# US 11,027,564 B2 · Printing apparatus and printing method

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- Number: US 11,027,564 B2
- Document ID: US11027564B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/810,244
- Filed: 2020-03-05
- Published: 2020-09-10
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2019-03-08
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Atsushi Imamura; Jun Yamada; Masashi Kitahara
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027564B2

## CPC

- B41J 2/2146: {for line print heads}
- B41J 11/44: by devices, e.g. program tape or contact wheel, moved in correspondence with movement of paper-feeding devices, e.g. platen rotation
- B41J 2/2114: {Ejecting specialized liquids, e.g. transparent or processing liquids (B41J2/211 takes precedence)}
- B41J 2/2117: {Ejecting white liquids}
- B41J 2/2132: {Print quality control characterised by dot disposition, e.g. for reducing white stripes or banding (methods for local corrections by dot omission, image edge enhancement, or multi-pass mask selection G06K15/102; colour conversion H04N1/40)}
- B41J 11/0015: {for treating before, during or after printing or for uniform coating or laminating the copy material before or after printing (selective coating B41J2/2114)}
- B41J 11/04: Roller platens
- B41J 11/42: Controlling {printing material conveyance for accurate alignment of the printing material with the printhead; Print registering}
- B41J 15/04: Supporting, feeding, or guiding devices; Mountings for web rolls or spindles
- B41J 15/044: {Cassettes or cartridges containing continuous copy material, tape, for setting into printing devices}
- B41J 15/046: {for the guidance of continuous copy material, e.g. for preventing skewed conveyance of the continuous copy material}
- B41J 15/16: Means for tensioning or winding the web
- B41J 15/165: {for tensioning continuous copy material by use of redirecting rollers or redirecting nonrevolving guides}
- B41J 29/38: Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism
- B65H 23/192: motor-controlled
- B41J 2025/008: {comprising a plurality of print heads placed around a drum}
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES

## Abstract

In a printing apparatus, a controller is configured to control a printing unit such that printing is started after a transport distance of the substrate reaches a pre-discharge transport distance, in which the pre-discharge transport distance is set to a value not less than a first longest distance, provided that a transport distance in a condition in which the transport distance is a longest distance among conditions 1, 2, and 3 provided below is the first longest distance. Condition 1: a transport distance until a region of the substrate that was nipped between a front driving roller and a nip roller passes through a printing head disposed most downstream in a transport path of the substrate, Condition 2: a transport distance until a transport speed of the substrate becomes constant, and Condition 3: a transport distance until tension of the substrate being transported becomes stable.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A printing apparatus configured to transport a substrate in a roll-to-roll scheme,
the printing apparatus comprising:
a controller;
a printing unit including a printing head; and
a front driving roller and a nip roller disposed upstream of the printing unit and configured to nip and transport the substrate, wherein
the controller is configured to control the printing unit such that a transport of the substrate is started from a state where the transport of the substrate is stopped and printing is started after a transport distance of the substrate reaches a pre-discharge transport distance, wherein
the pre-discharge transport distance is set to a value not less than a first longest distance, provided that a transport distance in a condition, in which the transport distance is a longest distance, among Conditions 1, 2, and 3 provided below is the first longest distance wherein
Condition 1 is a transport distance until a region of the substrate that was nipped between the front driving roller and the nip roller passes through the printing head disposed most downstream in a transport path of the substrate,
Condition 2 is a transport distance until a transport speed of the substrate becomes constant, and
Condition 3 is a transport distance until tension of the substrate being transported becomes stable.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The printing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a pre-treatment unit disposed upstream of the printing unit in a transport path of the substrate and configured to perform pre-treatment on the substrate,
the printing apparatus having
a first mode for performing printing on the substrate by the printing unit without performing the pre-treatment on the substrate by the pre-treatment unit, and
a second mode for performing printing on the substrate by the printing unit after performing the pre-treatment on the substrate using the pre-treatment unit, wherein
when the first mode is selected, the pre-discharge transport distance is set to a value not less than the first longest distance, and
when the second mode is selected, the pre-discharge transport distance is set to a value not less than a second longest distance, provided that a transport distance in a condition, in which the transport distance is a longest distance, among the Conditions 1 and 3 and Condition 4 provided below is the second longest distance, wherein
Condition 4 is a transport distance until the transport speed becomes constant from a start of transport of the substrate, plus a transport distance until a leading end portion of a region pre-treated with the pre-treatment unit passes through the printing head disposed most downstream after the transport speed becomes constant.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The printing apparatus according to claim 2, comprising a table in which whether the pre-treatment is performed, an acceleration rate until a transport speed of the substrate becomes constant, and a printing speed set as the transport speed of the substrate, as printing conditions when printing is performed, are associated with the pre-discharge transport distance according to the printing conditions, wherein
the controller is configured, when performing printing, to collate the printing conditions with the table to set the pre-discharge transport distance.

### Claim 4

A printing method of a printing apparatus,
the printing apparatus including:
a controller;
a printing unit including a printing head; and
a front driving roller and a nip roller disposed upstream of the printing unit and configured to nip and transport the substrate, and
the printing apparatus being configured to transport the substrate in a roll-to-roll scheme, wherein
the controller controls the printing unit such that a transport of the substrate is started from a state where the transport of the substrate is stopped and printing is started after a transport distance of the substrate reaches a pre-discharge transport distance, and wherein
the printing method comprises a first pre-discharge transport distance setting step for setting the pre-discharge transport distance to a value not less than a first longest distance, provided that a transport distance in a condition, in which the transport distance is a longest distance, among Conditions 1, 2, and 3 provided below is the first longest distance, wherein
Condition 1 is a transport distance until a region of the substrate that was nipped between the front driving roller and the nip roller passes through the printing head disposed most downstream in a transport path of the substrate,
Condition 2 is a transport distance until a transport speed of the substrate becomes constant, and
Condition 3 is a transport distance until tension of the substrate being transported becomes stable.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The printing method according to claim 4, comprising
a pre-treatment unit disposed upstream of the printing unit in a transport path of the substrate and configured to perform pre-treatment on the substrate,
the printing method including
a first mode for performing printing on the substrate by the printing unit without performing the pre-treatment on the substrate by the pre-treatment unit, and
a second mode for performing printing on the substrate by the printing unit after performing the pre-treatment on the substrate using the pre-treatment unit, wherein
the printing method comprises
a first pre-discharge transport distance setting step for setting, by the controller, the pre-discharge transport distance to a value not less than the first longest distance when the first mode is selected, and
a second pre-discharge transport distance setting step for setting, by the controller, the pre-discharge transport distance to a value not less than a second longest distance when the second mode is selected, provided that a transport distance in a condition, in which the transport distance is a longest distance, among the Conditions 1 and 3 and Condition 4 provided below is the second longest distance, wherein
Condition 4 is a transport distance until the transport speed becomes constant from a start of transport of the substrate, plus a transport distance until a leading end portion of a region pre-treated with the pre-treatment unit passes through the printing head disposed most downstream after the transport speed becomes constant.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The printing method according to claim 5, comprising
a table in which whether the pre-treatment is performed, an acceleration rate until a transport speed of the substrate becomes constant, and a printing speed set as the transport speed of the substrate, as printing conditions when printing is performed, are associated with the pre-discharge transport distance according to the printing conditions, wherein
the printing method comprises a first pre-discharge transport distance setting step and a second pre-discharge transport distance setting step for collating the printing conditions with the table to set the pre-discharge transport distance when printing is performed.