JP2001347488A - Continuous paper recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] In a method of printing a test pattern of a print image on an end of continuous paper, a test pattern printing area is limited.
Little information is available. SOLUTION: A print area of a test pattern printed at an arbitrary position on a continuous paper as a recording paper is detected by a detecting means, and cut in a post-processing step after printing by a cutter which cuts the continuous paper in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. Then, the test pattern printing area is removed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, and more particularly, to a color printing apparatus for forming a color image on continuous paper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a method for printing image information on recording paper, there are ordinary printing in which printing is performed using a printing plate, such as offset printing, an ink jet method in which droplets of liquid ink are sprayed on recording paper, and powder. An electrophotographic system using toner is known.

[0003] Among them, the electrophotographic method has a problem that the image quality of a printed image is not stable as compared with normal printing.

In addition, the ink jet system has a problem that a nozzle for generating ink droplets is clogged. This problem is particularly important in a system in which a large number of nozzles are used side by side.

When a printed image is a full-color image using cyan, magenta, yellow, and black coloring materials, it is necessary to stabilize the image more in the electrophotographic system. , The probability of nozzle clogging is higher. As a method for solving the problems of the electrophotographic method and the ink jet method, a printing of a test pattern for checking a printing state and monitoring of the printing state have been performed. In the case of using cut paper as the recording paper, the electrophotographic method uses the unrecorded portion between the cut paper to monitor the test pattern on the photoreceptor or intermediate transfer body, According to the method, a test pattern is monitored by printing on a cut sheet when a printing operation is started. When continuous paper is used as recording paper, a method of printing a test pattern on an end portion of the continuous paper and monitoring the same is adopted. However, with this method of printing on the edge of the recording paper, the types of test patterns are also limited. Especially in the electrophotographic system, printing at the edge deteriorates the print quality, so there is a problem that the printing state cannot be monitored accurately. In particular, in the ink jet system in which the nozzles are arranged in a line, all the nozzles need to be checked. There was a problem that it could not be done.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to mainly print a test pattern at an arbitrary position on continuous paper in a continuous printing operation in an electrophotographic system or an ink jet system to change a printing state. It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus capable of monitoring and feeding back a result to maintain print image quality in an optimum state.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a method for printing a test pattern printed on continuous paper, which is a recording paper, in a post-processing post-processing step. The cutting is performed by a cutter that cuts vertically.

[0008]

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

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention, and shows a schematic configuration example of an electrophotographic continuous paper printing apparatus 1. A roll of continuous paper 3 as recording paper is supplied to a printing unit 2 as printing means. Next, the toner image 25 formed on the recording body 21 of the printing unit 2 is transferred to the continuous paper 3. Next, the continuous paper 3 is sent to the post-processing device 5 via the fixing device 4. The post-processing device 5 includes a print information detection device 51, a cutter 52 that cuts the continuous paper 3 perpendicular to the transport direction, and a paper removal device 5 for a test pattern printing unit.
3. It is composed of a paper storage device 54 and the like.

The printing process in the printing unit 2 will be described. A drum-shaped recording body 21, which is a photosensitive body negatively charged by a charger 22, rotates clockwise, and forms a negative electrostatic latent image by image light rays 23 modulated by image information emitted from an optical system. After that, it is transported to the developing section. The developing device 24 contains a so-called two-component developer composed of a magnetic carrier and a negatively charged toner. The electrostatic latent image is developed by the developing device 24 to form a toner image 25 on the surface of the recording medium 21. The toner image 25 is electrostatically transferred to the continuous paper 3 by the positive corona discharge of the transfer device 26.
The residual charge on the surface of the recording medium 21 is removed by the eraser 27, and the residual toner is removed by the cleaner 28.

On the recording medium 21, a test pattern for monitoring a printing state is formed at an arbitrary cycle of a printing operation, for example, once every 100 pages or once every 1000 pages.
This test pattern is transferred to the continuous paper 3. FIG. 2 shows an example of the test pattern 6 printed on the continuous paper 3 conveyed in the direction of the arrow. In the test pattern printing area a, various image density patterns 61, a cross pattern 62 for detecting a printing displacement, and the like are printed. Image density pattern 61
To check the density and color tone of the solid image and the gradation image. The test pattern print area a need not always be equal to the normal print area b corresponding to one page. 100
When the test pattern is printed once per page, for example, when a is half of b, the paper used for test pattern printing is substantially one in 200 pages, and a is 1/5 of b. In this case, the paper used for the test pattern printing is substantially one in 500 pages.

The test pattern 6 printed on the continuous paper 3 is sent to a post-processing device 5 via a fixing device 4. The print image detection device 51 of the post-processing device 5 is a line sensor or a video camera that can monitor the entire width of the continuous paper 3,
The position, the density of the solid image or the gradation image, the color tone, the line width, the fog amount which is a problem in the electrophotographic apparatus, and the like are checked. The print information detected by the detection device 51 is, when the related device, for example, the image density is low, the developing device 2
4 is sent to a developing bias voltage applying means (not shown) for adjusting the image density and is feedback-controlled to operate to increase the image density. The feedback control is
The present invention is not limited to only the bias voltage, but includes, for example, a charging voltage of a charger, a light amount of an exposure device, and a voltage of a transfer device.

The continuous paper 3 is then cut by a cutter 52, and unnecessary test pattern printing areas a are removed by a paper removal device 53, and the necessary printed portions are stored in a paper storage device 54. The post-processing device 5 can include devices necessary for various post-processing of the sheet, such as a sheet folding device, a collating device, a binding device, and a sealing device, as necessary. In the present embodiment, the removed test pattern print area a is inserted into the paper discharge storage unit 55.

According to this embodiment, there is an advantage that the printing state of an image to be printed on continuous paper can be monitored in detail at arbitrary time intervals, and the print quality can be maintained in the best state by feedback control.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, the main difference from the first embodiment is that, in the first embodiment, a single printing unit 2 is used as a printing unit for monochromatic printing, whereas a cyan printing unit is used as the printing unit 2. 201, a magenta printing unit 202, a yellow printing unit 203, and a black printing unit 204 are used to perform full-color printing. For the sake of simplicity, in the figure, each printing unit has a recording medium 21, a developing device 24,
Only the transfer device 26 is described. Record 2 of each printing unit
The color toner image 251 is formed by sequentially superimposing the toner images 25 formed on the continuous paper 3 and transferring them. As the test pattern 6, solid and gradation images of cyan, magenta, yellow, black and red, blue, and green are printed, and the image density and color tone are measured by the detection device 51, and feedback is performed so as to maintain the printing state to the minimum. Control. The continuous paper 3 is then cut by a cutter 52, and unnecessary test pattern printing areas a are removed by a paper removing device 53, and the necessary printed portions are post-processed according to the purpose.

According to the present embodiment, there is an advantage that the quality of a color image can be maintained in the best state by checking the color image by test pattern printing in full color printing.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, the main difference from the second embodiment is that in the third embodiment, the toner image of the printing unit 2 is once transferred to an intermediate transfer member and then re-transferred to continuous paper. The toner image 25 formed on the recording medium 21 of each of the cyan printing unit 201, the magenta printing unit 202, the yellow printing unit 203, and the black printing unit 204 is sequentially superimposed on the intermediate transfer body 31 and transferred. A color toner image 251 is formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer body 31. Next, the color toner image 251 formed on the surface of the intermediate transfer body 31 is transferred to the transfer roller 26.
1, the image is re-transferred to the folding paper which is the continuous paper 3. After that, the continuous paper 3 is processed by the same process as in the second embodiment.

According to the present embodiment, since the intermediate transfer member 31 is used, it is possible to stably form an image on various types of recording paper without being greatly affected by the surrounding temperature and humidity, and the traveling path of the recording paper. However, there is an advantage that the paper can be run simply and stably.

Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, the main difference from the second embodiment is that an ink jet system is used as a printing unit instead of the electrophotographic system. A color print head system 200 composed of four sets of ink jet nozzle heads in which ink nozzles are arranged linearly in the width direction of the continuous paper 3 as a print head for cyan 211, a print head for magenta 212, a print head for yellow 213, and a print for black The heads 214 are mounted in parallel to perform color printing on the continuous paper 3. There is an advantage that the image quality of a color image can be maintained in the best state by printing a test pattern as in the second embodiment. Inkjet Cheek is the first
Although it is almost the same as the item of the embodiment, it is also possible to check the scattering of the ink. Further, when the nozzles are arranged in a line as in the present embodiment, for example, only the even-numbered nozzles or the odd-numbered nozzles are operated to draw a vertical line as a test pattern, thereby easily clogging the nozzles. It becomes possible to check. By using a similar test pattern, a light emitting defect of the LED array can be easily checked even in an electrophotographic apparatus using the LED array as a light source.

FIG. 6 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The color print head system 200 shown in FIG.
By installing two sets above and below, full-color double-sided printing is realized. By performing test pattern printing on both sides of the continuous paper 3 and monitoring the color images with the detection devices 51 installed above and below the continuous paper 3, the advantage is that the image quality of the color images printed on both sides can be maintained in the best condition. Yes. In the first, second, and third embodiments of the present invention, the print image detecting device 51 is installed at an intermediate position between the fixing device 4 and the cutter 52, but the installation location can be selected according to the situation. For example, the position may be on the upstream side of the fixing device 4 or on the downstream side of the cutter 52, or in the case of the third embodiment, a position where the color toner image 251 of the intermediate transfer body 31 can be monitored. or,
After the test pattern printing image is monitored by the detection device 51, the continuous paper may be once wound up as it is and then subjected to collective post-processing including removal of the test pattern printing unit.

Further, in this embodiment, the detection device is provided separately from the printing device, but may be integrated. The same applies to the cutter 52 and the paper discharge storage unit 55.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, a test pattern is printed at an arbitrary position on continuous paper during continuous printing operation mainly in an electrophotographic system or an ink-jet system, and the printing state is monitored in detail. However, there is an effect that the print quality can be maintained in an optimum state by feeding back the result.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a continuous paper recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a print example of a test pattern used in the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a continuous paper recording apparatus showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a continuous paper recording apparatus showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a continuous paper recording apparatus showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a continuous paper recording apparatus showing another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printing apparatus, 2 ... Printing unit, 3 ... Continuous paper, 4 ... Fixing apparatus, 5 ... Post-processing apparatus, 51 ... Detection apparatus, 52 ... Cutter, 53 ... Removal apparatus, 55 ... Discharge storage section.

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A continuous paper recording apparatus comprising a printing device for printing on continuous paper as a recording paper and a detecting device for detecting a print image printed on the continuous paper, wherein a printing state is monitored during a continuous printing operation. The test pattern is printed on continuous paper, the test pattern is detected by the detecting means, and when it is determined that the print area is the test pattern print area, the test pattern print area of the recording paper is cut perpendicular to the recording paper transport direction. A continuous paper recording apparatus comprising a cutter and a removing means for removing a cut test pattern printing area. 2. The continuous paper recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus prints a color image using a cyan, magenta, yellow, and black color material. 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus is an electrophotographic apparatus that prints on a recording sheet using a toner image.
3. The continuous paper recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 2. 4. A continuous paper recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said printing apparatus is an ink jet apparatus for printing on recording paper with ink. 5. The continuous paper recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the detection device for detecting the test pattern is provided downstream of the fixing device for fixing the toner image in the recording paper conveyance direction. 6. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the printing device comprises at least a recording body for forming a toner image and an intermediate transfer body for temporarily holding the toner image formed on the recording body. Continuous paper recorder.