Transport device and printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12533893-B2
Application number	US-202318183196-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2023
Priority date	Mar 16, 2022
Publication date	Jan 27, 2026
Grant date	Jan 27, 2026

Abstract

A transporting belt constituting a transport device transports a medium supported by a front surface in a transport direction. A removal unit includes a blade that comes into contact with the front surface to remove an adhering substance. A plurality of detectors detect a force received by the blade from the transporting belt or a change in the force. A display unit displays information. An adjustment unit is configured to adjust a position of the blade relative to the transporting belt. Each of the detectors are provided corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of regions into which the transporting belt is divided in the width direction intersecting the transport direction. When the control unit determines that there is an abnormal region among the regions based on detection results of the detectors, the control unit causes the display unit to display information indicating the abnormal region.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A transport device comprising:
a transporting belt including a front surface configured to support a medium, the transporting belt being configured to transport the medium supported by the front surface in a transport direction; a removal unit including a blade configured to come into contact with the front surface to remove an adhering substance adhering to the front surface; a plurality of detectors configured to detect a force received by the blade from the transporting belt or a change in the force; a display unit configured to display information; at least one adjustment unit configured to adjust a position of the blade relative to the transporting belt; and a control unit configured to control driving of the transporting belt and the display unit, wherein each of the detectors is provided corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of regions into which the transporting belt is divided in a width direction intersecting the transport direction, when the control unit determines that there is an abnormal region among the regions based on detection results of the detectors, the control unit causes the display unit to display information indicating the abnormal region, the removal unit is provided with a plurality of marks with which the regions are distinguishable at positions each corresponding to a respective one of the regions, and the control unit causes the display unit to display information of the mark corresponding to the abnormal region.

2 . The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one adjustment unit is a plurality of the adjustment units, each of the adjustment units is provided corresponding to a respective one of the regions of the transporting belt, and when the control unit determines that there is a region where the blade is in contact with the transporting belt in an abnormal manner, the control unit identifies the adjustment unit corresponding to the abnormal region among the adjustment units and causes the display unit to display information prompting adjustment by the adjustment unit.

3 . The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein
the transporting belt includes an adhesive layer to which the medium is attachable, the transporting belt being configured to transport the medium attached to the adhesive layer in the transport direction, and the blade is configured to come into contact with a front surface of the adhesive layer to remove the adhering substance adhering to the front surface.

4 . The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein
the detectors detect the force received by the blade from the transporting belt as a load and the control unit identifies a region where the load is excessive or deficient as the abnormal region based on the detection results of the detectors, identifies an amount of excess or deficiency or an amount by which the excess or deficiency is to be reduced for the region, and displays information indicating the identified region and amount on the display unit.

5 . The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein
the at least one adjustment unit is a plurality of the adjustment units, the adjustment units are provided at positions different from each other in the width direction and the control unit causes the display unit to display an adjustment amount by the adjustment unit corresponding to the abnormal region.

6 . The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein
the detectors include a first detector configured to detect a load received by the blade from the transporting belt.

7 . The transport device according to claim 1 , wherein
the detectors include a second detector configured to detect vibration of the blade generated when the transporting belt moves in the transport direction.

8 . A printing apparatus comprising:
a transporting belt including a front surface configured to support a medium, the transporting belt being configured to transport the medium supported by the front surface in a transport direction; a printing unit configured to perform printing on the medium transported by the transporting belt; a removal unit including a blade configured to come into contact with the front surface to remove an adhering substance adhering to the front surface; a plurality of detectors configured to detect a force received by the blade from the transporting belt or a change in the force; a display unit configured to display information; at least one adjustment unit configured to adjust a position of the blade relative to the transporting belt; and a control unit configured to control driving of the transporting belt and the display unit, wherein each of the detectors is provided corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of regions into which the transporting belt is divided in a width direction intersecting the transport direction, when the control unit determines that there is an abnormal region among the regions based on detection results of the detectors, the control unit causes the display unit to display information indicating the abnormal region, the removal unit is provided with a plurality of marks with which the regions are distinguishable at positions each corresponding to a respective one of the regions, and the control unit causes the display unit to display information of the mark corresponding to the abnormal region.

9 . A transport device comprising:
a transporting belt including a front surface configured to support a medium, the transporting belt being configured to transport the medium supported by the front surface in a transport direction; a removal unit including a blade configured to come into contact with the front surface to remove an adhering substance adhering to the front surface; a plurality of detectors configured to detect a force received by the blade from the transporting belt or a change in the force; a display unit configured to display information; at least one adjustment unit configured to adjust a position of the blade relative to the transporting belt; and a control unit configured to control driving of the transporting belt and the display unit, wherein each of the detectors is provided corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of regions into which the transporting belt is divided in a width direction intersecting the transport direction, when the control unit determines that there is an abnormal region among the regions based on detection results of the detectors, the control unit causes the display unit to display information indicating the abnormal region, the removal unit is provided with a light-emitting unit at positions each corresponding to a respective one of the regions, and the control unit turns on or blinks the light-emitting unit corresponding to the abnormal region among a plurality of the light-emitting units.

10 . The transport device according to claim 9 , wherein
the at least one adjustment unit is a plurality of the adjustment units, each of the adjustment units is provided corresponding to a respective one of the regions of the transporting belt, and when the control unit determines that there is a region where the blade is in contact with the transporting belt in an abnormal manner, the control unit identifies the adjustment unit corresponding to the abnormal region among the adjustment units and causes the display unit to display information prompting adjustment by the adjustment unit.

11 . The transport device according to claim 9 , wherein
the transporting belt includes an adhesive layer to which the medium is attachable, the transporting belt being configured to transport the medium attached to the a

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Yamashita Junpei
• Kamiyama Nobuaki
• Nei Azusa

Classifications

• B65H2553/80

  Arangement of the sensing means · CPC title

• B65H2551/21

  Monitors; Displays · CPC title

• B65H2404/232

  Blade, plate, finger · CPC title

• B65H2301/5112

  removing material from outer surface · CPC title

• B65H2301/43827

  involving coating adhesive on at least a part of the handled material · CPC title