Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080253785 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD - An image forming apparatus capable of reducing damage in a fixing section and printing a high-quality image on a sheet at low cost without reducing productivity. A sheet shifting mechanism is arranged upstream of a transfer roller and moves the sheet in a sheet lateral direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction. In order to change a position at which a sheet passes through a fixing roller, the sheet shifting mechanism is controlled for every conveyance of a predetermined number of sheets, whereby sheet movement in the sheet lateral direction is controlled. A correction amount for an error due to sheet shifting by the sheet shifting mechanism is stored for each of sheet shift positions. An image forming position in the sheet lateral direction of a photosensitive drum is shifted on the basis of the sheet shift position and the stored correction amount. | 10-16-2008 |
20080253818 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An image forming apparatus that can satisfy productivity at the time of double-sided image formation without jamming due to a collision of a succeeding sheet with a preceding sheet, and without upsizing of the apparatus. The image forming apparatus performs a sheet circulation transport for circulating and transporting a sheet to an image forming unit to perform image formation on both a first side and a second side of the sheet. The sheet is fed to the image forming unit at a predetermined image formation start timing for the first side image formation. The first side image-formed sheet is reversed, and re-fed to the image forming unit for the second side image formation while causing the first side image-formed sheet to wait at least one of sheet waiting positions. A full state where all the sheet waiting positions are full of the first side image-formed sheets is detected. The sheet feeding unit is controlled so that the number of sheets on which the sheet circulation transport is performed is greater than the number of the sheet waiting positions. When the full state detecting unit detects the full state, the sheet re-feeding unit is controlled so that a head sheet among the first side image-formed sheets waiting at the sheet waiting positions is fed in advance of the predetermined image formation start timing. | 10-16-2008 |
20090315246 | INSERTER - The inserter including a storing unit, a sheet-feeding unit; a conveyance unit; and a controller that determines for every sheet a conveying speed of the sheet to be discharged to the downstream side device by the conveyance unit, in which the controller determines: the conveying speed of the sheet, which was discharged from the image forming apparatus, when the sheet is discharged to the downstream side device by the conveyance unit, based on the conveying speed when the inserter receives the sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus; and a conveying speed of the insert-sheet, which was fed by the sheet-feeding unit, when the insert-sheet is discharged to the downstream side device by the conveyance unit, based on a conveying speed of one of a preceding sheet and a succeeding sheet, when one of the preceding sheet and the succeeding sheet is discharged to the downstream side device. | 12-24-2009 |
20100117289 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - An image forming system having: a sheet feeding unit which cuts a roll sheet and feeds cut sheets; a stack unit which stacks and stores the sheets fed by the sheet feeding unit and feeds the stored sheets; an image forming portion which forms an image on the sheets fed from the stack unit; and a controlling unit configured to control the feeding unit and the stack unit so that the stack unit feeds a sheet stored in the stack unit to the image forming portion when the sheet feeding unit feeds a sheet to the stack unit so as to stack the sheet from the sheet feeding unit into the stack unit. | 05-13-2010 |
20100231948 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - This invention provides an image forming apparatus to which a distributed control system is applied and which improves error detection accuracy in each control unit. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus includes a master control unit which controls the overall image forming apparatus, a plurality of sub-master control units which control a plurality of functions required to implement image formation, and a plurality of slave control units which control loads required to implement the plurality of functions. Each slave control unit includes a monitoring unit which monitors the operation of the other active slave control unit and performs an error diagnosis when the slave control unit is inactive. | 09-16-2010 |
20100231962 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - There are provided an image forming apparatus which implements divisional control using a plurality of control units without an increase in cost and a control method for the apparatus. To accomplish this, this image forming apparatus includes a master control unit that controls the overall image forming apparatus, a plurality of sub-master control units that control a plurality of functions for performing image formation, and a plurality of salve control units that control loads for implementing a plurality of functions. The master control unit is connected to the plurality of sub-master control units via first signal lines. The plurality of sub-master control units are connected to the plurality of slave control units via second signal lines higher in data transfer timing accuracy than the first signal lines. | 09-16-2010 |
20100268989 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - There is provided an image forming apparatus which adopts a distributed control system and increases the error detection accuracy of each control unit. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus includes a master control unit that controls the overall image forming apparatus, a plurality of sub-master control units that control a plurality of functions for performing image formation, and a plurality of salve control units that control loads for implementing a plurality of functions. The master control unit determines a diagnosis path for performing a diagnosis process for an error using the signal lines and connection bridge connected to the respective control units. The master control unit performs the diagnosis process for an error in accordance with the determined diagnosis path. | 10-21-2010 |
20100272454 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - There is provided an image forming apparatus which adopts a distributed control system and suppresses generation of radiation noise without increasing the cost. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus includes a master control unit that controls the overall image forming apparatus, a plurality of sub-master control units that control a plurality of functions for performing image formation, and a plurality of salve control units that control loads for implementing a plurality of functions. The image forming apparatus performs distributed control. The image forming apparatus determines the operating frequencies of the salve control units in accordance with loads controlled by the salve control units. The image forming apparatus compares the operating frequencies of the slave control units. Based on the comparison result, the image forming apparatus changes the operating frequency of a slave control unit that is equal to the operating frequency of another slave control unit. | 10-28-2010 |
20100314049 | SHEET PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - The sheet processing apparatus includes a buffer roller to form a sheet bundle by overlapping a plurality of sheets while respectively displacing an end part of each sheet at one end of the conveying direction toward the conveying direction, a fold conveying path to fold the displaced and overlapped sheet bundle twice into three layers so that the end part at one end covers an end part at the other end and the end parts at the one end are respectively exposed, and a sealer to seal the sheet bundle by adhering the end part at the one end of the twice-folded sheet bundle to a surface of the sheet bundle with a seal. The sealer adheres all of the end parts at the one end and the surface of the sheet bundle with a seal having length longer than exposed length of the end parts at the one end. | 12-16-2010 |
20110008089 | SHEET PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - The present invention provides a sheet processing apparatus which includes a punch portion punching a hole at an end part of a sheet, and a push-out member discharging the sheet by pushing the end part of the sheet where the punch process is performed by the punch portion; and the push-out member discharges the sheet at a sheet discharging speed lower than a predetermined speed from the intermediate process tray in accordance with punch process information (i.e., combination of a size and a type of the sheet and number, a shape and a size of holes) that strength of a sheet end part is decreased by the punch process, and is lower than predetermined sheet strength capable of being discharged at the predetermined speed. | 01-13-2011 |
20110047403 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - This invention provides an image forming apparatus that suppresses a control error between CPUs when the CPUs operate in cooperation with each other in distributed control by the CPUs. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus utilizes a distributed control system. Respective CPUs measure time interval concerning image formation processing using their built-in clock oscillators, and perform operations in cooperation with each other. Correction coefficients are calculated based on the time interval measured by the respective CPUs to correct a measurement error generated by the operation an error of the respective clock oscillators. Clock count values each indicating a timing to drive a load is corrected based on the correction coefficients. | 02-24-2011 |
20110107128 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - Provided is an image forming apparatus that realizes a distributed control system with a reduced number of power lines, and that has highly reliable power supply and an effective power saving mode. To accomplish this, the image forming apparatus employs a distributed control system including a master CPU, a plurality of sub master CPUs, and a plurality of slave CPUs. The master CPU supplies 5-V power to the sub master CPUs and the slave CPUs in the power saving mode, and supplies 24-V power thereto in a normal mode. Also, the sub master CPUs determine the operating mode in accordance with the level of the supplied power voltage, and operate accordingly. | 05-05-2011 |
20110170887 | IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - An image forming system which is capable of causing a clear coating apparatus to discharge processed sheets in proper page order, and improving usability and operability of the system by users. An mage forming apparatus is set to perform single-sided image formation or double-sided image formation. A clear coating apparatus is set to perform single-sided clearing coating or double-sided clear coating. Whether to perform inverted discharge of sheets is controlled according to the settings of the image forming apparatus and the clear coating apparatus. | 07-14-2011 |
20110225443 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS AND CONTROL APPARATUS - The present image forming apparatus includes a first control unit and a second control unit driven by built-in clock oscillators to realize the distributed control. The first control unit generates, using a first timer driven by the built-in clock oscillator of the first control unit, a pulse signal corresponding to a predetermined clock rate and outputs the pulse signal to the second control unit. The second control unit measures, using a second timer driven by the built-in clock oscillator of the second control unit, a pulse width of the pulse signal outputted from the first control unit, and calculates a correction coefficient using reference pulse width corresponding to the predetermined clock rate and the measured pulse width. The processing unit processes using the calculated correction coefficient. | 09-15-2011 |
20110241289 | MEDIUM CONVEYANCE APPARATUS WHICH ADOPTS DISTRIBUTED CONTROL SYSTEM - A first lower layer control unit controls a conveyance unit, that conveys the medium in a first conveyance section of a conveyance path. A second lower layer control unit controls a conveyance unit, that conveys the medium in a second conveyance section located downstream of the first conveyance section. An upper layer control unit determines whether the medium is at a position where both the first lower layer control unit and the second lower layer control unit engage with conveyance control of the medium, instructs the first lower layer control unit and the second lower layer control unit to operate in synchronization with each other when the medium is at the position, and instructs the second lower layer control unit to operate asynchronously to the first lower layer control unit when the medium is not at the position. | 10-06-2011 |
20120007302 | INSERTER - The inserter including a storing unit, a sheet-feeding unit; a conveyance unit; and a controller that determines for every sheet a conveying speed of the sheet to be discharged to the downstream side device by the conveyance unit, in which the controller determines: the conveying speed of the sheet, which was discharged from the image forming apparatus, when the sheet is discharged to the downstream side device by the conveyance unit, based on the conveying speed when the inserter receives the sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus; and a conveying speed of the insert-sheet, which was fed by the sheet-feeding unit, when the insert-sheet is discharged to the downstream side device by the conveyance unit, based on a conveying speed of one of a preceding sheet and a succeeding sheet, when one of the preceding sheet and the succeeding sheet is discharged to the downstream side device. | 01-12-2012 |
20120008159 | IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - The image forming apparatus has the plurality of control units and executes distributed processing in which any one control unit having monitoring execution authority monitors for an abnormal condition in each control unit. Each control unit determines, from its own processing load, monitoring capability information that indicates whether monitoring for an abnormal condition is possible or not. If, in a case where the control unit has the monitoring execution authority, the monitoring capability information does not satisfy predetermined information, then the control unit delegates the monitoring execution authority to another control unit whose monitoring capability information does satisfy the predetermined information. | 01-12-2012 |
20130220091 | SHEET PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - A sheet processing apparatus includes a punch portion punching a hole at an end part of a sheet, and a push-out member discharging the sheet by pushing the end part of the sheet where the punch process is performed by the punch portion. The push-out member discharges the sheet at a sheet discharging speed lower than a predetermined speed from the intermediate process tray in accordance with punch process information (i.e., combination of a size and a type of the sheet and number, a shape and a size of holes) that strength of a sheet end part is decreased by the punch process, and is lower than predetermined sheet strength capable of being discharged at the predetermined speed. | 08-29-2013 |
20140020533 | SHEET PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM - The present invention provides a sheet processing apparatus which includes a punch portion punching a hole at an end part of a sheet, and a push-out member discharging the sheet by pushing the end part of the sheet where the punch process is performed by the punch portion; and the push-out member discharges the sheet at a sheet discharging speed lower than a predetermined speed from the intermediate process tray in accordance with punch process information (i.e., combination of a size and a type of the sheet and number, a shape and a size of holes) that strength of a sheet end part is decreased by the punch process, and is lower than predetermined sheet strength capable of being discharged at the predetermined speed. | 01-23-2014 |