Print device and method of controlling print device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11401123-B2
Application number	US-201916260979-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2019
Priority date	Jan 30, 2018
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

A print device includes: a first opening via which a print medium is to be inserted or ejected; a second opening via which the print medium is to be ejected; a transport roller that transports the print medium; a housing that contains a transport route; a first sensor that detects presence of the print medium; and a second sensor that detects the presence of the print medium on an upstream side of the first sensor; and a processor. When a command designates the print medium to be ejected to the outside via the second opening and a length of the print medium determined from the detection states of the first and the second sensors is shorter than or equal to a predetermined length, the processor ejects the print medium to the outside via the first opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A print device comprising:
a transport route along which a print medium is transported in a transport direction;
a first opening via which the print medium is inserted or ejected at a first end of the transport route in the transport direction;
a second opening via which the print medium is ejected at a second end of the transport route in the transport direction;
a transport roller configured to transport the print medium inserted via the first opening, the transport roller being provided on the transport route of the print medium;
a housing configured to guide the print medium on its one side in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction;
a head configured to perform a print operation on the print medium based on a print command;
a stopper configured to stop, at a preset position, a front end of the print medium inserted via the first opening by closing the transport route;
a first sensor configured to detect presence of the print medium, the first sensor being provided upstream of the stopper on the transport route;
a second sensor configured to detect the presence of the print medium, the second sensor being provided upstream of the first sensor on the transport route; and
a processor configured to:
receive a first command which designates one of an ejection direction toward the first opening and an ejection direction toward the second opening;
control the transport roller to eject the print medium printed by the head via the first opening if the ejection direction toward the first opening is designated by the first command and when a length of the print medium based on detection states of the first sensor and the second sensor is longer than a predetermined length based on a distance between the transport roller and the second opening;
control the transport roller to eject the print medium printed by the head via the second opening if the ejection direction toward the second opening is designated by the first command and when the length of the print medium based on the detection states of the first sensor and the second sensor is longer than the predetermined length; and
control the transport roller to eject the print medium via the first opening if the ejection direction toward the second opening is designated by the first command and when the length of the print medium based on the detection states of the first sensor and the second sensor is shorter than or equal to the predetermined length.

2. The print device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first sensor is misaligned from the second sensor in the transport direction.

3. The print device according to claim 2 , wherein
the processor is further configured to calculate the length of the print medium, based on an amount in which the print medium is transported over a period between when the front end of the print medium makes contact with the stopper and when the second sensor detects absence of a rear end of the print medium.

4. The print device according to claim 1 , wherein
when ejecting the print medium via the second opening, the processor is further configured to transport the print medium based on the length of the print medium until the front end of the print medium protrudes from the second opening.

5. The print device according to claim 1 , further comprising a roll sheet transport route along which a roll sheet is transported, the roll sheet transport route overlapping the transport route,
wherein the processor is further configured to control the head to perform the print operation on the roll sheet when the first sensor detects absence of the print medium.

6. The print device according to claim 1 , wherein
even when the length of the print medium based on the detection states of the first sensor and the second sensor is shorter than or equal to the predetermined length, the processor is further configured to control the transport roller to eject the print medium via the second opening designated by the first command, in response to a second command received from an external device.

7. A method of controlling a print device, the print device including a transport route along which a print medium is transported in a transport direction, a first opening via which the print medium is inserted or ejected at a first end of the transport route in the transport direction, a second opening via which the print medium is ejected at a second end of the transport route in the transport direction, a transport roller configured to transport the print medium inserted via the first opening, the transport roller being provided on the transport route, a housing configured to guide the print medium on its one side in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the print medium, a head configured to perform a print operation on the print medium based on a print command, and a stopper configured to stop, at a preset position, a front end of the print medium inserted via the first opening by closing the transport route, the method comprising:
receiving a first command which designates one of an ejection direction toward the first opening and an ejection direction toward the second opening;
ejecting the print medium printed by the head via the first opening if the ejection direction toward the first opening is designated by the first command and when a length of the print medium based on detection states of a first sensor and a second sensor is longer than a predetermined length based on a distance between the transport roller and the second opening;
ejecting the print medium printed by the head via the second opening if the ejection direction toward the second opening is designated by the first command and when the length of the print medium based on the detection states of the first sensor and the second sensor is longer than the predetermined length; and
ejecting the print medium via the first opening if the ejection direction toward the second opening is designated by the first command and when the length of the print medium based on the detection states of the first sensor and the second sensor is shorter than or equal to the predetermined length,
wherein the first sensor is configured to detect presence of the print medium, the first sensor being provided upstream of the stopper on the transport route, and
wherein the second sensor is configured to detect the presence of the print medium, the second sensor being provided upstream of the first sensor on the transport route.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Kinoshita Yoshiaki
• Kitahara Azusa

Classifications

• B65H2513/42

  Route, path · CPC title

• B41J13/103

  for the sheet feeding section · CPC title

• B65H9/106

  using rotary driven elements as part acting on the article (B65H9/105 takes precedence; registering laterally while article is forwarded in principal direction B65H9/16) · CPC title

• B41J11/0095 Primary

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

• B65H2511/11

  Length · CPC title