Printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10059134-B2
Application number	US-201615293329-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2016
Priority date	Oct 16, 2015
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

A printing apparatus includes a transport unit which includes a transport roller pair which transports a medium in a transport direction, a printing unit which prints onto the medium, a winding unit which winds the printed medium, and a tension application unit which applies a tension to the medium at a position between the transport roller pair and the winding unit. The tension application unit includes a pair of arms which are capable of rotating. A tension bar is supported on one end of the arms and comes into contact with the medium. The bar is rotated from an upper limit position to a lower limit position by transportation of the transport unit being performed two or more times.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus comprising:
a transport unit that includes a transport roller which transports a medium in a transport direction;
a printing unit that prints onto the medium;
a winding unit that winds the printed medium; and
a tension application unit that applies a tension to the medium at a position between the transport roller and the winding unit,
wherein the tension application unit includes a pair of arms that are capable of rotating and a tension bar that is supported on one end of the arms and comes into contact with the medium, the pair of arms rotating about an axis, and a center of gravity of the tension application unit is closer to the axis than the tension bar; and
wherein the tension bar is rotated from an upper limit position to a lower limit position when transportation of the medium by the transport unit is performed two or more times.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the winding unit winds the medium during a transport stopping period during which the transportation of the medium by the transport unit is stopped.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the printing unit includes a recording head which moves reciprocally in a direction which intersects the transport direction and which is capable of ejecting a liquid onto the medium, and
wherein the winding unit winds the medium during a head movement period in which the recording head is moving in a predetermined direction.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the winding unit winds the medium when a transport distance of the medium which is transported by the transport unit reaches a predetermined distance.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the predetermined distance is less than or equal to a distance obtained using a product of a movement speed of the medium which is wound onto the winding unit and the transport stopping period.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein a rotational range of the arms when winding the medium onto the winding unit is greater than or equal to 20°.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Akahane Takashi
• Hayashi Toru

Classifications

• B41J15/16 Primary

  Means for tensioning or winding the web · CPC title

• B65H2801/03

  Image reproduction devices · CPC title

• B65H2801/36

  Plotting · CPC title

• B65H2513/11

  angular · CPC title

• B65H2511/214

  Inclination · CPC title