Liquid discharge apparatus and medium flattening method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9834011-B2
Application number	US-201615181746-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2016
Priority date	Feb 25, 2014
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

A medium flattening method, when a medium is transported by being adhered to an adhesive layer which is on a surface of a transport belt, includes detecting a presence or absence of floating being generated in the medium on the transport belt using a sensor, executing a process for flattening to flatten the floating in the medium in the case where the floating exists, and transporting the medium, where the floating is eliminated using the process for the flattening, to a liquid discharge region of a liquid discharge section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medium flattening method when a medium is transported by being adhered to an adhesive layer which is on a surface of a transport belt, the method comprising:
detecting a presence or absence of floating being generated in the medium on the transport belt using a sensor;
executing a process for flattening to flatten the floating in the medium in the case where the floating exists;
transporting the medium, where the floating is eliminated using the process for the flattening, to a liquid discharge region in which a liquid discharge section is configured to perform liquid discharge with regard to the medium;
temporarily stopping the liquid discharge in response to the detection of the presence of the float and prior to the executing the process for the flattening; and
restarting the liquid discharge after executing of the process for the flattening.

2. The medium flattening method according to claim 1 , further comprising
controlling adjustment of a movement range of a pressure roller according to a position of the floating which is detected by the sensor, the pressure roller being configured to adhere the medium to the adhesive layer of the transport belt and execute the process for the flattening by moving along a transport direction of the medium.

3. The medium flattening method according to claim 1 , wherein
the executing of the process for the flattening includes flattening the floating by using a pressure roller and moving the transport belt in an opposite direction to a transport direction of the medium, the pressure roller being configured to adhere the medium to the adhesive layer of the transport belt.

4. The medium flattening method according to claim 1 , wherein
the executing of the process for the flattening includes flattening the floating in a state where the liquid discharge section is moved to a retreat position in a width direction which intersects with a transport direction of the medium so as to not impede the flattening when the floating in the medium is detected by the sensor.

5. The medium flattening method according to claim 4 , further comprising
controlling the liquid discharge section to retreat to above a side edge in the width direction of the transport belt where no medium exists on the transport belt and controlling carrying out a flushing operation at the retreat position.

6. The medium flattening method according to claim 4 , further comprising
controlling a part where the floating is generated in the medium to pass through the liquid discharge region of the liquid discharge section in a state where the liquid discharge section is moved to the retreat position in a case where the floating in the medium is not eliminated.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Ishizuka Hirotaka

Classifications

• B41J11/0005 Primary

  Curl smoothing, i.e. smoothing down corrugated printing material, e.g. by pressing means acting on wrinkled printing material · CPC title

• B65H2404/261

  Arrangement of belts, or belt(s) / roller(s) facing each other for forming a transport nip · CPC title

• B41J15/048

  Conveyor belts or like feeding devices (B41J11/007 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H2404/256

  Arrangement of endless belt · CPC title

• B41J3/407

  for marking on special material · CPC title