Inkjet printer with transport belt deformation compensation

An inkjet printer comprising:

• an endless transport belt for transporting a medium to be printed, the transport belt being formed of a plastic sheet provided with suction holes through which suction holes air may be drawn into a suction chamber adjacent and/or below the transport belt to hold a sheet onto the transport belt;
• at least one roller for driving the transport belt and at least one additional roller for driving and/or suspending the transport belt;
• at least three sensors configured to detect a deformation of the transport belt including at least an in-plane bending deformation of at least a stretch of the transport belt and to generate at least one deformation signal indicating the detected deformation;
• an actuator assembly configured to change a position and/or orientation of at least one of the rollers of the inkjet printer;
• and
• a controller configured to control the actuator assembly based on the at least one deformation signal,
• wherein the at least three sensors are arranged in a line parallel to a travel direction of the transport belt.

A method for controlling an inkjet printer, comprising the steps of:

• driving, using at least one roller, an endless transport belt of the inkjet printer for transporting a medium to be printed, wherein in addition at least one additional roller for driving and/or carrying the transport belt is provided;
• detecting a deformation of the transport belt including at least an in-plane curvature of at least a stretch of the transport belt;
• generating at least one deformation signal indicating the detected deformation;
• controlling an actuator assembly to change a position and/or orientation of at least one of the rollers of the inkjet printer based on the at least one deformation signal;
• determining whether the actuator assembly can be controlled such as to sufficiently compensate for the detected deformation;
• controlling, if that is the case, the actuator assembly to sufficiently compensate the detected deformation;
• determining, when it is determined that the actuator assembly cannot be controlled such as to sufficiently compensate for the detected deformation, whether or not the actuator assembly is able to compensate the detected deformation such as to leave a remaining deformation, wherein the remaining deformation is such that it can be sufficiently compensated by adjusting a print job;
• and, when that is the case:
• controlling the actuator assembly to compensate the detected deformation such that the determined remaining deformation remains;
• and
• adjusting the print job such as to sufficiently compensate the remaining deformation.