Liquid discharge apparatus and method for controlling the same

A method for controlling a liquid discharge apparatus including a head having a nozzle surface having a plurality of nozzles which are open in the nozzle surface and through which a liquid is discharged toward an object;

• a transporting device which transports the object relative to the nozzle surface in a transporting direction and which positions the object to face the nozzle surface;
• a platen having a flexibility or bendability and provided with attachment portion to which the object is attached;
• a platen moving device which moves the platen in a direction orthogonal to the transporting direction to position the attachment portion at a nozzle facing position facing the nozzle surface under the condition that the liquid is discharged toward the object;
• and a platen lifting/lowering device which lifts and lowers the platen, the method comprising:
• (a) transporting the object by the transporting device to a liquid discharge position facing the nozzle surface, and discharging the liquid toward the object through the nozzles of the head;
• (b) moving the object, to which the liquid is adhered, out of the liquid discharging position by the transporting device;
• (c) judging whether or not the liquid is to be discharged again with the head toward the object to which the liquid is adhered;
• (d) transporting the object by the transporting device in a direction opposite to the transporting direction in the (a), under the condition that judgment is made to discharge the liquid again in the (c), and returning the object to the liquid discharging position by the transporting device;
• (e) lifting the object upwardly by the platen lifting/lowering device and then shifting a position of the object by moving the platen with the platen moving device in the direction orthogonal to the transporting direction;
• (f) transporting the object, of which position is shifted in the (e), by the transporting device further to a starting position of the (a);
• and
• (g) transporting the object by the transporting device to a direction which is same as the transporting direction in the (a), and discharging the liquid again toward the object through a nozzle, among the plurality of nozzles, of the head.

A method for controlling a liquid discharge apparatus including a head having a nozzle surface having a plurality of nozzles which are open in the nozzle surface and through which a liquid is discharged toward an object;

• a transporting device which transports the object relative to the nozzle surface in a transporting direction and which positions the object to face the nozzle surface;
• a platen having a flexibility or bendability and provided with a attachment portion to which the object is attached;
• a platen moving device which moves the platen in a direction orthogonal to the transporting direction to position the attachment portion at a nozzle facing position facing the nozzle surface under the condition that the liquid is discharged toward the object;
• and a nozzle cap which covers the nozzles and which is movable in a cap-moving route between a first position at which the nozzle cap contacts with the nozzle surface to cover the nozzles and a second position at which the nozzle cap is away from the nozzle surface, the method comprising:
• discharging the liquid toward the object;
• and
• moving the attachment portion with the platen moving device in the direction orthogonal to the transporting direction to retract the attachment portion to a retracting position which is out of the cap-moving route under the condition that the nozzle cap is positioned at the first position.