Printing apparatus and method for controlling printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11813851-B2
Application number	US-202117445506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2021
Priority date	Aug 24, 2020
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

A printing apparatus includes: a printing head configured to discharge ink onto a recording medium to form an image; a platen including a support surface that supports the recording medium; and a recording medium holding portion being configured to hold a plurality of star wheels configured to hold the recording medium toward the support surface in a direction perpendicular to the support surface. In a case in which a maximum value of a height of the recording medium from the support surface in the direction perpendicular to the support surface is less than 2.2 mm when the recording medium passes between the support surface and the recording medium holding portion, a load of one of the star wheels for holding the recording medium with presence of the recording medium holding portion is equal to or less than 4.5 gf.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus, comprising:
a printing head configured to discharge ink onto a recording medium to form an image;
a platen including a support surface that supports the recording medium; and
a recording medium holding portion located at a position that is downstream of the printing head in a transport direction of the recording medium and faces the support surface, the recording medium holding portion being configured to hold a plurality of star wheels configured to hold the recording medium toward the support surface in a direction perpendicular to the support surface, wherein,
in a case in which a maximum value of a height of the recording medium from the support surface in the direction perpendicular to the support surface is less than 2.2 mm when the recording medium passes between the support surface and the recording medium holding portion, a load of one of the star wheels for holding the recording medium is equal to or less than 4.5 gf, where the maximum value is a maximum value of a height of the recording medium from the support surface in the direction perpendicular to the support surface, the height being a height of the recording medium from the support surface provided that the recording medium holding portion is absent.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:
a hoisting and lowering unit configured to hoist and lower the recording medium holding portion with respect to the support surface;
a designation unit configured to designate a permissible value of a height of the recording medium from the support surface in the direction perpendicular to the support surface provided that the recording medium holding portion is absent when the recording medium passes between the support surface and the recording medium holding portion; and
a control unit, wherein
the control unit controls the hoisting and lowering unit such that a force of one of the star wheels for holding the recording medium becomes equal to or less than 4.5 gf in a case in which a height of the recording medium from the support surface in the direction perpendicular to the support surface is equal to or less than the permissible value when the recording medium passes between the support surface and the recording medium holding portion where the permissible value is a permissible value of a height of the recording medium from the support surface in the direction perpendicular to the support surface, the height being a height of the recording medium from the support surface provided that the recording medium holding portion is absent.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Inoue Yuki

Classifications

• B41J11/42 Primary

  Controlling {printing material conveyance for accurate alignment of the printing material with the printhead; Print registering} · CPC title

• B41J3/4075 Primary

  Tape printers; Label printers · CPC title

• B41J11/005

  Guides in the printing zone, e.g. guides for preventing contact of conveyed sheets with printhead · CPC title

• B41J11/06

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