Job ordering system for an image-forming machine

• US 6,608,990 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2000
• Issued: 08/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag
• Inventors: Gonnella, Jr., Alfred, Altrieth, III, Frederick E., Zimmer, Jr., James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, SUSAN SHUK YIN
• Application Number:
  US09/692,973
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 399/405, 399/404, 399/401, 399/403, 399/411, 399/407, 399/364, 399/82, 399/382
• US Class Current: 399/382
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2220/02 indicating an entity which is controlled, adjusted or changed by a control process, i.e. output
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2513/50 Timing
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 33/04 by inserting marker slips in pile or stream
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/655 Placing job divider sheet between set of sheets
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00586 duplex mode
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00894 Placing job divider sheet

Abstract

A job ordering system for an image-forming machine that transfers an image onto a sheet at essentially the same time in which an inserter places an inserted sheet into a sheet output path. The image-forming machine has image-forming equipment, a sheet output path, and an inserter. The image-forming equipment transfers an image onto a sheet and provides the sheet to the sheet output path. The inserter places an inserted sheet onto the sheet output path at essentially the same time as the image-forming equipment transfers the image onto the sheet. One or more images may be transferred onto a plurality of sheets according to a sheet sequence for an image-forming job. One or more inserted sheets may be placed on the sheet output path at one or more inserted sheet positions.

Claims

1. An image-forming machine with a job ordering system, comprising:

image-forming equipment to transfer at least one image onto sheets with interleave duplex;

a sheet output path operatively connected to receive the sheet from the image-forming machine; and

an inserter operatively disposed adjacent to the sheet output path, the inserter timed to place an inserted sheet onto the sheet output path into an interleave duplex space.

2. An image-forming machine according to claim 1, where the image-forming equipment comprises:

a photoconductor;

at primary charger operatively disposed to electrostatically charge the photoconductor;

an exposure machine operatively disposed to optically expose and form an electrostatic image on the photoconductor;

a toning station operatively disposed to apply toner on the photoconductor, the toner having a charge to adhere to the electrostatic image;

a transfer charger operatively disposed adjacent to the photoconductor, the transfer charger to transfer the toner from the photoconductor onto the sheet; and

a fuser station operatively disposed to receive the sheet from the transfer charger, the fuser station to fuse the toner to the sheet.

3. An image-forming machine according to claim 1, where the image-forming equipment is provided in a marking engine comprising a feeder assembly and an inverter, the feeder assembly to supply the sheet to the image-forming machine, the inverter to invert and return the sheet to the image-forming machine.

4. An image-forming machine according to claim 3, further comprising a finisher operatively connected to receive the sheet and the inserted sheet from the sheet output path.

5. An image-forming machine according to claim 1, further comprising an inverter operatively connected to the image-forming equipment, the invertor to receive the duplex sheet from the image-forming equipment, the invertor to invert and return the duplex sheet to the image-forming equipment.

6. An image-forming machine with a job ordering system, comprising:

image-forming equipment to trasfer at least one image onto a pluraility of sheets with interleave duplex according to a sheet sequence for an image-forming job, where the image-forming job has at least one inserted sheet position;

a sheet output path operatively connected to receive the plurality of sheets from the image-forming machine; and

an inserter operatively disposed adjacent to the sheet output path, the inserter timed to place at least one inserted sheet onto the sheet output path at the at least one inserted sheet position into an interleave duplex space.

7. An image-forming machine according to claim 6,

where the at least one image comprises a first image and a second image,

where the plurality of sheets comprises a first sheet and a second sheet,

where that at least one inserted sheet position comprises a first inserted sheet position and a second inserted sheet position,

where the image-forming equipment transfers the first image onto the first sheet in the first inserted sheet position,

where the image-forming equipment transfers the second image onto the second sheet in a second inserted sheet position, and

where the inserter places the at least one inserted sheet onto the sheet output path in at least one of the first and second inserted sheet positions.

8. An image-forming machine according to claim 7,

where the at least one inserted sheet comprises a first inserted sheet and a second inserted sheet,

where the inserter places the first inserted sheet onto the sheet output path in the first inserted sheet position, and

where the inserter places the second inserted sheet onto the sheet output path in the second inserted sheet position.

9. A method for ordering an image-forming job on an image-forming machine, comprising steps:

(a) transferring at least one image onto sheets with interleave duplex; and

(b) placing an inserted sheet onto an output sheet path into an interleave duplex space.

10. A method for ordering an image-forming job on an image-forming machine, comprising steps:

(a) transferring at least one image onto a plurality of sheets with interleave duplex according to a sheet sequence for an image-forming job, where the image-forming job has at least one inserted sheet position; and

placing at least one inserted sheet onto a sheet output path at the at least one inserted sheet position corresponding to an interleave duplex space.