# US 12,214,584 B2 · Printing apparatus with device in transport path

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- Number: US 12,214,584 B2
- Document ID: US12214584B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/067,306
- Filed: 2022-12-16
- Published: 2023-06-22
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2021-12-17
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Naoto Hayakawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12214584B2

## CPC

- B41J 11/42: Controlling {printing material conveyance for accurate alignment of the printing material with the printhead; Print registering}
- B41F 13/02: Conveying or guiding webs through presses or machines
- B41F 17/00: Printing apparatus or machines of special types or for particular purposes, not otherwise provided for
- B41J 2/01: Ink jet
- B41J 3/445: {Printers integrated in other types of apparatus, e.g. printers integrated in cameras}
- B41J 11/0045: {Guides for printing material (curl smoothing B41J11/0005; platens B41J11/02, B41J11/06; guiding webs B41J15/046)}
- B41J 11/663: {Controlling cutting, cutting resulting in special shapes of the cutting line, e.g. controlling cutting positions, e.g. for cutting in the immediate vicinity of a printed image}
- B41J 11/70: cutting perpendicular to the direction of paper feed
- B41J 15/04: Supporting, feeding, or guiding devices; Mountings for web rolls or spindles
- B41J 23/02: Mechanical power drives
- B41J 29/393: Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine {; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns}
- B65H 5/06: by rollers {or balls, e.g. between rollers (transport by suction rollers B65H5/226)}
- B65H 15/00: Overturning articles
- B65H 15/004: {employing rollers}
- B65H 18/10: Mechanisms in which power is applied to web-roll spindle
- B41J 3/60: for printing on both faces of the printing material
- B41J 11/48: Apparatus for condensed record, tally strip, or like work using two or more papers, or sets of papers {, e.g. devices for switching over from handling of copy material in sheet form to handling of copy material in continuous form and vice versa or point-of-sale printers comprising means for printing on continuous copy material, e.g. journal for tills, and on single sheets, e.g. cheques or receipts (B41J15/042 takes precedence)}
- B65H 20/02: by friction roller
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41F: PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES (manifolding devices or office printing machines B41L)
- B65H: HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES

## Abstract

A printing apparatus includes: a transport roller configured to transport a medium through a transport path; a printing unit configured to perform printing on the medium transported by the transport roller through the transport path; an intermediate roller configured to transport again, to the transport path, the medium transported through an inversion path in a reverse direction to a transport direction of the medium to invert a front surface and a back surface of the medium, the inversion path including a branching point where the inversion path branches from the transport path at an upstream side of the transport roller in the transport direction, the inversion path merging with the transport path again at an upstream side of the branching point in the transport direction; a device disposed in the transport path and between the transport roller and the intermediate roller; a first driving device configured to drive the transport roller; and a second driving device configured to drive the intermediate roller, in which the intermediate roller includes an electromagnetic clutch mechanism.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A printing apparatus comprising:
a transport roller configured to transport a medium through a transport path;
a printing unit configured to perform printing on the medium transported by the transport roller through the transport path;
an intermediate roller configured to transport again, to the transport path, the medium transported through an inversion path in a reverse direction to a transport direction of the medium, to invert a front surface and a back surface of the medium, the inversion path including a branching point at which the inversion path branches from the transport path upstream of the transport roller in the transport direction, the inversion path merging with the transport path again upstream of the branching point in the transport direction;
a device disposed in the transport path and between the transport roller and the intermediate roller;
a first driving device configured to drive the transport roller; and
a second driving device configured to drive the intermediate roller;
a control unit configured to control the first driving device and the second driving device, wherein
the device is an imaging device or a cutter,
when printing is performed on the medium by the printing unit, the control unit controls the first driving device and the second driving device to rotate the transport roller and the intermediate roller in a forward direction so as to transport the medium in the transport direction,
when inverting the front suface and the back surface of the medium on which printing is performed by the printing unit, the control unit controls the first driving device and the second driving device to rotate the transport roller in a reverse direction that is a direction opposite to the forward direction and rotate the intermediate roller in the forward direction, and
when the imaging device captures an image printed on the medium by the printing unit, the control unit controls the second driving device to rotate the intermediate roller in the revere direction so as to transport the medium in the reverse direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The printing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising:
an electromagnetic clutch mechanism provided at the intermediate roller and controlled by the control unit,
a first driven roller disposed at a position facing the transport roller and configured to rotate following rotation of the transport roller; and
a second driven roller disposed at a position facing the intermediate roller and configured to rotate following rotation of the intermediate roller, wherein,
when the medium is nipped by the transport roller and the first driven roller and is also nipped by the intermediate roller and the second driven roller, when printing is performed on the medium by the printing unit, the control unit controls the electromagnetic clutch mechanism so as to cut transmission of a driving force by the second driving device to the intermediate roller.

### Claim 3

A method of controlling a printing apparatus, the printing apparatus including:
a transport roller configured to transport a medium through a transport path;
a printing unit configured to perform printing on the medium transported by the transport roller;
an intermediate roller configured to transport again, to the transport path, the medium transported through an inversion path in a reverse direction to a transport direction of the medium to invert a front surface and a back surface of the medium, the inversion path including a branching point at which the inversion path branches from the transport path upstream of the transport roller in the transport direction, the inversion path merging with the transport path again upstream of the branching point in the transport direction;
an imaging device disposed in the transport path and between the transport roller and the intermediate roller;
a first driving device configured to drive the transport roller; and
a second driving device configured to drive the intermediate roller, the method including:
rotating the transport roller and the intermediate roller in a forward direction to transport the medium in the transport direction when printing is performed on the medium by the printing unit;
rotating the transport roller in a reverse direction that is a direction opposite to the forward direction and rotating the intermediate roller in the forward direction when the front surface and the back surface of the medium on which printing is performed by the printing unit is inverted; and
rotating the intermediate roller in the reverse direction to transport the medium in the reverse direction when the imaging device captures an image printed on the medium by the printing unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of controlling a printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein
the printing apparatus comprising:
an electromagnetic clutch mechanism provided at the intermediate roller;
a first driven roller disposed at a position facing the transport roller and configured to rotate following rotation of the transport roller; and
a second driven roller disposed at a position facing the intermediate roller and configured to rotate following rotation of the intermediate roller, and
when the medium is nipped by the transport roller and the first driven roller and is also nipped by the intermediate roller and the second driven roller when printing is performed on the medium by the printing unit, the electromagnetic clutch mechanism is used to cut transmission of a driving force by the second driving device to the intermediate roller.

### Claim 5

A method of controlling a printing apparatus, the printing apparatus including:
a transport roller configured to transport a medium through a transport path;
a printing unit configured to perform printing on the medium transported by the transport roller;
an intermediate roller configured to transport again, to the transport path, the medium transported through an inversion path in a reverse direction to a transport direction of the medium to invert a front surface and a back surface of the medium, the inversion path including a branching point at which the inversion path branches from the transport path upstream of the transport roller in the transport direction, the inversion path merging with the transport path again upstream of the branching point in the transport direction;
a cutter disposed in the transport path and between the transport roller and the intermediate roller;
a first driving device configured to drive the transport roller; and
a second driving device configured to drive the intermediate roller, the method including:
rotating the transport roller and the intermediate roller in a forward direction to transport the medium in the transport direction when printing is performed on the medium by the printing unit;
controlling the first driving device and the second driving device to rotate the transport roller in a reverse direction that is a direction opposite to the forward direction and rotate the intermediate roller in the forward direction when the front surface and the back surface of the medium on which printing is performed by the printing unit is inverted; and
when the medium is cut by the cutter, rotating the intermediate roller in the reverse direction to transport the medium in the reverse direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of controlling a printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
the printing apparatus includes:
an electromagnetic clutch mechanism provided at the intermediate roller;
a first driven roller disposed at a position facing the transport roller and configured to rotate following rotation of the transport roller; and
a second driven roller disposed at a position facing the intermediate roller and configured to rotate following rotation of the intermediate roller, and
when the medium is nipped by the transport roller and the first driven roller and is also nipped by the intermediate roller and the second driven roller when printing is performed on the medium by the printing unit, the electromagnetic clutch mechanism is used to cut transmission of a driving force by the second driving device to the intermediate roller.