Assistance features for loading a medium into a printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10315443-B2
Application number	US-201715823974-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2017
Priority date	Dec 2, 2016
Publication date	Jun 11, 2019
Grant date	Jun 11, 2019

Abstract

A printing device includes a printing apparatus that includes a transport unit including a roller pair that nips and transports a medium, a printing unit that prints on the medium and a first sensor that detects the medium or a mark at a position downstream of the roller pair. The printing device also includes a first motor capable of driving the roller pair to a non-nipping state and to a nipping state, and a controller that controls the transport unit and the first motor so as to perform an assistance operation to assist setting of the medium. The assistance operation performed by the controller. When the first sensor detects the medium or the mark, the controller causes the medium to be nipped by the roller pair, and a skew correction operation in which the medium is transported and reverse transported is performed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus comprising:
a transport unit that transports a medium that is nipped by a roller pair in a transport direction;
a printing unit that prints on the medium at a position downstream of the roller pair in the transport direction;
a detection unit that detects the medium at a position downstream of the roller pair in the transport direction using either the medium or a mark applied to the medium as a detection target;
a drive unit that is capable of driving the roller pair to a non-nipping state in which there is a gap open in the roller pair and the roller pair is not capable of nipping the medium and to a nipping state in which the roller pair is capable of nipping the medium; and
a controller that controls at least the transport unit and the drive unit so as to perform an assistance operation to assist setting of the medium in the transport unit, wherein
the controller performs the assistance operation, wherein the assistance operation includes:
a nipping operation in which, from the non-nipping state of the roller pair, the detection unit detects the medium and the roller pair is driven to the nipping state to cause the medium to be nipped by the roller pair, and
a skew correction operation following on from the nipping operation in which rotation of the roller pair is controlled such that the medium is transported downstream in the transport direction and such that the medium is transported upstream in the transport direction.

2. The printing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
in cases in which the detection unit includes a first detection unit, a second detection unit that detects a width direction end portion of the medium in a printing region, wherein the controller causes the width direction end portion of the medium to be detected by the second detection unit after the medium has been transported upstream in the transport direction.

3. The printing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein, based on a position of the width direction end portion of the medium detected by the second detection unit, the controller determines a position in the width direction of a printing region where the printing unit will print on the medium.

4. The printing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein after the medium has been transported downstream in the transport direction in the skew correction operation, the controller determines a stop position for the medium for when the medium is transported upstream in the transport direction based on a detection result in which the mark is detected by the detection unit.

5. The printing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a roll-form medium support capable of supporting a roll-form medium wound with the medium, wherein the controller performs the assistance operation when the detection unit detects the medium or the mark in a state in which the roller pair is in the non-nipping state and the roll-form medium support is being rotated.

6. The printing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a roll-form medium support capable of supporting a roll-form medium wound with the medium;
a drive source that rotates the roll-form medium support; and
a third detection unit that detects a load in a rotation direction or rotation of the roll-form medium, wherein the controller drives the drive source to feed the medium out from the roll-form medium when the third detection unit detects the load in the rotation direction or the rotation of the roll-form medium while the drive source is in a non-driven state.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Tokai Yoshitsugu
• Kobayashi Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B41J15/165

  for tensioning continuous copy material by use of redirecting rollers or redirecting nonrevolving guides · CPC title

• B41J11/64

  Applications of scales or indicators · CPC title

• B41J15/046

  for the guidance of continuous copy material, e.g. for preventing skewed conveyance of the continuous copy material · CPC title

• B41J15/042 Primary

  for loading rolled-up continuous copy material into printers, e.g. for replacing a used-up paper roll; Point-of-sale printers with openable casings allowing access to the rolled-up continuous copy material · CPC title

• B41J11/009

  Detecting type of paper, e.g. by automatic reading of a code that is printed on a paper package or on a paper roll or by sensing the grade of translucency of the paper · CPC title