# US 12,005,702 B2 · Suction apparatus and printing apparatus

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- Number: US 12,005,702 B2
- Document ID: US12005702B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/809,022
- Filed: 2022-06-27
- Published: 2022-12-29
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2021-06-28
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Eishin Yoshikawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005702B2

## CPC

- B41J 11/0085: {Using suction for maintaining printing material flat (on rotatable drums B41J13/226)}
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

A suction apparatus includes a support portion, a plurality of suction holes formed in the support portion, a suction mechanism configured to perform suction from an outer side of the support portion toward an inner side through the plurality of suction holes, a lighting unit provided on the inner side of the support portion for each region of the support portion, a light transmitting portion configured to transmit light emitted by the lighting unit to the outer side of the support portion, and a control unit configured to control the lighting unit, in which the control unit makes a lighting state of the lighting unit corresponding to a suction region in which suction at the support portion is enabled different from a lighting state of the lighting unit corresponding to a non-suction region in which the suction at the support portion is disabled.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A suction apparatus comprising:
a support portion configured to support a medium and have a plurality of regions;
a plurality of suction holes formed in the support portion;
a suction mechanism, when a side, on which a medium is located, of the support portion is an outer side and a side opposite to the outer side of the support portion is an inner side, configured to perform suction from the outer side of the support portion toward the inner side through the plurality of suction holes;
a lighting unit provided on the inner side of the support portion for each region of the support portion;
a light transmitting portion configured to transmit light emitted by the lighting unit to the outer side of the support portion; and
a control unit configured to control the lighting unit, wherein
the control unit makes a lighting state of the lighting unit corresponding to a suction region in which suction at the support portion is enabled different from a lighting state of the lighting unit corresponding to a non-suction region in which the suction at the support portion is disabled.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The suction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light transmitting portion is the plurality of suction holes.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The suction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light transmitting portion is a plate surface of the support portion.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The suction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light transmitting portion is a member having light guiding properties or light transmission properties that surrounds each region of the support portion in a frame shape region by region.

### Claim 5

A printing apparatus comprising:
a support portion configured to support a medium and have a plurality of regions;
a plurality of suction holes formed in the support portion;
a suction mechanism, when a side, on which a medium is located, of the support portion is an outer side and a side opposite to the outer side of the support portion is an inner side, configured to perform suction from the outer side of the support portion toward the inner side through the plurality of suction holes;
a lighting unit provided on the inner side of the support portion for each region of the support portion;
a light transmitting portion configured to transmit light emitted by the lighting unit to the outer side of the support portion;
a printing unit configured to perform printing on the medium supported by the support portion; and
a control unit configured to control the lighting unit, wherein
the control unit makes a lighting state of the lighting unit corresponding to a suction region in which suction at the support portion is enabled different from a lighting state of the lighting unit corresponding to a non-suction region in which the suction at the support portion is disabled.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit makes, in the suction region, a lighting state of the lighting unit in a printing completed region in which printing by the printing unit on the medium placed in the suction region is completed different from a lighting state of the lighting unit in a printing incomplete region in which printing by the printing unit on the medium placed in the suction region is not completed.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit makes, in the suction region, a lighting state of the lighting unit in a printing normally completed region in which printing by the printing unit on the medium placed in the suction region is normally completed different from a lighting state of the lighting unit in a printing abnormally completed region in which printing by the printing unit on the medium placed in the suction region is completed in an abnormal state.