Printing – Stenciling
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-28
2001-08-21
Eickholt, Eugene (Department: 2854)
Printing
Stenciling
C101S118000, C101S128400, C399S410000, C270S058020
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276267
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to printing system, particularly to a printing system including a printer such as a stencil printer for carrying out stencil making and a finisher for receiving and holding printed sheets discharged from the printer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A stencil printer is an image forming apparatus that digitally processes an original image, perforates a stencil paper (stencil) with the image, winds the stencil on a printing drum, and forms an image identical to the original on paper by transferring ink from the interior of the printing drum to the paper through the perforated stencil. Printing of a desired number of sheets therefore requires a stencil making operation.
A finisher is an after-processing apparatus, generally referred to as a “sorter,” that receives printed sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus, sorts them into sheet holding means (row of bins) inside the apparatus, and arranges (aligns) and/or a staples the shorted sheets. The finisher therefore incorporates an operation of receiving and storing printed sheets and operations for effecting prescribed processing, e.g., alignment, with respect to the stored printed sheets.
When the conventional printing system consisting of a stencil printer and a finisher is used to print multiple originals, sort the printed sheets by page and staple the sorted sheets, first a stencil making operation is conducted, then printing is started together with sorting of the printed sheets, whereafter the sorted sheets are aligned, and, upon completion of the alignment, stencil making is started with respect to the next original. After these operations have been repeated a number of times equal to the number of originals, stapling is carried out.
The time required to complete the whole job is therefore considerable because it is the sum of the time required for conducting stencil making for the total number of originals, the time required for printing and sorting, the time required for alignment, and the time required for the final stapling operation.
In the case of a sorter equipped with moving bins, moreover, an operation is required in addition to the alignment and stapling operations for temporarily returning the row of bins to a standby location after storing the sheets printed with one stencil and before storing the sheets printed with the next stencil.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In light of the foregoing circumstances, the present invention has as one of its objects to shorten the total printing time of the printing system and, for this, focuses on the fact that the print making is an operation conducted only on the printer side while the alignment and bin moving operations are operations conducted on only on the finisher side.
The printing system according to the present invention comprises a printer for conducting stencil making and printing, a finisher for receiving and holding printed sheets discharged from the printer and effecting at least one prescribed processing operation on the received printed sheets, and control means for starting stencil making in the printer without waiting for completion of said at least one prescribed processing operation in the finisher.
The control means is preferably responsive to completion of the insertion of the printed sheets in the finisher for substantially simultaneously starting the stencil making operation in the printer and the at least one prescribed processing operation in the finisher. Instead, however, it can be responsive to completion of the receiving and holding of the printed sheets in the finisher for starting the stencil making operation in the printer after a delay.
When the finisher is a sorter comprising a row of stationary bins for holding the printed sheets, sheet sorting means for inserting the printed sheets into the bins and alignment means for aligning the printed sheets held in the bins, the at least one prescribed processing operation is an alignment operation conducted by the alignment means.
When the finisher is a sorter comprising a row of stationary bins for holding the printed sheets, sheet sorting means for inserting the printed sheets into the bins, alignment means for aligning the printed sheets held in the bins and stapling means for stapling sheaves of printed sheets held in the bins, the at least one prescribed processing operation is an alignment operation conducted by the alignment means and a stapling operation conducted by the stapling means.
When the finisher is a sorter comprising a row of moving bins for holding the printed sheets, the at least one prescribed processing operation is an operation of moving the row of bins to a standby location.
The present invention starts the stencil making operation of the printer without waiting for completion of the prescribed processing operation or operations in the finisher and therefore shortens the overall printing time in printing using multiple originals.
Particularly in the aspect of the present invention in which the stencil making operation in the printer and the prescribed operation or operations in the finisher are conducted substantially simultaneously, the overall printing time is shorten by the amount of time for alignment or bin moving because the control means responds to completion of the operation for receiving and holding the printed sheets by immediately starting the next stencil making operation.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5404805 (1995-04-01), Fujimoto et al.
patent: 5598258 (1997-01-01), Sato et al.
patent: 5690324 (1997-11-01), Otomo et al.
patent: 5794928 (1998-08-01), Araseki et al.
patent: 5835839 (1998-11-01), Kaneda
patent: 5845570 (1998-12-01), Isozaki et al.
patent: 5882005 (1999-03-01), Araseki et al.
patent: 5890050 (1999-03-01), Kaneda
patent: 5924689 (1999-07-01), Fukai et al.
patent: 5931463 (1999-08-01), Kaneda
patent: 5982502 (1999-11-01), Jinnai
patent: 6010129 (2000-01-01), Moltizuki et al.
patent: 6161476 (2000-12-01), Yoneoka
Eickholt Eugene
Nixon & Peabody LLP
Riso Kagaku Corporation
Studebaker Donad R.
LandOfFree
Printing system does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Printing system, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Printing system will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2477803