JP7630945B2 - Image printing device and image printing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image printing device and an image printing method.

Some image printing devices that eject sheets with images printed on them and stack them on an ejection tray have an upper limit on the number of sheets that can be stacked.

Patent document 1 discloses a method for detecting the position of the top surface of sheets loaded on the discharge tray, and determining that the discharge tray is full when that position reaches a height equal to or greater than a predetermined value. According to this type of patent document 1, even if the discharged sheet is curled, it is possible to determine whether or not subsequent sheets can be printed or discharged from the position of the top surface.

JP 2018-70329 A

In recent years, large image printing devices equipped with a roll of continuous sheet have been provided. In such image printing devices, the roll of continuous sheet is pulled out, an image is printed, the trailing edge of the image is cut, and the cut sheet is discharged from the discharge port. In this case, the discharged sheet may retain the curling tendency it had when held in roll form and may be stacked in a slightly curled state. However, such curling is corrected in a relatively short time by the weight of the sheet itself and the weight of the sheets placed on top, and the sheet is often in a smooth state by the time the next sheet is discharged.

However, when the method of Patent Document 1 is adopted in such an image printing device, the sensor may detect the high side of the curled sheet immediately after ejection, and the ejection tray may be determined to be full even though more sheets can actually be loaded.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems. Its purpose is to provide an image printing device that can properly determine whether the discharge tray is full of sheets.

To this end, the present invention provides an image printing device comprising a conveying means for conveying sheets, an acquisition means for acquiring the type of sheet conveyed by the conveying means, a printing means for printing an image on the sheet conveyed by the conveying means, a stacking means for stacking and holding sheets, a counting means for counting the number of sheets stacked on the stacking means, a determination means for determining whether the stacking means is full, and a cutting means for cutting sheets, wherein the determination means determines whether the stacking means is full based on the number of sheets stacked on the stacking means counted by the counting means and the type of sheet acquired by the acquisition means, and when a newly received print job includes multiple pages, the cutting means cuts the sheet between each image corresponding to the multiple pages before the determination means determines that the stacking means is full, and does not cut the sheet between the images corresponding to the multiple pages after the determination means determines that the stacking means is full.

The present invention provides an image printing device that can properly determine whether the discharge tray is full of sheets.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an inkjet printing apparatus. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the internal configuration of a printing device. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of a printing apparatus. 1 is a flowchart for explaining a printing process according to a first embodiment; Flowchart for explaining power-off and power-on sequences A diagram showing an example of a full load notification screen FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for notifying a user. 11 is a flowchart for explaining a printing process according to a second embodiment.

<Basic configuration of the device>
1(a) and (b) are external perspective views of an inkjet printing device 1 (hereinafter simply referred to as printing device 1) that can be used as an image printing device of the present invention. In the drawings, the X direction indicates the front direction of the printing device 1, the Y direction indicates the width direction of the printing device 1, and the Z direction indicates the vertical direction opposite to gravity. Two sheet supply units 10A and 10B are provided above and below on the front side of the printing device 1. A user can load roll sheets, which will be printing media, into the printing device 1 for each of the sheet supply units 10A and 10B.

Above the sheet supply unit 10, there is provided an outlet 20 through which the printed sheets S are discharged when front discharge is set. In addition, on the top surface of the printing device 1, there is provided a stacker 28 through which the printed sheets S are discharged when top discharge is set.

An operation panel 30 is provided at the top front of the printing device 1 to display the status of the printing device 1 and to accept commands from the user. Using the hard keys and touch panel on the operation panel 30, the user can input various commands to the printing device 1, such as turning the power on and off, specifying the sheet size and type, and switching between online and offline. In addition to the operation panel 30, the input/output functions for the user may also include a voice input device, a voice generator, a buzzer, etc.

Figure 1(a) shows how top-side discharge is set and the sheet S being printed is being discharged into the stacker 28. On the other hand, Figure 1(b) shows how front-side discharge is set and the sheet S being printed is being discharged from the discharge port 20.

Figures 2(a) and (b) are diagrams for explaining the internal configuration of the printing device 1. Figure 2(a) shows the printing state when top-surface ejection is set, and Figure 2(b) shows the printing state when front-surface ejection is set.

When a print job is input, one of the sheet supply units 10A and 10B, the roll R carrying the specified sheet, rotates, and the leading edge of the sheet S held in roll form is guided along a specified path and reaches the nip between the transport roller 14 and the nip roller 15. Figures 2(a) and (b) show the case where the sheet S of the upper sheet supply unit 10A is specified, but even if the sheet S of the sheet supply unit 10B is specified, it is transported to the nip from the middle via the same path.

The conveying roller 14 is a drive roller connected to a conveying motor (not shown). The nip roller 15 is a driven roller that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the conveying roller 14 while nipping the sheet S together with the conveying roller 14.

In the transport direction of the sheet S, downstream of the pair of rollers consisting of the transport roller 14 and nip roller 15, there is disposed a print head 18 that prints an image on the sheet S. The print head 18 in this embodiment is an inkjet print head in which multiple ejection elements that eject ink according to print data are arranged in the X direction, and can be moved back and forth in the Y direction in the figure by a main scanning motor (not shown). As the print head 18 moves in the Y direction while ejecting ink, one band of image is printed on the sheet S. Then, by repeating such a print scan of one band and a transport operation in a direction intersecting the print scan for a distance corresponding to one band, the image is printed in stages on the sheet S.

A cutter 21 is disposed downstream (+X direction) of the print head 18 for cutting the sheet S, which is continuous paper.

Further downstream of the cutter 21, a flap 22 is provided for switching the transport path of the sheet S. The flap 22 determines the transport path of the transported sheet S by rotating in the direction of the arrow E1 or E2 in the figure. In FIG. 2(a), which shows top-side discharge, the flap 22 rotates to the E1 side to block the entrance of the discharge port 20 and guide the transported sheet S to the upper transport path. On the other hand, in FIG. 2(b), which shows front-side discharge, the flap 22 rotates to the E2 side to retreat from the entrance of the discharge port 20 and guide the transported sheet S to the discharge port 20.

Discharge roller 25 and discharge nip roller 26 are arranged on the transport path above flap 22. Discharge roller 25 is a drive roller connected to a discharge motor (not shown). Discharge nip roller 26 is a driven roller that rotates with the rotation of discharge roller 25 while nipping sheet S together with discharge roller 25. When the leading edge of sheet S reaches the nip portion between discharge roller 25 and discharge nip roller 26, discharge nip roller 26, which is separated from discharge roller 25, is lifted toward discharge roller 25. As a result, sheet S is nipped by the nip portion between discharge roller 25 and discharge nip roller 26, and transported toward stacker 28 arranged higher.

When the final print scan by the print head 18 is completed and the trailing edge of the image is transported downstream of the cutter 21, the cutter 21 cuts the sheet S. If top-side discharge is set, the cut sheet S is then transported by the discharge rollers 25 and the discharge nip rollers 26 until the trailing edge passes through the nip between the discharge rollers 25 and the discharge nip rollers 26. It is then discharged onto the tray 29 of the stacker 28 (see FIG. 2(a)).

The stacker 28 has a tray 29 and a tray cover 27, and holds multiple sheets S that are continuously discharged between the tray 29 and the tray cover 27. Therefore, the maximum number of sheets that can be held in the stacker 28 is determined by the distance between the tray 29 and the tray cover 27, the thickness of the sheets, and other factors. A sheet sensor 40 is provided midway along the tray 29 to detect the presence or absence of a sheet S in the stacker 28. In this embodiment, the sheet sensor 40 is an optical sensor that detects the presence or absence of a sheet S based on whether light emitted by a light-emitting portion is received by a light-receiving portion.

On the other hand, when front discharge is set, the cut sheet S is discharged from the discharge port 20 by its own weight (see FIG. 2(b)). There is no upper limit to the number of sheets that can be discharged at one time from the front.

Figure 3 is a block diagram for explaining the control configuration of the printing device 1. The printing device 1 has a printer controller 120, a printer engine 150, a HDD 165, and an operation panel 30. In addition, the printing device 1 is connected to an external host computer 190 via a network 191.

In the printer controller 120, the CPU 128 is a central processing unit in the form of a microprocessor (microcomputer). The CPU 128 controls the entire device while using the RAM 124 as a work area according to programs stored in the Flash ROM 123 and the HDD 165. The Flash ROM 123 and the HDD 165 store programs executed by the CPU 128 as well as fixed data required for various operations of the printing device 1. The HDD 165 may be another large-capacity storage device. The RAM 124 is used as a work area for the CPU 128 and is also used as a temporary storage area for various received data and setting data. The memory controller 126 is a controller for controlling the RAM 124 under the direction of the CPU 128.

The HDD interface (HDD I/F) 121 is an interface through which the CPU 128 exchanges information with the HDD 165. The input/output device interface (input/output device I/F) 122 is an interface through which the CPU 128 exchanges information with the operation panel 30. The ROM interface (ROM I/F) 125 is an interface through which the CPU 128 exchanges information with the Flash ROM 123. The host interface (host I/F) 127 is an interface through which the CPU 128 exchanges information with an external device such as a host computer 190 via a network 191. The engine interface (engine I/F) 130 is an interface through which the CPU 128 exchanges information with the printer engine 150.

Under the instruction of the CPU 128, the image processing unit 129 performs a predetermined image processing on the received image data to generate print data that can be printed by the print head 18. For example, if the color space of the received image data is YCbCr, it converts it to a standard color space such as sRGB space, or converts it to the color space CMYK corresponding to the ink colors used in the printing device 1. Furthermore, the image processing unit 129 quantizes the CMYK gradation data while performing image correction according to the printing resolution of the printing device 1 and the instructions of the print job, and generates bitmap data that can be ejected by the print head 18. The generated bitmap data is then stored as print data in the RAM 124, HDD 165, etc. When a print operation is performed, the print data is read by the CPU 128 and sent to the printer engine 150 via the engine I/F 130.

In the printer engine 150, the controller interface (controller I/F) 153 is an interface for sending and receiving information with the printer controller 120. The print head 18, cutter 21, flap 22, stacker 28, transport roller 14, discharge roller 25, nip roller 26, and sheet supply units 10A and 10B are each driven via a driver (not shown). The detection result of the sheet sensor 40 is sent to the CPU 128 via the controller I/F 153. The various mechanisms in the printer engine 150 are connected via a system bus 162.

In this embodiment, the host computer 190 is used as an example of the image data source, but the image data source may also be an image reader, a digital camera, a smartphone, etc.

An external device other than the operation panel 30 may be prepared as a user interface. In the case of an external device, it may be connected to the printing device 1 via wireless communication or the like. Also, for example, the host computer 190 may be given the function of an input/output device, and the user may input various commands and perform settings for the printing device 1 via the host computer 190.

Figure 4 is a flowchart for explaining the printing process for one page executed by the CPU 128 in this embodiment. This process is executed for each page included in the print job. For the first page, processing begins when the print job is input. For the second and subsequent pages, processing begins when the CPU 128 determines that the print job for the next page can be started based on the print status of the preceding page. Note that the user can input commands for the print job via the operation panel 30 or the host computer 190.

When this process starts, the CPU 128 first determines in S401 whether top-side ejection is set for the page to be processed. If top-side ejection is set, the CPU 128 proceeds to S402.

In S402, the CPU 128 obtains the maximum number of sheets that can be loaded, M, based on the type of sheets used for printing. The type of sheets used for printing may be set by the user when inputting a print job, or may be determined by the host computer 190 or the CPU 128 based on the print job. A sensor may also be provided to detect the type of sheets fed. For example, a sensor may be provided on the transport path from the position of the roll R to the position opposite the print head 18, or in a position that can detect when the sheet is transported to the position opposite the print head 18, and the type of sheet may be determined based on the detection result of this sensor.

Here, the maximum number of sheets that can be loaded on the stacker 28 is referred to as the maximum number of sheets that can be loaded on the stacker 28. In other words, if the number of sheets currently loaded is less than the maximum number of sheets that can be loaded, the next sheet S can be discharged normally to the stacker 28. However, if the number of sheets that can be loaded has reached the maximum number of sheets that can be loaded, the next sheet S may not be discharged normally. In this embodiment, such a maximum number of sheets that can be loaded is stored in advance in the FlashROM 123 or the HDD 165 in association with each of the sheet types that can be used in the printing device 1. In this embodiment, the maximum number of sheets that can be loaded on the relatively thick and hard coated paper is set to M=10, and the maximum number of sheets that can be loaded on the relatively thin and hard plain paper is set to M=100. Note that such a maximum number of sheets that can be loaded may be set in consideration of the thickness and hardness of the sheet, the slipperiness of the sheet surface, the width of the sheet, the length of the image in the transport direction, and the like.

In S403, the CPU 128 determines whether the current number of sheets C loaded has reached the maximum number of sheets M loaded obtained in S402. Here, the number of sheets C loaded is a value indicating the number of sheets that are thought to be loaded in the stacker 28. The number of sheets C loaded is counted up by the CPU 128 each time a cut sheet equivalent to one page is discharged with top-side discharge set.

If it is determined in S403 that the current number of sheets C loaded has reached the maximum number of sheets M loaded, the CPU 128 proceeds to step S404 and notifies the user that the stacker 28 is full. Specifically, the fact that the stacker 28 is full is displayed on the display unit of the operation panel 30 or on the monitor of the host computer 190, or a buzzer or sound is used to notify the user, thereby urging the user to remove the sheets currently loaded in the stacker 28.

Next, the CPU 128 proceeds to S405 and uses the sheet sensor 40 to determine whether or not there is a sheet in the stacker 28. Then, steps S404 and S405 are repeated until it is determined in S405 that there is no sheet.

If it is determined in S405 that there are no sheets, the CPU 128 proceeds to S406 and resets the number of sheets C to C=0. Then, the CPU 128 proceeds to S407.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S401 that front discharge is set, or if it is determined in S403 that the current number of sheets C loaded has not reached the maximum number of sheets M loaded, the CPU 128 skips to S407.

In S407, the CPU 128 prints an image of the page to be processed according to the print data. That is, the print scan by the print head 18 and the transport operation by the transport roller 14 are alternately repeated to print the image of the page to be processed on the sheet.

In S408, the CPU 128 transports the rear end of the image printed in S407 to a position downstream of the cutter 21 and cuts the sheet with the cutter 21.

In S409, the CPU 128 determines whether top-side ejection is set for the page being processed. If top-side ejection is set, the CPU 128 proceeds to S410 and adds 1 to the number of sheets C that can be stacked. On the other hand, if it is determined that front-side ejection is set, the CPU 128 skips S410 and proceeds to S411.

In S411, the CPU 128 discharges the cut sheet S whose trailing edge was cut in S408. If top-side discharge is set, the cut sheet is discharged to the stacker 28 and stacked on top of the cut sheets that have already been discharged. If front-side discharge is set, the cut sheet is discharged from the discharge port 20. This ends the process.

The series of steps described above is repeated until printing of all pages included in the print job is completed. At this time, the CPU 128 may start processing the next page while performing the paper ejection process of S411 for the page to be processed. If the process of S410 for the preceding page is completed, it is possible to appropriately determine in S403 whether or not it is OK to proceed with the printing process of the next page before starting the printing process of the next page (S407). In this way, the user can be notified that the stacker 28 is full while ejecting the last page that can be loaded into the stacker 28, or after the last page that can be loaded has been printed.

Figures 5(a) and (b) are flowcharts for explaining the power OFF sequence and the power ON sequence, respectively, in the printing device 1 of this embodiment.

The power-off sequence shown in FIG. 5(a) is executed when the user issues a power-off command from the power switch on the operation panel 30, the host computer 190, or the like. When a power-off command is input to the printing device 1, the CPU 128 first stores in the HDD 165 in S501 loading information relating to the current loading state of the stacker 28. The loading information includes information on whether the stacker 28 is currently fully loaded or not, and the current number of sheets C loaded. Next, in S502, the CPU 128 executes a series of predetermined processes, such as maintenance of the print head 18, before stopping the supply of power to each mechanism of the printing device 1 and terminating this process.

The power ON sequence shown in FIG. 5(b) is started when the user issues a power ON command from the power switch on the operation panel 30 or the host computer 190. When a power ON command is input to the printing device 1 in a power OFF state, the CPU 128 first determines in S503 whether or not a sheet is present in the stacker 28 using the sheet sensor 40. If it is determined that a sheet is present, the CPU 128 proceeds to S504.

In S504, the CPU 128 reads the loading information stored in the HDD 165 and determines whether the stacker 28 was fully loaded when the power was last turned off. If it is determined that the stacker 28 was fully loaded, the CPU 128 proceeds to step S505 and issues a full load notification. Then, until it is determined in S506 that there are no sheets, the CPU 128 repeats the full load notification process in S505 and the sheet detection process in S506.

If it is determined in S506 that there are no sheets, the CPU 128 proceeds to S507 and resets the number of sheets C loaded to C=0. Then, in S508, the printing device 1 transitions to a standby state and ends this process. The standby state is a state in which printing can be performed when a print job is received.

If it is determined in S503 that there are no sheets in the stacker 28, the CPU 128 resets the number of sheets loaded C in S507 and transitions to a standby state in S508, and then ends this process. This is because even if the loading information stored in the HDD 165 indicates that the stacker 28 is fully loaded or that the number of sheets loaded C is 1 or more, it can be assumed that the user removed the sheets from the stacker 28 while the device was turned off.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S503 that there are sheets in the stacker 28, and then in S504 that the stacker 28 was not fully loaded the last time the power was turned off, the CPU 128 skips to S508 and ends this process. In this case, the number of sheets C stored in the HDD 165 is maintained, and the next print job input will be processed based on that number of sheets C.

According to the present embodiment described above, the maximum number of sheets M that can be loaded in the stacker 28 is set individually depending on the type of sheet. Then, each time a printing operation for each page is performed, the number of sheets C loaded in the stacker 28 is counted up, and when the number of sheets C reaches the maximum number of sheets M, the user is notified that the stacker 28 is full. According to this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately determine whether the stacker 28 is full of sheets, regardless of the curl state of the sheets immediately after ejection.

Note that in FIG. 4, a method has been described in which, if it is determined in S403 that the stacker 28 is fully loaded, printing of the next page is not performed until the user removes the sheet from the stacker 28. However, after it is determined that the stacker 28 is fully loaded, a method different from the above can also be used.

Figure 6 shows an example of a screen that is displayed on the display of the operation panel 30 or on the monitor of the host computer 190 to notify the user that the stack is full. Here, the user can select either "Stop printing" or "Eject printed material to the front."

If the user selects "Stop printing", the CPU 128 stops the print job according to the print job, ending with the pages that have been printed so far. After stopping the print job, a message is displayed prompting the user to remove the sheets, and printing can be resumed after the user removes the sheets from the stacker 28.

On the other hand, if the user selects "discharge printed materials to the front," the CPU 128 causes the next page and subsequent pages to be discharged from the front. That is, the CPU 128 rotates the flap 22 to the E2 side as shown in FIG. 2(b) to open the discharge port 20, and then starts the printing process for the next page and subsequent pages. In this case, the user collects the first pages from the stacker 28, and collects the subsequent pages from the discharge port 20.

In addition, if the stack is full of coated paper but a few more sheets of plain paper can be discharged, and if it is possible to continue discharging sheets to the stacker 28 by changing the type of sheets, a selection display for changing the type of sheets may be added to the display screen of FIG. 6.

Furthermore, when the CPU 128 receives a print job, it can obtain information on the number of sheets (page count) on which the image to be printed will be printed and the type of sheets. That is, the CPU 128 can determine, before starting the printing operation, whether the stacker 28 will become full during the execution of a newly received print job, based on the current number of sheets C, the number of sheets P to be printed by the print job, and the maximum number of sheets M to be printed. Figure 7 shows an example of a screen that notifies the user when such a determination process has been performed. After checking such a screen, the user can change the type of sheets or the discharge path before starting the printing operation.

Second Embodiment
In this embodiment as well, the printing device 1 described with reference to FIGS.

Figure 8 is a flowchart for explaining the printing process executed by the CPU 128 in this embodiment. Note that the explanation here is based on the assumption that the number of sheets C that can be loaded is smaller than the maximum number of sheets M that can be loaded (C<M) at the time when the print command is received.

When this process starts, the CPU 128 first determines in S801 whether top-side ejection is set for the page to be processed. If top-side ejection is set, the CPU 128 proceeds to S802.

In S802, the CPU 128 obtains the maximum number of sheets that can be loaded, M, based on the type of sheets to be used for printing.

In S803, the CPU 128 prints the image of the page to be processed. That is, the print scan by the print head 18 and the conveying operation by the conveying roller 14 are alternately repeated to print the image of the page to be processed on the sheet.

In S804, the CPU 128 determines whether the value (C+1) obtained by adding 1 to the current number of stacked sheets C reaches the maximum number of stacked sheets M obtained in S802. If C+1<M, the CPU 128 proceeds to S811 and performs cutting processing on the page printed in S803. That is, the rear end of the image printed in S803 is transported to a position downstream of the cutter 21, and the sheet is cut by the cutter 21. Thereafter, in S812, 1 is added to the number of stacked sheets C, and the printing processing for the page to be processed is terminated.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S804 that C+1=M, the CPU 128 proceeds to S805 and prints the images of the remaining pages following the page being processed. In other words, the images of the remaining pages are printed in order on the continuous sheet, following the image of the page being processed, without performing cutting processing on the printed pages.

In S806, the CPU 128 transports the rear end of the image of the last page printed in S805 to a position downstream of the cutter 21, and cuts the sheet S with the cutter 21.

Thereafter, the CPU 128 repeats the full load notification process of S807 and the sheet detection process of S808 until it determines in S808 that there are no sheets.

If it is determined in S808 that there are no sheets, the CPU 128 proceeds to S809, resets the number of sheets loaded C, and ends this process.

On the other hand, if it is determined in S801 that front discharge is set, the CPU 128 performs printing processing on the page to be processed in S813, and then performs cutting processing on the page to be processed in S814, and ends this process. The cut sheet S is discharged from the discharge port 20.

According to the present embodiment described above, when it is determined in S804 that C+1=M, i.e. when there is only one sheet remaining that can be loaded in the stacker 28, the images of the remaining pages included in the print job are printed continuously without any intervening cutting process. Therefore, after the print job is completed, the stacker 28 will be in a state where the maximum number of sheets that can be loaded, M, is loaded, with a long sheet on which multiple pages are printed, placed at the top. In this case, the user will need to cut the top sheet separately for each page, but the image output of all pages can be performed smoothly without interrupting the process in the middle of the print job.

In the above description, S805 prints all pages following the page being processed. However, S805 may print only the page following the page being processed. Then, the processes of S807 and S808 may be repeated until the sheets are removed from the stacker 28.

Other Embodiments
In the above, as described in Figs. 2(a) and (b), a recording apparatus having a discharge path for front discharge and a discharge path for top discharge has been described as an example. However, the form of the discharge path is not limited to the form of Figs. 2(a) and (b). As long as the form has one or more stackers (paper discharge trays) with an upper limit on the number of sheets that can be stacked, the above embodiment can be applied in various ways. For example, the printing apparatus may perform only top discharge as described in Fig. 2(a) and not front discharge. In addition, a stacker may be prepared for front discharge, and the number of sheets stacked for each of top discharge and front discharge may be managed separately.

In the above, we have determined whether the stacker is full by comparing the number of sheets loaded with the maximum number of sheets M that corresponds to the sheet type, but this determination can also be made by a different comparison. For example, coefficients corresponding to the type of sheet can be prepared in advance, such as a small coefficient for thin sheets and a large coefficient for thick sheets, and the value obtained by multiplying the number of sheets loaded by the coefficient can be compared with the maximum number of sheets that is common to all sheet types.

In addition, although the above description has been given using an example of a print head equipped with electrothermal conversion elements as print elements, other types of elements such as piezoelectric elements may also be used as print elements. In addition, the printing method is not limited to the inkjet method, and a thermal transfer method or electrophotographic method may also be used.

The present invention can also be realized by supplying a program that realizes one or more of the functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or storage medium, and having one or more processors in the computer of the system or device read and execute the program. It can also be realized by a circuit (e.g., an ASIC) that realizes one or more functions.

S sheet 15 conveying roller 18 print head 21 cutter 28 stacker 128 CPU

Claims (16)

A conveying means for conveying a sheet;
An acquisition unit for acquiring a type of the sheet conveyed by the conveying unit;
a printing means for printing an image on the sheet conveyed by the conveying means;
A loading means for loading and holding sheets;
a counting means for counting the number of sheets stacked on the stacking means;
A determination means for determining whether the loading means is fully loaded;
A cutting means for cutting the sheet;
An image printing device comprising:
The determining means determines whether the stacking means is fully loaded based on the number of sheets stacked on the stacking means counted by the counting means and the type of sheets acquired by the acquiring means ,
If the newly received print job contains multiple pages,
The cutting means is
Before the determining means determines that the stacking means is fully loaded, the sheet is cut between each image corresponding to the plurality of pages;
2. An image printing apparatus comprising: a sheet cutting device that does not cut sheets between images corresponding to the plurality of pages after the determining device determines that the stacking device is fully loaded . 2. The image printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the counting means counts up the number of sheets cut by the cutting means and discharged onto the stacking means to count the number of stacked sheets. The sheet conveying device further includes a detection unit for detecting the presence or absence of sheets loaded on the loading unit,
3. The image printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determining means resets the number of stacked sheets when the detecting means detects that there are no sheets on the stacking means. The image printing device according to claim 3, characterized in that when the determination means determines that the stacking means is fully loaded, the printing means stops printing the image, and resumes printing the image after the detection means detects that there are no sheets in the stacking means. The image printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a notification means for notifying a user of the full load information when the determination means determines that the loading means is full. The image printing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the notification means issues a notification to prompt the user to remove the sheet from the stacking means. The image printing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the notification means issues a notification to prompt the user to switch to discharge the sheet to a discharge outlet other than the stacking means. The image printing device according to claim 5, characterized in that the notification means issues a notification to prompt the user to switch the sheet to be used for printing. the determining means obtains a number of pages included in a newly received print job, and determines whether the stacking means will become full during execution of the received print job based on the number of pages, the number of stacked sheets, and the type of sheets obtained by the obtaining means;
6. The image printing device according to claim 5, wherein the notification means notifies a user of the result of the determination before executing the print job. The vehicle further includes a storage means for storing loading information related to a loading state of the loading means when the power is turned off,
An image printing device as described in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that when the power is turned on, the determination means determines that the loading means is full if the loading information stored in the memory means indicates that the loading means is full and the detection means detects that there are sheets in the loading means. The image printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the determination means determines whether the stacking means is fully loaded by comparing the number of loaded sheets with a maximum stacking number that is pre-stored in correspondence with the type of sheet acquired by the acquisition means. The image printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the determination means determines whether the stacking means is fully loaded by comparing a value obtained by multiplying the number of loaded sheets by a coefficient corresponding to the type of sheet acquired by the acquisition means with a predetermined maximum number of loaded sheets. 13. The image printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet before being conveyed to the conveying means is held in a roll shape. 14. The image printing device according to claim 1, wherein the stacking means is disposed vertically above the printing means. 15. The image printing device according to claim 1, wherein the printing means is an ink-jet print head. a conveying step of conveying a sheet;
an acquiring step of acquiring a type of the sheet to be conveyed by the conveying step;
a printing step of printing an image on the sheet transported by the transport step;
a loading step of loading the sheets onto a loading means;
a counting step of counting the number of sheets stacked on the stacking means;
a determination step of determining whether the loading means is fully loaded;
a cutting process for cutting the sheet;
A method for printing an image, comprising:
The determining step determines whether the stacking means is fully loaded based on the number of sheets stacked on the stacking means counted in the counting step and the type of sheets acquired in the acquiring step,
If the newly received print job contains multiple pages,
In the cutting step,
Before determining whether the stacking means is fully loaded in the determining step, the sheet is cut between each image corresponding to the plurality of pages,
After it is determined in the determining step that the stacking means is fully loaded, the sheet is not cut between the images corresponding to the plurality of pages.
13. A method for printing an image comprising the steps of:

Images