CN203930341U - Image processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to an image forming device, which is characterized in that it comprises: an image printing unit, which performs image printing on a sheet based on image data; a discharge unit, which discharges the printed sheet, and includes a cooling device for cooling the discharged sheet. a section; and a control unit that calculates an image density corresponding to a print occupancy ratio on a sheet based on the image data, and controls a cooling operation of the cooling section based on the image density. This image forming apparatus can change the speed of the fan with an inexpensive configuration, thereby reducing power consumption and preventing sticking.

Description

image forming device

technical field

The utility model relates to an image forming device, more specifically, relates to an image forming device capable of preventing the sticking phenomenon of discharged printed sheets.

Background technique

Conventionally, paper heated by a fuser in a copier is discharged to a discharge tray and stacked on the tray. At this time, if the discharged paper is not sufficiently cooled, the paper on the paper tray will stick together due to the toner (hereinafter referred to as the phenomenon of sticking). In the prior art, in order to prevent this phenomenon, it is necessary to blow air on the paper to cool it.

In conventional copiers, in order to prevent the occurrence of the sticking phenomenon, measures are generally taken to cool the discharged paper with a fan or the like. However, in this method, in order to cool and discharge the paper, the fan rotates without changing the speed, and extra power is required.

In addition, if the speed of the fan is variable to change the air volume of the fan, it is necessary to use a drive circuit for changing the speed of the fan, thereby increasing the power consumption.

Utility model content

In view of the above problems, an aspect of the present invention provides an image forming apparatus, which is characterized in that it includes: an image printing unit that performs image printing on a sheet based on image data; a discharge unit that discharges the printed sheet, and including a cooling section that cools the discharged sheet; and a control unit that calculates an image density corresponding to a print occupancy ratio on the sheet based on the image data, and controls the cooling section based on the image density cooling operation.

In the image forming apparatus described above, preferably, the image printing unit includes: an image forming unit that forms an image based on the image data, a transfer unit that transfers the formed image onto the sheet, and a transfer unit that transfers the transferred image to the sheet. Fusing unit for fixing.

In the image forming apparatus described above, it is preferable that the cooling unit is a cooling fan that blows cooling air toward the discharged sheet, and the control unit converts the calculated image density into an ON signal of the cooling fan. duty cycle, thereby controlling the operation of the cooling fan.

In the above image forming apparatus, preferably, the image forming apparatus further includes a sheet detector, and the sheet detector is arranged upstream of the cooling fan to detect whether the sheet enters a cooling position of the cooling fan; wherein, Before the sheet detector detects that the next sheet in the printing job enters the cooling position, the control unit controls the operation of the cooling fan with the same on-signal duty ratio, and After detecting that the last sheet in the printing job enters the cooling position, the control unit controls the cooling fan to operate for a predetermined time.

In the image forming apparatus described above, preferably, the discharge unit further includes a receiving tray for receiving printed sheets, and the cooling fan is located on a sheet discharge path between the image printing unit and the receiving tray.

In the above image forming apparatus, it is preferable that the discharge unit further includes two pairs of conveying rollers, the two pairs of conveying rollers are arranged below the cooling fan, and each pair of the conveying rollers respectively clamps two sides of the sheet. Location.

In the image forming apparatus described above, it is preferable that the discharge unit further includes an exhaust portion located upstream or downstream of the cooling fan and on the same side of the sheet discharge path as the cooling fan, so that The heated air in the sheet discharge path is collectively discharged.

In the image forming apparatus described above, it is preferable that the cooling fan is provided so as to be inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the surface of the discharged sheet so that cooling air from the cooling fan is guided to the exhaust gas along the sheet conveying path. department.

In the image forming apparatus described above, it is preferable that the cooling unit is a cooling fan that blows cooling air toward the discharged sheet, and the image forming apparatus further includes an ON signal that connects the image density to the cooling fan. The storage unit correspondingly stores the duty ratio of the cooling fan; wherein the control unit obtains the duty ratio of the on-signal of the cooling fan corresponding to the image density from the storage unit, thereby controlling the cooling fan operate.

In the above image forming apparatus, preferably further comprising: a scanning unit for scanning the original, and the image data is obtained from the scanning unit or an external electronic device coupled to the image forming apparatus.

The utility model can change the rotation speed of the fan at lower cost according to the image density of the discharged sheet, and while controlling the power consumption, reduces the heat accumulated by the sheet on the sheet receiving tray and prevents the occurrence of adhesion.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of paper discharge processing of the image forming apparatus according to one embodiment.

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present utility model will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the present invention, power consumption is suppressed by changing the fan speed according to the image density of the discharged paper, and blocking is prevented by reducing the temperature of the paper discharged to the discharge destination. In the following description, paper as a sheet is taken as an example. Of course, the sheet is not limited thereto, as long as images can be printed.

The actual operation of the image forming apparatus according to the utility model will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus 1 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the image forming apparatus 1 includes, for example, a control unit 10 , a scanner unit 20 , an image forming unit 30 , a transfer unit 40 , a fixing unit 50 , a paper feeding unit 60 , a discharge unit 70 , and a control panel 80 . The control panel 80 may include a display panel such as a liquid crystal display for displaying related operation and setting information. The control unit 10 can control the operation of other units such as the image forming unit 30 , the transfer unit 40 , the fixing unit 50 , the paper feeding unit 60 , and the discharging unit 70 in the image forming apparatus 1 . The image forming unit 30 , the transfer unit 40 and the fixing unit 50 may also be collectively referred to as an image printing unit.

The control unit 10 receives image data read by the scanner unit 20 or from an external electronic device (eg, PC 2 ), and forms an image based on the image data at the image forming unit 30 . The image formed by the image forming unit 30 is transferred onto the paper by the transfer unit 40 , and the transferred image is fixed by the fixing unit 50 , and then discharged by the discharge unit 70 . The discharge unit 70 includes a cooling section for discharging sheets, which may be, for example, a cooling fan 71 . The control unit 10 calculates the image density based on the image data, and controls the cooling operation of the cooling section based on the image density.

At this time, when the control unit 10 sends the image data supplied from the scanner unit 20 or the PC 2 to the image forming unit 30 , it calculates the density of the image printed on the discharged paper. This image density can be calculated by the occupancy (beta) ratio with respect to the discharged paper. For example, 100% for full sheet printing and 50% for half sheet printing. On the basis of the calculated image density, the control unit 10 performs pulse width modulation (PWM) control on the ON signal of the cooling fan 71 so that the speed of the fan is variable. For example, when the calculated image density is 50%, PWM control is performed on the ON signal of the fan at a duty ratio of 50%. That is, the higher the image density, the higher the on-signal duty ratio of the fan as the cooling section. Here, the duty ratio (duty ratio) of the fan ON signal with respect to the image density can be set arbitrarily as necessary.

Although not shown, the image forming apparatus may further include a storage unit for storing the relationship between the image density and the duty ratio of the fan ON signal, that is, the relationship between the image density and the ON signal of the cooling fan. The duty cycle is stored correspondingly. Thus, the control unit 10 acquires the duty ratio of the ON signal of the cooling fan corresponding to the image density from the storage unit, thereby controlling the operation of the cooling fan.

When the image forming apparatus 1 performs a continuous printing job (Job), the fan is controlled with the same ON duty (ON Duty) until the next sheet is discharged, and after the next sheet is discharged, the control is switched, that is, the same as the new one. The duty cycle of the ON signal corresponding to the image density of the discharged paper controls the operation of the cooling fan. When printing only one sheet or the last sheet of the job, it runs at the same duty cycle for t seconds after the sheet is discharged and then stops. In this case, the operating time t can be set arbitrarily.

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of paper discharge processing of the image forming apparatus according to one embodiment. After the user starts the printing operation through the control panel 10 or the PC 2 , in step 100 , the original is scanned by the scanning unit 20 to obtain image data or the image data is obtained from the PC 2 . In step 200, the control unit 10 performs, for example, calculation of image density as described above based on the obtained image data. In step 300, at the control unit 10, the image density calculation result is converted into a fan-on signal duty ratio. In step 400, the control unit 10 controls the rotation speed of the fan based on the duty cycle of the fan on signal, so as to cool the printed paper. In step 500, the control unit 10 judges whether it is the last paper of the printing job. If it is determined that it is the last paper, the operation of the fan is controlled in step 800 so that the operation of the fan is stopped after the last paper is discharged for a predetermined time (for example, a few seconds). If it is determined that it is not the last sheet of the printing job, the control unit 10 continues to determine whether the next sheet is discharged in step 600 , and returns to step 200 if it determines that the next sheet has been discharged. If it is determined that the next sheet has not been ejected, the same control is continued until the next sheet is ejected.

For example, the image forming apparatus 1 may further include a paper detector (sheet detector) provided upstream of the cooling fan to detect whether a sheet enters a cooling position of the cooling fan. Before the paper detector detects that the next paper in the printing job enters the cooling position, the control unit controls the operation of the cooling fan with the same on-signal duty cycle, and after the paper detector detects that the last paper in the printing job enters the cooling position. After the paper enters the cooling position, the control unit controls the cooling fan to operate for a predetermined time.

The discharge unit described above may further include a receiving tray receiving the printed sheet. Although the position of the cooling fan can be set as needed, for example, above the receiving tray, it is preferably located on the sheet discharge path between the image printing unit and the receiving tray. The discharge unit further includes two pairs of conveying rollers, which are preferably disposed below the cooling fan and respectively clamp the two side edges of the sheet. Cooling the paper while it is being held by the conveying rollers prevents problems such as curling of the paper.

In addition, the discharge unit may further include an exhaust part located upstream or downstream of the cooling fan and located on the same side of the sheet discharge path as the cooling fan to discharge the sheet into the path. hot air exhaust. Also, the cooling fan may be arranged to be inclined with respect to a direction perpendicular to the discharged sheet so that cooling wind of the cooling fan is guided to the exhaust portion along the sheet conveyance path. That is, the cooling fan is inclined in a direction away from the exhaust portion. The exhaust unit is preferably an exhaust fan. In the case of the above configuration, the cooling of the paper after printing can be performed more quickly and efficiently.

According to the above-mentioned embodiment, compared with the prior art, it is possible to change the speed of the fan with an inexpensive configuration, and it is possible to prevent sticking while controlling power consumption.

The above-mentioned control unit 10 can be implemented by a hardware circuit composed of known hardware components such as resistors, capacitors, transistors, etc., or can be implemented by an integrated circuit.

Although some embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. In fact, the new embodiments described herein may take other various forms; moreover, various omissions, substitutions and changes may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The appended claims and their equivalents cover the various forms or modifications that fall within the scope and spirit of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. an image processing system, is characterized in that, comprising:

Image printing unit carries out image printing on thin slice based on view data,

Deliverying unit, discharges the described thin slice after printing, and comprises that the described thin slice to discharging carries out cooling cooling end, and

Control module, calculates the image color corresponding with printing occupation proportion on described thin slice based on described view data, and cooling down operation based on cooling end described in described image color control.

2. image processing system according to claim 1, it is characterized in that, described image printing unit comprises: forms the image formation unit of image based on described view data, formed image is transferred to the transfer printing unit on described thin slice, and by the fixation unit of the image fixing of transfer printing.

3. image processing system according to claim 2, it is characterized in that, described cooling end is the cooling fan that cooling air is blowed to the described thin slice being discharged from, and described control module is transformed to the image color calculating the connection signal dutycycle of described cooling fan, thereby control the operation of described cooling fan.

4. image processing system according to claim 3, it is characterized in that, described image processing system also comprises thin slice detecting device, and described thin slice detecting device is arranged on whether the upstream of described cooling fan enters described cooling fan cool position to detect described thin slice

Wherein, before described thin slice detecting device detects that a rear thin slice in print job enters described cool position, described control module is with the operation of cooling fan described in identical connection signal Duty ratio control, and last thin slice enters after described cool position in described thin slice detecting device detects print job, cooling fan carries out the operation of the schedule time described in described control module control.

5. image processing system according to claim 3, it is characterized in that, described deliverying unit further comprises the reception pallet that receives the rear thin slice of printing, and described cooling fan is on the thin slice discharge path between described image printing unit and described reception pallet.

6. image processing system according to claim 5, it is characterized in that, described deliverying unit further comprises two pairs of conveying rollers, and described two pairs of conveying rollers are arranged on described cooling fan below and each position that described conveying roller is clamped respectively to the both sides of the edge of described thin slice.

7. image processing system according to claim 5, it is characterized in that, described deliverying unit further comprises exhaust portion, described exhaust portion is positioned at upstream or the downstream of described cooling fan, and be positioned at the same side of described thin slice discharge path with described cooling fan, thereby jointly the hot-air in described thin slice discharge path discharged.

8. image processing system according to claim 7, it is characterized in that, described cooling fan is set to tilt with respect to the direction vertical with the surface of the described thin slice of discharging, and makes the cooling air of described cooling fan be directed to described exhaust portion along described thin slice transmission path.

9. image processing system according to claim 2, it is characterized in that, described cooling end is the cooling fan that cooling air is blowed to the described thin slice being discharged from, and described image processing system further comprises the storage unit that the dutycycle of the connection signal of described image color and described cooling fan is stored accordingly

Wherein, described control module obtains the dutycycle of the connection signal of the described cooling fan corresponding with described image color from described storage unit, thereby controls the operation of described cooling fan.

10. image processing system according to claim 1, is characterized in that, further comprises: scanning element, original copy is scanned, and described view data obtains from described scanning element or from the external electronic device coupling with described image processing system.