Patent Grant
8103180
The present application is related to, claims priority from and incorporates by reference Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-113370, filed on Apr. 24, 2008.
The present invention relates to an image forming device for forming images on both sides of a recording medium.
In association with need diversification, such as conserving resources with electrographic image printers, demand for printing on both sides (double-sided printing) of a recording medium is becoming greater. In addition, maintaining print quality at the time of double-sided printing is also important, as are preventing misalignment of printed positions on both sides and preventing a difference in print size. However, in a medium heated by a heat fixer, moisture contained in the recording medium evaporates due to the heat, and as a result the recording medium shrinks after the fixing of front surface printing. Then, when printing is performed on a rear surface, it causes the printed position to shift and a difference in image size on the two sides.
Further, in many cases, a carrying direction is reversed and the recording medium is inverted by an inversion mechanism for double-sided printing. Therefore, a back end side at the time of printing the front surface will be a front end side at the time of printing the rear surface. Consequently, when the size of the medium is not uniform, a printing start position on the rear surface to be printed next may not be matched with the back end of the front surface printed first, and as a result, print margins are to be shifted on the two sides.
Japanese laid-open application publication number 2005-193615 discloses technology to make positional differences of the same image difficult to be realized in the case of printing both sides of the recording medium. According to the above Japanese laid-open publication, a medium supply detecting unit is arranged in the vicinity of an inlet of an image forming unit in an image forming device, the recording medium length is detected, and shrinkage of the recording medium before and after a fixing process of a recording medium to be carried first is calculated. Then, writing start timing to a recording medium to be carried next is corrected based upon the calculated shrinkage.
However, in the above cited patent reference, because the calculation result of the shrinkage is applied to the recording medium to be carried next, the writing start timing of the recording medium to be carried first is not always corrected.
The present invention is for maintaining a correct image position and image size in printing of a second surface of a recording medium in double-sided printing. In other words, a shrinkage factor of a recording medium to be carried first is detected, and the timing to start writing and the size of image data on the second surface are corrected based on the detected shrinkage factor.
In order to solve the aforementioned problems, the invention is an image forming device includes a medium carrying path configured to carry a recording medium, an image forming unit configured to form an image, based on image data, onto the recording medium carried on the medium carrying path, a fixing unit configured to fix the image formed by the image forming unit onto the recording medium, a medium inversion path configured to invert the recording medium where the image has been fixed onto the first surface by the fixing unit to the second surface, and to carry the recording medium to the image forming unit, a first measuring unit placed within the medium carrying path and configured to measure a size of the recording medium when the image is formed on the first surface by the image forming unit, a second measuring unit configured to measure the size of the recording medium prior to another image being formed on the second surface of the recording medium by the image forming unit, and a control unit configured to change the size of the printing range based upon the image data that is used to form the image on the second surface of the recording medium in accordance with a ratio of the size of the recording medium measured by the first measuring unit to the size of the recording medium measured by the second measuring unit.
The present invention is, for double-sided printing, to change image size and an image position at printing of the second surface of a first recording medium. In other words, an image forming device that enables double-sided printing without printed position shift on two sides and prevents any difference in image size from the first recording medium to be carried can be provided.
The medium length measuring unit 105 is placed in the vicinity of a roller-pair nip part comprising the registration roller 104, and detects the front and back ends of the recording medium P passing the registration roller 104. When the medium length measuring unit 105 is turned on by an optical path of the optical sensor being blocked with the front end of the recording medium P to be carried on the medium path 141, a not-illustrated control means starts to count a drive pulse of a not-illustrated motor to rotate a not-illustrated belt drive roller of the medium path 141. In the meantime, when the medium length measuring unit 105 is turned off by the optical path of the optical sensor being released with the back end of the recording medium P, the control means finishes counting the drive pulse of the motor.
Herewith, the medium length measuring unit 105 is designed to send information about the count start and count end for the drive pulses to a recording medium length calculating comparing unit (RMLCC unit) 106 to be described later, as a detection result. The RMLCC unit 106 is configured to calculate the length of the recording medium P from a sum of the pulse number of the drive pulses. In addition, the medium length measuring unit 105 is connected to the RMLCC unit 106, and the RMLCC unit 106 is connected to an image data control unit 107.
An image forming unit 108 is composed of photoreceptor drums 108K, 108Y, 108M and 108C (or one embodiment of a photoreceptor body) for forming an image; an LED head 108L arranged to face the photoreceptor drums 108K, 108Y, 108M and 108C as exposure devices to expose the photoreceptor drums 108K, 108Y, 108M and 108C using a light-emitting diode as a light source; a transferring belt unit 108B, and so on. The image forming unit 108 is controlled by the image data control unit 107, and forms an image on the recording medium P according to a predetermined image formation process. The image forming unit 108 forms an image on one side of the recording medium P by synchronizing with registration roller 104, and then by carrying the recording medium P to a downstream image fixing means 109.
The image fixing means 109 is composed of a roller pair 109A and 109B pressured by predetermined contact pressure, and the roller pair incorporates heaters 109C and 109D for heating, respectively. A carriage detecting unit 110 detects a passage of the recording medium P where an image has been fixed by the image fixing means 109. A carrier roller pair 111 is placed ahead of the carriage detecting unit 110, and a separator 161 to separate the carrying direction of the recording medium P to a medium ejection path 120 or a medium inversion path 151 is arranged at the downstream side of the carrier roller pair 111. The separator 161 is switched and driven to one of the two directions at the time of ejection/inversion of the recording medium P, based on the control of a not-illustrated control unit.
The medium ejection path 120 is a path to eject the recording medium P where an image has been fixed by an ejection roller pair 117. In the meantime, the medium inversion path 151, in the case of double-sided printing, is a path to invert the recording medium P from a first surface to a second surface by the medium inversion roller pair 162 and an evacuation path 163, and in addition, to re-guide the recording medium P to the image forming unit 108 by paper re-feeding carrier roller pairs 114, 115 and 116.
The medium inversion roller pair 162 is a positively- and negatively-rotatable recording medium inversion means driven based on the control of not-illustrated control unit. The medium inversion roller pair 162 temporarily carries the recording medium P to be carried from the separator 161 to the evacuation path 163. An inversion guide 164 is placed between the separator 161 and the medium inversion roller pair 162. After the medium inversion roller pair 162 guides the recording medium P to the evacuation path 163 for evacuation and the back end of the recording medium P passes the inversion guide 164, the medium inversion roller pair 162 is inversely rotated due to the control of the control unit. Then, the back end of the recording medium P becomes a front end and the recording medium P doubles back at the inversion guide 164, and the recording medium P is carried to the medium inversion path 151. Thus, for the recording medium P, the carrying direction is inverted back to front; concurrently, the two sides are inverted.
A carrier detecting means 113 placed on a medium inversion path 151 detects the recording medium P carried on the medium inversion path 151 in order to re-carry the recording medium P whose two sides are inverted to the image forming unit 108. In addition, the paper re-feeding carrier roller pairs 114, 115 and 116 are driven and controlled by not-illustrated drive system and control unit, and carry the recording medium P to the registration roller 104 for re-feeding.
A second medium length measuring unit (SMLM unit) 217 is placed in the vicinity of the paper re-feeding carrier roller pair 114 within the medium inversion path 151. The SMLM unit 217 is arranged in the vicinity of the nip part of the paper re-feeding carrier roller pair 114 in order to enhance the detection accuracy of the recording medium P, and detects the front and back ends of the recording medium P to be carried similarly to the medium length measuring unit 105.
When the SMLM unit 217 is turned on by blocking the optical path of the optical sensor with the front end of the recording medium P to be carried on the medium inversion path 151, a not-illustrated control means starts counting a drive pulse of a not-illustrated motor to rotate a not-illustrated belt drive roller in the medium inversion path 151. In the meantime, when the SMLM unit 217 is turned off by releasing the optical path of the optical sensor with the back end of the recording medium P, the control means finishes counting the drive pulse of the motor.
Herewith, the SMLM unit 217 is designed to send information about the count start and count end for the drive pulses to the RMLCC unit 106 to be described later, as a detection result. The RMLCC 106 is configured to calculate the length of the recording medium P from a sum of the pulse number of drive pulses.
Herein, the relationship between the position to place the SMLM unit 217 and the maximum size of a two-sided printable recording medium P in the image forming device 1 is explained. A point A1 shown in
The first distance from the point A1 as the measurement position of the SMLM unit 217 to the point A2 as the transfer position should be greater than length of the maximum size of the recording medium P. This is because, as described later, after the length of the second surface of the recording medium P is measured, it is necessary to calculate a shrinkage factor α, to correct the image data of the second surface, and then to print the image. Therefore, preferably, the second distance from the point A1 as the measurement position of the SMLM unit 217, to the position A3 as the front end position at the time of exposure start, should be greater than the medium length of the maximum size of recording medium P. For example, when it is possible for the image forming device 1 to double-sided-print A3 paper, the second distance from the point A1 as the measurement position to the point A3 as the front end position at the time of exposure start, should be longer than the 420 mm, which is the length of A3 paper in the lengthwise direction.
Furthermore, a difference between the first distance from the point A1 as the measurement position to the point A2 as the transfer position and the second distance from the point A1 as the measurement position to the point A3 as the front end position at the time of exposure start is equivalent to a distance on the circumference (or circumferential distance) of the photoreceptor drum 108K from the position A4 as the exposure start position to the point A2 as the transfer position.
Further, the SMLM unit 217 is connected to the RMLCC unit 106 similarly to the medium length measuring unit 105.
After the recording medium P is carried on the medium inversion path 151, an image is formed on the second surface, which is the opposite side where the image has already been formed, with the same process as that at the time of the image formation to the first surface of the recording medium P, which is re-fed to the registration roller 104. After the image fixing means 109 re-fixes the image, the separator 161 is switched to the eject side. The carrier roller pair 111 and the ejection roller pair 117 eject the recording medium P to the outside of the device via the medium ejection path 120.
In the meantime, the information as a detection result of the front and back ends of the first surface of the recording medium P detected by the medium length measuring unit 105 is sent to the RMLCC unit 106. In addition, the information as a detection result of the front and back ends of the second surface of the recording medium P detected by the SMLM unit 217 is also sent to the RMLCC unit 106. The RMLCC unit 106 has storing units 106A and 106B for at least two recording media, and the detection results from the medium length measuring unit 105 and the SMLM unit 217 can be separately stored, respectively.
In other words, the information about the front and back ends of the first surface of the recording medium P sent by the medium length measuring unit 105 is calculated as the length P×L1 of the recording medium P, and the value is stored in the storing unit 106A. The information about the front and back ends of the second surface of the recording medium P sent by the SMLM unit 217 is calculated as the length P×L2 of the recording medium P, and the result is stored in the storing unit 106B.
In addition, it is possible for the RMLCC unit 106 to compare the information P×L1 and P×L2 stored in the storing unit 106A and 106B, respectively. The comparison is calculated as the shrinkage factor: α=P×L2/P×L1, and the result is sent to the image data control unit 107.
The image data control unit 107 controls to form an image without any special process of image data from the higher-level device 20 at the time of normal image formation or the image formation on the first surface in the double-sided printing. Further, when the information about the shrinkage factor α, which is a comparison result of the length of the recording medium P, is sent by the RMLCC unit 106, the image data control unit 107 controls so as to change the size of an image based upon the comparison result. In other words, the image data control unit 107 controls the size of an image to be formed on the second surface of the recording medium P based upon the information about the shrinkage factor α, and the image forming unit 108 forms an image.
Next, performance of the image forming device 1 regarding the first embodiment is explained. In
When the paper feeding detecting means 103 arranged at the downstream side of the paper feeding unit 101 detects paper feeding of the recording medium P1, the registration roller 104 carries the recording medium P1 to the image forming unit 108. The image forming unit 108 is synchronized with the registration roller 104, and forms an image based upon the image data controlled by the image data control unit 107 with the predetermined image formation process.
At this time, the medium length measuring unit 105 detects a front end of the recording medium P1 carried from the registration roller 104 toward the image forming unit 108, and when the back end of the recording medium P1 passes through the medium length measuring unit 105 in association with the carrying of the recording medium P1, the medium length measuring unit 105 detects the back end. Based upon the detection result, the RMLCC unit 106 calculates the length of the recording medium P1, and stores information about the length P1L1 of the recording medium P1 on the first surface in the storing unit 106A.
An image is transferred and formed on one side of the recording medium P1 to the image forming unit 108, and the recording medium P1 is carried to the downstream image fixing means 109. The image fixing means 109 fixes the image onto the recording medium P1 with heat and pressure of the roller pairs 109A and 109B heated by the heaters 109C and 109D, and the image formation to the first surface is completed.
At the time of double-sided printing for forming an image on the second surface of the recording medium P1 to be carried first, a carriage detecting unit 110 detects the passage of the recording medium P1 where the image has been fixed by the image fixing means 109 and the separator 161 guides the recording medium P1 to a medium inversion roller 162. The medium inversion roller pair 162 temporarily carries the recording medium P1 carried from the separator 161 to the evacuation path 163. After the back end of the recording medium P passes through the inversion guide 164, the medium inversion roller pair 162 is inversely rotated due to the control of the control unit. The back end of the recording medium P becomes a front end and doubles back through the inversion guide 164, and the recording medium P is carried to the medium inversion path 151. Thus, the carrying direction of the recording medium P is inverted; concurrently, the two sides are inverted. Then, the paper re-feeding carrier roller pairs 114, 115 and 116 are driven and controlled by not-illustrated drive system and control unit, and re-feed the recording medium P to the registration roller 104.
At this time, the SMLM unit 217 detects the front end of the recording medium P1 carried on the medium inversion path 151 toward the image forming unit 108, and then detects the back end when the back end of the recording medium P1 passes through the SMLM unit 217 in association with the carriage of the recording medium P1. The RMLCC unit 106 calculates the length of the recording medium P1 based upon the detection result, and stores the information about length P1L2 of the recording medium on the second surface in the storing unit 106B.
The image forming unit 108 forms an image on the second surface with the same process as that at the time of the printing the first surface, and the image fixing means 109 fixes the image onto the second surface of the recording medium P1. Then, the passage of the recording medium P is detected by the carriage detecting unit 110, and the recording medium P is ejected to the outside of the device by the carrier roller pair 111 and the ejection roller pair 117, and the image formation on both sides is completed.
As described above, when the recording medium lengths P1L1 and P1L2 are stored in the storing units 106A and 106B of the RMLCC unit 106, the RMLCC unit 106 calculates a shrinkage factor α1 (S103). The RMLCC unit 106 sends the calculated shrinkage factor α1 to the image data control unit 107. The image data control unit 107 corrects the image data sent from the higher-level device 20 based upon the shrinkage factor α1 and determines the size of the image data to be printed on the second surface (S104). When the image data control unit 107 sends the image data to the image forming unit 108, the image forming unit 108 forms an image on the second surface of the recording medium P based upon this image data (S105).
Similarly, in printing of the second recording medium P, the medium length measuring unit 105 detects the length of the first surface of the second medium P2L1 (S106). Then, the recording medium P is carried to the image forming unit 108 and the first surface is printed, and the image fixing means 109 fixes the image. The recording medium P is sent to the medium inversion path 151, and the SMLM unit 217 detects the length of the second surface of the second medium P2L2 (S107).
When the recording medium lengths P2L1 and P2L2 are stored in the storing units 106A and 106B of the RMLCC unit 106, the RMLCC unit 106 calculates a shrinkage factor α2 (S108). The RMLCC unit 106 sends the calculated shrinkage factor α2 to the image data control unit 107. The image data control unit 107 corrects the image data sent from the higher-level device 20 based upon the shrinkage factor α2, and determines the size of the image data to be printed onto the second surface (S109). When the image data control unit 107 sends the image data to the image forming unit 108, the image forming unit 108 forms the image on the second surface of the recording medium P based upon this image forming unit 108 (S110). Hereafter, this process is repeated.
This enables the correction of the image data in printing of the second surface from the (first) recording medium P1 to be carried first. Further, the measurement of the recording medium length P2L2 at the time of printing the second surface of the (second) recording medium P2 and the calculation of the shrinkage factor α according to the comparison with the length P2L1 at the time of printing the first surface enable the maintenance of the information about the shrinkage factor α of the recording medium P always as latest.
Next, a correction method for size of image data to be formed on the second surface is described with an illustrative example.
An important point at this time is to align the positions X1-1 and X2-1 for starting printing the image data in the distance from the front ends E1-1 and E2-1 of the recording medium P. Specifically, when the original image data is set to start printing from the position at distance 5 mm away from the front end E1-1 of the first surface of the recording medium P in the carrying direction F, for the second surface of the recording medium P, the shrinkage factor α=99.66% is applied and printing is started from the position 4.983 mm away from the front end E2-1 of the second surface.
Alignment of the positions X1-1 and X2-1 to start printing the image data has a meaning as mentioned next. Namely, when the recording medium P with A4 size is printed by transverse feeding, the front end on the first surface becomes the back end of the second surface. The printing start position of the front end on the second surface can be aligned so as to uniform the margin at the front end on the first surface and the margin at the back end on the second surface, i.e., writing timing can be adjusted. Thus, because the margins on two sides at one side of the recording medium P with A4 size can be unified, the same binding margins can be secured on two sides for book binding or filing.
In addition, in the image forming device 1 of this embodiment, if a resolution of the image forming unit 108 is 1,200 dpi (dpi indicates the number of dots per inch; in this case, the number of dots is 1,200 per inch) both in the main scanning direction and sub scanning direction, the size of one dot is approximately 0.02 mm. Further, if the change in the length per inch (1-shrinkage factor α) is converted into the number of dots of the image forming unit 108, this is equivalent to the reduction in length for four dots (one dot per 300 dots) per inch (1,200 dots).
Therefore, aligning the position and size of the entire image between the first surface and the second surface of the recording medium P can be realized, as shown in
Next, the size of the recording medium P is generally ‘variable’ per recording medium P, and a method to handle with this variation is explained. In other words, when the size of the recording medium P in the carrying direction is different from a specified value from the point before the image formation on the first surface, a method of aligning the printing start position is explained. Furthermore, in the recording medium inversion mechanism of the image forming device 1 used in this embodiment, the carrying direction on the occasion of inversion of the recording medium P becomes back to the front as similar to the above-mentioned case. In other words, because the back end side at the time of image formation on the first surface becomes the front end side at the time of image formation on the second surface, it is necessary that the print starting position at the time of image formation on the second surface is aligned with the printing end position of the back end on the first surface.
During the process to form an image on the first surface, when the measurement result of the length of the recording medium P is different from the expected size for image formation, for example, when the length of the recording medium P is supposed to be 297 mm because of A4 size, a case where the measurement result of the length of the recording medium is 298 mm is explained.
Further, M-1 in the diagram indicates the actual length of the recording medium P with A4 size (298 mm), and M-2 indicates the original length of the recording medium P with A4 size (297 mm). As similar to the mentioned above, E1-1 indicates the front end of the recording medium P when the first surface of the recording medium P is carried toward the carrying direction F, and E1-2 indicates the back end of the recording medium P in the similar condition. X1-1 indicates the printing start position on the first surface of the recording medium, and X1-2 indicates the printing end position on the first surface of the recording medium.
When the shrinkage factor α of the recording medium P after the image formation on the first surface is calculated at 99.66%, it is assumed that the image formed on the first surface starts from the position 5 mm away from the front end E1-1 of the recording medium P and ends at 287 mm of the distance from there. Therefore, a front end margin D1-1 of the front end E1-1 in the carrying direction F of the recording medium on the first surface of the recording medium P is 5 mm. Further, similarly, an actual back end margin of the back end E1-2 is D1-2 (6 mm). Furthermore, according to the original length M-2 of the recording medium P with A4 size is D1-2′ (5 mm).
After the image is fixed onto the recording medium P, since shrinkage of the recording medium P results in the shift of the printing start position X1-1 on the first surface after the image formation to a printing start position X′1-1, the front end margin D1-1 is changed to a front end margin D′1-1 (4.98 mm). Further, for the back end E1-2 portion, since the printing end position X1-2 on the first surface of the recording medium P becomes X′1-2, the back end margin D1-2 (6 mm) is changed to a back end margin D′1-2 (5.98 mm).
In other words, although the margin at the back end E1-2 side on the first surface of the recording medium at the time of the image formation on the first surface is superficially the back end margin D1-2′ (5 mm), in actuality, it is the back end margin D1-2 (6 mm). In the meantime, in the state where the recording medium P shrinks after the image is fixed, the margin at the back end E1-2 side on the first surface of the recording medium P is the back end margin D′1-2 (approximately 5.98 mm).
In the meantime, after passing through the image fixing means 109, when the two sides of the recording medium P are inverted and become back to front, the carrying direction F of the recording medium P becomes a carrying direction G, and the front end of the recording medium P becomes E2-1 and the back end becomes E2-2. On the second surface of the recording medium P, an image is formed by the image forming unit 108.
Furthermore, herein, in the image forming unit 108 on the second surface, when a position of the image data is not controlled, the front end printing start position is X′2-1, and the margin from the front end E2-1 becomes D′2-1 (4.98 mm). However, it is necessary that the printing start position X2-1 on the second surface is matched with the printing end position X′1-2 on the first surface. Therefore, the writing start timing is controlled so as to adjust the printing start position on the second surface to X2-1 by aligning with the printing end position X′1-2 at the back end E1-2 side on the first surface. Then, the front end margin D2-1 (5.98 mm) on the second surface is matched with the back end margin D′1-2 (5.98 mm) on the first surface.
In the meantime, it is necessary that the printing end position X2-2 on the second surface is matched with the printing start position X′1-1 on the first surface. Therefore, the size of the image data is controlled to adjust the printing end position on the second surface to X2-2 by aligning with the printing start position X′1-1 at the front end E1-1 side on the first surface. This size of the image data is controlled by thinning the image data using the method shown in
As described above, in the timing of the image formation on the second surface, the printing start position X2-1 becomes controllable based upon the printing end position X′1-2, which is the actual image data on the first surface of the recording medium P. Therefore, the front end margin D2-1 on the second surface can be aligned with the back end margin D′1-2 on the first surface.
Further, even in the image size on the second surface, it is possible to control the size to the printing end position X2-2 by aligning with the printing start position X′1-1 on the first surface. The image size from the printing start position X2-1 to the printing end position X2-2 can be controlled by thinning the image data in between. Therefore, the front end margin D2-2 on the second surface can be aligned to the back end margin D′1-1 on the first surface.
In addition, on the occasion of printing a plurality of recording mediums P, because the respective length of the recording mediums P is measured and the shrinkage factor α before and after passing through the fixing unit, even if there is variation in length and/or shrinkage in each recording medium P, the writing start position and image size can be determined by corresponding to the respective recording medium P.
Actual control is conducted using the following expression based upon the shrinkage factor α of the detected recording medium P:
Printing start position on the second surface X={(PL1−PL)+X original}×shrinkage factor α
Image data thinning interval D=1200/{(25.4−25.4×shrinkage factor α)/(25.4/1200)}
Herein,
In this embodiment, the case of shrinking the actually-formed data with regard to the original data is used as an example, the method to control the size of image by thinning the image data is adopted; however, this is also applicable to the case of expanding image data, and in that case, the image size is controlled so as to interpolate the image data.
Further, regarding the control method for image data, any method is adoptable as long the method is to change data size for actual image formation compared to the original data of the image. For example, the control can be realized using a method for changing drive frequency of a motor, which is an exposure means of the image forming unit 108 or a driving source to carry the recording medium P.
Further, in this embodiment, the control of image data in the carrying direction of the recording medium P has been described; however, it is possible to similarly control the image data in a direction perpendicular to the carrying direction by using the shrinkage factor α of the recording medium P obtained by detecting the carrying direction.
Furthermore, in this embodiment, a reflective optical sensor was used as the medium length measuring unit 105; however, the detecting means is not limited to this sensor. Any means that can detect the ends of the recording medium P, such as a mechanical sensor or an ultrasonic sensor, is applicable. Further, in this embodiment, an LED head system using a light-emitting diode is used as the exposure means to the photoreceptor drum; however, a laser head of a semiconductor laser is also applicable.
Thus, according to the first embodiment, separately from the means to measure the length of the first surface of the recording medium P, after the image formation process on the first surface, the SMLM unit for measuring the length of the recording medium P is placed, for example, within the medium inversion path 151 after passing through the image fixing means 109, and this placement enables the measurement of the actual shrinkage factor α of the recording medium P to pass the image fixing means 109. This enables the control of image data at the time of double-sided printing from the first recording medium P. In addition, because the image data can be controlled to the recording medium P itself whose length is measured, it is possible to more certainly control the position of both sides at the time of double-sided printing based upon the shrinkage factor α, i.e., to control the writing start timing on the second surface and to control the image size, i.e., the size of image data from the writing start to the end.
In addition, it is possible to form an image with high positional accuracy without being affected by the dimension variation of the recording media themselves. Furthermore, the position to place the SMLM unit 217 for detecting the length of the recording medium P can be any position as long as it is in a position to calculate the shrinkage before the image formation process, and it shall not be always limited to within the medium inversion path 151.
Next, a second embodiment is explained. In the first embodiment, the medium length measuring unit 105 and the SMLM unit 217 are for measuring the length of the recording medium P in the carrying direction; however, in the second embodiment, a medium width measuring unit 305 and a second medium width measuring unit (SMWM unit) 317 are for measuring the width vertically to the carrying direction of the recording medium P.
The medium width measuring unit 305 is a line sensor arranged in a broader range than the carriable maximum recording medium width in the direction perpendicular to the recording medium carrying direction of the image forming device 1, and detects the width of passing recording medium P. The medium width measuring unit 305 is placed in the vicinity of the nip of the roller pair comprising the registration roller 104, and detects the width of the recording medium P passing under the registration roller 104.
The image forming unit 108 is composed of the photoreceptor drums 108K, 108Y, 108M and 108C for forming an image; the LED head 108L arranged so as to face the photoreceptor drums 108K, 108Y, 108M and 108C as the exposure means to expose photoreceptor drums 108K, 108Y, 108M and 108C using a light-emitting diode as a light source; and the transferring belt unit 108B. The image forming unit 108 is controlled by the image data control unit 107, and forms an image on the recording medium P by the predetermined image formation process. The image forming unit 108 forms an image on one side of the recording medium P by synchronizing with the registration roller 104, and then, carries the recording medium P to the downstream image fixing means 109.
The image fixing means 109 is composed of a roller pair 109A and 109B pressured by predetermined contact pressure, and the roller pair incorporates heaters 109C and 109D for heating, respectively. The carriage detecting unit 110 detects a passage of the recording medium P where an image has been fixed by the image fixing means 109. The carrier roller pair 111 is placed ahead of the carriage detecting unit 110, and the separator 161 to separate the carrying direction of the recording medium P to a medium ejection path 120 and a medium inversion path 151 is arranged downstream. The separator 161 is switched and driven to one of the two directions at the time of ejection/inversion of the recording medium due to the control of a not-illustrated control unit.
The medium ejection path 120 is a path to eject the recording medium P where an image has been fixed by an ejection roller pair 117. In the meantime, the medium inversion path 151, in the case of double-sided printing, is a path to invert the recording medium P from a first surface to a second surface by the medium inversion roller pair 162 and the evacuation path 163, and in addition, to re-guide the recording medium P to the image forming unit 108 by the paper re-feeding carrier roller pairs 114, 115 and 116.
The medium inversion roller pair 162 is positively- and negatively-rotatable recording medium inversion means driven by the control of not-illustrated control unit. The medium inversion roller pair 162 temporarily carries the recording medium P to be carried from the separator 161 to the evacuation path 163. The inversion guide 164 is placed between the separator 161 and the medium inversion roller pair 162. After the medium inversion roller pair 162 guides the recording medium P to the evaluation path 163 for evacuation and the back end of the recording medium passes the inversion guide 164, the medium inversion roller pair 162 is inversely rotated due to the control of the control unit. Then, the back end of the recording medium P becomes a front end and the recording medium P doubles back at the inversion guide 164, and the recording medium P is carried to the medium inversion path 151. Thus, in the recording medium P, the carrying direction is inverted back to front; concurrently, the two sides are inverted.
The carrier detecting means 113 placed on the medium inversion path 151 detects the recording medium P carried on the medium inversion path 151 in order to re-carry the recording medium P whose two sides are inverted to the image forming unit 108. In addition, the paper re-feeding carrier roller pairs 114, 115 and 116 are driven and controlled by not-illustrated drive system and control unit, and carry the recording medium P to the registration roller 104 for re-feeding.
The SMWM unit 317 is arranged in the vicinity of the nip part of the paper re-feeding carrier roller pair 114 on the medium inversion path 141 in order to enhance the detection accuracy of the recording medium P, and detects the width of the carried recording medium P as similar to the medium width measuring unit 305. The SMWM unit 317 is a line sensor arranged in a broader range than the carriable maximum recording medium width in the direction perpendicular to the recording medium carrying direction of the image forming device 1, and detects the width of passing recording medium P.
Since the SMWM unit 317 has a similar configuration as that of the medium width measuring unit 305 shown in
After carrying on the medium inversion path 151, in the recording medium re-fed to the registration roller 104, an image is formed on the second surface at the opposite side from that where the image was previously formed, with the same process as the image formation to the first surface. After the image fixing means 109 re-fixs the image, the separator 161 is switched to the ejection side. The carrier roller pair 111 and the ejection roller pair 117 eject the recording medium P to outside of the device via the medium ejection path 120.
In the meantime, the information about the detection result of width of the first surface of the recording medium P detected by the medium width measuring unit 305 is sent to the RMWCC unit 306. In addition, information about the detection result of the width of the second surface of the recording medium P detected by the SMWM unit 317 is also sent to the RMWCC unit 306. The RMWCC unit 306 has storing units 306A and 306B at least for two recording mediums, and the detection results from the medium width measuring unit 305 and the SMWM unit 317 are stored, respectively.
In other words, the information about the width of the first surface of the recording medium P sent by the medium width measuring unit 305 is calculated as the width P×W1 of the recording medium P, and stored in the storing unit 306A. The information about the width of the second surface of the recording medium sent by the SMWM unit 317 is calculated as the width P×W2 of the recording medium P, and stored in the storing unit 306B.
In addition, the RMWCC unit 306 can compare the information P×W1 and P×W2 stored in the storing units 306A and 306B. For the comparison, the shrinkage factor α=P×W2/P×W1 is calculated, and the result is sent to the image data control unit 107.
The image data control unit 107 controls so as to form an image without any special processing of the image data from the higher-level device 20 at the time of the first screen image formation upon the normal image formation or double-sided printing. Further, when the RMWCC unit 306 provides the information about the shrinkage factor α, which is the width comparison result of the recording medium P, the image data control unit 107 controls so as to change the image size based upon the comparison result. In other words, the image data control unit 107 controls the size of an image to be formed on the second surface of the recording medium P based upon the information about the shrinkage factor α, and the image forming unit 108 forms an image.
Next, the performance of the image forming device 1 regarding the first embodiment is explained. In
When the paper feeding detecting means 103 arranged at the downstream side of the paper feeding unit 101 detects paper feeding, the registration roller 104 carries the recording medium P1 to the image forming unit 108. The image forming unit 108 synthesizes with the registration roller 104, and forms an image based upon the image data controlled by the image data control unit 107 with the predetermined image formation process.
At this time, the medium width measuring unit 305 detects the width of the recording medium P1 to be carried toward the image forming unit 108 from the registration roller 104. Based upon the detection result, the RMWCC unit 306 calculates the width of the recording medium P1, and stores the information about the recording medium width P1W1 on the first surface in the storing unit 106A.
An image is transferred and formed on one surface side of the recording medium P1 carried to the image forming unit 108, and the recording medium P1 is carried to the image fixing means 109. The image fixing means 109 fixes the image onto the recording medium P1 due to heat and pressure by the roller pairs 109A and 109B heated by the heaters 109C and 109D, and the image formation to the first surface is completed.
In the double-sided printing to form an image on the second surface of the recording medium P1 to be carried first, a passage of the recording medium P1 where the image has been fixed by the image fixing means 109 is detected by the carriage detecting unit 110, and the recording medium P1 is guided to the medium inversion roller pair 162 by the separator 161. The medium inversion roller pair 162 temporarily carries the recording medium P carried from the separator 161 to the evacuation path 163. After the back end of the recording medium P has passed the inversion guide 164, the medium inversion roller pair 162 is reversely rotated by the control of the control unit. The back end of the recording medium P becomes a front end and doubles back at the inversion guide 164, and the recording medium P is carried to the medium inversion path 151. Thus, in the recording medium P, the carrying direction is inverted back to front; concurrently, the two sides are inverted. Then, the paper re-feeding roller pairs 114, 115 and 116 are driven and controlled by the not-illustrated drive system and control unit, and the recording medium P is re-fed and carried to the registration roller 104.
At this time, the SMWM unit 317 detects the width of the recording medium P1 to be carried on the medium inversion path 151 toward the image forming unit 108. Based upon the detection result, the RMWCC unit 306 detects the width of the recording medium P1, and stores the information about the recording medium width P1W2 of the second surface in the storing unit 306B.
The image forming unit 108 forms an image on the second surface with the same process as that at the time of printing on the first surface, and the image fixing means 109 fixes the image onto the second surface of the recording medium P1. Then, the passage of the recording medium P is notified by the carriage detecting unit 110, and the recording medium P is ejected by the carrier roller pair 111 and the ejecting roller pair 117, and the image formation to two sides is completed.
As described above, when the recording medium widths P1W1 and P1W2 are stored in the storing units 306A and 306B of the RMWCC unit 306, respectively, the RMWCC unit 306 calculates the shrinkage factor α1 (S203). The RMWCC unit 306 sends the calculated shrinkage factor α1 to the image data control unit 107. The image data control unit 107 corrects the image data sent from the higher-level device 20 based upon the shrinkage factor α1, and determines the size of the image data to be printed onto the second surface (S204). When the image data control unit 107 sends the image data to the image forming unit 108, the image forming unit 108 forms an image on the second surface of the recording medium P based on the image data (S205).
Similarly, in printing of the second recording medium P, the medium width measuring unit 305 detects the width P2W1 on the first surface (S206). Then, the recording medium P is carried to the image forming unit 108, and the first surface is printed and the image is fixed by the image fixing means 109. The recording medium P is sent to the medium inversion path 151, and the SMWM unit 217 detects the width P2W2 on the second surface of the second medium (S207).
When the recording medium widths P2W1 and P2W2 are stored in the storing units 306A and 306B of the RMWCC unit 306, respectively, the RMWCC unit 306 calculates the shrinkage factor α2 (S208). The RMWCC unit 306 sends the calculated shrinkage factor α2 to the image data control unit 107. The image data control unit 107 corrects the image data sent from the higher-level device 20 based upon the shrinkage factor α2, and determines the size of image data to be printed onto the second surface (S209). When the image data control unit 107 sends the image data to the image forming unit 108, the image forming unit 108 forms an image on the second surface of the recording medium P (S210). Thereafter, this process is repeated.
With this process, the correction of image data in the printing of the second surface is available from even the first recording medium P1 that is initially carried to a subsequent medium. Further, the measurement of the recording medium width P2W2 at the time of printing the second surface of the (second) recording medium P2 and calculation of the shrinkage factor α2 according to the comparison with the width P2W1 at the time of printing the first surface enable the maintenance of the information about the shrinkage factor α of the recording medium P to always be current.
Thus, since the effect on carriage variation of the recording medium P is excluded by calculating the shrinkage factor α of the recording medium P based upon the measurement result of the width of the recording medium P, it is possible to lessen a measurement error in the shrinkage factor α, and to more accurately adjust an image.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-113370 | Apr 2008 | JP | national |
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5285247 | Itoh | Feb 1994 | A |
| 6813451 | Wibbels | Nov 2004 | B2 |
| 7062217 | Tsukamoto et al. | Jun 2006 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| A-2002-338084 | Nov 2002 | JP |
| A-2004-129069 | Apr 2004 | JP |
| 2005-193615 | Jul 2005 | JP |
| A-2006-171556 | Jun 2006 | JP |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20090269091 A1 | Oct 2009 | US |
