# US 10,369,822 B2 · Printer

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- Number: US 10,369,822 B2
- Document ID: US10369822B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/592,230
- Filed: 2017-05-11
- Published: 2017-11-16
- Granted: 2019-08-06
- Earliest claimed: 2016-05-12
- Assignees: Roland Dg Corporation
- Applicants: Roland DG Corporation
- Inventors: Shinya Yamamoto; Masakazu Igarashi; Kiyomasa Imaizumi; Takeshi Nakanishi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369822B2

## CPC

- B41J 25/006: {for oscillating, e.g. page-width print heads provided with counter-balancing means or shock absorbers}
- B26F 1/3806: {wherein relative movements of tool head and work during cutting have a component tangential to the work surface (B26F1/40 takes precedence)}
- B41J 11/70: cutting perpendicular to the direction of paper feed
- B41J 19/202: {Drive control means for carriage movement}
- B41J 19/205: {Position or speed detectors therefor}
- B41J 29/38: Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B26F: PERFORATING; PUNCHING; CUTTING-OUT; STAMPING-OUT; SEVERING BY MEANS OTHER THAN CUTTING (marking-out, perforating or making buttonholes A41H25/00; shoemaking A43D; surgery A61B; punching metal B21D; drilling metal B23B; cutting of metal by applying heat locally, e.g. flame cutting, B23K; cutting by abrasive fluid jets B24C5/02; details common to machines for severing B26D; drilling wood B27C; drilling stone B28D; working of plastics or substances in a plastic state B29; making boxes, cartons, envelopes or bags, of paper or similarly worked materials, e.g. metal foil, B31B; of glass C03B; of leather C14B; of textile materials D06H; for light guides G02B6/25; of tickets G07B)

## Abstract

A printer includes a motor power supply line connecting a carriage motor with a power source, a sensor power supply line connecting a rotary encoder with the power source, a circuit breaker provided on the motor power supply line and interrupting electrical power if a cover sensor detects that a front cover is open and permit connection if the cover sensor detects that the front cover is closed, and a controller controlling the carriage motor and a recording head based on a position of a carriage detected by the rotary encoder.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A printer comprising:
a casing;
a guide rail disposed in the casing;
a carriage engaged with the guide rail;
a carriage motor coupled to the carriage and causing the carriage to move along the guide rail;
a recording head provided on the carriage so as to move with the carriage;
an openable/closable cover fitted to the casing;
a cover sensor detecting whether the cover is open or closed;
a position sensor detecting a position of the carriage;
a motor power supply line connecting the carriage motor with a power source;
a sensor power supply line connecting the position sensor with the power source;
a circuit breaker provided on the motor power supply line and opening if the cover sensor detects that the cover is open; and
a controller communicatively connected to the position sensor, the carriage motor, and the recording head, and controlling the carriage motor and the recording head based on the position of the carriage detected by the position sensor, wherein
the carriage motor is operated when a voltage equal to or higher than a predetermined minimum operating voltage is applied thereto;
the motor power supply line applies a voltage equal to or higher than the predetermined minimum operating voltage to the carriage motor; and
the sensor power supply line applies a voltage lower than the predetermined minimum operating voltage to the position sensor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The printer according to claim 1, wherein the position sensor includes a rotary encoder coupled to the carriage motor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The printer according to claim 2, wherein:
the recording head includes an inkjet head including a plurality of nozzles that eject ink; and
the printer further comprises:
a platen supporting a recording medium; and
a cap disposed closer to one end of the guide rail than the platen, and covering the nozzles by being fitted onto the inkjet head; wherein:
the guide rail includes a print area positioned above the platen and a home position area positioned above the cap; and
the controller causes the carriage to move from a position at which the carriage engages with the print area of the guide rail to the home position area, based on the position of the carriage that is detected by the rotary encoder.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The printer according to claim 1, further comprising:
a platen supporting a recording medium; wherein
the cover includes a front cover at least a portion of which is positioned in front of or above the platen.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The printer according to claim 1, further comprising a cutting head including a cutter, the cutting head being provided on the carriage so as to move with the carriage.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The printer according to claim 5, wherein the controller is communicatively connected to the cutting head and controls the carriage motor and the cutting head based on the position of the carriage detected by the position sensor.