JP2000327189A - Multicolor printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-color printing apparatus capable of forming a multi-color image on a recording medium with high accuracy while eliminating waste of a long and continuous recording medium. A developed image formed on each image carrier (1) is transferred to a final recording medium (12) via an intermediate recording medium (11),
Multicolor image forming means for forming a multicolor image on the final recording medium, conveying means (30, 31) for conveying a long continuous recording medium serving as the final recording medium, and the final recording medium when printing is stopped And a cutting means (21) for cutting the sheet.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a multicolor printing apparatus for forming a multicolor image on a long continuous recording medium such as continuous paper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional technique will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 10 denotes an image forming unit.
Four image forming units surrounded by broken lines are arranged side by side. The configuration of the image forming unit 10 will be described based on the image forming unit arranged on the right side in FIG. In the following description, the image forming unit records and forms an image using an electrophotographic process. In the image forming unit 10, reference numeral 1 denotes a photosensitive drum, and the photosensitive drum 1 starts rotating in the direction of the arrow based on a printing operation start signal from a controller of the printing apparatus. When the photoconductor drum 1 starts rotating, a high voltage is applied to the corona charger 16, and the surface of the photoconductor drum 1 is uniformly charged.

Light output from a light source 2 such as a semiconductor laser or a light-emitting diode exposes the charged photosensitive drum 1 to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. When the photosensitive area holding the electrostatic latent image reaches a position facing the developing device 3, toner is supplied to the electrostatic latent image, and a toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1. Here, the color of the toner used in the developing device is different in each image forming unit.

The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum in each image forming unit in this manner is transferred to the intermediate transfer member 11 by the transfer device 4.

On the other hand, the continuous paper 12 as the final recording medium is
The transfer between the intermediate transfer body 11 and the transfer unit 14 is synchronized with the timing at which the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer body 11 reaches the position of the transfer unit 14 by a known transfer unit such as a sheet transfer tractor or a sheet transfer roller. It is conveyed toward. The toner image formed on the intermediate transfer body 11 is sucked onto the paper 12 by the action of a transfer unit 14 that applies a charge of the opposite polarity to the toner image on the back side of the paper 12. Then, the paper 12
The toner image transferred above is sent to the fixing device 15, and
For example, the toner image is fused and fixed on the paper 12 while being heated and pressed by a nip formed by a pair of fixing rollers including a heating roller having a heat source and a pressing roller pressed against the heating roller. .

In the image forming unit, the photoreceptor area that has passed through the transfer unit 4 is cleaned by a cleaning device 13,
It is prepared for the next printing operation.

[0008]

When printing is stopped in the multicolor printing apparatus having the above-described configuration, the toner image transferred from the intermediate transfer body 11 to the paper 12 by the transfer unit 14 is
It is necessary to continue the sheet conveyance until the sheet passes through the fixing device 15. This is because the toner image on the paper existing between the transfer unit 14 and the fixing device 15 is in an unfixed state and is not completed as a printed matter.

However, when the paper is conveyed until the toner image passes through the fixing device 15 as described above when printing is stopped,
Since the paper 12 is a continuous paper, the fixing device 15 and the transfer device 1
4 causes a problem that a useless blank page is generated.

In the field of a single-color printing apparatus for performing monochrome printing on continuous paper using a single image forming unit, a transfer device 14 and a fixing device 15 are provided in order to prevent the occurrence of blank pages.
Some printers adopt a configuration in which printing is started after returning the paper in accordance with the distance between them. However, in this configuration, a printing position shift is likely to occur due to the forward / reverse switching of the paper transport direction. With the configuration described above, it is necessary to eliminate the generation of blank pages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a multi-color printing apparatus capable of forming a multi-color image on a recording medium with high positional accuracy without wasting a long continuous recording medium. is there.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an image processing apparatus comprising a plurality of image carriers which are supported so as to be movable endlessly, and a final image formed on each image carrier is recorded via an intermediate recording medium. A multicolor image forming means for transferring to a medium and forming a multicolor image on the final recording medium, a conveying means for conveying a long and continuous recording medium serving as the final recording medium, and Cutting means for cutting the final recording medium.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 10 denotes an image forming unit.
Four image forming units surrounded by broken lines are arranged side by side. The configuration of the image forming unit 10 will be described based on the image forming unit arranged on the right side in FIG. In the following description, the image forming unit records and forms an image using an electrophotographic process. In the image forming unit 10, reference numeral 1 denotes a photosensitive drum serving as an image carrier, and the photosensitive drum 1 starts rotating in the direction of an arrow based on a printing operation start signal from a controller of the printing apparatus. When the photoconductor drum 1 starts rotating, a high voltage is applied to the corona charger 16, and the surface of the photoconductor drum 1 is uniformly charged.

Light output from a light source 2 such as a semiconductor laser or a light emitting diode exposes the charged photosensitive drum 1 to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photosensitive drum 1. When the photosensitive area holding the electrostatic latent image reaches a position facing the developing device 3, toner is supplied to the electrostatic latent image, and a toner image is formed on the photosensitive drum 1. Here, the color of the toner used in the developing device is different in each image forming unit.

The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum in each image forming unit in this way is transferred by the transfer unit 4 to an intermediate transfer body 11 formed of, for example, a polyimide film as an intermediate recording medium.

On the other hand, the continuous paper 12 as the final recording medium is
The toner image formed on the intermediate transfer body 11 is conveyed between the intermediate transfer body 11 and the transfer unit 14 by synchronizing with the timing at which the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer body 11 reaches the position of the transfer unit 14 by a conveyance unit (to be described in detail later). Is done. The toner image formed on the intermediate transfer body 11 is sucked onto the paper 12 by the action of a transfer unit 14 that applies a charge of the opposite polarity to the toner image on the back side of the paper 12. Subsequently, the toner image transferred onto the sheet 12 is sent to the fixing device 15, and a nip portion formed by a pair of fixing rollers including, for example, a heating roller having a heat source and a pressing roller pressed against the heating roller. As a result, the toner image is fused and fixed on the sheet 12 while being heated and pressurized.

Incidentally, in the image forming unit, the photosensitive member area which has passed through the transfer unit 4 is cleaned by a cleaning device 13,
It is prepared for the next printing operation.

The transporting device includes a belt member 30 supported endlessly, and transports the paper while holding the back surface of the paper 12 with the belt member 30. Belt member 3
Reference numeral 0 denotes a rubber belt having a plurality of through holes 30a as shown in FIG. Further, a suction device 31 is provided inside the endless belt member 30, and the suction device 31 is configured to be able to suck and hold the sheet 12 on the surface of the belt member 30.

Further, a cutting device is provided above a suction device 31 provided on the upstream side of the transfer device 14 in the sheet conveying direction. The cutting device attaches, for example, a worm gear 24 to a motor shaft (not shown) and attaches, for example, a helical gear 20 to the shaft of a circular blade 21. ), And when the printing is stopped, the motor is operated and the blade 21 cuts the paper 12.

In the above configuration, when printing is stopped, the paper 12 is cut to a required length, so that useless blank pages do not occur.

When a sheet having feed holes 12a at both ends in the sheet width direction is used as shown in FIG. 2, a sheet transport tractor 22 is provided corresponding to the position of the feed hole 12a, May be engaged with the feed hole 12a, and the pin 23 may be moved at a predetermined speed by rotation of the motor 25 to convey the sheet.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, multicolor printing capable of forming a multicolor image with high positional accuracy on a recording medium without wasting a long continuous recording medium. An apparatus can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a multicolor printing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view illustrating a configuration of a transport device.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 image forming unit, 11 intermediate transfer member, 12 paper,
Reference numeral 20: gear, 21: blade, 24: gear, 30: belt member, 31: suction device.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yukio Yukio 1060 Takeda, Hitachinaka-city, Ibaraki Prefecture Inside Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Akihiko Yamazaki 1060 Takeda, Hitachinaka-shi, Ibaraki Hitachi Koki Co., Ltd F term (reference) 2C058 AB03 AB15 AF27 AF51 LB09 LB17 LB40 2C060 BC04 BC84 BC86 3F103 AA02 BB01 BB11 BC02

Claims (2)

[Claims] An endless movable support for transferring a developed image formed on each image carrier to a final recording medium via an intermediate recording medium; Multicolor image forming means for forming a multicolor image thereon, conveying means for conveying a long continuous recording medium serving as the final recording medium, cutting means for cutting the final recording medium when printing is stopped, A multi-color printing device comprising: 2. The multicolor printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said transport means has a suction means for sucking a final recording medium.