Print position correcting device, method of controlling print position correcting device, and printing apparatus

• US 8,172,357 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2009
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Enomoto, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Uhlenhake, Jason
• Application Number:
  US12/621,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20100149248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 347/5, 347/16, 347 19- 20
• US Class Current: 347/19
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 13/0027 in the printing section of automatic paper handling systems
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 19/202 Drive control means for carriage movement
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/003 for changing the angle between a print element array axis and the printing line, e.g. for dot density changes
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/543 with multiple inkjet print heads B41J2/17503, B41J2/2103 take precedence

Abstract

A print position correcting device includes: a head unit which ejects a liquid onto a print medium being transported on a transport surface; detectors which detect a position of the print medium being transported; a transport information calculator which calculates transport information regarding a transport status of the print medium based on the position of the detected print medium; a movement speed calculator which calculates a movement speed used to move the head unit based on the transport information; and a controller which moves the head unit in a direction parallel to the transport surface based on the transport information and the movement speed.

Claims

1. A print position correcting device comprising:

a head unit which ejects a liquid onto a print medium being transported on a transport surface;

detectors which detect a position of the print medium being transported;

a transport information calculator which calculates transport information regarding a transport status of the print medium based on the position of the detected print medium;

a movement speed calculator which calculates a movement speed used to move the head unit based on the transport information; and

a controller which moves the head unit in a direction parallel to the transport surface based on the transport information and the movement speed.

2. The print position correcting device according to claim 1,

wherein the transport information contains a position deviation degree that the print medium is deviated from a predetermined reference position in a width direction of the print medium, and

wherein the controller moves the head unit based on the position deviation degree.

3. The print position correcting device according to claim 2,

wherein the transport information contains a position deviation speed indicating the position deviation degree per unit time, and

wherein the movement speed calculator calculates the movement speed used to move the head unit based on the position deviation speed.

4. The print position correcting device according to claim 1,

wherein the transport information contains an incline degree that the print medium is inclined, and

wherein the controller pivots the head unit on a shaft in a direction perpendicular to the transport surface based on the incline degree.

5. The print position correcting device according to claim 4,

wherein the transport information contains an inclination speed indicating the incline degree per unit time, and

wherein the movement speed calculator calculates the movement speed used to pivot the head unit on the shaft in the direction perpendicular to the transport surface based on the inclination speed.

6. The print position correcting device according to claim 1, wherein the detectors are disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side of the head unit in a transport direction of the print medium.

7. The print position correcting device according to claim 1,

wherein the head unit includes a plurality of ejecting heads,

wherein the movement speed calculator calculates the movement speed used to move each of the plurality of ejecting heads based on the transport information, and

wherein the controller moves the plurality of ejecting heads in the direction parallel to the transport surface based on the transport information and the movement speed.

8. A printing apparatus comprising the print position correcting device according to claim 1 to perform printing on a print medium.

9. A method of controlling a print position correcting device, comprising:

detecting a position of a print medium being transported on a transport surface;

calculating transport information regarding a transport status of the print medium based on the position of the detected print medium;

calculating a movement speed used to move the head unit based on the transport information; and

moving the head unit in a direction parallel to the transport surface based on the transport information and the movement speed.