JP2005172867A - Color image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a color image forming apparatus which can enhance the printing productivity. <P>SOLUTION: The color image forming apparatus is provided with an operation display means 71 for inputting execution or non-execution of a color adjustment mode, and a control means 73 for instructing a printing means 72 to print, without executing the color adjustment mode when non-execution of the color adjustment mode is inputted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a color image forming apparatus such as a printer / copier / multifunction machine / FAX, and more particularly to a color adjustment mode-related technique.

In a color image forming apparatus, it is necessary to perform color adjustment at the time of installation of the machine, and color image quality is deteriorated when a certain amount of printing is performed. Therefore, color adjustment is necessary at that time. Therefore, the color image forming apparatus conventionally has a color adjustment mode. As for the color adjustment mode, techniques such as Patent Documents 1 and 2 have been proposed.
JP 2003-091224 A JP-A-11-177822

By the way, since the printing operation cannot be performed while the color adjustment mode is being executed, when a job is to be printed or when the color adjustment mode is entered during the printing of a certain job, the printing time of the job Has a problem that it takes longer than usual and productivity decreases.
The present invention provides a color image forming apparatus capable of increasing printing productivity by selecting whether or not the color adjustment mode is performed in accordance with the situation instead of executing the color adjustment mode uniformly. With the goal.

In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, in an image forming apparatus having a color adjustment mode, operation display means for inputting whether or not the color adjustment mode can be executed, and that the color adjustment mode is not executed. An image forming apparatus including a control unit that causes a printing unit to perform printing without executing a color adjustment mode when input is the main feature.
According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, when the image quality priority is given to the job by the input from the operation display unit, the control unit applies the job for which the high image quality is not required. An image forming apparatus that is controlled not to execute the color adjustment mode is a main feature.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the image forming apparatus according to the first aspect, the timing for entering the color adjustment mode is displayed by the operation display means, and whether or not the color adjustment mode can be executed can be selected at that time. Is the main feature.

  According to the present invention, when it is not necessary to execute the color adjustment mode, for example, when the job does not require high image quality, it is possible to select not to execute the color adjustment mode. As a result, the printing speed can be improved to increase the printing productivity.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a tandem indirect transfer type color image forming apparatus. Reference numeral 100 is a copying machine main body, 200 is a paper feed table on which it is placed, 300 is a scanner mounted on the copying machine main body 100, and 400 is an automatic document feeder (ADF) further mounted thereon.
The copying machine main body 100 is provided with an endless belt-shaped intermediate transfer member 10 in the center. The intermediate transfer member 10 is wound around three support rollers (stretching rollers) 14, 15, and 16 so as to be able to rotate and convey clockwise in the drawing. In this illustrated example, an intermediate transfer body cleaning device 17 for removing residual toner remaining on the intermediate transfer body 10 after image transfer is provided on the left side of the second support roller 15 of the three support rollers. Further, on the intermediate transfer member 10 stretched between the first support roller 14 and the second support roller 15 among the three support rollers, four of black, cyan, magenta, and yellow are arranged along the conveyance direction. The tandem image forming unit 20 is configured by arranging two image forming units 18 side by side.
An exposure device 21 is further provided immediately above the tandem image forming unit 20 as shown in FIG. On the other hand, a secondary transfer device 22 is provided on the opposite side of the intermediate transfer body 10 from the tandem image forming unit 20. In the illustrated example, the secondary transfer device 22 is configured by spanning a secondary transfer belt 24, which is an endless belt, between two rollers 23, and is pressed against the third support roller 16 via the intermediate transfer body 10. The image on the intermediate transfer body 10 is transferred to a recording sheet. A fixing device 25 for fixing the transfer image on the recording paper is provided beside the secondary transfer device 22. The fixing device 25 is configured by pressing a pressure roller 27 against a fixing belt 26 that is an endless belt. The secondary transfer device 22 described above also has a recording paper transport function for transporting the recording paper after image transfer to the fixing device 25. Of course, a transfer roller or a non-contact charger may be arranged as the secondary transfer device 22.
In the illustrated example, a recording sheet that reverses the recording sheet so as to record an image on both sides of the recording sheet in parallel with the tandem image forming unit 20 described above under the secondary transfer device 22 and the fixing device 25 described above. A reversing device 28 is provided. The description of the operation is the same as that of a known color image forming apparatus, and is omitted here.

FIG. 2 is a main functional block diagram of the color image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. Control means 73 for controlling the printing means 72 in response to inputs from the operation display means 71, printing means 72, and operation display means 71, and for performing various displays on the operation display means 71 based on status signals from the printing means 72. Prepare.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of control in the color image forming apparatus of the present invention. This process is executed by the program of the control means 73. First, the user performs various print settings before starting printing (S1). Among them, setting items relating to the color adjustment mode are prepared. Here, when no print setting is made, normal printing is performed as usual (S2), and the color adjustment mode is automatically executed when a certain amount of printing is performed or time elapses.
If the setting for not executing the color adjustment mode is selected for priority on the printing speed, printing is performed without performing color adjustment (S3, S4). If the priority of the image is set in advance by a printer or the like, the necessity / unnecessity of color adjustment is automatically determined according to the priority and printing is performed. At this time, there is a merit that printing can be completed quickly.
Further, in printing without color adjustment, when the amount of printing is large or when it takes time, image deterioration can be considered. In such a case, the user is notified of image deterioration during printing. At this point, the user can select whether to perform color adjustment or to continue printing (S5). When the color adjustment mode is selected, the color adjustment is performed in the same way as during normal printing so as to maintain good image quality. By such control, it is possible to eliminate re-printing due to image deterioration, to save extra time, and to save time and resources.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a color image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a functional block diagram of main parts of a color image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of control in the color image forming apparatus of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 operation display means, 2 printing means, 3 control means

Claims (3)

  An operation display means for inputting whether or not the color adjustment mode can be executed, and a control means for causing the printing means to print without executing the color adjustment mode when input indicating that the color adjustment mode is not executed is provided. A color image forming apparatus.   2. The color image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a priority is given to an image by an input from the operation display unit, the control unit executes a color adjustment mode for a job that does not require high image quality. A color image forming apparatus that is controlled so as not to occur. 2. The color image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a timing for entering a color adjustment mode is displayed by said operation display means, and whether or not to execute the color adjustment mode can be selected at that time. .

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