By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at China Weekly News -- A patent application by the inventors MURAMOTO, Kouki (Toyohashi-shi, JP); MINEMURA, Taisuke (Okazaki-shi, JP); GONDA, Takashi (Toyokawa-shi, JP); YAMAMOTO, Kenichi (Toyokawa-shi, JP), filed onJune 19, 2013, was made available online on January 2, 2014, according to news reporting originating from Washington, D.C., by VerticalNews correspondents.
This patent application is assigned to Konica Minolta, Inc.
The following quote was obtained by the news editors from the background information supplied by the inventors: "The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for printing on a the front and back of paper, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus for printing on the front and back of paper having a size exceeding the maximum paper-feed size.
"Electrophographic image forming apparatuses include, for example, MFP (Multifunction Peripheral) with a scanner function, a facsimile function, a copy function, a printer function, a data communication function, and a server function, facsimile machines, copiers, and printers.
"Image forming apparatuses have the maximum paper size that can be fed (for example, A3 size or A4 size). This size is called the maximum paper-feed size. In order to print on paper having a size exceeding the maximum paper-feed size, a more expensive and larger image forming apparatus (such as a copier or a printer) that supports such size of paper has to be used. In this respect, a technique for printing on paper having a size exceeding the maximum paper-feed size has been proposed, in which paper folded in two is fed. For example, Document 1 below discloses a technique of forming an image on large-size recording paper by folding recording paper in two, forming toner images on both sides of the recording paper folded in two, and unfolding the recording paper after fixing.
"Documents 2 and 3 below disclose a technique related to operation of a paper feeder in feeding paper folded in two. Document 2 below discloses a paper feeder including a paper stage on which paper is placed, a separation paper feed roller pair located downstream of the paper stage for feeding paper, and a bringing roller coming into abutment with the upper surface of paper placed on the paper stage for bringing the paper closer to the separation paper feed roller pair. This paper feeder can switch between a first mode in which the rollers of the separation paper feed roller pair are rotated in a direction in which paper is output to the downstream side and the bringing roller is not brought into abutment with the upper surface of paper, and a second mode in which rotation of a separation roller of the separation paper feed roller pair is stopped and the bringing roller is brought into abutment with the upper surface of paper.
"Document 3 discloses a sheet feeder in which when the conveyed sheets overlie one another, separation means separates the sheets one by one. This sheet feeder allows the separation means to stop the separating operation when information about the conveyed sheet indicates a folded sheet. Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-327364 Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2003-12169 Document 3: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-302376
"Conventionally, when double-sided printing is done on paper having a size exceeding the maximum paper-feed size, an image forming apparatus does printing in the following manner. The image forming apparatus does printing, first, on the right half of the front and then on the left half of the front of paper folded in two with the front facing outside. The image forming apparatus then does printing on the right half of the back and finally on the left half of the back of the paper folded in two with the back facing the outside.
"In the conventional techniques, when double-sided printing is done on paper having a size exceeding the maximum paper-feed size, the efficiency in printing is poor because the image forming apparatus has to make, in total, at least four prints as described above."
In addition to the background information obtained for this patent application, VerticalNews journalists also obtained the inventors' summary information for this patent application: "An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus with improved efficiency in printing.
"An image forming apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes an image acquisition unit for acquiring front and back images to be formed on paper, an image division unit for dividing the front and back images into a first image formed of a part of the front image, a second image formed of a remaining part of the front image and a part of the back image, and a third image formed of a remaining part of the back image, a first image forming unit for forming the first and second images on the paper folded at a first position, and a second image forming unit for forming the third image on the paper folded at a second position. The first and second image forming units form images such that the part of the front image and the remaining part of the front image constitute the front image and the part of the back image and the remaining part of the back image constitute the back image when the paper is unfolded.
"The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
"FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an overall configuration of an MFP 100 in a first embodiment of the present invention.
"FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of an MFP 100 in the first embodiment of the present invention.
"FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a fold position of paper in the first embodiment of the present invention.
"FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing that paper is set in a paper feed tray 3 in first print in the first embodiment of the present invention.
"FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing that paper is set in paper feed tray 3 in second print in the first embodiment of the present invention.
"FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing that paper is set in paper feed tray 3 in third print in the first embodiment of the present invention.
"FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing a modification of the fold position of paper in the first embodiment of the present invention.
"FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing a method of dividing images to be formed on the front and back of paper to print on.
"FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing an image formed on paper SH1 conveyed in MFP 100 in a case where MFP 100 performs single-sided printing.
"FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing images formed on paper SH1 conveyed in MFP 100 in a case where MFP 100 performs double-sided printing.
"FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing an image formed on paper SH1 by MFP 100.
"FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing operation of MFP 100 in the first embodiment of the present invention.
"FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing an overall configuration of an MFP 100 in a second embodiment of the present invention.
"FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing operation of MFP 100 in the second embodiment of the present invention.
"FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing an overall configuration of an MFP in a third embodiment of the present invention.
"FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing operation of MFP 100 in the third embodiment of the present invention.
"FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing an overall configuration of an MFP 100 in a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
"FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing operation of MFP 100 in the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
"FIG. 19 is a perspective view schematically showing a plurality of sheets of folded paper accommodated in a paper feed cassette 2 in a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
"FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing operation of MFP 100 in the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
"FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view showing an overall configuration of paper feed tray 3 in a sixth embodiment of the present invention.
"FIG. 22 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of paper feed tray 3 in the sixth embodiment of the present invention."
URL and more information on this patent application, see: MURAMOTO, Kouki; MINEMURA, Taisuke; GONDA, Takashi; YAMAMOTO, Kenichi. Image Forming Apparatus for Printing on Front and Back of Paper. FiledJune 19, 2013 and posted January 2, 2014. Patent URL: http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi...6&RS=PD/20131226
Keywords for this news article include: Asia, Konica Minolta Inc.
Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world. Copyright 2014, NewsRx LLC
(c) 2014 China Weekly News via VerticalNews.com