Printer, control method, and non-transitory computer readable medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12109799-B2
Application number	US-202217809335-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2022
Priority date	Jun 30, 2021
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

A printer includes a platen, a first head, a second head, and an illumination device. In a normal print mode, the first head, the second head, and the illumination device are moved relatively with respect to the platen in a main scanning direction, in a state in which a distance between the platen and a predetermined position of the illumination device in the height direction is a first distance, and the ink is ejected onto an object to be printed placed on the platen and the light is irradiated onto the ejected ink. In a gloss print mode, the first head, the second head, and the illumination device are moved relatively with respect to the platen in the main scanning direction, in a state in which the distance between the platen and the predetermined position in the height direction is a second distance larger than the first distance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printer comprising:
a platen configured to have an object to be printed placed thereon;
a first head configured to eject a first ink onto the object to be printed, the first ink being a photocurable ink;
a second head configured to eject a photocurable second ink onto the object to be printed;
an illumination device aligned with the first head and the second head in a main scanning direction, and including a light source configured to irradiate light onto the object to be printed;
a processor; and
a memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, instruct the processor to perform processes comprising:
normal moving the first head, the second head, and the illumination device relatively with respect to the platen in the main scanning direction in a normal print mode, in a state in which, in a height direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction, a distance between the platen and a predetermined position of the illumination device in the height direction is a first distance;
normal ejecting the ink onto the object to be printed from one or both of the first head and the second head, during the normal moving;
normal irradiating the light from the light source onto the ink ejected onto the object to be printed, during the normal moving;
gloss moving the first head, the second head, and the illumination device relatively with respect to the platen in the main scanning direction in a gloss print mode different from the normal print mode, in a state in which the distance between the platen and the predetermined position in the height direction is a second distance larger than the first distance;
gloss ejecting the ink onto the object to be printed from one or both of the first head and the second head during the gloss moving; and
gloss illuminating the light from the light source onto the ink ejected onto the object to be printed.

2. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the normal moving includes a first normal moving, the first normal moving moves the first head, the second head, and the illumination device relatively with respect to the platen in a direction from the illumination device toward the first head, of the main scanning direction,
the gloss moving includes a first gloss moving, the first gloss moving moves the first head, the second head, and the illumination device relatively with respect to the platen in the direction from the illumination device toward the first head, of the main scanning direction,
the normal ejecting and the normal irradiating are performed during the first normal moving, in the normal print mode, and
the gloss ejecting and the gloss irradiating are performed during the first gloss moving, in the gloss print mode.

3. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the second head is aligned with the first head in the main scanning direction, and
the irradiation device is a single lamp including the light source.

4. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the second head is aligned with the first head in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the height direction,
the illumination device includes a first lamp and a second lamp,
the first lamp is aligned with the first head in the main scanning direction and includes the light source, and
the second lamp is aligned with the second head in the main scanning direction and includes the light source.

5. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the illumination device includes a housing including the light source, and
the computer-readable instructions further instruct the processor to perform process comprising:
moving the housing in the height direction such that the distance in the height direction between the platen and the light source as the predetermined position, to be the first distance or the second distance.

6. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the illumination device includes a housing and a pair of walls, the housing includes the light source, and the pair of walls is configured to move to an advanced position and a retracted position in the height direction, the walls are positioned in a direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the height direction with respect to the housing,
the predetermined position is a position of the housing or the pair of walls, for which the distance from the platen in the height direction is closest,
when the pair of walls is positioned at the advanced position, the distance between the platen and the predetermined position in the height direction is the first distance,
when the pair of walls is positioned at the retracted position, the distance between the platen and the predetermined position in the height direction is the second distance, and
the computer-readable instructions further instruct the processor to perform process comprising:
moving the pair of walls between the advanced position and the retracted position such that the distance between the platen and the predetermined position in the height direction to be the first distance or the second distance.

7. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the computer-readable instructions further instruct the processor to perform process comprising:
moving the platen in the height direction such that the distance in the height direction between the platen and the light source, as the predetermined position, to be the first distance or the second distance.

8. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the first head ejects the first ink that is ultraviolet curable,
the second head ejects the second ink that is ultraviolet curable, and
the illumination device irradiates ultraviolet light.

9. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the first head ejects a color ink as the first ink, and
the second head ejects, as the second ink, a clear ink having a higher optical transparency than the color ink.

10. The printer according to claim 9 , wherein
the second head further ejects a white ink as a third ink.

11. A control method for controlling a printer including a platen configured to have an object to be printed placed thereon, a first head configured to eject a first ink onto the object to be printed, the first ink being a photocurable ink, a second head configured to eject a photocurable second ink onto the object to be printed, and an illumination device aligned with the first head and the second head in a main scanning direction and including a light source configured to irradiate light onto the object to be printed, the method comprising steps of:
normal moving the first head, the second head, and the illumination device relatively with respect to the platen in the main scanning direction in a normal print mode, in a state in which, in a height direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction, a distance between the platen and a predetermined position of the illumination device in the height direction is a first distance;
normal ejecting the ink onto the object to be printed from one or both of the first head and the second head, during the normal moving;
normal irradiating the light from the light source onto the ink ejected onto the object to be printed, during the normal moving;
gloss moving the first head, the second head, and the illumination device relatively with respect to the platen in the main scanning direction in a gloss print mode different from the normal print mode, in a state in which the distance between the platen and the predetermined position in the height direction is a second distance larger than the first distance;
gloss ejecting the ink onto the object to be printed from one or both of the first head and the second head durin

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Takeda Kengo
• Kobayashi Akihiro
• Nishimoto Takahiro
• Nukui Kosuke
• Hasebe Kenta

Classifications

• B41J11/00212

  Controlling the irradiation means, e.g. image-based controlling of the irradiation zone or control of the duration or intensity of the irradiation · CPC title

• B41J11/00214 Primary

  using UV radiation · CPC title

• B41J11/0021

  using irradiation · CPC title

• B41J3/543 Primary

  with multiple inkjet print heads (B41J2/17503, B41J2/2103 take precedence) · CPC title