Printing apparatus, carriage apparatus, and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12030309-B2
Application number	US-202217742545-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2022
Priority date	May 14, 2021
Publication date	Jul 9, 2024
Grant date	Jul 9, 2024

Abstract

A printing apparatus includes a carriage mounted with a printing unit configured to perform printing on a print medium, a first motor used to move the carriage, a second motor used together with the first motor to move the carriage, and a control unit configured to control the first motor and the second motor. When moving the carriage, the control unit controls the first motor with a first control amount and controls the second motor with a second control amount. The first control amount and the second control amount are different from each other, and a ratio therebetween is a predetermined ratio.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus comprising:
a carriage mounted with a printing unit configured to perform printing on a print medium;
a first motor used to move the carriage;
a second motor used together with the first motor to move the carriage; and
a control unit configured to control the first motor and the second motor,
wherein when moving the carriage, the control unit controls the first motor with a first control amount and controls the second motor with a second control amount,
the first control amount and the second control amount are different from each other, and a ratio therebetween is a predetermined ratio, and
the predetermined ratio is set so that an output difference between the first motor and the second motor is less than that in a case in which the first control amount and the second control amount are the same control amount.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the predetermined ratio corresponds to an inverse ratio of an output ratio between the first motor and the second motor for the same control amount.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a detection unit configured to detect movement of the carriage,
wherein the control unit performs setting processing in which the predetermined ratio is set, and
in the setting processing, the first motor and the second motor are driven in opposite directions and, based on the control amount of the first motor and the control amount of the second motor at the time when the detection unit detects that the carriage is stopped, the predetermined ratio is set.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
in the setting processing, the first motor and the second motor are driven after the carriage is positioned at the center of a movement range of the carriage.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a detection unit configured to detect a movement amount of the carriage,
wherein the control unit performs setting processing of setting the predetermined ratio, and
in the setting processing, the predetermined ratio is set based on the movement amount of the carriage detected by the detection unit at the time when the first motor and the second motor are driven with the same control amount for a predetermined time but in opposite directions.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
based on the movement amount of the carriage detected by the detection unit in the setting processing, the control unit determines an abnormality of one of the first motor and the second motor.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
in the setting processing, the first motor and the second motor are driven after the carriage is positioned at the center of a movement range of the carriage.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the control unit drives the first motor and the second motor by PWM control, and
each of the first and second control amounts corresponds to a duty ratio.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a driving unit configured to move the carriage while using the first motor and the second motor as driving sources,
wherein the driving unit includes:
a plurality of rotation members, and
an endless belt wound around the plurality of rotation members and connected with the carriage,

the first motor is the driving source configured to rotate a first rotation member included in the plurality of rotation members, and
the second motor is the driving source configured to rotate a second rotation member included in the plurality of rotation members.

10. A carriage apparatus comprising:
a carriage mounted with a printing unit configured to perform printing on a print medium;
a first motor used to move the carriage;
a second motor used together with the first motor to move the carriage; and
a control unit configured to control the first motor and the second motor,
wherein when moving the carriage, the control unit controls the first motor with a first control amount and controls the second motor with a second control amount,
the first control amount and the second control amount are different from each other, and a ratio therebetween is a predetermined ratio, and
the predetermined ratio is set so that an output difference between the first motor and the second motor is less than that in a case in which the first control amount and the second control amount are the same control amount.

11. A control method of a printing apparatus including a carriage mounted with a printing unit configured to perform printing on a print medium, a first motor used to move the carriage, and a second motor used together with the first motor to move the carriage, the method comprising:
when moving the carriage, controlling the first motor with a first control amount and the second motor with a second control amount,
wherein the first control amount and the second control amount are different from each other, and a ratio therebetween is a predetermined ratio, and
the predetermined ratio is set so that an output difference between the first motor and the second motor is less than that in a case in which the first control amount and the second control amount are the same control amount.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Wada Naoaki
• Kuronuma Daigo
• Nagashima Masakazu
• Abe Tomohito
• Maruyama Ryohei
• Iimura Kenta
• Yoneyama Hiromasa
• Hirokawa Kichinosuke
• Fujikake Akira
• Yamaguchi Toshiaki
• Nozawa Hideyuki

Classifications

• B41J29/38

  Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism · CPC title

• B41J19/005

  Cable or belt constructions for driving print, type or paper-carriages, e.g. attachment, tensioning means · CPC title

• B41J19/205

  Position or speed detectors therefor · CPC title

• B41J19/202 Primary

  Drive control means for carriage movement · CPC title

• Y02P70/10

  Greenhouse gas [GHG] capture, material saving, heat recovery or other energy efficient measures, e.g. motor control, characterised by manufacturing processes, e.g. for rolling metal or metal working · CPC title