Printer with plurality of paper receiving trays and paper discharge control method for the same

Abstract

A printer including: a plurality of paper receiving trays configured to receive discharged sheets; a tray full detection sensor configured to detect that an amount of discharged sheets stacked on the respective paper receiving trays reaches a respective predetermined amount; a tray empty detection sensor configured to detect that no discharged sheets are stacked on the respective paper receiving trays; and a paper discharge control unit configured to, when the tray full detection sensor detects that an amount of discharged sheets stacked on a first paper receiving tray used as a current paper discharge destination reaches the predetermined amount during printing, perform continuous paper discharge to continue printing by changing the paper discharge destination from the first paper receiving tray to a second paper receiving tray that the tray empty detection sensor detects as having no discharged sheets stacked thereon at a time of the detection of the first paper receiving tray and that receives discharged sheets with printed surfaces facing a same direction as that of the first paper receiving tray.

1 . A printer comprising:
 a plurality of paper receiving trays configured to receive discharged sheets;   a tray full detection sensor configured to detect that an amount of discharged sheets stacked on the respective paper receiving trays reaches a respective predetermined amount;   a tray empty detection sensor configured to detect that no discharged sheets are stacked on the respective paper receiving trays; and   a paper discharge control unit configured to, when the tray full detection sensor detects that an amount of discharged sheets stacked on a first paper receiving tray used as a current paper discharge destination reaches the predetermined amount during printing, perform continuous paper discharge to continue printing by changing the paper discharge destination from the first paper receiving tray to a second paper receiving tray that the tray empty detection sensor detects as having no discharged sheets stacked thereon at a time of the detection of the first paper receiving tray and that receives discharged sheets with printed surfaces facing a same direction as that of the first paper receiving tray.   
     
     
         2 . The printer according to  claim 1 , wherein the paper discharge control unit temporarily stops printing without changing the paper discharge destination when the second paper receiving tray does not exist. 
     
     
         3 . The printer according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a print setting acquisition unit configured to acquire a print setting including a setting of a paper discharge destination and a selection as to whether or not to perform continuous paper discharge, wherein   the paper discharge control unit determines, as a paper discharge destination at start of printing, a paper receiving tray belonging to a group having a larger number of paper receiving trays that receive discharged sheets with printed surfaces facing a same direction, when the print setting acquired by the print setting acquisition unit indicates that no paper receiving tray is set as a paper discharge destination and that performance of continuous paper discharge is selected.   
     
     
         4 . The printer according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a print setting acquisition unit configured to acquire a print setting including a setting of a paper discharge destination and a selection as to whether or not to perform continuous paper discharge, wherein   the paper discharge control unit determines, as a paper discharge destination at start of printing, a paper receiving tray belonging to a group having a larger number of paper receiving trays that receive discharged sheets with printed surfaces facing a same direction, when the print setting acquired by the print setting acquisition unit indicates that no paper receiving tray is set as a paper discharge destination and that performance of continuous paper discharge is selected.   
     
     
         5 . The printer according to  claim 1 , wherein the paper discharge control unit performs continuous paper discharge to continue printing by changing the paper discharge destination from the second paper receiving tray to the first paper receiving tray when the tray full detection sensor detects that an amount of discharged sheets stacked on the second paper receiving tray used as a current paper discharge destination reaches the predetermined amount and also when the tray empty detection sensor detects that no discharged sheets are stacked on the first paper receiving tray at a time of the detection of the second paper receiving tray during printing after the paper discharge control unit changes the paper discharge destination from the first paper receiving tray to the second paper receiving tray. 
     
     
         6 . The printer according to  claim 2 , wherein the paper discharge control unit performs continuous paper discharge to continue printing by changing the paper discharge destination from the second paper receiving tray to the first paper receiving tray when the tray full detection sensor detects that an amount of discharged sheets stacked on the second paper receiving tray used as a current paper discharge destination reaches the predetermined amount and also when the tray empty detection sensor detects that no discharged sheets are stacked on the first paper receiving tray at a time of the detection of the second paper receiving tray during printing after the paper discharge control unit changes the paper discharge destination from the first paper receiving tray to the second paper receiving tray. 
     
     
         7 . The printer according to  claim 3 , wherein the paper discharge control unit performs continuous paper discharge to continue printing by changing the paper discharge destination from the second paper receiving tray to the first paper receiving tray when the tray full detection sensor detects that an amount of discharged sheets stacked on the second paper receiving tray used as a current paper discharge destination reaches the predetermined amount and also when the tray empty detection sensor detects that no discharged sheets are stacked on the first paper receiving tray at a time of the detection of the second paper receiving tray during printing after the paper discharge control unit changes the paper discharge destination from the first paper receiving tray to the second paper receiving tray. 
     
     
         8 . A method for controlling paper discharge in a printer including a plurality of paper receiving trays, the method comprising:
 detecting that an amount of discharged sheets stacked on a first one of the paper receiving trays used as a paper discharge destination reaches a predetermined amount during printing; and   performing continuous paper discharge to continue printing by changing the paper discharge destination to a second one of the paper receiving trays that is detected as having no discharged sheet stacked thereon at the time of the detection of the first paper receiving tray and is configured to have discharged sheets stacked with printed surfaces facing the same direction as that of the first paper receiving tray.   
     
     
         9 . The method for controlling paper discharge according to  claim 8 , further comprising: temporarily stopping printing without changing the paper discharge destination when the second paper receiving tray does not exist. 
     
     
         10 . The method for controlling paper discharge according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 acquiring a print setting including a setting of a paper discharge destination and a selection as to whether or not to perform continuous paper discharge, before starting printing; and   determining, as a paper discharge destination at start of printing, a paper receiving tray belonging to a group having a larger number of paper receiving trays that receive discharged sheets with printed surfaces facing a same direction, when the acquired print setting indicates that no paper receiving tray is set as a paper discharge destination and that performance of continuous paper discharge is selected.   
     
     
         11 . The method for controlling paper discharge according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 acquiring a print setting including a setting of a paper discharge destination and a selection as to whether or not to perform continuous paper discharge, before starting printing; and   determining, as a paper discharge destination at start of printing, a paper receiving tray belonging to a group having a larger number of paper receiving trays that receive discharged sheets with printed surfaces facing a same direction, when the acquired print setting indicates that no paper receiving tray is set as a paper discharge destination and that performance of continuous paper discharge is selected.   
     
     
         12 . The method for controlling paper discharge according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 performing continuous paper discharge to continue printing by changing the paper discharge destination from the second paper receiving tray to the first paper receiving tray when detecting that an amount of discharged sheets stacked on the second receiving tray used as a current paper discharge destination reaches the predetermined amount and also when detecting that no discharged sheets are stacked on the first paper receiving tray at a time of the detection of the second paper receiving tray during printing after changing the paper discharge destination from the first paper receiving tray to the second paper receiving tray.   
     
     
         13 . The method for controlling paper discharge according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 performing continuous paper discharge to continue printing by changing the paper discharge destination from the second paper receiving tray to the first paper receiving tray when detecting that an amount of discharged sheets stacked on the second receiving tray used as a current paper discharge destination reaches the predetermined amount and also when detecting that no discharged sheets are stacked on the first paper receiving tray at a time of the detection of the second paper receiving tray during printing after changing the paper discharge destination from the first paper receiving tray to the second paper receiving tray.   
     
     
         14 . The method for controlling paper discharge according to  claim 10 , further comprising:
 performing continuous paper discharge to continue printing by changing the paper discharge destination from the second paper receiving tray to the first paper receiving tray when detecting that an amount of discharged sheets stacked on the second receiving tray used as a current paper discharge destination reaches the predetermined amount and also when detecting that no discharged sheets are stacked on the first paper receiving tray at a time of the detection of the second paper receiving tray during printing after changing the paper discharge destination from the first paper receiving tray to the second paper receiving tray.