Recording apparatus

Abstract

To provide a technique for discharging paper using a proper paper discharge path.SOLUTION: A recording device according to the present invention is provided with a first paper discharge path for discharging paper and a second paper discharge path different from the first paper discharge path, and has control means for discharging the paper on which the image is recorded by using the second paper discharge path when the direction in which the paper is discharged by the second paper discharge path has a smaller angular difference from the direction in which the paper is conveyed by the conveying roller than the direction in which the paper is discharged by the first paper discharge path, and when the paper conveyed by the conveying roller has a thickness equal to or greater than a predetermined value even when an instruction for recording an image indicates that the paper is discharged to the first paper discharge path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus having a plurality of paper discharge paths. [Background technology]

[0002] In large-format inkjet recording devices, recording is performed using rolled paper. Also, among these types of recording devices, devices having multiple discharge paths are known (see Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes a technology that switches the discharge destination of paper depending on cutting waste generated during the recording process, the curl amount of the paper, the size, and specifications. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-1113 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a recording device having multiple discharge paths, it is required to selectively determine the discharge path according to the discharge conditions. Even if the technology of Patent Document 1 is used, there is a risk that the appropriate discharge path cannot be selected under discharge conditions not taken into account in Patent Document 1.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a technique for discharging paper using an appropriate paper discharge path. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A recording device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a transport roller for transporting paper, a recording head for recording an image on the paper transported by the transport roller, a first discharge path for discharging the paper recorded by the recording head, a second discharge path different from the first discharge path for discharging the paper recorded by the recording head, and a control means for controlling the paper to be discharged through either the first discharge path or the second discharge path, wherein the direction in which the paper is discharged by the second discharge path has a smaller angle difference with the transport direction of the transport roller than the direction in which the paper is discharged by the first discharge path, and the control means discharges the paper on which the image has been recorded using the second discharge path if the paper transported by the transport roller is a paper having a thickness greater than or equal to a predetermined value, even if an instruction to record an image indicates that the paper is to be discharged to the first discharge path. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the paper can be discharged using an appropriate paper discharge path. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a recording apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a recording apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a recording apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a recording apparatus. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a control system including the printing apparatus. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a paper discharge destination setting screen displayed on an operation panel. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a non-discharge destination compatible screen displayed on the operation panel. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a paper discharge destination selection screen displayed in a recording device driver. [Figure 9] 11 is a flowchart relating to control for switching a paper discharge destination. [Figure 10]FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a non-compatible paper discharge destination error screen displayed on the operation panel. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing control of switching of a paper discharge destination. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing control of switching of a paper discharge destination. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a transport adjustment screen displayed on an operation panel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiment does not limit the present invention, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiment are necessarily essential to the solution of the present invention. Note that the same components will be described with the same reference numerals.

[0010] <Description of recording device> A recording device applied to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. The recording device of this embodiment is an inkjet recording device equipped with a paper supply unit for supplying paper, a recording unit for recording an image on the paper supplied from the paper supply unit, and a paper discharge unit having a plurality of paper discharge paths for discharging the paper on which the image has been recorded. The paper discharge unit has paper discharge paths in two places, at the top surface of the recording device and at the front surface of the recording device, and is configured to selectively discharge paper to either one of them.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the recording device 100. The recording device 100 has a plurality of (specifically, two) paper supply units 200. A long sheet of paper wound in a roll is set in each paper supply unit 200 as a recording medium. A stacker 28 is disposed on the top of the recording device 100. An operation panel 2, which is an operation unit, is disposed on the front of the recording device 100. A user can input various commands to the recording device 100, such as specifying the size of the paper 1, switching between online / offline, or setting the paper discharge destination, using various switches provided on the operation panel 2. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the paper 1 is discharged toward the stacker 28. That is, FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a state in which the top surface discharge is performed using the top surface of the recording device in the recording device 100.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the recording device 100. FIG. 2 shows a cross-section in a state where top-side paper ejection is performed, similarly to FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 2, roll-shaped paper R wound in a roll is set in each paper supply unit 200 as a recording medium. The roll-shaped paper R set in each of the paper supply units 200 arranged above and below is selectively pulled out, and an image is recorded on the pulled-out paper 1. In this specification, paper 1 and roll-shaped paper R refer to the same recording medium, but are expressed differently for convenience of explanation. That is, in this specification, the recording medium wound in a roll and stored in the paper supply unit 200 is referred to as roll-shaped paper R, and the recording medium pulled out from the paper supply unit 200 is referred to as paper 1. An image is recorded on paper 1 selectively pulled out from two rolls of paper R set in the paper supply units 200 arranged above and below in the recording device 100. Then, the paper 1 on which recording has been completed is ejected to a stacker 28 provided at the top of the recording device.

[0013] A series of controls will be outlined with reference to Fig. 2. When rolled paper R is set in paper supply unit 200, rolled paper R is pulled out toward paper transport unit (transport mechanism) 300, and feeding of paper 1 begins. This operation is performed automatically by paper supply unit 200, or by a user manually pulling out paper 1 from rolled paper R. Paper 1 pulled out from rolled paper R by paper supply unit 200 is transported by paper transport unit 300 along a paper transport path to recording unit 400 capable of recording an image.

[0014] The paper 1 guided to the recording unit 400 is conveyed in the conveying direction F1 by the conveying roller 14. The nip roller 15 can be rotated in response to the rotation of the conveying roller 14. The inkjet recording head 18 in the recording unit 400 is equipped with an optical sensor 401. The paper 1 is conveyed to a position where it can be detected by the optical sensor 401. When the paper 1 is conveyed, the optical sensor 401 acquires the diffuse reflection value, regular reflection value, and thickness value of the recording medium (hereinafter, paper thickness) of the paper 1. The recording device 100 can automatically determine the type of the paper 1 based on these values. Alternatively, the user may manually input the type of paper from the operation panel 2, and the recording device 100 may determine the type of the paper 1 based on the input contents. In this way, the recording device 100 is configured to be able to identify the type of the paper 1 conveyed by the conveying roller 14.

[0015] The recording unit 400 records an image on the paper 1 by discharging ink from the inkjet recording head 18. The recording head 18 discharges ink from a discharge port using a discharge energy generating element such as an electrothermal conversion element (heater) or a piezoelectric element. The recording head 18 is not limited to the inkjet type. The recording method of the recording unit 400 may also be, for example, a serial scan type or a full line type. In the case of the serial scan type, an image is recorded by alternately repeating a conveying operation of the paper 1 and a recording operation of an image accompanied by scanning of the recording head 18 in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the paper 1. In the case of the full line type, an image is recorded by using a long recording head 18 extending in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the paper 1 and performing an image recording operation while continuously conveying the paper 1.

[0016] In the recording device 100, it is possible to adjust the recording head 18 in order to improve the quality of the recorded state of the image. In the case of the serial scan method, an image is recorded while the recording head 18 is scanned in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the paper 1, so that if the ejection timing is shifted, unevenness occurs in the recorded image. For this reason, the ejection timing of the recording head 18 is adjusted. The ejection timing is adjusted by recording a head adjustment pattern on the paper 1 and automatically acquiring the result or manually inputting it from the operation panel 2. In addition to the above, the adjustment of the recording head 18 includes an adjustment to improve the image quality by adjusting the inclination of the recording head 18 with respect to the conveyance direction of the paper 1. In addition, there is an adjustment to make it possible to record an image without margins at the width end of the paper 1 by adjusting the ejection position with respect to the width end of the paper 1.

[0017] Furthermore, in the recording device 100, it is also possible to adjust the transport roller 14. That is, in the recording device 100, the transport amount can be adjusted to improve the image quality in the transport direction and the accuracy of the image length. If there is a deviation in the transport amount, streaks will appear in the recorded image or the image length will be shifted. These adjustments are also performed by recording a transport adjustment pattern on the paper 1 and automatically acquiring the result or manually inputting it from the operation panel 2.

[0018] A cutter 21 is disposed downstream of the recording head 18 in the conveying direction F1. The cutter 21 performs a cutting operation to cut the paper 1 when recording is completed. Further downstream of the cutter 21 in the conveying direction F1, a paper discharge switching flapper 22 that can rotate to the E1 or E2 position (direction) in FIG. 2 is disposed. The paper discharge switching flapper 22 is configured to rotate to the E1 or E2 position and switch positions based on the control of a paper discharge destination direction instruction control unit (not shown). When performing top-surface paper discharge, the paper discharge switching flapper 22 is positioned on the E1 side. The paper 1 is guided to the top-surface paper discharge unit 500 by the paper discharge switching flapper 22 positioned on the E1 side. The paper 1 that has passed through the paper discharge switching flapper 22 is discharged by the top-surface paper discharge unit 500 to the stacker 28 that is installed above the recording unit 400 in the gravity direction. Between the top-surface paper discharge section 500 and the stacker 28, there is provided a top-surface paper discharge path 502 including the paper discharge roller 25 and the paper discharge nip roller 26. The top-surface paper discharge path 502 reverses the paper discharge direction by having the paper discharge path in a curved shape, and the cut paper is gripped by the paper discharge roller 25 and the paper discharge nip roller 26 and discharged in the paper discharge direction F2. The discharged paper is stored in the stacker 28 and stacked on the tray 29 and the paper stack 1a. By storing the discharged paper in the stacker 28 at the top of the recording device 100, a larger volume of paper can be stacked than when a basket is provided at the bottom of the recording device 100 to store the paper. The paper discharge direction F2 has a large angle difference with respect to the conveying direction F1 by the conveying roller. For example, when the conveying direction F1 is set to 0 degrees, the paper discharge direction F2 is at an angle of about 120 degrees in FIG. 2, and the angle difference is about 120 degrees.

[0019] Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the recording device 100. Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of the state in which the recording device 100 is performing front paper ejection using the front part of the recording device. In the front paper ejection operation, the paper 1 on which recording has been completed is ejected in a straight line from the front paper ejection support part 161 provided on the front part of the recording device. That is, in the front paper ejection, the paper ejection path is not curved but is approximately linear.

[0020] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the recording device 100. FIG. 4 shows a cross-section in a state in which front paper discharge is being performed, similar to FIG. 3. In FIG. 4, the paper discharge switching flapper 22 arranged downstream of the cutter 21 in the conveying direction F1 is rotated to the E2 position. When the paper discharge switching flapper 22 is in the E2 position, the paper 1 is guided to the front paper discharge path 162 by the paper discharge switching flapper 22. The paper 1 that has passed the paper discharge switching flapper 22 is discharged to the front of the recording device through the front paper discharge path 162 above the front paper discharge support unit 161. When the paper that has been cut after recording passes through the front paper discharge path 162, it is discharged by its own weight and stored in the front paper discharge storage unit 30 that can be pulled out from the bottom of the recording device. Unlike the upper paper discharge path 502, the front paper discharge path 162 does not have a paper discharge roller or a paper discharge nip roller. The front discharge path 162 is generally linear, and the angle difference between the discharge direction and the transport direction F1 is about 10 degrees, as shown in FIG.

[0021] 5 is a block diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a control system including recording apparatus 100 of this embodiment. Recording apparatus 100 has a CPU 201, an input interface 202, a RAM 203, a ROM 204, and an operation panel 2. Recording apparatus 100 also has a paper supply section 200, a paper transport section 300, a recording section 400, an upper paper discharge section 500, and a paper discharge switching flapper 22. Recording apparatus 100 may also include other components, but descriptions of these will be omitted here.

[0022] The CPU 201 controls each section of the recording device 100, including the paper supply section 200, the paper transport section 300, the recording section 400, the top discharge section 500, and the discharge switching flapper 22, in accordance with a control program stored in the ROM 204. The control program in this embodiment is stored in the ROM 204. The type, width, and various setting information of the paper 1 are input to the CPU 201 from the operation panel 2 via the input interface 202. The CPU 201 also writes and reads information related to the paper 1, such as its thickness, to and from the RAM 203.

[0023] Setting information including image data and paper discharge destination settings is input to the CPU 201 from a recording device driver 701 of an external host device 700 via an input interface 202. The host device 700 is a source of image data, and specifically may be a computer that creates data such as images related to recording and performs various processes, or may be a reader unit for reading images.

[0024] Next, a description will be given of the operation of switching the paper discharge path in the recording device 100 of this embodiment. The recording device 100 can select the destination of the discharged paper 1 from top discharge, which discharges the paper 1 to a stacker 28 installed at the top of the recording device 100, and front discharge, which discharges the paper 1 to the front of the recording device 100. Specifically, the user can select either top discharge or front discharge by operating the operation panel 2.

[0025] <Operation panel setting screen> 6 is a diagram showing a paper discharge destination setting screen 601 displayed on the operation panel 2. In the paper discharge destination setting screen 601, the user can set the paper discharge destination by selectively specifying "top discharge" or "front discharge". The paper discharge destination can be set for each type of paper 1. As described above, the type of paper 1 may be set by the user inputting it via the operation panel 2, or may be set by detection using the optical sensor 401. The type of paper 1 is set for each paper stored in the paper supply unit 200.

[0026] In addition, the top-surface paper ejection path 502 has a U-shaped paper ejection path, and as shown in FIG. 2, the paper 1 is conveyed in an inverted manner. This increases the conveyance resistance of the paper 1. In particular, if the information indicating the type of paper 1 indicates that the paper is thicker than a predetermined value, the conveyance resistance increases when the paper passes through the top-surface paper ejection path 502, and there is a risk that the paper cannot be conveyed. In this way, depending on the paper thickness, some paper cannot pass through the top-surface paper ejection path 502. On the other hand, the front paper ejection path 162 has a paper ejection path that is approximately linear as shown in FIG. 4, so that even if the paper 1 is thicker than a predetermined value, the conveyance resistance decreases when the paper passes through the front paper ejection path 162, and the paper is conveyed normally.

[0027] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the thickness of the paper 1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and top-side ejection is selected on the paper ejection destination setting screen 601 of the operation panel 2, the screen shown in Fig. 7 is displayed. More specifically, the CPU 201 of the recording device 100 obtains the type of paper (or paper thickness information) fed to the paper transport section 300 from the RAM 203. Then, when the type of paper is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the screen shown in Fig. 7 is displayed on the operation panel 2.

[0028] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a non-compatible paper discharge screen 705 displayed on the operation panel 2. The non-compatible paper discharge screen 705 displays a message saying "The selected paper cannot be discharged to the top." In this way, when the thickness of the paper 1 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, if the top discharge is selected on the paper discharge setting screen 601 of the operation panel 2, a screen is displayed to inform the user that the setting is not possible. On the non-compatible paper discharge screen 705 of FIG. 7, the user selects "OK" on the operation panel 2 to return to the paper discharge setting screen 601 of FIG. 6. Then, the user selects the front discharge. Note that, in this example, an example is shown in which an error screen is displayed when the selection is inappropriate after the user selects the paper discharge setting screen 601, but this is not limited to this. For example, when the thickness of the paper 1 is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the top discharge may be grayed out on the paper discharge setting screen 601 of FIG. 6 so that it cannot be selected on the UI screen.

[0029] In this embodiment, a thickness of the paper 1 equal to or greater than a predetermined value is, for example, 120 μm or greater. In this example, the criterion for determining whether top-surface ejection is selectable is paper thickness, but this is not limited to this. If top-surface ejection is not suitable for a particular type of paper, the system may be configured to not allow top-surface ejection to be selected regardless of paper thickness. For example, if static electricity is generated due to the material of the paper 1, resulting in high transport resistance, the system may be configured to not allow top-surface ejection to be selected.

[0030] The above is an explanation of the setting of the paper discharge destination on the side of the printing device 100. On the other hand, the paper discharge destination can also be set from the printing device driver 701 of the host device 700 that supplies the image data to be printed.

[0031] <Recording device driver setting screen> 8 is a diagram showing an example of a paper discharge destination selection screen 810 displayed on a display unit (not shown) of the host device 700 in the recording device driver 701 of the host device 700. As shown in Fig. 8, in the paper discharge destination selection screen 810 of the recording device driver 701, in addition to "top discharge" and "front discharge", "follow recording device setting" can be selected. When "follow recording device setting" is selected, it is specified to follow the setting on the paper discharge destination setting screen 601 of the operation panel 2.

[0032] When the host device 700 sends image data to be printed to the printing device 100, the image data is sent from the printing device driver 701 to the printing device 100 together with the paper discharge destination set by the user. As described above, there are two types of paper discharge destination settings: a setting in the printing device driver 701 and a setting in the operation panel 2. Since the user can set the paper discharge destination in either case, when printing image data to be printed, the setting by the printing device driver 701 and the setting by the operation panel 2 may differ. In this embodiment, when the settings of the paper discharge destination differ, the setting in the printing device driver 701 takes precedence. When one printing device is used by multiple users, it is assumed that the paper discharge destinations of the image data sent by the users are different. For this reason, the setting in the printing device driver 701 takes precedence in order to enable paper discharge corresponding to the paper discharge destination designation of each user. However, as described above, in cases where top-side ejection cannot be selected, if "top-side ejection" is set in the recording device driver 701, there is a risk that conveying will not be possible if top-side ejection is performed according to the setting of the recording device driver 701. Various processes, including cases where the setting of the recording device driver 701 and the setting of the operation panel 2 differ, will be described below using flowcharts.

[0033] <Controlling the switching of paper output destination when recording image data> Fig. 9 is a flowchart related to the control of switching the paper discharge destination when recording image data. The flowchart shown in Fig. 9 is implemented by the CPU 201 of the recording device 100 reading a program stored in the ROM 204 or the like into the RAM 203 and executing it. Note that the symbol "S" in the explanation of each process indicates a step in the flowchart (the same applies hereinafter in this specification).

[0034] In S901, the recording device 100 receives and acquires image data transmitted from the recording device driver 701 of the host device 700. When the CPU 201 of the recording device 100 receives the image data in S901, it checks the paper discharge destination setting of the recording device driver 701 in S902. Specifically, in S902, the CPU 201 determines whether the setting of the recording device driver 701 is "follow the recording device setting." That is, it determines whether the paper discharge destination designation included in the setting information received from the recording device driver 701 together with the image data indicates "follow the recording device setting." If the setting of the recording device driver 701 is "follow the recording device setting," the process proceeds to S904, and if not, the process proceeds to S903.

[0035] In S904, CPU 201 determines whether the discharge destination setting on operation panel 2 is "top discharge." If the setting on operation panel 2 is "top discharge," the thickness of paper 1 is not a predetermined value or more (for example, 120 μm or more). As described above, if the thickness of paper 1 is a predetermined value or more, the setting on operation panel 2 cannot be set to "top discharge." For this reason, if the setting on operation panel 2 is "top discharge," top discharge is possible. In other words, in S904, confirmation that top discharge is possible is also essentially performed. If the setting on operation panel 2 is "top discharge," the process proceeds to S905, and if the setting on operation panel 2 is not "top discharge," i.e., if it is "front discharge," the process proceeds to S908.

[0036] In S905, the CPU 201 judges whether the position of the discharge switching flapper 22 is the E1 position. That is, it judges whether the discharge switching flapper 22 is in a position for performing top-surface discharge. If the position of the discharge switching flapper 22 is the E1 position, the paper 1 can be sent to the top-surface discharge path 502, so the process proceeds to S906, and recording is started with top-surface discharge. Then, this flow ends. On the other hand, if the position of the discharge switching flapper 22 is not E1, the position of the discharge switching flapper 22 is in E2, so the process proceeds to S907, and the CPU 201 moves the position of the discharge switching flapper 22 to the E1 position. When the movement of the discharge switching flapper 22 to the E1 position is completed in S907, the process proceeds to S906, and recording is started with top-surface discharge. Then, this flow ends. In this embodiment, the discharge switching flapper 22 is moved at the stage where recording is actually performed. For this reason, even if the setting on the operation panel 2 is "top discharge" in S904, the position of the discharge switching flapper 22 may not be E1, and therefore, the determination control as in S905 is performed.

[0037] If the discharge destination setting on the operation panel 2 is "front discharge" in S904, the process proceeds to S908. In S908, the CPU 201 judges whether the position of the discharge switching flapper 22 is the E2 position. That is, it judges whether the discharge switching flapper 22 is in a position for performing front discharge. If the position of the discharge switching flapper 22 is the E2 position, the paper 1 can be sent to the front discharge path 162, so the process proceeds to S909, and recording is started with front discharge. Then, this flow ends. On the other hand, if the position of the discharge switching flapper 22 is not E2, the position of the discharge switching flapper 22 is in E1, so the process proceeds to S910, and the CPU 201 moves the position of the discharge switching flapper 22 to the E2 position. When the movement of the discharge switching flapper 22 to the E2 position is completed in S907, the process proceeds to S909, and recording is started with front discharge. Then, this flow ends.

[0038] Next, a process will be described when it is determined in S902 that the paper discharge destination setting of the recording device driver 701 is not "follow the recording device setting." In S903, the CPU 201 determines whether the paper discharge destination setting of the recording device driver 701 is "top discharge." If it is top discharge, the process proceeds to S911, and if it is not top discharge, i.e., if it is "front discharge," the process proceeds to S908.

[0039] If it is determined in S903 that the setting of the recording device driver 701 is "top ejection," then in S9911 the CPU 201 determines whether the paper ejection destination setting of the operation panel 2 is "top ejection." If both the recording device driver 701 and the operation panel 2 are "top ejection," then recording will be performed with top ejection. That is, if the setting of the operation panel 2 is "top ejection," then, as described above, the paper 1 is not thicker than a predetermined value (120 μm or more) and top ejection is possible. Therefore, if it is determined in S911 that the paper ejection destination setting of the operation panel 2 is "top ejection," the process proceeds to S905. The processes from S905 onwards are as described above.

[0040] On the other hand, if it is determined in S911 that the setting of the discharge destination of the operation panel 2 is not "top discharge", that is, if it is determined that the setting of the discharge destination of the operation panel 2 is "front discharge", the process proceeds to S912. The situation in which the process proceeds to S912 is when the setting of the discharge destination of the recording device driver 701 is "top discharge" and the setting of the discharge destination of the operation panel 2 is "front discharge". That is, when the setting of the recording device driver 701 and the setting of the operation panel 2 are different. When the setting of the recording device driver 701 and the setting of the operation panel 2 are different, the setting of the top discharge of the recording device driver 701 takes precedence as described above. However, at this point, the CPU 201 is in a state where it has not been confirmed whether the "top discharge" can be performed for the paper 1. Therefore, in S912, the CPU 201 determines whether the paper thickness of the paper is a predetermined value or more (120 μm or more). If the paper thickness of the paper is not the predetermined value or more, the paper is not thick paper and is paper that can be discharged topside. Therefore, if it is determined in S912 that the paper thickness is not equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to S905 and subsequent processes. The processes from S905 onwards are as described above. On the other hand, if the paper thickness is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the paper is thick paper and top-side ejection cannot be performed. Therefore, the process proceeds to S913, and CPU 201 displays an error screen shown in FIG. 10 on operation panel 2.

[0041] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a non-compatible discharge destination error screen 1001 displayed on the operation panel 2 in S913. When it is determined that top-surface discharge cannot be performed, the CPU 201 displays the non-compatible discharge destination error screen 1001 on the operation panel 2. The user can select "change to front discharge and record" or "cancel" on the non-compatible discharge destination error screen 1001. In S914, the CPU 201 determines whether the user's operation is "change to front discharge and record". If it is "change to front discharge and record", the discharge destination is changed to "front discharge" and the process proceeds to S908. The process from S908 onwards is the operation of the discharge switching flapper described above, and therefore the description will be omitted. On the other hand, if the user's operation is not "change to front discharge and record", that is, if "cancel" is selected, the CPU 201 proceeds to S915 and cancels the recording.

[0042] Next, the case where the recording device driver 701 is set to "front ejection" will be described. That is, the case where S902 is NO and S903 is also NO will be described. When the recording device driver 701 is set to "front ejection", the front ejection is determined regardless of the ejection destination setting of the operation panel 2. This is because, as described above, the setting of the recording device driver 701 is prioritized and no problems are caused by the front ejection. That is, even if the setting of the recording device driver 701 and the setting of the operation panel 2 are different, if the front ejection is selected, the paper 1 can be ejected even if its thickness is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. For this reason, the front ejection, which is the setting of the recording device driver 701, is prioritized. When S903 is NO, the process proceeds to S908. The process from S908 onwards is the operation of the ejection switching flapper described above, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0043] In this manner, in this embodiment, when performing printing based on image data received from the printing device driver 701, even if the paper discharge destination setting of the printing device driver 701 is "top discharge", control is performed not to perform top discharge depending on the type of paper 1. This makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of a phenomenon in which conveyance is not performed appropriately due to, for example, a large paper thickness when top discharge is performed using a paper discharge path with a curved portion.

[0044] <Controlling switching of paper output destination when printing head adjustment patterns> Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the control of paper discharge destination switching when recording a head adjustment pattern for the recording head 18. As described above, when adjusting the recording head 18, the adjustment is performed by recording a head adjustment pattern. When recording the head adjustment pattern, switching control different from the paper discharge destination switching control described in Fig. 10 is performed.

[0045] In S1101, the CPU 201 receives an instruction to record a head adjustment pattern. The instruction to record a head adjustment pattern may be received and acquired from the recording device driver 701, or may be acquired in response to an operation on the operation panel 2. When the instruction to record a head adjustment pattern is received, the process proceeds to S1102, where the CPU 201 automatically selects the paper discharge destination as "front discharge." That is, the CPU 201 automatically determines front discharge regardless of the paper discharge destination setting of the recording device driver 701 and the paper discharge destination setting of the operation panel 2. When the paper 1 is inverted in a paper discharge path having a curved portion, such as the top discharge path 502, the paper may be skewed and bent due to conveyance resistance, which may change the recorded adjustment value. In addition, the recorded adjustment value may be changed due to conveyance by the paper discharge rollers 25. Depending on the configuration of the top discharge path 502, the adjustment pattern may be recorded on the paper 1 while the paper 1 is passing through a discharge path having a curved portion, or while the discharge rollers 25 are gripping the paper 1 before cutting. In this case, the recording position may also be shifted. For this reason, there is a risk that the adjustment of the recording head 18 may not be performed appropriately. On the other hand, when the discharge path is linear, such as the front discharge path 162, the conveyance resistance of the paper 1 is small and the paper 1 is unlikely to be skewed. Therefore, a phenomenon in which the recorded adjustment value changes is unlikely to occur. Therefore, in recording the head adjustment pattern, the front discharge, which passes the paper through the front discharge path 162, is selected. When the front discharge is selected in S1102, the operations of S1103 to S1105 are performed, but these are the same operations as the operations (S908 to S910) of the discharge switching flapper 22 described in FIG. 10, and therefore the description will be omitted.

[0046] <Control of switching of paper output destination when printing transport adjustment patterns> 12 is a flow chart showing the control of the discharge destination switching when the transport adjustment pattern is recorded. As described above, the transport amount of the transport roller 14 is adjusted by recording the transport adjustment pattern. In addition, in the case of top-side discharge, the transport amount of the transport roller 14 is adjusted in consideration of the transport effect of the discharge roller 25.

[0047] The transport adjustment patterns used to adjust the transport amount include a pattern that prioritizes image quality and a pattern that prioritizes image length. The difference between these patterns will be briefly explained. An image is recorded by repeatedly scanning the recording head 18 to record and transporting the paper. For example, the recording head 18 is scanned in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the paper 1 to record an image (first time), and then the paper 1 is transported by the recorded length and the recording head 18 is scanned to record an image (second time). Here, if the transport amount for transporting the paper 1 is large (the transport length is long), a gap is created between the first and second recordings, resulting in a stripe that is not recorded. On the other hand, if the transport amount is small (the transport length is short), the first and second recordings overlap, resulting in a stripe where the image is darker in the overlapping portion. The image priority pattern is a pattern that adjusts so that this stripe does not occur.

[0048] When performing adjustment with image priority, an adjustment pattern that detects the density of the printed image is recorded, and the recorded density is detected by a sensor to adjust the conveyance amount. On the other hand, length priority is used to adjust the length of the image, for example, to print a 100 mm image at 100 mm. When performing adjustment with length priority, an adjustment pattern of a specified length is recorded, the length of the recorded pattern is measured, and the conveyance amount is adjusted by the amount of deviation in length. In either case, the conveyance amount needs to be adjusted when passing through the actual paper discharge path. Below, the control of switching the paper discharge destination when printing a conveyance adjustment pattern will be explained using FIG. 12.

[0049] In S1201, the CPU 201 determines the selection item selected by the user on the transport adjustment screen of the operation panel 2. Note that, although an example in which the transport adjustment screen is displayed on the operation panel 2 will be described here, the transport adjustment screen may also be displayed on the recording device driver 701.

[0050] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a transport adjustment screen 1301 displayed on the operation panel 2. When performing transport adjustment, the user selects a desired target from "image quality priority (top discharge)", "image quality priority (front discharge)", "length priority (top discharge)", and "length priority (front discharge)" on the transport adjustment screen 1301. There is a difference in transport resistance between the top discharge path 502 and the front discharge path 162, and the transport amount is also different. Therefore, in this embodiment, when adjusting the transport amount of the top discharge path 502 or the transport amount of the front discharge path 162, a transport adjustment pattern is recorded in a state where the paper 1 passes through each discharge path. This makes it possible to correctly adjust the transport amount in each discharge path.

[0051] In S1201, the CPU 201 determines whether "image quality priority (top discharge)" or "length priority (top discharge)" has been selected. If "image quality priority (top discharge)" or "length priority (top discharge)" has been selected, the process proceeds to S1202, and if not, the process proceeds to S1208.

[0052] In S1202, the CPU 201 determines whether the paper thickness is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (120 μm or greater). If the paper thickness is not equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the paper is not thick paper and can be discharged top-side. Therefore, the process proceeds to S1204, where the CPU 201 transmits an instruction to print a transport adjustment pattern with priority on image quality or length. After that, the operations of S1205 to S1207 are performed, but since these are the same operations as S905 to S907, their explanations are omitted. On the other hand, if the paper thickness is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the paper is thick paper and cannot be discharged top-side. Therefore, the process proceeds to S1203, where the operation panel 2 displays a discharge destination non-compatible screen 705 as shown in FIG. 7, and displays a message such as "The selected paper cannot be discharged top-side." When the user selects "OK" on the operation panel 2, the process returns to the transport adjustment screen 1301 shown in FIG. 13.

[0053] When "image quality priority (front ejection)" or "length priority (front ejection)" is selected on the transport adjustment screen 1301, the process transitions from S1201 to S1208, and the CPU 201 transmits an instruction to print a transport adjustment pattern with image quality priority or length priority. Then, the operations of S1209 to S1211 are performed, but because these are similar to S908 to S910, a description thereof will be omitted.

[0054] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to determine an appropriate paper discharge destination according to the type of paper (paper thickness) or the target to be adjusted. Therefore, the paper is discharged using an appropriate paper discharge path, which suppresses paper discharge problems such as improper transport, and improves image quality by improving adjustment accuracy.

[0055] <<Other embodiments>> In the above embodiment, the movement control of the discharge switching flapper 22 is performed at the timing when the paper is actually transported. However, the present invention is not limited to this. When a discharge path is selected on the operation panel 2, the discharge switching flapper 22 may be controlled to move at the selected timing. When it is necessary to move the discharge switching flapper 22, for example, when the setting of the recording device driver 701 is different from the setting of the operation panel 2, the discharge switching flapper 22 may be controlled to move additionally.

[0056] In the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 10, the paper discharge destination incompatibility error screen 1001 is displayed on the operation panel 2, and the user operates the operation panel 2, but this is not limited to the example. An error screen equivalent to that shown in Fig. 10 may be displayed on the recording device driver 701, and instructions may be input on the recording device driver 701.

[0057] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which an error screen is displayed when the thickness of the paper 1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value in the operation of the paper discharge destination setting screen 601 of the operation panel 2 shown in FIG. 6 and top-surface discharge is selected, but this is not limited to the above. In the operation of the paper discharge destination setting screen 601, when the thickness of the paper 1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and top-surface discharge is selected, an error screen may not be displayed. In other words, top-surface discharge may be selectable even in the above state. In this case, when a recording instruction is received and top-surface discharge is specified, the paper thickness may be confirmed each time. Specifically, in the flowchart of FIG. 9, when YES is selected in S904 and when YES is selected in S911, the processing following S912 to S915 may be performed.

[0058] In the flow chart of the embodiment described above, when selecting top-surface paper ejection, it is determined whether the paper thickness is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, but it may be determined whether the paper type is a predetermined type. For example, a paper that generates static electricity due to its material and has a large transport resistance may be set as a predetermined type of paper in advance, and a determination process may be performed so that top-surface paper ejection can be performed if the paper is not of the predetermined type. Even when making a determination based on paper thickness, the paper type and the paper thickness may be associated with each other, and the actual determination process may be configured to determine whether the paper type is of a predetermined type. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1 Paper 18 Recording head 22 Paper output switching flapper 100 Recording device 161 Front paper ejection support section 162 Front exit path 502 Top eject path

Claims

1. A conveying roller for conveying the paper; a recording head for recording an image on the paper conveyed by the conveying roller; a first paper discharge path for discharging paper on which the recording head has recorded; a second paper discharge path different from the first paper discharge path, for discharging paper on which recording has been performed by the recording head; a control means for controlling the sheet to be discharged through either the first discharge path or the second discharge path; Equipped with a direction in which the sheet is discharged by the second sheet discharge path has an angle difference with a conveying direction of the conveying rollers that is smaller than a direction in which the sheet is discharged by the first sheet discharge path; The control means is characterized in that, even when an instruction to record an image indicates that the paper be discharged to the first paper discharge path, if the paper transported by the transport roller has a thickness greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the control means discharges the paper on which the image has been recorded using the second paper discharge path.

2. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the instruction to record an image is sent from a host device which instructs the recording apparatus to record.

3. The recording device according to claim 2, characterized in that the recording device is capable of setting the discharge destination of the recorded paper, either to the first discharge path or to the second discharge path, using an operation unit of the recording device.

4. the control means is configured to perform control so that a paper discharge destination included in an instruction sent from the host device has priority over a paper discharge destination set on an operation unit of the recording device, The recording device described in claim 3, characterized in that when the paper transported by the transport roller is paper having a thickness greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the paper on which the image is recorded is discharged using the second paper discharge path even if the paper discharge destination included in the instructions sent from the host device indicates that the paper is to be discharged to the first paper discharge path.

5. The recording device according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the recording device is configured such that the first paper discharge path cannot be set in the operation unit when information indicating the type of paper transported by the transport roller indicates paper having a thickness greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

6. A conveying roller for conveying the paper; a recording head for recording an image on the paper conveyed by the conveying roller; a first paper discharge path for discharging paper on which the recording head has recorded; a second paper discharge path different from the first paper discharge path, for discharging paper on which recording has been performed by the recording head; a control means for controlling the sheet to be discharged through either the first discharge path or the second discharge path; Equipped with a direction in which the sheet is discharged by the second sheet discharge path has an angle difference with a conveying direction of the conveying rollers that is smaller than a direction in which the sheet is discharged by the first sheet discharge path; The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means, when the instruction to record an image is an instruction to adjust a state in which the image is recorded by the recording head, discharges the paper through the second paper discharge path.

7. The recording device according to claim 6, characterized in that the control means discharges the paper using the second discharge path when the instruction to record the image indicates that the paper is to be discharged to the first discharge path, or when the instruction to record an image is an instruction to adjust the recording state of the image by the recording head, even if the discharge destination set on the operation unit of the recording device is the first discharge path.

8. A conveying roller for conveying the paper; a recording head for recording an image on the paper conveyed by the conveying roller; a first paper discharge path for discharging paper on which the recording head has recorded; a second paper discharge path different from the first paper discharge path, for discharging paper on which recording has been performed by the recording head; a control means for controlling the sheet to be discharged through either the first discharge path or the second discharge path; Equipped with a direction in which the sheet is discharged by the second sheet discharge path has an angle difference with a conveying direction of the conveying rollers that is smaller than a direction in which the sheet is discharged by the first sheet discharge path; The control means discharges paper to the first paper discharge path when the instruction to record an image is an instruction to adjust the transport amount of the transport roller on the first paper discharge path, and discharges paper to the second paper discharge path when the instruction is an instruction to adjust the transport amount of the transport roller on the second paper discharge path.

9. a paper discharge switching flapper for switching between the first paper discharge path and the second paper discharge path, 9. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discharge switching flapper moves to a position where the paper is discharged to either the first discharge path or the second discharge path.

10. 10. The recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the discharge switching flapper moves to a position where it needs to be moved after the control means has determined the discharge path.

11. 11. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first discharge path is provided with a discharge roller, and the second discharge path is not provided with a discharge roller.

12. A conveying roller for conveying the paper; a recording head for recording an image on the paper conveyed by the conveying roller; a first paper discharge path for discharging paper on which the recording head has recorded; a second paper discharge path different from the first paper discharge path, for discharging paper on which recording has been performed by the recording head; a control means for controlling the sheet to be discharged through either the first discharge path or the second discharge path; A method for controlling a recording device comprising: a direction in which the sheet is discharged by the second sheet discharge path has an angle difference with a conveying direction of the conveying rollers that is smaller than a direction in which the sheet is discharged by the first sheet discharge path; receiving an instruction to record an image; Even if the received instruction indicates that the sheet is to be discharged to the first discharge path, if the sheet being transported by the transport roller has a thickness equal to or greater than a predetermined value, discharging the sheet on which the image has been recorded using the second discharge path; 13. A method for controlling a recording apparatus comprising the steps of:

13. A conveying roller for conveying the paper; a recording head for recording an image on the paper conveyed by the conveying roller; a first paper discharge path for discharging paper on which the recording head has recorded; a second paper discharge path different from the first paper discharge path, for discharging paper on which recording has been performed by the recording head; a control means for controlling the sheet to be discharged through either the first discharge path or the second discharge path; A method for controlling a recording device comprising: a direction in which the sheet is discharged by the second sheet discharge path has an angle difference with a conveying direction of the conveying rollers that is smaller than a direction in which the sheet is discharged by the first sheet discharge path; obtaining instructions to record an image; when the acquired instruction is an instruction to adjust a recording state of an image by the recording head, discharging the paper using the second paper discharge path; 13. A method for controlling a recording apparatus comprising the steps of:

14. A conveying roller for conveying the paper; a recording head for recording an image on the paper conveyed by the conveying roller; a first paper discharge path for discharging paper on which the recording head has recorded; a second paper discharge path different from the first paper discharge path, for discharging paper on which recording has been performed by the recording head; a control means for controlling the sheet to be discharged through either the first discharge path or the second discharge path; A method for controlling a recording device comprising: a direction in which the sheet is discharged by the second sheet discharge path has an angle difference with a conveying direction of the conveying rollers that is smaller than a direction in which the sheet is discharged by the first sheet discharge path; obtaining instructions to record an image; discharging the sheet to the first discharge path when the acquired instruction is an instruction to adjust a conveyance amount of the conveying roller on the first discharge path, and discharging the sheet to the second discharge path when the acquired instruction is an instruction to adjust a conveyance amount of the conveying roller on the second discharge path; 13. A method for controlling a recording apparatus comprising the steps of:

Images