Printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11518181-B2
Application number	US-202117215553-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2021
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

A printing apparatus includes a conveyance unit configured to convey a medium, a suction unit configured to suction the medium, a control unit configured to control the conveyance unit and the suction unit, and a communication interface configured to communicate with a server apparatus. The control unit performs preliminary conveyance in which the conveyance unit conveys the medium in a state where the suction unit performs suction, measures a load determination value that changes in accordance with a conveyance load of the medium in the preliminary conveyance, acquires a conveyance load coefficient on a basis of the load determination value and a suction force of the suction unit, and transmits, to the server apparatus through the communication interface, the conveyance load coefficient or parameter determination information, together with medium type information about a type of the medium. the parameter determination information includes the load determination value and the suction force.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus comprising:
a conveyance unit configured to convey a medium;
a suction unit configured to suction the medium at a support part configured to support the medium;
a printing unit configured to perform printing on the medium supported by the support part;
a control unit configured to control the conveyance unit, the suction unit and the printing unit; and
a communication interface configured to communicate with an external apparatus, wherein
the control unit performs preliminary conveyance for conveying the medium by the conveyance unit in a state where the suction unit performs suction at a predetermined suction force, measures a load determination value that changes in accordance with a conveyance load of the medium in the preliminary conveyance, acquires a conveyance parameter representing a relationship between a suction force of the suction unit and the conveyance load on a basis of the load determination value and the suction force, and transmits, to the external apparatus through the communication interface, the acquired conveyance parameter or parameter determination information, together with medium type information about a type of the medium, the parameter determination information including the measured load determination value and the suction force,
the control unit performs, as the preliminary conveyance, first preliminary conveyance in which the conveyance unit conveys the medium in a state where the suction unit performs suction with a predetermined first suction force and second preliminary conveyance in which the conveyance unit conveys the medium in a state where the suction unit performs suction with a predetermined second suction force, and acquires the conveyance parameter on a basis of a first load determination value measured in the first preliminary conveyance and the first suction force, and a second load determination value measured in the second preliminary conveyance and the second suction force.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a target conveyance speed for conveying the medium in the first preliminary conveyance and a target conveyance speed for conveying the medium in the second preliminary conveyance are equal to each other.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the conveyance unit includes a conveyance motor, driving of which is controlled by the control unit;
the load determination value is a load current value of the conveyance motor; and
the control unit acquires the conveyance parameter on a basis of the suction force and the load current value of the conveyance motor in the preliminary conveyance.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising an image-capturing unit configured to capture a surface image of the medium, wherein
the load determination value is a conveyance distance of the medium; and
the control unit measures the conveyance distance of the medium on a basis of a result of image-capturing, by the image-capturing unit, of the surface image of the medium in the preliminary conveyance and acquires the conveyance parameter on a basis of the conveyance distance and the suction force.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a detection unit configured to detect a measurement pattern that is printed on the medium so as to enable determination of a conveyance distance, wherein
the load determination value is a conveyance distance of the medium; and
the control unit causes the printing unit to print the measurement pattern on the medium in the preliminary conveyance, acquires the conveyance distance of the medium on a basis of a detection result of the measurement pattern of the medium detected by the detection unit, and acquires the conveyance parameter on a basis of the conveyance distance and the suction force.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Washizawa Takehito

Classifications

• B41J11/0085 Primary

  Using suction for maintaining printing material flat (on rotatable drums B41J13/226) · CPC title

• B41J13/0009

  control of the transport of the copy material · CPC title

• B41J11/46

  by marks or formations on the paper being fed · CPC title