Liquid discharging apparatus and liquid discharge position adjustment method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9550386-B2
Application number	US-201514868907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2015
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

A liquid discharging apparatus includes a discharging unit that includes a nozzle row that discharges a liquid, and that is able to reciprocate in a first direction that intersects the nozzle row; a transport unit that transports a medium in a second direction that intersects the first direction; and a reading unit that reads the liquid discharged from the discharging unit to the medium. The liquid discharging apparatus is configured to execute an adjustment pattern forming operation for forming a first adjustment pattern for adjusting a landing position of the liquid discharged from the discharging unit in the first direction and a second adjustment pattern for adjusting the landing position of the liquid discharged from the discharging unit in the second direction on the medium, and an adjustment pattern reading operation for reading the first and second adjustment pattern with the reading unit according to a single command.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid discharging apparatus, comprising:
a discharging unit that includes a nozzle row that discharges a liquid, and that is able to reciprocate in a first direction that intersects the nozzle row;
a transport unit that transports a medium in a second direction that intersects the first direction; and
a reading unit that reads a pattern formed by the liquid discharged from the discharging unit to the medium,
wherein the liquid discharging apparatus is configured to be able to continuously execute
a first adjustment pattern forming operation for forming an adjustment pattern for adjusting the landing position of the liquid discharged from the discharging unit in the second direction,
a first adjustment pattern reading operation for reading the first adjustment pattern formed in the first adjustment pattern forming operation with the reading unit,
a second adjustment pattern forming operation for forming a second adjustment pattern different to the adjustment pattern formed in the first adjustment pattern forming operation on the medium, and
a second adjustment pattern reading operation for reading the second adjustment pattern formed in the second adjustment pattern forming operation with the reading unit.

2. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second adjustment pattern is formed after adjustment according to reading results of the first adjustment pattern.

3. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in the first and second adjustment pattern forming operations, the first adjustment pattern and the second adjustment pattern are formed lined up in the first direction.

4. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the second adjustment pattern is formed and the second adjustment pattern is read by the reading unit after the first adjustment pattern is formed and the first adjustment pattern is read by the reading unit.

5. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein the medium is transported by a predetermined amount from forming the first adjustment pattern until the second adjustment pattern is formed.

6. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first adjustment pattern is formed and the first adjustment pattern is read by the reading unit after the second adjustment pattern is formed and the second adjustment pattern is read by the reading unit.

7. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an adjustment unit for adjusting the landing position of the liquid, based on the reading results of the first adjustment pattern and the second adjustment pattern by the reading unit.

8. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first adjustment pattern is formed from a plurality of reference patterns, and has an adjustment pattern that is able to adjust the discharge timing of the liquid by the liquid being discharged with the discharge timing of the liquid shifted with respect to the plurality of reference patterns.

9. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the reading unit is able to read a plurality of locations corresponding to different regions from the nozzle row in the first adjustment pattern.

10. A liquid discharging apparatus, comprising,
a discharging unit that includes a nozzle row that discharges a liquid, and that is able to reciprocate in a first direction that intersects the nozzle row;
a transport unit that transports a medium in a second direction that intersects the first direction; and
a reading unit that reads a pattern formed by the liquid discharged from the discharging unit to the medium,
wherein the liquid discharging apparatus is configured to be able to continuously execute:
a first adjustment pattern forming operation for forming an adjustment pattern of one of a first adjustment pattern for adjusting a landing position of the liquid discharged from the discharging unit in the first direction or a second adjustment pattern for adjusting the landing position of the liquid discharged from the discharging unit in the second direction is formed on the medium,
a first adjustment pattern reading operation for reading the one adjustment pattern formed in the first adjustment pattern forming operation with the reading unit,
a second adjustment pattern forming operation for forming the other adjustment pattern different to the adjustment pattern formed in the first adjustment pattern forming operation on the medium, and
a second adjustment pattern reading operation for reading the other adjustment pattern formed in the second adjustment pattern forming operation with the reading unit;

wherein the reading unit is able to read a plurality of locations corresponding to different regions from the nozzle row in the first adjustment pattern;
wherein the nozzle row is able to discharge liquid droplets with different discharge amounts, and
the first adjustment pattern is formed so that an outside region has droplets with a smaller discharge amount than the inside region among the different regions.

11. The liquid discharging apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first adjustment pattern is formed by the discharging unit being reciprocated a plurality of times in the first direction.

12. A liquid discharge position adjustment method that is executable using a liquid discharging apparatus provided with a discharging unit that includes a nozzle row that discharges a liquid and that is able to reciprocate in a first direction that intersects the nozzle row, a transport unit that transports a medium in a second direction that intersects the first direction, and a reading unit that reads a pattern formed by the liquid discharged from the discharging unit to the medium, the method comprising:
continuously executing
a first adjustment pattern forming operation for forming an adjustment pattern for adjusting the landing position of the liquid discharged from the discharging unit in the second direction,
a first adjustment pattern reading operation for reading the first adjustment pattern formed in the first adjustment pattern forming operation with the reading unit,
a second adjustment pattern forming operation for forming a second adjustment pattern different to the adjustment pattern formed in the first adjustment pattern forming operation on the medium, and
a second adjustment pattern reading operation for reading the second adjustment pattern formed in the second adjustment pattern forming operation with the reading unit.

13. The liquid discharge apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second adjustment pattern is an adjustment patter for adjusting the landing position of the liquid discharged from the discharging unit in the first direction.

14. The liquid discharge position adjustment method of claim 12 , wherein the second adjustment pattern is an adjustment patter for adjusting the landing position of the liquid discharged from the discharging unit in the first direction.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp
• Seiko Epson Coporation

Inventors

• Yokota So

Classifications

• B41J2/04505

  aiming at correcting alignment · CPC title

• B41J19/145

  Dot misalignment correction · CPC title

• B41J2/2135

  Alignment of dots · CPC title

• B41J2/512

  Adjustment of the dot disposition by adjustment of the arrangement of the dot printing elements of a print head, e.g. nozzles, needles · CPC title

• B41J2/04526

  controlling trajectory · CPC title