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EP-4300204-B1 - IMAGE FORMING SYSTEM AND IMAGE FORMING METHOD

EP4300204B1EP 4300204 B1EP4300204 B1EP 4300204B1EP-4300204-B1

Inventors

  • TAKAHASHI, KOHEI
  • YOSHIOKA, TOMOAKI
  • TOMIOKA, Kota

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230323

Claims (5)

  1. An image forming system (10) comprising: a transfer unit (100) that transfers an image onto an object (500); a transporter (300) that transports the object (500) in a horizontal direction; a raising/lowering unit (321) that raises and lowers the object (500) in a vertical direction; a height sensor (330) that detects whether a height of a top of the object (500) mounted on a pedestal (322) of the transporter (300) exceeds a predetermined height or is less than or equal to the predetermined height; and a processor (410) configured to: control the raising/lowering unit (321) to perform a height adjustment to adjust the height of the top of the object (500) to a transport height for transfer, the image forming system (10) being characterized in that : the processor (410) is further configured to: after the height adjustment performed by the raising/lowering unit (321), determine whether the height of the top of the object (500) is greater than the predetermined height when the object (500) is to be transported to the transfer unit (100), on the basis of a detection result received from the height sensor (330), when the height of the top of the object (500) is determined by the processor (410) to be greater than the predetermined height, control the transporter (300) to stop the transporting of the object (500) to the transfer unit (100) and instruct the raising/lowering unit (321) to perform a readjustment, after the readjustment performed by the raising/lowering unit (321), determine again whether the height of the top of the object (500) is greater than the predetermined height based on a new detection result received from the height sensor (330), and when it is determined by the processor (410) that the height of the top of the object (500) is once again greater than the predetermined height such that the state in which a detected height of the top of the object (500) is greater than the predetermined height is not resolved after the readjustment, control the transporter (300) to transport the object (500) to a take-out position in a state in which the top of the object (500) is lower than a lowermost portion of the transfer unit (100).
  2. The image forming system (10) according to Claim 1, wherein the processor (410) is configured to: when the height of the top of the object (500) is detected and the detected height is greater than the predetermined height, transport the object (500) to a take-out position.
  3. The image forming system (10) according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the processor (410) is configured to: notify, through a notification unit, a worker that the object (500) is not to be processed.
  4. The image forming system (10) according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the processor (410) is configured to: notify a worker of poor height adjustment on the object (500).
  5. An image forming method comprising: transferring an image onto an object (500); transporting the object (500) in a horizontal direction; and raising and lowering the object (500) in a vertical direction to perform a height adjustment to adjust a height of a top of the object (500) to a transport height for the transferring, the image forming method being characterized by : after the height adjustment performed through the raising and lowering, detecting the height of the top of the object (500) when the object (500) is to be transported for the transferring, and determining whether the height of the top of the object (500) is greater than a predetermined height; when the height of the top of the object (500) is determined to be greater than the predetermined height, stopping the transport of the object (500) in the horizontal direction, and raising and lowering the object (500) in the vertical direction again to performing a readjustment; after the readjustment performed through the raising and lowering, detecting the height of the top of the object (500) again to determine whether the height of the top of the object (500) is greater than the predetermined height; and when the height of the top of the object (500) is once again determined to be greater than the predetermined height such the state in which a detected height of the top of the object (500) is greater than the predetermined height is not resolved after performing the readjustment, transporting the object (500) to a take-out position.

Description

Background (i) Technical Field The present disclosure relates to an image forming system and an image forming method. (ii) Related Art In recent years, images may be printed, for example, on metal, glass, and tile (hereinafter referred to as "objects"). These objects have various thicknesses and shapes. These objects possess high rigidness, and are not possible to be deformed freely like paper. Therefore, for example, these objects are transported horizontally to a transfer unit where images are transferred. A technique of the related art is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3292954. For example, if the thickness of an object exceeds the acceptable height for handling, such an object, which is being transported, may collide against a transfer belt, resulting in damage to the transfer belt. WO 2004/086150 A1 discloses a system and a method for printing predefined prints on a substantially stiff metal plate. The prints are received as instructions by the system e.g. after having been generated using a computer program, and, based on the instruction, a print transfer unit is electrically charged in specific areas corresponding to the instructions. Summary Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a technique for reducing a probability of damage to a transfer unit which is caused by an object that is being transported and that passes through the transfer unit, compared with the case in which the height of the top of the object is not detected before the transport operation. The present invention is provided by the appended claims. The following disclosure serves a better understanding of the present invention. According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an image forming system comprising: a transfer unit that transfers an image onto an object; a transporter that transports the object in a horizontal direction; a raising/lowering unit that raises and lowers the object in a vertical direction; and a processor configured to: after height adjustment performed by the raising/lowering unit, if the object has a top whose height is greater than a predetermined height when the object is to be transported to the transfer unit, stop the transport of the object to the transfer unit. According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, in the image forming system according to the first aspect, the processor is configured to, when the height of the top of the object is detected and the detected height is greater than the predetermined height, transport the object to a take-out position. According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, in the image forming system according to the first or second aspect, the processor is configured to notify, through a notification unit, a worker that the object is not to be processed. According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in the image forming system according to any one of the first to third aspects, the processor is configured to, when the height of the top of the object having been adjusted by the raising/lowering unit to a transport height for transfer is detected and the detected height is greater than the predetermined height, instruct the raising/lowering unit to perform a readjustment. According to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, in the image forming system according to the fourth aspect, the processor is configured to, when the state in which the detected height is greater than the predetermined height is not resolved after the readjustment, transport the object to a take-out position in the state in which the top of the object is lower than a lowermost portion of the transfer unit. According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in the image forming system according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the processor is configured to notify a worker of poor height adjustment on the object. According to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an image forming method including: transferring an image onto an object; transporting the object in the horizontal direction; raising and lowering the object in the vertical direction; and, after height adjustment performed through the raising and lowering, if the object has a top whose height is greater than a predetermined height when the object is to be transported for the transferring, stop the transport of the object. The first and seventh aspects of the present disclosure enable reduction of a probability of damage to the transfer unit which is caused by an object that is being transported and that passes through the transfer unit, compared with the case in which the height of the top of the object is not detected before the transport operation. The second aspect of the present disclosure enables prevention of damage to the transfer unit, which is caused by mounting a wrong object. The third aspect of the present disclosure enables a worker to be notified that a mounted object is wrong. The fourth aspect of the present di