Printing apparatus

• US 8,538,309 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Ban, Naomichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Colilla, Daniel J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ha, Nguyen Q
• Application Number:
  US12/732,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20110076076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,271 Days
• Field of Search: 399/364, 399/401
• US Class Current: 399/364
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 15/234 by inverting and refeeding the image receiving material with an image on one face to the recording member to transfer a second image on its second face, e.g. by using a duplex tray; Details of duplex trays or inverters
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00734 of sheet size
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00945 Copy material feeding speed varied over the feed path
• CPC Class Codes: G03G 2215/00949 Copy material feeding speed switched according to current mode of the apparatus, e.g. colour mode

Abstract

A printing apparatus comprising: a printing section including a conveyer, a reconveyer, and a printer; a sensor; a determination section; and a controller. The determination section determines whether a pair of the first sheet and the second sheet is eligible for the high-speed duplex printing based on the combination of the length of the first sheet and the length of the second sheet before the second sheet conveyed by the reconveyer. The controller controls the printing section to convey the first sheet and the second sheet to the reconveyer when the pair of the length of the first sheet and the second sheet is eligible for the high-speed duplex printing, and controls the printing section to eject at least one of the first and the second sheet when the pair of the length of the first and the second sheets is not eligible for the high-speed duplex printing.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus comprising:

a printing section comprising;

a conveyer configured for conveying a first sheet and a second sheet subsequent to the first sheet;

a printer configured for printing one surface and the other surface of the first sheet, and printing one surface and the other surface of the second sheet; and

a reconveyer configured for conveying the first sheet after printing the one surface of the first sheet and conveying the second sheet after printing the one surface of the second sheet,

wherein the printing section is configured for performing a high-speed duplex printing where the printer prints the one surface of the first sheet, the one surface of the second sheet after the first sheet is in the reconveyer, and the other surface of the first sheet in this order;

a sensor configured for determining a length of the first sheet while the conveyer conveys the first sheet and a length of the second sheet while the conveyer conveys the second sheet;

a determination section configured for determining whether a pair of the first sheet and the second sheet is eligible for the high-speed duplex printing based on the combination of the length of the first sheet and the length of the second sheet after the second sheet is conveyed by the conveyer and before the second sheet is conveyed by the reconveyer; and

a controller configured for controlling the printing section to convey the first sheet and the second sheet to the reconveyer when the determination section determines the pair of the length of the first sheet and the length of the second sheet is eligible for the high-speed duplex printing, and controlling the printing section to eject at least one of the first sheet and the second sheet when the determination section determines the pair of the length of the first sheet and the length of the second sheet is not eligible for the high-speed duplex printing,

wherein the second sheet is ejected before being conveyed by the reconveyer when the determination section determines the pair of the length of the first sheet and the length of the second sheet is not eligible for the high-speed duplex printing, and

wherein the controller is configured for controlling the printing section to continue printing on the other surface of the first sheet and to control the printing section to print contents to be printed on the one surface and the other surface of the second sheet on a third sheet, when the determination section determines the pair of the length of the first sheet and the length of the second sheet is not eligible for the high-speed duplex printing.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a command section configured for ordering the controller to cancel or continue printing before the printing section continue printing the other surface of the first sheet,

wherein

the controller is configured to control the printing section to eject the first sheet after ejecting the second sheet when the command section orders the controller to cancel printing; and

the controller is configured to control the printing section to print the contents to be printed on the one surface and the other surface of the second sheet on the third sheet when the command section orders the controller to continue printing.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured for determining the length of the first sheet by comparing a threshold time with an interval time during which the first sheet passes over the sensor, and the sensor is configured for determining the length of the second sheet by comparing the threshold time and an interval time during which the second sheet passes over the sensor.

4. A printing method with a printing apparatus which comprises a conveyer conveying a first sheet and a second sheet;

a printer printing one surface and the other surface of the first sheet and printing one surface and the other surface of the second sheet; and

a reconveyer conveying the first sheet after printing the one surface of the first sheet and conveying the second sheet after printing the one surface of the second sheet, the printing method comprising;

feeding the first sheet;

determining a length of the first sheet;

feeding the second sheet subsequent to the first sheet;

determining a length of the second sheet;

performing a high-speed duplex printing where printing the one surface of the first sheet, the one surface of the second sheet after the first sheet in the reconveyer, and the other surface of the first sheet in this order;

determining whether a pair of the first sheet and the second sheet is eligible for the high-speed duplex printing based on the combination of the length of the first sheet and the length of the second sheet after the conveyor conveys the second sheet and before the reconveyer conveys the second sheet;

conveying the first sheet and the second sheet to the reconveyer if the pair of the length of the first sheet and the length of the second sheet is eligible for the high-speed duplex printing;

ejecting at least one of the first sheet and the second sheet if the pair of the length of the first sheet and the length of the second sheet is not eligible for the high-speed duplex printing;

ejecting the second sheet before the second sheet is conveyed by the reconveyer when determining that the pair of the length of the first sheet and the length of the second sheet is not eligible for the high-speed duplex printing; and

controlling to continue printing on the other surface of the first sheet and controlling to print contents to be printed on the one surface and the other surface of the second sheet on a third sheet, when determining that the pair of the length of the first sheet and the length of the second sheet is not eligible for the high-speed duplex printing.

5. The printing method according to claim 4 wherein, the second sheet is fed after printing the other surface of the first sheet in a case where the first sheet is fed without a precedent sheet in either the conveyer or the reconveyer and the first sheet is determined not to be eligible for the high-speed duplex printing.