Electrophotography – Document handling – Copy
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-01
2001-04-10
Beatty, Robert (Department: 2852)
Electrophotography
Document handling
Copy
C399S410000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06215977
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image forming apparatus and method, and more particularly to an image forming apparatus and method which can properly perform staple and punch operations in accordance with statuses of recording sheets associated with image orientations.
2. Discussion of the Background
There have been provided image forming apparatuses such as digital copying machines, printers, and so on, having finish operations such as staple and punch operations, for example. For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. JPAP09-261415 (1997) describes an image forming apparatus in which a staple function can be used to staple a stack of recording sheets which have undergone an image forming operation in a variety of staple patterns such as one or two positions on a top side edge, a bottom side edge, a left side edge, a right side edge or a corner of a recording sheet. This image forming apparatus judges a direction of a character string of a print image to perform an appropriate rotation so as to conduct a staple operation on the recording sheets which are sorted in a specific direction.
When a user attempts to print a document prepared on a host computer, the user generally gives a print command without knowing what sheet size and in which sheet orientation the sheet tray of the printer has recording sheets, particularly in network environments in which printers are often located beyond the view of the users. In such a situation, if the user sends a print command with staple and punch commands from a terminal computer to a network printer which can perform finish operations such as staple and punch operations, the network printer performs operations as instructed. As a result, the network printer may staple in a way different from what the user desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a novel image forming apparatus which can properly perform staple and punch operations in accordance with statuses of recording sheets associated with image orientations.
To achieve this and other objects, a novel image forming apparatus includes an image forming controller and a sheet ejection mechanism. A plurality of sheet supplying mechanisms store and supply recording sheets. Each sheet supplying mechanism stores a stack of recording sheets in a specific orientation when the recording sheets have a size greater than a predetermined size and in one of selected portrait and landscape orientations relative to a sheet flowing direction when the recording sheets have a size smaller than the predetermined size. The image forming controller reproduces an image according to input image data on a recording sheet supplied from one of the plurality of sheet supplying mechanisms. Also, the image forming controller performs a rotation sort operation which repeats reproduction of an image according to input image data on recording sheets supplied in either the portrait and landscape orientations. The sheet ejection mechanism provides finish operations including staple and punch operations on a recording sheet and ejects the recording sheet outside the image forming apparatus after the image forming controller reproduces an image on the recording sheet. The sheet ejection mechanism includes a staple mechanism which performs the staple operation for stapling on the recording sheet having the image thereon in one of selective staple patterns, and a punch mechanism which performs the punch operation for punching in a trailing edge area of the recording sheet having the image thereon. In the above-described image forming apparatus, the image forming controller cancels the rotation sort operation and performs the staple operation when both the rotation sort and staple operations are instructed.
The selective patterns may include a corner slanting staple, a top side edge staple, a bottom side edge staple, a left side edge staple, and a right side edge staple.
The image forming controller may cancel the rotation sort operation and performs the punch operation when both the rotation sort and punch operations are instructed.
The image forming controller may perform the rotation sort operation only in a case that the staple or punch operation is cancelled, when one of the staple and punch operations and the rotation sort operation are instructed.
The image forming controller may reselect, out of the selective patterns, a pattern appropriate for a staple mode of duplex reproduction and performs the staple operation using the reselected staple pattern, when specified staple patterns for the staple operation and the staple mode of duplex reproduction cause a conflict in positions.
The image forming controller may reselect a punch pattern appropriate for a staple mode of duplex reproduction and performs the punch operation using the reselected punch pattern, when a specified staple pattern for the staple mode of duplex reproduction and a specified punch pattern for the punch operation cause a conflict in positions.
The image forming controller may reselect a punch pattern appropriate for a specified staple pattern for the staple operation and performs the staple operation using the specified staple pattern and the punch operation using the reselected punch pattern, when a specified staple pattern for the staple operation and a specified punch pattern for the punch operation cause a conflict in positions.
According to another feature of the invention there is provided a sheet ejection mechanism in an image forming apparatus which can record images on recording sheets in one of selected portrait and landscape orientations, comprising a staple mechanism which can perform a staple operation in one of selected staple patterns on said recording sheet having an image recorded thereon; a punch mechanism which can perform a punch operation in one of selected punch patterns on said recording sheet having an image recorded thereon; and an image forming controller which controls a reproduction of the image on said recording sheet, a rotation sort operation in which recording sheets are alternately supplied in the portrait and landscape orientations, and staple and punch operations, according to instructed data, wherein said image forming controller cancels said rotation sort operation and performs said staple operation when both said rotation sort and staple operations are instructed.
According to another feature of the invention there is provided an image forming apparatus which can record images on recording sheets in one of selected portrait and landscape orientations, comprising sheet supplying means for storing and supplying recording sheets in one of portrait and landscape orientations; staple means for performing a staple operation in one of selected staple patterns on said recording sheet having an image recorded thereon; punch means for performing a punch operation in one of selected punch patterns on said recording sheet having an image recorded thereon; and image forming control means for controlling a reproduction of the image on said recording sheet, a rotation sort operation in which recording sheets are alternately supplied from said sheet supplying mechanisms in the portrait and landscape orientations, and staple and punch operations, according to instructed data, wherein said image forming control means cancels said rotation sort operation and performs said staple operation when both said rotation sort and staple operations are instructed.
According to another feature of the invention there is provided an image forming method in a recording apparatus having a controller which instructs finishing steps on recording sheets having images recorded thereon, comprising the steps of recording images on the recording sheets; a rotation sort operation which alternately rotates an orientation of the recording sheet having the image recorded thereon between a portrait orientation and a landscape orientation; a staple operation which performs stapling in one of selected staple patterns on said recording sheet
Beatty Robert
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Ricoh & Company, Ltd.
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