LIQUID EJECTION APPARATUS, LIQUID EJECTION SYSTEM, AND LIQUID EJECTION METHOD

• US 20170266965A1
• Filed: 03/10/2017
• Published: 09/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: GOHDA, Mitsunobu, NAGASU, Tsuyoshi, KUDO, Koichi, HAYASHI, Tomoaki, SUNAOSHI, Masayuki, MIZUNO, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 10,814,622 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/004 Platenless printing, i.e. conveying the printing material freely, without support on its back, through the printing zone opposite to the print head
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/008 Controlling printhead for accurately positioning print image on printing material, e.g. with the intention to control the width of margins
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0095 Detecting means for copy material, e.g. for detecting or sensing presence of copy material or its leading or trailing end
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/046 for the guidance of continuous copy material, e.g. for preventing skewed conveyance of the continuous copy material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04573 Timing; Delays
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04586 controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2135 Alignment of dots
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2146 for line print heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/001 Mechanisms for bodily moving print heads or carriages parallel to the paper surface

Abstract

A liquid ejection apparatus is provided that includes a plurality of liquid ejection head units that are configured to eject liquid onto a conveyed object being conveyed; a detection unit that is provided with respect to each liquid ejection head unit of the plurality of liquid ejection head units and is configured to output a detection result indicating at least one of a position, a moving speed, and an amount of movement of the conveyed object with respect to a conveying direction of the conveyed object; and a control unit configured to control the each liquid ejection head unit of the plurality of liquid ejection head units to eject liquid at a timing based on a plurality of the detection results of a plurality of the detection units.

Claims

1. A liquid ejection apparatus comprising:

a plurality of liquid ejection head units that are configured to eject liquid onto a conveyed object being conveyed;

a detection unit that is provided with respect to each liquid ejection head unit of the plurality of liquid ejection head units and is configured to output a detection result indicating at least one of a position, a moving speed, and an amount of movement of the conveyed object with respect to a conveying direction of the conveyed object; and

a control unit configured to control the each liquid ejection head unit of the plurality of liquid ejection head units to eject liquid at a timing based on a plurality of the detection results of a plurality of the detection units.

2. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit determines the timing based on the detection results of an upstream detection unit and a downstream detection unit arranged downstream of the upstream detection unit with respect to the conveying direction of the conveyed object;

and

the timing determined by the control unit includes at least a liquid ejection timing of a corresponding liquid ejection head unit of the plurality of liquid ejection head units that is associated with the downstream detection unit.

3. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit determines, with respect to the each liquid ejection head unit of the plurality of liquid ejection head units, the timing at which the each liquid ejection head unit ejects liquid based on the plurality of detection results.

4. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit determines the timing by calculating a required time for conveying the conveyed object to a landing position at which a corresponding liquid ejection head unit of the plurality of liquid ejection head units can eject liquid based on the plurality of detection results.

5. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit uses an optical sensor.

6. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit obtains the detection result based on a pattern included in the conveyed object.

7. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the

the pattern is generated by interference of light irradiated on a roughness formed on the conveyed object;

and

the detection unit obtains the detection result based on an image capturing the pattern.

8. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first support member that is arranged at a conveying direction upstream side of a landing position at which a corresponding liquid ejection head unit of the plurality of liquid ejection head units can eject liquid onto a predetermined portion of the conveyed object; and

a second support member that is arranged at a conveying direction downstream side of the landing position;

wherein the detection unit is installed between the first support member and the second support member.

9. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the detection unit is arranged at a position toward the first support member with respect to the landing position.

10. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an image is formed on the conveyed object when the liquid is ejected from at least one of the plurality of liquid ejection head units.

11. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyed object is a continuous sheet extending in the conveying direction.

12. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a measuring unit configured to measure the amount of movement of the conveyed object;

wherein the control unit controls the each liquid ejection head unit to eject the liquid based on the amount of movement measured by the measuring unit and the plurality of detection results.

13. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit controls the each liquid ejection head unit to eject the liquid based on an installation distance between a detection position at which the detection unit performs detection and a landing position at which a corresponding liquid ejection head unit of the plurality of liquid ejection head units can eject liquid, a shift in the landing position with respect to the detection position, and the moving speed of the conveyed object.

14. The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the detection unit performs detection at a detection timing determined based on a minimum time required for conveying the conveyed object between two adjacent liquid ejection head units of the plurality of liquid ejection head units.

15. A liquid ejection system comprising:

at least one liquid ejection apparatus including a plurality of liquid ejection head units that are configured to eject liquid onto a conveyed object being conveyed;

a detection unit that is provided with respect to each liquid ejection head unit of the plurality of liquid ejection head units and is configured to output a detection result indicating at least one of a position, a moving speed, and an amount of movement of the conveyed object with respect to a conveying direction of the conveyed object; and

a control unit configured to control the each liquid ejection head unit of the plurality of liquid ejection head units to eject liquid at a timing based on a plurality of the detection results of a plurality of the detection units.

16. A liquid ejection method that is implemented by a liquid ejection apparatus including a plurality of liquid ejection head units that are configured to eject liquid onto a conveyed object being conveyed, the liquid ejection method comprising steps of:

outputting, with respect to each liquid ejection head unit of the plurality of liquid ejection head units, a detection result indicating at least one of a position, a moving speed, and an amount of movement of the conveyed object with respect to a conveying direction of the conveyed object; and

controlling the each liquid ejection head unit of the plurality of liquid ejection head units to eject liquid at a timing based on a plurality of the detection results.