuring means.

A printing apparatus according to claim 4 is characterized in that the measuring means is a sensor for detecting the presence of an existing sheet.

[0010]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a method for judging the size of irregularly shaped paper and a printing apparatus according to the present invention.

The present invention provides a function of measuring the length direction of an irregular-size sheet based on an existing printing apparatus only by controlling the apparatus. First, the minimum equipment for implementing the present invention will be described. An object of the present invention is a printing apparatus that can pass irregular-size paper and can perform printing on the paper, and detects the presence of paper in any of the paper conveyance paths. It is necessary to provide a sensor. Examples of the sensor include a mechanical switch, an optical switch, and the like, and the position may be any position such as immediately after sheet feeding, a printing unit, and immediately before sheet discharging.

FIG. 1 shows an example of such a printing apparatus. This printing apparatus is generally known.
In the figure, 1 is a printing unit, 2 is a paper feed port, 3 is a paper discharge port, and 4 is a paper detection sensor. The paper detection sensor 4 is always prepared for control in a normal printing apparatus, and in the embodiment of the present invention, even if the existing sensor is used,
Any of them may be newly provided.

Next, a description will be given of a method for judging the size of an irregular-sized sheet performed by using the printing apparatus shown in FIG. When printing on irregular-size paper, the user sets the paper P in the paper feed port 2 and performs a "measurement start" operation (FIG. 2A). The printing apparatus feeds the sheet P and conveys the sheet P as if printing is performed (actually, printing is not performed). At some point,
Since the paper reacts to the paper detection sensor 4 (FIG. 2B), this time is recorded. Thereafter, when the paper P is conveyed at a constant speed, the paper detection sensor 4 becomes "no paper" at a certain point (FIG. 2C), so this time is also recorded, and thereafter, the paper P is completely discharged. 3 (FIG. 2D).

Here, the time shown in FIGS. 2B to 2C can be measured, and the moving speed of the paper P is known or determined systematically. Therefore, the length of the paper P can be obtained by the following equation.

L = vt where L: paper length (mm), v: moving speed (mm / s)
ec), t: time (sec). Thereafter, the user sets the paper in the paper feed port 2 again, and this time, by giving a formal print instruction, printing in the correct length direction can be realized.

[0015]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, as described above, the user can reduce the labor and mistakes of the user by automatically measuring the paper size. This has the effect.

As described above, the irregular-size sheet size determination method according to the second aspect and the printing apparatus according to the fourth aspect are not dedicated to the detecting means used for measuring the length, but have other functions. In addition to the above-mentioned common effects, there is an effect that a system can be constructed at a lower cost.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a general printing apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a sheet size detection operation in the printing apparatus of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 printing section 2 paper feed port 3 paper discharge port 4 paper detection sensor

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. The method according to claim 1, wherein the irregular size paper is passed through a printing device capable of outputting an image to the irregular size paper in advance, and a dimension of the irregular size paper in a feeding direction is automatically measured by a measuring means. A dimension determining method for irregularly shaped paper, wherein the dimension in the passing direction is determined. 2. A method for determining the size of an irregular-size sheet according to claim 1, wherein an output of a sensor for detecting the presence of an existing sheet in a printing apparatus capable of outputting an image to the irregular-size sheet is provided. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dimensions are automatically measured and determined by a measuring means. 3. A printing apparatus capable of outputting an image to an irregular-size sheet, means for automatically measuring the dimension of the irregular-size sheet in the feed direction by passing the irregular-size sheet in advance, and the output of the measuring means. A printing apparatus comprising means for judging a dimension of the irregular-sized paper in a feeding direction. 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said measuring means is a sensor for detecting the presence of an existing sheet.