US 6,320,674 B1Granted

Image forming apparatus

AssigneeKonica Corporation

InventorsUtami Soma, Atsushi Takahashi, Kazumichi Yamauchi, Ryuji Okutomi, Susumu Kurihara

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Abstract

An image forming apparatus is equipped with a document reading device for reading image data on a document at a reading section; a memory to store the image data therein, the memory capable of storing the image data of plural pages of documents; and an image recording system for recording an image on a recording sheet based on the image data stored in the memory. A recording sheet reversing system receives the recording sheet from the image recording system, wherein the image is recorded on one side of the recording sheet, reverses the recording sheet, and refeeds the reversed recording sheet to the image recording system without stacking the recording sheet, whereby another image is recorded on the other side of the recording sheet by the image recording system. A controller controls the document reading device and the image recording system such that, when images are recorded on both sides of a recording sheet by the recording sheet reversing system, after image data of a predetermined number of pages of documents are read by the image recording system and are stored in the memory, the image recording system starts recording images based on the image data stored in the memory simultaneously as the document reading device successively reads other pages of documents.

Claims12

Dependent claims

An image forming apparatus for producing a copy set of a document having “N” plural original pages by recording two original pages of the plural original pages on both sides of respective recording sheets, said image forming apparatus comprising:

an image reading device that reads an image on each of the plural original pages at a reading section and then outputs image data;
a memory that stores the image data therein;
an image recording device that records an image on an original page on one side of one of the recording sheets based on the image data stored in the memory so that a one-sided recording sheet bearing an image on one side thereof is produced;
a sheet feeder that feeds the recording sheets to the is image recording device;
a re-conveying device comprising a reversing device and a re-conveyance passage that re-convey the one-sided recording sheet bearing the image on one side thereof from the image recording device to the image recording device, wherein the reversing device reverses the one-sided recording sheet so that the image recording device can record another image on the other side of the one-sided recording sheet, and wherein the re-conveyance passage has a length to convey “m” plural one-sided recording sheets serially simultaneously so that the re-conveying device re-conveys the plural one-sided recording sheets to the image recording device without stacking the plural one-sided recording sheets on an intermediate tray, where N>(2×m);
a controller that controls the image recording device, the sheet feeder and the re-conveying device such that after the image reading device reads (2×m) original pages of the plural original pages and the memory stores the image data of the (2×m) original pages, the image recording device starts recording to record images based on the image data of the (2×m) original pages stored in the memory onto both sides of “m” recording sheets while the image reading device successively reads (N−(2×m)) remaining original pages of the plural original pages.

3 more elements

An image forming system for producing a copy set of a document having “N” plural original pages by recording two original pages of the plural original pages on both sides of respective recording sheets, said image forming system comprising:

a first memory in which image data of the plural original pages are stored;
an image recording apparatus comprising an image data receiving section that receives the image data stored in the first memory, and a second memory that stores the image data received by the image data receiving section;
an image recording device that records an image on an original page on one side of one of the recording sheets based on the image data stored in the second memory so that a one-sided recording sheet bearing an image on one side thereof is produced;
a sheet feeder that feeds the recording sheets to the image recording device;
a re-conveying device comprising a reversing device and a re-conveyance passage that re-convey the one-sided recording sheet bearing the image on one side thereof from the image recording device to the image recording device, wherein the reversing device reverses the one-sided recording sheet so that the image recording device can record another image on the other side of the one-sided recording sheet, and wherein the re-conveyance passage has a length to convey “m” plural one-sided recording sheets serially simultaneously so that the re-conveying device re-conveys the plural one-sided recording sheets to the image recording device without stacking the plural one-sided recording sheets on an intermediate tray, where N>(2×m);
a controller that controls the image recording device, the sheet feeder and the re-conveying device such that after the image data receiving section receives (2×m) original pages of the plural original pages and the second memory stores the image data of the (2×m) original pages, the image recording device starts recording to record images based on the image data of the (2×m) original pages stored in the second memory onto both sides of “m” recording sheets while the image data receiving section successively receives (N−(2×m)) remaining original pages of the plural original pages.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/106,027Filed 29 Jun 1998
Priority: JP 9-1782773 Jul 1997
Granted: 20 Nov 2001
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

H04N 1/3248
Using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter: storage of at least a part of one of two image bearing sides of a single sheet, e.g. for two…
B41J 3/60
Typewriters or selective printing or marking mechanisms characterised by the purpose for which they are constructed: for printing on both faces of…
B41J 13/0045
Control of the transport of the copy material: concerning sheet refeed sections of automatic paper handling systems, e.g. intermediate stackers
G03G 15/234
Using a single reusable electrographic recording member: by inverting and refeeding the image receiving material with an image on one face to the…