Image forming apparatus

Abstract

To provide an image forming apparatus that can execute image formation and eject a sheet even when a cutter cannot cut the sheet.SOLUTION: An image forming apparatus comprises an image forming unit, a cutter, a first ejection path, a second ejection path, and a switching mechanism. The cutter can cut a sheet at a cut position. The first ejection path ejects the sheet not through the cut position. The second ejection path ejects the sheet through the cut position. The switching mechanism switches an ejection path between the first ejection path and the second ejection path. A control unit, when not receiving an instruction to cut a sheet (S2, No) or when determining that the cutter cannot cut a sheet (S3, Yes), controls the switching mechanism so that the sheet passes through the first ejection path (S6).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus equipped with a cutter. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, an image forming apparatus equipped with a cutter is known (Patent Document 1). This image forming apparatus can cut one sheet into two sheets when it is determined that cutting of the sheet is necessary. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-362823 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In an image forming apparatus equipped with a cutter as in Patent Document 1, the cutter may break down and the blade of the cutter may remain in the conveying path, hindering the conveyance of the sheet, or the sheet may become jammed in the cutter. In this way, when the cutter breaks down or the sheet becomes jammed and the sheet cannot be cut, a problem occurs in conventional image forming apparatuses in that the sheet cannot be discharged after image formation, even if the user only wants to form an image.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus that can perform image formation and discharge the sheet even when the cutter is not capable of cutting the sheet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The image forming apparatus for achieving the above object includes an apparatus main body, an image forming unit, a cutter, a first discharge path, a second discharge path, a switching mechanism, and a control unit. The image forming unit is disposed within the device body and forms an image on a sheet. The cutter is disposed downstream of the image forming unit in a sheet transport direction. The cutter is capable of cutting the sheet in a cross direction intersecting the transport direction at a cutting position. The first discharge path discharges the sheet that has passed through the image forming unit outside the device body without passing through the cutting position. The second discharge path discharges the sheet that has passed through the image forming unit outside the device body via the cutting position. The switching mechanism switches the discharge path for the sheet that has passed through the image forming unit between the first discharge path and the second discharge path. The control unit determines whether or not a command to cut the sheet has been received and whether or not the cutter is capable of cutting the sheet. When the control unit determines that a command to cut the sheet has not been received or that the cutter cannot cut the sheet, the control unit controls the switching mechanism so that the sheet passes through the first discharge path. When the control unit determines that a command to cut the sheet has been received and that the cutter is capable of cutting the sheet, the control unit controls the switching mechanism so that the sheet passes through the second discharge path.

[0007] When the control unit receives a command to cut the sheet and determines that the cutter cannot cut the sheet, the control unit controls the switching mechanism so that the sheet passes through the first discharge path. Therefore, even if the cutter cannot cut the sheet, image formation can be performed and the sheet can be discharged.

[0008] The control unit may also determine whether the first mode or the second mode is set as the operation mode when the cutter cannot cut the sheet. Then, when it is determined that the first mode is set and that a command for image formation and sheet cutting has been received, the control unit may discharge the sheet to the outside of the device body without cutting the sheet after forming an image on the sheet. Then, when it is determined that the second mode is set and that a command for image formation and sheet cutting has been received, the control unit may not execute image formation until it is determined that the cutter can cut the sheet.

[0009] When the cutter is not capable of cutting, a first mode in which only image formation is performed without cutting, and a second mode in which image formation is not performed can be selected, so that an operation that meets the user's desire can be performed.

[0010] The image forming apparatus may further include a first discharge outlet for discharging the sheet from the first discharge path, a second discharge outlet for discharging the sheet from the second discharge path, the second discharge outlet being located downstream of the first discharge outlet in the conveying direction, and a fixed blade extending in the intersecting direction. The cutter may be movable in the intersecting direction and capable of pinching the sheet together with the fixed blade to cut the sheet. When forming an image on a sheet whose dimensions in the conveying direction are smaller than a predetermined size, the control unit may control the switching mechanism so that the sheet passes through the second discharge path if the cutter is located outside the passing range of the sheet.

[0011] When forming an image on a sheet whose size in the conveying direction is smaller than a predetermined size, if the cutter is located outside the passing range of the sheet, the control unit controls the switching mechanism so that the sheet passes through the second discharge path. As a result, the sheet is discharged from the second discharge port located downstream in the conveying direction, making it easy to remove.

[0012] The control unit may further include a position sensor capable of detecting that the cutter is located outside the passing range of the sheet based on a detection result of the position sensor.

[0013] The image forming apparatus may further include an input unit capable of inputting a command to cut the sheet to the control unit.

[0014] The control unit may also be capable of obtaining a command to cut the sheet from a received print job.

[0015] The image forming apparatus may further include a first supply tray capable of receiving a sheet of the first size, and a second supply tray capable of receiving a sheet of a second size having an area half that of the first size. When the control unit receives a command to form two pages of images on one sheet of the first size and to cut the sheet of the first size to the second size, and determines that the cutter cannot cut the sheet, the control unit may supply a sheet of the second size from the second supply tray and form one page of images on one sheet.

[0016] According to this, even if it is determined that the cutter cannot cut the sheet, an image can be formed on a sheet of a size desired by the user.

[0017] The switching mechanism may have a flapper movable between a first position for guiding the sheet that has passed through the image forming unit toward the first discharge path and a second position for guiding the sheet toward the second discharge path. The control unit may control the flapper to be located at the first position when it has not received a command to cut the sheet or when it has determined that the cutter cannot cut the sheet. The control unit may control the flapper to be located at the second position when it has determined that it has received a command to cut the sheet and that the cutter can cut the sheet.

[0018] The image forming unit may also include a photosensitive drum, a transfer unit that transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum to a sheet, and a fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred to the sheet to the sheet. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, even if the cutter cannot cut the sheet, image formation can be performed and the sheet can be discharged. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] 13 is a view of the cutter viewed from the ejection direction when the slide holder is located at the initial position. FIG. [Figure 4] 13 is a view of the cutter unit viewed from the ejection direction when the slide holder is located at the cutting completion position. FIG. [Diagram 5] 4 is an enlarged view of a portion of the cutter unit to which a moving blade is attached. FIG. [Figure 6] 4 is a diagram showing electrical connections between a control unit, each motor, a flapper, an operation panel, and a sheet sensor. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process executed by a control unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] 8 is a continuation of the flowchart in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 8 is a continuation of the flowchart in FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0021] Next, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In the following description, the axial direction of the photoconductor drum 51 will be referred to as the "axial direction." Also, the direction in which the sheet S is discharged by the first discharge roller 84 (the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1) will be referred to as the "discharge direction." The direction of the arrow in the drawing points to one side. The opposite direction to the one side will be referred to as the other side.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 1 is a laser printer. The image forming apparatus 1 includes an apparatus main body 2, a supply unit 3, an exposure device 4, a drum cartridge 5, a fixing unit 6, a cutter unit 7, a sheet transport unit 8, an operation panel PA, a first sheet sensor SE1, a second sheet sensor SE2, a third sheet sensor SE3, a fourth sheet sensor SE4, and a control unit CU. The exposure device 4 and the drum cartridge 5 are an example of an image forming unit, and are disposed within the apparatus main body 2 to form an image on a sheet S. In the following description, the exposure device 4 and the drum cartridge 5 are also referred to as the "image forming unit."

[0023] The device body 2 has a front cover 21, a discharge tray 22, a first discharge outlet 23, and a second discharge outlet 24. The front cover 21 is located on the downstream side of the device body 2 in the discharge direction. The discharge tray 22 is formed on the upper surface of the device body 2. The discharge tray 22 is a tray on which discharged sheets are placed.

[0024] The first discharge outlet 23 is an outlet for discharging the sheet S to the outside of the apparatus body 2. The first discharge outlet 23 is located lower than the second discharge outlet 24. In other words, the first discharge outlet 23 is located closer to the fixing device 6 described below than the second discharge outlet 24. In this embodiment, the first discharge outlet 23 discharges the sheet S that has not been cut by the cutter unit 7 from a first transport path 81 described below to the outside of the apparatus body 2. The sheet S discharged from the first discharge outlet 23 is placed on the discharge tray 22.

[0025] The second discharge outlet 24 is an outlet different from the first discharge outlet 23 for discharging the sheet S to the outside of the apparatus body 2. The second discharge outlet 24 is located above the first discharge outlet 23 and downstream in the discharge direction. In this embodiment, the second discharge outlet 24 mainly discharges the sheet S cut by the cutter unit 7 to the outside of the apparatus body 2 from a second transport path 82 described later. The sheet S discharged from the second discharge outlet 24 is placed on the discharge tray 22.

[0026] The supply unit 3 is located inside the device body 2. The supply unit 3 has a first supply tray 31A, a second supply tray 31B, a first sheet pressing plate 32A, a second sheet pressing plate 32B, a first pickup roller 33A, a second pickup roller 33B, a first separation roller 34A, a second separation roller 34B, a first tray sensor SS1, a second tray sensor SS2, and a registration roller 35.

[0027] The first supply tray 31A is a tray on which the sheets S are placed. In this embodiment, A4-sized sheets S1 are placed thereon as an example of a first size. The first sheet pressing plate 32A pushes the A4-sized sheets S1 in the first supply tray 31A upward. The first pickup roller 33A picks up the A4-sized sheets S1 in the first supply tray 31A. The first separation roller 34A separates the A4-sized sheets S1 picked up by the first pickup roller 33A one by one. The first tray sensor SS1 is a sensor that detects whether the sheets S are placed on the first supply tray 31A.

[0028] The second supply tray 31B is located below the first supply tray 31A and is a tray on which the sheets S are placed. In this embodiment, A5-sized sheets S2 are placed as an example of a second size having an area half that of the first size. The second sheet pressing plate 32B pushes the A5-sized sheets S2 in the second supply tray 31B upward. The second pickup roller 33B picks up the A5-sized sheets S2 in the second supply tray 31B. The second separation roller 34B separates the A5-sized sheets S2 picked up by the second pickup roller 33B one by one. The second tray sensor SS2 is a sensor that detects whether the sheets S are placed on the second supply tray 31B.

[0029] The registration rollers 35 convey the A4 size sheet S1 picked up from the first supply tray 31A and the A5 size sheet S2 picked up from the second supply tray 31B between the photosensitive drum 51 and the transfer roller 53.

[0030] The exposure device 4 is located at the upper part inside the apparatus main body 2. The exposure device 4 includes a laser emission unit, a polygon mirror, a lens, a reflecting mirror, etc. (not shown). In this exposure device 4, a laser beam (see dashed line) based on image data emitted from the laser emission unit is scanned at high speed over the surface of the photoconductor drum 51, thereby exposing the surface of the photoconductor drum 51.

[0031] The drum cartridge 5 is detachable from the apparatus main body 2. When the drum cartridge 5 is attached to the apparatus main body 2, the drum cartridge 5 is located below the exposure device 4. The drum cartridge 5 is attached and detached with the front cover 21 open.

[0032] The drum cartridge 5 includes a photosensitive drum 51 , a charger 52 , a transfer roller 53 as an example of a transfer section, a pinch roller 54 , a developing roller 55 , a supply roller 56 , and a toner storage section 57 .

[0033] The photosensitive drum 51 is rotatable about a drum axis 51X extending in the first direction. The charger 52 charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 51. The transfer roller 53 is positioned opposite the photosensitive drum 51. The transfer roller 53 transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 51 to the sheet S. The charger 52 is a scorotron type charger. The pinch roller 54 is positioned opposite the registration roller 35. The pinch roller 54 rotates following the rotation of the registration roller 35, and transports the sheet S together with the registration roller 35.

[0034] The developing roller 55 supplies toner to the photosensitive drum 51 while in contact with the photosensitive drum 51. The supply roller 56 supplies toner in a toner container 57 to the developing roller 55.

[0035] In the drum cartridge 5, the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 is uniformly charged by the charger 52. Thereafter, the surface of the photosensitive drum 51 is exposed to high-speed scanning of laser light from the exposure device 4, and an electrostatic latent image based on image data is formed on the photosensitive drum 51. The toner carried on the development roller 55 is supplied from the development roller 55 to the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 51. As a result, the electrostatic latent image is made visible, and a toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 51. Thereafter, the sheet S is transported between the photosensitive drum 51 and the transfer roller 53, and the toner image on the photosensitive drum 51 is transferred onto the sheet S.

[0036] The fixing device 6 is located behind the drum cartridge 5. The fixing device 6 has a heating unit 61 and a pressure roller 62. The heating unit 61 has a halogen heater, a fixing belt, a nip plate, etc., the reference numerals of which are omitted. The pressure roller 62 holds the fixing belt between itself and the nip plate of the heating unit 61. The pressure roller 62 forms a nip portion NP between itself and the heating unit 61. In the fixing device 6, the toner image transferred onto the sheet S is thermally fixed to the sheet S while the sheet S passes between the heating unit 61 and the pressure roller 62.

[0037] The cutter unit 7 is located at the upper part of the apparatus body 2. The cutter unit 7 is disposed downstream of the drum cartridge 5 and the fixing device 6 in the conveying direction of the sheet S. In the present embodiment, the cutter unit 7 is disposed in a second conveying path 82, which will be described later.

[0038] The cutter unit 7 has a cutter 70. The cutter unit 7 can cut the sheet S at the cutting position in the axial direction, that is, in a cross direction crossing the conveying direction (hereinafter, simply referred to as the "cross direction"). In the present application, the cutting position is a position where the sheet S is cut by the cutter 70. The cutter unit 7 can cut at least the letter-size sheet S and the A4-size sheet S at the center position of the sheet in the conveying direction. The letter-sized sheet S is 215.9 mm×279.4 mm. In this embodiment, the letter-sized sheet S is placed on the supply tray 31 with its long side aligned with the transport direction. Therefore, when the letter-sized sheet is cut in half, the dimension in the transport direction is 139.7 mm. Moreover, the A4 size sheet S is 210 mm × 297 mm. In this embodiment, the A4 size sheet S is placed on the supply tray 31 so that the long side is along the conveying direction. Therefore, when the A4 size sheet is cut in half, the dimension in the conveying direction is 148.5 mm.

[0039] 2 and 3, the cutter unit 7 includes a cutter 70, a cutter frame 71, a slide rail 72, a sheet passage section 74, a slide holder 76, a drive pulley 77, a pulley belt 78, a position sensor 79, a cutting motor M1, and an encoder EN. In this embodiment, the cutter 70 includes a fixed blade 73 and a movable blade 75.

[0040] The cutter frame 71 extends in the axial direction. The slide rail 72 is a rail formed on the cutter frame 71 and extending in the axial direction. The fixed blade 73 is a flat blade fixed to the cutter frame 71 and extending in the intersecting direction. The sheet passing portion 74 is a space formed in the cutter frame 71 through which the sheet S passes. In this embodiment, the sheet passing portion 74 is formed between the slide rail 72 and the fixed blade 73.

[0041] The movable blade 75 is a disk-shaped blade, and is rotatably fixed to the slide holder 76. The movable blade 75 is movable in the intersecting direction by the sliding movement of the slide holder 76, and is a movable blade that can cut the sheet S by pinching the sheet S together with the fixed blade 73. As shown in FIG. 5, the movable blade 75 is removable. More specifically, the movable blade 75 is removable when it is located in the initial position shown in FIG. 3. This allows the cutter to be replaced with a new one when it is worn out due to cutting.

[0042] The slide holder 76 engages with the slide rail 72 and is attached to the cutter frame 71 so as to be slidable along the slide rail 72. The slide holder 76 is movable from an initial position shown in FIG. 3 to a cutting completion position shown in FIG. 4. Before cutting the sheet S, the slide holder 76 is located at the initial position shown in FIG. 3. When the slide holder 76 moves along the slide rail 72 to the cutting completion position, one sheet S is sandwiched between the fixed blade 73 and the movable blade 75 and cut into two sheets. The slide holder 76 is returned from the cutting completion position to the initial position before starting cutting of the next sheet S.

[0043] The drive pulley 77 is disposed on the other axial side of the cutter frame 71. The drive pulley 77 receives a driving force from the cutting motor M1 and is rotatable in both forward and reverse directions.

[0044] The pulley belt 78 is wound around the drive pulley 77. In addition, a slide holder 76 is fixed to the pulley belt 78. This allows the slide holder 76 to slide in the axial direction in response to the rotation of the pulley belt 78. In more detail, when the cutting motor M1 is rotated in the forward direction, the slide holder 76 slides from one side to the other side in the axial direction, and when the cutting motor M1 is rotated in the reverse direction, the slide holder 76 slides from the other side to one side in the axial direction.

[0045] The position sensor 79 is a sensor that detects whether the moving blade 75 is located at the initial position. The position sensor 79 can be swung between a swinging position shown in FIG. 3 and a non-swinging position shown in FIG. 4. The position sensor 79 is urged by an urging member such as a spring (not shown) so as to be located at the non-swinging position. As shown in FIG. 3, when the moving blade 75 is located at the initial position, the position sensor 79 is pushed by the moving blade 75 and located at the swinging position. When the moving blade 75 is not located at the initial position, the position sensor 79 is not pushed by the moving blade 75 and is located at the non-swinging position. Note that when the moving blade 75 is located at the initial position, the moving blade 75 is located outside the passing range PR of the sheet S. That is, the position sensor 79 can detect that the moving blade 75 is located outside the passing range PR of the sheet S.

[0046] When the cutter unit 7 cuts the sheet S, the cutting motor M1 is rotated in the forward direction to move the slide holder 76 located in the initial position toward the cutting completion position. Then, the movable blade 75 moves together with the slide holder 76, so that the sheet S located in the sheet passing portion 74 is sandwiched between the fixed blade 73 and the movable blade 75 and cut. When the slide holder 76 is positioned at the cutting completion position, the cutting motor M1 stops. After the cut sheet S is discharged, the cutting motor M1 rotates in the reverse direction, and the slide holder 76 is returned from the cutting completion position to the initial position.

[0047] The encoder EN has an encoder disk and a photointerrupter, and is capable of measuring the rotation angle of the cutting motor M1.

[0048] Returning to FIG. 1, the sheet transport section 8 includes a first transport path 81, a second transport path 82, a first discharge roller 84, a second discharge roller 85, a transport roller 86, and a flapper 87.

[0049] The first transport path 81 is a path for discharging the sheet S that has passed through the image forming unit without passing through the cutting position to the outside of the apparatus body 2. Specifically, the first transport path 81 is a path from the flapper 87 to the first discharge port 23. In this embodiment, the sheet S that has not been cut by the cutter unit 7 passes through the first transport path 81.

[0050] The second transport path 82 is a path different from the first transport path 81. The second transport path 82 is a path that passes through the cutting position and discharges the sheet S that has passed through the image forming unit to the outside of the apparatus body 2. Specifically, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1, the second transport path 82 is a path from the flapper 87 to the second discharge port 24. In this embodiment, the second transport path 82 is a path through which the sheet cut by the cutter unit 7 mainly passes. The second transport path 82 is a transport path longer than the first transport path 81.

[0051] The first discharge rollers 84 are disposed on the first transport path 81 and discharge the sheet S to the outside of the apparatus body 2. In this embodiment, the first discharge rollers 84 are a pair of rollers arranged in the vertical direction. The first discharge rollers 84 are rotatable around an axis parallel to the axial direction. The first discharge rollers 84 discharge the sheet S that has not been cut by the cutter unit 7 to the outside of the apparatus body 2. The first discharge rollers 84 are located closer to the fixing unit 6 than the second discharge rollers 85.

[0052] The second discharge rollers 85 are disposed on the second transport path 82 and are rollers that discharge the sheet S to the outside of the apparatus body 2. In this embodiment, the second discharge rollers 85 are a pair of rollers aligned in the vertical direction. The second discharge rollers 85 are rotatable in the axial direction. The second discharge rollers 85 mainly discharge the sheet S cut by the cutter unit 7 to the outside of the apparatus body 2. The second discharge rollers 85 are located above the first discharge rollers 84 and downstream in the discharge direction of the sheet S. The second discharge rollers 85 are rotatable by being driven by the transport motor M2 (see FIG. 7).

[0053] The transport rollers 86 are rollers that transport the sheet S passing through the cutting position. The transport rollers 86 are disposed on the second transport path 82. The transport rollers 86 are disposed downstream of the fixing unit 6 in the transport direction of the sheet S, and are positioned between the flapper 87 and the cutter 70. In this embodiment, the transport rollers 86 are a pair of rollers arranged vertically. The transport rollers 86 are rotatable by the drive of a transport motor M2 (see FIG. 7).

[0054] The flapper 87 is an example of a switching mechanism that switches the discharge path of the sheet S that has passed through the image forming unit between the first transport path 81 and the second transport path 82. The flapper 87 is located at a branch point of the first transport path 81 and the second transport path 82. The flapper 87 is provided rotatably about a rotation axis and is movable between a first position shown by a solid line in FIG. 1 and a second position shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1. For example, the flapper 87 is moved by an actuator such as a solenoid actuator (not shown). When the flapper 87 is located at the first position, the flapper 87 guides the sheet S that has passed through the fixing device 6 to the first transport path 81. When the flapper 87 is located at the second position, the flapper 87 guides the sheet S that has passed through the fixing device 6 to the second transport path 82.

[0055] 1, the operation panel PA is located on the outer surface of the apparatus body 2. The operation panel PA is an example of an input unit that allows a user to input commands such as commands for forming an image and commands for cutting the sheet S.

[0056] The first sheet sensor SE1, the second sheet sensor SE2, the third sheet sensor SE3, and the fourth sheet sensor SE4 are sensors that are arranged on the conveyance path of the sheet S and can detect the presence or absence of the sheet S.

[0057] The first sheet sensor SE1 is located between the separation roller 34 and the registration roller 35 in the sheet transport direction. The first sheet sensor SE1 is located immediately before the registration roller 35. The second sheet sensor SE2 is located between the registration roller 35 and the photoconductor drum 51 in the sheet transport direction. The third sheet sensor SE3 is located between the fixing unit 6 and the flapper 87 in the sheet transport direction.

[0058] The fourth sheet sensor SE4 is an example of a sensor that detects the sheet S. The fourth sheet sensor SE4 is located downstream in the conveying direction from the conveying roller 86. The fourth sheet sensor SE4 is located between the cutter 70 and the second discharge roller 85.

[0059] The control unit CU is equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random access Memory), ROM (Read only Memory) and input / output circuits, and controls the image forming apparatus 1 by performing various arithmetic processing based on programs and data stored in the ROM etc.

[0060] 6, the control unit CU is electrically connected to the operation panel PA, the position sensor 79, the encoder EN, the first tray sensor SS1, and the second tray sensor SS2, and is capable of receiving the respective detection signals, etc. The control unit CU controls the cutting motor M1, the conveying motor M2, and the flapper 87 based on the information received from the operation panel PA, the position sensor 79, the encoder EN, the first tray sensor SS1, and the second tray sensor SS2.

[0061] When the sheet S is not cut by the cutter 70, the control unit CU positions the flapper 87 at the first position. This causes the sheet S to be guided to the first transport path 81. The sheet S guided to the first transport path 81 is transported by the first discharge rollers 84 and discharged from the first discharge opening 23 to the discharge tray 22.

[0062] When cutting the sheet S with the cutter 70, the control unit CU positions the flapper 87 at the second position. This causes the sheet S to be guided to the second transport path 82. The sheet S guided to the second transport path 82 is transported to the transport rollers 86. That is, when cutting the sheet S, the control unit CU causes the transport rollers 86 to transport the sheet S. The control unit CU stops the transport rollers 86 when the sheet S is located at the cut position, and causes the cutter 70 to cut the sheet S when the transport rollers 86 are stopped. The cut sheet S is transported by the transport rollers 86 and the second discharge rollers 85, and is discharged from the second discharge port 24 to the discharge tray 22.

[0063] The control unit CU can determine whether the cutter unit 7 can cut the sheet S, that is, whether the cutter unit 7 is broken. Specifically, the control unit CU performs a test run of the cutter unit 7 at a predetermined timing, such as before receiving a print job. If the waveform received from the encoder EN during the test run of the cutter unit 7 is normal, the control unit CU determines that the cutter 70 can cut the sheet S, that is, the cutter 70 is not broken. If the waveform received from the encoder EN during the test run of the cutter unit 7 is not normal, the control unit CU determines that the cutter 70 cannot cut the sheet S, that is, the cutter 70 is broken. In the following description, the state in which the cutter 70 is broken is also referred to as "cutter broken".

[0064] When the control unit CU receives a print job from the operation panel PA or the like, it determines whether or not a command to cut the sheet S has been received and whether or not the cutter 70 is capable of cutting the sheet S.

[0065] When the control unit CU determines that a command to cut the sheet S has not been received after receiving a print job, the control unit CU positions the flapper 87 at the first position so that the sheet S passes through the first transport path 81. Thereafter, the control unit CU executes image formation. As a result, after the image is formed on the sheet S, the sheet S passes through the first transport path 81 and is discharged from the first discharge port 23.

[0066] Specifically, when the control unit CU determines that the cutter 70 is out of order after receiving a print job, it determines whether the first mode or the second mode has been set. If neither the first mode nor the second mode has been set, the control unit CU may allow the user to select either the first mode or the second mode when it determines that the cutter 70 is out of order.

[0067] The first and second modes are operation modes when the cutter 70 is out of order. The first mode is a mode in which, when the cutter 70 is out of order, image formation is performed and the sheet S is discharged without cutting. The second mode is a mode in which, when the cutter 70 is out of order, image formation is not performed.

[0068] When the control unit CU determines that the cutter 70 is out of order after receiving a print job and also determines that the first mode has been set, the control unit CU positions the flapper 87 at the first position so that the sheet S passes through the first transport path 81. That is, after forming an image on the sheet S, the control unit CU discharges the sheet S to the outside of the device body 2 without cutting the sheet S. In this way, in principle, when the control unit CU determines that the cutter 70 is out of order after receiving a print job, the control unit CU positions the flapper 87 at the first position so that the sheet S passes through the first transport path 81.

[0069] When the control unit CU determines that the cutter 70 is out of order after receiving a print job and determines that the second mode has been set, the control unit CU does not execute image formation until it determines that the cutter 70 is capable of cutting. When the control unit CU determines that the cutter 70 is out of order while the second mode has been set, the control unit CU displays a message on the operation panel PA indicating that the cutter 70 is out of order.

[0070] In addition, in this embodiment, when the control unit CU receives a command to form an image on and cut an A4 size sheet S1 while the cutter 70 is out of order, the control unit CU supplies an A5 size sheet from the second supply tray 31B.

[0071] In this embodiment, when forming an image on a sheet S whose dimension in the transport direction is smaller than a predetermined size, if the cutter 70 is located outside the passing range PR of the sheet S, the control unit CU controls the sheet S to pass through the second transport path 82. Note that, when the sheet S of the predetermined size is A4 size, sheets S smaller than A4 size include, for example, A5 size, A6 size, and postcard size.

[0072] Specifically, when forming an image on a sheet S having a size smaller than a predetermined size in the conveying direction, the control unit CU determines whether the cutter 70 is located outside the passing range PR of the sheet S based on the detection result of the position sensor 79. Then, when forming an image on a sheet S2 of A5 size, if the cutter 70 is located outside the passing range PR of the sheet S, the control unit CU positions the flapper 87 at the second position so that the sheet S2 of A5 size passes through the second conveying path 82. As a result, the sheet S2 of A5 size passes through the second conveying path 82 after an image is formed thereon, and is discharged from the second discharge opening 24. When forming an image on a sheet S2 of A5 size, if the cutter 70 is not located outside the passing range PR of the sheet S, the control unit CU positions the flapper 87 at the first position so that the sheet S2 of A5 size passes through the first conveying path 81. As a result, the sheet S2 of A5 size passes through the first conveying path 81 after an image is formed thereon, and is discharged from the first discharge opening 23.

[0073] When the control unit CU determines that a command to cut the sheet S has been received and that the cutter 70 is capable of cutting the sheet S, the control unit CU positions the flapper 87 at the second position so that the sheet S passes through the second transport path 82. Then, the control unit CU executes image formation and cuts the sheet S. As a result, after the image is formed on the A4 size sheet S1, it passes through the second transport path 82 and is cut at the cutting position, and the sheet S cut into two pieces is discharged from the first discharge opening 23.

[0074] Next, an example of the process executed by the control unit CU will be described with reference to the flowcharts of Fig. 7 to Fig. 9. In the following description, it is assumed that A4 size sheets S1 are placed on the first supply tray 31A. Also, it is assumed that the mode to be executed has been selected in advance.

[0075] The control unit CU determines whether there is a print job (S1), and if it determines that there is a print job (S1, Yes), determines whether the received print job includes a command to cut the sheet S (S2).

[0076] In step S2, when the control unit CU determines that the print job does not include a command to cut the sheet S (S2, No), the control unit CU determines whether the sheet S is smaller than A4 size (S21).

[0077] In step S21, when the control unit CU does not determine that the sheet S is smaller than A4 size (S21, No), it executes image formation (S25), and positions the flapper 87 at the first position to guide the sheet S to the first transport path 81 (S26). As a result, the sheet S is discharged from the first discharge port 23 to the discharge tray 22.

[0078] In step S21, when the control unit CU determines that the sheet S is smaller than the A4 size (S21, Yes), the control unit CU determines whether the cutter 70 is in the initial position (S22).

[0079] In step S22, when the control unit CU does not determine that the cutter 70 is in the initial position (S22, No), it executes image formation (S25), positions the flapper 87 at the first position, and guides the sheet S to the first transport path 81 (S26). As a result, the sheet S is discharged from the first discharge port 23 to the discharge tray 22.

[0080] In step S22, when the control unit CU determines that the cutter 70 is in the initial position (S22, Yes), it executes image formation (S23), and positions the flapper 87 at the second position to guide the sheet S to the second transport path 82 (S24). As a result, the sheet S is discharged from the second discharge port 24 to the discharge tray 22.

[0081] In step S2, when the control unit CU determines that the print job includes a command to cut the sheet S (S2, Yes), the control unit CU determines whether the cutter 70 is out of order (S3).

[0082] In step S3, when the control unit CU does not determine that the cutter 70 is out of order (S3, No), it forms an image of two A5-sized pages of data on an A4-sized sheet S1 (S8). Then, the control unit CU positions the flapper 87 at the second position to guide the image-formed sheet S to the second conveying path 82 (S9), and cuts the A4-sized sheet S1 into two pieces (S10). The cut sheets S are discharged from the second discharge port 24 to the discharge tray 22.

[0083] In step S3, when the control unit CU determines that the cutter 70 is out of order (S3, Yes), the control unit CU determines whether or not there is an A5 size sheet S2 in the second supply tray 31B (S4).

[0084] In step S4, when the control unit CU determines that the A5 size sheet S2 is present in the second supply tray 31B (S4, Yes), the control unit CU determines whether the cutter 70 is at the initial position (S31).

[0085] In step S31, when the control unit CU does not determine that the movable blade 75 is in the initial position (S31, No), it executes image formation on the A5 size sheet S2 (S34), and positions the flapper 87 at the first position to guide the A5 size sheet S2 to the first transport path 81 (S35). As a result, the A5 size sheet S2 is discharged from the first discharge port 23 to the discharge tray 22.

[0086] In step S31, when the control unit CU determines that the cutter 70 is in the initial position (S31, Yes), it executes image formation on the A5 size sheet S2 (S32), and positions the flapper 87 at the second position to guide the A5 size sheet S2 to the second transport path 82 (S33). As a result, the A5 size sheet S2 is discharged from the second discharge port 24 to the discharge tray 22.

[0087] In step S4, when the control unit CU does not determine that the A5 size sheet S2 is present in the second supply tray 31B (S4, No), the control unit CU determines whether the first mode is selected (S5).

[0088] In step S5, when the control unit CU does not determine that the first mode is selected (S5, No), the second mode is selected and the process ends without forming an image.

[0089] In step S5, when the control unit CU determines that the first mode is selected (S5, Yes), it forms an image of two A5-sized pages of data on an A4-sized sheet S1 (S6), and guides the image-formed sheet S to the first transport path 81 (S7). The image-formed sheet S is discharged from the first discharge port 23 to the discharge tray 22 without being cut.

[0090] As described above, the following effects can be obtained in this embodiment. In this embodiment, when the control unit CU receives a print job and receives a command to cut the sheet S, if it determines that the cutter 70 is out of order, it moves the flapper 87 to the first position so that the sheet S passes through the first transport path 81. Therefore, even if the cutter 70 is out of order, it is possible to perform image formation and discharge the sheet S.

[0091] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the cutter 70 is out of order, a first mode in which only image formation is performed without cutting, and a second mode in which image formation is not performed can be selected, providing the user with many options.

[0092] Furthermore, when forming an image on a sheet S whose dimension in the transport direction is smaller than a predetermined size, if the cutter 70 is located outside the passing range PR of the sheet S, the control unit CU controls the sheet S to pass through the second transport path 82. As a result, the sheet S is discharged from the second discharge port 24 located downstream in the transport direction, making it easy to take out.

[0093] Furthermore, when the control unit CU receives a command to form an image on and cut an A4 size sheet S1 while the cutter 70 is out of order, the control unit CU supplies an A5 size sheet from the second supply tray 31B. Therefore, even if it is determined that the cutter 70 cannot cut the sheet S, an image can be formed on the sheet S.

[0094] Although the embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment. The specific configuration can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0095] In the above embodiment, the operation panel PA is exemplified as the input unit, but the print command and the cut command may be input via a computer or a network. The control unit CU may also obtain a command to cut the sheet S from a received print job. In this case, the print job may include a command to form an image and a command to cut the sheet S.

[0096] In the above-described embodiment, the switching mechanism is exemplified by a flapper that swings between the first position and the second position, but is not limited thereto. For example, the switching mechanism may be a shutter or roller member that slides to branch the sheet S into the first transport path 81 and the second transport path 82. The switching mechanism may be moved by a member other than the solenoid actuator.

[0097] In the embodiment described above, the position sensor 79 is provided for detecting whether the moving blade 75 is located at the initial position, but a position sensor for detecting whether the moving blade 75 is located at the cutting completion position may be provided. The control unit CU may detect that the moving blade 75 is located outside the passing range PR of the sheet S from the sensor for detecting whether the moving blade 75 is located at the cutting completion position.

[0098] In the above-described embodiment, the cutter 70 has the fixed blade 73 in the shape of a flat plate extending in the axial direction and the movable blade 75 in the shape of a disc that slides, but it may have only the movable blade. Also, the movable blade is not limited to being disc-shaped, and may be in the shape of a knife, a flat plate extending in the axial direction, or the like.

[0099] In the above-described embodiment, A4 size sheets S1 are placed on the first supply tray 31A and A5 size sheets S2 are placed on the second supply tray 31B, but the size of the sheets placed on each supply tray can be changed as appropriate.

[0100] In the above-described embodiment, the image forming apparatus 1 cuts the letter-sized or A4-sized sheet S, but the present invention can be applied to cutting other sized sheets S. For example, the present invention may be applied to cutting a sheet S smaller than the letter-sized or A4-sized sheet S, such as a postcard-sized or A5-sized sheet S, or to cutting a sheet S of B4 or A3 size.

[0101] In the embodiment described above, the sheet S discharged from the first discharge outlet 23 and the sheet S discharged from the second discharge outlet 24 are both placed on one discharge tray 22, but they may be placed on separate trays.

[0102] In the above-described embodiment, both the sheet S discharged from the first discharge outlet 23 and the second discharge outlet 24 are placed on the discharge tray 22, but a configuration without a discharge tray is also possible. Although not shown in the drawings, for example, the sheet S discharged from the first discharge outlet 23 and the second discharge outlet 24 may be directly discharged onto a desk or a floor, and the sheet S may be placed on the desk or the floor.

[0103] In the above-described embodiment, the first discharge roller 84, the second discharge roller 85 and the conveying roller 86 were each a roller pair consisting of two rollers, but this is not limited to this and may be composed of one roller or three or more rollers.

[0104] In the above-described embodiment, the image forming unit is of a laser printer type, but the image forming unit may be of an electrophotographic type or an inkjet type.

[0105] In the above-described embodiment, the image forming apparatus is a laser printer that forms monochrome images, but is not limited to this. For example, the image forming apparatus may be a printer that forms color images. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus is not limited to a printer. For example, the image forming apparatus may be a copier, a multifunction machine, or the like.

[0106] The elements described in the above-mentioned embodiment and modified examples may be implemented in any combination. [Explanation of symbols]

[0107] 1. Image forming device 2. Device body 7 Cutter unit 23 1st outlet 24 2nd outlet 31A First Supply Tray 31B Second Supply Tray 70 Cutter 73 Fixed blade 75 Moving Blade 79 Position Sensors 81 First Transport Route 82 Second Transport Route 86 Transport roller 87 Flapper CU control unit EN Encoder PA operation panel

Claims

1. A device body, an image forming unit disposed within the main body of the apparatus and forming an image on a sheet; a cutter that is disposed downstream of the image forming unit in a sheet transport direction and is capable of cutting the sheet in a cross direction that crosses the sheet transport direction at a cutting position; a first discharge path for discharging the sheet that has passed through the image forming unit without passing through the cutting position to the outside of the apparatus body; a second discharge path for discharging the sheet that has passed through the cutting position and the image forming unit to the outside of the apparatus body; a switching mechanism that switches a discharge path of the sheet that has passed through the image forming unit between the first discharge path and the second discharge path; A control unit, The control unit is determining whether a command to cut the sheet has been received and whether the cutter is capable of cutting the sheet; when a command to cut the sheet has not been received or when it is determined that the cutter cannot cut the sheet, controlling the switching mechanism so that the sheet passes through the first discharge path; An image forming apparatus characterized in that, when it determines that a command to cut a sheet has been received and that the cutter is capable of cutting the sheet, it controls the switching mechanism so that the sheet passes through the second discharge path.

2. The control unit is determining whether a first mode or a second mode is set as an operation mode when the cutter cannot cut the sheet; When it is determined that the first mode is set and a command for image formation and sheet cutting is received, after an image is formed on the sheet, the sheet is discharged outside the device body without being cut; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the second mode is set and a command for image formation and sheet cutting is received, image formation is not performed until it is determined that the cutter is capable of cutting.

3. a first discharge port for discharging a sheet from the first discharge path; a second discharge opening for discharging the sheet from the second discharge path, the second discharge opening being located downstream of the first discharge opening in the conveying direction; A fixed blade extending in the intersecting direction is further provided, the cutter is movable in the intersecting direction and is capable of cutting the sheet by pinching the sheet together with the fixed blade, The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, when forming an image on a sheet whose dimension in the transport direction is smaller than a predetermined size, if the cutter is located outside the passing range of the sheet, the control unit controls the switching mechanism so that the sheet passes through the second discharge path.

4. a position sensor capable of detecting that the cutter is positioned outside a passing range of the sheet; 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit determines whether the cutter is positioned outside a passing range of the sheet based on a detection result of the position sensor.

5. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an input unit capable of inputting a command to cut the sheet to the control unit.

6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is capable of acquiring a command to cut the sheet from a received print job.

7. a first supply tray capable of receiving sheets of a first size; a second supply tray capable of receiving a sheet of a second size having an area half that of the first size; The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that when the control unit receives a command to form two pages of images on one sheet of the first size and to cut the sheet of the first size into a second size and determines that the cutter cannot cut the sheet, the control unit supplies a sheet of the second size from the second supply tray and forms one page of images on the single sheet.

8. The switching mechanism includes: a flapper movable between a first position for guiding the sheet that has passed through the image forming unit toward the first discharge path and a second position for guiding the sheet toward the second discharge path; The control unit is If a command to cut the sheet has not been received or if it is determined that the cutter cannot cut the sheet, the flapper is controlled to be located at a first position; 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that a command to cut the sheet has been received and that the cutter is capable of cutting the sheet, the flapper is controlled to be positioned at the second position.

9. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming unit includes a photosensitive drum, a transfer unit that transfers a toner image formed on the photosensitive drum to a sheet, and a fixing unit that fixes the toner image transferred to the sheet to the sheet.

Images