Printing – Stenciling – Stencils
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-22
2002-08-06
Hirshfeld, Andrew H. (Department: 2854)
Printing
Stenciling
Stencils
C101S114000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06427589
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a stencil printer and an information storage medium, and more particularly to a stencil printer provided with a stencil making position adjusting means for adjusting the stencil making position and an information storage medium in which software for controlling the stencil printer in adjusting the stencil making position is stored.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, a stencil printer is required to make a stencil on the basis of not only an image signal read out from an original by an image scanner but also an image signal input from an external apparatus such as a personal computer. That is, as the image processing performance of a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer becomes better and as the use of the personal computer spreads, the stencil printer comes to be required to make a stencil on the basis of an image signal input from a personal computer and to make prints by the use of the stencil.
However, in conventional stencil printers, adjustment of the stencil making position is possible when the stencil is made on the basis of an image signal input from an image scanner (will be referred to as “an internal image signal”, hereinbelow) but impossible when the stencil is made on the basis of an image signal input from an external apparatus (will be referred to as “an external image signal”, hereinbelow) This is because the conventional stencil printers are not provided with a means for adjusting the making position of a stencil which is made on the basis of an external image signal.
Generally the image scanner is not replaced often. Accordingly, the means for adjusting the stencil making position in the conventional stencil printer is provided for the purpose of compensating for error in the stencil making position caused by difference between properties of scanners and/or stencil making apparatuses and the mounting error of the scanner and/or the stencil making apparatus, and accordingly, is not generally operated after it is once adjusted so that a proper stencil making position is obtained taking into account matching of the scanner and the stencil making apparatus.
That is, in order to adjust the stencil making position when prints are made on the basis of an external image signal in the conventional stencil printers, it is necessary to once make a stencil on the basis of the external image signal, make a trial print by the use of the stencil and correct the external image signal on the basis of the trial print by processing the external image signal by the external personal computer or the like. This is repeated until a desired stencil making position is obtained.
Thus, when prints are to be made on the basis of an external image signal in the conventional stencil printers, the operator must move back and forth between the stencil printer and the personal computer to adjust the stencil making position, which is very troublesome and requires a long time. Further, since many stencils must be made and the stencil material is consumed in vain, the printing cost is increased.
Further, there have been known stencil printers in which the stencil making position can be adjusted when a stencil is to be made on the basis of an internal image signal (an image signal read out from an original by the image scanner) and those the printing position on the printing paper can be adjusted by changing the position of the printing paper relative to the stencil on the printing drum. In such stencil printers, the stencil making position and/or the printing position when prints are to be made by the use of a stencil made on the basis of an external image signal can be adjusted by the use of means for adjusting the stencil making position and/or the means for adjusting the printing position when prints are to be made on the basis of the internal image signal.
However when the conventional means for adjusting the stencil making position and/or the printing position for the internal image signal are used for adjusting the stencil making position and/or the printing position for the external image signal, there arises a problem that the operator can confuse setting of the stencil making position (and printing position) for an external image signal with setting of the stencil making position (and printing position) for an internal image signal, which can result in deterioration in controllability for controlling the stencil making position and/or the printing position to a correct position.
Further, such confusion of the stencil making position setting can result-in a situation where a desired stencil making position cannot be obtained irrespective of the operator's intent to set the stencil making position to a correct position and the stencil must be repeatedly remade, which deteriorates printing throughput and adds to printing cost, whereby properties of the stencil printer that a middle to large amount of copies can be obtained in a short time at low cost cannot be sufficiently realized.
For example, when an operator adjusts the stencil making position and/or the printing position before making prints on the basis of an external image signal and then another operator makes prints on the basis of an internal image signal without recognizing that the stencil making position and/or the printing position has been set to conform to the external input mode (a mode in which prints are made on the basis of the external image signal), the stencil making position and/or the printing position deviates from the correct position, which results waste of the stencil material and/or the printing papers.
Especially since the stencil making cost including the material cost and the time cost shares a major part of the printing cost, it is greatly desired to suppress waste of the stencil material to lower the printing cost. Thus, overcoming the aforesaid problems involved by adjustment of the stencil making position is very important to prevent waste of the stencil material.
Further, though displacement of the printing position due to displacement of the stencil making position can be corrected by the use of the printing position adjustment function of a conventional stencil printer, the approach is only a temporary solution of the problem and not a basic solution. Further, when another operator uses the stencil printer without knowing that the printing position has been changed from the regular position, the printing position in the obtained copies can deviate from the regular position even if the stencil for the original is made in the correct position. Accordingly, it is necessary to control the stencil making position itself when prints are to be made on the basis of an external image signal.
Further, since the stencil printers are often used by unskilled users due to its inherency, the stencil printers are desired to be arranged so that the steps from the step of adjusting the stencil making position to the step of printing can be easily and correctly effected without confusion of the input modes and without causing a wrong operation of the printer due to the confusion of the input modes even if the stencil printer is used by an unskilled user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing observations and description, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a stencil printer in which stencil making position adjustment for adjusting the stencil making position for a stencil to be made on the basis of an internal image signal and that for adjusting the stencil making position for a stencil to be made on the basis of an external image signal can be effected clearly separated from each other without confusion and as a result, waste of the stencil material and the printing paper can be suppressed, whereby the aforesaid properties inherent to the stencil printer that a middle to large amount of copies can be obtained in a short time at low cost can be sufficiently realized.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an information storage medium in which software for cont
Cone Darius N.
Hirshfeld Andrew H.
Riso Kagaku Corporation
Studebaker Donald R.
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