Printer configured to rotate discharge roller when determining that second print control subsequent to first print control can be performed

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11396194-B2
Application number	US-202016814482-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2020
Priority date	Mar 14, 2019
Publication date	Jul 26, 2022
Grant date	Jul 26, 2022

Abstract

A printer includes: a printing head configured to perform printing on a medium; a conveyor configured to convey the medium in a conveying direction; a cutter configured to cut the medium to provide a segmented medium; a discharge roller; a counter roller configured to nip the medium in cooperation with the discharge roller; a driver configured to rotate the discharge roller in a discharging direction; and a controller configured to perform: (a) controlling the printing head and the conveyor to perform the first print control based on a first print instruction to perform printing on the medium; (b) driving the driver to stop rotation of the discharge roller with the medium nipped between the discharge roller and the counter roller; and (c) driving, when a second print control subsequent to the first print control is allowed, the driver to rotate the discharge roller in the discharging direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printer comprising:
a printing head configured to perform printing on a medium;
a conveyor configured to convey the medium in a conveying direction;
a cutter positioned downstream of the printing head and the conveyor in the conveying direction, the cutter being configured to cut the medium to provide a segmented medium;
a discharge roller positioned downstream of the cutter in the conveying direction;
a counter roller positioned to face the discharge roller and configured to nip the medium in cooperation with the discharge roller;
a driver configured to drivingly rotate the discharge roller in a discharging direction, rotation of the discharge roller in the discharging direction causing the segmented medium to be conveyed downstream in the conveying direction; and
a controller configured to perform:
(a) controlling, when a first print instruction has been acquired, the printing head and the conveyor to perform a first print control on the medium, the first print control being first performed based on the acquired first print instruction to perform printing on the medium;
(b) driving, when performing the (a) controlling, the driver to stop rotation of the discharge roller in a state where the medium is nipped at a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller; and
(c) driving, when a second print control is allowed to be performed, the driver to drivingly rotate the discharge roller in the discharging direction, the second print control being performed subsequent to the first print control based on a second print instruction acquired subsequent to the first print instruction to perform printing on the medium.

2. The printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a platen roller configured to nip the medium in cooperation with the printing head, the platen roller being configured to be drivingly rotated by the driver,
wherein, in the (c) driving, the driver drivingly rotates the discharge roller in the discharging direction without drivingly rotating the platen roller.

3. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein, when an instruction inputted by a user has been acquired, the second print control is allowed to be performed.

4. The printer according to claim 1 , further comprising a sensor positioned downstream of the cutter in the conveying direction, the sensor being configured to detect whether the segmented medium remains at the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller,
wherein, when it is determined that the sensor detects that the segmented medium has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller, the second print control is allowed to be performed.

5. The printer according to claim 4 , wherein the sensor is positioned downstream of the discharge roller in the conveying direction.

6. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the (c) driving drives the driver by a prescribed amount to cause the discharge roller to rotate in the conveying direction, and
wherein the second print control is performed after performing the (c) driving.

7. The printer according to claim 6 , wherein the prescribed amount is smaller than a first amount, the first amount being a driving amount of the driver for conveying the segmented medium by a first distance, the first distance being a distance in the conveying direction from the printing head to the discharge roller.

8. The printer according to claim 6 , wherein the prescribed amount is greater than a second amount, the second amount being a driving amount of the driver for conveying the segmented medium by a second distance, the second distance being a distance in the conveying direction from the cutter to the discharge roller.

9. A printer comprising:
a printing head configured to perform printing on a medium;
a platen roller configured to nip the medium in cooperation with the printing head;
a cutter positioned downstream of the printing head and the platen roller in a conveying direction in which the medium is conveyed, the cutter being configured to cut the medium to provide a segmented medium;
a discharge roller positioned downstream of the cutter in the conveying direction and movable between a release position and a nipping position;
a counter roller positioned to face the discharge roller, the counter roller being configured to nip the medium in cooperation with the discharge roller at the nipping position, the counter roller being spaced away from the discharge roller at the release position to allow the medium to pass through a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller;
a sensor positioned downstream of the discharge roller and the counter roller in the conveying direction, the sensor being configured to detect whether the segmented medium remains at the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller; and
a controller configured to perform:
(a) controlling, when a first print instruction has been acquired, the discharge roller to be moved to the release position;
(b) controlling the printing head and the platen roller to perform printing on the medium based on the acquired first print instruction;
(c) controlling, after completing the (h) controlling, the discharge roller to be moved to the nipping position;
(d) controlling the cutter to provide the segmented medium;
(e) preventing, when it is determined that the sensor detects that the segmented medium remains at the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller, a second print instruction from being received, the second print instruction being acquired subsequent to the first print instruction to perform printing on the medium;
(f) controlling, when it is determined that the sensor detects that the segmented medium has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller, the discharge roller to be rotated in a discharging direction; and
(g) permitting, after performing the (f) controlling, the second print instruction to be received.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Mizutani Hiromitsu

Classifications

• B41J11/66

  Applications of cutting devices · CPC title

• B41J15/04

  Supporting, feeding, or guiding devices; Mountings for web rolls or spindles · CPC title

• B41J11/70

  cutting perpendicular to the direction of paper feed · CPC title

• B41J11/0095

  Detecting means for copy material, e.g. for detecting or sensing presence of copy material or its leading or trailing end · CPC title

• B41J11/703 Primary

  Cutting of tape · CPC title