# US 9,751,334 B2 · Liquid ejecting apparatus and heating unit control method

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 9,751,334 B2
- Document ID: US9751334B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/667,816
- Filed: 2015-03-25
- Published: 2015-10-01
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2014-03-27
- Assignees: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Applicants: Seiko Epson Corporation
- Inventors: Osamu Hara; Shuichiro Nakano
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751334B2

## CPC

- B41J 11/00216: {using infrared [IR] radiation or microwaves}
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a heating unit; a detecting unit capable of detecting the energies of plural detection areas in a heating area to be heated by the heating unit; and a controller that controls the heating unit on the basis of the energies of the plural detection areas detected by the detecting unit. The controller controls the number of detection areas which are used in control of the heating unit in a case where a medium has been transported to a position where the medium overlaps with at least one of the plural detection areas so that the number is larger than the number of detection areas which are used in the control of the heating unit in a case where a medium has been transported to a position where the medium does not overlap with at least one of the plural detection areas.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising:
a transport unit that transports a medium;
a liquid ejecting unit that is capable of ejecting liquid to the medium;
a heating unit that is capable of heating the medium;
a detecting unit that is capable of simultaneously detecting energies from a plurality of detection areas, wherein the detecting unit is downstream of the liquid ejecting unit in a transport direction; and
a controller that is capable of controlling the heating unit based on the energies collected by the detecting unit and that is capable of detecting whether the medium overlaps with at least one of the plurality of detection areas based on the energies collected by the detecting unit,
wherein a number of detection areas that are used by the controller to control the heating unit is higher in a case where the medium is transported to a position where the medium overlaps with at least one of the plurality of detection areas than in a case where the medium has been transported to a position where the medium does not overlap with at least one of the plurality of detection areas, wherein the controller controls the heating unit based on an average of the energies detected from the plurality of detection areas.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein on the basis of a difference between the energies of the plurality of detection areas, the controller determines whether the medium has been transported to the position where the medium overlaps with the at least one of the plurality of detection areas.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a medium supporting portion that has an opening and supports the medium; and
a detectable portion that is provided in the opening, and whose energy is detected by the detecting unit,
wherein the detectable portion includes one or more of the plurality of detection areas.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the plurality of detection areas are arranged in a medium transport direction, and
on the basis of energy changes of the plurality of detection areas arranged in a medium transport direction, the controller determines a position of an end of the medium in the transport direction.

### Claim 5

A heating unit control method for controlling a liquid ejecting apparatus having a heating unit that is capable of heating a medium and a detecting unit that is capable of simultaneously detecting energies from a plurality of detection areas, the heating unit control method comprising:
controlling the number of detection areas which are used in control of the heating unit to be higher in a case where a medium has been transported to a position downstream in a transport direction from a liquid ejecting unit where the medium overlaps with at least one of the plurality of detection areas than in a case where the medium has been transported to a position where the medium does not overlap with at least one of the plurality of detection areas,
wherein the same detecting unit is used to determine when the medium overlaps with the at least one of the plurality of detection areas, and
wherein the controller controls the heating unit based on an average of the energies detected from the plurality of detection areas.