Electrophotography – Machine operation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-29
2001-05-01
Moses, Richard (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Machine operation
C399S043000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06226471
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, such as a complex-type digital copying machine that can be provided with option units, an example of which is a sheet discharging device (a finisher).
There is a conventional digital copying machine (an image forming apparatus) that can be provided with option units, an example of which is a sheet discharging device (a finisher). In this type of digital copying machine, the operation of the main body of the digital copying machine is controlled in accordance with the processing speed of the finisher.
The finisher has a function of stapling sheets that have been discharged from the main body of the digital copying machine, and a function of bundling sheets in a designated mode, such as a “sorting/grouping.” In addition, the finisher has a function of determining the time required for the sheets from the image forming apparatus to be aligned or stapled. Specifically, in accordance with the types of sheets, the finisher outputs a signal indicating the time interval between the time when the last sheet is discharged and the time when the subsequent sheet is discharged (the time interval will be hereinafter referred to as a sheet processing time), and transmits that signal to the main body of the digital copying machine.
In accordance with the sheet processing time of the signal transmitted from the finisher, the main body of the digital copying machine controls the time intervals at which the sheets are fed. In other words, the main body of the digital copying machine controls the subsequent printing operations in accordance with the sheet processing time.
The main body of the digital copying machine can be provided with an enhanced processing speed, thus enabling a high-speed PPM (Print/Minutes). In actuality, however, the processing speed of the main body is restricted by the sheet processing time of the finisher. For this reason, the digital copying machine provided with the finisher cannot operate at its original high speed, resulting in a low processing speed. Moreover, if the finisher is set in the processing mode in which the sheets are stapled or sorted, the PPM of the main body may be greatly lowered.
If the main body is driven at high speed, with the finisher coupled thereto, the finisher is also required to attain high-speed processing. Suppose there are a high-speed main body and a low-speed main body. In this case, different types of finishers have to be prepared in accordance with the processing speeds of the main bodies. Alternatively, a finisher suitable for use with the high-speed main body has to be coupled to the low-speed main body. Although the high-speed finisher can be coupled to the low-speed main body, this is a waste of cost in many points, particularly in terms of the cost needed for the manufacture and development of the finisher.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As described above, the operating speed of the main body of the image forming apparatus may be lowered due to the operating speed of a peripheral device coupled to the main body, and a peripheral device that is suitable for use with the high-speed main body of the image forming apparatus cannot be developed or manufactured without incurring many disadvantages, such as high cost. The present invention has been made in an effort to solve these problems, and the object thereof is to provide an image forming apparatus in which the operating speed of the main body is prevented from being lowered due to the operating speed of a peripheral device coupled to the main body, and which enables a peripheral device to be developed and manufactured at low cost without incurring disadvantages.
An image forming apparatus according to the present invention is of a type that comprises image forming means for forming an image on an image formation medium, and discharge means for discharging the image formation medium on which the image is formed by the image forming means, the image forming apparatus further comprising: adjustment means for adjusting a processing time designated by the discharge means and indicating a time interval that is left before image formation processing is executed next; and control means for controlling the image forming means to execute the image formation processing on the basis of the processing time adjusted by the adjusting means.
An image forming method according to the present invention is used in an image forming apparatus that comprises image forming means for forming an image on an image formation medium, and discharge means for discharging the image formation medium on which the image is formed by the image forming means, the image forming method comprising: adjusting a processing time designated by the discharge means and indicating a time interval that is left before image formation processing is executed next; and controlling the image forming means to execute the image formation processing on the basis of the adjusted processing time.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6099181 (2000-08-01), Kitabatake
Foley & Lardner
Moses Richard
Toshiba Tec Kabushiki Kaisha
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