Printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11225095-B2
Application number	US-202017130284-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2020
Priority date	Dec 25, 2019
Publication date	Jan 18, 2022
Grant date	Jan 18, 2022

Abstract

Included are a feeding shaft configured to hold a printing medium, a first transporting belt, a second transporting belt, a first driving roller on which the first transporting belt is wound, a second driving roller on which the second transporting belt is wound, a first driving unit configured to drive the first driving roller, a second driving unit configured to drive the second driving roller, a winding roller on which the printing medium is wound, a first winding roller bearing, a second winding roller bearing, a first load cell configured to detect a load exerted by the printing medium on the first winding roller bearing, a second load cell configured to detect a load exerted by the printing medium on the second winding roller bearing, and a control unit configured to control the first driving unit and the second driving unit based on detection results of the load cells.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus, comprising:
a feeding shaft configured to hold a printing medium wound in a roll shape;
a first transporting belt configured to transport, in a transport direction, the printing medium fed from the feeding shaft;
a second transporting belt configured to transport, in the transport direction, the printing medium fed from the feeding shaft, the second transporting belt being arranged side by side with the first transporting belt in an intersecting direction intersecting the transport direction;
a first driving roller and a first driven roller on which the first transporting belt is wound;
a second driving roller and a second driven roller on which the second transporting belt is wound;
a first driving unit configured to drive the first driving roller;
a second driving unit configured to drive the second driving roller;
a winding roller on which the printing medium is wound that is transported from the feeding shaft to the first transporting belt and the second transporting belt;
a first bearing configured to support one end of a shaft of the winding roller;
a second bearing configured to support another end of the shaft of the winding roller;
a first detector configured to detect a load exerted by the printing medium on the first bearing through the winding roller;
a second detector configured to detect a load exerted by the printing medium on the second bearing through the winding roller; and
a control unit configured to control the first driving unit and the second driving unit based on detection results of the first detector and the second detector.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first driving unit includes a first driving motor configured to drive the first driving roller,
one end in an axis direction of the first driving roller is coupled to the first driving motor, and another end is rotatably supported,
the second driven roller is assembled to the first driving roller, and is rotatably supported by the first driving roller,
the second driving unit includes a second driving motor configured to drive the second driving roller,
one end in an axis direction of the second driving roller is coupled to the second driving motor, and another end is rotatably supported, and
the first driven roller is assembled to the second driving roller, and is rotatably supported by the second driving roller.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first driving unit includes a first driving motor configured to drive the first driving roller,
the second driving unit includes a second driving motor configured to drive the second driving roller,
the first driving roller and the second driving roller are arranged side by side in the intersecting direction,
one end in an axis direction of the first driving roller is coupled to the first driving motor, and another end is rotatably supported, and
one end in the axis direction of the second driving roller is coupled to the second driving motor, and another end is rotatably supported.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first detector is configured to detect a tensile force as a load exerted on the first bearing, the tensile force acting on one end of the printing medium in the intersecting direction,
the second detector is configured to detect a tensile fore as a load exerted on the second bearing, the tensile force acting on another end of the printing medium in the intersecting direction,
the control unit is configured to perform PID control of the first driving unit and the second driving unit based on detection results of the first detector and the second detector in such a way to reduce a difference between the tensile forces acting on both ends in the intersecting direction of the printing medium while maintaining a transporting velocity of the printing medium at a predetermined velocity.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the control unit is configured to perform proportional control of the first driving unit and the second driving unit based on detection results of the first detector and the second detector in such a way to reduce a difference between the tensile forces exerted on both ends in the intersecting direction of the printing medium while maintaining transporting velocity at a predetermined velocity.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:
a first auxiliary roller and a second auxiliary roller configured to support winding of the printing medium on the winding roller, wherein
the first auxiliary roller is arranged upstream of the winding roller in the transport direction, and
the second auxiliary roller is arranged downstream of the winding roller in the transport direction.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first detector and the second detector are load cells.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Kitahara Masashi

Classifications

• B65H2513/10

  Speed · CPC title

• B65H7/06

  responsive to presence of faulty articles or incorrect separation or feed (B65H7/14 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B41J11/007

  Conveyor belts or like feeding devices · CPC title

• B41J15/16 Primary

  Means for tensioning or winding the web · CPC title

• B65H23/0204

  Sensing transverse register of web (and controlling it B65H23/032) · CPC title