Printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10683181-B2
Application number	US-201916394243-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2019
Priority date	May 18, 2018
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

Provided is a technique capable of detecting the amount of a stack of discharged print media and increasing print speed. A printing apparatus includes a displacement member configured to be in contact with the discharged print media and be displaced according to the amount of the stack of the print media, and detects the stack amount based on the displacement of the displacement member. The apparatus performs a first or second detection operation based on the detected stack amount. In the first detection operation, after a specified number of print media are discharged with the displacement member positioned at the evacuation position where it does not come into contact with a print medium, the displacement member is brought into contact with the print media to detect the stack amount. In the second detection operation, the stack amount is detected with the displacement member in contact with the print media.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus comprising:
a print head configured to perform printing on a print medium;
a conveying unit configured to convey a print medium;
a stacking unit configured to stack a print medium that is printed by the print head and discharged by the conveying unit;
a displacement member configured to be in contact with a print medium stacked on the stacking unit and be displaced based on an amount of a stack of the print media;
a detection unit configured to detect the amount of the stack based on the displacement of the displacement member; and
a movement unit configured to move the displacement member to an evacuation position where the displacement member does not come into contact with a print medium being discharged onto the stacking unit, wherein
based on the amount of the stack detected by the detection unit, the printing apparatus performs
a first detection operation in which after a specified number of print media are discharged onto the stacking unit with the displacement member positioned at the evacuation position, the detection unit detects the amount of the stack using the displacement member, or
a second detection operation in which the amount of the stack is detected with the displacement member in contact with print media stacked on the stacking unit.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
in a case where the amount of the stack is less than a specified amount, the printing apparatus performs the first detection operation, and
in a case where the amount of the stack is more than or equal to the specified amount, the printing apparatus performs the second detection operation.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the specified amount is an amount at which a print medium being discharged onto the stacking unit does not push out a print medium stacked on the stacking unit to an amount exceeding an allowable amount.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the specified amount is different for a type of a print medium and a structure of the apparatus.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the specified amount is defined by a length extending vertically from a surface of the stacking unit on which print media are stacked.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
an amount corresponding to the specified number of print media is less than or equal to a difference between an amount corresponding to a full stack and the specified amount.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the detection unit includes multiple sensors and detects the amount of the stack based on a detection result by the multiple sensors.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the detection unit refers to a history of detection results of each sensor to detect the amount of the stack.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
in a case where a print medium is of a specified size, the printing apparatus performs the first detection operation or the second detection operation based on the amount of the stack.

10. The printing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the specified size is A5 size or statement size.

11. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
in a case where the displacement member is in contact with a print medium stacked on the stacking unit, the displacement member is rotatable in a direction that allows movement of a print medium being discharged.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Somano Toshiaki
• Yamamoto Kosuke
• Sakurai Norio
• Emoto Yuki

Classifications

• B65H31/02 Primary

  with stationary end support against which pile accumulates · CPC title

• B65H2553/61

  Mechanical means, e.g. contact arms · CPC title

• B65H2301/4212

  of articles substantially horizontal · CPC title

• B65H29/52

  Stationary guides or smoothers · CPC title

• B65H43/06

  detecting, or responding to, completion of pile (B65H43/08 takes precedence) · CPC title