Printing apparatus, stand and movement control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12083799-B2
Application number	US-202217839798-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2022
Priority date	Jul 1, 2021
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

A printing apparatus includes a body, a print head, a mover, a stand and a sensor. The body has an opening that faces a printing target during printing. The print head is provided in the body and performs the printing on the printing target. The mover is provided in the body and moves the print head to a first position and a second position. The first position corresponds to the opening, and the second position is different from the first position. The stand is detachable from the body. The sensor at least senses that a distance between the body and the stand is equal to or shorter than a predetermined distance. The mover moves the print head from the second position to the first position in response to the sensor sensing that the distance between the body and the stand is equal to or shorter than the predetermined distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus comprising:
a body having an opening that faces a printing target during printing;
a print head that is provided in the body and performs the printing on the printing target;
a mover that is provided in the body and moves the print head to a first position corresponding to the opening and a second position different from the first position;
a stand detachable from the body; and
a sensor that at least senses that a distance between the body and the stand is equal to or shorter than a predetermined distance,
wherein the mover moves the print head from the second position to the first position in response to the sensor sensing that the distance between the body and the stand is equal to or shorter than the predetermined distance.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the print head includes a discharger that is, in a state in which the print head is at the first position, capable of being exposed through the opening to outside of the body and discharging a liquid, and
wherein the stand includes a protector that is provided at a position corresponding to the first position, which corresponds to the opening, in a state in which the body is placed on the stand, and protects the discharger of the print head.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the mover moves the print head to the first position in response to the sensor sensing that the opening and the protector face one another and the distance between the opening and the protector is equal to or shorter than the predetermined distance.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an irradiator that is included in the body or the stand and sends out an electromagnetic wave, and
wherein the sensor is a light receiver that is included in the body or the stand and senses the electromagnetic wave.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the mover
moves the print head from the second position to the first position in response to a duration of the electromagnetic wave sensed by the light receiver being equal to or longer than a preset length of time, and
positions the print head at the second position in response to the duration of the electromagnetic wave sensed by the light receiver being shorter than the preset length of time.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a barometric pressure sensor included in the body.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the mover
moves the print head from the second position to the first position in response to the barometric pressure sensor sensing a barometric pressure value in a predetermined range, and
positions the print head at the second position in response to the barometric pressure sensor not sensing the barometric pressure value in the predetermined range.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an imager that is provided in the body and images outside of the body through the opening,
wherein the imager is capable of imaging the outside of the body through the opening in a state in which the print head is at the second position.

9. A stand comprising an irradiator that sends out an electromagnetic wave,
wherein the stand is capable of holding a body of a printing apparatus,
wherein the body has an opening that faces a printing target during printing, and
wherein the printing apparatus includes:
the body;
a print head that is provided in the body and performs the printing on the printing target;
a light receiver that senses the electromagnetic wave; and
a mover that is provided in the body and moves the print head to a first position corresponding to the opening in response to the light receiver sensing the electromagnetic wave.

10. A movement control method comprising:
during no-printing by a printing apparatus including a body having an opening that faces a printing target during printing, a print head that is provided in the body and performs the printing on the printing target, and a stand detachable from the body, positioning the print head at a second position different from a first position corresponding to the opening; and
moving the print head from the second position to the first position in response to sensing that a distance between the body and the stand is equal to or shorter than a predetermined distance.

11. The movement control method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the print head includes a discharger that is, in a state in which the print head is at the first position, capable of being exposed through the opening to outside of the body and discharging a liquid, and
wherein the stand includes a protector that is provided at a position corresponding to the first position, which corresponds to the opening, in a state in which the body is placed on the stand, and protects the discharger of the print head.

12. The movement control method according to claim 11 , wherein the moving includes moving the print head to the first position in response to sensing that the opening and the protector face one another and the distance between the opening and the protector is equal to or shorter than the predetermined distance.

13. The movement control method according to claim 10 ,
wherein an irradiator that sends out an electromagnetic wave is included in the body or the stand and,
wherein a light receiver that senses the electromagnetic wave is included in the body or the stand.

14. The movement control method according to claim 13 ,
wherein the moving includes moving the print head from the second position to the first position in response to a duration of the electromagnetic wave sensed by the light receiver being equal to or longer than a preset length of time, and
wherein the positioning includes positioning the print head at the second position in response to the duration of the electromagnetic wave sensed by the light receiver being shorter than the preset length of time.

15. The movement control method according to claim 10 , wherein a barometric pressure sensor that senses that the distance between the body and the stand is equal to or shorter than the predetermined distance is included in the body.

16. The movement control method according to claim 15 ,
wherein the moving includes moving the print head from the second position to the first position in response to sensing, with the barometric pressure sensor, a barometric pressure value in a predetermined range, and
wherein the positioning includes positioning the print head at the second position in response to not sensing, with the barometric pressure sensor, the barometric pressure value in the predetermined range.

17. The movement control method according to claim 10 ,
wherein an imager that images outside of the body through the opening is provided in the body, and
wherein the imager is capable of imaging the outside of the body through the opening in a state in which the print head is at the second position.

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kogane Takayuki

Classifications

• B41J11/008

  Controlling printhead for accurately positioning print image on printing material, e.g. with the intention to control the width of margins · CPC title

• B41J3/407

  for marking on special material · CPC title

• B41J2/035

  by electric or magnetic field · CPC title

• B41J2/04505

  aiming at correcting alignment · CPC title

• B41J29/13

  Cases or covers · CPC title