Inkjet recording apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9440431-B2
Application number	US-201514931094-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 3, 2015
Priority date	Nov 19, 2014
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

An inkjet recording apparatus includes a plurality of line heads disposed along a conveyance direction of a recording sheet and including a plurality of nozzles to discharge ink droplets, the plurality of nozzles disposed in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording sheet; a plurality of edge sensors corresponding to respective line heads, to detect a lateral edge of the recording sheet; a plurality of actuators corresponding to the respective line heads, to move to the respective line heads laterally in a sheet width direction; a head position adjustor to determine movement amounts of the respective line heads in accordance with outputs of the plurality of edge sensors; and a failure determiner to obtain outputs of the plurality of edge sensors simultaneously and identify a failure of the plurality of edge sensors based on a combination of the outputs from the plurality of edge sensors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:
a plurality of line heads positioned along a conveyance direction of a recording sheet, each of the plurality of line heads including a plurality of nozzles, each of the plurality of nozzles configured to discharge ink droplets, the plurality of nozzles positioned in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording sheet;
a plurality of edge sensors, a first edge sensor of the plurality of edge sensors corresponding to a first line head of the plurality of line heads, each of the plurality of edge sensors configured to detect a lateral edge of the recording sheet;
a plurality of actuators, a first actuator of the plurality of actuators corresponding to the first line head of the plurality of line heads, the first actuator of the plurality of actuators configured to move the first line head of the plurality of line heads laterally in a sheet width direction of the recording sheet; and
a controller configured to,
receive output from each of the plurality of edge sensors, determine movement of each of the plurality of line heads based on the received output from the plurality of edge sensors, and
identify a first failure for each of the plurality of edge sensors based on a combination of the received output from each of the plurality of edge sensors.

2. The inkjet recording apparatus of claim 1 , wherein,
the received output from each of the plurality of edge sensors includes an output range, the output range includes a first abnormal range, and
the controller is further configured to,
identify a second failure based on whether the received output from each of the plurality of edge sensors are within the first abnormal range.

3. The inkjet recording apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to,
determine whether each of the plurality of edge sensors do not correspond to at least one of the first failure and the second failure, and
determine whether change in a conveyance position of the recording sheet, based on the received output from each of the plurality of edge sensors, are within the first abnormal range.

4. The inkjet recording apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to,
determine a third failure based on the received output from the first edge sensor indicating that the first edge sensor is within the first abnormal range, the third failure indicates that the first edge sensor has failed.

5. The inkjet recording apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to,
determine whether the received output from each of the plurality of edge sensors are within the first abnormal range based on a conveyance time period of the recording sheet, the conveyance time period includes a time period for the recording sheet to travel in the conveyance direction from the first edge sensor to a second edge sensor, the first edge sensor is a farthest upstream edge sensor, and the second edge sensor is a farthest downstream edge sensor.

6. The inkjet recording apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a memory configured to store a control table, the control table including a plurality of combination patterns and a determination result for each of the plurality of combination patterns, the plurality of combination patterns based on a difference of the determination result as to whether the received output from each of the plurality of edge sensors are within the first abnormal range,
wherein the controller is further configured to identify a third failure based on the control table.

7. The inkjet recording apparatus of claim 6 , wherein,
the memory configured to and store a flowchart in the memory, and
the controller is further configured to based on the flowchart whether the received output from each of the plurality of edge sensors are within the first abnormal range.

8. The inkjet recording apparatus of claim 2 , wherein controller is further configured to determine that the first edge sensor of the plurality of edge sensors has failed when the received output from the first edge sensor is in a first range and the received output from remaining of the plurality of edge sensors is in a second range, the first range is different from the second range.

9. The inkjet recording apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the output range of each of the plurality of edge sensors includes a normal range, the first abnormal range and a second abnormal range, the first abnormal range is set as an upper limit, the upper limit is above the normal range, and the second abnormal range is set as a lower limit, the lower limit is below the normal range.

10. The inkjet recording apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of edge sensors is a reflection-type optical sensors.

11. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:
a plurality of edge sensors, a first edge sensor of the plurality of edge sensors corresponding to a first line head of a plurality of line heads, each of the plurality of edge sensors configured to detect a lateral edge of a recording sheet; and
a controller configured to,
receive output from each of the plurality of edge sensors, the received output from each of the plurality of edge sensors including an output range, the output range including a first abnormal range,
determine movement of each of the plurality of line heads based on the received output from the plurality of edge sensors,
identify a first failure for each of the plurality of edge sensors based on a combination of the received output from each of the plurality of edge sensors,
identify a second failure based on whether the received output from each of the plurality of edge sensors are within the first abnormal range,
determine whether each of the plurality of edge sensors do not correspond to at least one of the first failure and the second failure, and
determine whether change in a conveyance position of the recording sheet based on the received output from each of the plurality of edge sensors are within the first abnormal range.

12. The inkjet apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a memory configured to generate and store a flowchart in the memory,
wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the received output from each of the plurality of edge sensors are within the first abnormal range based on the flowchart.

13. The inkjet apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is further configured to determine a third failure based on the received output from the first edge sensor indicating that the first edge sensor is within the first abnormal range, the third failure indicates that the first edge sensor has failed.

14. The inkjet apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the output range of each of the plurality of edge sensors includes a normal range, the first abnormal range and a second abnormal range, the first abnormal range is set as an upper limit, the upper limit is above the normal range, and the second abnormal range is set as a lower limit, the lower limit is below the normal range.

15. The inkjet apparatus of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of edge sensors is a reflection-type optical sensor.

16. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:
a plurality of edge sensors, a first edge sensor of the plurality of edge sensors corresponding to a first line head of a plurality of line heads, each of the plurality of edge sensors configured to detect a lateral edge of a recording sheet; and
a controller configured to,
receive output from each of the plurality of edge sensors, the received output from each of the plurality of

Assignees

• Hommi Masashi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hommi Masashi

Classifications

• B41J2/0451 Primary

  for detecting failure, e.g. clogging, malfunctioning actuator · CPC title

• B41J2/04586

  controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type · CPC title

• B41J2/2146

  for line print heads · CPC title

• B41J25/001 Primary

  Mechanisms for bodily moving print heads or carriages parallel to the paper surface · CPC title

• B41J11/0095

  Detecting means for copy material, e.g. for detecting or sensing presence of copy material or its leading or trailing end · CPC title