Patent ID: 7480466
Filing Date: 2009-01-20
Classification: G03G

Abstract:
1. An image recording apparatus, comprising: a medium transporting member that transports a recording medium; a plurality of print engines that transfer toner images one over the other in registration onto the recording medium; a first medium detector disposed upstream of said plurality of print engines, said first medium detector outputting a first detection signal during the time when said first medium detector detects the recording medium; a second medium detector disposed downstream of said first medium detector and upstream from said plurality of print engines, said second medium detector outputting a second detection signal during the time when said second medium detector detects the recording medium; a display that displays an abnormal transportation of the recording medium; and a controller that makes a decision based on at least one of the first and second detection signals to determine whether the abnormal transportation of the recording medium has occurred; wherein said controller determines a location of the abnormal transportation depending on at least one of the first and second detection signals and causes said display to display the location of the abnormal transportation; wherein said controller makes a decision during continuous printing to determine that abnormal transportation of the recording medium has occurred upstream of said plurality of print engines if a duration of the first detection signal falls outside of a first predetermined range or if an amount of time that has elapsed after the duration of the first detection signal and before the second detection signal falls outside of a second predetermined range, wherein when at least one of the first medium detector and the second medium detector outputs at least one of the first detection signal and the second detection signal that are indicative of detection of the preceding one of two consecutive pages, said controller causes all of said plurality of print engines to stop transferring of corresponding toner images onto the preceding one of the two consecutive pages, and causes said display to display the abnormal transportation if a leading end of the following one of the two consecutive pages has reached the most upstream one of said plurality of print engines; and said controller allows all of said plurality of print engines to perform transferring of the corresponding toner images onto the preceding one of the two consecutive pages if the leading end of the following one of the two consecutive pages has not reached the most upstream one of said plurality of print engines; and wherein when the first medium detector and the second medium detector do not output the first detection signal and the second detection signal that are indicative of detection of the preceding one of the two consecutive pages, respectively, said controller causes all of said plurality of print engines to stop operating and causes said display to display the abnormal transportation.