Image forming system

Abstract

To provide an image forming system capable of suppressing the delay of printing and the increase of a work load caused by the cutting error of roll paper.SOLUTION: In the image forming system, the cutting machine 2 cuts roll paper with a cutting blade to obtain a print sheet, and the image forming apparatus 1 performs printing on the print sheet. An image forming apparatus 1 (a) executes calibration of a cutting machine 2 when a size error of a print sheet conveyed from the cutting machine 2 is detected a predetermined number of times, and (b) issues a warning for proposing maintenance of the cutting machine 2 when the size error of the print sheet is detected again the predetermined number of times after the calibration.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image forming system. [Background technology]

[0002] One image forming device cuts roll paper, prints on the resulting cut sheets, and detects abnormalities during cutting based on a signal indicating the elapsed time of the blade movement load during cutting.If an abnormality is detected, the device retries cutting (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-90382 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the image forming device, if a cutting error occurs and the size of the sheet obtained by cutting differs from the size specified in the job request, a physical size mismatch error is detected, and the operator must stop printing, discard the cut sheet, and have the image forming device cut and print again. Therefore, if cutting errors occur frequently, sheets are wasted and the operator's workload increases.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide an image forming system that suppresses printing delays and increases in workload caused by incorrect cutting of roll paper. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The image forming system according to the present invention includes a cutter that cuts roll paper with a cutting blade to obtain a print sheet, and an image forming device that prints on the print sheet. The image forming device (a) calibrates the cutter when a size error in the print sheet is detected a predetermined number of times, and (b) issues a warning suggesting maintenance of the cutter when a size error in the print sheet is detected again the predetermined number of times after the calibration. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, an image forming system can be obtained that suppresses printing delays and increases in workload caused by incorrect cutting of roll paper.

[0008] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the mechanical configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 appearing in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the management of the cutting machine 2 based on the job cutting error counter. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the calibration. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the management of the cutting machine 2 based on the system cutting error counter. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image forming system shown in Fig. 1 includes an image forming apparatus 1, such as a printer or multifunction peripheral, and a cutter 2. The cutter 2 cuts roll paper 101R with a cutting blade to obtain a print sheet. The image forming apparatus 1 then prints on the print sheet.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the mechanical configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 in FIG. 1. The image forming apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 2 includes a print engine 11a and a sheet conveying unit 11b. The print engine 11a physically prints the image to be printed on a print sheet using an electrophotographic method, an inkjet method, or the like. A color material cartridge (ink cartridge or toner cartridge) is detachably attached to the print engine 11a, and the print engine 11a performs printing using the color material supplied from the color material cartridge. The sheet conveying unit 11b conveys the print sheet to the print engine 11a.

[0013] In addition, in this embodiment, the sheet conveying section 11b includes a circular conveying belt 12 that is arranged opposite the print engine 11a and conveys the print sheet, a drive roller 13 and a driven roller 14 that suspend the conveying belt 12, an adsorption roller 15 that nips the print sheet together with the conveying belt 12, and a pair of discharge rollers 16, 16a, and 16b.

[0014] A drive roller 13 and a driven roller 14 rotate the conveyor belt 12. Then, an attraction roller 15 nips a print sheet conveyed from paper feed cassettes 20-1 and 20-2 (described later), and the nipped print sheet is conveyed to the print engine 11a, where an image is printed. After printing is completed, the print sheet is discharged to a discharge tray 11c1 or 11c2 by a pair of discharge rollers 16, 16a, and 16b.

[0015] The sheet transport section 11b is equipped with paper feed cassettes 20-1 and 20-2, and transports print sheets supplied from the paper feed cassettes 20-1 and 20-2 as well as print sheets supplied from the cutter 2 to the print engine 11a.

[0016] The transport roller 21 is a transport roller that transports the print sheet transported from the cutter 2 or the paper feed cassettes 20-1 and 20-2 along the transport path.

[0017] The resist rollers 22 temporarily stop the conveyed print sheet and convey it to the print engine 11a at the secondary paper feed timing, which is specified by the controller 45 so that an image is formed at a specified position on the print sheet.

[0018] Furthermore, the conveying path is provided with a sheet sensor 31 for detecting the conveyed print sheet. The sheet sensor 31 is an optical sensor.

[0019] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the image forming apparatus 1 in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the image forming apparatus 1 includes a printing device 41 having the mechanical configuration shown in Fig. 2, as well as an operation panel 42, a storage device 43, a communication device 44, and a controller 45.

[0020] The operation panel 42 is arranged on the surface of the housing of the image forming device 1 and is equipped with a display device 42a such as an LCD display and an input device 42b such as hard keys or a touch panel, and displays various messages to the user on the display device 42a and accepts user operations on the input device 42b.

[0021] The storage device 43 is a non-volatile storage device (such as a flash memory or a hard disk drive) that stores setting data, programs, and the like required for controlling the image forming apparatus 1.

[0022] The communication device 44 is a device capable of data communication with an external device such as the cutting machine 2.

[0023] The controller 45 includes a computer that operates according to a program, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) that executes predetermined operations, and the like, and executes various processes. The computer includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like, and executes various processes (together with the ASIC, if necessary) by loading programs stored in the ROM, storage device 73, etc. into the RAM and executing them on the CPU.

[0024] The controller 45 receives a job request and executes a print job to print an image specified by the job request. Specifically, the controller 45 performs predetermined image processing such as RIP (Raster Image Processing), color conversion, and halftoning on the image, and then controls the printing device 41 (print engine 11a, sheet conveying unit 11b, etc.) to print the image.

[0025] Furthermore, the controller 45 (a) calibrates the cutter 2 if a size error in the print sheet transported from the cutter 2 is detected a predetermined number of times, and (b) after the calibration, if a size error in the print sheet is again detected a predetermined number of times as described above, issues a warning suggesting maintenance of the cutter 2.

[0026] Here, the calibration includes at least one of (a) adjusting the pressure of the cutting blade of the cutter 2 against the roll paper 101R, and (b) sharpening the cutting blade of the cutter 2.

[0027] This size error is a physical size mismatch error in which the sheet size specified in the job request differs from the size of the print sheet actually being conveyed. The size of the print sheet actually being conveyed is derived, for example, from the time it takes for the print sheet to pass the position of the sheet sensor 31 (the time from when the leading edge of the print sheet is detected to when the trailing edge is detected) and the conveyance speed of the print sheet.

[0028] In addition, in this embodiment, the controller 45 (a) issues a primary warning to prompt a change in the settings of the cutter 2 (here, the pressure setting of the cutting blade) and performs calibration of the cutter 2 when a size error in the print sheet conveyed from the cutter 2 is detected a predetermined number of times in one print job, and (b) after calibration, issues a secondary warning to suggest maintenance of the cutter 2 (here, replacement of the cutting blade) when a size error in the print sheet conveyed from the cutter 2 is again detected a predetermined number of times.

[0029] In this embodiment, the controller 45 also includes a counter for the number of size errors detected in each print job (job cutting error counter) and a counter for the number of size errors detected for the cutting blade (system cutting error counter). The cutting blade of the cutting machine 2 is replaceable, and the system cutting error counter indicates the number of size errors detected since the initial state or the last time the cutting blade was replaced. The controller 45 then (a) calibrates the cutting machine 2 when the number of size errors detected in one print job (i.e., the count value of the job cutting error counter) reaches a first threshold, and (b) calibrates the cutting machine 2 when the number of size errors detected for the current cutting blade (i.e., the count value of the system cutting error counter) reaches a second threshold. Here, the second threshold is greater than the first threshold.

[0030] Correspondingly, after calibration when the number of detections for one print job reaches the first threshold, the controller 45 resets the number of detections for one print job, and if the size error for that print job reaches the first threshold again, a warning is issued suggesting maintenance of the cutting machine 2. Furthermore, after calibration when the number of detections for a cutting blade reaches the second threshold, the controller 45 resets the number of detections for that cutting blade, and if the size error for that cutting blade reaches the second threshold again, a warning is issued suggesting maintenance of the cutting machine 2.

[0031] In addition, in this embodiment, the controller 45 (a) discharges the print sheet to the discharge tray 11c1 when printing is performed without detecting a size error in the print sheet, and (b) discharges the print sheet to the discharge tray 11c2, which is different from the discharge tray 11c1, when a size error in the print sheet is detected.

[0032] Next, the operation of the image forming apparatus 1 will be described.

[0033] Here, the controller 45 manages the cutting machine 2 using a job cutting error counter and a system cutting error counter, and performs calibration and warnings for the cutting machine 2 based on the job cutting error counter and the system cutting error counter.

[0034] (a) Management of cutter 2 based on job cutting error counter

[0035] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the management of the cutting machine 2 based on the job cutting error counter.

[0036] When a job request specifying roll paper is received, the controller 45 communicates with the cutter 2 via the communication device 44 to determine whether the cutter 2 is connected to the image forming device 1 and whether the roll paper 101R is loaded in the cutter 2, and if it determines that the cutter 2 is connected to the image forming device 1 and that the roll paper 101R is loaded in the cutter 2, it executes the print job specified in the job request, and if not, it terminates with an error.

[0037] When a print job is started, the controller 45 first resets the job cutting error counter to zero (step S1).

[0038] Next, the controller 45 controls the cutter 2 to cut the roll paper and feed the print sheet, and also generates image data of the page image based on the job request and supplies it to the printing device 41, causing the printing device 41 to print the page image on the print sheet (step S2).

[0039] The controller 45 determines whether or not a physical size mismatch error has been detected for this print sheet (step S3).

[0040] If no physical size mismatch error is detected for this print sheet, the controller 45 determines whether the job has ended (step S4), and if the job has not ended, returns to step S2 and processes the next page in the same manner.

[0041] On the other hand, if a physical size mismatch error is detected for this print sheet, the controller 45 increments the count value of the job cutting error counter by 1 (step S5), discharges the print sheet to the discharge tray 11c2 (step S6), and determines whether the count value of the job cutting error counter has reached the upper limit value (first threshold value) (step S7). If it determines that the count value of the job cutting error counter has not reached the upper limit value (first threshold value), the controller 45 returns to step S2, reprints the page image when the physical size mismatch error was detected, and continues the print job.

[0042] On the other hand, if it is determined that the count value of the job cutting error counter has reached the upper limit (first threshold), the controller 45 issues a first warning (step S8). Here, in the first warning, the controller 45 displays a message on the display device 42a urging the user to check the job settings (such as checking whether the paper quality of the roll paper 101R matches the paper quality specified in the job request).

[0043] In addition, the controller 45 issues a primary warning and determines whether the above-mentioned calibration has been performed for this print job (step S9). If the above-mentioned calibration has not been performed for this print job, the controller 45 performs the above-mentioned calibration (step S10), returns to step S2, and resumes the print job from the page image when the physical size mismatch error was detected.

[0044] On the other hand, if the above-mentioned calibration has already been performed for this print job, the controller 45 issues a second warning (step S11). Here, in the second warning, the controller 45 displays a message on the display device 42a urging the user to replace the cutting blade of the cutting machine 2.

[0045] In this way, if a physical size mismatch error due to cutting errors is detected a predetermined number of times in each print job, calibration or a warning is performed.

[0046] Here, the calibration (step S10) will be described in detail. Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the calibration.

[0047] In the calibration, if the cutting machine 2 is equipped with a cutting blade pressure adjustment mechanism (step S21), the controller 45 determines whether the cutting blade pressure is set to the maximum value (step S22).

[0048] If the cutting blade pressure is not set to the maximum value, the controller 45 determines whether or not the cutting machine 2 is equipped with a blade sharpening mechanism (step S23), and if the cutting machine 2 is equipped with a blade sharpening mechanism, the controller 45 causes the cutting machine 2 to sharpen the blade and increase the blade pressure (step S24).If the cutting machine 2 is not equipped with a blade sharpening mechanism, the controller 45 causes the cutting machine 2 to increase the blade pressure (step S25).

[0049] On the other hand, if the cutting machine 2 is not equipped with a cutting blade pressure adjustment mechanism, or if the cutting machine 2 is equipped with a cutting blade pressure adjustment mechanism but the blade pressure is set to the maximum value, the controller 45 determines whether the cutting machine 2 is equipped with a blade sharpening mechanism (step S26), and if the cutting machine 2 is equipped with a blade sharpening mechanism, causes the cutting machine 2 to sharpen the blade (step S27).

[0050] (b) Management of cutter 2 based on the system cut error counter

[0051] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating the management of the cutting machine 2 based on the system cutting error counter.

[0052] As described above, the controller 45 determines whether a physical size mismatch error is detected for this print sheet (step S42) each time the roll paper is cut and a print sheet is fed (step S41), and if a physical size mismatch error is not detected for this print sheet, the controller 45 does not increment the system cutting error counter.

[0053] On the other hand, if a physical size mismatch error is detected for this print sheet, the controller 45 increments the count value of the system cutting error counter by 1 (step S43), discharges the print sheet to the discharge tray 11c2 as described above (step S44), and determines whether the count value of the system cutting error counter has reached the upper limit value (second threshold value) (step S45). Note that the system cutting error counter is reset to zero in the initial state and when the blade is replaced.

[0054] If it is determined that the count value of the system cutting error counter has not reached the upper limit value (second threshold value), the controller 45 returns to step S41 and reprints the page image when the physical size mismatch error was detected.

[0055] On the other hand, if it is determined that the count value of the system cutting error counter has reached the upper limit value (second threshold value), the controller 45 determines whether calibration has been performed for the current cutting blade (step S46), and if calibration has not been performed for this cutting blade, it performs calibration (FIG. 5) (step S47), resets the system cutting error counter (step S48), and then returns to step S41 to reprint the page image when the physical size mismatch error was detected.

[0056] On the other hand, if calibration has already been performed for the current cutting blade, the controller 45 issues a warning (the above-mentioned secondary warning) (step S49).

[0057] In this way, when a physical size mismatch error due to cutting errors is detected a predetermined number of times for each cutting blade, calibration or a warning is performed.

[0058] As described above, according to the above embodiment, the cutter 2 cuts the roll paper with a cutting blade to obtain a print sheet, and the image forming apparatus 1 prints on the print sheet. The image forming apparatus 1 (a) calibrates the cutter 2 when a size error in the print sheet conveyed from the cutter 2 is detected a predetermined number of times, and (b) issues a warning suggesting maintenance of the cutter 2 when a size error in the print sheet is again detected a predetermined number of times after the calibration.

[0059] This allows calibration to be performed automatically and a warning to be issued at the appropriate time, thereby preventing delays in printing and increased workload caused by incorrect cutting of the roll paper 101R.

[0060] It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the above-described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter and without diminishing its intended advantages. In other words, it is intended that such changes and modifications be included within the scope of the claims.

[0061] For example, in the above embodiment, the cutter 2 and the roll paper 101R may be built into the image forming apparatus 1. [Industrial Applicability]

[0062] The present invention is applicable to, for example, an image forming system that uses roll paper. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1. Image forming device 2 cutting machine 11c1 Discharge tray (an example of a first discharge tray) 11c2 Output tray (an example of a second output tray) 45 Controller

Claims

1. a cutter that cuts the roll paper with a cutting blade to obtain a print sheet; an image forming apparatus for printing on the print sheet, the image forming device (a) calibrates the cutter when a size error of the print sheet is detected a predetermined number of times, and (b) issues a warning suggesting maintenance of the cutter when a size error of the print sheet is detected again the predetermined number of times after the calibration; An image forming system comprising:

2. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein the image forming device (a) issues a primary warning to prompt a change in the settings of the cutter and performs calibration of the cutter when a size error in the print sheet is detected the predetermined number of times in one print job, and (b) issues a secondary warning to suggest maintenance of the cutter when a size error in the print sheet is again detected the predetermined number of times after the calibration.

3. The image forming system of claim 1, wherein the image forming device (a) calibrates the cutter when the number of size errors detected in one print job reaches a first threshold, (b) calibrates the cutter when the number of size errors detected for the cutting blade reaches a second threshold, (c) after the calibration when the number of detections for the one print job reaches the first threshold, resets the number of detections for the one print job, and if the size error reaches the first threshold again, issues a warning suggesting maintenance of the cutter, and (d) after the calibration when the number of detections for the cutting blade reaches the second threshold, resets the number of detections for the cutting blade, and if the size error reaches the second threshold again, issues a warning suggesting maintenance of the cutter.

4. 2. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the calibration includes at least one of (a) adjusting the pressure of the cutting blade against the roll paper, and (b) sharpening the cutting blade.

5. The image forming system according to claim 1, characterized in that the image forming device (a) discharges the print sheet to a first discharge tray when the printing is performed without detecting a size error in the print sheet, and (b) discharges the print sheet to a second discharge tray different from the first discharge tray when a size error in the print sheet is detected.

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