Envelope paper feeding method, image forming device and storage medium

Abstract

The present invention provides an envelope paper feeding method, image forming device, and storage medium. The method includes: when the distance between a first envelope and a second envelope is a first distance, controlling the second envelope to begin feeding; when it is determined that the second envelope can be printed normally, controlling the feeding time of the nth envelope based on the first actual paper length of the first envelope, where n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3 and less than or equal to the total number of envelopes in the job. From the third envelope onward, the paper feeding of the remaining envelopes to be printed is controlled based on the actual paper length of the first envelope, thereby shortening the paper spacing between adjacent envelopes, increasing the printing speed, reducing the probability of paper jams in subsequent envelopes, and improving the user experience.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of image forming technology, and in particular to an envelope paper feeding method, an image forming device, and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] When an image forming device performs envelope printing, the paper feed roller removes envelope paper from the paper tray and transports it via the transport rollers to the image forming assembly for image printing. Currently, envelope paper with different cover lengths is available on the market. For example, C5 envelope paper has different envelope lengths, such as 247mm, 270mm, and 292mm, depending on the combination of the cover length and the envelope body length. Envelope paper feed control typically uses a pre-set, fixed envelope paper length value plus a residual detection value as the paper spacing between adjacent envelopes. However, this paper spacing often does not vary with different envelope lengths. This results in the inability to detect double-feed jams when printing short envelopes. Furthermore, due to different cover lengths, the actual envelope paper length cannot be accurately identified, leading to false alarms of paper mismatch, which affects the user experience. Therefore, improving paper feed efficiency and reducing false alarms for different cover lengths, while accurately identifying paper jams to enhance the user printing experience, is a pressing issue. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, the present application provides an envelope paper feeding method, image forming device and storage medium to solve the problem in the prior art that envelopes with different cover lengths frequently experience paper jams, false alarms and other anomalies during paper feeding, which affects the user experience.

[0004] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for feeding envelopes, comprising:

[0005] When the distance between the first envelope paper and the second envelope paper is a first distance, controlling the second envelope paper to start feeding;

[0006] determining a first actual paper length of the first envelope paper;

[0007] When it is determined that the second envelope paper can be printed normally, the paper feeding time of the nth envelope paper is controlled according to the first actual paper length; wherein n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3 and less than or equal to the total number of envelopes in the job.

[0008] In a possible implementation, the first distance is a distance from a position of a correction sensor to a position of a paper feed roller in a paper feed path of the image forming apparatus.

[0009] In one possible implementation, determining the first actual paper length of the first envelope paper includes:

[0010] Obtaining a theoretical paper feed speed of the image forming device;

[0011] Determining a first paper feed time of the first envelope paper;

[0012] The product of the first paper feeding time and the theoretical paper feeding speed is used as the first actual paper length of the first envelope paper.

[0013] In a possible implementation, determining a first paper feed time of the first piece of envelope paper includes:

[0014] When the leading edge of the first envelope reaches a correction sensor in a paper feeding path of the image forming device, starting a timer to record a first moment;

[0015] When the tail of the first envelope paper leaves the calibration sensor, recording a second moment;

[0016] The difference between the second moment and the first moment is calculated as the first paper feeding time.

[0017] In one possible implementation, determining that the second envelope can be printed normally includes:

[0018] determining a second actual paper length of the second envelope paper;

[0019] When the difference between the second actual paper length and the first actual paper length is within the range between a first threshold and a second threshold, it is determined that the second envelope paper can be printed normally; wherein the first threshold is used to represent the minimum paper length for ensuring that the image forming device can print the envelope paper normally, and the second threshold is used to represent the maximum paper length for ensuring that the image forming device can print the envelope paper normally.

[0020] In one possible implementation, controlling the feeding time of the nth envelope paper according to the first actual paper length includes:

[0021] When the paper feeding distance of the n-1th piece of envelope paper reaches the first actual paper length and the n-1th piece of envelope paper can be printed normally, the nth piece of envelope paper is controlled to start feeding.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the second distance from the tail of the (n-1)th envelope to the leading edge of the nth envelope is smaller than the first distance.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the method further includes:

[0024] Based on the comparison result of the first actual paper length and a second threshold, it is determined whether there is a double-feed abnormality in the first envelope paper; wherein the second threshold is used to represent the maximum paper length to ensure that the image forming device can normally print the envelope paper.

[0025] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides an image forming device, comprising:

[0026] A paper feeding control unit, configured to control the second envelope to start feeding when the distance between the first envelope and the second envelope is a first distance;

[0027] a paper length calculation unit, configured to determine a first actual paper length of the first piece of envelope paper;

[0028] The paper feed control unit is further used to control the paper feed time of the nth envelope paper according to the first actual paper length when it is determined that the second envelope paper can be printed normally; wherein n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3 and less than or equal to the total number of envelopes in the job.

[0029] In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and the computer instructions enable the computer to execute the method described in the first aspect.

[0030] An embodiment of the present invention provides an envelope paper feeding method, image forming device, and storage medium. During the printing process of multiple envelopes, the paper feed operation of the second envelope is controlled only when the distance between the first envelope and the second envelope reaches a first distance. Therefore, regardless of the envelope cover and envelope body lengths supported by the image forming device, the first envelope of an envelope printing job can be properly printed, demonstrating strong compatibility. From the third envelope and subsequent envelopes to be printed, the paper feed control is based on the actual paper length of the first envelope to control the paper feed time of the next envelope to be printed, shortening the paper spacing between adjacent envelopes and increasing the printing speed. This also reduces the probability of paper jams in subsequent envelopes, reduces the occurrence of continuous feeds, and improves the user experience. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0032] Figure 1 A structural block diagram of an image forming device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a paper feeding path in an image forming device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 3 A schematic flow chart of a method for feeding envelopes provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the feeding of a first envelope and a second envelope provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of an envelope cover in a closed state and an open state in a long-edge feed direction according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of an envelope with a cover closed and a cover open in a short-edge feeding direction according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the feeding of the second and third envelopes provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of paper feed control for a six-envelope printing job provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 9 Schematic diagram of the feeding of the nth envelope and the (n+1)th envelope provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 10 A schematic flow chart of another envelope feeding method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 11 for Figure 10 Schematic diagram of the process in Part A;

[0043] Figure 12 A schematic structural diagram of an image forming device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 13 A schematic structural diagram of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] In order to better understand the technical solution of the present application, the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0046] It should be clear that the embodiments described are only part of the embodiments of this application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0047] The terms used in the embodiments of the present application are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the present application. The singular forms "a", "an", "the" and "the" used in the embodiments of the present application and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0048] It should be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein simply describes a relationship between associated objects, indicating that three possible relationships exist. For example, "A and / or B" can represent: A alone, A and B together, or B alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document generally indicates an "or" relationship between the associated objects.

[0049] At present, most of the image forming equipment on the market, such as printers, copiers, etc., have the following structures: Figure 1 As shown, the apparatus generally includes a housing, a media supply unit, a pickup assembly, an image forming assembly, a fixing assembly, and a paper discharge assembly within the housing. The media supply unit is detachably connected to the housing and is used to store and replenish media. The pickup assembly (paper feed roller 101, transport roller 102, etc.) is used to deliver media from the media supply unit. The media is transported via a paper feed path to the image forming assembly. The image forming assembly (transfer roller 103) transfers a print image composed of developer onto the media. The fixing assembly (fixing roller 104) fixes the print image to the media by heating. The paper discharge assembly (discharge roller 105) discharges the printed media out of the housing. The image forming device forms an image on media, which may include ordinary printing paper, color laser glossy photo paper, color laser glossy photo promotional paper, color laser matte promotional paper, color laser matte photo imaging paper, color laser soft media glossy paper, color laser transparency film, labels, envelopes, and cards, etc., without limitation herein.

[0050] When the medium in the medium supply unit (such as a paper box) is transported, the paper feed roller 101 in the pickup assembly is required to pick up the medium and transport the medium to the conveying assembly. Figure 2Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the paper feed path. A calibration sensor 106 is provided along the paper feed path. For example, when printing envelopes, the paper is fed from the paper tray. When the leading edge of the envelope reaches calibration sensor 106, the calibration sensor is activated. When the trailing edge of the envelope leaves calibration sensor 106, the calibration sensor 106 is deactivated, indicating a reset operation for calibration sensor 106. If the trailing edge of the envelope remains away from calibration sensor 106 for a predetermined period of time, calibration sensor 106 is reset. A detection sensor is provided on the paper feed path. The detection sensor is provided on the paper feed path at a set distance from a medium supply unit (e.g., a paper box). When the medium is transported to the detection sensor, it indicates that the paper head of the medium has reached the set distance. At this time, the paper head is at a set distance from the medium on the medium supply unit. When the medium leaves the detection sensor, it indicates that the paper tail of the current medium is at a set distance from the medium on the medium supply unit. Under the continuous printing control command and combined with the timing control, the picking component should start the transmission of the next medium at this time to ensure that the spacing between the two continuously transmitted media is the set spacing (or the set paper spacing distance). Of course, the set spacing may not be the set paper spacing between the previous medium and the next medium. The detection sensor corresponding to the set spacing is provided in the paper feed path to detect whether there is a phenomenon of premature paper feeding, such as the paper head of the given medium is not in the paper box and is prematurely transmitted to the paper feed path.

[0051] Currently, there are envelope papers with different cover lengths on the market. For example, C5 envelope paper has different envelope paper lengths such as 247mm, 270mm, and 292mm in different combinations of cover lengths and envelope body lengths. In the paper feed control method of envelope paper, the sum of a pre-set fixed envelope paper length value and a margin detection value is usually used as the paper spacing distance control for adjacent envelope papers. However, the paper spacing distance often does not change with the different paper lengths of different envelope papers, making it impossible to identify paper jams when printing short message envelopes. In addition, due to different cover lengths, the actual paper length of the envelope paper is not accurately identified, resulting in false alarms of paper type mismatch, affecting the user experience.

[0052] In order to solve the problem of how to improve the printing efficiency of paper feeding under different cover lengths, reduce false alarms, and accurately identify paper jams, an embodiment of the present invention provides an envelope paper feeding method. Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a flow chart of a paper feeding method for envelopes provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 As shown in , the medium takes envelope paper as an example, and the method includes:

[0053] Step S100 : When the distance between the first envelope and the second envelope is a first distance, controlling the second envelope to start feeding.

[0054] In an embodiment of the present invention, when an image forming device receives an envelope printing job, it parses the envelope printing job. The envelope printing job includes N envelopes to be printed, where N is the total number of envelopes in the envelope printing job. The first envelope refers to the first envelope to be printed in the envelope printing job, where N=1, and the second envelope refers to the second envelope to be printed in the envelope printing job, where N=2. The first distance is the distance from the position of the calibration sensor to the position of the paper feed roller in the paper feed path of the image forming device, such as Figure 4 The first distance E shown is the distance (length) between the trailing edge of the first envelope and the leading edge of the second envelope. Therefore, on the paper feed path, when the distance between the trailing edge of the first envelope and the leading edge reaches the first distance, the second envelope is removed from the paper tray and fed, with the leading edge of the second envelope just reaching the paper feed roller.

[0055] Furthermore, in an embodiment of the present invention, the paper feed operation of the second envelope can also be controlled by the working state of the correction sensor. When executing an envelope printing operation, the conveying roller conveys the first envelope. When the tail of the first envelope leaves the correction sensor within a preset time, the working state of the correction sensor changes from the active state (i.e., the envelope passes through the correction sensor, so that the correction sensor does not sense ambient light, thereby appearing to be shielded when the envelope reaches the correction sensor, triggering activation) to the inactive state (e.g., the tail of the envelope leaves the position of the correction sensor, and senses ambient light, i.e., the correction sensor is in an unshielded state, triggering inactive). When this occurs, it can be determined that the distance between the tail of the first envelope and the paper feed roller is the first distance. At this time, the second envelope is controlled to begin to be taken out of the paper box to perform the paper feed operation.

[0056] Of course, in a multi-envelope print job, the second envelope's paper feed is only controlled when the distance between the first and second envelopes reaches the first distance E. In other words, the second envelope's paper feed is only controlled when the trailing edge of the first envelope clears the calibration sensor; it is not controlled until the trailing edge of the first envelope passes the calibration sensor. Therefore, regardless of the envelope cover lengths supported by the image forming device, the first envelope of any envelope print job can be printed normally, preventing paper jams on the first envelope.

[0057] Step S200: determining a first actual paper length of a first envelope paper.

[0058] In this embodiment of the present invention, based on the aforementioned step S100, when the leading edge of the first envelope reaches the correction sensor in the paper feed path of the image forming device, the correction sensor is triggered to activate (ON state), at which point a timer is started, recording a first moment t1. When the trailing edge of the first envelope leaves the correction sensor, the correction sensor is deactivated (OFF state). At this point, the timer is deactivated, stopping the timer and recording a second moment t2. The difference between the second moment t2 and the first moment t1 is then used to calculate the first paper feed time T1 of the first envelope, i.e., T1 = t2 - t1. The product of the first paper feed time T and the theoretical paper feed speed V is then used as the first actual paper length L1 of the first envelope, i.e., L1 = T1 * V = (t2 - t1) * V.

[0059] Among them, the theoretical paper feed speed of an image forming device refers to the speed at which a single sheet of media is transported in the image forming device, and is usually expressed in PPM (Pages per minute) of the image forming device. The PPM is used to measure the printing speed of the image forming device and is the average speed during continuous printing. The PPM is usually a fixed value, but the theoretical paper feed speed varies based on the performance of different image forming devices.

[0060] In some embodiments, the calibration sensor may be a photoelectric sensor, an infrared sensor, a gravity sensor, or any sensor capable of detecting the presence or absence of envelope paper.

[0061] In some embodiments, a first actual paper length L1 is used to determine whether the first envelope can be printed normally. The paper feed operation of the second envelope is controlled only when the first envelope can be printed normally. Specifically, when L1 is within a threshold range, the first envelope can be printed normally. This threshold range includes a first threshold and a second threshold, with the second threshold being greater than the first threshold. The first threshold is the minimum paper length required to ensure that the image forming device can print normally on the envelope. For example, the first threshold is the minimum paper length required to ensure that the image forming device can print normally on the envelope when the envelope cover is closed. The second threshold is the maximum paper length required to ensure that the image forming device can print normally on the envelope. For example, the second threshold is the maximum paper length required to ensure that the image forming device can print normally on the envelope when the envelope cover is open. If the first actual paper length L1 is outside the threshold range, the first envelope cannot be printed normally, and an error message is displayed. Error messages include paper jam error messages, paper size mismatch error messages, and double-feed jam error messages. When the actual paper length of a piece of envelope paper exceeds the maximum paper length that the image forming device can normally print, i.e., the second threshold, this indicates that the actual paper length of the piece of envelope paper has exceeded the longest length that the image forming device can accept, making it prone to paper jams. Specifically, when the first actual paper length L1 is greater than the second threshold, a double-feed jam error message will be displayed, along with a correction sensor failure error message. Thus, by comparing the actual paper length of the first piece of envelope paper with the maximum paper length that the image forming device can accept, a double-feed jam of the first piece of envelope paper can be identified. However, when the first actual paper length L1 of the first piece of envelope paper is less than the minimum paper length that the image forming device can normally print, i.e., the first threshold, this indicates that the first piece of envelope paper has a paper size inconsistency, i.e., L1 is less than the first threshold, and a paper size inconsistency error message will be displayed.

[0062] Furthermore, the envelope paper includes an envelope body and an envelope cover. The envelope body is usually rectangular, and the envelope cover is usually trapezoidal, such as Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown. Figure 5 a and Figure 5 b illustrates the closed state of the envelope cover 301 and the open state of the envelope cover 301 when paper is fed along the long side of the envelope body 303. Figure 6 c and Figure 6 d illustrates the state in which the envelope cover 307 is closed and the state in which the envelope cover 307 is open when paper is fed with the short side of the envelope body 305. Figure 5 and Figure 6For example, an image forming device sets different minimum and maximum paper lengths depending on the paper feed direction. Specifically, if the envelope paper is fed in landscape (long-edge feed) mode, the image forming device obtains the minimum and maximum paper lengths required to ensure normal printing on the envelope paper in the landscape feed direction. If the envelope paper is fed in portrait (short-edge feed) mode, the image forming device obtains the minimum and maximum paper lengths required to ensure normal printing on the envelope paper in the portrait feed direction.

[0063] It should be noted that the shapes of the envelope body and envelope cover are not limited and can be customized according to user needs, and the corresponding lengths of the envelope body and envelope cover can be known. For example, if the envelope body is set to a square or an isosceles triangle, the length of the envelope body when it is square is the side length of the square; if the envelope cover is set to a fan shape, a wave shape, etc., the length of the fan-shaped cover is determined based on the side length of the arc. Of course, to reduce calculations and improve computing efficiency, users can also customize the minimum paper length when the envelope cover is closed and the maximum paper length when the envelope cover is open. In this way, the image forming device can directly obtain the minimum paper length set by the user as the aforementioned first threshold, and the maximum paper length as the aforementioned second threshold.

[0064] In some possible implementations, in the same paper feed direction, the minimum paper length is the difference between the length of a standard envelope in the image forming device with the cover closed and a standard margin value B. This standard margin value B (e.g., 1-25 mm) can be set differently based on the performance of different image forming devices. The standard envelope refers to envelopes for standard A4-sized envelopes, A3-sized envelopes, A5-sized envelopes, etc., and the corresponding standard envelope length is the sum of the envelope body length and the envelope cover length. The maximum envelope length is the sum of the maximum envelope length among all the different envelope styles that can be printed on the image forming device (the maximum of the sum of the multiple cover lengths and the envelope body length. For example, in Table 1 below, if the short side length of envelope F1 is 230mm + 10mm = 240mm, the short side length of envelope F2 is 115mm + 5mm = 120mm, and the short side length of envelope F3 is 125mm + 11mm = 136mm, then the maximum envelope length is 240mm for envelope F1) plus the maximum standard margin value A (e.g., 30-50mm). Where B < A.

[0065] In some possible implementations, different from the above, the minimum paper length in the same paper feeding direction can also be based on the sum of the minimum length of the envelope body and the minimum cover length in all styles that the image forming device can accept, and the maximum paper length can also be based on the sum of the maximum length of the envelope body and the maximum cover length in all styles that the image forming device can accept.

[0066] For example, the image forming device can accept three types of envelope paper: F1, F2, and F3. The lengths of the envelope bodies and covers are shown in Table 1 below:

[0067]

[0068]

[0069] Table 1

[0070] Table 1 shows that the image forming device can receive envelopes with short side lengths of 115mm, 123mm, and 230mm, long side lengths of 450mm, 225mm, and 176mm, and envelope cover lengths of 10mm, 5mm, and 11mm. In the short-edge feeding direction, the image forming device can normally print envelope paper with a minimum paper length of the minimum short side length of the envelope body and the minimum cover length, that is, 115mm+5mm=120mm, and the maximum paper length is the sum of the maximum short side length of the envelope body and the maximum cover length, that is, 230mm+11mm=241mm. When in the long-edge feeding direction, the minimum paper length for which the image forming device can normally print envelope paper is the sum of the minimum long side length of the envelope body and the minimum cover length, that is, 176mm+5mm=181mm; the maximum paper length is the sum of the maximum long side length of the envelope body and the maximum cover length, that is, 450mm+11mm=461mm.

[0071] Step S300: When it is determined that the second envelope paper can be printed normally, the paper feeding time of the nth envelope paper is controlled according to the first actual paper length, where n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3 and less than or equal to the total number of envelopes in the job.

[0072] In an embodiment of the present invention, determining whether the second envelope can be printed normally includes comparing the second actual paper length L2 of the second envelope with a preset threshold. Specifically, when the second envelope begins feeding, a second paper feed time is calculated from the time the leading edge of the second envelope reaches the calibration sensor to the time the trailing edge leaves the calibration sensor. The second actual paper length of the second envelope is calculated by multiplying the second paper feed time by the theoretical paper feed speed. The first actual paper length of the first envelope is used as the paper spacing distance to control the paper feed time of the next envelope, i.e., the third envelope. Whether the second envelope can be printed normally is also determined by comparing the second actual paper length with the first actual paper length. Specifically, in one possible implementation, the second envelope is determined to be printable normally when the second actual paper length does not exceed the first actual paper length. In another possible implementation, whether the second envelope paper can be printed normally is determined by whether the second actual paper length is within the interval range of the first threshold and the second threshold. The implementation method is the same as the aforementioned method for determining whether the first envelope paper can be printed normally, so it will not be repeated here. In another possible implementation, when the difference between the second actual paper length and the first actual paper length is within the preset difference interval, it can also be determined that the second envelope paper can be printed normally. The preset difference interval range can be set to (first margin threshold, second margin threshold), such as (20mm, 35mm). The first margin threshold refers to the minimum threshold for normal printing when the cover is closed, and the second margin threshold refers to the maximum threshold for normal printing when the cover is open. In one possible implementation, the first margin threshold can be the difference between the minimum paper length and the first actual paper length, and the second margin threshold can be the difference between the maximum paper length and the first actual paper length.

[0073] Furthermore, when the paper feeding distance of the second envelope reaches the first actual paper length of the first envelope, the distance between the paper tail of the second envelope and the paper feed roller is a second distance F, such as Figure 7 As shown, the second distance is smaller than the first distance. When it is detected that the paper feeding distance of the second envelope paper reaches the paper spacing distance of the first actual paper length, the paper head of the second envelope paper has passed the correction sensor, while the paper tail of the second envelope paper has not yet reached the correction sensor. In this way, the timing starts from the time when the paper head of the second envelope paper reaches the correction sensor, and stops when the paper feeding distance of the second envelope paper reaches L1. At this time, the second paper feeding time T2 of the second envelope paper is determined by the first actual paper length L1 and the theoretical paper feeding speed V, that is, T2 = L1 / V. At the same time, when the paper tail of the second envelope paper leaves the correction sensor, the third envelope paper can be controlled to start the paper feeding operation. At this time, the distance from the paper tail of the second envelope paper to the paper head of the third envelope paper is the second distance. It can be seen from this that, if Figure 7As shown in the figure, the distance between the second envelope and the third envelope is shortened.

[0074] When the second envelope paper can be printed normally and the second paper feeding time of the second envelope paper reaches T2, the paper feeding time of the third envelope paper is controlled. When the third envelope paper is fed, the paper feeding time of the fourth envelope paper is controlled according to the first actual paper length of the first envelope paper. When the paper feeding distance of the third envelope paper reaches the first actual paper length L1, the tail of the third envelope paper still has not reached the correction sensor, and the distance between the tail of the third envelope paper and the fourth envelope paper is still the second distance F. The paper feeding control of the fifth envelope paper, the sixth envelope paper and the remaining envelope paper are all controlled by the first actual paper length of the first envelope paper, so that the distance between the tail of the previous envelope paper and the head of the next envelope paper except the first envelope paper is fixed to the second distance F, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown. That is, when it is determined that the second envelope paper can be printed normally, the paper feeding time of the nth envelope paper is controlled according to the first actual paper length, where 3≤n≤N is a positive integer. Specifically, when the paper feeding distance of the n-1th envelope paper reaches the first actual paper length and the n-1th envelope paper can be printed normally, the nth envelope paper is controlled to start feeding. At the same time, it can be known that the distance from the end of the n-1th envelope paper to the beginning of the nth envelope paper is the second distance F, as shown Figure 9 As shown. Thus, in controlling the paper feed of the nth envelope, there is no need to wait until the tail of the (n-1)th envelope leaves the calibration sensor before controlling the paper feed of the nth envelope. Instead, the first actual paper length of the first envelope is used as the paper interval distance to control the paper feed time of the remaining envelopes or the timing of starting the paper feed operation. This shortens the paper interval distance between two adjacent envelopes in advance, improves PPM, reduces the probability of paper jams, improves printing efficiency, and enhances user experience.

[0075] In order to further understand and describe the technical solutions in the present invention, Figure 10 A schematic flow chart of a paper feeding method for envelopes provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 11 for Figure 10 Flowchart of Part A. Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, taking printing three envelopes as an example, the method includes:

[0076] Step S600: Sending an envelope printing job of 3 envelopes

[0077] In step S601, the first envelope is removed from the paper tray by the paper feed roller and begins to be fed by the transport roller. When the leading edge of the first envelope reaches the calibration sensor, a timer is started, recording the first moment t1. The timer continues until the trailing edge of the first envelope leaves the calibration sensor, at which point the timer stops and records the second moment t2.

[0078] Step S602: Calculate the first actual paper length L1 of the first envelope paper based on t1, t2 and the theoretical paper feed speed v.

[0079] L1=V*(t2-t1)

[0080] Step S603: Determine whether L1 is less than the first threshold. If so, execute step S605. If not, execute step S604.

[0081] The first threshold is the minimum paper length that the image forming device can ensure normal printing of envelope paper. The minimum paper lengths for different paper feeding directions can be obtained according to different paper feeding directions.

[0082] Step S604: Determine whether L1 is greater than the second threshold. If so, proceed to step S606; if not, proceed to step S608.

[0083] The second threshold is the maximum paper length that the image forming device can ensure for normal printing of envelope paper. The maximum paper lengths for different paper feeding directions that are preset can be obtained according to different paper feeding directions.

[0084] Step S605: Notify of a size mismatch error and stop the printing operation.

[0085] Step S606: Notify of a paper jam error and stop the printing operation.

[0086] When it is the first envelope, the error is a double feed jam error; when it is another envelope, the error is a paper jam error.

[0087] In step S608, the second envelope begins to be fed, and a timer is started until the feeding distance of the second envelope reaches L1. Then, the timer is stopped and a second actual paper length L2 is calculated.

[0088] The first actual paper length is used as the paper spacing distance to control the paper feeding time of the second envelope paper.

[0089] Step S609: Determine whether |L1-L2| is less than the first remaining threshold. If so, execute step S605; if not, execute step S610.

[0090] The first margin threshold may be 20 mm.

[0091] Step S610: Determine whether |L1-L2| is greater than the second remaining threshold. If so, execute step S606; if not, execute step S611.

[0092] The second margin threshold is greater than the first margin threshold, and the second margin threshold may be 35 mm.

[0093] Step S611: The third envelope begins feeding and a timer is started. When the third envelope reaches a feeding distance L1, the timer is stopped and the third actual paper length L3 is calculated. Then, step S612 is executed.

[0094] The first actual paper length is used as the paper spacing distance to control the paper feeding time of the third envelope paper.

[0095] Step S612: determine whether |L3-L1| is less than the first remaining threshold. If so, execute step S605; if not, execute step S613.

[0096] Step S613, determine whether |L3-L1| is greater than the second remaining threshold, if so, execute step S606, if not, execute step S614

[0097] Step S614, end after normal printing.

[0098] An embodiment of the present invention provides an envelope feeding method. During the printing process of multiple envelopes, the paper feed operation of the second envelope is controlled only when the distance between the first and second envelopes reaches a first distance. Therefore, regardless of the envelope cover lengths supported by the image forming device, the first envelope of the envelope printing job can be properly printed, demonstrating strong compatibility. From the third envelope and subsequent envelopes to be printed, the paper feed control is based on the actual paper length of the first envelope to control the paper feed time of the next envelope to be printed. This shortens the paper spacing between adjacent envelopes, increases the printing speed, reduces the probability of paper jams in subsequent envelopes, reduces the occurrence of continuous feeds, and improves the user experience.

[0099] Corresponding to the above-mentioned envelope feeding method, an embodiment of the present invention further provides an image forming device. Figure 12 FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an image forming device provided by an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 12 As shown in FIG, the image forming apparatus includes a paper feed control unit 401 and a paper length calculation unit 402.

[0100] The paper feeding control unit 401 is configured to control the second envelope to start feeding when the distance between the first envelope and the second envelope is a first distance;

[0101] a paper length calculation unit 402, configured to determine a first actual paper length of the first piece of envelope paper;

[0102] The paper feed control unit 401 is further used to control the paper feed time of the nth envelope paper according to the first actual paper length when it is determined that the second envelope paper can be printed normally; wherein n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3 and less than or equal to the total number of envelopes in the job.

[0103] Figure 12 The image forming apparatus provided in the illustrated embodiment can be used to implement the present invention. Figures 1-11 The technical solution of the method embodiment shown, its implementation principle and technical effects can be further referred to the relevant description in the method embodiment.

[0104] Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided by an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 13 As shown, the electronic device may include at least one processor and at least one memory in communication with the processor, wherein the memory stores program instructions that can be executed by the processor, and the processor calls the program instructions to execute the instructions in this specification. Figure 1-11 The illustrated embodiment provides a method for feeding envelopes.

[0105] like Figure 13 As shown, the electronic device is implemented as a general-purpose computing device. Components of the electronic device may include, but are not limited to, one or more processors 510, a communication interface 520, and a memory 530, and a communication bus 540 connecting different system components (including the memory 530, the communication interface 520, and the processor 510).

[0106] Communication bus 540 represents one or more of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, a processor, or a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. Examples of these architectures include, but are not limited to, the Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus, the Micro Channel Architecture (MAC) bus, the Enhanced ISA bus, the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and the Peripheral Component Interconnection (PCI) bus.

[0107] Electronic devices typically include a variety of computer system readable media. These media can be any available media that can be accessed by the electronic device, including volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media.

[0108] Memory 530 may include computer-readable media in the form of volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or cache memory. The electronic device may further include other removable / non-removable, volatile / non-volatile computer system storage media. Memory 530 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g., at least one) of program modules configured to perform the functions of various embodiments of this specification.

[0109] A program / utility having a set (at least one) of program modules may be stored in memory 530. Such program modules include, but are not limited to, an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data. Each or some combination of these examples may include an implementation of a network environment. The program modules generally implement the functions and / or methods of the embodiments described herein.

[0110] The processor 510 executes various functional applications and data processing by running the programs stored in the memory 530, such as implementing the Figure 1-11 The illustrated embodiment provides a method for feeding envelopes.

[0111] The embodiment of this specification provides a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, wherein the computer instructions enable the computer to execute the present specification. Figure 1-11 The illustrated embodiment provides a method for feeding envelopes.

[0112] The above-mentioned computer-readable storage medium can adopt any combination of one or more computer-readable media. The computer-readable medium can be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium. The computer-readable storage medium can be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, device or component, or any combination of the above. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media (a non-exhaustive list) include: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM) or flash memory, an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. In this document, a computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by or in conjunction with an instruction execution system, device or device.

[0113] The foregoing description of this specification describes specific embodiments. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recited in the claims can be performed in an order different from that described in the embodiments and still achieve the desired results. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the accompanying drawings do not necessarily require the specific order shown or the sequential order to achieve the desired results. In certain embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are also possible or may be advantageous.

[0114] In the description of this specification, the reference terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" mean that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of this specification. In this specification, the schematic expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and features of different embodiments or examples without contradiction.

[0115] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one such feature. Throughout this specification, "plurality" means at least two, such as two or three, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0116] Any process or method description in a flowchart or otherwise described herein may be understood to represent a module, segment or portion of code comprising one or more executable instructions for implementing the steps of a custom logical function or process, and the scope of the preferred embodiments of this specification includes alternative implementations in which functions may be performed out of the order shown or discussed, including performing functions in a substantially simultaneous manner or in the reverse order depending on the functions involved, which should be understood by those skilled in the art to which the embodiments of this specification belong.

[0117] The word "if," as used herein, may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining" or "in response to detecting," depending on the context. Similarly, the phrases "if it is determined" or "if (stated condition or event) is detected" may be interpreted as "when it is determined" or "in response to the determination" or "when detecting (stated condition or event)" or "in response to detecting (stated condition or event)," depending on the context.

[0118] It should be noted that the devices involved in the embodiments of this specification may include but are not limited to personal computers (Personal Computer; hereinafter referred to as: PC), personal digital assistants (Personal Digital Assistant; hereinafter referred to as: PDA), wireless handheld devices, tablet computers (Tablet Computer), mobile phones, MP3 displays, MP4 displays, etc.

[0119] In the several embodiments provided in this specification, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices, and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the units is merely a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Another point is that the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interface, indirect coupling or communication connection of devices or units, which may be electrical, mechanical or other forms.

[0120] In addition, the functional units in the various embodiments of this specification may be integrated into a single processing unit, each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into a single unit. The aforementioned integrated units may be implemented in the form of hardware or hardware plus software functional units.

[0121] The above-mentioned integrated unit implemented in the form of a software functional unit can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. The above-mentioned software functional unit is stored in a storage medium and includes a number of instructions for causing a computer device (which can be a personal computer, a connector, or a network device, etc.) or a processor to execute some steps of the method described in each embodiment of this specification. The aforementioned storage medium includes: a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, a read-only memory (hereinafter referred to as: ROM), a random access memory (hereinafter referred to as: RAM), a magnetic disk or an optical disk, and other media that can store program code.

[0122] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of this specification and is not intended to limit this specification. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of this specification should be included in the scope of protection of this specification.

[0123] In this specification, reference can be made to the same or similar parts between the various embodiments. In particular, for the device embodiment and the terminal embodiment, since they are basically similar to the method embodiment, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts can be referred to the description in the method embodiment.

Claims

1. A paper feeding method for envelopes, characterized in that: Applicable to image forming equipment, including: When the distance between the first envelope paper and the second envelope paper is a first distance, controlling the second envelope paper to start feeding; determining a first actual paper length of the first envelope paper; When it is determined that the second envelope can be printed normally, controlling the paper feeding time of the nth envelope according to the first actual paper length; wherein n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3 and less than or equal to the total number of envelopes in the job; The determining that the second envelope paper can be printed normally includes: determining a second actual paper length of the second envelope paper; When the difference between the second actual paper length and the first actual paper length is within a preset difference range, determining that the second envelope paper can be printed normally; The controlling of the feeding time of the nth envelope paper according to the first actual paper length includes: When the paper feeding distance of the n-1th piece of envelope paper reaches the first actual paper length and the n-1th piece of envelope paper can be printed normally, the nth piece of envelope paper is controlled to start feeding.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The first distance is a distance from a position of a correction sensor to a position of a paper feed roller in a paper feed path of the image forming apparatus.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that Determining a first actual paper length of the first piece of envelope paper includes: Obtaining a theoretical paper feed speed of the image forming device; Determining a first paper feed time of the first envelope paper; The product of the first paper feeding time and the theoretical paper feeding speed is used as the first actual paper length of the first envelope paper.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that The determining of a first paper feeding time of the first piece of envelope paper includes: When the leading edge of the first envelope reaches a correction sensor in a paper feeding path of the image forming device, starting a timer to record a first moment; When the tail of the first envelope paper leaves the calibration sensor, recording a second moment; The difference between the second moment and the first moment is calculated as the first paper feeding time.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The second distance from the tail of the (n-1)th envelope paper to the leading edge of the (n)th envelope paper is smaller than the first distance.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The method further comprises: Based on the comparison result of the first actual paper length and a second threshold, it is determined whether there is a double-feed abnormality in the first envelope paper; wherein the second threshold is used to represent the maximum paper length to ensure that the image forming device can normally print the envelope paper.

7. An image forming device, characterized in that: include: A paper feeding control unit, configured to control the second envelope to start feeding when the distance between the first envelope and the second envelope is a first distance; a paper length calculation unit, configured to determine a first actual paper length of the first piece of envelope paper; The paper feed control unit is further configured to control the paper feed time of the nth envelope according to the first actual paper length when it is determined that the second envelope can be printed normally; wherein n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 3 and less than or equal to the total number of envelopes in the job; The paper feed control unit is specifically used to: determining a second actual paper length of the second envelope paper; When the difference between the second actual paper length and the first actual paper length is within a preset difference range, determining that the second envelope paper can be printed normally; When the paper feeding distance of the n-1th piece of envelope paper reaches the first actual paper length and the n-1th piece of envelope paper can be printed normally, the nth piece of envelope paper is controlled to start feeding.

8. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that The computer-readable storage medium stores computer instructions, and the computer instructions cause the computer to execute the envelope feeding method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

Images