Patent ID: 8876418

Claim:
A printing system capable of performing duplex printing and simplex printing, the printing system comprising: a first printing apparatus and a second printing apparatus disposed along a first path; a first input unit configured to introduce a sheet into the first path; a second input unit, disposed near the first input unit, configured to introduce a sheet into a second path parallel to the first path; a first output unit to which a sheet that has traveled along the first path is output; a second output unit, disposed near the first output unit, to which a sheet that has traveled along the second path is output; and a switching unit having a plurality of turnbars, capable of switching a sheet travel path between the first path and the second path, and capable of reversing the sides of a sheet that passes along the first path, wherein the first printing apparatus and a second printing apparatus are disposed along the first path between the first input unit and the first output unit, and no printing apparatus is disposed along the second path between the second input unit and the second output unit, wherein in the duplex printing, a sheet introduced from the first input unit into the first path is printed on a first side by the first printing apparatus, reversed at the switching unit by being turned three times with some of the turn bars, introduced into the second printing apparatus, printed on a second side reverse of the first side by the second printing apparatus, and output to the first output unit, wherein the first side having been printed does not contact each of the turn bars at the switching unit; and wherein, in the simplex printing, a first sheet introduced from the first input unit into the first path is printed by the first printing apparatus, diverted into the second path at the switching unit by being turned twice with some of the turn bars, and output to the second output unit, wherein the first side having been printed does not contact each of the turn bars at the switching unit, and a second sheet introduced from the second input unit into the second path is diverted into the first path at the switching unit by being turned twice with some of the turn bars, introduced into the second printing apparatus, printed by the second printing apparatus, and output to the first output unit, wherein the first sheet and the second sheet travel simultaneously in opposite directions at the switching unit.