Printing Apparatus Sheet Conveyance Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing printing apparatuses face challenges in maintaining maximum printing speed due to the need to delay sheet feeding until print data is fully stored in memory, leading to potential overruns and reduced printing capability when handling multiple sheets.
Innovation Solution
The apparatus and program strategically select combinations of sheet accommodation and discharge sections to ensure print data is stored before sheet conveyance starts, preventing overruns and maintaining high printing speed by optimizing the use of multiple trays and conveyance paths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the printing apparatus waits for print data to be fully stored in memory before feeding the next sheet, then overrun is prevented, but printing speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-storing print data in the memory storage device before sheet conveyance begins. The control device calculates required storage capacity in advance and ensures data is ready before the sheet reaches the process unit, preventing overrun while maintaining continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The memory storage device acts as an intermediary buffer between the data input device and the printing process. It temporarily holds print data, allowing the system to decouple the data preparation rate from the sheet conveyance rate, thus preventing overrun without limiting printing speed.
2Productivity
If multiple sheets are conveyed simultaneously through the process unit, then productivity increases, but memory storage capacity requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the number of sheets conveyed simultaneously based on the actual storage capacity of the memory device. The control device calculates the maximum conveyable sheets as the smaller value between memory capacity and process unit simultaneous processing capacity, optimizing productivity while respecting storage constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by adjusting the sheet conveyance rate and batch size according to memory storage capacity. When memory capacity allows, more sheets are conveyed simultaneously to maximize productivity; when capacity is limited, the system reduces concurrent sheets to prevent overrun.
3Productivity
If the sheet conveyance path is lengthened to accommodate more sheets, then continuous printing is improved, but the time for print data storage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary data storage in the memory device before sheet conveyance begins. By pre-loading print data into memory, the system eliminates waiting time during conveyance, allowing the process unit to continuously process sheets without interruption even as they travel through an extended conveyance path.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a printing apparatus including a sheet accommodation device including at least one sheet accommodation section which accommodates a sheet before printing, a printing unit which prints an image on a sheet based on print data stored in a storage area, a discharged sheet accommodation device including at least one discharged sheet accommodation section which accommodates the printed sheet, a control device which selects a combination of a sheet accommodation section and a discharged sheet accommodation section such that a storage device completes storing print data into the storage area by a conveyance starting time of a sheet to be printed based on the print data, and which control a conveyance device to feed the sheet to be printed based on the print data from the sheet accommodation section to discharge the sheet to the discharged sheet accommodation section of the selected combination.