Printing apparatus and method of controlling printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024294021-A1
Application number	US-202418592027-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 29, 2024
Priority date	Mar 2, 2023
Publication date	Sep 5, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A printing apparatus includes: a feeding shaft configured to support a roll body; a printing section configured to perform printing on a medium fed from the feeding shaft; a tension applying unit configured to come into contact with the medium after the medium is fed out from the feeding shaft and before the medium reaches the printing section, thereby applying tension to the medium; and a control unit, in which the tension applying unit includes: a tension bar configured to come into contact with the medium; an arm configured to support the tension bar and rotate to displace the tension bar; an encoder configured to detect a rotational angle of the arm; and a stopper configured to come into contact with the tension bar or the arm to restrict movement of the tension bar and the arm, and the control unit sets, as a reference angle of the arm, a rotational angle of the arm detected by the encoder in a state in which the tension bar or the arm is in contact with the stopper.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A printing apparatus comprising:
a feeding shaft configured to support a roll body around which a medium is wound; a printing section configured to perform printing on the medium fed from the feeding shaft; a tension applying unit configured to come into contact with the medium after the medium is fed out by the feeding shaft and before the medium reaches the printing section, thereby applying tension to the medium; and a control unit, wherein the tension applying unit includes: a tension bar configured to come into contact with the medium; an arm configured to support the tension bar and rotate to displace the tension bar; an encoder configured to detect a rotational angle of the arm; and a stopper configured to come into contact with the tension bar or the arm to restrict movement of the tension bar and the arm, and the control unit sets, as a reference angle of the arm, a rotational angle of the arm detected by the encoder in a state in which the tension bar or the arm is in contact with the stopper.

2 . The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the tension bar is disposed such that the medium is looped over from below, and the stopper comes in contact with the tension bar or the arm from above.

3 . The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the stopper is an upper-side stopper, and the tension applying unit includes a lower-side stopper configured to come into contact with the tension bar or the arm from below.

4 . The printing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:
a motor configured to rotate the arm, wherein
the arm rotates to move the tension bar upward and downward, and
the control unit controls the motor to cause the tension bar or the arm to come into contact with the stopper.

5 . The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the tension applying unit is a first tension applying unit, the tension bar is a first tension bar, the arm is a first arm, the encoder is a first encoder, the stopper is a first stopper, the printing apparatus includes: a winding shaft configured to support a roll body around which the medium on which printing is performed is wound; and a second tension applying unit configured to come into contact with the medium after the printing section performs printing on the medium and before the medium is wound by the winding shaft, thereby applying tension to the medium, the second tension applying unit includes: a second tension bar configured to come into contact with the medium; a second arm configured to support the second tension bar and rotate to displace the second tension bar; a second encoder configured to detect a rotational angle of the second arm; and a second stopper configured to come into contact with the second tension bar or the second arm to restrict movement of the second tension bar and the second arm, and the control unit sets, as a reference angle of the second arm, a rotational angle of the second arm detected by the second encoder in a state in which the second tension bar or the second arm is in contact with the second stopper.

6 . A method of controlling a printing apparatus,
the printing apparatus including: a feeding shaft configured to support a roll body around which a medium is wound; a printing section configured to perform printing on the medium fed from the feeding shaft; and a tension applying unit configured to come into contact with the medium after the medium is fed out by the feeding shaft and before the medium reaches the printing section, thereby applying tension to the medium, wherein the tension applying unit includes: a tension bar configured to come into contact with the medium; an arm configured to support the tension bar and rotate to displace the tension bar; an encoder configured to detect a rotational angle of the arm; and a stopper configured to come into contact with the tension bar or the arm to restrict movement of the tension bar and the arm, the method including: causing the tension bar or the arm to come into contact with the stopper; and setting, as a reference angle of the arm, a rotational angle of the arm detected by the encoder in a state in which the tension bar or the arm is in contact with the stopper.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Hamano Ryo
• Hishida Yutaka

Classifications

• B41J29/393

  Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine {; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns} · CPC title

• B41J15/16

  Means for tensioning or winding the web · CPC title

• B41J15/04 Primary

  Supporting, feeding, or guiding devices; Mountings for web rolls or spindles · CPC title

• B65H2553/51

  Encoders, e.g. linear · CPC title

• B65H23/048

  by positively actuated movable bars or rollers · CPC title