Printing apparatus and control method for printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12128671-B2
Application number	US-202217933662-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2022
Priority date	Sep 22, 2021
Publication date	Oct 29, 2024
Grant date	Oct 29, 2024

Abstract

A printing apparatus 10 includes support member 12 that supports a core body Ra of a roll medium R, a transport mechanism 17 that transports the print medium S drawn out from the roll medium R, a first accommodation sidewall 27 and a second accommodation sidewall 28 arranged in a width direction, a print head 22 , and a trailing edge detection section 60 that detects that all of the print medium S that is drawable out from the roll medium R has been drawn out by the transport mechanism 17 , wherein the first accommodation sidewall 27 has groove 50 , and the roll medium R is accommodated in an accommodation section 11 by engaging the support member 12 with the groove 50 and the trailing edge detection section 60 detects that the support member 12 is separated from an engagement surface 52 of the groove 50.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus, comprising:
a support member configured to support a core body of a roll medium formed by winding a print medium around the core body in a roll shape;
a transport mechanism configured to transport the elongated print medium drawn out from the roll medium along a transport path;
a first accommodation sidewall and a second accommodation sidewall that constitute a part of an accommodation section configured to accommodate the roll medium, the first accommodation sidewall and the second accommodation sidewall being disposed to face each other in a width direction that intersects a transport direction of the print medium, the first accommodation side having a groove, the roll medium being accommodated in the accommodation section by the support member engaged with the groove;
a print head configured to print an image on the print medium;
a trailing edge detection section configured to detect that all of the print medium that is drawable out from the roll medium has been drawn out by the transport mechanism by detecting that the support member separated from the engagement surface of the groove, the trailing edge detection section comprising a lever that, in a state in which the support member is engaged with the engagement surface, contacts the support member and a biasing member that biases the lever toward the support member, wherein only when the support member separates from the engagement surface, the lever is displaced by the biasing force of the biasing member; and
a medium detection section configured to detect presence or absence of the print medium in the transport path, wherein even when the trailing edge detection section does not detect that the support member separated from the engagement surface, the control section determines that all of the print medium that is drawable out from the roll medium has been drawn out by the transport mechanism when the medium detection section detects that there is no print medium.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a control section configured to determine, when the trailing edge detection section detects that the support member is separated from the engagement surface, that all of the print medium that is drawable out from the roll medium has been drawn out by the transport mechanism.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein:
a trailing edge of the print medium is fixed to the core body and, when all of the print medium that is drawable out from the roll medium has been drawn out, the support member is displaced in a direction away from the engagement surface by the tension applied to the print medium by the transport mechanism.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the accommodation section includes a drive gear for rotating the support member and a driven gear meshing with the drive gear;
the support member includes a shaft member inserted into a hollow of the core body, and the driven gear is provided on the shaft member;
the driven gear and the drive gear are meshed with each other by engaging the shaft member with the groove; and
when the shaft member separates from the engagement surface, the meshed state between the driven gear and the drive gear is released.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
the shaft member includes an insertion member extending in the width direction and inserted into the core body, a first width support member that is fixed to the insertion member and that is configured to support the roll medium from a first end in the width direction, and a second width support member that has an insertion hole through which the insertion member is detachably inserted and that is configured to support the roll medium from a second end in the width direction and
the driven gear constitutes a part of the first width support member.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
the transport mechanism has a drive roller and
a guide member configured to guide the print medium is provided between the support member and the drive roller in the transport path.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the biasing force of the biasing member is weaker than a force needed to separate the support shaft of the roll feeding shaft from the engagement surface.

8. A control method of a printing apparatus, the printing apparatus including:
a support member configured to support a core body of a roll medium formed by winding a print medium around the core body in a roll shape;
a transport mechanism configured to transport the elongated print medium drawn out from the roll medium along a transport path;
a first accommodation sidewall and a second accommodation sidewall that constitute a part of an accommodation section that accommodates the roll medium, the first accommodation sidewall and the second accommodation sidewall being disposed to face each other in a width direction that intersects a transport direction of the print medium, the first accommodation side having a groove, the roll medium being accommodated in the accommodation section by the support member engaged with the groove; and
a print head configured to print an image on the print medium,
the method comprising:
detecting that the print medium that is drawable from the roll medium is completely drawn out by the transport mechanism, based on separation of the support member from the engagement surface of the groove, the detection being performed based on displacement of a lever that, in a state in which the support member is engaged with the engagement surface, contacts the support member and a biasing member that biases the lever toward the support member, wherein only when the support member separates from the engagement surface, the lever is displaced by the biasing force of the biasing member; and
detecting presence or absence of the print medium in the transport path, wherein even when the trailing edge detection section does not detect that the support member separated from the engagement surface, the control section determines that all of the print medium that is drawable out from the roll medium has been drawn out by the transport mechanism when the medium detection section detects that there is no print medium.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Kawajiri Masahiro

Classifications

• B65H26/063

  responsive to detection of the trailing edge · CPC title

• B41J11/0075

  Low-paper indication, i.e. indicating the state when copy material has been used up nearly or completely · CPC title

• B65H2801/12

  Single-function printing machines, typically table-top machines · CPC title

• B65H2403/42

  Spur gearing · CPC title

• B65H2301/41524

  Detecting trailing edge · CPC title