Liquid coater, control method for liquid coater, and image forming system

Abstract

To provide a liquid coater comprising a simple constitution that enables the positional detection and return from the abnormal position of an object that is worn.SOLUTION: A liquid coater includes: a coating module that coats a medium with liquid while being in contact with the medium; and a movement module that allows the coating module to move in a direction crossing a movement direction of the medium. The movement module includes: a module sliding mechanism that allows the coating module to move by sliding in the direction crossing the movement direction; a sensor feeler that slides in a direction identical to a sliding direction of the module sliding mechanism; and multiple feeler sensors disposed at a position where the sensor feeler is sensible. The sensor feeler includes two protrusions disposed and one recess. A disposition interval between the two protrusions (Da), a width (Db) of the recess, and a disposition interval (Dc) between the multiple feeler sensors satisfy the following relationships: Da<Dc, Db<Dc, and Dc<Da+Db, and the movement module controls the sliding direction based on a combination state of sensor outputs from the feeler sensors.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid application device, a control method for a liquid application device, and an image forming system. [Background technology]

[0002] A liquid application device is known that applies a treatment liquid to a transported medium. A roller mechanism that changes the contact position while rotating on the medium may be used as a mechanism for applying the treatment liquid to the medium. When this mechanism is used, wear progresses on a portion of the roller that contacts the medium, and the degree of wear differs from that of other portions, causing the application surface for applying the treatment liquid to the medium to become uneven, which makes it difficult to maintain uniform application of the treatment liquid. Therefore, in order to suppress the progression of partial wear of the roller due to contact with the medium, a technology is known that applies the treatment liquid while moving the portion of the roller that contacts the medium, thereby improving the durability of the roller.

[0003] For example, a technique for preventing wear caused by a medium, in which an abrasive object is caused to slide, has been disclosed (see Patent Document 1). Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the problem that the configuration is complicated because it requires detection of the position of the wear object (roller) in order to slide the wear object, and a return mechanism in case the wear object becomes abnormal in position.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid application device having a configuration that enables detection of the position of an abrasive object and recovery from an abnormal position with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above technical problems, one aspect of the present invention is a liquid coating apparatus including a coating module for applying a liquid in contact with a medium, and a moving module for movably arranging the coating module in a direction intersecting the moving direction of the medium with respect to the coating module. The moving module includes a module sliding mechanism for movably arranging the coating module by sliding in the intersecting direction, a sensor filler sliding in the same direction as the sliding direction of the module sliding mechanism, and a plurality of filler sensors arranged at positions where the sensor filler can be detected. The sensor filler has two convex portions along the sliding direction and one concave portion located between the convex portions. When the arrangement interval of the convex portions is Da, the width of the concave portion is Db, and the arrangement interval of the first filler sensor and the second filler sensor, which are the plurality of filler sensors, is Dc, the relationships Da < Dc, Db < Dc, and Dc < Da + Db are satisfied, and the sliding direction is controlled based on the combination state of a first sensor output indicating the detection of the sensor filler by the first filler sensor and a second sensor output indicating the detection of the sensor filler by the second filler sensor.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, with a simple configuration, it is possible to detect the position of the object to be worn and return from an abnormal position.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008] [Figure 1] Configuration diagram showing an example of an embodiment of an image forming system according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] Configuration diagram exemplifying a processing liquid coating apparatus as an embodiment of the liquid coating apparatus according to the present invention. [Diagram 3] Schematic diagram showing a configuration example of the above processing liquid coating apparatus. [Figure 4] Overview diagram showing an example of the moving module 280 included in the above processing liquid coating apparatus. [Diagram 5] Overview diagram showing an example of the position detection mechanism included in the above processing liquid coating apparatus. [Figure 6]4A to 4C are diagrams showing an example of detection of a current position in the position detection mechanism. [Figure 7] 6 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a position detection mechanism included in the treatment liquid application device. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a control block of the treatment liquid coating apparatus. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a control block of the treatment liquid coating apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a liquid application device, a control method for a liquid application device, and an image forming apparatus system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] [Embodiment of Image Forming Apparatus] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of an image forming system 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the image forming system 1000 is a printing system including a feeding device 100, a treatment liquid application device 200, a printer 300 as an image forming device, and a medium discharge device 400. Each unit constituting the image forming system 1000, i.e., the feeding device 100, the treatment liquid application device 200, the printer 300, and the medium discharge device 400, may be modularized or integrated.

[0011] The feeding device 100 is a recording medium supplying device that stores a sheet 219 as a recording medium on which an image is formed, and supplies the sheet 219 to the treatment liquid application device 200. The sheet 219 is, for example, a "cut sheet" that is cut to a predetermined size. Note that the sheet 219 may be something other than a cut sheet.

[0012] The treatment liquid application device 200 corresponds to an embodiment of a liquid application device according to the present invention. The treatment liquid application device 200 applies a treatment liquid 207, which has the effect of agglomerating ink ejected onto the sheet 219 and preventing show-through, to the image forming surface of the sheet 219. The components of the treatment liquid 207 are appropriately selected in consideration of the components of the ink, the material of the sheet 219, and the like. Note that the type of treatment liquid is not limited, and treatment liquids for various purposes can be applied to the sheet 219.

[0013] The printer 300 includes an image forming section 310 that ejects ink droplets onto a sheet 219 onto which the treatment liquid has been applied in the treatment liquid application device 200 to form an image, and a drying section 320 that dries the treatment liquid 207 and ink droplets adhering to the sheet 219.

[0014] The printer 300 further includes an inverting device 330 for printing on both sides of the sheet 219. The inverting device 330 has a function of inverting and returning the sheet 219 from the drying section 320 to the image forming section 310. This allows a process to be performed in which an image is formed on both sides of the sheet 219 by discharging ink droplets onto the back side of the image forming side on which an image has been previously formed, and then drying the side on which a new image has been formed in the drying section 320. The sheet 219 on which an image has been formed by the printer 300 is discharged to the medium discharge device 400.

[0015] The medium ejection device 400 is a device that stores the sheet 219 on which the image forming process has been performed in the printer 300 .

[0016] [Embodiment of Liquid Coating Apparatus] Next, a configuration example of the treatment liquid coating apparatus 200 is shown in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 2, the treatment liquid coating apparatus 200 includes a liquid coating unit 210, a treatment liquid supply unit 230, a carry-in unit 240, an unloading unit 250, a transport path 260, and a control unit 270.

[0017] The processing liquid supply unit 230 includes a supply tank 232 connected to the liquid supply pan 208 via a supply pipe 231, and a waste liquid tank 236 connected to the liquid supply pan 208 via a discharge pipe 235. A supply pump 233 and a supply valve 234 are disposed in the supply pipe 231. When the processing liquid 207 stored in the liquid supply pan 208 falls below a predetermined amount, the supply valve 234 is opened to drive the supply pump 233, and the processing liquid 207 is supplied to the liquid supply pan 208. The predetermined amount of the processing liquid 207 is set so as to maintain at least a liquid level at which the pumping roller 201 can pump up the processing liquid 207. A discharge pump 237 and a discharge valve 238 are disposed in the discharge pipe 235. By opening the discharge valve 238 and driving the discharge pump 237, the deteriorated processing liquid 207 in the liquid supply pan 208 can be discharged to the waste liquid tank 236.

[0018] The carry-in section 240 is a section where the sheet 219 conveyed from the feeding device 100 is introduced into the treatment liquid application device 200, and the carry-out section 250 is a section where the sheet 219, on which the treatment liquid 207 has been applied in the liquid application section 210, is sent to the printer 300. The conveying path 260 is made up of a plurality of conveying rollers and a plurality of paper guides. The sheet 219, which is a single-leaf medium discharged from the feeding device 100, is conveyed into the treatment liquid application device 200 via the carry-in section 240, conveyed by the conveying path 260 to the liquid application section 210, where the treatment liquid 207 is applied. Thereafter, the sheet 219 is conveyed by the conveying path 260 to the carry-out section 250, and sent to the printer 300. A first branch gate 251 and a second branch gate 252 for switching the conveying direction of the sheet 219 are arranged in the conveying path 260 of the carry-out section 250 in the conveying path 260.

[0019] The control unit 270 corresponds to a control unit that controls the operation of the treatment liquid coating apparatus 200. Fig. 8 shows an example of a hardware configuration of the control unit 270. As shown in Fig. 8, the control unit 270 is an information processing unit that includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 271, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 272, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 273, an NVRAM (Non-Volatie Random Access Memory) 274 that is a rewritable non-volatile memory for retaining data even when the power is cut off, an interface (I / F) 275, a data bus 276 that links these, and the like, and realizes processing functions by executing computer programs.

[0020] The control unit 270 is an electronic component that controls the operation of an operating mechanism included in the treatment liquid coating apparatus 200 by causing the CPU 271 to execute a control program recorded in the ROM 272. The RAM 273 included in the control unit 270 is used as a work area when the control program is executed. In addition, the NVRAM 274 of the control unit 270 stores various data used in a treatment liquid coating control process described below. That is, in the control unit 270, the CPU 271 reads out the control program stored in the ROM 272 and expands it in a storage area of ​​the RAM 273, and the CPU 271 executes the control program while reading out various data stored in the NVRAM 274. The NVRAM 274 constitutes a storage unit that stores a coating amount data table and a coating amount correction data table described below.

[0021] Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks realized by executing a control program in the control unit 270. As shown in Fig. 9, the control unit 270 has a conveying speed control unit 2701 for controlling the conveying speed of the sheet 219, a roller rotation speed control unit 2702 for controlling the rotation speed of the application roller 203, a branch gate control unit 2703 for inverting the sheet 219 so that the treatment liquid 207 is applied to both sides of the sheet 219 when forming images on both sides of the sheet 219, and a storage unit 2704 for storing parameters and the like used by the control program.

[0022] The control unit 270 according to this embodiment controls, by a conveying speed control unit 2701, the conveying speed (liquid application conveying speed) of the sheet 219 caused by the operation of the application roller 203 included in the liquid application unit 210, based on the conveying speed (image formation conveying speed) of the sheet 219 in the printer 300. In this case, the control unit 270 controls, by a roller rotation speed control unit 2702, so that the liquid application conveying speed is faster than the image formation conveying speed. Specifically, the rotation speed of the drive device 215 that rotates the application roller 203 is controlled so that it is faster than the rotation speed of the drive source that determines the image formation conveying speed, and the rotation speed of the application roller 203 is changed by this control, thereby changing the amount of treatment liquid applied.

[0023] Therefore, the control unit 270 controls the liquid application transport speed so that it can be changed arbitrarily while keeping the image formation transport speed constant. That is, the image formation transport speed is used as a reference, and the liquid application transport speed is changed arbitrarily by controlling the amount of change in the liquid application transport speed relative to this reference, thereby changing the amount of treatment liquid applied. The control unit 270 also controls the transport operation of the sheet 219 in the transport path 260, and the operation of switching between the first branch gate 251 and the second branch gate 252 depending on whether printing is to be done on the front side only or on the front and back sides, by using the branch gate control unit 2703.

[0024] [Configuration of application module] Next, the configuration of the liquid application unit 210 as a coating module will be described with reference to the schematic diagram of Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the liquid application unit 210 includes a plurality of roller-shaped members, and pumps up the treatment liquid 207 from a liquid supply pan 208 by combining these roller-shaped members, and applies the treatment liquid 207 to a sheet 219 that is being conveyed.

[0025] Each roller-shaped member is rotatably held inside the housing of the treatment liquid coating apparatus 200. The rotation axes of the roller-shaped members are substantially parallel to each other. That is, the multiple roller-shaped members are held parallel to each other inside the housing of the treatment liquid coating apparatus 200.

[0026] The liquid application section 210 includes a pumping roller 201 which is a third roller-shaped member, a metering roller 202 which is a fourth roller-shaped member, an application roller 203 which is a first roller-shaped member, a pressure roller 204 which is a second roller-shaped member, and a pressure roller 205 which is a fifth roller-shaped member.

[0027] The application roller 203 and the pressure roller 204 are small diameter rollers to prevent a "winding jam" that is likely to occur when the sheet 219 is thin. The application roller 203 and the pressure roller 204 are made of a rubber material or have a painted surface.

[0028] In addition, the measuring roller 202 and the pressing roller 205 are configured with high rigidity and are disposed at positions to sandwich the application roller 203 and the pressure roller 204 so as to form a nip portion that sandwiches the sheet 219. The pumping roller 201 is held by a liquid supply pan 208, and the liquid supply pan 208 is filled with the treatment liquid 207.

[0029] The roller-shaped members are held so that adjacent rollers are in contact with each other. The roller-shaped members are configured to rotate simultaneously by the drive of a roller drive motor 206. The treatment liquid 207 pumped up by the rotation of the pumping roller 201 is transferred to the surface of the application roller 203 via the metering roller 202.

[0030] Between the application roller 203 and the pressure roller 204, an upper entrance guide 225, an upper exit guide 226, a lower entrance guide 227, and a lower exit guide 228 which form part of the transport path of the sheet 219 are arranged.

[0031] The sheet 219 is transported through the gap between the inlet upper guide 225 and the inlet lower guide 227, and passes through the nip portion formed by the application roller 203 and the pressure roller 204. The sheet 219 then passes through the gap between the outlet upper guide 226 and the outlet lower guide 228, which are disposed downstream in the transport direction from the nip portion, and is transported further downstream. When the sheet 219 passes through the nip portion, one side of the sheet 219 is pressed against the surface of the application roller 203 holding the treatment liquid 207. As a result, the treatment liquid 207 is applied to one side of the sheet 219 so as to be transferred thereto.

[0032] [Embodiment of module sliding mechanism] Next, an overview of the moving module 280 including an embodiment of a module sliding mechanism included in the liquid application device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The moving module 280 has a function of moving the liquid application unit 210 in a predetermined direction. By moving the liquid application unit 210, the moving module 280 can suppress wear of a specific portion of a roller-shaped member that may occur when the liquid application unit 210 applies the treatment liquid 207 to the sheet 219. As shown in FIG. 4, the moving direction Dm of the liquid application unit 210 by the moving module 280 is a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the sheet 219. This direction corresponds to the width direction of the sheet 219. In other words, the moving module 280 is a mechanism for moving the liquid application unit 210 in the width direction of the sheet 219.

[0033] The moving module 280 reciprocates the roller-shaped member in the width direction of the sheet 219. This reciprocating movement moves the position where the roller-shaped member comes into contact with the sheet 219 to apply the treatment liquid 207 (see FIG. 3) to the sheet 219.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 4, the moving module 280 includes at least a slider 281 as an example of a module sliding mechanism, a worm 282, a worm drive motor 283, a sensor feeler 284, a rear sensor 285 as a first sensor, a front sensor 286 as a second sensor, and a connecting member 287.

[0035] The worm 282 is fixed to the frame of the translation module 280 and is rotated by a worm drive motor 283 .

[0036] The slider 281 is connected to a worm 282, and moves in a moving direction Dm, which is the width direction of the sheet 219, by the rotation of the worm 282.

[0037] The slider 281 and the liquid application part 210 are connected by a connecting member 287 .

[0038] The liquid application section 210 is housed inside the treatment liquid application device 200, but is held so as to have a degree of freedom in the width direction (media width direction) of the sheet 219, so that it can move in accordance with the movement of the slider 281 by the moving module 280.

[0039] When the liquid application unit 210 uses a roller-shaped member as a configuration for transporting the sheet 219 as in the above embodiment, the moving module 280 can suppress wear of the roller-shaped member. On the other hand, the liquid application unit 210 can also use a belt-shaped member as a configuration for transporting the sheet 219. In this case, the moving module 280 can also suppress wear of the belt-shaped member. When a belt-shaped member is used in the moving module 280, the belt-shaped member may be provided with a function for cooling the medium.

[0040] [Slider 281 position detection mechanism] Next, a position detection mechanism of the slider 281 that holds the liquid application part 210 movably in the width direction of the sheet 219 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 illustrates the relationship between a sensor feeler 284 provided in the moving module 280, a rear sensor 285 as a first sensor that is arranged to be able to detect the position of the sensor feeler 284, and a front sensor 286 as a second sensor.

[0041] As already explained, sensor feeler 284 is attached to slider 281. Therefore, the sliding directions of sensor feeler 284 and slider 281 are the same. That is, by determining the position of sensor feeler 284, the position of slider 281 can be determined.

[0042] The sensor feeler 284 is a member having a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view with its longitudinal direction in the movement direction of the slider 281, and has an uneven shape on the long sides (ends extending in the movement direction) of the rectangle.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 5, the uneven shape of the sensor filler 284 is formed by two convex portions (a first convex portion 2841 and a second convex portion 2842) in the movement direction of the sensor filler 284 which is the same as the movement direction of the slider 281, and a concave portion 2843 provided between the first convex portion 2841 and the second convex portion 2842.

[0044] A first convex portion 2841 and a second convex portion 2842 that move in the width direction (media width direction) of the sheet 219 due to the movement of the slider 281 are detected by a plurality of filler sensors attached to the frame of the moving module 280. The two filler sensors according to this embodiment are a rear sensor 285 as an example of a first filler sensor and a front sensor 286 as an example of a second filler sensor. The position of the sensor filler 284 can be determined by determining the combined state of the first sensor output, which is the sensor output of the rear sensor 285, and the second sensor output, which is the sensor output of the front sensor 286, in the CPU 271.

[0045] That is, the combined state of the sensor outputs of the rear sensor 285 and the front sensor 286 changes depending on the positional relationship between the sensor feeler 284 and the rear sensor 285 and the front sensor 286. The current position of the slider 281 can be determined by determining the timing of the change in the combined state of the sensor outputs (the timing at which the state is switched).

[0046] Next, the dimensional relationship in the moving direction of the first convex portion 2841, the second convex portion 2842, and the concave portion 2843 provided in the sensor filler 284 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the arrangement interval (width) in the sliding direction of the first convex portion 2841 and the second convex portion 2842 is defined as "Da". Also, the width in the sliding direction of the concave portion 2843 is defined as "Db". And the arrangement interval in which the sensor fillers 284 in the rear sensor 285 and the front sensor 286 are arranged so as to be able to detect the sensor filler 284 is defined as "Dc".

[0047] The moving module 280 according to the present embodiment holds the sensor filler 284, the rear sensor 285, and the front sensor 286 such that the magnitude relationship among the above "Da", "Db", and "Dc" is "Da < Dc", "Db < Dc", and "Dc < Da + Db".

[0048] [Position Detection Pattern of Slider 281] Next, the relationship between the position of the sensor filler 284 arranged with the above relationship (the position of the slider 281) and the sensor output patterns of the rear sensor 285 and the front sensor 286 will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

[0049] As already described with reference to FIG. 5, the rear sensor 285 and the front sensor 286 are arranged such that the positional relationship with the concavo-convex shape of the sensor filler 284 is a specific positional relationship in order to be able to detect the position of the sensor filler 284. There are four combinations of sensor outputs when the rear sensor 285 and the front sensor 286 detect the first convex portion 2841 and the second convex portion 2842 within the range of the normal position. Therefore, the CPU 271 can specify the positional relationship between the sensor filler 284, the rear sensor 285, and the front sensor 286 by determining the timing at which the combination of sensor outputs switches. As a result, the control unit 270 can control the position of the liquid application unit 210 based on the position of the slider 281.

[0050] FIG. 6 is a table classifying the positional distinctions (names) of the slider 281, the combinations of the sensor outputs, and the abnormality detection of the slider position, corresponding to the positional relationship between the sensor feeler 284 and each sensor.

[0051] For example, when there is no sensor filler 284 at the position of the rear sensor 285 and the sensor output indicates "transmission", and when there is a sensor filler 284 at the position of the front sensor 286 and the sensor output indicates "light blocking", the distinction (name) of the position of the slider 281 is set to "HomePos". Also, when there is a sensor filler 284 at the position of the rear sensor 285 and the sensor output indicates "light blocking", and when there is a sensor filler 284 at the position of the front sensor 286 and the sensor output indicates "light blocking", the distinction (name) of the position of the slider 281 is set to "CenterPos".

[0052] Also, for example, a case where there is a sensor filler 284 at the position of the rear sensor 285, the sensor output indicates "light blocking", and there is no sensor filler 284 at the position of the front sensor 286, the sensor output indicates "transmission" is defined as "TurnPos". And a case where there is no sensor filler 284 at the position of the rear sensor 285, the sensor output indicates "transmission", and there is no sensor filler 284 at the position of the front sensor 286, the sensor output indicates "transmission" is defined as "SafetyPos".

[0053] Hereinafter, the combination of the sensor output of the rear sensor 285 and the front sensor 286 will be expressed as "sensor output of rear sensor 285 / sensor output of front sensor 286". And since the sensor output when there is no sensor filler 284 and light is transmitted is equivalent to off, it will be expressed as "0". And, since the sensor output when there is a sensor filler 284 and light is blocked is equivalent to on, it will be expressed as "1".

[0054] When attempting to move the position of the liquid application unit 210 from "HomePos" to "CenterPos", the sensor feeler 284 is moved toward the front by driving the worm drive motor 283 until the sensor output switches from "1 / 0" to "0 / 0".

[0055] When the liquid application unit 210 is caused to make one reciprocating movement in the media width direction, the position of the slider 281 (hereinafter, also referred to as the "slider position") may be controlled as follows. Then, by repeatedly controlling the reciprocating movement of the slider 281 during execution of the image forming process on the sheet 219, it is possible to prevent a specific portion of the roller-shaped member from wearing down due to contact with the sheet 219.

[0056] Furthermore, if the initial position of the slider 281 is detected before the slider 281 starts reciprocating, the reciprocating motion of the slider 281 can be started appropriately even from a position midway through the reciprocating cycle.

[0057] The transition of the slider position in one round trip is as follows: "HomePos" -> "CenterPos" -> "TurnPos" -> "CenterPos" -> "HomePos" -> "SafetyPos" -> "HomePos".

[0058] As described above, when the slider 281 is located within the operating range for normal operation (normal position), there are four combinations in which the two sensor outputs are the same. However, if the case where the slider 281 has moved to a position outside of the normal operation due to some abnormality (abnormal position) is also included, the number of combinations of sensor outputs corresponding to the actual slider position becomes seven.

[0059] An abnormal position where the sensor outputs of both the rear sensor 285 and the front sensor 286 are "1" (transparent) may also exist when the second convex portion 2842 of the slider 281 is positioned outside the rear sensor 285. However, since the movable range of the slider 281 is restricted by the frame, the movable module 280 cannot move to an abnormal position where the sensor outputs of both the rear sensor 285 and the front sensor 286 are "1" (transparent), and therefore this is omitted in the following description.

[0060] It is not possible to distinguish between an abnormal position and a normal position, and even if the slider 281 is in an abnormal position due to an assembly error or a sensor failure, it may be determined to be in the normal position, and image formation may start even if the slider 281 is in the abnormal position. To detect an abnormal position, it is necessary to move the slider position in order, measure the time until the sensor output of the rear sensor 285 and the front sensor 286 switches, and compare this with the time in the case of normal operation.

[0061] The time required for normal operation can be calculated from the gear ratio of the worm 282, the rotational speed setting of the worm drive motor 283, and the like.

[0062] For example, the sensor switching times are distinguished as follows: The first actual measurement time T1 of sensor switching is from "SaftyPos" (sensor output: 1 / 1) to "HomePos" (sensor output: 1 / 0).

[0063] The second actual measurement time T2 of sensor switching is set to "HomePos" (sensor output: 1 / 0) -> "CenterPos" (sensor output: 0 / 0).

[0064] The third actual measurement time T3 of sensor switching: “CenterPos” (sensor output: 0 / 0) -> “TurnPos” (sensor output: 0 / 1).

[0065] For example, the sensor outputs of the rear sensor 285 and the front sensor 286 for "RearErrorPos" and "TurnPos" are both "0 / 1." That is, the slider position, including the abnormal position, cannot be distinguished by the sensor output alone.

[0066] Therefore, as an initial operation before the start of the image forming operation, the current position is detected by performing an operation of reciprocating the slider 281 once. At this time, if there is a difference between the third actual measurement time T3 of the sensor switching and the normal operation time, it can be determined that the current position of the slider 281 is an abnormal position.

[0067] Since the abnormal position where the sensor output is "0 / 1" is "RearErrorPos", it is understood that the slider 281 is in a position that has advanced too far to the rear side. After that, as a return operation, the slider 281 is moved to the front side until it is moved to the normal position, "SaftyPos".

[0068] [Slider movement amount] In the configuration described with reference to FIG. 6, the movement amount D in the movement direction Dm of the slider 281 corresponds to "movement amount D=2Da+Db."

[0069] As shown in Fig. 7, various component shapes can be assumed for the sensor filler 284. And, Da and Db already explained are determined by the component shape of the sensor filler 284, as shown in Fig. 7. Therefore, when changing the amount of movement D of the slider 281 in the media width direction, it is sufficient to replace the sensor filler 284 so as to change the shape, etc.

[0070] Furthermore, in order to implement a plurality of movement amounts D without replacing the sensor feeler 284, the number and positions of the concave and convex shapes provided on the sensor feeler 284 may be increased correspondingly by configuring the sensor feeler 284 to have an increased number of sensors, as shown in FIGS. 7(c) and 7(d).

[0071] FIG. 7A is the configuration already described, and is an example of a configuration in which the amount of movement D in the media width direction is the normal amount.

[0072] FIG. 7B is an example of a configuration in which the amount of movement D in the media width direction is increased from the normal amount when compared to FIG. 7A.

[0073] FIG. 7(c) shows an example of a configuration in which a plurality of uneven shapes are formed on one side of the longitudinal edge of the sensor feeler 284, making it possible to distinguish a plurality of threshold values ​​for determining the movement amount D, and in addition to the normal movement amount D, an expansion movement amount D1 can be detected by a single sensor feeler 284.

[0074] FIG. 7D shows a configuration example in which a concave-convex shape is formed on both sides of the longitudinal side of the sensor feeler 284, making it possible to detect the normal movement amount D and the expansion movement amount D1 by one sensor feeler 284.

[0075] In the configurations of Figures 7(c) and 7(d), the rear sensor 285 and the front sensor 286 are arranged on the left and right, respectively, and the rear sensor 285 and the front sensor 286 to be used are switched by control according to the amount of movement desired to be used.

[0076] As described above, according to the moving module 280 of this embodiment, the liquid application unit 210 provided in a part of the transport path along which the sheet 219, a sheet-like medium, is transported, has a simple configuration and enables detection of the position of the wear object and recovery from an abnormal position.

[0077] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the technical gist of the present invention. The present invention covers all technical matters included in the technical ideas described in the claims. The above-described embodiments are preferred examples, but a person skilled in the art can realize various modifications from the disclosed contents. Such modifications are also included in the technical scope described in the claims.

[0078] The contents of the present invention are, for example, as follows. <1> an application module that contacts the medium and applies a liquid; a moving module that moves the coating module in a direction intersecting a moving direction of the medium relative to the coating module, The moving module includes: a module sliding mechanism that allows the application module to move by sliding in the intersecting direction; a sensor feeler that slides in the same direction as the sliding direction of the module sliding mechanism; A plurality of filler sensors disposed at positions capable of detecting the sensor filler; Including, the sensor feeler has two protruding portions along the sliding direction and one recessed portion located between the protruding portions, The arrangement interval of the protrusions is Da, The width of the recess is Db, When the arrangement interval between the first filler sensor and the second filler sensor, which are the plurality of filler sensors, is Dc, Da <Dc、 Db <Dc、 Dc <Da+Db、 The relationship is as follows: controlling the sliding direction based on a combined state of a first sensor output indicating the detection of the sensor feeler by the first filler sensor and a second sensor output indicating the detection of the sensor feeler by the second filler sensor; The liquid application device is characterized by the above. <2> The coating module is composed of roller-shaped members arranged in multiple stages, a first roller-like member that applies the liquid to the medium; a second roller-shaped member that sandwiches the medium between the first roller-shaped member and the second roller-shaped member to form a nip portion; Equipped with The first roller-shaped member has a surface made of a rubber material or has a painted surface. The above <1> 2 is a liquid application apparatus according to the first embodiment. <3> The second roller-shaped member has a surface made of a rubber material or has a painted surface. The above <1> or the above <2> 2 is a liquid application apparatus according to the first embodiment. <4> The moving module, based on a combined state of the first sensor output and the second sensor output, an initial operation for detecting a current position of the module sliding mechanism; when it is determined in the initial operation that the current position of the module sliding mechanism is an abnormal position, a return operation for returning the module sliding mechanism to a normal position is controlled. The above <1> or the above <3> 13. The liquid application apparatus according to claim 12, wherein <5> the sensor feeler has 2n (n is a natural number) convex portions on one side along the sliding direction, The plurality of filler sensors are arranged to correspond to the number of the sensor fillers. The above <1> or the above <4> 13. The liquid application apparatus according to claim 12, wherein <6> the sensor feeler has 2n (n is a natural number) protruding portions on each of two opposing sides along the sliding direction, The plurality of filler sensors are arranged to correspond to the number of the sensor fillers. The above <1> or the above <4> 13. The liquid application apparatus according to claim 12, wherein <7> The application module includes a belt-like member that contacts the medium to fix the liquid thereon. The above <1> or the above <3> ~ <6> 13. The liquid application apparatus according to claim 12, wherein <8> The application module includes a belt-shaped member that comes into contact with the medium to fix the liquid, and the belt-shaped member has a function of cooling the medium. The above <1> or the above <3> ~ <6> 13. The liquid application apparatus according to claim 12, wherein <9> A coating module that applies liquid in contact with a medium, and a moving module that enables the coating module to move in a direction intersecting the moving direction of the medium with respect to the coating module, the moving module including a module sliding mechanism that enables the coating module to move by sliding in the intersecting direction, a sensor filler that slides in the same direction as the sliding direction of the module sliding mechanism, and a plurality of filler sensors disposed at positions where the sensor filler can be detected. The sensor filler has two convex portions along the sliding direction and one concave portion located between the convex portions. When the arrangement interval Da of the convex portions is set, the width Db of the concave portion is set, and the arrangement interval Dc of the first filler sensor and the second filler sensor, which are the plurality of filler sensors, satisfies the relationship Da < Dc, Db < Dc, and Dc < Da + Db. A control method for a liquid coating apparatus, comprising: Controlling the sliding direction based on a combination state of a first sensor output indicating detection of the sensor filler by the first filler sensor and a second sensor output indicating detection of the sensor filler by the second filler sensor. A control method for a liquid coating apparatus, characterized by the above. <10> A liquid ejection apparatus that applies liquid in contact with a medium, and An image forming apparatus that forms an image on the medium coated with the liquid. An image forming system including: The liquid ejection apparatus is the liquid ejection apparatus according to any one of <1> to <8>. An image forming system, characterized by the above.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0079] 100: Feeding device 200: Processing liquid coating apparatus 203: Coating roller 204: Pressing roller 206: Roller drive motor 207: Processing liquid 210: Liquid coating section 215: Drive device 219: Sheet 230: Processing liquid supply unit 270: Control section 280: Mobile module 281: Slider 282: Warm 283: Worm drive motor 284: Sensor filler 285: Rear sensor 286: Front sensor 287: Connecting member 1000: Image forming system [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0080] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6357893

Claims

1. an application module that contacts the medium and applies a liquid; a moving module that moves the coating module in a direction intersecting a moving direction of the medium relative to the coating module, The moving module includes: a module sliding mechanism that allows the application module to move by sliding in the intersecting direction; a sensor feeler that slides in the same direction as the sliding direction of the module sliding mechanism; A plurality of filler sensors disposed at positions capable of detecting the sensor filler; Including, the sensor feeler has two protruding portions along the sliding direction and one recessed portion located between the protruding portions, The arrangement interval of the protrusions is Da, The width of the recess is Db, When the arrangement interval between the first filler sensor and the second filler sensor, which are the plurality of filler sensors, is Dc, Da<Dc, Db<Dc, Dc<Da+Db, The relationship is as follows: controlling the sliding direction based on a combined state of a first sensor output indicating the detection of the sensor feeler by the first filler sensor and a second sensor output indicating the detection of the sensor feeler by the second filler sensor; A liquid application device comprising:

2. The coating module is composed of roller-shaped members arranged in multiple stages, a first roller-like member that applies the liquid to the medium; a second roller-shaped member that sandwiches the medium between the first roller-shaped member and the second roller-shaped member to form a nip portion; Equipped with The first roller-shaped member has a surface made of a rubber material or has a painted surface. The liquid application device according to claim 1 .

3. The second roller-shaped member has a surface made of a rubber material or has a painted surface. The liquid application device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The moving module, based on a combined state of the first sensor output and the second sensor output, an initial operation for detecting a current position of the module sliding mechanism; when it is determined in the initial operation that the current position of the module sliding mechanism is an abnormal position, a return operation for returning the module sliding mechanism to a normal position is controlled. The liquid application device according to claim 1 .

5. the sensor feeler has 2n (n is a natural number) convex portions on one side along the sliding direction, The plurality of filler sensors are arranged to correspond to the number of the sensor fillers. The liquid application device according to claim 1 .

6. the sensor feeler has 2n (n is a natural number) protrusions on each of two opposing sides along the sliding direction, The plurality of filler sensors are arranged to correspond to the number of the sensor fillers. The liquid application device according to claim 1 .

7. The application module includes a belt-like member that contacts the medium to fix the liquid thereon. The liquid application device according to claim 1 .

8. The application module includes a belt-shaped member that comes into contact with the medium to fix the liquid, and the belt-shaped member has a function of cooling the medium. The liquid application device according to claim 1 .

9. a control method for a liquid application device comprising: a coating module that contacts a medium to apply a liquid; and a moving module that can move the coating module in a direction intersecting a movement direction of the medium relative to the coating module, the moving module including a module sliding mechanism that can move the coating module by sliding in the intersecting direction, a sensor filler that slides in the same direction as the sliding direction of the module sliding mechanism, and a plurality of filler sensors that are arranged at positions where the sensor filler can be detected, the sensor filler having two convex portions along the sliding direction and one concave portion located between the convex portions, wherein a placement interval between the convex portions is Da, a width of the concave portion is Db, and a placement interval between a first filler sensor and a second filler sensor that are the plurality of filler sensors is Dc, the relationship being Da<Dc, Db<Dc, and Dc<Da+Db, controlling the sliding direction based on a combined state of a first sensor output indicating the detection of the sensor feeler by the first filler sensor and a second sensor output indicating the detection of the sensor feeler by the second filler sensor; A method for controlling a liquid application device comprising:

10. A liquid ejection device that applies liquid to a medium by contacting the medium; an image forming apparatus for forming an image on the medium to which the liquid has been applied; An image forming system comprising:

2. An image forming system, comprising: a liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1.

Images