Patent Application
20220371344
This application claims the benefit of priority to Japanese Patent No. 2021-086669 filed on May 24, 2021. The entire contents of this application are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus.
Various types of conventional apparatuses have used an interlock operation of safely stopping the apparatus. A printing apparatus also uses an interlock operation in general. JP 2019-010829 A, for example, discloses a printer in which when a housing is uncovered during printing, movement of a carriage is stopped, and then, energization to a motor that moves the carriage is shut off.
In a printing apparatus as described in JP 2019-010829 A, the carriage cannot be moved under a predetermined condition in which the housing is uncovered, for example. However, under such a condition, there is a need for moving the carriage, for example, a user wants to visually observe movement of the carriage with the cover open, in some cases.
A printing apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a carriage, a carriage mover including a motor to move the carriage, a motor controller to control the motor, a power supply to selectively apply a first voltage or a second voltage to the motor controller, the second voltage being higher than the first voltage, and a transmitter to transmit a control signal for movement of the carriage when a predetermined control condition is satisfied. The first voltage is a voltage enabling the motor controller to move the carriage at a first speed by the motor. The second voltage is a voltage enabling the motor controller to move the carriage at a second speed by the motor. The second speed is higher than the first speed. The power supply applies the first voltage to the motor controller in a state where the transmitter transmits the control signal.
In the printing apparatus, even in a state where the predetermined control condition is satisfied and the transmitter transmits a control signal, the first voltage is applied to the motor controller. Thus, the carriage can be moved at the first speed. Since the first speed is relatively low, movement of the carriage will not cause any safety problems. Thus, the printing apparatus can satisfy both safety and convenience under the predetermined interlock conditions.
The above and other elements, features, steps, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
Printers according to preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The preferred embodiments described here are, of course, not intended to particularly limit the present invention. Elements and features having the same functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description for the same elements and features will not be repeated or will be simplified as appropriate. In the following description, when the printer is seen from the front, a direction away from the printer will be referred to as forward, and a direction toward the printer will be referred to as rearward. In the drawings, character Y represents a main scanning direction, and character X represents a subscanning direction X orthogonal to the main scanning direction Y. Characters F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings represent front, rear, left, right, up, and down, respectively. It should be noted that these directions are defined merely for convenience of description, and do not limit the state of installation, for example, of the printer.
The recording medium 5 is a target on which an image is printed. The recording medium 5 is not limited to a specific medium. The recording medium 5 may be, for example, a paper sheet such as plain paper or ink jet printing paper, a transparent sheet of, for example, a resin or glass, or a sheet of, for example, a metal or rubber. The recording medium 5 may also be a fabric.
As illustrated in
The carriage 35 holds the plurality of ink heads H. When the carriage 35 moves in the main scanning direction Y, the ink heads H thereby move in the main scanning direction Y. The ink heads H are arranged in the main scanning direction Y in the carriage 35. Each of the ink heads H includes a plurality of nozzles (not shown) arranged in the subscanning direction X. The nozzles are arranged in the subscanning direction X to provide a nozzle row. The number of nozzles is, for example, 300 in each nozzle row. The number of nozzles belonging to one nozzle row is not limited to a specific number. Each of the ink heads H may include a plurality of nozzle rows. The nozzles in the ink heads H are not limited to a specific arrangement. Actuators (not shown) each including a piezoelectric element are disposed inside the ink heads H. When the actuators are driven, ink is thereby discharged from the nozzles of the ink heads H toward the recording medium 5. The actuator is not limited to a type that is driven by a piezoelectric element.
Each of the ink heads H communicate with a plurality of unillustrated ink cartridges through unillustrated ink supply paths. Each of the ink cartridges is connected to one nozzle row. The nozzles of one nozzle row discharge an ink of the ink cartridge connected to this nozzle row. Each ink cartridge stores an ink of a process color such as CMYK or an ink of a spot color, for example. The color of an ink discharged from the nozzles of each nozzle row is not limited. The inks are not limited to specific materials, either, and various materials conventionally used as ink materials for ink jet printers may be used. Examples of the inks include a solvent-based pigment ink, an aqueous pigment ink, an aqueous dye ink, and an ultraviolet ray curing pigment ink that is cured by ultraviolet radiation.
A platen 13 is disposed below the carriage 35. The platen 13 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The recording medium 5 is placed on the platen 13. Pinching rollers 41 that press the top of the recording medium 5 downward are disposed above the platen 13. The platen 13 is provided with grit rollers 42. The grit rollers 42 are disposed below the pinching rollers 41. The grit rollers 42 are disposed at positions facing the pinching rollers 41. The grit rollers 42 are coupled to a feed motor 43. The grit rollers 42 are rotatable by a driving force of the feed motor 43. When the grit rollers 42 rotate with the recording medium 5 sandwiched between the pinching rollers 41 and the grit rollers 42, the recording medium 5 is conveyed in the subscanning direction X. The pinching rollers 41, the grit rollers 42, and the feed motor 43 define a conveying device 40 that conveys the recording medium 5 in the subscanning direction X.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The controller 100 is not limited to a specific configuration. The controller 100 is, for example, a microcomputer. The controller 100 is not limited to a specific hardware configuration, and includes, for example, an interface (I/F) that receives print data or others from an external device such as a host computer, a central processing unit (CPU) that executes an instruction of a control program, a read only memory (ROM) that stores a program to be executed by the CPU, a random access memory (RAM) that is used as a working area in which the program is expanded, and a storage such as a memory that stores the program and various types of data. The controller 100 does not need to be disposed inside the printer body 10a, and may be, for example, a computer disposed outside the printer body 10a and communicably connected to the printer body 10a by wires or wirelessly.
As illustrated in
The carriage 35 is moved at high speed in the printing mode and moved at low speed in the cleaning mode, where control thereof will be described in detail later. A mode in which the carriage 35 can move at high speed will be hereinafter referred to as a “high-speed mode” and a mode in which the carriage 35 can move only at low speed (i.e., the carriage 35 cannot move at high speed) will be hereinafter referred to as a “low-speed mode.” The high-speed mode includes the printing mode. The low-speed mode includes the cleaning mode. The low-speed mode may include, as well as the cleaning mode, an operation of moving the carriage 35 to measure the width of the main scanning direction Y of the recording medium 5 before printing starts, for example. In this case, the carriage 35 may be provided with, for example, a camera that can identify an end of the recording medium 5. An operation included in the low-speed mode and an operation included in the high-speed mode are not specifically limited. The mode setter 103 can switch the mode of the printer 10 between the high-speed mode and the low-speed mode.
The power supply circuit 70 switches a voltage to be applied to the motor driver 36. In this preferred embodiment, the voltage to be applied to the motor driver 36 by the power supply circuit 70 includes two types of voltage: a first voltage for low speed and a second voltage for high speed. The power supply circuit 70 selectively applies the first voltage or the second voltage higher than the first voltage to the motor driver 36. The power supply circuit 70 only needs to apply at least the first voltage and the second voltage to the motor driver 36, and may apply a third voltage to the motor driver 36, for example. The first voltage is not specifically limited, and may be, for example, about 5 V to about 15 V. A speed at which the carriage 35 can travel by applying the first voltage to the motor driver 36 will also be referred to as a “first speed.” The first voltage is a voltage at which the motor driver 36 can move the carriage 35 at the first speed with the carriage motor 34. The first speed is not specifically limited, either, and may be, for example, about 0.1 m/second to about 0.5 m/second.
Similarly, a speed at which the carriage 35 can travel by applying the second voltage to the motor driver 36 will also be referred to as a “second speed.” The second voltage is a voltage at which the motor driver 36 can move the carriage 35 at the second speed with the carriage motor 34. The second speed is not specifically limited, either, and may be, for example, about 1 m/second to about 2 m/second. The second voltage is not specifically limited, and may be, for example, about 30 V to about 50 V.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
The interlock circuit 80 transmits a control signal for movement of the carriage 35 when a predetermined interlock condition is satisfied. Specifically, when the predetermined interlock condition is satisfied, the interlock circuit 80 shuts off energization to the coil 73a so that the carriage 35 is restricted to low-speed movement. In this preferred embodiment, stop of energization to the coil 73a is the control signal transmitted by the interlock circuit 80 to control the movement of the carriage 35. The “transmission of a control signal” for movement of the carriage 35 includes a reverse operation of signal transmission, that is, “stop of a signal.” In a case where the power supply circuit 70 is configured to perform a reverse operation to that in this preferred embodiment, for example, the control signal for movement of the carriage 35 may be start of energization to the coil 73a of the relay 73.
As illustrated in
The control circuit 82 is shut off when the predetermined interlock condition is satisfied. As illustrated in
The term “predetermined interlock condition” as used in this preferred embodiment is a control condition for restricting the moving speed of the carriage 35 to the first speed, and is a predetermined condition (where at least one of the first switch 61 and the second switch 62 is turned off in this preferred embodiment). The same holds for the terms such as “interlock circuit” and “interlock operation.”
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
When at least one of the first switch 61 and the second switch 62 is turned off, this turn-off is transferred to the controller 100. As illustrated in
The circuit to control the carriage motor 34 includes a driving line 85 used for the controller 100 to turn the relay 73 on and off. The driving line 85 connects the controller 100 to the coil 73a of the relay 73. The circuit to control the carriage motor 34 is configured such that while the driving line 85 is disconnected, no electric power is supplied to the relay 73 even if the control circuit 82 is connected. The controller 100 controls the voltage applied to the motor driver 36 by controlling an operation of the relay 73 through the driving line 85. Specifically, in the low-speed mode or while a control signal is transmitted, the controller 100 connects the motor driver 36 to the first power supply 71 by controlling an operation of the relay 73. In a high-speed mode (except for while a control signal is transmitted), the controller 100 connects the motor driver 36 to the second power supply 72 by controlling an operation of the relay 73. Consequently, in the low-speed mode or while the control signal is transmitted, the power supply circuit 70 applies the first voltage to the motor driver 36, whereas while an interlock signal is not transmitted in the high-speed mode, the power supply circuit 70 applies the second voltage to the motor driver 36. In this preferred embodiment, once a control signal is transmitted, an interlock state continues until a predetermined confirmation process is finished in the controller 100 even after the first cover 21 and the second cover 22 are closed. While the interlock state continues, the controller 100 disconnects the driving line 85. While the interlock state is canceled and the mode is the high-speed mode, the controller 100 connects the driving line 85 again.
The configuration of the circuit illustrated in
An operation of the printer 10 according to this preferred embodiment will now be described.
In step S04, it is confirmed whether the first cover 21 and the second cover 22 are closed or not (in practice, it is sufficient to respond when at least one of the first cover 21 and the second cover 22 is opened, but
In step S06, the capacitor 83a of the delay circuit 83 starts discharge to the relay 73. Accordingly, the delay time starts. In next step S07, in response to an instruction from the braking controller 101A of the controller 100, the carriage motor 34 is stopped by braking. At this time, delay by the delay circuit 83 continues application of the second voltage for high speed to the motor driver 36. Thus, the motor driver 36 can brake the carriage motor 34 with a stronger braking force. Thereafter, the delay time ends in step S08, and the first power supply 71 is connected to the motor driver 36. Accordingly, the first voltage is applied to the motor driver 36.
As described above, in this preferred embodiment, when the interlock condition is satisfied while the carriage 35 is moving in the high-speed mode, the carriage 35 is stopped by braking, and the voltage applied to the motor driver 36 is switched to the first voltage for low speed. This is because the low-speed mode is a basic mode in this preferred embodiment. In this preferred embodiment, except for cases where the carriage 35 needs to move at high speed, such as the case of printing, the mode is set in the low-speed mode. However, to stop the carriage 35 in a shorter time, during the delay time, the voltage applied to the motor driver 36 is kept at the second voltage for high speed, and the carriage motor 34 is stopped with a braking force of the second voltage.
Next, control of the carriage 35 in the low-speed mode will be described.
Although not shown, in cleaning of the ink heads H, suction of ink by the capping device 51 and wiping by the wiping device 55 are performed. The carriage 35 needs to move in the main scanning direction Y between the ink suction and the wiping. After cleaning is finished, the cap 52 is attached to the ink heads H for protection. At this time, the carriage 35 needs to move to a position immediately above the capping device 51.
In step S14, opening/closing states of the first cover 21 and the second cover 22 are determined. As illustrated in
Advantages of this preferred embodiment will now be described. The printer 10 according to this preferred embodiment includes the power supply circuit 70 that selectively applies either the first voltage for low-speed movement of the carriage 35 or the second voltage for high-speed movement of the carriage 35 to the motor driver 36, and the interlock circuit 80 that transmits a control signal to control the carriage 35 when the predetermined interlock condition is satisfied. In the state where the interlock circuit 80 transmits the control signal, the power supply circuit 70 applies the first voltage for low speed to the motor driver 36. With this configuration, even in the state where the predetermined interlock condition is satisfied and the interlock circuit 80 transmits the control signal, the first voltage is applied to the motor driver 36. Thus, the carriage 35 can be moved at the first speed, which is low.
In a conventional printer, in a state where a casing is uncovered, for example, a carriage cannot be moved for safety of a user. However, even in such a situation, for example, a user wants to move the carriage in an uncovered state in some cases. Specifically, the user wants to visually observe movement of the carriage in an uncovered state, for example. In such a case, in the printer 10 according to this preferred embodiment, as illustrated in
For example, in this preferred embodiment, the power supply circuit 70 applies the first voltage to the motor driver 36 in the state where the mode is the low-speed mode or the interlock signal is transmitted, whereas the power supply circuit 70 applies the second voltage to the motor driver 36 in the state where no interlock signal is transmitted in the high-speed mode. The low-speed mode includes the cleaning mode, and the high-speed mode includes the printing mode. With this configuration, for example, in cleaning performed while the printer 10 is not used (e.g., at night), even when the first cover 21 or the second cover 22 is unintentionally opened, cleaning can be performed. It is also possible to observe the state of cleaning by opening the first cover 21 or the second cover 22. The printing mode is included in the high-speed mode, and printing can be performed with the carriage 35 being moved at the second speed.
In this preferred embodiment, the power supply circuit 70 includes the first power supply 71 that generates the first voltage, the second power supply 72 that generates the second voltage, and the relay 73 that includes the coil 73a and connects the second power supply 72 to the motor driver 36 when the coil 73a is energized and connects the first power supply 71 to the motor driver 36 when the coil 73a is not energized. With this configuration, even if energization to the relay 73 is stopped because of, for example, a failure of the printer 10, the first power supply 71 is connected to the motor driver 36. Thus, in this case, the moving speed of the carriage motor 34 is restricted to the first speed. Thus, safety of the printer 10 can be further enhanced.
In this preferred embodiment, the interlock circuit 80 includes the delay circuit 83 that transmits a control signal after a lapse of the predetermined delay time from when the interlock condition is satisfied. In a case where the interlock condition is satisfied while the second voltage is applied to the motor driver 36 and the carriage 35 moves, the braking controller 101A of the controller 100 controls the motor driver 36 before the delay time has elapsed to decelerate the carriage 35. With this configuration, since the second voltage for high speed is applied to the motor driver 36 in the delay time, the carriage 35 can be decelerated with a stronger braking force. Thus, the carriage 35 can be stopped in a shorter time. Accordingly, safety in high-speed movement of the carriage 35 can be further enhanced.
The delay circuit 83 includes the capacitor 83a that is charged while the control circuit 82 is connected and discharges to the coil 73a of the relay 73 when the control circuit 82 is disconnected. With the presence of the capacitor 83a, the delay circuit 83 can easily and reliably delays switching of the voltage applied to the motor driver 36.
In this preferred embodiment, the interlock circuit 80 includes the first switch 61 and the second switch 62 that detect the opening/closing states of the first cover 21 and the second cover 22, respectively, and transmits a control signal when it is detected that at least one of the first cover 21 and the second cover 22 is opened. With this configuration, when the first cover 21 or the second cover 22 is opened, at least the speed of the carriage 35 is restricted to the first speed (in some situations, the carriage 35 is stopped). Thus, safety of the printer 10 can be obtained.
The foregoing description is directed to the preferred embodiments of the present invention. The preferred embodiments described above, however, are merely examples, and the present invention can be performed in various modes, combinations and modifications of preferred embodiments.
For example, in the preferred embodiments described above, the condition for transmitting a control signal is that at least one of the first cover 21 and the second cover 22 is open, but other conditions may be used. The condition for transmitting a control signal may include a user operation such as pressing of an emergency stop button, or may include abnormality detection of any portion of the printer 10, for example.
In the preferred embodiments described above, the carriage 35 moves in the main scanning direction Y and the recording medium 5 moves in the subscanning direction X, but the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above. The carriage 35 and the recording medium 5 move relative to each other, and any one of the carriage 35 and the recording medium 5 may move in the main scanning direction Y or in the subscanning direction X. For example, the recording medium 5 may be disposed to be non-movable with the carriage 35 movable in the main scanning direction Y and in the subscanning direction X. The printer 10 may also be configured such that both the carriage 35 and the recording medium 5 are movable in the main scanning direction Y and in the subscanning direction X.
Ink discharge systems according to preferred embodiments of the present invention are not limited to those described above. An ink discharge system of a printer according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention may be a piezoelectric system using a piezoelectric element, various continuous systems such as a binary deflection system or a continuous deflection system, or various on-demand systems such as a thermal system, for example.
The techniques disclosed herein are applicable to various types of printers. The techniques disclosed herein are also applicable to a flat-bed type printer, for example, as well as a so-called roll-to-roll printer described in the preferred embodiments. The techniques disclosed herein is also applicable to an apparatus combining a printer and other devices. For example, the techniques disclosed herein are applicable to a printer with a cutting head or a printer with a sheet cutter. The techniques disclosed herein are also applicable to a three-dimensional printer or a cutting device with a carriage. In such a case, an operation in a high-speed mode may include cutting, sheet cutting, and/or discharge of a curing solution, for example.
The terms and expressions used herein are for description only and are not to be interpreted in a limited sense. These terms and expressions should be recognized as not excluding any equivalents to the elements shown and described herein and as allowing any modification encompassed in the scope of the claims. The present invention may be embodied in many various forms. This disclosure should be regarded as providing preferred embodiments of the principles of the present invention. These preferred embodiments are provided with the understanding that they are not intended to limit the present invention to the preferred embodiments described in the specification and/or shown in the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described herein. The present invention encompasses any of preferred embodiments including equivalent elements, modifications, deletions, combinations, improvements and/or alterations which can be recognized by a person of ordinary skill in the art based on the disclosure. The elements of each claim should be interpreted broadly based on the terms used in the claim, and should not be limited to any of the preferred embodiments described in this specification or referred to during the prosecution of the present application.
While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it is to be understood that variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention, therefore, is to be determined solely by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-086669 | May 2021 | JP | national |
