Patent ID: 8876419
Filing Date: 2014-11-04
Classification: B41J,B65H

Abstract:
1. A printing system capable of performing duplex printing and simplex printing, the printing system comprising: a first printing apparatus; a second printing apparatus; a first input unit; a second input unit adjacent to the first input unit; a first output unit; a second output unit adjacent to the first output unit; and a changing unit that changes a traveling direction of one or more sheets from a first direction to a second direction, the second direction intersecting the first direction at an angle, wherein the first and second printing apparatuses, the first and second input units, the first and second output units and the changing unit are arranged in an L-shaped area to form sheet traveling paths including a first path extending from the first input unit to the changing unit, a second path substantially parallel to the first path and extending from the second input unit to the changing unit, a third path extending from the changing unit to the first output unit, and a fourth path substantially parallel to the third path and extending from the changing unit to the second output unit, wherein the first printing apparatus is located in the first path and the second printing apparatus is located in the fourth path such that the first printing apparatus and the second printing apparatus are disposed along an inner side of the L-shaped area, and no printing apparatus is located in the second and third paths along an outer side of the L-shaped area, wherein, in the duplex printing, a sheet supplied from the first input unit travels in the first direction along the first path and is subjected to printing on a first side of the sheet with the first printing apparatus, then a traveling direction of the sheet is changed at the changing unit while a printing side of the sheet is reversed, and then the sheet travels in the second direction along the fourth path and is subjected to printing on a second side of the sheet which is a reverse of the first side with the second printing apparatus˜and is output to the second output unit, and wherein, in the simplex printing, a first sheet supplied from the first input unit travels in the first direction along the first path and is subjected to printing on one side of the sheet with the first printing apparatus, then a traveling direction of the first sheet is changed at the changing unit such that the sheet travels in the second direction along the third path and is output to the first output unit, and a second sheet supplied from the second input unit travels in the first direction along the second path, then a traveling direction of the second sheet that has been supplied from the second input unit is changed at the changing unit such that the second sheet travels in the second direction along the fourth path and is subjected to printing on one side of the second sheet with the second printing apparatus and is output to the second output unit, wherein, in the simplex printing, the first sheet and the second sheet pass through the changing unit simultaneously in the first and second directions without coming into contact with each other.