Printer and control method of printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11780253-B2
Application number	US-202117215548-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2021
Priority date	Mar 30, 2020
Publication date	Oct 10, 2023
Grant date	Oct 10, 2023

Abstract

Included are a transport unit, a printing unit, and a control unit. In inner circumferential surface printing for performing printing on an inner circumferential surface of a medium, which is positioned inside in the state of being wound up in a roll shape, the control unit causes the transport unit to position a leading end of the medium at a printing start position being a position downstream of a position facing a most downstream nozzle of a nozzle surface in a transport direction, in a state in which the printing unit is at a position at which the nozzle surface does not face the medium being transported by the transport unit, and causes the printing unit to start formation of a printing region on the medium having the leading end positioned at the printing start position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printer, comprising:
a transport unit configured to transport a medium in a transport direction, the medium being fed from a state of being wound up in a roll shape;
a printing unit configured to move to a position at which a nozzle surface does not face the medium being transported by the transport unit;
a pair of rollers positioned downstream of the printing unit along the transport direction; and
a control unit configured to control the transport unit and the printing unit, wherein
during inner circumferential surface printing for performing printing on an inner circumferential surface of the medium positioned inside when the medium is in the state of being wound up in a roll shape, the controller is further configured to:
cause the transport unit to move a leading end of the medium to a printing start position, which is positioned downstream of the pair of rollers along the transport direction, in a state in which the printing unit is at the position at which the entirety of the nozzle surface does not face the medium being transported by the transport unit,
when the leading end of the medium has moved to the printing start position, cause the transport unit to stop movement of the leading end of the medium so that the leading end of the medium is stationary at the printing start position and cause the pair of rollers to nip the medium;
while the leading end of the medium is stationary at the printing start position and the medium is nipped by the pair of rollers, cause the printing unit to move to a print position at which the nozzle surface faces the medium, and
after the printing unit has moved to the print position at which the nozzle surface faces the medium, cause the start of formation of a printing region on the medium by both causing the printing unit to start printing while causing the transport unit to resume movement of the medium.

2. The printer according to claim 1 , comprising:
a cutting unit configured to cut the medium, wherein
the control unit is configured to execute duplex printing by causing the printing unit to perform printing on a first surface of the medium and a second surface of the medium after printing on the first surface,
the inner circumferential surface being the second surface,
the control unit being further configured to, during the duplex printing, cause the cutting unit to cut the medium at a cut position upstream of a first end being an upstream end of a first printing region that is formed at the first surface by the printing unit, and
a distance between the first end and the cut position is greater than a distance between a most upstream nozzle and the most downstream nozzle of the printing unit.

3. The printer according to claim 2 , wherein
the medium is a medium including an ink reception layer at the first surface and the second surface.

4. The printer according to claim 1 , comprising:
a cutting unit configured to be controlled by the control unit and to cut the medium, wherein
the control unit is configured to execute duplex printing by causing the printing unit to perform printing on a first surface of the medium and a second surface of the medium after printing on the first surface,
the inner circumferential surface is the first surface, and
the control unit being further configured to, during the duplex printing, cause the following
the printing unit to form a first printing region as printing on the first surface, the first printing region having a second end being a downstream end at a position away from an end of the medium,
the cutting unit to cut the medium at a position upstream of the first printing region, and
the cutting unit to cut the medium at the second end after causing the printing unit to perform printing on the second surface of the medium.

5. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the medium is a medium including an ink reception layer at the inner circumferential surface.

6. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit causes the printing unit to print on a first surface of the medium and causes the printing unit which printed on the first surface of the medium to print a second surface of the medium after printing on the first surface.

7. The printer according to claim 1 , comprising:
a cutting unit configured to cut the medium; and
an intermediate roller, wherein
the control unit causes the cutting unit to cut the medium printed on a first surface and causes the intermediation roller to reverse a cutform medium cut by the cutting unit inside out.

8. A control method of a printer including
a transport unit configured to transport a medium in a transport direction, the medium being fed from a state of being wound up in a roll shape;
a printing unit configured to move to a position at which a nozzle surface does not face the medium being transported by the transport unit;
a pair of rollers positioned downstream from the printing unit along the transport direction; and
a control unit configured to control the transport unit and the printing unit, so as to perform inner circumferential surface printing, for performing printing on an inner circumferential surface of the medium positioned inside when the medium is in the state of being wound up in a roll shape,

the method comprising:
moving a leading end of the medium to a printing start position, which is positioned downstream of the pair of rollers along the transport direction, in a state in which the printing unit is at the position at which the nozzle surface does not face the medium being transported by the transport unit;
when the leading end of the medium has moved to the printing start position, causing the transport unit to stop movement of the leading end of the medium so that the leading end of the medium is stationary at the printing start position and causing the pair of rollers to nip the medium;
while the leading end of the medium is stationary at the printing start position and the medium is nipped by the pair of rollers, causing the printing unit to move to a print position at which the entirety of the nozzle surface faces the medium, and
after the printing unit has moved to the print position at which the nozzle surface faces the medium, causing the start of formation of a printing region on the medium by both causing the printing unit to start printing while causing the transport unit to resume movement of the medium.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Yajima Yasushi

Classifications

• B41J15/08 Primary

  characterised by being applied to printers having transversely- moving carriages · 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

• B41J13/0009

  control of the transport of the copy material · CPC title

• B41J2/01 Primary

  Ink jet · CPC title

• B41J3/60 Primary

  for printing on both faces of the printing material · CPC title