Printer and printer control method

A control method for a printer including a media stacking section where printing media are stacked, a print section including a transport roller which transports the printing media and a print head which prints on the printing media which are transported by the transport roller, a pickup roller which draws out the printing media from the media stacking section, a relay roller which is arranged at a position between the pickup roller and the transport roller and sends out the printing media which are drawn out by the pickup roller to the print section, a common actuator which drives the pickup roller, the relay roller, and the transport roller, and a transport mechanism section which transfers driving force of the common actuator to the printing media via the pickup roller, the relay roller, and the transport roller, the control method comprising:

• controlling the common actuator based on a print job and displacement of the printing media;
• transporting other printing media using the pickup roller and the relay roller in a continuous transport mode in a period of time when printing is being carried out on one of the printing media by the print section;
• and
• stopping transferring of the driving force of the common actuator from the pickup roller to an nth printing medium after the pickup roller draws out the nth printing medium and the relay roller starts to send out the nth printing medium which is drawn out in a case where the print job, where printing is carried out on n of the printing media (where n is an integer of two or more) with a length in the transport direction shorter than a transport distance of the printing media from the pickup roller to the print section, is processed in the continuous transport mode, and
• when the transport distance of the printing media from the pickup roller to the print section is X, an interval between the printing media which line up and are transported as preceding and succeeding printing media in the continuous transport mode is Y, the length of the printing media in the transport direction is Z, and N is a quotient X/(Y+Z), the transferring of the driving force of the common actuator from the pickup roller to the nth printing medium being stopped before a rear edge of an (n−N)th printing medium reaches the print section.

A printer comprising:

• a media stacking section where printing media are stacked;
• a print section including a transport roller configured and arranged to transport the printing media and a print head configured and arranged to print on the printing media which are transported by the transport roller;
• a pickup roller configured and arranged to draw out the printing media from the media stacking section;
• a relay roller arranged at a position between the pickup roller and the transport roller, and configured and arranged to send out the printing media drawn out by the pickup roller to the print section;
• a common actuator configured and arranged to drive the pickup roller, the relay roller, and the transport roller;
• a transport mechanism section configured and arranged to transfer driving force of the common actuator to the printing media via the pickup roller, the relay roller, and the transport roller;
• and
• a control section configured to control the common actuator based on a print job and displacement of the printing media where, in a period of time when printing is being carried out on one of the printing media by the print section, other printing media are transported using the pickup roller and the relay roller in a continuous transport mode,
• the control section being configured to stop transferring of the driving force of the common actuator from the pickup roller to an nth printing medium after the pickup roller draws out the nth printing medium and the relay roller starts to send out the nth printing medium which is drawn out in a case where the print job, where printing is carried out on n of the printing media (where n is an integer of two or more) with a length in a transport direction shorter than a transport distance of the printing media from the pickup roller to the print section, is processed in the continuous transport mode, and
• the control section being configured to split transporting of the printing media into two parts of prior transporting in which a rear edge of the printing media where printing is currently being carried out has not reached a prescribed position and latter transporting in which the rear edge of the printing media where printing is currently being carried out has passed the prescribed position, and stop transferring of the driving force of the common actuator to the pickup roller between the prior transporting and the latter transporting.

A control method for a printer including a media stacking section where printing media are stacked, a print section including a transport roller which transports the printing media and a print head which prints on the printing media which are transported by the transport roller, a pickup roller which draws out the printing media from the media stacking section, a relay roller which is arranged at a position between the pickup roller and the transport roller and sends out the printing media which are drawn out by the pickup roller to the print section, a common actuator which drives the pickup roller, the relay roller, and the transport roller, and a transport mechanism section which transfers driving force of the common actuator to the printing media via the pickup roller, the relay roller, and the transport roller, the control method comprising:

• controlling the common actuator based on a print job and displacement of the printing media;
• transporting other printing media using the pickup roller and the relay roller in a continuous transport mode in a period of time when printing is being carried out on one of the printing media by the print section;
• and
• stopping transferring of the driving force of the common actuator from the pickup roller to an nth printing medium after the pickup roller draws out the nth printing medium and the relay roller starts to send out the nth printing medium which is drawn out in a case where the print job, where printing is carried out on n of the printing media (where n is an integer of two or more) with a length in the transport direction shorter than a transport distance of the printing media from the pickup roller to the print section, is processed in the continuous transport mode, and
• the transporting of the printing media being split into two parts of prior transporting in which a rear edge of the printing media where printing is currently being carried out has not reached a prescribed position and latter transporting in which the rear edge of the printing media where printing is currently being carried out has passed the prescribed position, and the transferring of the driving force of the common actuator to the pickup roller being stopped between the prior transporting and the latter transporting.