Printing apparatus and printing method

• US 9,278,555 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2014
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Toriihara, Shigeru, Yoshida, Masahito, Sugimoto, Masahiro, Suzuki, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Seo, Justin
• Application Number:
  US14/250,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20140307020A1
• Time in Patent Office: 697 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/46 by marks or formations on the paper being fed
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/663 Controlling cutting, cutting resulting in special shapes of the cutting line, e.g. controlling cutting positions, e.g. for cutting in the immediate vicinity of a printed image
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/60 for printing on both faces of the printing material

Abstract

In the case of performing duplex printing on a continuous sheet, by setting a length of a non-image area to an optimum length, both of mark detection having high reliability and the suppression of a sheet consumption amount are achieved. For this purpose, when duplex printing of a plurality of images on front and back surfaces of the continuous sheet is performed, on the basis of a length of the image to be printed precedently to a non-image area W3 on the second surface, the length of the non-image area common to the front and back surface is set.

Claims

1. A printing method for performing duplex printing on a first surface and a second surface of a continuous sheet movable in a direction of sheet conveyance, comprising:

printing a plurality of images on the first surface of the continuous sheet with a non-image area between adjacent images;

printing a plurality of images on the second surface of the continuous sheet having been printed on the first surface with a same layout as the first surface, wherein a mark for cutting the sheet is printed in a space between each of adjacent images on the second surface;

prior to printing images on the first surface, analyzing data of the images to be printed on the second surface to obtain a length of each of the images in a direction of sheet conveyance; and

setting a length of a target non-image area between two images in the direction of sheet conveyance on the first surface, depending on an obtained length of a precedent image to be printed immediately before a space between two images on the second surface which is a reverse part of the target non-image area.

2. The printing method according to claim 1, wherein:

the mark is intended to be detected by a sensor; and

for detecting the mark with the sensor, depending on the obtained length of the precedent image, a position or timing to start the detection of the mark can be changed within the space.

3. The printing method according to claim 2, wherein

a range where the mark is detected with the sensor is set together with the position or the timing to start the detection.

4. The printing method according to claim 1, wherein

as the length of the precedent image increases, the length of the target non-image area is increased.

6. The printing method according to claim 4, wherein printing is performed with a plurality of inkjet print heads for line printing.

5. A printing apparatus comprising:

a printing unit configured to perform duplex printing on a first surface and a second surface of a continuous sheet under conveyance;

a detecting unit configured to detect a mark formed on the sheet;

a cutter unit configured to cut the sheet; and

a control unit,

wherein the control unit controls the printing unit such that while printing a plurality of images on the first surface and then on the second surface, a non-image area between each of adjacent images is provided on the first surface, and a mark to be detected in the detecting unit in order to cut the sheet by the cutter unit is printed in a space between each of adjacent images on the second surface,

wherein the control unit causes the apparatus to analyze, prior to printing images on the first surface, data of each of the images to be printed on the second surface to obtain a length of each of the images in a direction of sheet conveyance,

wherein the control unit sets a length of a target non-image area between two images in the direction of sheet conveyance on the first surface, depending on an obtained length of a precedent image to be printed immediately before a space between two images on the second surface which is a reverse part of the target non-image area, and

wherein the control unit controls such that as the length of the precedent image increases, the length of the target non-image area increases.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the printing unit includes a plurality of inkjet print heads for line printing.