# US 9,039,124 B2 · Printer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,039,124 B2 - Document ID: US9039124B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/448,238 - Filed: 2014-07-31 - Published: 2015-03-05 - Granted: 2015-05-26 - Earliest claimed: 2013-08-30 - Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation - Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation - Inventors: Takafumi Ogimura; Atsushi Sumii - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9039124B2 ## CPC - B41J 13/0009: {control of the transport of the copy material} - B41J 13/02: Rollers (roller platens B41J11/04) - B41J 2002/16573: {Cleaning process logic, e.g. for determining type or order of cleaning processes} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract A printer includes a pair of input rollers, a pair of output rollers, a print head and a control section. The control section is configured to transport a print medium by rotating the input rollers and the output rollers after printing on a target region and before printing on a next target region. The control section is configured to determine, before carrying out transporting, whether a combination of the input rollers and the output rollers which pinch the print medium would change in a case where the print medium were transported from a current position to a next target position, and, in a case where there would be a change, the control section being configured to transport the print medium from the current position to the target position in a retracted state where the print head is moved to an outside of a range where the print medium passes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A printer comprising: a pair of input rollers configured and arranged to pinch a print medium; a pair of output rollers configured and arranged to pinch the print medium; a print head configured and arranged to print onto a target region on the print medium while moving between the input rollers and the output rollers in a direction which intersects with a transport direction of the print medium; and a control section configured to transport the print medium by rotating the input rollers and the output rollers after printing on the target region and before printing on a next target region, the control section being configured to determine, before carrying out transporting, whether or not a combination of the input rollers and the output rollers which pinch the print medium would change in a case where the print medium were transported from a current position to a next target position, and, in a case where there would be a change, the control section being configured to transport the print medium from the current position to the target position in a retracted state where the print head is moved to an outside of a range where the print medium passes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The printer according to claim 1, wherein the control section is configured to transport the print medium from the current position to the target position in the retracted state after the print head is moved to the outside of the range where the print medium passes in a case where a state where the print medium is pinched by either pair of the input rollers or the output rollers is changed to a state where the printing medium is pinched by both pairs of the input rollers and the output rollers when the print medium is transported from the current position to the next target position. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The printer according to claim 1, wherein the control section is configured to transport the print medium from the current position to the target position in the retracted state after the print head is moved to the outside of the range where the print medium passes in a case where a state where the print medium is pinched by both pairs of the input rollers and the output rollers is changed to a state where the printing medium is pinched by either pair of the input rollers or the output rollers when the print medium is transported from the current position to the next target position. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The printer according to claim 1, wherein the control section is also configured to transport the print medium during movement of the print head in a case where the print medium is pinched by both pairs of the input rollers and the output rollers and not to transport the print medium during movement of the print head in a case where the print medium is pinched by either pair of the input rollers or the output rollers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The printer according to claim 1, wherein the control section is configured to set a movement target of the print head to the outside of the range where the print medium passes before carrying out printing. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The printer according to claim 1, wherein the control section is configured to set a retracted position of the print head based on a width of the print medium which is set in a print job. ### Claim 7 A printer comprising: a pair of input rollers configured and arranged to pinch a print medium; a pair of output rollers configured and arranged to pinch the print medium; a print head configured and arranged to print onto a target region on the print medium while moving between the input rollers and the output rollers in a direction which intersects with a transport direction of the print medium; and a control section configured to transport the print medium by rotating the input rollers and the output rollers after printing on the target region and before printing on the next target region, wherein, in a case where the print medium is transported to a next target position by being pinched by either pair of the input rollers or the output rollers after printing on a final surface of the print medium, the control section is configured to transport the print medium from a current position to the next target position in a retracted state after the print head is moved to an outside of a range where a print medium passes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The printer according to claim 7, wherein the control section is configured to move the print head to the outside of the range where the print medium passes before the print medium is transported in a direction from the input rollers toward the output rollers after final printing on the print medium. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The printer according to claim 7, wherein the control section is configured to move the print head to the outside of the range where the print medium passes before the print medium is transported in a direction from the output rollers toward the input rollers in order to carry out printing on a second surface of the print medium after printing on a first surface of the print medium.