Printing apparatus, control method, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11679606-B2
Application number	US-202017120422-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2020
Priority date	Dec 27, 2019
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

There is provided with printing apparatus. A printing unit prints an image on a printing medium and is able to move. A cutter unit is able to connect with or separate from the printing unit, and, by following a movement of the printing unit, cuts the printing medium. A control unit, in a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied after the printing medium is cut by the cutter unit, causes the printing unit to perform printing on a succeeding printing medium, while moving the printing unit in a state in which the cutter unit is connected with the printing unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus comprising:
a printing unit configured to print an image on a printing medium and configured to move in a scanning direction;
a cutter unit configured to be able to connect with or separate from the printing unit, and configured to cut the printing medium by moving with the printing unit; and
a control unit configured to perform:
(1) a first control in which (a) the cutter unit is separated from the printing unit, and (b) the printing unit performs printing with moving in the scanning direction;
(2) a second control in which (a) the cutter unit is connected with the printing unit and cuts the printing medium by moving with the printing unit, and (b) the printing unit does not perform printing; and
(3) a third control in which, in a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied after the printing medium is cut by the cutter unit, the printing unit performs printing on a succeeding printing medium, while moving the printing unit in a state in which the cutter unit is connected with the printing unit.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a conveyance unit configured to convey a printing medium in a conveyance direction intersecting the scanning direction,
wherein the cutter unit is provided downstream of the printing unit in the conveyance direction, and
wherein the predetermined condition is that a first distance, from a downstream edge of the succeeding printing medium in the conveyance direction to a downstream edge of an image to be printed on the succeeding printing medium, is smaller than a second distance, from a downstream edge of a print head of the printing unit to a cutting position by the cutter unit.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit, in a case where the predetermined condition is not satisfied, disengages a connection between the printing unit and the cutter unit before performing printing on the succeeding printing medium.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit disengages the connection in a state where the cutter unit is positioned at a standby position in the scanning direction.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein a standby position of the printing unit and the standby position of the cutter unit are arranged so as to sandwich a passing region, through which the printing medium passes, in the scanning direction.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit causes the printing unit to perform printing by moving in the scanning direction for a plurality of times in a case where the predetermined condition is satisfied before the downstream edge of the succeeding printing medium reaches the cutting position.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the control unit disengages the connection at the standby position after a movement for printing which comes closer to the standby position among the plurality of times of a movement.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 4 , further comprising a change unit configured to change the standby position of the cutter unit.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the standby position of the cutter unit is at a position that is apart b y a predetermined distance from an edge in the scanning direction of the printing medium.

10. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit disengages a connection between the printing unit and the cutter unit after an initial movement for printing the succeeding printing medium is performed.

11. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit, in a case where a predetermined condition that is related to an image to be printed is satisfied, does not allow the printing unit to perform printing on the succeeding printing medium in a state in which the cutter unit and the printing unit are connected.

12. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the printing unit includes a first member and a second member,
wherein the cutter unit includes a third member and a fourth member,
wherein the cutter unit, by the first member and the third member contacting, moves in accordance with a movement of the printing unit in a first direction,
wherein the cutter unit, by the second member and the fourth member contacting, moves in accordance with a movement of the printing unit in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and
wherein, by the cutter unit moving in the second direction in accordance with a movement of the printing unit, a contact between the first member and the third member is avoided in a case where the printing unit reverses from the second direction to the first direction.

13. A control method of a printing apparatus, the printing apparatus comprising a printing unit configured to print an image on a printing medium and configured to move in a scanning direction, and (b) a cutter unit configured to be able to connect with or separate from the printing unit, and configured to cut the printing medium by moving with the printing unit, the method comprising:
performing a first control in which (a) the cutter unit is separated from the printing unit, and (b) the printing unit performs printing with moving in the scanning direction;
performing a second control in which (a) the cutter unit is connected with the printing unit and cuts the printing medium by moving with the printing unit, and (b) the printing unit does not perform printing; and
performing a third control in which, in a case where a predetermined condition is satisfied after the printing medium is cut by the cutter unit, the printing unit performs printing on a succeeding printing medium while moving the printing unit in a state in which the cutter unit is connected with the printing unit.

14. The control method according to claim 13 , wherein the printing apparatus further comprises a conveyance unit configured to convey a printing medium in a conveyance direction intersecting the scanning direction,
wherein the cutter unit is provided downstream of the printing unit in the conveyance direction, and
wherein the predetermined condition is that a first distance, from a downstream edge of the succeeding printing medium in the conveyance direction to a downstream edge of an image to be printed on the succeeding printing medium, is smaller than a second distance, from a downstream edge of a print head of the printing unit to a cutting position by the cutter unit.

15. The control method according to claim 14 , wherein the control unit, in a case where the predetermined condition is not satisfied, disengages a connection between the printing unit and the cutter unit before performing printing on the succeeding printing medium.

16. The control method according to claim 15 , wherein the control unit disengages the connection in a state where the cutter unit is positioned at a standby position in the scanning direction.

17. The control method according to claim 16 , wherein the control unit causes the printing unit to perform printing by moving in the scanning direction for a plurality of times in a case where the predetermined condition is satisfied before the downstream edge of the succeeding printing medium reaches the cutting position.

18. The control method according to claim 17 , wherein the control unit disengages the connection at the standby position after a movement for printing which comes closer to the standby position among the plurality of times of a movement.

19. The control

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Yoneyama Hiromasa
• Asai Yasuyuki
• Maruyama Ryohei
• Wada Itaru
• Suzuki Yoshiaki
• Abe Tomohito
• Obata Tsutomu
• Aoki Noriyuki

Classifications

• B65H35/06

  from or with blade, e.g. shear-blade, cutters or perforators (from or with revolving blade B65H35/08) · CPC title

• B26D1/245 Primary

  for thin material, e.g. for sheets, strips or the like · CPC title

• B41J11/706 Primary

  using a cutting tool mounted on a reciprocating carrier · CPC title

• B41J11/70

  cutting perpendicular to the direction of paper feed · CPC title