JPH11199111A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] In an image forming apparatus, when a discharged sheet material is present in a paper discharge unit, the discharge of the next sheet material is suspended to prevent deterioration of a formed image. And to improve the operability of the operator. SOLUTION: When a sheet material is detected by a sheet material sensor 105 (sheet material detecting means) for detecting the sheet material discharged to a paper discharge tray 106 (paper discharge unit), the sheet material to be discharged next is detected. A sheet ejection holding module 107 (sheet material ejection holding unit) that holds the sheet ejection is provided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to a technique for preventing a deterioration in image quality of a formed image due to a sheet material discharged next to a discharged sheet material.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an ink jet recording apparatus which is one form of an image forming apparatus, when a plurality of pages are continuously printed, when a sheet material on which an image is recorded is discharged onto a discharge tray, a sheet is formed. Before the ink recorded on the surface of the material is fixed to the sheet material, the ink is rubbed by the next overlapping sheet material, and the image recorded on the sheet material may be disturbed.

[0003] Therefore, in order to avoid such a situation, in the ink jet recording apparatus, when printing a plurality of sheets continuously, a printer driver (image data transmitted to the ink jet recording apparatus operating on a host computer) is required. After the data for one sheet is transmitted from the host computer to the ink jet recording apparatus by the software for controlling the image data, the transmission of the image data is stopped once, and the operator is provided with a discharge tray on the host computer. A warning is displayed to remove the upper sheet material, and after the operator confirms the warning and removes the sheet material, the host computer performs an operation of ending the confirmation or restarting the image forming, so that the next page can be displayed. Image data to the inkjet recording device, Resume form, a control that has been performed.

[0004]

For this reason, even if an operator removes the sheet material on the paper output tray, the above-described control is required for each page. Had to be operated on.

[0005] Further, even if the sheet material is left on the sheet discharge tray, if the above-mentioned checking operation is performed with respect to the host computer, the sheet material of the next page is discharged as it is and is discharged on the sheet discharge tray. In some cases, the plurality of sheet materials overlapped.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to discharge the next sheet material when the discharged sheet material is present in a paper discharge section. In order to prevent the deterioration of the formed image and to improve the operability of the operator.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet material, and a discharge means for discharging the sheet material on which the image is formed to a paper discharge section. Paper means, sheet material detecting means for detecting the sheet material discharged to the paper discharge section, and the next discharge when the sheet material discharged to the paper discharge section is detected by the sheet material detecting means And a sheet material discharge holding means for holding the discharge of the sheet material.

The image forming apparatus further comprises a bidirectional communication unit for bidirectionally transmitting and receiving data to and from the host computer, and when the discharge of the sheet material by the sheet material discharge holding unit is suspended. It is also preferable that the operation information is notified to the host computer by the two-way communication means.

In addition, the apparatus is provided with a control operation for requiring the operator to start an image forming operation of the next sheet material by the host computer or the image forming apparatus main body every time the sheet material is discharged. It is also preferable that the sheet material discharge holding unit issues a start instruction regarding the image forming operation on behalf of the operator when the sheet material discharged to the paper discharge unit is removed.

The image forming means is of an ink jet type for forming an image by discharging ink onto a sheet material.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the sheet materials from overlapping in the paper discharge section.

Further, since the operation information of the image forming apparatus is notified to the host computer by the two-way communication means, the host computer warns the operator that the discharge of the ink jet recording apparatus is suspended. It becomes possible.

Each time a sheet material is discharged, an operator needs to start an image forming operation for the next sheet material from the host computer or the main body of the image forming apparatus. It is also possible to eliminate the need for a start instruction, thereby eliminating complicated operations and erroneous operations.

[0014]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus as an image forming apparatus embodying the present invention.
02 represents the whole of the ink jet recording apparatus.

In the present invention, the host computer 101
Is connected to the inkjet recording apparatus 102 by a bidirectional communication interface 103 as a bidirectional communication means capable of transmitting and receiving data bidirectionally between the inkjet recording apparatuses 102, and transmitting data from the host computer 101 to the inkjet recording apparatus 102. In addition, the host computer 101
Is configured to be able to transmit data to.

In the present invention, for the bidirectional communication interface 103, for example, an interface capable of performing bidirectional communication conforming to the IEEE-1284 standard is used.

Image data transmitted from the host computer 101 to the ink jet recording apparatus 102 and received by the two-way communication interface 103 is transferred to a print engine 104 as image forming means.
The print engine 104 actually prints (images) on a print sheet material as a sheet material.

The printing sheet material on which the image data is printed is
The paper is discharged onto a paper discharge tray 106 as a paper discharge unit by a paper discharge unit of the print engine 104.

The discharged print sheet material is supplied to the discharge tray 1
06, the sheet is detected by a sheet material sensor 105 serving as a sheet material detecting means.
The fact that there is a print sheet material on the sheet 6 is notified to a sheet discharge holding module 107 as a sheet material discharge holding unit.

The discharge holding module 107 detects that a print sheet material is placed on the discharge tray 106.
Suspends discharge when the printing operation of the next print sheet material, which is being executed by the print engine 104, is completed.

The print engine 104 placed in the paper discharge hold state notifies the bidirectional communication interface 103 that the paper discharge operation has been suspended, and the bidirectional communication interface 103 that has received the notification prints. The operation information of the engine 104 is transmitted to the host computer 101.

The host computer 1 that has been notified that the paper discharge operation has been suspended in the print engine 104
In step 01, the transmission of image data to the two-way communication interface 103 is stopped, and the operator is informed that the discharge operation is suspended in the inkjet recording apparatus 102.

If the print sheet material placed on the paper ejection tray 106 is removed while the paper ejection is suspended by the print engine 104, the sheet material sensor 1
At 05, the print sheet material is no longer detected, and the paper discharge holding module 107 releases the print engine 104 from the paper discharge holding state.

The print engine 104, which has released the hold, discharges the held sheet material to a discharge tray 106.
The sheet is discharged to the upper side, and the normal operation is notified to the two-way communication interface 103, and printing on the next print sheet material is started.

The two-way communication interface 103, which has been notified that the normal operation is being performed, transmits the operation information of the print engine 104 to the host computer 101, and is notified of the start of the normal operation. Is a two-way communication interface 103
, The transmission of image data is resumed, and the operator is notified that the inkjet recording apparatus 102 is operating normally.

In the print engine 104,
While printing is being performed on the next sheet material, the output tray 1
When the print sheet material placed on the sheet 06 is removed, the sheet material sensor 105 does not detect the print sheet material. .

If the discharge hold control is not performed,
The print engine 104 discharges the print sheet material onto the discharge tray 106 immediately after the printing operation is completed.

In this case, it is determined that the print engine 104 is operating normally.
3 and the two-way communication interface 103
Notifies the host computer 101 that it is operating normally.

From the two-way communication interface 103,
While the print engine 104 is notified that the print engine 104 is operating normally, the host computer 101 continues to transmit image data to the two-way communication interface 103. Indicates that it is running.

With this configuration, the next print sheet material is discharged from the print engine 104 onto the discharge tray 106 while the print sheet material is placed on the discharge tray 106. No, the output tray 10
It is possible to avoid that the printed sheet materials printed on 6 overlap each other.

Further, by removing the print sheet material placed on the discharge tray 106, the host computer 1
For 01, printing on the next print sheet material can be resumed without performing any operation.

[0032]

As described in the embodiments of the present invention, in the present invention, it is possible to prevent the sheet materials from overlapping in the sheet discharge section. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the image recorded on the sheet material from being disturbed.

Further, since the discharge control is performed by the image forming apparatus itself, not by the control from the host computer, when an image is being formed, an operation by the operator is performed on the host computer. It is possible to prevent the next sheet material from being ejected by the operation from the host computer even though the sheet material remains in the paper discharge section, which makes complicated operation and Erroneous operation can be eliminated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming apparatus embodying the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 101 Host computer 102 Ink jet recording apparatus (image forming apparatus) 103 Two-way communication interface (two-way communication means) 104 Print engine (image forming means) 105 Sheet material sensor (sheet material detecting means) 106 Discharge tray (discharge part) 107 sheet discharge holding module (sheet material discharge holding means)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI H04N 1/00 108 H04N 1/00 108K

Claims (4)

[Claims] An image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet material; a sheet discharging unit that discharges the sheet material on which the image is formed to a sheet discharging unit; and a sheet that detects the sheet material discharged to the sheet discharging unit. A sheet material detection unit; and a sheet material discharge holding unit that holds the discharge of the next sheet material discharged when the sheet material discharged to the paper discharge unit is detected by the sheet material detection unit. An image forming apparatus comprising: 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a bidirectional communication unit configured to bidirectionally transmit and receive data to and from a host computer. 2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation information is notified to the host computer by the two-way communication unit. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control operation for requiring an operator to start a next sheet material image forming operation with respect to the host computer or the image forming apparatus main body each time the sheet material is discharged. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the sheet material discharge holding unit issues a start instruction related to the image forming operation on behalf of the operator when the sheet material discharged to the sheet discharging unit is removed. apparatus. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image forming unit is of an inkjet type that forms an image by discharging ink onto a sheet material. .