Method for determining working gap, and recording device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11198312-B2
Application number	US-202016775427-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2020
Priority date	Jan 31, 2019
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

A method for determining a working gap includes a first recording step for ejecting ink from a recording head onto a first recording medium to record a test pattern, a first imaging step for capturing the test pattern recorded on the first recording medium in each of a state where a distance between the recording head and the first recording medium is a first distance, and a state where a distance between the recording head and the first recording medium is a second distance, a function calculating step, a second recording step for recording the test pattern on a second recording medium, a second imaging step for capturing the test pattern recorded on the second recording medium, and a working gap determining step for determining, based on the number of pixels of the captured test pattern and a function, a distance between the recording head and the second recording medium.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for determining a working gap, comprising:
a first recording step for ejecting ink from a recording head onto a first recording medium having a known medium thickness to record a test pattern;
a first imaging step for capturing the test pattern recorded on the first recording medium in each of a first state where a distance between the recording head and the first recording medium is a first distance, and a second state where a distance between the recording head and the first recording medium is a second distance, an image of the test pattern to be captured in the first state being enlarged or reduced to a predetermined size in the first state, by using a zoom lens in the first imaging step;
a function calculating step for calculating, based on the number of pixels of the test pattern that has been captured at the first distance and for which the image has been enlarged or reduced in the first state, and based on the number of pixels of the test pattern that has been captured at the second distance, a function to determine the distance from the number of pixels of the captured test pattern;
a second recording step for recording the test pattern on a second recording medium;
a second imaging step for capturing the test pattern recorded on the second recording medium; and
a working gap determining step for determining, based on the number of pixels of the captured test pattern and the function, a distance between the recording head and the second recording medium.

2. The method for determining the working gap according to claim 1 , wherein
the test pattern is a pattern that is recorded by relative movement, along a first axis, of the recording head and one of the first recording medium and the second recording medium, and
is used for adjusting a recording position along the first axis.

3. The method for determining the working gap according to claim 1 , wherein
the first distance is a lower limit of the distance between the recording head and the first recording medium, and
the second distance is an upper limit of the distance between the recording head and the first recording medium.

4. The method for determining the working gap according to claim 1 , wherein
the recording head includes a first recording head and a second recording head,
the first recording step, the first imaging step, and the function calculating step are performed for each of the first and second recording heads,
in the second recording step, the test pattern is recorded, by the first recording head, onto the second recording medium;
in the second imaging step, the test pattern recorded on the second recording medium is captured, and
in the working gap determining step, a distance between the first recording head and the second recording medium is determined based on the number of pixels of the captured test pattern and the function calculated for the first recording head, and a distance between the second recording head and the second recording medium is determined based on the distance between the first recording head and the second recording medium and the function calculated for the second recording head.

5. A recording device comprising:
a recording head configured to record a test pattern;
a gap adjustment unit configured to adjust a height of the recording head;
an imaging unit configured to capture the test pattern and including a zoom lens; and
a control unit, wherein
the control unit
records the test pattern on a first recording medium having a known medium thickness,
captures the test pattern recorded on the first recording medium in each of a first state where a distance between the recording head and the first recording medium is a first distance, and a second state where a distance between the recording head and the first recording medium is a second distance, and enlarges or reduces, in the first state, an image of the test pattern to be captured in the first state to a predetermined size, by using the zoom lens,
calculates, based on the number of pixels of the test pattern that has been captured at the first distance and for which the image has been enlarged or reduced in the first state, and based on the number of pixels of the test pattern that has been captured at the second distance, a function to determine the distance from the number of pixels of the captured test pattern,
records the test pattern on a second recording medium,
captures the test pattern recorded on the second recording medium, and
determines, based on the number of pixels of the captured test pattern and the function, a working gap that is a distance between the recording head and the second recording medium.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Sakurada Kazuaki
• Tatsuda Tetsuo
• Shikagawa Yuichi
• Ukita Mamoru

Classifications

• B41J19/142

  with a reciprocating print head printing in both directions across the paper width · CPC title

• B41J29/393

  Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine {; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns} · CPC title

• B41J2/01 Primary

  Ink jet · CPC title

• B41J25/308 Primary

  with print gap adjustment mechanisms · CPC title

• B41J11/0035

  Handling copy materials differing in thickness (B41J11/20 takes precedence) · CPC title