LIQUID DISCHARGE APPARATUS, LIQUID DISCHARGE SYSTEM, AND LIQUID DISCHARGE METHOD

• US 20180022088A1
• Filed: 07/24/2017
• Published: 01/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: BANDO, Hanako, KUDO, Koichi, NAGASU, Tsuyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 10,336,063 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 11/42 Controlling printing material conveyance for accurate alignment of the printing material with the printhead; Print registering
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04508 aiming at correcting other parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04586 controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type

Abstract

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a head to discharge liquid onto a conveyed object, at least one light source to irradiate the conveyed object with light having a high relative intensity in a range of wavelength in which a relative reflectance of the liquid is high, and a detector including at least one optical sensor to perform imaging of the conveyed object being irradiated by the at least one light source, to generate data. The detector is configured to generate a detection result based on the data. The detection result including at least one of a conveyance amount of the conveyed object and a conveyance speed of the conveyed object.

Claims

1. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:

a head to discharge liquid onto a conveyed object;

at least one light source to irradiate the conveyed object with light having a high relative intensity in a range of wavelength in which a relative reflectance of the liquid is high; and

a detector including at least one optical sensor configured to perform imaging of the conveyed object being irradiated by the at least one light source, to generate data,

the detector configured to generate a detection result based on the data, the detection result including at least one of a conveyance amount of the conveyed object and a conveyance speed of the conveyed object.

2. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector is configured to generate the detection result with reference to a pattern on the conveyed object.

3. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the pattern represents interference of the light reflected on a rugged shape of the conveyed object, and

the detector is configured to generate the detection result based on an of the pattern.

4. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the at least one optical sensor is configured to perform imaging of the pattern at a plurality of different time points, and

wherein the detector is configured to detect a position of the conveyed object based on the imaging of the pattern at the plurality of different time points.

5. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the at least one light source includes:

a first light source to irradiate the conveyed object at a position upstream from the head in a conveyance direction of the conveyed object; and

a second light source to irradiate the conveyed object at a position downstream from the head in the conveyance direction, wherein the at least one optical sensor includes;

a first sensor disposed upstream from the head in the conveyance direction, to generate first data of the conveyed being irradiated by the first light source; and

a second sensor disposed downstream from the head in the conveyance direction, to generate second data of the conveyed being irradiated by the second light source,

wherein the detector is configured to generate the detection result based on the first data and the second data.

6. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first support disposed upstream from a liquid landing position in a conveyance direction of the conveyed object, the liquid landing position at which the liquid discharged from the head lands on the conveyed object, the first support to support the conveyed object; and

a second support disposed downstream from the liquid landing position in the conveyance direction, the second support to support the conveyed object,

wherein the detector is disposed between the first support and the second support.

7. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the detector is disposed between the first support and the liquid landing position in the conveyance direction.

8. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a head moving device to move the head in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the conveyed object.

9. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a head controller configured to control the head based on the detection result.

10. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyed object is a continuous sheet.

11. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the head is to form an with the liquid on the conveyed object.

12. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector is disposed opposing a surface of the conveyed object onto which the liquid is discharged.

13. A system comprising:

the liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1; and

a host configured to input data and control data to the liquid discharge apparatus.

14. A liquid discharge apparatus comprising:

at least one head to discharge liquid onto a conveyed object, the at least one head to move in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the conveyed object;

a first light source disposed upstream from the at least one head in the conveyance direction, to irradiate the conveyed object;

a second light source disposed downstream from the at least one head in the conveyance direction, to irradiate the conveyed object with light having a high relative intensity in a range of wavelength in which a relative reflectance of the liquid is high; and

.

a detector including;

a first optical sensor configured to perform imaging of the conveyed object being irradiated by the first light source, to generate first data; and

a second optical sensor configured to perform imaging of the conveyed object being irradiated by the second light source, to generate second data,

wherein the detector is configured to generate a detection result based on the first data and the second data, the detection result including at least one of a conveyance amount of the conveyed object and a conveyance speed of the conveyed object.

15. A liquid discharging method comprising:

discharging liquid onto a conveyed object;

irradiating the conveyed object with light having a high relative intensity in a range of wavelength in which a relative reflectance of the liquid is high;

generating data of an irradiated portion of the conveyed object; and

generating a detection result based on the data, the detection result including at least one of a conveyance amount of the conveyed object and conveyance speed of the conveyed object.