# US 11,897,255 B2 · Recording apparatus and recording system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,897,255 B2 - Document ID: US11897255B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/243,925 - Filed: 2021-04-29 - Published: 2021-08-12 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-27 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Nobuyuki Mizushima; Kazuyoshi Ohashi; Akinori Muromachi; Kohei Ueno - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897255B2 ## CPC - B41J 11/00242: {Controlling the temperature of the conduction means} - B41J 13/02: Rollers (roller platens B41J11/04) - B41J 3/60: for printing on both faces of the printing material - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract A recording unit which is provided in a recording system includes a heat roller pair which contacts paper and performs drying of the paper after recording by a line head using heating and a control unit which controls operation of the heat roller pair, in which a heating region of the heat roller pair is divided into a plurality of subdivisions in a width direction which intersects the medium transport direction and the heat roller pair is configured to be capable of modifying a heating state for each subdivision region, and in which the control unit controls the heating state of each of the subdivision regions in the heat roller pair according to conditions when performing drying of the paper using the heat roller pair. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An after-treatment unit comprising: a post processing section that is configured to execute post-processing on a medium after a recording section applies a liquid to the medium to thereby perform a recording on the medium, a drying unit configured to contact the medium and perform drying of the liquid on the medium after the recording by heating the medium to avoid jamming, which is caused when the medium is curled; and a control unit configured to control operation of the drying unit, wherein the drying unit is configured such that a heating region is divided into a central subdivision region and non-central subdivision regions in a width direction which intersects a medium transport direction and to be capable of individually modifying a heating state for each subdivision region according to a width size of the medium, wherein the drying unit is configured to include a roller pair of a first roller and a second roller, wherein the roller pair pinches the medium between the first roller and the second roller, wherein at least the first roller is heated, wherein the first roller has a plurality of heat sources in the width direction which intersects the medium transport direction, and wherein the control unit is configured to adjust a power of each heat source individually such that a heat state of the central subdivision region and a heat state of the non-central subdivision regions are different from each other according to the width size of the medium. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The after-treatment unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control each heat source so that a temperature of each heat source differs in the width direction when the drying of the medium is performed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The after-treatment unit according to claim 1, wherein, when the width size of the medium is grater then a predetermined width size, the control unit is configured to set the heating state of the central subdivision region to a first state, and set the heating state of the non-central subdivision regions to a second state in which more heating is performed than in the first state. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The after-treatment unit according to claim 1, wherein, using a discharge amount of the liquid as a condition when performing the drying, in the width direction of the medium, the control unit is configured to set the heating state of the subdivision regions corresponding to a recording region in which the discharge amount of the liquid is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value to the first state, and set the heating state of the subdivision regions corresponding to a recording region in which the discharge amount of the liquid exceeds the predetermined threshold value to the second state in which more heating is performed than in the first state. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The after-treatment unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the heat sources is controlled by the control unit not to be heated when drying the medium. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The after-treatment unit according to claim 1, wherein the second roller has a plurality of heat sources in the width direction which intersects the medium transport direction. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The after-treatment unit according to claim 1, wherein when a width of the medium is greater than a predetermined threshold, the control unit sets the heating state of the subdivision regions corresponding to regions other than end portions in the width direction to a first state, and sets the heating state of the subdivision regions corresponding to the end portions in the width direction of the medium to a second state in which more heating is performed than the first state. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The after-treatment unit according to claim 1, wherein, when the width size of the medium is not greater than a predetermined width size, the control unit is configured to set the heating state of the central subdivision region to a second state, and set the heating state of the non-central subdivision regions to a first state in which less heating is performed than in the second state. ### Claim 9 An after-treatment unit comprising: a post processing section that is configured to execute post-processing on a medium after a recording section applies a liquid to the medium to thereby perform recording on the medium, a drying unit which is configured to contact the medium and perform drying of the liquid on the medium after the recording by heating the medium to avoid jamming, which is caused when the medium is curled; and a control unit which is configured to control operation of the drying unit, wherein the drying unit is configured such that a heating region is divided into a central subdivision region and non-central subdivision regions in a width direction which intersects a medium transport direction and to be capable of individually modifying a heating state for each subdivision region according to a width size of the medium, wherein the drying unit is configured to include a roller pair of a first roller and a second roller, wherein the roller pair pinches the medium between the first roller and the second roller, wherein the first roller is heated with a first internal heater internal to the first roller, and the second roller is heated with a second internal heater internal to the second roller, wherein the control unit is configured to adjust a temperature of each of the first internal heater and the second internal heater individually, and the control unit is configured to adjust a power such that a heat state of the central subdivision region and a heat state of the non-central subdivision regions are different from each other according to the width size of the medium. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The after-treatment unit according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to control each of a first internal heat source and a second internal heat source so that a temperature of each of the first roller or the second roller differs when the drying of the medium is performed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The after-treatment unit according to claim 9, wherein, when the width size of the medium is greater than a predetermined width size, the control unit is configured to set the heating state of the central subdivision region to a first state, and set the heating state of the non-central subdivision regions to a second state in which more heating is performed than in the first state. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The after-treatment unit according to claim 9, wherein, using a discharge amount of the liquid as a condition when performing the drying, in the width direction of the medium, the control unit is configured to set the heating state of the subdivision regions corresponding to a recording region in which the discharge amount of the liquid is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value to the first state, and set the heating state of the subdivision regions corresponding to a recording region in which the discharge amount of the liquid exceeds the predetermined threshold value to the second state in which more heating is performed than in the first state. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The after-treatment unit according to claim 9, wherein at least one of the first internal heater and the second internal heater is controlled by the control unit not to be heated when drying the medium. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The after-treatment unit according to claim 9, wherein, when the width size of the medium is not greater than a predetermined width size, the control unit is configured to set the heating state of the central subdivision region to a second state, and set the heating state of the non-central subdivision regions to a first state in which less heating is performed than in the second state. ### Claim 15 A relay unit comprising: a relay unit path that is configured to transport a medium after recording from a recording unit to an after-treatment unit, wherein the recording unit applied liquid to the medium to perform the recording, a drying unit which is configured to contact the medium and perform drying of the liquid on the medium after the recording by heating the medium to avoid jamming, which is caused when the medium is curled; and a control unit which is configured to control operation of the drying unit, wherein the drying unit is configured such that a heating region is divided into a central subdivision region and non-central subdivision regions in a width direction which intersects a medium transport direction and to be capable of individually modifying a heating state for each subdivision region according to a width size of the medium, wherein the drying unit is configured to include a roller pair of a first roller and a second roller, wherein the roller pair pinches the medium between the first roller and the second roller, wherein at least one of the first roller and the second roller is heated, wherein at least one of the first roller and the second roller has a plurality of heat sources in the width direction which intersects the medium transport direction, and wherein the control unit is configured to adjust a temperature of each heat source individually such that a heat state of the central subdivision region and a heat state of the non-central subdivision regions are different from each other according to the width size of the medium. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The relay unit according to claim 15, wherein the control unit is configured to control each heat source so that a temperature of each heat source differs in the width direction when the drying of the medium is performed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The relay unit according to claim 15, wherein, when the width size of the medium is greater than a predetermined width size, the control unit is configured to set the heating state of the central subdivision region to a first state, and set the heating state of the non-central subdivision regions to a second state in which more heating is performed than in the first state. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The relay unit according to claim 15, wherein, using a discharge amount of the liquid as a condition when performing the drying, in the width direction of the medium, the control unit is configured to set the heating state of the subdivision regions corresponding to a recording region in which the discharge amount of the liquid is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value to the first state, and set the heating state of the subdivision regions corresponding to a recording region in which the discharge amount of the liquid exceeds the predetermined threshold value to the second state in which more heating is performed than in the first state. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The relay unit according to claim 15, wherein at least one of the heat sources is controlled by the control unit not to be heated when drying the medium. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The relay unit according to claim 15, Wherein, when the width size of the medium is not greater than a predetermined width size, the control unit is configured to set the heating state of the central subdivision region to a second state, and set the heating state of the non-central subdivision regions to a first state in which less heating is performed than in the second state.