JP6528945B2 - Liquid discharge device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid discharge device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a liquid discharge apparatus has been used that includes a medium transport unit and a line head extending in a direction intersecting the medium transport direction. In such a liquid ejection apparatus, when the medium is conveyed while being deviated from the originally conveyed position, it may not be possible to form an image at a desired position of the medium. Therefore, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an edge sensor capable of detecting an end in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the medium, and a recording device capable of moving the head unit based on the detection result of the edge sensor Apparatus) is disclosed.

JP, 2011-126204, A

  The recording apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 can suppress formation of an image at a desired position of the medium. However, if the medium is conveyed with a large deviation from the original conveyance position, the image may not be formed at the desired position of the medium as it deviates from the detection possible position of the edge sensor.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to accurately align the discharge position of the liquid by the line head with the medium position.

  A liquid discharge apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems includes: a medium transport unit; and a line head in which nozzles for discharging liquid are arranged in a cross direction crossing the medium transport direction; A scan sensor capable of moving in the cross direction to detect an end of the medium in the cross direction; and a control unit that controls the movement of the scan sensor in the cross direction and controls the discharge of the liquid. The line head is movable in the cross direction, and the control unit sets the position of the line head in the cross direction based on a detection result of the scan sensor.

  In the liquid ejection apparatus according to the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the control unit reciprocates the scan sensor in the cross direction during the liquid ejection operation, and the scan sensor When the detection result of is input, the position of the line head is variable based on the detection result.

  In the liquid ejection apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the control unit detects the scan sensor when the length in the cross direction of the medium is based on ejection data of the liquid. If the length of the medium based on the result is different from that in the cross direction, an error is output.

  In the liquid discharge apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the control unit calculates the discharge width in the cross direction based on discharge data of the liquid, When the calculated ejection width is longer than the length of the medium in the cross direction based on the detection result of the scan sensor, an error output is performed.

  The liquid discharge apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is the liquid discharge apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein one end side in the cross direction is a reference position for alignment in the cross direction of the medium. The control unit may set a movement range of the scan sensor in the cross direction based on a length of the medium in the cross direction based on discharge data of the liquid.

  A liquid discharge apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the liquid discharge apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the end is detected at the predetermined position by being arranged at the predetermined position. The apparatus may further include a meandering sensor capable of detecting the presence or absence of meandering transport of the medium, and the control unit may set a moving range in the cross direction of the scan sensor based on a position of the meandering sensor.

  The liquid discharge apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the scan sensor is disposed upstream of the line head in the transport direction. I assume.

  The liquid discharge apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the transport unit is a transport belt that adheres and transports the medium.

  The liquid discharge apparatus according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the liquid discharge apparatus according to the eighth aspect, further comprising: a cleaning section capable of cleaning the transport belt and having a variable cleaning area of the transport belt in the cross direction; The unit sets the cleaning area based on the detection result of the scan sensor.

  The liquid discharge apparatus according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is the liquid discharge apparatus according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, wherein the control unit is configured to control the length of the medium in the cross direction based on the detection result of the scan sensor. The position of the line head in the cross direction can be set to a plurality of positions when the length is shorter than the aligned length of the nozzles in the cross direction.

  In the liquid ejection apparatus according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the tenth aspect, the control unit determines the length of the medium in the cross direction based on the detection result of the scan sensor according to the frequency of use of the nozzle. The position of the line head in the cross direction can be set when the length is shorter than the aligned length of the nozzles in the cross direction.

  The liquid discharge apparatus according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is the liquid discharge device according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein the control unit is configured to control the length of the medium in the cross direction based on the detection result of the scan sensor. The position of the line head in the cross direction can be set at a position where the nozzle on the end side of the line head in the cross direction does not face the medium when the length is shorter than the aligned length of the nozzles in the cross direction It is characterized by being.

  According to the present invention, the discharge position of the liquid by the line head can be accurately aligned with the medium position.

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of head units and nozzles of a line head in a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a recording apparatus according to an embodiment as a liquid discharge apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.
First, an overview of a recording apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. Note that FIG. 2 omits a part of constituent members in order to express the main part of the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment in an easily understandable manner.

  The recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a feeding unit 2 capable of feeding out a roll R1 of a recording medium (medium) P for recording. Further, the conveyance mechanism 3 is provided for conveying the recording medium P in the conveyance direction A by the adhesive belt 10 (endless belt) supporting the recording medium P on the support surface F to which the adhesive is attached. In addition, the recording mechanism 4 is provided which ejects ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto the recording medium P from the nozzles N (see FIG. 5) of the line head 19 having the head unit 7 as the ejection unit. In addition, a cleaning mechanism 15 for the adhesive belt 10 is provided. Furthermore, a winding mechanism 18 having a winding shaft 17 for winding the recording medium P is provided.

  The feeding unit 2 includes a rotating shaft 5 that doubles as a set position of the roll R1 of the recording medium P for recording, and conveys the recording medium P from the roll R1 set on the rotating shaft 5 via the driven roller 6 The mechanism 3 can be extended. When the recording medium P is fed to the transport mechanism 3, the rotation shaft 5 rotates in the rotation direction C.

The conveyance mechanism 3 includes an adhesive belt 10 for placing and conveying the recording medium P fed from the feeding unit 2, a driving roller 8 for moving the adhesive belt 10 in the direction E, and a driven roller 9 ing. The recording medium P is pressed against the support surface F of the adhesive belt 10 by the pressure roller 12 and is stuck and placed. When the recording medium P is conveyed, the driving roller 8 rotates in the rotation direction C.
However, the endless belt as the transport belt is not limited to the adhesive belt. For example, an electrostatic attraction type endless belt may be used.
The recording medium P may be supported by a movable support tray or the like and conveyed, or the recording medium P may be conveyed by a roller pair or the like. Furthermore, a so-called flood bed type recording apparatus may be used in which the recording medium P is fixed to the support portion, and the line head 19 is moved relative to the fixed recording medium to perform recording.

The recording mechanism 4 includes a line head 19 in which nozzles N that discharge liquid in a cross direction B intersecting the transport direction A of the recording medium P are arranged (see FIG. 5). The line head 19 is configured by arranging a plurality of head units 7 in which the nozzles N are arranged in the cross direction B in the cross direction B (see FIG. 5). Although the details will be described later, the line head 19 of the present embodiment has a variable position in the cross direction B under the control of the control unit 34 (refer to FIG. 3) during the recording operation (ink discharge operation). There is.
Here, the “line head” is provided so that the region of the nozzles N formed in the cross direction B crossing the transport direction A of the recording medium P can cover the entire cross direction B of the recording medium P The recording head used in a recording apparatus which relatively moves the recording head or the recording medium P to form an image. The area of the nozzles N in the cross direction B of the line head 19 may not be able to cover the entire cross direction B of all the recording media P to which the recording apparatus 1 corresponds.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the line head 19 crosses along the guide rails 22 and 23 between the recording position (the position of the solid line in FIG. 2) and the maintenance position (the position of the broken line in FIG. It is possible to move in direction B. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a maintenance unit 21 is provided corresponding to the maintenance position of the line head 19, and the maintenance unit 21 is a line head 19 by a cap, a suction mechanism, a wiper or the like (not shown). In the maintenance position, the cap of the head unit 7, the suction of ink from the nozzles N of the head unit 7, the wiping of the head unit 7 and the like can be performed.

  Further, on the upstream side of the line head 19 in the transport direction A, a meander sensor 16 capable of detecting whether the recording medium P meanders or not is provided. The meandering sensor 16 of the present embodiment is configured to be manually movable by the user to an arbitrary position in the cross direction B. Then, the meandering sensor 16 arranges the meandering sensor 16 at a position where the user can detect the end 25 in the cross direction B of the recording medium P, and the detection range of the meandering sensor 16 is detected during conveyance of the recording medium P. The presence or absence of the serpentine conveyance of the recording medium P can be detected depending on whether or not the end 25 exists, and the meandering control is performed by moving the roll R1 of the feeding unit 2 in the direction of the rotation axis 5 based on the detection result by the meander sensor 16. It is configured to be able to

  Further, on the downstream side of the line head 19 in the transport direction A, a scan sensor 20 capable of reciprocating (reciprocal scan) in the cross direction B along a guide rail 24 extending in the cross direction B is provided. The scan sensor 20 is configured to be able to detect the end 25 in the cross direction B of the recording medium P by reciprocating scanning in the cross direction B.

The cleaning mechanism 15 of the adhesive belt 10 includes a cleaning brush 13 (see FIG. 2) configured by arranging a plurality of cleaning rollers 13a, 13b, 13c and 13d in the rotation axis direction (cross direction B), and the cleaning brush 13 And a tray 14 containing a cleaning agent for cleaning.
Thus, the cleaning brush 13 of the present embodiment is configured by arranging the cleaning rollers 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d that can rotate in the direction of rotation C and the direction opposite to the direction of rotation C in the cross direction B. . The cleaning rollers 13a, 13b, 13c and 13d can be moved individually in the direction D, and the cleaning rollers 13a, 13b, 13c and 13d can be individually brought into contact with and separated from the adhesive belt 10. .

  The take-up mechanism 18 is a mechanism for taking up the recording medium P which has been recorded and conveyed from the conveyance mechanism 3 through the driven roller 11, and sets a paper tube or the like for take-up on the take-up shaft 17. By winding the recording medium P around this, it can be wound up as a roll R2 of the recording medium P.

Next, the electrical configuration of the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment.
The control unit 34 is provided with a CPU 35 that controls the entire recording apparatus 1. The CPU 35 is connected via the system bus 36 to the ROM 26 storing various control programs and the like executed by the CPU 35 and the RAM 27 capable of temporarily storing data.

The CPU 35 is also connected to a head drive unit 28 for driving the line head 19 via the system bus 36.
Further, the CPU 35 drives the scan sensor motor 30, the conveyance motor 31, the feeding motor 32, the winding motor 33, the cleaning brush rotation motor 39, the cleaning brush movement motor 40, and the head movement motor 41 via the system bus 36. And the motor drive unit 29 of FIG.
Here, the scan sensor motor 30 is a motor for reciprocating the scan sensor 20 in the cross direction B. Further, the transport motor 31 is a motor for driving the drive roller 8. Further, the feeding motor 32 is a rotation mechanism of the rotation shaft 5 and is a motor for driving the rotation shaft 5 in order to feed the recording medium P to the transport mechanism 3. Further, the winding motor 33 is a drive motor for rotating the winding shaft 17. Further, the cleaning brush rotation motor 39 is a motor for rotationally driving the cleaning brush 13 (the cleaning rollers 13a, 13b, 13c and 13d). The cleaning brush moving motor 40 is a motor serving as a driving source for moving the cleaning rollers 13a, 13b, 13c and 13d individually in the direction D. The head moving motor 41 is a motor for moving the line head 19 in the cross direction B.

The CPU 35 is connected to the input / output unit 37 via the system bus 36. The input / output unit 37 is a PC 38 for transmitting and receiving data and signals such as the meandering sensor 16, the scan sensor 20, and recording data. And connected.
With such a configuration, the control unit 23 can control the movement of the scan sensor 20 in the cross direction B, and can control the movement of the line head 19 based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20.

The recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment ejects ink in the cross direction B which is movable in the cross direction B and which crosses the transport direction A of the recording medium P, and the adhesive belt 10 which is a conveyance portion of the recording medium P. And a scan sensor 20 capable of moving in the cross direction B and detecting the end 25 of the recording medium P in the cross direction B.
The control unit 34 also controls the movement of the scan sensor 20 in the cross direction B and controls the ejection of ink from the line head 19. Then, based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20, the position of the line head 19 in the cross direction B is set.
As described above, since the scan sensor 20 capable of moving in the cross direction B and detecting the end 25 of the recording medium P in the cross direction B is provided, the recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment Even when the recording medium P is conveyed with a large deviation, by keeping the scan area wide, it is possible to suppress deviation from the detectable position for detecting the conveyance of the recording medium P. The line head 19 is movable in the cross direction B, and the control unit 34 sets the position of the line head 19 in the cross direction B based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20. By appropriately setting the position of the line head 19 in the cross direction B, it is possible to accurately align the discharge position of the liquid by the line head 19 with the medium position.

Next, the position of the line head 19 at the time of the recording operation (during the ink discharge operation) in the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 4 and 5. FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 2 and is a schematic plan view of the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. Here, FIG. 2 shows the position of the line head 19 when the recording medium P having a long (wide) width L1 (see FIG. 5) in the cross direction B is used, and FIG. 4 shows the width Indicates the position of the line head 19 when the narrow recording medium P is used.
FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of the head unit 7 and the nozzles N of the line head 19 in the recording apparatus 1 of this embodiment. Among these, FIG. 5A shows an example of the arrangement of the head unit 7 in the line head 19 and the positional relationship between the line head 19 and the recording medium P being conveyed. 5B is an enlarged view of a partial area X of FIG. 5A, and shows the positional relationship between the nozzles N of the head unit 7 and the end 25 of the recording medium P being conveyed. Represents

  As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, in the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the line head 19 is controlled by the control unit 34 during the recording operation (ink discharge operation) to be a target to be scanned by the scan sensor 20. Based on the detection result of the end 25 of the recording medium P, the position is set based on the opposite side of the maintenance unit 21 in the cross direction B of the line head 19. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5A, the head unit 7 at the opposite end of the maintenance portion 21 in the cross direction B (more specifically, the nozzle at the opposite end of the head unit 7 The position is set such that N) corresponds to the position of the end 25 of the recording medium P.

  The position is set so that the head unit 7 at the opposite end of the maintenance section 21 in the cross direction B corresponds to the position of the end 25 of the recording medium P. Therefore, on the maintenance section 21 side in the cross direction B 5B (the state in which the position of the end of the head unit 7 in the cross direction B does not correspond to the position of the end 25 of the recording medium P). Therefore, the control unit 34 of the present embodiment can select the nozzle N1 to be used from the nozzles N. Specifically, from the detection result of the scan sensor 20, the control unit 34 determines at which position of the line head 19 in the cross direction B the end 25 is positioned. Then, as shown in FIG. 5B, the control unit 34 sets the nozzle N at a position facing the recording medium P on the side closer to the arrow R1 than the end 25 to the nozzle N1. The nozzle N at a position not facing the recording medium P on the side of the arrow R2 is set as the nozzle N2 not to be used. For this reason, the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment can easily eject the ink ejection position by the line head 19 with respect to the medium position by selecting the nozzle N1 to be used from the nozzles N in such a control method. It is possible to match precisely. In addition to the control method of selecting the nozzle N1 to be used from the nozzles N by the control unit 34, a control method of selecting a head unit to be used from a plurality of head units 7 may be adopted.

  As described above, in the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the head unit 7 at the opposite end of the maintenance unit 21 in the cross direction B is based on the detection result of the end 25 of the recording medium P by the scan sensor 20. The position is set to correspond to the position of the end 25 of the recording medium P. However, it is not limited to such a configuration. For example, based on the detection result of the end 25 of the recording medium P by the scan sensor 20, the head unit 7 at the end of the maintenance unit 21 in the cross direction B corresponds to the position of the end 25 of the recording medium P The position may be set to

  Further, the control unit 34 in the present embodiment is configured such that the length in the cross direction B of the recording medium P based on the recording data (ink ejection data) is in the cross direction B of the recording medium P based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20. If the length is different from L1 (see FIG. 5A), an error can be output. Therefore, the medium width in the cross direction B of the recording medium P input to the control unit 34 set by the user selecting the recording medium P to be used using the PC 38 or the like has the length L1. In the case of being different, that is, when the assumed recording medium P and the recording medium P set in the recording apparatus 1 are different, it is possible to prompt the user to change to the appropriate recording medium P or the like. Therefore, the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is configured to be able to suppress recording on a recording medium P different from the assumed recording medium P.

  Further, the control unit 34 of the present embodiment calculates the discharge width in the cross direction B based on the recording data (ink discharge data), and the calculated discharge width is based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20. When the length is longer than the length L1 (see FIG. 5A) in the cross direction B of P, an error can be output to the PC 38 having a role as a notification unit. For this reason, when the ejection width is longer than the length L1, the user is urged to correct the print data to reduce the ejection width or to change the recording medium P having a wide width. it can. Therefore, the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is configured to be able to suppress that the image formed by the ink ejected from the line head 19 does not enter the recording medium P.

Further, the control unit 34 according to the present embodiment reciprocates the scan sensor 20 in the cross direction B during the recording operation (ink discharge operation), and also detects the detection result of the scan sensor 20. The position of the line head 19 can be adjusted based on the result. Specifically, for example, the recording operation can be performed while moving (adjusting) the line head 19 in the cross direction B by about 10 μm while transporting the recording medium P by 100 mm. Therefore, the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment effectively adjusts the position of the line head 19 relative to the medium position by adjusting the position of the line head 19 based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20 in real time during the recording operation. The configuration is such that the discharge position of the liquid according to 19 can be accurately aligned.
The control unit 34 of the present embodiment reciprocates the scan sensor 20 in the cross direction B prior to the recording operation, and performs the detection of the end 25 in real time during the recording operation, prior to the recording operation. The position of the end 25 can also be grasped based on the detected detection result. However, in such a case, the position of the line head 19 is not adjusted during the recording operation.

  Further, in the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, one end side (right side in FIG. 2) of the cross direction B is a reference position of alignment in the cross direction B of the recording medium P. Then, the control unit 34 can set the movement range in the cross direction B of the scan sensor 20 based on the length of the recording medium P in the cross direction B based on the print data (ink ejection data). Therefore, in the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the scan sensor 20 extends to an unnecessary range (a range in which there is no recording medium P) based on the length in the cross direction B of the recording medium P based on the recording data. It is configured to be able to suppress movement.

Further, as described above, the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes the meander sensor 16. Here, the meandering sensor 16 of the present embodiment is disposed at a predetermined position by the user's manual movement, whereby the end 25 is detected at the predetermined position and the meandering conveyance of the recording medium P is performed. The presence or absence of can be detected.
Then, the control unit 34 can set the movement range in the cross direction B of the scan sensor 20 based on the position of the meander sensor 16 disposed by the user. Specifically, the movement range in the cross direction B of the scan sensor 20 can be set so as not to include the range outside in the cross direction B from the position of the meander sensor 16 in which the recording medium P does not exist. For this reason, the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is configured to be able to suppress the movement of the scan sensor 20 from the position of the meandering sensor 16 to an unnecessary range.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the scan sensor 20 of the present embodiment is disposed upstream of the line head 19 in the transport direction A. For this reason, the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is configured to be able to detect the position of the recording medium P before discharging the ink from the line head 19.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the adhesive belt 10 which is a conveyance unit of the present embodiment is a conveyance belt for adhering the recording medium P and conveying it.
In the case of the conveyance belt for adhering and conveying the recording medium P, once the recording medium P is attached (supporting the recording medium P), the recording medium P can be suppressed from being displaced from the conveyance belt. After detecting the transport deviation of the recording medium P from the transport position, the recording medium P can be further prevented from being shifted.
Here, if there is a possibility that the recording medium P may be further deviated after the conveyance deviation of the recording medium P from the position to be conveyed originally is detected, for example, plural lines such as the upstream side and the downstream side of the line head 19 It is desirable to provide the scan sensor 20 at the position of.
However, since the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is configured to include the transport belt that adheres and transports the recording medium P, only the one scan sensor 20 is inherently transported with sufficiently high accuracy. The conveyance deviation of the recording medium P from the position can be detected.

Further, as described above, the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes the cleaning brush 13 as the cleaning unit of the adhesive belt 10. The cleaning brush 13 can change the cleaning area of the adhesive belt 10 in the cross direction B.
Then, the control unit 34 of the present embodiment can set the cleaning area based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20. Specifically, based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20, the ink discharge area (area which may be stained with the ink) on the support surface F of the adhesive belt 10 is determined, and the cleaning area is determined based on the determination result. (Select the cleaning roller to be brought into contact with the adhesive belt 10 from the cleaning rollers 13a, 13b, 13c and 13d). More specifically, the control unit 34 brings the cleaning roller, which is disposed at a position including the region inside the end 25 in the cross direction B, into contact with the adhesive belt 10, and in the cross direction B more than the end 25. The cleaning belt, which is not located at a position including the inner area, is prevented from contacting the adhesive belt 10. For example, when the conveyance position of the recording medium P is in the positional relationship shown in FIG. 2 with respect to the adhesive belt 10 and the cleaning brush 13, the cleaning rollers 13 a, 13 b, 13 c and 13 d all end in the cross direction B Because it is located at a position that includes the area inside more than 25, all of them are brought into contact with the adhesive belt 10. On the other hand, as in the case of the positional relationship shown in FIG. 4, the recording medium P narrower in width than the recording medium P shown in FIG. 2 is used, for example, the cleaning rollers 13b, 13c and 13d When the cleaning roller 13a corresponds to the cleaning roller disposed at the position including the region inside the part 25 and the cleaning roller corresponds to the cleaning roller not disposed at the position including the region inside the end 25, the cleaning roller 13b, 13c and 13d are brought into contact with the adhesive belt 10 so that the cleaning roller 13a is not in contact with the adhesive belt 10.
For this reason, the recording apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is configured to be able to suppress waste of cleaning unnecessary areas (areas not stained with ink) in the adhesive belt 10.

  Further, as described above, in the control unit 34 of the present embodiment, the length L1 in the cross direction B of the recording medium P based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20 is shorter than the arrayed length of the nozzles N in the cross direction B. In this case, the position of the line head 19 in the cross direction B can be set to a plurality of positions. Specifically, the position of the line head 19 can be set with respect to the recording medium P based on one end side (left side in FIG. 2) of the cross direction B, and the position relation is different from such a position relation. The position of the line head 19 can be set with respect to the recording medium P. Therefore, for example, even if a defect (clogging or the like) occurs in the nozzle N on one end side in the cross direction B, the recording quality can be obtained by arranging the line head 19 at a position where the nozzle N does not face the recording medium P. Can be suppressed.

  In addition, for example, the control unit 34 of the present embodiment is configured such that the length L1 of the recording medium P in the cross direction B based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20 according to the use frequency of the nozzles N is the cross direction B When the length is shorter than the aligned length, the position of the line head 19 in the cross direction B can be set. Specifically, in the case where printing is performed a plurality of times in such a state, for example, the arrangement of the line head 19 with respect to the recording medium P for each recording so that the deviation of the usage frequency of each nozzle N of the line head 19 is reduced. To change the position of the line head 19 in the cross direction B. For this reason, it is possible to suppress that the deterioration of the line head 19 is accelerated with the deviation of the use frequency of the nozzles N of the line head 19.

  Also, for example, when the length L1 in the cross direction B of the recording medium P based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20 is shorter than the arrayed length of the nozzles N in the cross direction B, the control unit 34 of this embodiment The position of the line head 19 in the cross direction B can be set at a position where the nozzle N on the end side of the line head 19 in the cross direction B does not face the recording medium P. The nozzle N on the end side of the line head 19 is more likely to have unstable discharge (disturbance in the discharge direction and a larger deviation in discharge amount) than the nozzle N on the central side of the line head 19 There is. Therefore, by setting the nozzle N on the end side of the line head 19 in the cross direction B to a position not facing the recording medium P, recording can be performed using only the nozzle N on the center side, and the recording quality Can be controlled.

It is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and they are also included in the scope of the present invention.
For example, after the end position of the recording medium P is detected while moving the scan sensor 20 as in the above embodiment, the scan sensor 20 is stopped at the end position, and the recording medium P is stopped at the stopped position. It can also be detected.
In such a case, when the recording medium P deviates from the detection area of the stopped scan sensor 20 or when the end position deviates from the end position detected first by a predetermined value, the recording is performed. It is possible to determine that the medium P is meandering and perform predetermined meandering control or give an error. By performing such control, meandering control can be performed with higher accuracy, or a meandering sensor as in the above embodiment. Even if 16 is not provided, meander control can be performed simply.
The present invention has been described above in detail based on specific examples. Here, the present invention will be summarized once again.

  A liquid ejection apparatus 1 according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a conveyance unit 10 for a medium P, and a line head 19 in which nozzles N for ejecting liquid are arranged in a cross direction B intersecting the conveyance direction A of the medium P; A control unit that controls the movement of the scan sensor 20 capable of detecting the end 25 of the medium P in the cross direction B by moving in the cross direction B and the cross direction B of the scan sensor 20 and controlling the discharge of the liquid. 34, the line head 19 is movable in the cross direction B, and the control unit 34 sets the position of the line head 19 in the cross direction B based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20. I assume.

  According to this aspect, the scanning sensor 20 is provided which can move in the cross direction B and detect the end 25 of the medium P in the cross direction B. For this reason, even when the medium P is conveyed with a large deviation from the original conveyance position, it is possible to suppress deviation from the detectable position. The line head 19 is movable in the cross direction B, and the control unit 34 sets the position of the line head 19 in the cross direction B based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20. Therefore, by appropriately setting the position of the line head 19 in the cross direction B based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20, it is possible to accurately match the discharge position of the liquid by the line head 19 with the medium position. Become.

  In the liquid ejection device 1 according to the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the control unit 34 reciprocates the scan sensor 20 in the cross direction B during the liquid ejection operation, and the scan sensor When 20 detection results are input, the position of the line head 19 is variable based on the detection results.

  According to this aspect, the control unit 34 reciprocates the scan sensor 20 in the cross direction B during the liquid discharge operation, and when the detection result of the scan sensor 20 is input, based on the detection result. The position of the line head 19 is variable. Therefore, by adjusting the position of the line head 19 based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20 in real time during the liquid discharge operation, the liquid discharge position by the line head 19 with respect to the medium position is effectively accurate. You can match it well.

  In the liquid ejection device 1 according to the third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, the control unit 34 determines that the length of the medium P in the cross direction B based on the ejection data of the liquid is the scan sensor 20 When the length L1 in the cross direction B of the medium P based on the detection result is different, error output is performed.

  According to this aspect, when the length in the cross direction B of the medium P based on the ejection data of the liquid is different from the length L1 in the cross direction B of the medium P based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20, Output an error. Therefore, when the medium width in the cross direction B of the medium P input to the control unit 34 is different from the length L1, that is, the assumed medium P and the medium P set in the liquid discharge device 1 are different. In this case, the user can be prompted to change to the appropriate medium P or the like. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the discharge of the liquid to the medium P different from the assumed medium P.

  In the liquid ejection apparatus 1 according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to third aspects, the control unit 34 calculates the ejection width in the cross direction B based on the ejection data of the liquid. When the calculated ejection width is longer than the length L1 in the cross direction B of the medium P based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20, an error is output.

  According to this aspect, the control unit 34 calculates the discharge width in the cross direction B based on the discharge data of the liquid, and the calculated discharge width in the cross direction B of the medium P based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20 If the length is longer than L1, an error is output. For this reason, it is possible to suppress that the image formed of the liquid does not enter the medium P.

  The liquid ejection apparatus 1 according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is configured such that one end side in the cross direction B is a reference position for alignment in the cross direction B of the medium P in any one of the first to fourth aspects. The control unit 34 sets the movement range of the scan sensor 20 in the cross direction B based on the length of the medium P in the cross direction B based on the discharge data of the liquid.

  According to this aspect, one end side in the cross direction B is a reference position for alignment in the cross direction B of the medium P, and the control unit 34 determines the cross direction B of the medium P based on the ejection data of the liquid. The movement range in the cross direction B of the scan sensor 20 is set based on the length. For this reason, based on the length in the cross direction B of the medium P based on the ejection data of the liquid, it is possible to suppress movement of the scan sensor 20 to an unnecessary range.

  In the liquid ejection apparatus 1 according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the end 25 is detected at the predetermined position by being disposed at the predetermined position in any one of the first to fifth aspects. A meandering sensor 16 capable of detecting the presence or absence of meandering transport of the medium P is provided, and the control unit 34 sets the movement range in the cross direction B of the scan sensor 20 based on the position of the meandering sensor 16.

  According to this aspect, the meandering sensor 16 is provided, and the control unit 34 sets the movement range in the cross direction B of the scan sensor 20 based on the position of the meandering sensor 16. For this reason, it is possible to suppress movement of the scan sensor 20 from the position of the meandering sensor 16 to an unnecessary range.

  In the liquid ejection apparatus 1 according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the scan sensor 20 is disposed upstream of the line head 19 in the transport direction A. It features.

  According to this aspect, the scan sensor 20 is disposed upstream of the line head 19 in the transport direction A. Therefore, the position of the medium P can be detected before discharging the liquid.

  A liquid discharge apparatus 1 according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the transport unit 10 is a transport belt which adheres and transports the medium P. .

  According to this aspect, the transport unit 10 is a transport belt that adheres and transports the medium P. In the conveyance belt that adheres and conveys the medium P, once the medium P is attached (supporting the medium P), the medium P can be prevented from shifting from the conveyance belt, so the medium P from the position to be conveyed originally It is possible to further suppress the displacement of the medium P after the detection of the misregistration of the medium. Therefore, only by providing one scan sensor 20, it is possible to detect the transport deviation of the medium P from the originally transported position with sufficiently high accuracy.

  The liquid discharge apparatus 1 according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the liquid discharge apparatus 1 according to the eighth aspect, further including a cleaning section 13 capable of cleaning the transport belt and having a variable cleaning area of the transport belt in the cross direction B. The control unit 34 sets the cleaning area based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20.

  According to this aspect, the cleaning unit 13 is provided to change the cleaning area of the transport belt in the cross direction B, and the control unit 34 sets the cleaning area based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20. That is, the discharge area of the liquid can be determined based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20, and the cleaning area can be set based on the determination result. For this reason, the waste which wash | cleans the unnecessary area | region of a conveyance belt can be suppressed.

  In the liquid ejection apparatus 1 according to the tenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the control unit 34 determines the length of the medium P in the cross direction B based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20. When L1 is shorter than the arranging length of the nozzles N in the cross direction B, the position of the line head 19 in the cross direction B can be set to a plurality of positions.

  According to this aspect, when the length L1 of the medium P in the cross direction B based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20 is shorter than the aligned length of the nozzles N in the cross direction B, the control unit 34 determines the cross direction B. The position of the line head 19 can be set to a plurality of positions. Therefore, for example, even if a problem occurs in the nozzle N on one end side in the cross direction B, the line head 19 is disposed at a position where the nozzle N does not face the medium P, thereby suppressing the drop in the discharge quality of the liquid. It is possible.

  In the liquid ejection apparatus 1 according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the tenth aspect, the control unit 34 controls the cross direction B of the medium P based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20 according to the use frequency of the nozzles N. When the length L1 is shorter than the aligned length of the nozzles N in the cross direction B, the position of the line head 19 in the cross direction B can be set.

  According to this aspect, the control unit 34 controls the length L1 of the medium P in the cross direction B based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20 according to the frequency of use of the nozzles N from the aligned length of the nozzles N in the cross direction B. If the line head 19 is short, the position of the line head 19 in the cross direction B can be set. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the deviation of the use frequency of each nozzle N of the line head 19 and to suppress the deterioration of the line head 19 becoming faster due to the deviation of the use frequency of each nozzle N of the line head 19.

  In the liquid ejection apparatus 1 according to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the control unit 34 determines the length of the medium P in the cross direction B based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20. The position of the line head 19 in the cross direction B at a position where the nozzle on the end of the line head 19 in the cross direction B does not face the medium P when L1 is shorter than the aligned length of the nozzles N in the cross direction B It is characterized in that it can be set.

  According to this aspect, when the length L1 of the medium P in the cross direction B based on the detection result of the scan sensor 20 is shorter than the aligned length of the nozzles N in the cross direction B, the control unit 34 determines the cross direction B. The position of the line head 19 in the cross direction B can be set at a position where the nozzle on the end of the line head 19 does not face the medium P. The nozzles N on the end side of the line head 19 may be more likely to have unstable discharge than the nozzles N on the center side of the line head 19. Therefore, by setting the nozzle N on the end side of the line head 19 in the cross direction B to a position not facing the medium P, it is possible to discharge the liquid using only the nozzle N on the center side. It is possible to suppress the deterioration of the ejection quality.

1 recording device (liquid discharge device) 2 delivery unit 3 transport mechanism 4 recording mechanism
5 rotating shafts, 6 driven rollers, 7 head units,
8 drive roller, 9 driven roller, 10 adhesive belt (conveying section, conveying belt),
11 driven roller, 12 pressure roller, 13 cleaning brush,
13a, 13b, 13c, 13d washing roller, 14 trays, 15 washing mechanism,
16 meandering sensor, 17 take-up shaft, 18 take-up mechanism, 19 line heads,
20 scan sensors, 21 maintenance units, 22 guide rails,
23 guide rails, 24 guide rails,
25 end of the recording medium P in the cross direction B,
26 ROM, 27 RAM, 28 head drive, 29 motor drive,
30 scan sensor motor, 31 conveyance motor, 32 feeding motor,
33 Take-up motor, 34 control units, 35 CPU, 36 system bus,
37 input / output unit, 38 pcs, 39 cleaning brush rotating motor,
40 cleaning brush moving motor, 41 head moving motor, F supporting surface,
L1 Length in the cross direction B of the recording medium P, N nozzle, N1 nozzle used,
N2 Nozzle used, P Recording medium (medium)

Claims (9)

A medium transport unit,
A line head in which nozzles for discharging a liquid are arranged in a cross direction crossing the transport direction of the medium;
A scan sensor capable of moving in the cross direction to detect an end of the medium in the cross direction;
A control unit that controls the movement of the scan sensor in the cross direction and controls the discharge of the liquid;
And a meandering sensor capable of detecting the presence or absence of meandering conveyance of the medium by detecting the end at the predetermined position by being disposed at the predetermined position.
Equipped with
The line head is movable in the cross direction,
The control unit sets the position of the line head in the cross direction based on the detection result of the scan sensor, and sets the movement range of the scan sensor in the cross direction based on the position of the meander sensor. Liquid discharge device characterized by. In the liquid discharge device according to claim 1 ,
The control unit reciprocates the scan sensor in the cross direction during the discharge operation of the liquid, and when the detection result of the scan sensor is input, the position of the line head based on the detection result A liquid discharge device characterized by being variable. In the liquid discharge device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The control unit may output an error if the length in the cross direction of the medium based on the discharge data of the liquid is different from the length in the cross direction of the medium based on the detection result of the scan sensor. Liquid discharge device. The liquid discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .
The control unit calculates the discharge width in the cross direction based on the discharge data of the liquid, and the calculated discharge width is longer than the length in the cross direction of the medium based on the detection result of the scan sensor. And an error output. The liquid discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 .
One end side in the cross direction is a reference position of alignment in the cross direction of the medium;
The control unit sets the movement range in the cross direction of the scan sensor based on the length of the medium in the cross direction based on discharge data of the liquid. The liquid discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .
The liquid discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the scan sensor is disposed upstream of the line head in the transport direction. The liquid discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 .
The control unit sets a plurality of positions of the line head in the cross direction when the length of the medium in the cross direction based on the detection result of the scan sensor is shorter than the arranged length of the nozzles in the cross direction. A liquid discharge apparatus characterized in that it can be set at the position of. In the liquid discharge device according to claim 7 ,
The control unit is configured to, when the length in the cross direction of the medium based on the detection result of the scan sensor is shorter than the arranged length of the nozzles in the cross direction according to the frequency of use of the nozzles. A liquid discharge apparatus characterized in that the position of the line head in the direction can be set. The liquid discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 .
The controller controls the end of the line head in the cross direction when the length of the medium in the cross direction based on the detection result of the scan sensor is shorter than the aligned length of the nozzles in the cross direction. The position of the line head in the cross direction can be set at a position where the nozzle of the above does not face the medium.

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