Printing position

Abstract

This provides a printing position that allows for cut printing to be performed when the sheet placed in the manual feed tray is of a predetermined size, and not when the sheet is outside of that predetermined size. [Solution] When the CPU 101 processes a print job instructed to be cut on a sheet Sa placed on the manual feed tray 30, it is possible to perform cutting if the time elapsed from a predetermined timing when the manual feed sensor SE5 detects the sheet Sa placed on the manual feed tray 30 until the sheet Sa is transported and the manual feed sensor SE5 stops detecting the sheet Sa corresponds to the sheet Sa being of the first size, and not perform cutting if the time elapsed corresponds to the sheet Sa being smaller or larger than the first size.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to a printing apparatus capable of performing processing for cutting a printed sheet into a predetermined size.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a conveyed sheet and cuts the sheet in half to obtain a printed matter of half the size of the conveyed sheet.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Naturally, the length of a sheet that can be cut in half is limited, but it is also possible to place a sheet of a size so long that it cannot be cut in half on the manual feed tray. However, since Patent Document 1 does not mention conveying and cutting sheets of such a size, if a sheet of such a size is conveyed and cut using the image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 1, problems such as difficulty in discharging the cut sheet are expected to occur.

[0005] The present application aims to provide a printing apparatus that can perform cut printing when a sheet placed on a manual feed tray is of a predetermined size, and can refrain from performing cut printing when the sheet is outside the predetermined size range.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the printing position described in the embodiment comprises a printing engine capable of printing on a sheet, a processing unit located downstream of the printing engine in the sheet transport path, a manual feed tray for placing manually fed sheets, a sheet sensor for detecting sheets placed on the manual feed tray, and a controller, and is a printing apparatus capable of performing cut printing, in which a first-size sheet printed by the printing engine is cut to a second size which is half the size of the first size using the processing unit and discharged, and non-cut printing, in which a first-size sheet printed by the printing engine is discharged without cutting, and is performing cut printing In the case of non-cut printing, the second-size sheet is discharged from the same outlet from which the first-size sheet is discharged. The controller, when processing a print job instructed to cut a sheet placed in the manual feed tray, can perform cutting if the time elapsed from the moment the sheet sensor detects the sheet placed in the manual feed tray until the sheet is transported and the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet corresponds to the sheet being the first size, and refrain from cutting if the time elapsed corresponds to the sheet being smaller or larger than the first size.

[0007] Furthermore, the printing position described in the embodiment comprises a printing engine capable of printing on a sheet, a processing unit located downstream of the printing engine in the sheet transport path, a manual feed tray for placing manually fed sheets, a sheet sensor for detecting sheets placed on the manual feed tray, and a controller. The printing apparatus is capable of performing cut printing, in which a first-size sheet printed by the printing engine is cut to a second size (half the size of the first size) using the processing unit and then discharged, and also performing non-cut printing, in which a first-size sheet printed by the printing engine is discharged without cutting. The second-size sheet in the case of cut printing is discharged from the same outlet from which the first-size sheet in the case of non-cut printing is discharged, and when the controller processes a print job instructed to cut on a sheet placed on the manual feed tray, the manual feed tray... The system is characterized in that, from a predetermined timing when the sheet sensor detects the placed sheet, the sheet is transported, and based on the time elapsed until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet, it is possible to switch between performing cut printing and not performing cut printing. The printing device can perform double-sided printing on the sheet by transporting the sheet along a transport path for double-sided printing. When the controller is performing single-sided printing on a print job for which cutting is instructed, it does not print on the sheet until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet. In response to the sheet sensor no longer detecting the sheet, it transports the sheet towards the printing position via the transport path for double-sided printing, prints on the sheet transported to the printing position using the printing engine, and then switches between cutting the printed sheet using the processing unit based on the time elapsed until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the printing position described in the embodiment, it is possible to perform cut printing when the sheet placed in the manual feed tray is of a predetermined size, and not perform cut printing when it is outside the predetermined size. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view of a multifunction printer according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the general configuration of the cutter. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the multifunction printer. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing the steps for processing a print job. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart showing the procedure for the first cut, single-sided printing process. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart showing the procedure for measuring sheet length. [Figure 7] This flowchart shows the procedure for reversing a sheet. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart showing the steps involved in image formation processing. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart showing the procedure for sheet cutting. [Figure 10] This flowchart shows the sheet ejection process after cutting and the steps involved in each sheet ejection process. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart showing the procedure for the first cut double-sided printing process. [Figure 12] This is a flowchart showing the procedure for printing the second cut on one side. [Figure 13] This flowchart shows the procedure for the second cut double-sided printing process. [Figure 14] This is a flowchart showing the procedure for single-sided printing. [Figure 15] This is a flowchart showing the procedure for double-sided printing. [Figure 16] This figure shows an example of the sheet transport state during the first cut single-sided printing process. [Figure 17] This figure shows an example of the sheet transport state following the sheet transport state shown in Figure 16. [Figure 18] This is a diagram illustrating one example of a method for measuring sheet length. [Figure 19] This is a flowchart showing the procedure of a modified example of the first-cut single-sided printing process. [Figure 20] This is a diagram showing an example of the sheet conveyance state in the modified example of the first-cut single-sided printing process. [Mode for Carrying Out the Invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application will be described in detail based on the drawings.

[0011] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a multifunction peripheral 1 according to one embodiment. The multifunction peripheral 1 is an example of a printing apparatus, and has a print function, a copy function, a scan function, and the like. Note that the multifunction peripheral 1 may further have a facsimile function in addition to these functions. Also, the multifunction peripheral 1 may not have the copy function and the scan function. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, as indicated by the arrows in Figure 1, the vertical direction and the front-rear direction of the multifunction peripheral 1 are defined. Further, the left-right direction is defined as the direction where the left hand side of a user facing the multifunction peripheral 1 from the front of the multifunction peripheral 1 is set as the left, and the right hand side is set as the right.

[0012] The multifunction peripheral 1 includes a housing 20, a conveyance unit 3, a process unit 4, a fixing device 6, a scanner unit 9, and a cutter unit 10. The housing 20 is the exterior of the multifunction peripheral 1. The process unit 4 and the fixing device 6 are an example of a print engine. The scanner unit 9 is a configuration used for reading a document in the copy function and the scanner function. The cutter unit 10 is an example of a processing unit. The housing 20 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The multifunction peripheral 1 can form a monochrome image on a sheet S by an electrophotographic method using the print engine. The multifunction peripheral 1 may be capable of forming a full-color image on the sheet S by the print engine.

[0013] Furthermore, the multifunction printer 1 includes a front cover 21, a rear cover 23, a supply tray 31, an output tray 22, a transport path 201, a re-transport path 202, and a merging transport path 203. The front cover 21 is attached to the front of the housing 20 in a manner that allows it to be opened and closed. The front cover 21 is provided with, for example, a pull-out opening (not shown) for pulling out the manual feed tray 30 that is folded inside the housing 20, and is configured so that the pull-out opening can be opened and the manual feed tray 30 can be pulled out toward the front of the multifunction printer 1. In the example in Figure 1, the manual feed tray 30 has been pulled out from the multifunction printer 1 and a sheet Sa has been placed on the manual feed tray 30. The rear cover 23 consists of a first rear cover 23A and a second rear cover 23B and is attached to the rear of the housing 20 in a manner that allows it to be opened and closed. The supply tray 31 is attached to the bottom of the housing 20 in a manner that allows it to be attached and detached. A sheet S is placed on the supply tray 31. Sheet S is a standard-sized sheet, such as A4 size. Sheets Sa and S are, for example, paper media such as plain paper or cardboard, but are not limited to these and may also be OHP film. The output tray 22 is provided on the top of the housing 20, and the sheet S on which the image is formed is placed on the output tray 22.

[0014] The transport path 201 is a path for transporting the sheet S placed on the supply tray 31 in the transport direction toward the discharge tray 22 via the process section 4.

[0015] The re-transport path 202 is a path for transporting the sheet S, on which an image has been formed on one side, in the opposite direction to the transport direction, and then transporting it again towards the process section 4. The re-transport path 202 starts at the switchback position D1 on the transport path 201 and ends at the merging position J1 on the transport path 201.

[0016] The merging transport path 203 is a transport path connecting the rear end of the manual feed tray 30 to the merging position J2 in the transport path 201. Sheets Sa placed on the manual feed tray 30 are transported to the merging position J2 via the merging transport path 203 and merge with the transport path 201. Sheets Sa that have merged with the transport path 201 are then transported in the same direction as sheets S placed on the supply tray 31, via the process section 4 towards the discharge tray 22. Sheet Sa refers to a sheet placed on the manual feed tray 30, and sheet S refers to a sheet placed on the supply tray 31. However, when sheet Sa is in the transport path 201 or the re-transport path 202, it is not always necessary to strictly distinguish between sheet Sa and sheet S.

[0017] The transport unit 3 includes a pickup roller 33, a separation roller 34, a registration roller 35, a transport roller 36, a cut upstream roller 85, a cut downstream roller 86, re-transport rollers 38 and 39, a manual feed sheet transport roller 37, a main motor 108 (see Figure 3), and a discharge motor 109 (see Figure 3).

[0018] The pickup roller 33 picks up the sheets S in the supply tray 31 that have been pushed upward by the sheet pressing plate 32 and transports them toward the transport path 201. The separation roller 34 separates the sheets S picked up by the pickup roller 33 one by one.

[0019] The registration roller 35 is located upstream of the process section 4 in the transport path 201. The registration roller 35 aligns the direction of the front end of the sheet S in the transport direction, and then transports the sheet S toward the process section 4. Hereinafter, the front end of the sheet S in the transport direction will be abbreviated as the front end of the sheet S, and the rear end of the sheet S in the transport direction will be abbreviated as the rear end of the sheet S. The same applies to sheet Sa. The transport roller 36 transports the sheet S after it has passed through the fuser 6 toward the cut upstream roller 85.

[0020] The upstream cut roller 85 is positioned upstream of the cutter position SP where the cutter unit 10 is located in the transport path 201, and the downstream cut roller 86 is positioned downstream of the cutter position SP in the transport path 201.

[0021] The upstream cut roller 85 rotates due to the driving force from the discharge motor 109 (see Figure 3). The first driven roller 85' is positioned opposite the upstream cut roller 85 across the conveying path 201. The first driven roller 85' rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the upstream cut roller 85. The downstream cut roller 86 also rotates due to the driving force from the discharge motor 109. The second driven roller 86' is positioned opposite the downstream cut roller 86 across the conveying path 201. The second driven roller 86' rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the downstream cut roller 86.

[0022] The upstream cutting roller 85 and the downstream cutting roller 86 rotate in a way that transports the sheet S in the transport direction, thereby discharging the sheet S to the discharge tray 22. The rotation that transports the sheet S in the transport direction corresponds to counterclockwise rotation around the left-right axis of the housing 20.

[0023] Retransport rollers 38 and 39 are arranged in the retransport path 202. The retransport rollers 38 and 39 transport the sheet S that has been transported in the retransport path 202 toward the process section 4. By retransporting the sheet S, on which an image has been formed on one side, toward the process section 4 via the retransport path 202 using the retransport rollers 38 and 39, it is possible to form an image on both sides of the sheet S.

[0024] A manual feed sheet conveying roller 37 is positioned near the manual feed tray 30 on the merging conveying path 203. A third driven roller 37' is positioned opposite the manual feed sheet conveying roller 37 across the merging conveying path 203. The third driven roller 37' rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the manual feed sheet conveying roller 37. The manual feed sheet conveying roller 37 rotates due to the driving force from the main motor 108 (see Figure 3). The driving force from the main motor 108 to the manual feed sheet conveying roller 37 is configured to be switched on / off by a predetermined mechanism, such as an electromagnetic clutch (not shown).

[0025] The process unit 4 forms an image on the sheet S and is housed within the housing 20. The process unit 4 includes a drum cartridge 5 and a laser unit 7. The drum cartridge 5 includes a photoreceptor drum 51, a toner storage unit 57, a supply roller 56, a developer roller 55, a charger 52, a transfer roller 53, and a pinch roller 54. The drum cartridge 5 can be removed from the housing 20 by opening the front cover 21. The pinch roller 54 of the drum cartridge 5 faces the registration roller 35. The pinch roller 54 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the registration roller 35 and transports the sheet S together with the registration roller 35.

[0026] The photoreceptor drum 51 is driven by the main motor 108 (see Figure 3) to rotate in a way that transports the sheet S in the transport direction, thereby transporting the sheet S. The rotation of the photoreceptor drum 51 that transports the sheet S in the transport direction is clockwise around the left-right axis of the housing 20. The toner storage section 57 contains toner. The supply roller 56 supplies the toner from the toner storage section 57 to the developing roller 55. The charger 52 is a Scorotron-type charger that uniformly charges the surface of the photoreceptor drum 51. The charger 52 may also be a charging roller.

[0027] A transfer roller 53 is positioned opposite the photoreceptor drum 51. The transfer roller 53 forms a transfer nip TN between itself and the photoreceptor drum 51 in the transport path 201. A transfer belt may be used instead of the transfer roller 53.

[0028] The housing 20 has a laser unit 7 at its upper interior. The laser unit 7 includes a polygon mirror (not shown), a laser light emitter, a polygon motor, a lens, and a reflector. The laser unit 7 exposes the surface of the photoreceptor drum 51 by rapidly scanning the surface of the photoreceptor drum 51 with laser light (see dashed line in Figure 1) based on image data emitted from the laser light emitter.

[0029] The surface of the photoreceptor drum 51 is exposed by the laser unit 7, forming an electrostatic latent image based on the image data. The developing roller 55 supplies toner to the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 51, thereby forming a toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 51.

[0030] A transfer voltage is applied to the transfer roller 53 by a high-voltage power supply board (not shown). The transfer roller 53 transports the sheet S between itself and the photoreceptor drum 51, thereby transferring the toner image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor drum 51 to the sheet S as it passes through the transfer nip TN. In this way, an image is formed on the sheet S.

[0031] A fuser 6 is located downstream of the process unit 4 in the transport path 201. The fuser 6 has a heating roller 61, a pressure roller 62, and a heater 63. The heating roller 61 heats the sheet S. The pressure roller 62 forms a nip N with the heating roller 61 and pressurizes the sheet S. The pressure roller 62 rotates to transport the sheet S in the transport direction, driven by the main motor 108. The rotation of the pressure roller 62 to transport the sheet S in the transport direction is counterclockwise around the left-right axis of the housing 20. The heater 63 is, for example, a halogen heater and heats the heating roller 61.

[0032] The fuser unit 6 heats the sheet S with the heating roller 61 and rotates the pressure roller 62, thereby pressing and transporting the sheet S with the heating roller 61 and pressure roller 62, and fixing the image formed on the sheet S by the process unit 4 to the sheet S.

[0033] The fuser 6 is configured to include a heating roller 61, a pressure roller 62, and a heater 63, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, the fuser 6 may have a heater, a nip plate that receives radiant heat from the heater, a heating belt that rotates around the nip plate, and a pressure roller.

[0034] Furthermore, the fuser 6 may have a substrate on which a heating pattern is formed, a belt that rotates around the substrate, and a pressure roller, with the substrate and belt in contact with the pressure roller. Alternatively, the fuser 6 may have a heating roller, a heater, and a pressure belt.

[0035] In the transport path 201, a cutter unit 10 is positioned between the upstream cut roller 85 and the downstream cut roller 86. The cutter unit 10 is positioned downstream of the fuser 6 in the transport direction of the sheet S. When the cutting position on the sheet S reaches the cutter position SP, the composite machine 1 stops the rotation of the upstream cut roller 85 and the downstream cut roller 86. With the rotation of the upstream cut roller 85 and the downstream cut roller 86 stopped, the composite machine 1 cuts the sheet S using the cutter unit 10.

[0036] Figure 2 shows a schematic configuration of the cutter unit 10. As shown in Figure 2, the cutter unit 10 includes a cutter frame 11, a slide rail 12, a fixed blade 13, a sheet passage section 14, a movable blade 15, a carriage 16, and a cutter motor 106. The cutter frame 11 extends in the axial direction (left-right direction). The slide rail 12 is a rail formed on the cutter frame 11 that extends in the axial direction. The fixed blade 13 is a flat plate-shaped blade that extends in the axial direction and is fixed to the cutter frame 11. The sheet passage section 14 is a space formed on the cutter frame 11 through which a sheet S passes. In this embodiment, the sheet passage section 14 is formed between the slide rail 12 and the fixed blade 13. The movable blade 15 is a disc-shaped blade that is rotatably fixed to the carriage 16.

[0037] The carriage 16 engages with the slide rail 12 and is mounted on the cutter frame 11 so as to be slidable along the slide rail 12. When the cutter motor 106 is driven forward, the carriage 16 slides from one side in the axial direction (e.g., the right wall side of the housing 20) to the other side (e.g., the left wall side of the housing 20), and when the cutter motor 106 is driven in reverse, the carriage 16 slides from the other side in the axial direction to the first side. The carriage 16 is movable from the initial position FP, shown by a solid line in Figure 2, to the completion position KP, shown by a dashed line. The carriage 16, to which the movable blade 15 is fixed, is movable in the cutting direction intersecting the transport direction at the cutter position SP. The cutting direction is either from the initial position FP towards the completion position KP, or from the completion position KP towards the initial position FP.

[0038] When the sheet S is in the cutter position SP, the carriage 16 moves along the slide rail 12 to the completion position KP, and one sheet S is sandwiched between the fixed blade 13 and the movable blade 15 and cut into two sheets. After cutting the sheet S, the multifunction machine 1 rotates the upstream cutting roller 85 and the downstream cutting roller 86 for a predetermined time, thereby discharging the two cut sheets S into the discharge tray 22.

[0039] In this embodiment, the cutter unit 10 processes the sheet S by completely separating it into two pieces. However, it is not limited to this, and perforations may be made instead of completely separating the pieces. Also, the number of pieces to be cut is not limited to two, but may be three or more.

[0040] Next, the electrical configuration of the multifunction printer 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 3. As shown in Figure 3, the multifunction printer 1 further includes an ASIC 100, a user IF 102, a memory 103, a communication IF 104, a pre-cash register sensor SE1, a post-cash register sensor SE2, a front discharge sensor SE3, a cut discharge sensor SE4, and a manual feed sensor SE5. The manual feed sensor SE5 is an example of a sheet sensor.

[0041] The ASIC100 is equipped with a CPU101. The CPU101 is an example of a controller and performs overall control of each part of the multifunction device 1. The CPU101 executes various processes according to the control program 103A read from memory 103 and based on user operations. Note that the multifunction device 1 may have multiple hardware components corresponding to different functions, in addition to having only one hardware component as the CPU101. Memory 103 stores various programs and data, including the control program 103A and setting information 103B. The control program 103A is a program that causes the multifunction device 1 to perform various operations. Details of each program and data will be described later based on Figures 4 to 20. Memory 103 is also used as a work area when various processes are executed. The buffer provided by the CPU101 is also an example of memory. The setting information 103B includes information stored in volatile memory such as RAM and information stored in non-volatile memory such as NVRAM.

[0042] The memory 103 is not limited to ROM, RAM, NVRAM, HDD, etc., built into the multifunction printer 1, but may also be a storage medium that the CPU 101 can read and write to. For example, external memory such as a USB memory or HDD connected to the multifunction printer 1 via the communication IF 104, or memory or HDD provided in a device connected to the multifunction printer 1 via the communication IF 104, are also examples of memory 103. A storage medium that a computer can read is a non-transitory medium. In addition to the examples above, non-transitory media also include storage media such as CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs. Non-transitory media are also tangible media. On the other hand, electrical signals that carry programs downloaded from servers on the Internet are a type of computer-readable signal medium, but they are not included in non-transitory computer-readable storage media.

[0043] The ASIC100 is electrically connected to the user IF102, memory 103, communication IF104, cutter motor 106, encoder 113, electromagnetic clutch 107, main motor 108, ejection motor 109, front register sensor SE1, back register sensor SE2, front ejection sensor SE3, cut ejection sensor SE4, manual feed sensor SE5, drum cartridge 5, fuser 6, and laser unit 7.

[0044] The CPU 101 drives the cutter motor 106 to move the carriage 16, thereby moving the movable blade 15 in the width direction of the sheet S and cutting the sheet S. An encoder 113 is attached to the rotation axis of the cutter motor 106, and the encoder 113 outputs a signal corresponding to the rotation of the cutter motor 106. The CPU 101 receives the signal output from the encoder 113 and obtains the rotation direction, rotation position, and rotation speed of the cutter motor 106 based on the received signal. This allows the CPU 101 to know the position of the carriage 16 on the slide rail 12, that is, the position of the movable blade 15 in the axial direction.

[0045] The main motor 108 transmits driving force to the pickup roller 33, registration roller 35, transport roller 36, manual feed sheet transport roller 37, re-transport rollers 38 and 39, pressure roller 62, and drum cartridge 5. When the CPU 101 drives the main motor 108 in the forward direction, driving force is transmitted to the transport roller 36, pressure roller 62, photoreceptor drum 51, developer roller 55, pickup roller 33, and registration roller 35. The transport roller 36, pressure roller 62, photoreceptor drum 51, developer roller 55, pickup roller 33, and registration roller 35 then rotate in a direction that transports the sheet S in the transport direction.

[0046] Specifically, the transport roller 36 and the pressure roller 62 rotate counterclockwise. The photosensitive drum 51 rotates clockwise. The developing roller 55 rotates counterclockwise. The pickup roller 33 rotates counterclockwise. The registration roller 35 rotates counterclockwise.

[0047] On the other hand, even if the CPU 101 reverses the drive of the main motor 108, the drive force is not transmitted to the transport roller 36, pressure roller 62, drum cartridge 5, pickup roller 33, and registration roller 35.

[0048] The discharge motor 109 is, for example, a stepping motor, and transmits driving force to the cut upstream roller 85 and the cut downstream roller 86. When the CPU 101 drives the discharge motor 109 in the forward direction, the cut upstream roller 85 and the cut downstream roller 86 rotate counterclockwise. As a result, the sheet S is discharged into the discharge tray 22. On the other hand, when the CPU 101 drives the discharge motor 109 in the reverse direction, the cut upstream roller 85 and the cut downstream roller 86 rotate clockwise. As a result, the sheet S is transported in the opposite direction to the transport direction.

[0049] Furthermore, the CPU 101 drives the main motor 108 in the forward direction, causing the re-transport rollers 38 and 39 to rotate clockwise. Conversely, the CPU 101 drives the main motor 108 in the reverse direction, causing the re-transport rollers 38 and 39 to rotate clockwise. As a result, the sheet S, which has been transported in the opposite direction to the transport direction, is transported towards the image forming unit 4 via the re-transport path 202.

[0050] The CPU 101 controls the electromagnetic clutch 107. By turning on the electromagnetic clutch 107, the CPU 101 enables the driving force of the main motor 108 to be transmitted to the pickup roller 33, while by turning off the electromagnetic clutch 107, the CPU 101 prevents the driving force of the main motor 108 from being transmitted to the pickup roller 33.

[0051] The pre-register sensor SE1 is positioned upstream of the registration roller 35 in the transport path 201 and is a sensor that detects when the sheet S passes. The pre-register sensor SE1 can be a sensor with an actuator that swings when the sheet S comes into contact with it, or an optical sensor, etc. The pre-register sensor SE1 outputs an ON signal when the sheet S is passing and an OFF signal when the sheet S is not passing. The detection signal from the pre-register sensor SE1 is output to the CPU 101.

[0052] The post-register sensor SE2 is positioned upstream of the fuser 6 in the transport path 201, specifically between the registration roller 35 and the transfer roller 53, and is a sensor that detects when the sheet S passes through. The post-register sensor SE2 has the same configuration as the pre-register sensor SE1. The detection signal from the post-register sensor SE2 is output to the CPU 101.

[0053] The discharge front sensor SE3 is positioned between the fuser 6 and the transport roller 36 in the transport path 201 and detects when the sheet S passes through. The discharge front sensor SE3 has the same configuration as the cash register front sensor SE1. The detection signal from the discharge front sensor SE3 is output to the CPU 101.

[0054] The cut discharge sensor SE4 is positioned between the cutter position SP and the downstream cut roller 86, and detects when the sheet S passes through. The cut discharge sensor SE4 has the same configuration as the pre-cash register sensor SE1. The detection signal from the cut discharge sensor SE4 is output to the CPU 101.

[0055] The manual feed sensor SE5 is positioned between the manual feed sheet transport roller 37 and the upstream end of the merging transport path 203, and is a sensor that detects when a sheet Sa is placed on the manual feed tray 30.

[0056] As shown in Figure 1, the user interface (IF102) is located on the upper front surface of the main unit 2. Since the user operates the user interface (IF102) from in front of the multifunction printer (1), it is positioned in a location easily accessible to the user from the front of the multifunction printer (1). The user interface (IF102) includes, for example, a touch panel with an integrated touchpad and display, and a key button section. The user interface (IF102) receives user input and outputs the received information to the CPU (CPU) (101). For example, the user can set whether or not to cut the sheet (S) by operating the user interface (IF102).

[0057] The communication interface 104 is connected to a network such as a LAN and enables connection to external devices such as a PC 200 that have the driver for the multifunction printer 1 installed. The CPU 101 can receive print jobs via the communication interface 104. A print job includes various information necessary for forming an image on the sheet S, such as image data for image formation, the size and type of the sheet S used for image formation, and information on whether or not to cut the sheet S.

[0058] Next, the control operation of the multifunction device 1 will be explained with reference to the flowchart. The following processes represent the operations of the CPU 101 in accordance with the instructions written in the program. That is, processes such as "judgment," "extraction," "selection," "calculation," "decision," "identification," "acquisition," "reception," and "control" in the following explanation represent the operations of the CPU 101. The operations performed by the CPU 101 also include hardware control using the OS API. In this specification, the description of the OS is omitted when explaining the operation of each program. That is, in the following explanation, a statement to the effect of "Program B controls hardware C" may also mean "Program B controls hardware C using the OS API." In addition, the operations of the CPU 101 in accordance with the instructions written in the program may be described using abbreviated wording, such as "CPU 101 performs."

[0059] Furthermore, "acquisition" is used in a sense that does not necessarily require a request. That is, the process of CPU 101 receiving data without a request is also included in the concept of "CPU 101 acquiring data." Also, "data" in this specification is represented by a bit sequence that can be read by a computer. Data with the same substantial meaning but different formats will be treated as the same data. The same applies to "information" in this specification. Also, "request" and "instruct" are concepts that indicate that information indicating a request or instruction is being output to the other party. Information indicating a request or instruction may also be simply referred to as "request" or "instruction."

[0060] Furthermore, the process by CPU 101 to determine whether information A indicates event B is sometimes conceptually described as "determining from information A whether it is event B or not." Similarly, the process by CPU 101 to determine whether information A indicates event B or event C is sometimes conceptually described as "determining from information A whether it is event B or event C."

[0061] Figure 4 shows the procedure for print job processing performed by the multifunction device 1, particularly the CPU 101. Print job processing begins, for example, when the CPU 101 acquires a print job. A print job can be acquired by receiving a print job output by the PC 200 via the communication IF 104, or by reading a print job already stored in memory 103. Hereafter, each process will be described as a step denoted by "S".

[0062] In Figure 4, the CPU 101 determines whether or not to perform cut printing on the print job (S10), whether or not to print on a sheet Sa placed in the manual feed tray 30 (S11), and whether or not to perform single-sided printing (S12, S20, S30). Then, the CPU 101 divides the process into the following cases and executes the appropriate processing for each case before terminating the print job processing. That is, Case 1: If the printing based on the print job is cut printing (S10: YES), and is printed on a sheet Sa placed in the manual feed tray 30 (S11: YES), and is single-sided printing (S12: YES): The first cut single-sided printing process is executed (S13). Case 2: If the printing based on the print job is cut printing (S10: YES), and is printed on a sheet Sa placed in the manual feed tray 30 (S11: YES), and is double-sided printing (S12: NO): The first cut double-sided printing process is executed (S14). Case 3: If the printing based on the print job is cut printing (S10: YES), and is printing on a sheet S placed on the supply tray 31 (S11: NO), and is single-sided printing (S20: YES): The second cut single-sided printing process is executed (S21). Case 4: If the printing based on the print job is cut printing (S10: YES), and is printing on a sheet S placed on the supply tray 31 (S11: NO), and is double-sided printing (S20: NO): The second cut double-sided printing process is executed (S22). Case 5: If the print job is not cut print (S10: NO) and is single-sided print (S30: YES): Perform single-sided printing (S31). Case 6: If the print job is not cut print (S10: NO) and is double-sided print (S30: NO): Perform double-sided printing (S32).

[0063] In the decision in S10, whether or not to perform cut printing on a print job may be determined based on the instruction information included in the print job, or based on information stored in memory 103 indicating whether or not the operation received from the user via user IF 102 was an operation to perform cut printing. In this case, if the two instructions are different, for example, if the instruction information included in the print job indicates to perform cut printing, and the information stored in memory 103 indicates not to perform cut printing, the instruction indicated by the instruction information included in the print job should be prioritized. Conversely, the instruction indicated by the information stored in memory 103 may be prioritized. The CPU 101 may also receive an operation from the user via user IF 102 when it acquires a print job, and determine whether or not to perform cut printing on the print job based on the received operation. Furthermore, in the decision in S11, the CPU 101 may also determine that printing is from the manual feed tray 30 if sheet Sa is placed in the manual feed tray 30. The CPU 101 may determine whether or not printing is from the manual feed tray 30 based on the instruction information included in the print job, or based on the information stored in the memory 103. Furthermore, in the decisions of S12, S20, and S30, whether or not it is single-sided printing may be determined based on the instruction information included in the print job, or based on the information stored in the memory 103. In the decisions of S11, S12, S20, and S30, if the instruction indicated by the instruction information included in the print job differs from the instruction indicated by the operation received via the user IF 102, one of them may be applied with priority. The CPU 11 may also determine whether or not it is single-sided printing based on the operation received from the user via the user IF 102 when the print job was acquired.

[0064] Figure 5 shows the detailed procedure for the first cut single-sided printing process in Case 1 described above. In Figure 5, the CPU 101 starts the forward rotation drive of the main motor 108 (S40), and then executes the sheet length measurement process (S41). Figure 6 shows the detailed procedure for the sheet length measurement process. In Figure 6, the CPU 101 initializes the value of TIMER to "0" (S60). TIMER may be, for example, a software timer that the CPU 101 uses to increment its value at predetermined intervals (e.g., 1 sec). TIMER may be configured to generate a timer interrupt at predetermined intervals (e.g., 1 sec). However, TIMER may also be a hardware timer.

[0065] Next, the CPU 101 starts the rotational drive of the manual feed sheet transport roller 37 (S61). As described above, the driving force from the main motor 108 to the manual feed sheet transport roller 37 is configured to be turned on / off, so the CPU 101 starts the rotational drive of the manual feed sheet transport roller 37 by turning on the driving force from the main motor 108 to the manual feed sheet transport roller 37. As a result, the sheet Sa placed on the manual feed tray 30 starts being transported along the merging transport path 203 in the transport direction. Figure 16 shows an example of the transport state of the sheet Sa in the first cut single-sided printing process. The transport state of the sheet Sa shown in Figure 16(a) corresponds to the state when the CPU 101 starts the process in S61.

[0066] Next, the CPU 101 starts the TIMER count (S62). Then, the CPU 101 waits until the manual feed sensor SE5 switches from on to off (S63: NO). When sheet Sa is placed on the manual feed tray 30, the manual feed sensor SE5 is on, as described above. Therefore, in S63, it is determined whether sheet Sa has been transported from the merging transport path 203 to the transport path 201, the manual feed sensor SE5 has switched from on to off, and the manual feed sensor SE5 has detected the rear end of sheet Sa. Then, when the manual feed sensor SE5 detects the rear end of sheet Sa (S63: YES), the CPU 101 stops the TIMER count (S64). In other words, the CPU 101 sets the above timer interrupt to disabled.

[0067] Next, the CPU 101 calculates the sheet length of sheet Sa (S65). The specific method for calculating the sheet length of sheet Sa will be explained below based on Figure 18. Figure 18 is a schematic diagram showing the area around the manual feed sheet transport roller 37 and the manual feed sensor SE5. Figure 18(a) shows the state when sheet Sa is placed on the manual feed tray 30, Figure 18(b) shows the state when sheet Sa starts transporting in the transport direction along the merging transport path 203, and Figure 18(c) shows the state when the manual feed sensor SE5 detects the rear end of sheet Sa.

[0068] As shown in Figure 18(a), when a sheet Sa is placed on the manual feed tray 30, the manual feed sheet transport roller 37 rotates by a predetermined amount and then stops. As a result, the leading edge of the sheet Sa is pulled in by a predetermined amount (length) in the transport direction from the position where the manual feed sheet transport roller 37 and the third driven roller 37' come into contact. This amount is called the initial sheet pull-in amount d (mm). Then, if the rotational speed of the main motor 108 is X (rpm) and the circumference of the manual feed sheet transport roller 37 is R (mm), the sheet length D (mm) can be calculated by the following formula. D = X × (TIMER value / 60) × R + d

[0069] In this embodiment, the manual feed sensor SE5 is positioned between the manual feed sheet transport roller 37 and the upstream end of the merging transport path 203 to detect when a sheet Sa is placed on the manual feed tray 30. However, the manual feed sensor SE5 is not limited to this configuration and may be positioned to turn on at a predetermined timing after the sheet Sa placed on the manual feed tray 30 has started to be transported in the transport direction along the merging transport path 203.

[0070] In S65, CPU 101 calculates the sheet length D of sheet Sa and then terminates the sheet length measurement process. Returning to Figure 5, CPU 101 determines whether the sheet length D of sheet Sa is the length of an A4 or letter-sized sheet (S42). In this determination, if the sheet length D of sheet Sa is the length of an A4 or letter-sized sheet (S42: YES), CPU 101 executes the sheet inversion process (S43). The transport state of sheet Sa shown in Figure 16(b) corresponds to the state when the sheet length measurement process is completed and the sheet inversion process has started.

[0071] Figure 7 shows the detailed procedure for the sheet inversion process. In Figure 7, the CPU 101 waits until the discharge front sensor SE3 switches from off to on (S70: NO). When the discharge front sensor SE3 switches from off to on (S70: YES), the CPU 101 starts the forward rotation of the discharge motor 109 (S71). As a result, the transport of the sheet Sa switches from transport by the main motor 108 to transport by the discharge motor 109. The point at which the discharge front sensor SE3 switches from off to on is when the discharge front sensor SE3 detects the front end of the sheet Sa. Therefore, the discharge motor 109 starts driving the cut upstream roller 85 and the cut downstream roller 86 as a result of the discharge front sensor SE3 detecting the front end of the sheet Sa.

[0072] Next, the CPU 101 waits until the sheet S reaches the reversal position (S72: NO). The reversal position is, for example, the switchback position D1 on the transport path 201 (see Figure 1). Then, in S72, the CPU 101 only needs to determine whether the rear end of the sheet S has reached the switchback position D1. Specifically, the CPU 101 only needs to determine whether a predetermined time has elapsed, starting from the point in S70 when it was determined to be "YES". This predetermined time is determined by dividing the transport distance from the installation position of the discharge front sensor SE3 to the switchback position D1 on the transport path 201 by the transport speed of the sheet S, for example.

[0073] Then, when sheet S reaches the reversal position (S72:YES), CPU 101 drives the discharge motor 109 in the reverse direction (S73). As a result, sheet S is transported in the reverse direction along the transport path 201, and then transported again from the transport path 201 to the transport path 201 via the re-transport path 202, and then from the merging position J1 to the transport path 201. Next, CPU 101 waits until the pre-cash register sensor SE1 switches from on to off (S74:NO). Then, when the pre-cash register sensor SE1 switches from on to off and detects the rear end of sheet Sa (S74:YES), CPU 101 stops the reversal drive of the discharge motor 109 (S75) and then terminates the sheet reversal process. The transport state of sheet Sa shown in Figure 16(c) corresponds to the state when sheet Sa reaches the reversal position. Then, the transport state of sheet Sa shown in Figure 16(d) corresponds to the state when sheet Sa is transported in the reverse direction along transport path 201 and enters the re-transport path 202 from transport path 201.

[0074] Returning to Figure 5, the CPU 101 executes the image formation process (S44). Figure 8 shows the detailed procedure of the image formation process. In Figure 8, the CPU 101 waits until the post-registration sensor SE2 (see Figure 1) switches from off to on (S80: NO). As described above, the post-registration sensor SE2 is positioned between the registration roller 35 and the transfer roller 53 in the transport path 201, and outputs an ON signal when the sheet Sa is passing through and an OFF signal when the sheet Sa is not passing through. Therefore, in S80, the CPU 101 waits until the post-registration sensor SE2 detects the front edge of the sheet Sa. When the post-registration sensor SE2 detects the front edge of the sheet Sa (S80: YES), the CPU 101 starts image formation on the sheet Sa, that is, the transfer and fixing of the toner image (S81). Here, the image formation on sheet Sa specifically involves forming images of odd-numbered pages included in the print job on the downstream side of the printed surface of sheet Sa in the transport direction, and forming images of even-numbered pages included in the print job on the upstream side of the printed surface in the transport direction. Figure 17 shows an example of the transport state of sheet Sa following the transport state of sheet Sa shown in Figure 16. The transport state of sheet Sa shown in Figure 17(a) represents the intermediate state of image formation on sheet Sa in S81.

[0075] Next, the CPU 101 waits until the discharge front sensor SE3 (see Figure 1) switches from off to on (S82: NO). As described above, the discharge front sensor SE3 is positioned between the fuser 6 and the transport roller 36 in the transport path 201, and outputs an ON signal when sheet Sa is passing and an OFF signal when sheet S is not passing. Therefore, in S82, the CPU 101 waits until the discharge front sensor SE3 detects the front end of sheet Sa. Then, when the discharge front sensor SE3 detects the front end of sheet S (S82: YES), the CPU 101 starts the forward rotation drive of the discharge motor 109 (S83) and then terminates the image forming process.

[0076] Returning to Figure 5, the CPU 101 executes the sheet cutting process (S45). Figure 9 shows the detailed procedure of the sheet cutting process. In Figure 9, the CPU 101 waits until the cut discharge sensor SE4 (see Figure 1) switches from off to on (S91: NO). Then, when the cut discharge sensor SE4 switches from off to on and detects the front end of the sheet Sa (S91: YES), the CPU 101 waits until the sheet Sa reaches the position to be cut (S92: NO).

[0077] Then, when the sheet Sa reaches the position to be cut (S92:YES), the CPU 101 stops the forward rotation drive of the discharge motor 109 (S93). The position to be cut on the sheet Sa is, for example, the halfway point of the sheet Sa in the transport direction. In this case, the sheet Sa reaching the position to be cut means that the halfway point of the sheet Sa in the transport direction reaches the cutter position SP (see Figure 1). Whether or not the halfway point of the sheet Sa in the transport direction has reached the cutter position SP can be determined, for example, by determining whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the cut discharge sensor SE4 detected the front end of the sheet Sa. Here, the predetermined time is the time that the developers of the multifunction device 1 assumed would occur if the transport unit 3 transports the sheet Sa normally without jamming, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the cut discharge sensor SE4 detected the front end of the sheet Sa, the halfway point of the sheet Sa in the transport direction reaches the cutter position SP. The predetermined time is determined by dividing the transport distance required for the halfway point of the sheet Sa in the transport direction to reach the cutter position SP (see Figure 1) by the transport speed, etc., from the time the cut discharge sensor SE4 detects the front end of the sheet Sa. The transport state of the sheet Sa shown in Figure 17(b) corresponds to the state in which the sheet Sa has reached the position to be cut.

[0078] Next, the CPU 101 starts the forward rotation of the cutter motor 106 (S94) and then waits until the moving blade 15 reaches the completion position KP (see Figure 2) (S95: NO). The decision in S95 can be made based on the output from the encoder 113. When the moving blade 15 reaches the completion position KP (S95: YES), the forward rotation of the cutter motor 106 is stopped (S96), the forward rotation of the discharge motor 109 is started (S97), and then the sheet cutting process is completed. The sheet Sa transport state shown in Figure 17(c) corresponds to the state in which the sheet Sa is cut into two pieces, and the downstream sheet piece Sa and the upstream sheet piece Sa are transported along the transport path 201 in the transport direction.

[0079] Once the sheet cutting process is complete, sheet Sa is cut in half. The length of sheet Sa before cutting is either A4 size or letter size. Therefore, if the length of sheet Sa is A4 size, both of the two resulting sheets will be A5 size. On the other hand, if the length of sheet Sa is letter size, both of the resulting sheets will be half-letter size. Here, A4 size and letter size are examples of the first size, and A5 size and half-letter size are examples of the second size.

[0080] Returning to Figure 5, the CPU 101 performs the post-cut sheet ejection process (S46). Figure 10(a) shows the detailed procedure for the post-cut sheet ejection process. In Figure 10(a), the CPU 101 waits until the cut ejection sensor SE4 switches from on to off (S100:NO). In S100, the CPU 101 determines whether the cut ejection sensor SE4 has detected the trailing end of the upstream sheet piece of the sheet that has been cut in half and become two pieces.

[0081] Then, when the cut discharge sensor SE4 switches from on to off (S100:YES), the CPU 101 waits until the first time has elapsed (S101:NO). Here, the first time is the time that the developers of the multifunction printer 1 assumed would be, assuming that the transport unit 3 transports the sheet Sa normally without jamming, after the cut discharge sensor SE4 detects the trailing end of the upstream of the two cut pieces of sheet Sa, both pieces of sheet Sa will be discharged into the discharge tray 22 after the first time has elapsed. The first time is determined by dividing the transport distance from the installation position of the cut discharge sensor SE4 to the downstream end of the transport path 201 by the transport speed, etc. When the first time has elapsed (S101:YES), the CPU 101 stops the forward rotation drive of the discharge motor 109 (S102) and then terminates the post-cut sheet discharge process.

[0082] Returning to Figure 5, the CPU 101 determines whether or not there is printing for the next sheet in the currently running print job (S47). If there is printing for the next sheet (S47: YES), the CPU 101 returns to the process described in S41 and repeats the process from S41 onwards. On the other hand, if there is no printing for the next sheet (S47: NO), the CPU 101 stops the main motor 108 (S48) and then terminates the first cut single-sided printing process.

[0083] On the other hand, in the determination in S42 above, if the sheet length D of sheet Sa is not the sheet length of A4 size or letter size (S42: NO), the CPU 101 determines whether the sheet length D falls within the support range of the multifunction printer 1 (S50). The support range is, for example, 116 (mm) ≤ sheet length D ≤ 406 (mm). A predetermined margin may be provided within this range. Note that the specific numerical values ​​for the support range are merely examples, and other values ​​may be used.

[0084] In the judgment of S50, if the sheet length D is within the support range (S50:YES), the CPU 101 performs the same sheet inversion process as in S43 (S51), the same image forming process as in S44 (S52), and the sheet ejection process (S53), after which the process proceeds to S47. Figure 10(b) shows the detailed procedure of the sheet ejection process. In Figure 10(b), the CPU 101 waits until the second time has elapsed (S111:NO). Here, the second time is the time assumed by the developers of the multifunction printer 1 that, if the transport unit 3 transports the sheet Sa normally without jamming, the sheet Sa will be ejected to the ejection tray 22 after the ejection front sensor SE3 detects the leading edge of the sheet Sa (S82:YES) has elapsed for two hours. The second time is determined by dividing the transport distance from the installation position of the ejection front sensor SE3 to the downstream end of the transport path 201 by the transport speed, etc. After the second time has elapsed (S111:YES), the CPU 101 stops the forward rotation of the discharge motor 109 (S112), and then terminates the sheet discharge process. The sheet Sa transport state shown in Figure 17(d) corresponds to the state just before the sheet Sa is discharged to the discharge tray 22, after only printing based on the print job has been performed on the sheet Sa and the printed sheet Sa has not been cut.

[0085] Returning to Figure 5, in the judgment of S50 above, if the sheet length D is not within the support range (S50: NO), the CPU 101 stops the jam (S55) and then terminates the first cut single-sided printing process. If the sheet length D is not within the support range (S50: NO), the sheet Sa will remain in the transport path 201 when the manual feed sensor SE5 detects its rear end and its transport is stopped. In this case, it is preferable for the CPU 101 to display a jam error on the user IF 102 to inform the user that a jam has occurred.

[0086] In this way, in the first cut single-sided printing process, when a print job is cut and printed on one side of a sheet Sa placed on the manual feed tray 30, the sheet length in the transport direction of the sheet Sa is actually measured, and if the actually measured sheet length D of the sheet Sa is the same as the sheet length of A4 size or letter size, the print job is cut and printed on one side of the sheet Sa. On the other hand, if the actually measured sheet length D of the sheet Sa is not the same as the sheet length of A4 size or letter size, but is within the supported range, only two pages based on the print job are printed on one side of the sheet Sa, and no cut printing is performed. Furthermore, if the actually measured sheet length D of the sheet Sa is outside the supported range, the machine jams and stops without printing or cutting on one side of the sheet Sa. Therefore, the first cut single-sided printing process makes it possible to eliminate problems such as difficulty in ejecting the cut sheet that occur when a printed sheet Sa is cut due to the sheet length being longer or shorter than expected.

[0087] Figure 11 shows the detailed procedure for the first cut double-sided printing process in Case 2 described above. The first cut double-sided printing process in Figure 11 differs from the first cut single-sided printing process in Figure 5 mainly in that it prints on both sides of sheet Sa before cutting, and that it performs sheet length measurement while printing on the first side of sheet Sa, which is the side that is printed on first. In Figure 11, processes similar to those in Figures 5 and 6 are given the same step numbers, and explanations of those processes are omitted as appropriate.

[0088] In Figure 11, the CPU 101 starts the forward rotation of the main motor 108 (S40), then initializes the value of the TIMER (S60), starts the rotation of the manual feed sheet transport roller 37 (S61), and starts counting the TIMER (S62). Then, the CPU 101 performs image formation processing for even-numbered pages on the first surface of sheet Sa (S120). The details of the image formation processing are almost the same as the image formation processing explained based on Figure 8, except for the image formation in S81. Specifically, in S81 of the image formation processing in S44 in Figure 5, as described above, images of odd-numbered pages included in the print job are formed on the downstream side in the transport direction of the printed surface of sheet Sa, and images of even-numbered pages included in the print job are formed on the upstream side in the transport direction of that printed surface. In contrast, in S81 of the image formation processing in S120, images of the younger even-numbered pages included in the print job are formed on the downstream side in the transport direction of the first surface of sheet Sa, and images of the next even-numbered pages included in the print job are formed on the upstream side in the transport direction of that first surface.

[0089] Next, the CPU 101 waits until the hand-feed sensor SE5 switches from on to off (S63: NO). Once the hand-feed sensor SE5 switches from on to off (S63: YES), the CPU 101 stops the TIMER count (S64) and calculates the sheet length D of sheet Sa (S65). Note that when the hand-feed sensor SE5 switches from on to off (S63: YES), the image formation process for even-numbered pages may not have finished for the first face of sheet Sa. In that case, the processes in S63 and S64 should be performed within the image formation process for even-numbered pages. Then, the CPU 101 performs the same sheet inversion process as in S43 (see Figure 5) (S121), and performs the image formation process for odd-numbered pages for the second face of sheet Sa (S122). In step S81 of this image formation process, the CPU 101 forms an image of an odd-numbered page that is one page younger than the even-numbered page formed on the downstream side of the first surface of sheet Sa in the transport direction, and forms an image of an odd-numbered page that is one page younger than the even-numbered page formed on the downstream side of the first surface in the transport direction, on the upstream side of the second surface in the transport direction.

[0090] Next, the CPU 101 determines, in the same manner as in S42 above, whether the sheet length D of sheet Sa is A4 size or letter size (S123). If, in this determination, the sheet length D of sheet Sa is A4 size or letter size (S123: YES), the CPU 101 performs the sheet cutting process (S45), and then executes the processes from S46 onwards. Detailed explanations of the processes from S45 onwards, that is, the processes from S45 to S48, S50, S53, and S55, have been given above and will not be repeated here.

[0091] In this way, in the first cut double-sided printing process, when a print job is cut and printed on both sides of a sheet Sa placed on the manual feed tray 30, the sheet length in the transport direction of the sheet Sa is actually measured, and if the actually measured sheet length D of the sheet Sa is the same as the sheet length of A4 size or letter size, the print job is cut and printed on both sides of the sheet Sa. On the other hand, if the actually measured sheet length D of the sheet Sa is not the same as the sheet length of A4 size or letter size, but is within the supported sheet length range, then four pages based on the print job are printed on both sides of the sheet Sa. Furthermore, if the actually measured sheet length D of the sheet Sa is outside the supported sheet length range, printing based on the print job is not performed on either side of the sheet Sa, and the process is stopped due to a jam. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate problems such as difficulty in ejecting the cut sheet that occur when a printed sheet Sa is cut because its sheet length is longer than expected.

[0092] In the first cut double-sided printing process, unlike the first cut single-sided printing process, the sheet length measurement process is performed while printing on the first side of sheet Sa, which is the first side to be printed on. However, this is not the only option; in the first cut double-sided printing process, the sheet length measurement process may also be performed first, in the same manner as in the first cut single-sided printing process. Then, based on the sheet length D of sheet Sa measured by the sheet length measurement process, sheet Sa is re-transported to transport path 201 via re-transport path 202, and then printing is performed on the first side of sheet Sa. Furthermore, sheet Sa with the first side printed on it is re-transported to transport path 201 via re-transport path 202, and then printing is performed on the second side of sheet Sa. The double-sided printed sheet Sa is then cut, or not cut. Alternatively, the process may be stopped due to a jam without printing on sheet Sa.

[0093] In the image formation process for even-numbered pages in S120, images of the youngest even-numbered pages included in the print job are formed on the downstream side in the transport direction of the first surface of sheet Sa, and images of the next even-numbered pages included in the print job are formed on the upstream side in the transport direction of that first surface. Then, in the image formation process for odd-numbered pages in S122, images of odd-numbered pages one page younger than the even-numbered pages formed on the downstream side in the transport direction of the first surface are formed on the downstream side in the transport direction of the second surface of sheet Sa, and images of odd-numbered pages one page younger than the even-numbered pages formed on the downstream side in the transport direction of the first surface are formed on the upstream side in the transport direction of that second surface. However, this is not limited to this, "Even-numbered page printing" refers to printing even-numbered pages of a print job onto the first side of the original sheet so that, for example, if page 2 is cut, one half of the cut page 2 and the other half of the cut page 2 are placed on the first side of each sheet after cutting; if page 4 is cut, one half of the cut page 4 and the other half are placed on the first side of each sheet after cutting; and so on. "Odd-page printing" refers to printing odd-numbered pages of a print job onto the second side of the original sheet so that, for example, if page 1 is cut, one half of the cut page 1 and the other half of the cut page 1 are placed on the second side of each sheet after cutting; if page 3 is cut, one half of the cut page 3 and the other half are placed on the second side of each sheet after cutting; and so on. You may also indicate this.

[0094] Figure 12 shows the detailed procedure for the second cut single-sided printing process in Case 3 described above. The second cut single-sided printing process differs from the first cut single-sided printing process in Figure 5 in that the sheet to be printed is sheet S supplied from the supply tray 31, rather than sheet Sa supplied from the manual feed tray 30. Due to this difference, the second cut single-sided printing process differs from the first cut single-sided printing process mainly in that the sheet length measurement process in S41 is omitted, and instead of determining whether the sheet length D measured in the sheet length measurement process in S42 is the length of an A4 or letter-sized sheet, the process determines whether the setting of the supply tray 31 is A4 or letter-sized. In Figure 12, processes similar to those in Figure 5 are given the same step numbers, and explanations of those processes are omitted as appropriate.

[0095] In Figure 12, the CPU 101 starts the forward rotation of the main motor 108 (S40), and then executes a pickup command (S130). This causes the CPU 101 to turn on the electromagnetic clutch 107.

[0096] Next, the CPU 101 determines whether the setting of the supply tray 31 is A4 size or letter size (S131). The setting of the supply tray 31 can be set by the CPU 101 to the size of the sheet S according to the user instruction from the user IF 102, for example, when the supply tray 31 is attached to or detached from the enclosure 20. The set setting of the supply tray 31 is stored in the memory 103 as one of the setting information 103B. In S130, the CPU 101 only needs to determine whether the setting of the supply tray 31 is A4 size or letter size based on the setting of the supply tray 31 stored as one of the setting information 103B.

[0097] The reason why the sheet length of the sheet S supplied from the supply tray 31 is not actually measured is that the sheet length, or sheet size, of the sheet S placed on the supply tray 31 depends on the size of the supply tray 31, so it will not be an unexpected sheet size. On the other hand, it is difficult to regulate the sheet size of the sheet Sa placed on the manual feed tray 30, so for the sheet Sa supplied from the manual feed tray 30, the sheet length is actually measured as described above.

[0098] In the determination in S131, if the setting of the supply tray 31 is A4 size or letter size (S131: YES), the CPU 101 performs the image forming process (S44), the sheet cutting process (S45), and the sheet ejection process after cutting (S46), and then proceeds to S47. On the other hand, in the determination in S131, if the setting of the supply tray 31 is not A4 size or letter size (S131: NO), the CPU 101 performs the image forming process (S52) and the sheet ejection process (S53), and then proceeds to S47.

[0099] Thus, in the second cut single-sided printing process, when a print job is cut and printed on one side of a sheet S placed on the supply tray 31, if the supply tray 31 is set to A4 size or letter size, the print job is cut and printed on one side of the sheet S. On the other hand, if the supply tray 31 is not set to A4 size or letter size, only two pages based on the print job are printed on one side of the sheet S, and no cut printing is performed. Therefore, the second cut single-sided printing process makes it possible to eliminate problems that occur when a printed sheet Sa is cut due to the sheet length being longer or shorter than A4 size or letter size, such as difficulty in ejecting the cut sheet.

[0100] Figure 13 shows the detailed procedure for the second cut double-sided printing process in Case 4 described above. The second cut double-sided printing process differs from the first cut double-sided printing process in Figure 11 in that the sheet to be printed is sheet S supplied from the supply tray 31, rather than sheet Sa supplied from the manual feed tray 30. Due to this difference, the second cut double-sided printing process differs from the first cut double-sided printing process mainly in that the sheet length measurement processes in S60-S62 and S63-S65 are omitted, and instead of determining whether the sheet length D measured in the sheet length measurement process in S123 is the length of an A4 size or letter size sheet, the process determines whether the setting of the supply tray 31 is A4 size or letter size. In Figure 13, processes that are the same as in Figure 11 are given the same step numbers, and explanations of those processes are omitted as appropriate.

[0101] In Figure 13, the CPU 101 starts the forward rotation of the main motor 108 (S40), and then executes a pickup command (S130). After that, the CPU 101 performs image formation processing on the first surface of the sheet S (S120), sheet inversion processing (S121), and image formation processing on the second surface of the sheet S (S122), and then proceeds to processing S140.

[0102] In S140, the CPU 101 determines whether the supply tray 31 is set to A4 size or letter size, in the same manner as in S131 (see Figure 12). If the supply tray 31 is set to A4 size or letter size (S140: YES), the CPU 101 performs the sheet cutting process (S45) and the sheet ejection process after cutting (S46), and then proceeds to S47. On the other hand, if the supply tray 31 is not set to A4 size or letter size (S140: NO), the CPU 101 performs the sheet ejection process (S53), and then proceeds to S47.

[0103] Thus, in the second cut double-sided printing process, when a print job is cut and printed on both sides of a sheet S placed on the supply tray 31, if the setting of the supply tray 31 is A4 size or letter size, the print job is cut and printed on both sides of the sheet S. On the other hand, if the setting of the supply tray 31 is not A4 size or letter size, only two pages based on the print job are printed on each side of the sheet S, and no cut printing is performed. Therefore, the second cut double-sided printing process makes it possible to eliminate problems that occur when a printed sheet Sa is cut due to the sheet length being longer or shorter than A4 size or letter size, such as difficulty in ejecting the cut sheet.

[0104] Figure 14 shows the detailed procedure for the single-sided printing process in Case 5 described above. The single-sided printing process differs from the second-cut single-sided printing process in Figure 12 in that it performs normal single-sided printing on the print job, rather than cutting and printing the print job on one side. Due to this difference, the single-sided printing process mainly differs from the second-cut single-sided printing process in that it omits the determination in S131 whether the supply tray 31 is set to A4 size or letter size, and also omits the sheet cutting process in S45 and the related image forming process in S44 and the post-cut sheet ejection process in S46. Note that the single-sided printing process in Figure 14 does not contain any particularly distinctive configurations compared to the normal single-sided printing process, so the explanation of each process constituting the single-sided printing process in Figure 14 is omitted.

[0105] Figure 15 shows the detailed procedure for the double-sided printing process in Case 6 described above. The double-sided printing process differs from the second-cut double-sided printing process in Figure 13 in that it performs normal double-sided printing on the print job instead of cut double-sided printing on the print job. Due to this difference, the double-sided printing process mainly differs from the second-cut double-sided printing process in that it omits the determination in S140 whether the supply tray 31 is set to A4 size or letter size, and it omits the sheet cutting process in S45 and the related post-cut sheet ejection process in S46. Note that the double-sided printing process in Figure 15 does not contain any particularly distinctive configurations compared to the normal double-sided printing process, so the explanation of each process constituting the double-sided printing process in Figure 15 is omitted.

[0106] Figure 19 shows a detailed procedure for a modified version of the first cut single-sided printing process in Figure 5. In the first cut single-sided printing process in Figure 5, when the sheet Sa placed on the manual feed tray 30 is transported from the merging transport path 203 to the transport path 201, only the sheet length of the sheet Sa is measured. When the sheet Sa is transported again to the transport path 201 via the re-transport path 202, the print job is cut and printed on the sheet Sa based on the measured sheet length D. In contrast, the modified version of the first cut single-sided printing process in Figure 19 differs in that, similar to the first cut double-sided printing process in Figure 11, the measurement of the sheet length of the sheet Sa and the printing of the print job on the sheet Sa are performed in parallel. In Figure 19, processes similar to those in Figures 5 and 11 are given the same step numbers, and explanations of those processes are omitted as appropriate.

[0107] In Figure 19, the CPU 101 starts the forward rotation of the main motor 108 (S40), then initializes the value of the TIMER (S60), starts the rotation of the manual feed sheet transport roller 37 (S61), and starts counting for the TIMER (S62). Then, the CPU 101 performs image formation processing on the sheet Sa (S44).

[0108] Next, CPU 101 waits until the hand feed sensor SE5 switches from on to off (S63: NO). Once the hand feed sensor SE5 switches from on to off (S63: YES), CPU 101 stops the timer count (S64) and calculates the sheet length D of sheet Sa (S65).

[0109] Next, the CPU 101 determines, in the same manner as in S42 above, whether the sheet length D of sheet Sa is A4 size or letter size (S150). If, in this determination, the sheet length D of sheet Sa is A4 size or letter size (S150: YES), the CPU 101 performs the sheet cutting process (S45) and then executes the processes from S46 onwards. Detailed explanations of the processes from S45 onwards, that is, the processes from S45 to S48, S50, S53, and S55, have been given above and will not be repeated here.

[0110] Figure 20 shows an example of the sheet Sa transport state in a modified example of the first cut single-sided printing process. Figure 20(a) corresponds to Figure 16(a), Figure 20(b) corresponds to Figure 16(b), Figure 20(c) corresponds to Figure 17(b), and Figure 20(d) corresponds to Figure 17(c). In other words, in the example of the sheet Sa transport state in Figure 20, unlike the examples of the sheet Sa transport state in Figures 16 and 17, the measurement of the sheet length of the sheet Sa and the cut printing based on the print job of the sheet Sa are performed simultaneously. Therefore, sheet Sa does not enter a state as shown in Figures 16(c) to 17(a), that is, after reaching the switchback position D1 which is the reversal position, it is transported in the opposite direction to the transport direction and transported again from the transport path 201 to the transport path 201 via the re-transport path 202 and then from the merging position J1 to the transport path 201. Instead, as shown in Figures 20(b) and 20(c), it is transported along the transport path 201 toward the discharge tray 22.

[0111] Thus, even with a modified version of the first cut single-sided printing process, the same effects as the first cut single-sided printing process can be obtained. Furthermore, with the modified version of the first cut single-sided printing process, the time from the instruction to cut and print the print job on one side of the sheet Sa placed on the manual feed tray 30 to the actual cutting of the single-sided printed sheet Sa and discharge to the output tray 22 can be shortened compared to the first cut single-sided printing process.

[0112] As described above, the multifunction printer 1 of this embodiment includes a printing engine capable of printing on a sheet Sa, a cutter unit 10 located downstream of the printing engine in the sheet Sa transport path 201, a manual feed tray 30 for placing manually fed sheets Sa, a manual feed sensor SE5 for detecting sheets Sa placed on the manual feed tray 30, and a CPU 101. The multifunction printer 1 is capable of performing cut printing, in which a first-size sheet printed by the printing engine is cut using the cutter unit 10 to a second size which is half the size of the first size, and then discharged, and also of performing non-cut printing, in which a first-size sheet printed by the printing engine is discharged without cutting. The second-size sheet produced when cut printing is performed is discharged from the same discharge port from which the first-size sheet produced when non-cut printing is performed is discharged. The CPU 101 is characterized in that, when processing a print job instructed to be cut on a sheet Sa placed on the manual feed tray 30, it is possible to perform cutting if the time elapsed from a predetermined timing when the manual feed sensor SE5 detects the sheet Sa placed on the manual feed tray 30 until the sheet Sa is transported and the manual feed sensor SE5 stops detecting the sheet Sa corresponds to the sheet Sa being of a first size, and not perform cutting if the time elapsed corresponds to the sheet Sa being smaller or larger than the first size.

[0113] Thus, in the multifunction printer 1 of this embodiment, cut printing is performed when the sheet Sa placed in the manual feed tray 30 is of a predetermined size, and cut printing is not performed when it is outside the predetermined size.

[0114] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0115] (1) In the above embodiment, a multifunction printer 1 was given as an example of a printing device, but the printing device is not limited to a multifunction printer 1, and may be a standalone printer or copier. In the above embodiment, a multifunction printer 1 that prints on a sheet S using an electrophotographic method was given, but the printing device may be a printing device that prints on a sheet S using an inkjet method.

[0116] (2) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the processes shown in Figures 4 to 15 and Figure 19 are executed by the CPU 101. However, these processes are not limited to the CPU 101 and may be executed by the ASIC 100 or other logic integrated circuits, or these processes may be executed by the cooperation of the CPU 101, the ASIC 100, and other logic integrated circuits.

[0117] (3) In the above embodiment, the drive control and stop control of the main motor 108 and the discharge motor 109 were performed based on time, but the control is not limited to this, and depending on the type of motor used, it may be performed based on factors other than time, specifically, the number of steps input to the stepping motor or a signal output from the encoder, such as a step signal.

[0118] (4) In the above embodiment, the cutting of the sheet S by the moving blade 15 is performed when the carriage 16 is moved from the initial position FP to the completion position KP, that is, when it is moved in one direction. However, it is not limited to this, and the sheet S may also be cut when returning from the completion position KP to the initial position FP. In this case, the sheet S can be cut on both the outward and return journeys. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0119] 1...Multifunction unit, 3...Conveyor unit, 4...Processing unit, 10...Cutter unit, 13...Fixed blade, 15...Moving blade, 16...Carriage, 20...Housing, 30...Manual feed tray, 31...Supply tray, 37...Manual feed sheet conveyor roller, 37'...Third driven roller, 85...Cut upstream roller, 85'...First driven roller, 86...Cut downstream roller, 86'...Second driven roller, 100...ASIC, 101...CPU, 102...User interface, 103... Memory, 104...Communication IF, 106...Cutter motor, 108...Main motor, 109...Discharge motor, 113...Encoder, 200...PC, 201...Conveyor path, 202...Re-conveyor path, 203...Merging conveyor path, D1...Switchback position, J1, J2...Merging position, S, Sa...Sheet, SE1...Front sensor at register, SE2...Back sensor at register, SE3...Front discharge sensor, SE4...Cut discharge sensor, SE5...Manual feed sensor.

Claims

1. A printing engine capable of printing on sheets, In the sheet transport path, a processing unit located downstream of the printing engine, A manual feed tray for placing manually inserted sheets, A sheet sensor for detecting the sheet placed on the manual feed tray, Controller and Equipped with, A printing apparatus capable of performing cut printing, in which a first-size sheet printed by the printing engine is cut to a second size, which is half the size of the first size, using the processing unit, and then discharged; and performing non-cut printing, in which a first-size sheet printed by the printing engine is discharged without the cutting process, When the aforementioned cut printing is performed, the second-size sheet is discharged from the same outlet from which the first-size sheet is discharged when the aforementioned non-cut printing is performed. The aforementioned controller, When processing a print job for which the aforementioned cutting process is instructed is performed on the sheet placed in the manual feed tray, From a predetermined timing when the sheet sensor detects the sheet placed on the manual feed tray, until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet due to its transport, the cutting process can be performed if the time elapsed corresponds to the sheet being of the first size, and the cutting process can not be performed if the time elapsed corresponds to the sheet being of a size smaller or larger than the first size. A printing apparatus characterized by the following features.

2. The processing unit is located in the sheet transport path downstream of the printing engine and upstream of the discharge port from which the first-size sheet is discharged when the non-cut printing is performed. The printing apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The first size mentioned above is A4 size. The second size mentioned above is A5 size. The printing apparatus according to feature 1.

4. The first size mentioned above is letter size, The first size is half-letter size. The printing apparatus according to feature 1.

5. The sheet sensor is capable of detecting a sheet placed on the manual feed tray even before the sheet is transported. The predetermined timing when the sheet sensor detects the sheet placed on the manual feed tray is the timing at which the sheet sensor starts transporting the detected sheet. The printing apparatus according to feature 1.

6. The aforementioned printing apparatus, By transporting the aforementioned sheet along a transport path for double-sided printing, it is possible to print on both sides of the sheet. The aforementioned controller, When printing a print job that has been instructed to undergo the aforementioned cutting process on one side, Printing of the sheet will not be performed until the time elapsed until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet is determined to be the time corresponding to the sheet being of the first size. When it is determined that the time elapsed until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet corresponds to the time the sheet is of the first size, the sheet of the first size is transported to the printing position via the transport path for double-sided printing, the sheet transported to the printing position is printed on using the printing engine, and the sheet of the first size printed by the printing engine is cut to the second size using the processing unit. The printing apparatus according to feature 1.

7. The aforementioned controller, When printing a print job that has been instructed to undergo the aforementioned cutting process on both sides, Printing of the sheet will not be performed until the time elapsed until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet is determined to be the time corresponding to the sheet being of the first size. In response to the determination that the time elapsed until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet corresponds to the time the sheet is of the first size, the sheet of the first size is transported towards the printing position via the transport path for double-sided printing, the first surface of the sheet of the first size transported to the printing position is printed using the printing engine, the sheet of the first size with the first surface printed on it is then transported towards the printing position via the transport path for double-sided printing, the second surface of the sheet of the first size with the first surface printed on it is printed using the printing engine, and the sheet of the first size with the first and second surfaces printed on it can be cut from the first size to the second size using the processing unit. The printing apparatus according to feature 6.

8. The aforementioned printing apparatus, By transporting the aforementioned sheet along a transport path for double-sided printing, it is possible to print on both sides of the sheet. The aforementioned controller, When printing a print job that has been instructed to undergo the aforementioned cutting process on one side, While the time elapsed until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet is determined to be the time corresponding to the sheet being of the first size, the printing engine is used to print the sheet. If the time elapsed until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet is determined to be the time the sheet is of the first size, the sheet printed by the printing engine can be cut to the second size using the processing unit. The printing apparatus according to feature 1.

9. The aforementioned controller, When printing a print job that has been instructed to undergo the aforementioned cutting process on both sides, While the time elapsed until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet is determined to be the time corresponding to the sheet being of the first size, the printing engine is used to print the first surface of the sheet. When the time elapsed until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet is determined to be the time corresponding to the sheet being of the first size, the sheet of the first size with the first side printed on it is transported to the printing position via the transport path for double-sided printing, the second side of the sheet of the first size with the first side printed on it is printed on using the printing engine, and the sheet of the first size with the first side and second side printed on it is cut from the first size to the second size using the processing unit. The printing apparatus according to feature 8.

10. The aforementioned printing apparatus, By transporting the aforementioned sheet along a transport path for double-sided printing, it is possible to print on both sides of the sheet. The aforementioned controller, When printing a print job that has been instructed to undergo the aforementioned cutting process on one side, Printing of the sheet will not be performed until the time elapsed until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet is determined to be the time corresponding to the sheet being of the first size. When it is determined that the time elapsed until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet corresponds to the time the sheet is of the first size, the sheet of the first size is transported to the printing position via the transport path for double-sided printing, the sheet transported to the printing position is printed on using the printing engine, and the sheet of the first size printed by the printing engine is cut to the second size using the processing unit. When printing a print job that has been instructed to undergo the aforementioned cutting process on both sides, While the time elapsed until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet is determined to be the time corresponding to the sheet being of the first size, the printing engine is used to print the even-numbered pages of the print job on the first surface of the sheet. When the time elapsed until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet is determined to be the time corresponding to the sheet being of the first size, the sheet of the first size with the first side printed on it is transported to the printing position via the transport path for double-sided printing, the odd-numbered pages of the print job are printed on the second side of the sheet of the first size with the first side printed on it that has been transported to the printing position using the printing engine, and the sheet of the first size with the first and second sides printed on it is cut from the first size to the second size using the processing unit. The printing apparatus according to feature 1.

11. A printing engine capable of printing on sheets, In the sheet transport path, a processing unit located downstream of the printing engine, A manual feed tray for placing manually inserted sheets, A sheet sensor for detecting the sheet placed on the manual feed tray, Controller and Equipped with, A printing apparatus capable of performing cut printing, in which a first-size sheet printed by the printing engine is cut to a second size, which is half the size of the first size, using the processing unit, and then discharged; and performing non-cut printing, in which a first-size sheet printed by the printing engine is discharged without the cutting process, When the aforementioned cut printing is performed, the second-size sheet is discharged from the same outlet from which the first-size sheet is discharged when the aforementioned non-cut printing is performed. The aforementioned controller, When processing a print job for which the aforementioned cutting process is instructed is performed on the sheet placed in the manual feed tray, Based on the time elapsed from the moment the sheet sensor detects the sheet placed on the manual feed tray until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet due to the sheet being transported, it is possible to switch whether or not to perform the cut printing. The aforementioned printing apparatus, By transporting the aforementioned sheet along a transport path for double-sided printing, it is possible to print on both sides of the sheet. The aforementioned controller, When printing a print job that has been instructed to undergo the aforementioned cutting process on one side, Printing of the sheet will not be performed until the sheet sensor stops detecting the sheet. In response to the sheet sensor ceasing to detect the sheet, the sheet is transported towards the printing position via the transport path for double-sided printing, the sheet is printed on using the printing engine, and the sheet printed by the printing engine can be switched on or off using the processing unit based on the time elapsed until the sheet sensor ceased to detect the sheet. A printing apparatus characterized by the following features.

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