US-12623878-B2 - Printing apparatus, control method, and storage medium

US12623878B2US 12623878 B2US12623878 B2US 12623878B2US-12623878-B2

Abstract

A printing apparatus includes a printing unit, first and second conveyance units conveying a print medium, and a control unit performing reduction control to reduce an overlap amount between a preceding print medium and a succeeding print medium by using a speed difference. In a first case in which a trailing end of the preceding print medium and a leading end of the succeeding print medium are positioned in an interval between the first and second conveyance units, a conveying speed of the preceding print medium is set to a first speed. In a second case which is different from the first case and in which the trailing end and the leading end are positioned in the interval between the first and second conveyance units, the conveying speed of the preceding print medium is set to a second speed different from the first speed.

Inventors

Masashi Ito
Keisuke Arita
Motoyuki Taguchi
KENTO TAMARI
Sho Takahashi
Ryota Komatsu

Assignees

CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20240510
Priority Date: 20230512

Claims (13)

1 . A printing apparatus comprising: a printing unit configured to print an image on a print medium; a first conveyance roller configured to convey the print medium in a conveying direction; a second conveyance roller configured to convey the print medium having undergone printing by the printing unit on a downstream side of the first conveyance roller in the conveying direction; and a control unit configured to perform reduction control to reduce an overlap amount between a preceding print medium and a succeeding print medium by using a speed difference between the preceding print medium and the succeeding print medium in an overlap state in which the succeeding print medium overlaps a trailing end of the preceding print medium, wherein the control unit estimates a time from when the reduction control is started to when a leading end of the succeeding print medium reaches the second conveyance roller, in a first case in which a trailing end of the preceding print medium and the leading end of the succeeding print medium are positioned in an interval between the first conveyance roller and the second conveyance roller, the control unit is configured to execute the reduction control in which a conveying speed of the preceding print medium is set to a first speed based on the estimated time, and in a second case which is different from the first case and in which the trailing end of the preceding print medium and the leading end of the succeeding print medium are positioned in the interval between the first conveyance roller and the second conveyance roller, the control unit is configured to execute the reduction control in which the conveying speed of the preceding print medium is set to a second speed different from the first speed based on the estimated time.
2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets the conveying speed of the preceding print medium in the reduction control in accordance with print data associated with the succeeding print medium.
3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first speed is set to an upper limit speed, and the second speed is set to a speed lower than the upper limit speed.
4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit calculates a speed value that makes an interval between the preceding print medium and the succeeding print medium become a predetermined interval, sets the first speed to an upper limit speed as in the first case if the speed value exceeds the upper limit speed, and sets the second speed based on an estimated time as in the second case if the speed value is lower than the upper limit speed.
5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first case and the second case are cases in which print data of images printed on the succeeding print medium are different from each other.
6 . The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit sets the conveying speed of the preceding print medium in the reduction control before printing on the preceding print medium by the printing unit is completed.
7 . A printing apparatus comprising: a printing unit configured to print an image on a print medium; a first conveyance roller configured to convey the print medium in a conveying direction; a second conveyance roller configured to convey the print medium having undergone printing by the printing unit on a downstream side of the first conveyance roller in the conveying direction; a third conveyance roller configured to convey the print medium having undergone printing by the printing unit on a downstream side of the second conveyance roller in the conveying direction; and a control unit configured to perform reduction control to reduce an overlap amount between a preceding print medium and a succeeding print medium by using a speed difference between the preceding print medium and the succeeding print medium in an overlap state in which the succeeding print medium overlaps a trailing end of the preceding print medium, wherein in a first case in which a trailing end of the preceding print medium and a leading end of the succeeding print medium are positioned in an interval between the first conveyance roller and the second conveyance roller, the control unit is configured to execute the reduction control in which a conveying speed of the preceding print medium is set to a first speed, in a second case which is different from the first case and in which the trailing end of the preceding print medium and the leading end of the succeeding print medium are positioned in the interval between the first conveyance roller and the second conveyance roller, the control unit is configured to execute the reduction control in which the conveying speed of the preceding print medium is set to a second speed different from the first speed, in a third case in which the trailing end of the preceding print medium and the leading end of the succeeding print medium are positioned in an interval between the second conveyance roller and the third conveyance roller, the control unit is configured to execute the reduction control in which the conveying speed of the preceding print medium is set to a third speed, and in a fourth case which is different from the third case and in which the trailing end of the preceding print medium and the leading end of the succeeding print medium are positioned in the interval between the second conveyance roller and the third conveyance roller, the control unit is configured to execute the reduction control in which the conveying speed of the preceding print medium is set to a fourth speed different from the third speed.
8 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the third speed is set to an upper limit speed, and the fourth speed is set to a speed lower than the upper limit speed.
9 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the third case and the fourth case are cases in which print data of images printed on the succeeding print medium are different from each other.
10 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit matches the conveying speed of the preceding print medium with the conveying speed of the succeeding print medium if the trailing end of the preceding print medium is positioned in the interval between the first conveyance roller and the second conveyance roller and the leading end of the succeeding print medium is positioned in the interval between the second conveyance roller and the third conveyance roller.
11 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising: a fourth conveyance roller on an upstream side of the printing unit with respect to the conveying direction; a fifth conveyance roller on an upstream side of the fourth conveyance roller with respect to the conveying direction, wherein the first conveyance roller, the second conveyance roller, and the third conveyance roller are arranged on a downstream side of the printing unit in the conveying direction, and the control unit forms the overlap state in which the succeeding print medium overlaps the trailing end of the preceding print medium by conveyance of the succeeding print medium by the fifth conveyance roller before the leading end of the succeeding print medium passes through the fourth conveyance roller.
12 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit sets the conveying speed of the preceding print medium in the reduction control before completion of printing on the preceding print medium by the printing unit.
13 . The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the control unit does not form the overlap state if it is estimated that the trailing end of the preceding print medium does not precede the leading end of the succeeding print medium by a predetermined distance even if the preceding print medium is conveyed at the third speed in a case where the trailing end of the preceding print medium passes through the third conveyance roller.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a conveyance control technique for print media in a printing apparatus. Description of the Related Art There is known a printing apparatus that conveys print media in an overlap state in which the succeeding print medium overlaps the trailing end of the preceding print medium and performs printing on the succeeding print medium. Such conveyance control can improve the printing efficiency. On the other hand, there is provided a technique of canceling the overlap state between a preceding print medium and a succeeding print medium in consideration of the discharging ability of print media and the prevention of a jam. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-56299 proposes a printing apparatus that cancels an overlap state by increasing the conveying speed of a preceding print medium. Uniformly increasing the conveying speed of a preceding print medium when canceling an overlap state sometimes causes noise in a driving system or an increase in power consumption. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a technique that can suppress noise in a driving system or an increase in power consumption when canceling an overlap state. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus comprising: a printing unit configured to print an image on a print medium; a first conveyance unit configured to convey the print medium in a conveying direction; a second conveyance unit configured to convey the print medium having undergone printing by the printing unit on a downstream side of the first conveyance unit in the conveying direction; and a control unit configured to perform reduction control to reduce an overlap amount between a preceding print medium and a succeeding print medium by using a speed difference between the preceding print medium and the succeeding print medium in an overlap state in which the succeeding print medium overlaps a trailing end of the preceding print medium, wherein in a first case in which a trailing end of the preceding print medium and a leading end of the succeeding print medium are positioned in an interval between the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit, the control unit is configured to execute the reduction control in which a conveying speed of the preceding print medium is set to a first speed and in a second case which is different from the first case and in which the trailing end of the preceding print medium and the leading end of the succeeding print medium are positioned in the interval between the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit, the control unit is configured to execute the reduction control in which the conveying speed of the preceding print medium is set to a second speed different from the first speed. Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the control system of the printing apparatus in FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a view for explaining the operation of the printing apparatus in FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is a view for explaining the operation of the printing apparatus in FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a view for explaining the operation of the printing apparatus in FIG. 1; FIG. 6 is a view for explaining the operation of the printing apparatus in FIG. 1; FIG. 7 is a view for explaining the operation of the printing apparatus in FIG. 1; FIG. 8 is a view for explaining the operation of the printing apparatus in FIG. 1; FIG. 9 is a view for explaining the operation of the printing apparatus in FIG. 1; FIGS. 10A and 10B are a flowcharts showing an example of control of the printing apparatus in FIG. 1 FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of control of the printing apparatus in FIG. 1 FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of control of the printing apparatus in FIG. 1 FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of control of the printing apparatus in FIG. 1 FIGS. 14A to 14D are views for explaining a separating operation; FIGS. 15A to 15D are views for explaining a separating operation; and FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an example of control of the printing apparatus in FIG. 1. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Note, the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention. Multiple features are described in the embodiments, but limitation is not made to an invention that requires all such features, and multiple such features may be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, in the attached drawings, the same reference numerals are given to the same or similar configurations, and redundant description thereof is omitted. <Outline> FIG. 1 i