Printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11712910-B2
Application number	US-202017120645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2020
Priority date	Dec 27, 2019
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

A printing apparatus, comprising a conveyance unit for conveying a sheet, a carriage mounted with a printhead and configured to scan the printhead in a sheet widthwise direction, a platen arranged so as to face the printhead, a detection unit mounted on the carriage and configured to detect a distance to a sheet, a support portion, for supporting a sheet from below, arranged on a downstream side of the carriage in a conveyance direction, movable between a first position at which the support portion forms a conveyance surface for a sheet and a second position at which the support portion protrudes above the conveyance surface, and a determination unit configured to determine, based on a detection result of the detection unit, whether the support portion is at the first position or the second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus comprising:
a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet in a conveyance direction;
a printing unit including a printhead that performs printing on a sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit, and configured to move the printhead in a sheet widthwise direction intersecting the conveyance direction;
a platen provided so as to face the printhead, and configured to support a sheet on which the printhead performs printing;
a detection unit mounted on the printing unit, and configured (a) to detect a distance to a sheet supported by the platen and (b) to be moved in the sheet widthwise direction by the printing unit;
a support portion provided downstream of the printing unit in the conveyance direction, changeable between (a) a first posture at which the support portion forms a conveyance surface for a sheet and (b) a second posture, which is different from the first posture, at which the support portion protrudes from the conveyance surface, the support portion being capable of supporting a sheet from below; and
a determination unit configured to determine, based on a detection result of the detection unit, whether the support portion is at the first posture or the second posture,
wherein the support portion in the first posture supports a sheet with a first surface, and the support portion in the second posture supports a sheet with a second surface different from the first surface.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a pair of protruding portions provided so as to face each other in a conveyance path of a sheet by the conveyance unit, the pair of protruding portions being capable of supporting a sheet from below,
wherein the support portion is located between the pair of protruding portions.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein each of the pair of protruding portions includes an inclined surface on an inward side.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the support portion includes an inclined surface on at least one side in the sheet widthwise direction.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the pair of protruding portions and the support portion are provided in a discharge path for discharging a sheet from a main body of the printing apparatus.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the pair of protruding portions and the support portion are provided in a discharge tray configured to receive a sheet discharged from a main body of the printing apparatus.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a recess portion configured to store the support portion in the first posture is provided in a conveyance path of a sheet by the conveyance unit.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit acquires information indicating a sheet width of a sheet serving as a print target, and determines whether the support portion is at a position corresponding to the sheet width.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the detection unit can detect presence/absence of a sheet being conveyed by the conveyance unit, and
wherein the determination unit acquires, as the information, a detection result of the detection unit obtained during moving of the printing unit.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein if it is determined that the support portion is not at the position corresponding to the sheet width, the determination unit outputs a notification signal to notify a user of a determination result.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first control unit configured to, before printing by the printhead is started, cause the conveyance unit to convey a sheet until at least a downstream end of the sheet is located on the support portion;
a second control unit configured to cause the detection unit to perform the detection while the moving is performed by the printing unit in a state in which at least the downstream end of the sheet is located on the support portion; and
a third control unit configured to start printing by the printhead based on a determination result by the determination unit.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where, in a conveyance path of a sheet by the conveyance direction, a part in the sheet widthwise direction where the support portion is located is a first part, and a part other than the first part is a second part,
wherein the detection result of the detection unit includes a first result corresponding to the first part and a second result corresponding to the second part,
wherein the determination unit determines, based on the first result, whether the support portion is at the first position or the second position, and
wherein the determination unit determines, based on the second result, a conveyed state of a sheet in the conveyance path.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where, in a conveyance path of a sheet by the conveyance direction, a part in the sheet widthwise direction where the support portion is located is a first part, the detection unit detects a distance to a sheet supported by the platen while the detection unit passes above the first part.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to be capable of mounting a roll sheet, and further comprises a cutter unit configured to cut the roll sheet.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the cutter unit is installed so as to be detachable from the printing unit.

16. A control method of a printing apparatus, the printing apparatus comprising: (1) a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet in a conveyance direction; (2) a printing unit including a printhead that performs printing on a sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit, and configured to move the printhead in a sheet widthwise direction intersecting the conveyance direction; (3) a platen provided so as to face the printhead, and configured to support a sheet on which the printhead performs printing; (4) a detection unit mounted on the printing unit, and configured (a) to detect a distance to a sheet supported by the platen and (b) to be moved in the sheet widthwise direction by the printing unit; and (5) a support portion provided downstream of the printing unit in the conveyance direction, changeable between (a) a first posture at which the support portion forms a conveyance surface for a sheet and (b) a second posture, which is different from the first posture, at which the support portion protrudes from the conveyance surface, the support portion being capable of supporting a sheet from below, the method comprising:
determining, by detecting a distance to a sheet supported by the platen, whether the support portion is at the first posture or the second posture,
wherein the support portion in the first posture supports a sheet with a first surface, and the support portion in the second posture supports a sheet with a second surface different from the first surface.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B41J13/0009 Primary

  control of the transport of the copy material · CPC title

• B41J11/06 Primary

  Flat page-size platens {or smaller flat platens having a greater size than line-size platens (B41J11/0085 takes precedence)} · 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

• B41J13/106

  for the sheet output section · CPC title

• B41J11/70

  cutting perpendicular to the direction of paper feed · CPC title