Image formation device and image processing device

Abstract

To inhibit occurrence of failure in transport.SOLUTION: An image formation device 100 includes: an operation unit 110 configured to allow selection between a first mode for forming an image on a first recording material which is leather and a second mode for forming an image on a second recording material which is paper; a tray 17 for placing the recording material; a cassette 10 for placing the recording material; a printer unit 120 configured to form an image on the recording material; and a display 110a. A curvature of a transport path from the tray 17 to the printer unit 120 is smaller than a curvature of a transport path from the cassette 10 to the printer unit 120. When the first mode is selected by the operation unit 110, the display 110a displays a setting screen for allowing a user to set the tray 17 as a paper feeding destination of the first recording material.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a recording material by an electrophotographic method or an electrostatic recording method. [Background technology]

[0002] Image forming devices generally print images using recording materials such as paper as defined by the Japanese Industrial Standards. Image forming devices can use a variety of different sizes and types of paper as recording materials. Electrophotographic image forming devices, taking advantage of their ability to handle short lots and variable data printing, are entering the production market, which was previously dominated by offset printing machines. In the production market, the final form of the output ranges from simple printed text to forms, booklets, direct mail, folding cartons, labels, stickers, synthetic paper, and other recording materials. Offset printing machines can also print on recording materials other than paper.

[0003] In recent years, demand for leather, artificial / synthetic leather with designs on the surface has increased, leading to the development of colored leather products printed using ultraviolet-curing inkjet printers. Patent Document 1 discloses a printed leather product that has little flexibility, good resistance to bending and crumpling, and improved abrasion resistance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-185055 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When printing is performed on leather as a recording material in an image forming apparatus, there is a risk of conveyance failure occurring depending on the type of leather.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problems, a main object of the present invention is to suppress the occurrence of transport failures. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The image forming apparatus of the present invention comprises a selection means for selecting between a first mode for forming an image on a first recording material which is leather and a second mode for forming an image on a second recording material which is paper, a first stacking means for loading the recording material, a second stacking means for loading the recording material, an image forming means for forming an image on the recording material, and a display means, wherein a first curvature of a first transport path from the first stacking means to the image forming means is smaller than a second curvature of a second transport path from the second stacking means to the image forming means, and when the first mode is selected by the selection means, the display means displays a setting screen which allows the first stacking means to be set as the paper feed destination for the first recording material, and when the second mode is selected by the selection means, the display means displays a setting screen which allows the first stacking means or the second stacking means to be set as the paper feed destination for the second recording material. The information processing device of the present invention is an information processing device that is communicatively connected to an image forming device that has a first stacking means for loading recording material, a second stacking means for loading recording material, and an image forming means for forming an image on the recording material, and that is configured so that a first curvature of a first transport path from the first stacking means to the image forming means is smaller than a second curvature of a second transport path from the second stacking means to the image forming means, and that has a selection means that can select between a first mode for forming an image on a first recording material that is leather and a second mode for forming an image on a second recording material that is paper, and a display means, and when the first mode is selected by the selection means, the display means displays a setting screen that can set the first stacking means as the paper feed destination for the first recording material, and when the second mode is selected by the selection means, the display means displays a setting screen that can set the first stacking means or the second stacking means as the paper feed destination for the second recording material. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of transport defects. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of an image forming system. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a view showing an example of a paper type selection screen. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing processing up to the start of image formation. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a paper feed location setting screen. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a cooling mechanism 247. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing a cooling process. [Figure 12] Table showing the verification results of cooling effect. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing a cooling process. [Figure 14] Table showing the verification results of cooling effect. [Figure 15] FIG. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart showing a loading location setting process. [Figure 17] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] 1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming system including an image forming apparatus according to this embodiment. The image forming system 1X includes an image forming apparatus 100 that forms a toner image on a recording material S, a post-processing apparatus 200, and an operation unit 110 that has a display 110a. Note that the image forming system 1X may also include other post-processing units such as a relay device or a finisher device.

[0012] The relay device is disposed between the image forming apparatus 100 and various front and rear processing units. The relay device reverses the recording material S conveyed from the image forming apparatus 100 and conveys it to the front and rear processing units, or temporarily stacks it before conveying it to the front and rear processing units. The finisher device performs post-processing such as punching to make holes in the recording material S and stapling to bundle and staple multiple sheets of recording material S, and discharges the bundle of recording materials S after post-processing to a discharge tray. In addition to these post-processing units, the image forming system 1X may also be provided with a recording material supplying device that stores a large amount of recording material S inside and feeds the stored recording materials S to the image forming apparatus 100.

[0013] (Image forming device) The image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment is a tandem-type full-color printer using an electrophotographic method. Note that the image forming apparatus 100 may also be configured to form images using an electrostatic recording method. The image forming apparatus 100 includes an image forming unit Pa that forms a yellow image, an image forming unit Pb that forms a magenta image, an image forming unit Pc that forms a cyan image, and an image forming unit Pd that forms a black image.

[0014] The image forming apparatus 100 forms a toner image on a recording material S based on data relating to the toner image included in image data acquired from an external device 1000, such as a document reading device (not shown) or a personal computer communicatively connected to the image forming apparatus 100. The recording material S may be a sheet material made of paper such as ordinary plain paper, cardboard, rough paper, textured paper, or coated paper, or in this embodiment, a sheet material made of leather, artificial leather, or synthetic leather ("leather, artificial / synthetic leather").

[0015] The following defines "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" in this specification. In the Household Goods Quality Labeling Chart, "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" is distinguished as follows: Leather (natural leather): Fabric made from the collagen layer and grain layer of living organisms such as cowhide. Artificial leather: A special nonwoven fabric is used as the base material, and the surface is coated with polyurethane resin, which is processed to recreate the appearance of leather. Synthetic leather: A material other than special nonwoven fabric is used as the base material. The base fabric is knitted or woven, and the surface is coated with polyurethane resin to recreate the appearance of leather.

[0016] The conveyance process of the recording material S will be described. The recording material S is stored and stacked in a cassette 10 or stacked on a tray 17. The recording material S is fed from the cassette 10 or the tray 17 by a supply roller 13 in accordance with the image formation timing. The tray 17 is provided so that it can be opened and closed by the user, for example. The recording material S fed by the supply roller 13 is conveyed to a registration roller 12 arranged midway along a conveyance path 20. The registration roller 12 performs skew correction and timing correction on the recording material S before conveying it to a secondary transfer portion T2. ​​The secondary transfer portion T2 is a transfer nip formed by an inner secondary transfer roller 14 and an outer secondary transfer roller 11. The secondary transfer portion T2 transfers a toner image onto the recording material S by applying a secondary transfer voltage to the outer secondary transfer roller 11.

[0017] The image forming process in which a toner image is transported to the secondary transfer unit T2 at the same time as the process in which the recording material S is transported to the secondary transfer unit T2 will be described. The configuration of the image forming units Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd will be described. The image forming units Pa, Pb, Pc, and Pd are configured in almost the same way except that the colors of the images (toner images) they form are different: yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. Here, the black image forming unit Pd will be described, and descriptions of the other image forming units Pa, Pb, and Pc will be omitted.

[0018] The image forming unit Pd mainly includes a developing unit 1d, a charging unit 2d, a photosensitive drum 3d, a photosensitive drum cleaner 4d, an exposure unit 5d, and a primary transfer roller 6d. The photosensitive drum 3d is a photosensitive member having a photosensitive layer on its surface and rotates around the drum axis. The charging unit 2d uniformly charges the surface of the rotating photosensitive drum 3d. The exposure unit 5d forms an electrostatic latent image on the charged surface of the photosensitive drum 3d by irradiating it with a laser beam driven based on an image signal. The developing unit 1d develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 3d using a developer to form a black toner image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 3d.

[0019] The primary transfer roller 6d is disposed in a position facing the photosensitive drum 3d across the intermediate transfer belt 80. When a primary transfer voltage is applied, the primary transfer roller 6d transfers the toner image formed on the photosensitive drum 3d onto the intermediate transfer belt 80. Residual toner remaining on the photosensitive drum 3d after transfer is collected by the photosensitive drum cleaner 4d.

[0020] Similarly, a yellow toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 3a of the image forming station Pa, and the toner image is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 80 by the primary transfer roller 6a. A magenta toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 3b of the image forming station Pb, and the toner image is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 80 by the primary transfer roller 6b. A cyan toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 3c of the image forming station Pc, and the toner image is transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 80 by the primary transfer roller 6c.

[0021] The intermediate transfer belt 80 is an endless belt that is stretched around the inner secondary transfer roller 14 and tension rollers 15 and 16, and is driven in the direction of arrow R2. In this embodiment, the tension roller 16 also serves as a drive roller that drives the intermediate transfer belt 80. The image formation processes of the image forming units Pa to Pd are performed at such a timing that the transferred toner images of each color are sequentially superimposed on the intermediate transfer belt 80. As a result, a full-color toner image is finally formed on the intermediate transfer belt 80.

[0022] The intermediate transfer belt 80 rotates to transport the toner image to the secondary transfer portion T2. ​​The transport of the toner image to the secondary transfer portion T2 is synchronized with the timing at which the recording material S is transported to the secondary transfer portion T2. ​​This allows the toner image to be transferred to a predetermined position on the recording material S. Any residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer belt 80 after transfer by the secondary transfer portion T2 is removed by a transfer cleaner 22.

[0023] Through the above-described conveying process and image forming process, a toner image is carried on the recording material S. The recording material S is conveyed from the secondary transfer unit T2 to the fixing unit 50. The fixing unit 50 applies heat and pressure to the recording material S bearing the toner image, thereby fixing the toner image to the recording material S. To this end, the fixing unit 50 has a first roller containing a heat source and a second roller biased toward the first roller, and the recording material S is nipped and conveyed between the first roller and the second roller. During this process, the recording material S is heated by the heat source and pressurized by the second roller. As a result, the toner image carried by the recording material S is melted and mixed, and fixed to the recording material S as a full-color image. This completes the series of image forming processes.

[0024] In the case of double-sided printing, the recording material S, one side of which has an image printed, is transported from the fixing device 50 to the double-sided transport path 30, where the printed side is inverted and transported to the transport path 20. Thereafter, the recording material S is subjected to skew correction by the registration roller 12, and is transported to the secondary transfer unit T2 in accordance with the timing at which the toner image carried by the intermediate transfer belt 80 is transported to the secondary transfer unit T2, where the toner image is transferred to the inverted printed side.

[0025] The developer used in this embodiment is a two-component developer containing toner and a carrier. The toner contains a binder resin, a colorant, and a release agent (wax). Known binder resins can be used. Examples of binder resins that can be used include vinyl copolymers such as styrene-(meth)acrylic copolymers, polyester resins, hybrid resins in which vinyl copolymer units and polyester units are chemically bonded, epoxy resins, and styrene-butadiene copolymers. Known colorants can be used for each of the colors yellow, magenta, cyan, and black.

[0026] Examples of the release agent that can be used include aliphatic hydrocarbon waxes, oxides of aliphatic hydrocarbon waxes, and block copolymers thereof. Examples of aliphatic hydrocarbon waxes include low-molecular-weight polyethylene, low-molecular-weight olefin copolymer waxes, microcrystalline waxes, Fischer-Tropsch waxes, and paraffin waxes. Examples of oxides of aliphatic hydrocarbon waxes include oxidized polyethylene waxes. Block copolymers include waxes whose main component is fatty acid ester, ester waxes, and partially or completely deoxidized fatty acid esters such as deoxidized carnauba wax. Examples of waxes whose main component is fatty acid ester include carnauba wax and Montan acid ester wax. Ester waxes are synthetic reaction products of higher fatty acids, such as behenyl behenate and behenyl stearate, with higher alcohols.

[0027] The operation of such an image forming apparatus 100 is controlled by a main control unit 101. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the main control unit 101. The main control unit 101 can communicate with a printer unit 120 and an operation unit 110. The printer unit 120 includes each unit used in the image forming process described above.

[0028] The main control unit 101 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 111, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 112, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 113, and an image processing unit 114. The CPU 111 controls the operation of the entire image forming system 1X by executing computer programs stored in the ROM 112. The RAM 113 provides a work area for the CPU 111 when executing processing. The image processing unit 114 performs predetermined image processing on image data obtained from the external device 1000, such as converting the image data into a format processable by the exposure units 5a to 5d of the image forming units Pa to Pd, to generate image signals, which are then transmitted to the image forming units Pa to Pd.

[0029] The printer unit 120 includes a stacking unit 124, a conveying unit 123, a fixing unit 122, and an image forming unit P. The image forming unit P represents the image forming units Pa to Pd described above. The stacking unit 124 is a cassette 10 and a tray 17, and stores or stacks the recording material S. The conveying unit 123 feeds the recording material S from the stacking unit 124, conveys it to the secondary transfer unit T2 and the fixing unit 50, and discharges it outside the image forming system 1X. The conveying unit 123 includes a supply roller 13 and a registration roller 12. The fixing unit 122 is the fixing unit 50 described above, and fixes the toner image on the recording material S. The image forming unit P forms toner images of each color as described above. The image forming unit P controls the driving of the laser light output from the exposure units 5a to 5d based on an image signal acquired from the image processing unit 114.

[0030] In order to perform optimal print settings, the image forming apparatus 100 of this embodiment requires that the paper type be set according to instructions from the user using the operation unit 110. The operation unit 110 is a user interface having a display 110a which is an input interface and an output interface. The operation unit 110 is used, for example, to obtain the paper type setting for the recording material S used in image formation. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the operation unit 110.

[0031] The operation unit 110 of this embodiment has, as an input interface, a setting key 1002, a power saving key 1003, a group of hard keys 1104, a reset key 1105, a stop key 1106, and a start key 1107. The operation unit 110 may also have, as an input interface, a touch panel provided on the display 110a. The contents input via the input interface (for example, information necessary for creating job information such as the type of recording material S, the number of copies to be printed, and output attribute information) are transmitted to the CPU 111. Using the input interface, the user can input information.

[0032] The setting key 1002 is pressed to perform various settings such as paper type settings. The power-saving key 1003 is pressed to transition the image forming apparatus 100 to or from sleep mode. When the power-saving key 1003 is pressed in normal mode, the image forming apparatus 100 transitions to sleep mode, and when the power-saving key 1003 is pressed in sleep mode, the image forming apparatus 100 transitions to normal mode. The hard key group 1104 includes a numeric keypad, a clear key, and an authentication key. The reset key 1105 is pressed to reset various settings. The stop key 1106 is pressed to stop an ongoing operation. The start key 1107 is pressed to start a printing operation or to instruct the start of other functions. The start key 1107 is equipped with a two-color LED (light emitting diode) of green and red (not shown). The start key 1107 indicates that operation can be started when lit green, and indicates that operation cannot be started when lit red.

[0033] Although the various keys described above are hardware keys, they may also be implemented as software keys displayed on the display 110a. Also, the various keys may be implemented as a combination of hardware keys and software keys.

[0034] The configuration of the post-process apparatus 200 in FIG. 1 will be described. The post-process apparatus 200 obtains the recording material S, on which an image has been printed, from the image forming apparatus 100 and cools the recording material S that has been heated by the fixing device 50. The post-process apparatus 200 includes a cooling mechanism 247 for cooling the recording material S, a conveying mechanism 241 for conveying the recording material S, and a control unit 330 for controlling the operation of the post-process apparatus 200. The post-process apparatus 200 cools the recording material S with the cooling mechanism 247 while conveying the recording material S with the conveying mechanism 241. The cooling mechanism 247 cools the recording material S, for example, by blowing air onto the recording material S. The cooled recording material S is discharged from the post-process apparatus 200. The control unit 330 controls the operation of the post-process apparatus 200 in accordance with instructions from the main control unit 101.

[0035] Example 1 When printing an image using "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" as the recording material S, the following problems may occur due to the characteristics of "leather, artificial / synthetic leather." Flexibility: It is less stiff than paper and has less resistance to bending, making it difficult to transport. Smoothness: The frictional force of the surface is higher than that of paper, causing jamming and stacking problems when the paper is fed through. Heat storage: Because the heat capacity is higher than that of paper, there is a possibility of image defects occurring due to toner peeling immediately after printing.

[0036] Thus, compared to paper, the recording material S made of "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" may have poorer transportability due to its flexibility and unevenness, and may have poorer image quality due to its heat accumulation. Furthermore, the surface properties, type, thickness, etc., of the "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" may affect whether or not poor transportability or poor image quality occurs. In other words, depending on the conditions, it is possible to print normally even on "leather, artificial / synthetic leather." However, it is difficult for the average user to find such conditions.

[0037] In this embodiment, by selecting the paper type from the paper type selection screen, printing is possible even on "leather, artificial / synthetic leather." Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the paper type selection screen. Selection screen 1201 is displayed on display 110a.

[0038] When the user selects and presses "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" from the pull-down menu on the selection screen 1201, the background of the selected portion is displayed in inverse video. After that, when the user presses the confirm button 1203, the selection of "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" as the paper type is input to the main control unit 101. The CPU 111 then sets the type of recording material S to "leather, artificial / synthetic leather." Note that if the cancel button 1202 is pressed, the paper type setting is canceled.

[0039] ROM 112 stores setting information (image forming conditions) for image formation to suppress deterioration in conveyance and image quality corresponding to "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" in advance. CPU 111 acquires the setting information for "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" from ROM 112 and uses it for control of image formation by printer unit 120. This suppresses deterioration in conveyance and image quality when printing on "leather, artificial / synthetic leather."

[0040] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the process up to the start of image formation when "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" is set as the paper type.

[0041] When the user selects "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" from the paper type selection screen 1201 using the operation unit 110 and presses the confirm button 1203, the main control unit 101 sets the paper type to "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" (S101). The selection screen 1201 is displayed on the display 110a by the main control unit 101 when the user presses a button to start paper type selection or when recording material S is placed on the stacker 124. The setting of "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" is called the first mode, and the setting of a recording material of a paper material other than "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" is called the second mode.

[0042] The main control unit 101 sets a paper feed location, which is the paper feed destination corresponding to the set paper type (S102). The paper feed location is set using a paper feed location setting screen displayed on the display 110a. FIG. 6 is an example of the paper feed location setting screen. When the recording material S is paper, one of multiple paper feed locations can be set using the operation unit 110. In this embodiment, since "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" is set as the type of recording material S, only specific paper feed locations are selectable, and other paper feed locations are not selectable (selection screen 1302). In FIG. 6, paper feed locations that are not selectable are displayed grayed out and are not enabled even if pressed. When the confirm button 1303 is pressed after selecting a paper feed location, the main control unit 101 sets the selected paper feed location.

[0043] For recording materials S that are highly flexible and less stiff than paper, such as "leather, artificial / synthetic leather," deterioration in conveyance can be suppressed by feeding them from a paper feed location with as few curves as possible. The conveyance path for conveying the recording material S from cassette 10 extends vertically immediately after feeding and then extends horizontally. Therefore, there is a bent portion along the way to change the conveyance direction from vertical to horizontal. The conveyance path for conveying the recording material S from tray 17 extends horizontally and does not have a bent portion along the way. Therefore, the curvature of the conveyance path from tray 17 is smaller than the curvature of the conveyance path from cassette 10. For this reason, in this embodiment, only paper feed location No. 1, which represents tray 17, can be selected as a specific paper feed location. In other words, tray 17 can feed recording materials S of "leather, artificial / synthetic leather," while cassette 10 cannot feed recording materials S of "leather, artificial / synthetic leather."

[0044] The main control unit 101 displays a guide screen shown in FIG. 7 on the display 110a as precautions to be taken when printing on the recording material S (S103). A guide 1401 indicates precautions to be taken when placing the recording material S on the tray 17. In this embodiment, since the recording material S is "leather, artificial / synthetic leather," the frictional force on the surface of the recording material S is high, making it more likely that multiple sheets of recording material S will be transported overlapping each other, resulting in double feeding. The guide 1401 is expected to have the effect of preventing such double feeding. When the user presses the enter button 1402, the display on the display 110a returns to the setting screen of FIG. 6.

[0045] The main control unit 101 sets the paper type and paper feed location through the settings in S101 and S102. The main control unit 101 determines whether other settings required for the printing operation have been made through the operation unit 110 (S104). For example, when the setting key 1301 on the setting screen in Figure 6 is pressed, the main control unit 101 determines that other settings have been made.

[0046] When other settings are made (S104: Setting), the main control unit 101 displays a special setting screen depending on "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" on the display 110a (S105). Here, the setting of single-sided / double-sided printing will be explained. In this embodiment, since "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" is set as the paper type, the setting screen shown as an example in FIG. 8 is displayed on the display 110a. On this setting screen, double-sided printing setting 1501 cannot be selected. On the setting screen in FIG. 8, image density can be set as another setting. By pressing the "Close" button 1502, the image density is set.

[0047] The setting of the double-sided printing setting 1501 depends on the paper type. General "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" is made up of different material layers on the front and back, and the characteristic surface of leather is mainly present on only one side. Therefore, to prevent double-sided printing from being set by mistake, the double-sided printing setting 1501 prevents printing errors by making double-sided printing unselectable. This makes it possible to prevent conveyance problems caused by the recording material S being mistakenly conveyed to the double-sided conveyance path 30 for double-sided printing.

[0048] If no other settings are made (S104: Not Set), or after other settings are completed, the main control unit 101 starts the job by pressing the start key 1107 (S106). After starting the job, the main control unit 101 controls the printer unit 120 to print on the recording material S.

[0049] In the present embodiment, an example has been described in which various settings related to printing are made by the user operating the operation unit 110. However, similar processing is also possible when the user operates the external device 1000. The external device 1000 is an information processing device equipped with an input device and a display. The external device 1000 has the functions of the main control unit 101, and, for example, a printer driver for using the image forming system 1X is installed in the external device 1000. On the display of the external device 1000, the printer driver displays screens for setting the items set in the screens of FIGS. 4, 6, and 7 as the processing progresses. FIG. 9 is an example diagram of a setting screen displayed on the display of the external device 1000. This setting screen is a screen displayed during other settings (during processing of S105). Even when settings are made through the external device 1000, printing on "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" is possible.

[0050] Example 2 "Leather, artificial / synthetic leather" used as recording material S has a high heat storage capacity compared to paper, and therefore has low cooling efficiency. When "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" recording material S is in a hot state, toner peeling may occur immediately after printing, and image quality may deteriorate if it is not cooled sufficiently.

[0051] For this reason, when the "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" recording material S is cooled in the post-processing device 200 after being heated by the fixing device 50, it needs to be cooled by a cooling mechanism 247 with improved cooling efficiency compared to the case of paper recording material S. The cooling efficiency can be improved, for example, by strengthening the cooling capacity of the cooling mechanism 247 or by slowing down the conveying speed of the recording material S by the conveying mechanism 241. Here, a case will be described in which the cooling efficiency is improved by slowing down the conveying speed of the recording material S by the conveying mechanism 241.

[0052] 10 is a schematic diagram of the cooling mechanism 247 of the post-processing apparatus 200. The cooling mechanism 247 has a fan 248, which blows cooling air onto the recording material S. The operation of the fan 248 is controlled by the control unit 330. The conveying mechanism 241 conveys the recording material S under the control of the control unit 330. The control unit 330 adjusts the conveying speed of the recording material S by the conveying mechanism 241 in accordance with the type of recording material S, in response to instructions from the main control unit 101. When the recording material S is "leather, artificial / synthetic leather," the conveying speed of the recording material S by the conveying mechanism 241 is adjusted to be slower than when the recording material S is paper. As a result, the amount of air blown per unit time by the fan 248 on the recording material S is adjusted.

[0053] 11 is a flowchart showing the cooling process performed by the post-processing apparatus 200. This process adjusts the cooling efficiency of the post-processing apparatus 200 by adjusting the conveying speed of the recording material S by the post-processing apparatus 200 in accordance with the type of recording material S set by the operation unit 110.

[0054] 4 on the operation unit 110 and presses the confirm button 1203, the main control unit 101 sets the paper type (S201). The selection screen 1201 is displayed on the display 110a by the main control unit 101 when the user presses a button to start selecting the paper type or when the recording material S is placed on the stacking unit 124. In addition to "leather, artificial / synthetic leather," the paper type can also be set to plain paper, cardboard, coated paper, etc.

[0055] The main control unit 101 determines whether the set paper type is "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" (S202). If the paper type is other than "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" (S202: Y), the main control unit 101 sets other image formation conditions except for the conveying conditions for the recording material S, and sets the conveying conditions to the conveying conditions (conveying speed) for normal paper (S203). If the paper type is "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" (S202: N), the main control unit 101 sets other image formation conditions except for the conveying conditions for the recording material S, and forcibly sets the conveying conditions to the conveying conditions (conveying speed) corresponding to "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" (S204). The main control unit 101 causes the printer unit 120 to form an image under the conditions set in the process of S203 or S204.

[0056] The main control unit 101 cools the recording material S by driving the fan 248 while causing the control unit 330 to transport the recording material S under the transport conditions (transport speed) set in the process of S203 or the process of S204 (S205). The cooled recording material S is discharged from the post-processing apparatus 200.

[0057] The inventors of the present application have verified the cooling effect of changing the conveying speed. Here, in an environment with an ambient temperature of 23°C and humidity of 50%, synthetic leather fabric (surface: 100% polyurethane, back: 100% polyester) is used as the recording material S. A black solid image with an image ratio of 100% is fixed on the front side of the recording material S. The recording material S is cooled under different cooling conditions (conveying speed of the recording material S), and a toner peeling test is conducted after cooling to verify the cooling effect.

[0058] To quantify the state of toner peeling, five sheets of Silbon paper were stacked on the surface of the image fixed on the recording material S, and the paper was moved back and forth five times at a constant load of 200 g, and the amount of toner adhered to the Silbon paper was measured. The transport conditions for the recording material S were changed to 30%, 50%, 100%, 150%, and 200% of the transport speed for plain paper, which is set to 100%. Changing the transport speed changes the amount of air contacting the recording material S, and therefore the cooling effect.

[0059] Figure 12 is a table showing the results of this cooling effect verification. For comparison, a similar experiment was conducted using paper of the same basis weight as the synthetic leather fabric. As is clear from Figure 12, by slowing the conveying speed below the normal speed (30%, 50%), the amount of air contacting the recording material S per unit time increases, improving the cooling effect on the recording material S and suppressing toner peeling.

[0060] A comparison with paper of the same basis weight shows that synthetic leather is more susceptible to toner peeling than paper, even when the basis weight is the same. This is because the heat storage effect differs depending on the material. For this reason, when synthetic leather is used as recording material S, the cooling effect must be improved more than when paper is used as recording material S. In other words, these results show that the transport conditions need to be set depending on the paper type.

[0061] Example 3 As described in the second embodiment, the cooling efficiency can be improved by, for example, strengthening the cooling capacity of the cooling mechanism 247 or slowing the conveying speed of the recording material S by the conveying mechanism 241. Here, a case will be described in which the cooling efficiency is improved by strengthening the cooling capacity of the cooling mechanism 247. To achieve this, the cooling conditions of the cooling mechanism 247 are changed to change the amount of air contacting the recording material S. In the third embodiment, productivity is maintained because a process that slows the conveying speed of the recording material S is not performed as in the second embodiment.

[0062] 13 is a flowchart showing the cooling process performed by the post-processing apparatus 200. This process is for adjusting the cooling efficiency of the post-processing apparatus 200 by adjusting the amount of air blown onto the recording material S by the post-processing apparatus 200 in accordance with the type of recording material S set by the operation unit 110.

[0063] As in the process of S201 in FIG. 11, the main control unit 101 sets the paper type (S301). The main control unit 101 determines whether the set paper type is "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" (S302). If the paper type is other than "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" (S302: Y), the main control unit 101 sets other image formation conditions except for the cooling conditions for the recording material S, and sets the cooling conditions to the cooling conditions for normal paper (S303). If the paper type is "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" (S302: N), the main control unit 101 sets other image formation conditions except for the cooling conditions for the recording material S, and forcibly sets the cooling conditions to the conditions corresponding to "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" (S304). The main control unit 101 causes the printer unit 120 to form an image under the conditions set in the process of S303 or S304.

[0064] The main control unit 101 controls the control unit 330 to cool the recording material S by driving the fan 248 under the cooling conditions (air volume) set in the process of S203 or the process of S204 while conveying the recording material S (S305). The cooled recording material S is discharged from the post-processing apparatus 200.

[0065] The inventors of the present application have verified the cooling effect of changing the air volume. Here, in an environment with an ambient temperature of 23°C and humidity of 50%, synthetic leather fabric (surface: 100% polyurethane, back: 100% polyester) is used as recording material S. A black solid image with an image ratio of 100% is fixed on the front surface of the recording material S. The recording material S is cooled under different cooling conditions (air volume in contact with the recording material S), and a toner peeling test is conducted after cooling to verify the cooling effect.

[0066] To quantify the state of toner peeling, five sheets of Silbon paper are stacked on the surface of the image fixed on the recording material S, and the paper is moved back and forth five times under a constant load of 200 g to measure the amount of toner adhering to the Silbon paper. The cooling conditions (air volume) are changed by changing the duty ratio of the drive signal that drives the fan 248. The duty ratio is changed to 10%, 30%, 50%, and 100%. Changing the duty ratio changes the amount of air contacting the recording material S, and therefore the cooling effect.

[0067] Figure 14 is a table showing the results of this cooling effect verification. For comparison, a similar experiment was conducted using paper of the same basis weight as the synthetic leather fabric. As is clear from Figure 14, by increasing the duty ratio beyond the normal duty ratio (50%), the amount of air contacting the recording material S per unit time increases, improving the cooling effect and suppressing toner peeling.

[0068] A comparison with paper of the same basis weight shows that synthetic leather is more susceptible to toner peeling than paper, even when the basis weight is the same. This is because the heat storage effect differs depending on the material. For this reason, when synthetic leather is used as recording material S, the cooling effect must be improved more than when paper is used as recording material S. In other words, these results show that the air volume (duty ratio) needs to be set depending on the type of paper.

[0069] In this embodiment, an air-cooled type is used as the cooling mechanism 247, but the cooling mechanism 247 is not limited to this, and may be one that uses a predetermined refrigerant.

[0070] Example 4 A stacking device for stacking cooled recording paper S can be provided downstream of the post-processing device 200. Fig. 15 is a configuration diagram of such a stacking device. The stacking device 400 has multiple paper discharge trays 401, 402, and 403. Sensors 404, 405, and 406 for detecting recording paper S are provided above each of the paper discharge trays 401, 402, and 403. The recording paper S is discharged to and stacked on one of the multiple paper discharge trays 401, 402, and 403.

[0071] 16 is a flowchart showing the process of setting the loading location of the recording material S. Here, the description will be given taking as an example a loading device 400 having a plurality of loading locations (paper output trays 401, 402, 403), but the same process is possible even for a loading device having only a single loading location.

[0072] 11, the main control unit 101 sets the paper type (S401). The main control unit 101 determines whether the set paper type is "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" (S402). If the paper type is not "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" (S402: N), the main control unit 101 sets image formation conditions according to the paper type of the recording material S, causes the printer unit 120 to perform normal image formation, and discharges the recording material S to a preset loading location (S404).

[0073] If the paper type is "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" (S402: Y), the main control unit 101 checks the stacking status of recording paper S on each of the discharge trays 401, 402, and 403 based on the detection results of the sensors 404, 405, and 406 (S403). The main control unit 101 checks the discharge tray in which recording paper S remains based on the stacking status (S405).

[0074] If there is no discharge tray with recording paper S remaining (S405: Y), none of the discharge trays 401, 402, and 403 has recording paper S loaded on it. In this case, the main control unit 101 causes the printer unit 120 to perform image formation under image formation conditions corresponding to "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" and discharges the recording material S to a predetermined loading location (S406). For example, since the recording paper S is "leather, artificial / synthetic leather," it is discharged to discharge tray 402, which has the least bends in the delivery path when discharged.

[0075] If recording paper S remains in any of the discharge trays (S405: N), the main control unit 101 determines (S407) whether recording paper S remains in all of the discharge trays 401, 402, and 403. If there is a discharge tray in which recording paper S does not remain (S407: N), the main control unit 101 causes the printer unit 120 to form an image under the image forming conditions corresponding to "leather, artificial / synthetic leather," and discharges the recording material S to the discharge tray in which no recording paper S remains (S406).

[0076] If recording sheets S remain in all of the discharge trays 401, 402, and 403 (S407: Y), the main control unit 101 displays a guidance screen on the display 110a to prompt the user to remove the recording sheets S (S408). Fig. 17 is a diagram showing an example of the guidance screen. The user removes the recording sheets S from the discharge trays 401, 402, and 403 in accordance with the guidance screen.

[0077] Based on the detection results of sensors 404, 405, and 406, main control unit 101 determines whether all recording sheets S have been removed from each of discharge trays 401, 402, and 403 (S409). A guide screen is displayed until all sheets have been removed (S409: N). When all sheets have been removed (S409: Y), main control unit 101 returns to the process of S405.

[0078] When recording material S is already loaded on the discharge tray, "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" may come into contact with the recording material S and bend. This results in creases in the discharged recording material S. By removing the recording material S from the discharge tray using the above process and then discharging "leather, artificial / synthetic leather," it is possible to prevent such bending of the recording material S.

[0079] The above has described the process of printing an image on recording material S. In this embodiment, an example has been described in which "leather, artificial / synthetic leather" is used as the recording material S to be printed on. Note that the process of this embodiment as described above is effective for recording material S made of special materials other than paper that have surface properties, types, and thicknesses such as "leather, artificial / synthetic leather."

Claims

1. a selection means for selecting between a first mode for forming an image on a first recording material which is leather and a second mode for forming an image on a second recording material which is paper; a first stacking means for stacking recording materials; a second stacking means for stacking recording materials; an image forming means for forming an image on a recording material; a display means; a first curvature of a first transport path from the first stacking means to the image forming means is smaller than a second curvature of a second transport path from the second stacking means to the image forming means; When the first mode is selected by the selection means, the display means displays a setting screen on which the first stacking means can be set as a sheet feeding destination of the first recording material, When the second mode is selected by the selection means, the display means displays a setting screen that allows the user to set the first stacking means or the second stacking means as the paper feed destination of the second recording material. Image forming device.

2. a conveying path for conveying the recording material from the first stacking means to the image forming means is not curved, 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

3. further comprising a storage means for storing image forming conditions for the first recording material; When the first mode is selected by the selection means, the image forming means forms an image based on the image forming conditions stored in the storage means.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

4. When the first mode is selected by the selection means, the display means displays a guide screen showing precautions to be taken when loading the first recording material onto the first stacking means.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

5. When the first mode is selected by the selection means, the display means displays a setting screen in which double-sided printing cannot be set.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

6. The image forming apparatus further includes a cooling unit for cooling the recording material on which the image is formed by the image forming unit, The cooling unit is characterized in that, when cooling the first recording material, the cooling efficiency is improved compared to when cooling the second recording material.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

7. the cooling unit improves the cooling efficiency by adjusting a conveying speed at which the first recording material is conveyed, 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6.

8. The cooling unit cools the recording material by blowing air onto the recording material, and the cooling efficiency is improved by adjusting the air volume.

7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6.

9. It has multiple output trays, The first recording material on which an image has been formed is discharged to a paper discharge tray to which no recording material has been discharged.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

10. When recording materials have been discharged to all of the discharge trays, the display means displays a screen instructing the user to remove the discharged recording materials from the discharge trays.

10. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9.

11. The first recording material is made of leather, artificial leather, or synthetic leather.

2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.

12. An information processing device communicably connected to an image forming device comprising a first stacking means for stacking recording materials, a second stacking means for stacking recording materials, and an image forming means for forming an image on the recording materials, wherein a first curvature of a first transport path from the first stacking means to the image forming means is smaller than a second curvature of a second transport path from the second stacking means to the image forming means, a selection means for selecting between a first mode for forming an image on a first recording material which is leather and a second mode for forming an image on a second recording material which is paper; a display means; When the first mode is selected by the selection means, the display means displays a setting screen on which the first stacking means can be set as a sheet feeding destination of the first recording material, When the second mode is selected by the selection means, the display means displays a setting screen on which the first stacking means or the second stacking means can be set as the paper feed destination of the second recording material. Information processing device.

Images