Printer

Abstract

To provide a printer that is configured so that a time required in adjusting a position in a vertical direction of a table can be made shorter than before.SOLUTION: A sensing sensor 42 is arranged at a right end part of a table 40 on which a recording medium 5 is placed. The sensing sensor 42 is a color sensor that can measure colors. A mark member 44 is arranged at an inner wall 12A of an enclosure 12. The mark member 44 is arranged beside the sensing sensor 42. The mark member 44 is provided with a plurality of marks. The plurality of marks is arranged in a vertical direction Z, where the adjacent marks are in contact with each other. All colors of the plurality of marks are different from one another. The plurality of marks corresponds to positions in the vertical direction Z of the table 40. As the table 40 moves in the vertical direction Z, a measurement position of the sensing sensor 42 moves in the vertical direction Z. The sensing sensor 42 senses a boundary between the marks on the basis of a change of the measured color.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a printer. [Background technology]

[0002] As shown in Patent Document 1, a printer has been known that has a mechanism for adjusting the vertical position of a table on which a recording medium is placed, and that can print on thick recording media. The printer is equipped with a sensor for detecting an origin position, which is a reference position in the vertical direction of the table. For example, one sensor is provided in the printer so that the lowest position of the table's vertical movable range can be detected as the origin position.

[0003] As part of the setup operation before printing on a recording medium, the printer adjusts the vertical position of the table. The vertical position adjustment of the table is performed in the following procedure. First, the table is moved from the initial position to the origin position. After the sensor detects that the table is at the origin position, the table is moved vertically based on this origin position to move the recording medium to a specified position suitable for printing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2022-26019 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when a sensor is provided so as to detect the lowest position of the table as the origin position, for example, if the initial position of the table is near the highest position of the table's vertical range of motion, it is necessary to move the table from near the highest position to the lowest position in order to detect the origin position. In this way, when the initial position of the table is far from the origin position, the amount of vertical movement of the table is large. Therefore, it takes time to detect the origin position depending on the positional relationship between the mounting position of the sensor and the initial position of the table. Therefore, it may take time to adjust the vertical position of the table.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printer that can reduce the time required to adjust the vertical position of the table. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The printer according to the present invention includes a table on which a recording medium is placed, a table movement mechanism for moving the table in a vertical direction, a marking member having a plurality of marks arranged in a vertical direction, and a detection sensor for detecting the marks provided on the marking member. The marking member and the detection sensor are configured such that one of the marking member and the detection sensor moves vertically relative to the other as the table moves vertically.

[0008] According to the above configuration, the detection sensor detects the mark provided on the marking member, thereby detecting the vertical position of the table. A plurality of marks are provided on the marking member. Therefore, there are a plurality of positions at which the vertical position of the table can be detected. Compared to a printer that has only one position at which the vertical position of the table can be detected, the amount of movement of the table can be reduced. This reduces the time required to adjust the vertical position of the table. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a printer that can reduce the time required to adjust the vertical position of the table, as compared to the conventional printer. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the printer with the front cover open. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the printer with the front cover and case removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the table and its surroundings in FIG. 2. [Diagram 5] 5 is an enlarged view of the right end portion of the table in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a mark member. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a printer. [Figure 8] 5 is an example of a flowchart when the printer prints on a recording medium. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a mark member in which a plurality of marks of the same color are arranged. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] A printer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described here is, of course, not intended to limit the present invention in any particular way. Also, the same reference numerals are used for members and parts that perform the same functions, and duplicate descriptions are omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a printer 10 in this embodiment. The printer 10 in this embodiment is an inkjet printer. The printer 10 is a flatbed type printer. In the following description, for convenience, the directions of the printer 10 are defined as follows. When the printer 10 is viewed from the front, the direction away from the printer 10 is the front, and the direction toward the printer 10 is the rear. When the printer 10 is viewed from the front, the left, right, top, and bottom are simply expressed as left, right, top, and bottom. The symbols F, Rr, L, R, U, and D in the drawings mean the front, back, left, right, top, and bottom, respectively. The symbol Y in the drawings indicates the main scanning direction. The symbol X in the drawings indicates the sub-scanning direction. Here, the main scanning direction Y is the left-right direction, and the sub-scanning direction X is the front-back direction. The main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X are perpendicular to each other. The symbol Z in the drawings indicates the up-down direction. The up-down direction Z is perpendicular to the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. The directions defined here are merely for the sake of convenience, and do not limit the manner in which the printer 10 may be installed, nor do they limit the present invention.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 10 includes a housing 12 formed in a box shape. The housing 12 includes a case 15 and a front cover 17. An internal space 12S is formed inside the housing 12. The printer 10 prints on a recording medium 5 in the internal space 12S. As shown in FIG. 2, an opening 19 is formed in the front of the case 15. The front cover 17 is provided so as to be able to open and close the opening 19 of the case 15. Here, the front cover 17 is supported by the case 15 so as to be able to rotate around the rear end of the front cover 17. Since the internal space 12S is surrounded by the case 15 and the front cover 17, dust and dirt from the external space are unlikely to enter the internal space 12S during printing.

[0014] The material and shape of the recording medium 5 used in this embodiment are not particularly limited. For example, the material of the recording medium 5 may be wood, metal, glass, paper, cloth, etc. In addition, the shape of the recording medium 5 is not limited to a flat plate shape, and may have various three-dimensional shapes.

[0015] 1, a window 17A is provided in the front and upper part of the front cover 17. The window 17A is formed of, for example, a transparent acrylic plate. The window 17A is configured so that light irradiated from a light irradiation device 25, which will be described later, does not leak to the outside. A user can see the inside of the housing 12 through the window 17A.

[0016] Next, the internal configuration of the printer 10 will be described. As shown in Fig. 2, the printer 10 includes a carriage 20, a table 40, a height measuring device 70, and a control device 80 (see Fig. 1). The carriage 20, the table 40, the height measuring device 70, and the control device 80 (see Fig. 1) are provided in an internal space 12S. The carriage 20 is disposed above the table 40.

[0017] A plurality of ink heads 22 are mounted on the carriage 20. In FIG. 2, three ink heads 22 are provided. However, the number of ink heads 22 is not particularly limited. The ink heads 22 are attached to the lower part of the carriage 20. The ink heads 22 eject ink onto a recording medium 5 placed on a table 40. The ink heads 22 are connected to a plurality of ink cartridges 8 by flexible ink tubes (not shown). The ink cartridges 8 are housed inside the case 15. The ink cartridges 8 store ink. The plurality of ink cartridges 8 may store ink of different colors or may store ink of the same color.

[0018] The ink used in this embodiment is a photocurable ink that has the property of being cured when irradiated with light. Here, the photocurable ink is an ultraviolet-curable ink that is cured when irradiated with ultraviolet light. The components and characteristics of the photocurable ink are not particularly limited. Furthermore, the color of the photocurable ink is not particularly limited. Unless otherwise specified, in the description of this embodiment, the photocurable ink is simply referred to as ink.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2, the carriage 20 is equipped with a light irradiation device 25. The light irradiation device 25 is disposed to the left of the ink head 22. The light irradiation device 25 may be disposed to the right of the ink head 22. In this embodiment, the light irradiation device 25 is an ultraviolet irradiation device that irradiates ultraviolet rays. The light irradiation device 25 is configured so as to be able to irradiate light onto the ink ejected onto the recording medium 5. The light irradiation device 25 is, for example, a device equipped with a plurality of LED elements.

[0020] The carriage movement mechanism 30 is a mechanism for moving the carriage 20 in the main scanning direction Y. The carriage movement mechanism 30 includes a guide rail 31, a belt 32, left and right pulleys (not shown), and a carriage motor 33 (see FIG. 7). The guide rail 31 extends in the main scanning direction Y. The carriage 20 engages with the guide rail 31 so as to be slidable in the main scanning direction Y. An endless belt 32 is fixed to the carriage 20. The belt 32 is wound around pulleys (not shown) provided on the right and left sides of the guide rail 31. A carriage motor 33 is attached to one of the pulleys. The carriage motor 33 is an example of a drive device for moving the carriage 20 along the guide rail 31. When the carriage motor 33 is driven, the pulley rotates. When the pulley rotates, the belt 32 runs. As a result, the carriage 20 moves in the main scanning direction Y along the guide rail 31.

[0021] The table 40 is a platform on which the recording medium 5 is placed. The table 40 is formed in a flat plate shape and extends in the main scanning direction Y and the sub-scanning direction X. As shown in FIG. 2, a table sub-scanning direction moving mechanism 50 and a table up-down direction moving mechanism 60 are provided below the table 40. The table sub-scanning direction moving mechanism 50 is a mechanism for moving the table 40 in the sub-scanning direction X. The table up-down direction moving mechanism 60 is a mechanism for moving the table 40 in the up-down direction Z. In this embodiment, the table sub-scanning direction moving mechanism 50 is disposed below the table up-down direction moving mechanism 60. However, the vertical positional relationship between the table sub-scanning direction moving mechanism 50 and the table up-down direction moving mechanism 60 may be reversed. The table 40 is supported by the table up-down direction moving mechanism 60. The table up-down direction moving mechanism 60 is supported by the table sub-scanning direction moving mechanism 50. The length of the table 40 in the main scanning direction Y is longer than the length of the table sub-scanning direction moving mechanism 50 and the table up-down direction moving mechanism 60 in the main scanning direction Y. The table 40 has a protruding portion 40a that protrudes in the main scanning direction Y further than the table sub-scanning direction moving mechanism 50 and the table up-down direction moving mechanism 60. The protruding portion 40a is the right end or left end of the table 40.

[0022] The configuration of the table sub-scanning direction moving mechanism 50 is not particularly limited. In this embodiment, the table guide rails 51 are provided with two table guide rails 51, a conveying member 52, a front-rear moving motor 53 (see FIG. 3), and a ball screw 54. As shown in FIG. 3, the two table guide rails 51 are arranged parallel to each other and extend in the sub-scanning direction X. The conveying member 52 is provided slidably with respect to the two table guide rails 51. In this embodiment, the conveying member 52 is provided with a flat plate 52a and two cylindrical parts 52b. The cylindrical parts 52b are provided at the left and right ends of the flat plate 52a. The cylindrical parts 52b are hollow cylindrical members, such as ball bushes. One cylindrical part 52b is slidably inserted into one table guide rail 51. The flat plate 52a supports the table 40 via the table up-down direction moving mechanism 60. The front-rear moving motor 53 is connected to the ball screw 54. The ball screw 54 extends in the sub-scanning direction X. The ball screw 54 is connected to the transport member 52. The forward / backward movement motor 53 is driven to rotate the ball screw 54. When the ball screw 54 rotates, the transport member 52 moves in the sub-scanning direction X. As a result, the transport member 52 moves along the table guide rail 51. As a result, the table 40 moves in the sub-scanning direction X.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the table up-down direction moving mechanism 60 includes a vertical position adjustment member 61 and a lifting motor 62 (see FIG. 7). The table 40 is connected to the lifting motor 62 via the vertical position adjustment member 61. The vertical position adjustment member 61 is a member provided on the lower surface of the table 40 and has a variable height. The configuration of the vertical position adjustment member 61 is not particularly limited. Although not shown, in this embodiment, the vertical position adjustment member 61 includes a ball screw extending in the vertical direction Z, a conveying member provided on the lower surface of the table 40 and connected to the ball screw, a pulley connected to the ball screw, a pulley connected to the lifting motor 62, and a belt wound around the pulley connected to the ball screw and the pulley connected to the lifting motor. When the lifting motor 62 is driven, the pulley connected to the lifting motor 62 rotates and the belt runs. The belt runs and the pulley connected to the ball screw rotates and the ball screw rotates. The ball screw rotates and the conveying member moves in the vertical direction Z. This allows the table 40 to move in the vertical direction Z. In this embodiment, the lift motor 62 is a stepping motor. The lift motor 62 is configured so that it can precisely grasp its own rotational position.

[0024] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the table 40. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the protruding portion 40a on the right side of the table 40. As shown in FIG. 4, the protruding portion 40a on the right side of the table 40 is provided with a detection sensor 42. The detection sensor 42 is a sensor for detecting the position of the table 40 in the vertical direction Z. In this embodiment, the detection sensor 42 is a non-contact color sensor. The color sensor is a sensor that can measure the color of an object. The detection sensor 42 measures the color of a mark 45 provided on a mark member 44 described later. In the vertical direction Z, the measurement position of the detection sensor 42 is a position equal to the center position of the table 40 in the vertical direction Z. However, the measurement position of the detection sensor 42 is not limited to this. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the center position of the table 40 in the vertical direction Z is taken as the representative position of the table 40 in the vertical direction Z, and this representative position is simply expressed as the position of the table 40.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 5, the detection sensor 42 includes a light-emitting unit 42a and a light-receiving unit 42b. The light-emitting unit 42a and the light-receiving unit 42b are integrally provided. However, the light-emitting unit 42a and the light-receiving unit 42b may be configured separately. Although not particularly illustrated, the light-receiving unit 42b includes a red light-receiving unit that receives R (red) light, a green light-receiving unit that receives G (green) light, and a blue light-receiving unit that receives B (blue) light. The light-emitting unit 42a irradiates light toward an object to be color-measured (the mark member 44 in this embodiment). A part of the light irradiated to the object is reflected. The light-receiving unit 42b receives the light reflected by the object. The red light-receiving unit measures the intensity (R value) of the red component of the received light. Similarly, the green light-receiving unit measures the intensity (G value) of the green component, and the blue light-receiving unit measures the intensity (B value) of the blue component. This allows the color of an object to be measured by obtaining the RGB values ​​of the light reflected by the object.

[0026] As described above, the detection sensor 42 measures colors by measuring RGB values. Any color can be expressed by combining these three color components. The intensity of each component of the RGB values ​​is expressed in 256 steps from 0 to 255, for example. If the RGB values ​​are expressed as (R value, G value, B value), then (255,0,0) is red, (0,0,255) is blue, and (0,255,0) is green. Also, for example, (255,255,0) is yellow, (255,0,255) is magenta, and (0,0,0) is black.

[0027] As mentioned above, any color can be expressed using RGB values, but the method of expressing colors is not limited to this. For example, another method of expressing colors is the HSV color space, which expresses any color using three elements: hue (H), saturation (S), and brightness (V). RGB values ​​and HSV color space can be converted to each other. Hue is an element that represents the type of color, such as red or blue. Hue is sometimes expressed by a hue wheel in which colors are arranged in a ring. In the hue wheel, red is the base (0°), and for example, yellow is placed at 60°, green at 120°, blue at 240°, and magenta at 300°. Saturation is an element that represents the vividness of a color. The higher the saturation, the closer the color is to a pure color, and as the saturation decreases, the duller the color becomes. Brightness is an element that represents the brightness of a color. As the brightness decreases, the color approaches black.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, a mark member 44 is provided on the side of the detection sensor 42. The mark member 44 is attached to the inner wall 12A of the housing 12. The material of the mark member 44 is not particularly limited. FIG. 6 shows an example of the mark member 44. Five marks 45 are printed on the mark member 44. Adjacent marks 45 are in contact with each other. The five marks 45 are lined up in the vertical direction Z. The lengths of the five marks 45 in the vertical direction Z are all equal. All five marks 45 are rectangular. However, the shape of the marks 45 is not limited to a rectangular shape, and it is sufficient that the boundary between adjacent marks 45 is horizontal. The color of the mark member 44 is black. The five marks 45 are printed in a color other than black. The colors of the five marks 45 are all different. In this embodiment, from the top, a red mark 45a, a green mark 45b, a blue mark 45c, a yellow mark 45d, and a magenta mark 45e are arranged.

[0029] Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the boundary B between adjacent marks 45 is represented as B1, B2, B3, and B4 from the top. For example, the boundary B1 is the boundary B between the red mark 45a and the green mark 45b. Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the lower end of the magenta mark 45e, which is the mark 45 arranged at the bottom, is represented as B5. Similarly, the upper end of the red mark 45a, which is the mark 45 arranged at the top, is represented as B0. In the following description, the upper end B0 of the red mark 45a and the lower end B5 of the magenta mark 45e are also treated as the boundary B. The boundary B is a place where the color measured by the detection sensor 42 changes. The boundary B is detected by the detection sensor 42 based on the change in the color measured by the detection sensor 42.

[0030] When the table 40 moves in the vertical direction Z, the detection sensor 42 also moves in the vertical direction Z, and the measurement position of the detection sensor 42 moves. Therefore, the position of the table 40 corresponds to the color of the mark 45 of the mark member 44. The mark member 44 is provided so that the detection sensor 42 detects the boundary B5 when the table 40 is at the lowest position. Here, the lowest position refers to the lowest position of the movable range of the table 40 in the vertical direction Z. Also, the mark member 44 is provided so that the detection sensor 42 detects the boundary B0 when the table 40 is at the highest position. Here, the highest position refers to the highest position of the movable range of the table 40 in the vertical direction Z. As a result, when the detection sensor 42 detects any of the boundaries B, the control device 80 described later can accurately grasp the position of the table 40. However, it is not necessarily required that the lowest position of the table 40 corresponds to the boundary B5, and it is not necessarily required that the highest position of the table 40 corresponds to the boundary B0.

[0031] 2, the height measuring device 70 is provided above the table 40. The height measuring device 70 is a device that measures the height of the recording medium 5 placed on the table 40 from the table 40. The configuration of the height measuring device 70 is not particularly limited. For example, the height measuring device 70 may be a laser displacement meter configured to measure the height of the recording medium 5 from the table 40 by irradiating the recording medium 5 with a laser.

[0032] The control device 80 is a device that controls the operation of the printer 10. The configuration of the control device 80 is not particularly limited. The control device 80 is, for example, a microcomputer. The control device 80 is electrically connected to the ink head 22, the light irradiation device 25, the carriage motor 33 of the carriage movement mechanism 30, the detection sensor 42, the front-rear movement motor 53 of the table sub-scanning direction movement mechanism 50, the lifting motor 62 of the table up-down direction movement mechanism 60, and the height measurement device 70. The control device 80 controls these operations. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the control device 80 is provided inside the printer 10. However, the control device 80 does not necessarily have to be provided inside the printer 10. For example, the control device 80 may be a computer or the like that is provided outside the printer 10 and is communicably connected to the printer 10 via wire or wirelessly.

[0033] 7, the control device 80 includes a discharge control unit 81, a light source control unit 82, a carriage movement control unit 83, a table sub-scanning direction movement control unit 84, a table up-down direction movement control unit 85, a target position setting unit 86, and a up-down position acquisition unit 87. The control device 80 may include processing units other than those described above, but illustration and description thereof will be omitted here.

[0034] The ejection control unit 81 controls the ink head 22 to control the ejection of ink onto the recording medium 5. The light source control unit 82 controls the light irradiation device 25 to control the irradiation of light onto the ink ejected onto the recording medium 5. The carriage movement control unit 83 controls the carriage motor 33 to control the movement of the carriage 20 in the main scanning direction Y. The table sub-scanning direction movement control unit 84 controls the front-back movement motor 53 to control the movement of the table 40 in the sub-scanning direction X. The table up-down direction movement control unit 85 controls the lift motor 62 to control the movement of the table 40 in the up-down direction Z. The table up-down direction movement control unit 85 can calculate the amount of movement of the table 40 in the up-down direction Z from the amount of rotation of the lift motor 62.

[0035] The target position setting unit 86 is a processing unit that sets the position of the table 40 in the vertical direction Z when printing is performed on the recording medium 5. In the following description, this position is referred to as the target position. There is no particular limitation on the method of setting the target position. In this embodiment, the height of the recording medium 5 from the table 40 measured by the height measuring device 70 is used to set the target position so that the distance between the recording medium 5 and the ink head 22 is a predetermined value (for example, 1 mm).

[0036] The vertical position acquisition unit 87 is a processing unit that acquires the position of the table 40 in the vertical direction Z. The vertical position acquisition unit 87 acquires the position of the table 40 based on the mark 45 detected by the detection sensor 42. When printing is performed on the recording medium 5, the table vertical movement control unit 85 moves the table 40 in the vertical direction Z so that the target position set by the target position setting unit 86 and the position of the table 40 acquired by the vertical position acquisition unit 87 match.

[0037] The operation of the printer 10 in this embodiment will be described below. Fig. 8 shows an example of a flowchart relating to the operation of the printer 10. From step S11 to step S16, the position of the table 40 is adjusted as one of the setup operations. Note that in this setup operation, operations other than the position adjustment of the table 40 may be performed, but a description thereof will be omitted here. From step S17 to step S19, printing is performed on the recording medium 5.

[0038] In step S11, the height from table 40 of recording medium 5 placed on table 40 is measured by height measuring device 70. In step S12, target position setting unit 86 sets a target position of table 40 using the measured value of the height from table 40 of recording medium 5 measured in step S11.

[0039] In step S13, the vertical position acquisition unit 87 acquires the current position (initial position) of the table 40. The position of the table 40 is acquired based on the color of the mark 45 of the mark member 44 detected by the detection sensor 42. In step S13, the vertical position acquisition unit 87 acquires which boundary B the table 40 is located between. For example, if the color measured by the detection sensor 42 is red, the position of the table 40 is at a position corresponding to the red mark 45a. In other words, the position of the table 40 is at a position corresponding to the boundary between the boundaries B0 and B1.

[0040] In step S14, the table up-down movement control unit 85 moves the table 40 downward. However, here, the table 40 may be moved upward instead of downward. The movement of the table 40 is continued until the detection sensor 42 detects one of the boundaries B.

[0041] In step S15, when the detection sensor 42 detects any of the boundaries B, the table vertical movement control unit 85 stops the movement of the table 40. At this time, the vertical position acquisition unit 87 determines which boundary B has been detected among the boundaries B0 to B5. This determination is made based on the color measured by the detection sensor 42 in step S13 and the movement direction of the table 40 in step S14. For example, if the color measured by the detection sensor 42 in step S13 is red and the table 40 is moved downward in step S14, the detected boundary B is the boundary B1 between the red mark 45a and the green mark 45b. Furthermore, in step S15, the vertical position acquisition unit 87 acquires the position of the table 40 based on the determination result of the boundary B.

[0042] In step S16, the table vertical movement control unit 85 controls the lift motor 62 to move the table 40 to the target position set in step S12. At this time, the table 40 is moved by the difference between the target position set in step S12 and the position of the table 40 acquired in step S15. In step S17, the carriage movement control unit 83 moves the carriage 20 in the main scanning direction Y while the discharge control unit 81 discharges ink onto the recording medium 5. At the same time, in step S17, the light source control unit 82 turns on the light irradiation device and irradiates light onto the ink discharged onto the recording medium 5. This hardens the ink discharged onto the recording medium 5. When printing of one line is completed, in step S18, it is confirmed whether the entire printing is completed. If the entire printing is not completed and printing is to be performed at another position on the recording medium 5 (No in step S18), the process proceeds to step S19. In step S19, the table sub-scanning direction movement control unit 84 moves the table 40 forward. However, the table 40 may be moved backward here. After step S19 is completed, the process returns to step S17 and one line is printed. Steps S17 to S19 are repeated until the entire printing is completed. When the entire printing is completed (Yes in step S18), the printer 10 ends the operation.

[0043] The printer 10 in this embodiment includes a table 40 on which the recording medium 5 is placed, and a table up-down movement mechanism 60 that moves the table 40 in the up-down direction Z. A detection sensor 42 is provided on the table 40. A mark member 44 is attached to the inner wall 12A of the housing 12 so as to be disposed to the side of the detection sensor 42. When the table 40 moves in the up-down direction Z, the detection sensor 42 also moves in the up-down direction Z, and the measurement position of the detection sensor 42 moves. The detection sensor 42 can detect the position of the table 40 in the up-down direction Z by detecting a mark 45 provided on the mark member 44.

[0044] A plurality of marks 45 are printed on the mark member 44. This allows the position of the table 40 to be detected at a plurality of locations. Therefore, compared to a printer in which the position of the table 40 can be detected at one location, the amount of movement of the table 40 can be reduced regardless of the initial position of the table 40. Therefore, compared to a printer in which the position of the table 40 can be detected at one location, the time required to adjust the position of the table 40 can be reduced.

[0045] According to this embodiment, both ends of the table 40 in the main scanning direction Y form protrusions 40a that protrude in the main scanning direction Y further than the table sub-scanning direction moving mechanism 50 and the table up-down direction moving mechanism 60. The detection sensor 42 is provided on the protrusions 40a of the table 40. This allows the distance between the detection sensor 42 and the mark member 44 to be shortened. The detection sensor 42 can detect the mark 45 of the mark member 44 with high accuracy.

[0046] According to this embodiment, the detection sensor 42 includes a light emitting portion 42a that emits light and a light receiving portion 42b that receives light. The detection sensor 42 detects the mark 45 using light, and therefore has good time response in detecting the mark 45. This allows the detection sensor 42 to detect the mark 45 of the mark member 44 without any delay relative to the movement of the table 40.

[0047] According to this embodiment, the light emitting section 42a and the light receiving section 42b are integrated together, which eliminates the need to provide a sensor for emitting light and a sensor for receiving light separately.

[0048] According to this embodiment, adjacent marks 45 are in contact with each other. The detection sensor 42 is configured to be able to detect the boundary B. As a result, when the detection sensor 42 detects any one of the boundaries B, the vertical position acquisition unit 87 can acquire the accurate position of the table 40. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since there are multiple boundaries B between the marks 45, there are multiple positions from which the accurate position of the table 40 can be acquired. Therefore, when adjusting the position of the table 40, it is sufficient for the detection sensor 42 to detect any one of the multiple boundaries B, and the amount of movement of the table 40 can be reduced. Therefore, the time required to adjust the position of the table 40 can be shortened.

[0049] According to this embodiment, the colors of adjacent marks 45 are different from each other. Therefore, the boundary B is a place where the color of the marks 45 changes. Furthermore, the detection sensor 42 is a color sensor that can measure the color of an object. Thus, the detection sensor 42 can detect the boundary B based on the change in color measured by the detection sensor 42.

[0050] In this embodiment, the colors of the multiple marks 45 are arranged from top to bottom as follows: red mark 45a, green mark 45b, blue mark 45c, yellow mark 45d, and magenta mark 45e. In other words, the hues of adjacent marks 45 are different from each other. This increases the amount of change in RGB values ​​measured by the detection sensor 42 when the detection sensor 42 detects the boundary B. This makes it possible to prevent the boundary B from being overlooked.

[0051] According to this embodiment, the printer 10 is equipped with a control device 80. The control device 80 is equipped with a table vertical movement control unit 85, a target position setting unit 86, and a vertical position acquisition unit 87. The table vertical movement control unit 85 controls the movement of the table 40 in the vertical direction Z. The target position setting unit 86 sets the position of the table 40 when printing on the recording medium 5. The vertical position acquisition unit 87 acquires the position of the table 40 based on the mark 45 detected by the detection sensor 42. Since the control device 80 is equipped with these processing units, the position of the table 40 can be automatically adjusted.

[0052] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the embodiment is merely an example, and various other embodiments are possible.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the lift motor 62 is a stepping motor. This makes it possible to calculate the amount of movement of the table 40 in the up-down direction Z from the amount of rotation of the lift motor 62. However, the means for determining the amount of rotation of the lift motor 62 is not limited to this. For example, a rotary encoder or the like may be attached to the lift motor 62, and the amount of rotation of the lift motor 62 may be determined by this.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the detection sensor 42 is attached to the table 40, and the mark member 44 is attached to the inner wall 12A of the housing 12. However, the detection sensor 42 may be attached to the inner wall 12A of the housing 12, and the mark member 44 may be attached to the table 40.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the detection sensor 42 is a non-contact sensor. However, the detection sensor 42 is not limited to a non-contact sensor, and may be a contact sensor.

[0056] The number of marks 45 is not limited to the above embodiment. However, as the number of marks 45 increases, the number of boundaries B between the marks 45 increases, and therefore the movement time of the table 40 in step S14 can be shortened.

[0057] In the embodiment described above, the lengths in the vertical direction Z of the multiple marks 45 are all equal. However, the length in the vertical direction Z of at least one of the multiple marks 45 may be different from the length in the vertical direction Z of the other marks 45.

[0058] The color of the marks 45 is not limited to the above embodiment. In addition, when the marks 45 are all different in color, the arrangement of the colors of the marks 45 is not particularly limited. However, as in the above embodiment, it is preferable that the colors of adjacent marks 45 are different from each other in hue. In addition, in the above embodiment, the color of the mark member 44 is black, but the color of the mark member 44 is not particularly limited as long as it is a color different from the colors of all the marks 45.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the vertical position acquisition unit 87 determines which boundary B the detection sensor 42 has detected in step S15 based on the color measured by the detection sensor 42 in step S13 and the moving direction of the table 40 in step S14. However, the method of determining which boundary B the detection sensor 42 has detected in step S15 is not limited to the above. For example, instead of using the moving direction of the table 40 in step S14, the change in color measured by the detection sensor 42 in step S15 may be used to determine which boundary B the detection sensor 42 has detected in step S15. As an example, consider a case where the color of the mark 45 is arranged as in the above embodiment (see FIG. 6), the color measured by the detection sensor 42 in step S13 is green, and the color measured by the detection sensor 42 in step S15 changes from green to blue. The boundary B that meets this condition is only the boundary B2. In this way, the vertical position acquisition unit 87 can uniquely acquire the position of the table 40 in the vertical direction Z.

[0060] Using all three pieces of information described above, namely, the color measured by the detection sensor 42 in step S13, the moving direction of the table 40 in step S14, and the change in color measured by the detection sensor 42 in step S15, the vertical position acquisition unit 87 may determine which boundary B the detection sensor 42 has detected in step S15. In this case, the marks 145 of the mark member 144 may be arranged with a plurality of marks of the same color. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the marks 145a, 145b, 145c, 145d, and 145e may be arranged from the top. In this case, as in the above embodiment, the mark member 144 has a boundary B from boundary B10 to boundary B15. When the colors of the marks 145 are arranged in this manner, even if the color measured in step S13 is red, the vertical position acquisition unit 87 can uniquely determine the boundary B detected by the detection sensor 42. As an example, consider a case where table 40 is moved downward in step S14, and the color measured by detection sensor 42 in step S15 changes from red to blue. The only boundary B that meets this condition is boundary B13. In this manner, vertical position acquisition unit 87 can uniquely acquire the position of table 40 in the vertical direction Z.

[0061] As described above, when the colors of the multiple marks 45 are all different, there is no particular limitation on the manner in which the colors of the marks 45 provided on the mark member 44 are arranged. Furthermore, the same color may be used for some of the multiple marks 45, depending on the method of determining the boundary B detected by the detection sensor 42. The above-described colors of the marks 45, the manner in which the colors of the marks 45 are arranged, and the method of determining the boundary B detected by the detection sensor 42 are merely examples, and are not limited to the above.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the detection sensor 42 is a color sensor, and the vertical position acquisition unit 87 acquires the position of the table 40 in the vertical direction Z by measuring the color of the mark 45 printed on the mark member 44. However, the detection sensor 42 and the mark member 44 are not limited to this. For example, the detection sensor 42 may be a magnetic sensor, and the mark member 44 may include a plurality of magnets with different magnetic forces arranged in the vertical direction Z. In this case, the vertical position acquisition unit 87 acquires the position of the table 40 in the vertical direction Z based on the measured value of the magnetic force measured by the detection sensor 42. Also, in this case, the magnet can be interpreted as the mark.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the marks 45 of different colors are provided on the mark member 44, but the marks 45 may be scale lines. Also, a pattern in which the color changes continuously (gradation) may be provided on the mark member 44. In this case, a part of the pattern within a predetermined color difference range can be interpreted as one mark 45. As described above, anything that can specify a position in the vertical direction Z can be interpreted as a mark 45 without being limited to its display form or configuration.

[0064] In the above embodiment, photocurable ink is used, but the type of ink is not limited to this. Solvent ink or water-based ink may be used. In this case, the printer 10 does not need to include the light irradiation device 25. The printer 10 may also include a heater for drying the ink instead of the light irradiation device 25. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 5 Recording media 10 Printers 12. Chassis 12A Inner wall 40 Table 40a protrusion 42 Detection sensor 44 Marking material 45 marks 60 Table up / down movement mechanism (table movement mechanism) 80 Control device 85 Table up / down movement control section (table movement control section) 86 Target position setting section 87 Vertical position acquisition section

Claims

1. a table on which a recording medium is placed; a table moving mechanism that moves the table in a vertical direction; a mark member having a plurality of marks arranged in a vertical direction; a detection sensor that detects the mark provided on the mark member, The printer is configured such that one of the mark member and the detection sensor moves vertically relative to the other as the table moves vertically.

2. The device includes a box-shaped housing, the table has a protruding portion that protrudes leftward or rightward beyond the table moving mechanism when viewed from the front, 2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the detection sensor is provided on the protruding portion of the table, and the mark member is provided on an inner wall of the housing so as to be disposed to the side of the protruding portion of the table.

3. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the detection sensor comprises a light emitting portion that emits light and a light receiving portion that receives light.

4. 4. The printer according to claim 3, wherein the light emitting section and the light receiving section are integral with each other.

5. Adjacent marks are in contact with each other, The printer of claim 1 , wherein the detection sensor is configured to detect a boundary between adjacent marks.

6. Adjacent marks are different in color from each other, The printer according to claim 1 , wherein the detection sensor is a color sensor capable of measuring color.

7. The printer of claim 6 , wherein adjacent marks have different hues.

8. A control device is provided for controlling the vertical position of the table, The control device includes: a target position setting unit that sets a vertical position of the table when printing is performed on the recording medium; a vertical position acquisition unit that acquires a vertical position of the table based on the mark detected by the detection sensor; a table movement control unit that moves the table vertically using the table movement mechanism so that the vertical position of the table acquired by the vertical position acquisition unit matches the vertical position of the table set by the target position setting unit.

Images