Recording device and control method of the same

Abstract

To detect a position of a head unit in a moving direction accurately and adjust a gap properly in a structure in which the head unit moves.SOLUTION: A recording device includes: a facing part which is disposed facing a recording part; and moving means which receives power of a motor to move the recording part. The moving means has a structure which allows idling of the motor after the recording part utilizes the self-weight to be placed on the facing part when the moving means moves the recording part down toward the facing part. A control unit sets the origin position of the recording part in a moving direction on the basis of the position of the recording part when a signal change of a linear encoder stops in a state that a signal of a rotary encoder is changing when the recording part is moved down toward the facing part or the position of the recording part when the signal change of the linear encoder occurs in a state that the signal of the rotary encoder is changing when the recording part is moved up from a state that the recording part is placed on the facing part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 19

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that records on a medium. The present invention also relates to a control method for the recording apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] The recording apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a head unit that is movable between a recording position for recording on a medium and a retracted position for retracting from the medium conveyance path. By moving the head unit, the gap between the opposing portion facing the line head and the line head is adjusted. In the recording apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the opposing portion is constituted by a conveyance belt.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a configuration in which the head unit moves, it is desirable to accurately detect the position of the head unit in the moving direction and appropriately adjust the gap.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the recording apparatus of the present invention includes a conveyance path for conveying a medium, a recording unit for performing recording on the medium, the recording unit being movable in a direction advancing and retreating with respect to the conveyance path, an opposing unit disposed opposite to the recording unit, a motor that is a power source for moving the recording unit, moving means for moving the recording unit by receiving the power of the motor, position detection means for detecting the position of the recording unit with respect to the conveyance path, rotation detection means for detecting the rotation of the motor, and a control unit for controlling the motor. The moving direction of the recording unit includes a vertical direction component. The position detection means is a linear encoder including a linear scale provided along the moving direction of the recording unit and a first detection unit provided on the recording unit for detecting the linear scale. The rotation detection means is a rotary encoder including a rotary scale that rotates with the rotation of the motor and a detection unit for detecting the rotary scale. The moving means has a configuration that allows the motor to idle after the recording unit has landed on the opposing unit using its own weight when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing unit. The control unit sets the origin position of the recording unit in the moving direction based on the position of the recording unit when the signal change of the linear encoder disappears while the signal change of the rotary encoder exists when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing unit, or based on the position of the recording unit when the signal change of the linear encoder occurs while the signal change of the rotary encoder exists when the recording unit is raised from the state of being placed on the opposing unit.

[0006] The control method of the recording apparatus of the present invention further includes a conveyance path for conveying a medium, a recording unit for recording on the medium, the recording unit being movable in a direction advancing and retreating with respect to the conveyance path, an opposing unit disposed opposite to the recording unit, a motor serving as a power source for moving the recording unit, a moving means for moving the recording unit by receiving the power of the motor, a position detection means for detecting the position of the recording unit with respect to the conveyance path, and a rotation detection means for detecting the rotation of the motor. The moving direction of the recording unit includes a vertical direction component. The position detection means is a linear encoder including a linear scale provided along the moving direction of the recording unit and a first detection unit provided on the recording unit for detecting the linear scale. The rotation detection means is a rotary encoder including a rotary scale that rotates with the rotation of the motor and a detection unit for detecting the rotary scale. The moving means has a configuration that allows the motor to idle after the recording unit has landed on the opposing unit by utilizing its own weight when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing unit. The control method includes a step of setting the origin position of the recording unit in the moving direction based on the position of the recording unit when the signal change of the linear encoder disappears while the signal change of the rotary encoder exists when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing unit, or based on the position of the recording unit when the signal change of the linear encoder occurs while the signal change of the rotary encoder exists when the recording unit is raised from the state of being placed on the opposing unit.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, the present invention will be schematically described. The recording apparatus according to the first aspect includes a conveyance path for conveying a medium, a recording unit that performs recording on the medium, the recording unit being movable in a direction that advances and retreats with respect to the conveyance path, an opposing unit disposed opposite to the recording unit, a motor that is a power source when moving the recording unit, a moving unit that receives the power of the motor and moves the recording unit, a position detection unit for detecting the position of the recording unit with respect to the conveyance path, a rotation detection unit for detecting the rotation of the motor, and a control unit for controlling the motor. The moving direction of the recording unit includes a vertical direction component. The position detection unit is a linear encoder including a linear scale provided along the moving direction of the recording unit and a first detection unit provided on the recording unit for detecting the linear scale. The rotation detection unit is a rotary encoder including a rotary scale that rotates with the rotation of the motor and a detection unit for detecting the rotary scale. The moving unit has a configuration that allows the motor to idle after the recording unit has landed on the opposing unit using its own weight when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing unit. The control unit sets the origin position of the recording unit in the moving direction based on the position of the recording unit when the signal change of the linear encoder disappears while the signal change of the rotary encoder exists when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing unit, or based on the position of the recording unit when the signal change of the linear encoder occurs while the signal change of the rotary encoder exists when the recording unit is raised from the state of being on the opposing unit.

[0009] According to this aspect, since the position detection unit is a linear encoder including a linear scale provided along the moving direction of the recording unit and a first detection unit provided on the recording unit for detecting the linear scale, and is configured to directly detect the movement of the recording unit, the position of the recording unit can be appropriately grasped. As a result, it becomes easier to appropriately adjust the gap between the recording unit and the opposing unit. Also, according to the present aspect, when the recording unit is placed on the opposing unit by using its own weight, or when the recording unit rises from the state of being placed on the opposing unit, the control unit sets the origin position of the recording unit in the moving direction based on the signal changes of the linear encoder and the rotary encoder. As a result, the position of the recording unit with respect to the opposing unit can be appropriately grasped. As a result, the gap between the recording unit and the opposing unit can be appropriately adjusted.

[0010] In addition, when the moving means lowers the recording unit toward the opposing unit, since the moving means has a configuration that allows the motor to idle after the recording unit is placed on the opposing unit by using its own weight, the following operational effects can be obtained. For example, in the case of a configuration that grasps the position of the recording unit in the moving direction by detecting an increase in the drive current value of the motor when the recording unit abuts on the opposing unit, a load is applied to the moving means, which may cause damage to the components. Further, if the moving means includes a worm gear mechanism, there is also a risk of excessive surface pressure occurring between the worm wheel and the cylindrical worm and locking. However, in the present aspect, as described above, when the moving means lowers the recording unit toward the opposing unit, since the moving means has a configuration that allows the motor to idle after the recording unit is placed on the opposing unit by using its own weight, the occurrence of the above-mentioned problems can be suppressed. Note that the idling of the motor means a state in which the rotation of the motor is not converted into the movement of the recording unit and the motor does not receive a load from the recording unit. In addition, in this specification, the recording unit being placed on the opposing unit by using its own weight does not mean only the form in which the recording unit is placed on the opposing unit only by its own weight, but also includes the form in which the recording unit is placed on the opposing unit while receiving a pressing force in a direction including a vertically downward component from a spring or the like in addition to its own weight.

[0011] The second aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, wherein the moving area of the recording unit has a first area and a second area farther from the conveyance path than the first area, and the moving means includes a first moving unit that moves the recording unit in the first area and a second moving unit that moves the recording unit in the second area. When the recording unit transitions from the first area to the second area, it shifts from a state of being moved by the first moving unit to a state of being moved by the second moving unit, and when the recording unit transitions from the second area to the first area, it shifts from a state of being moved by the second moving unit to a state of being moved by the first moving unit.

[0012] According to this aspect, the moving means for moving the recording unit includes a first moving unit that moves the recording unit in the first area and a second moving unit that moves the recording unit in the second area. Since the first moving unit and the second moving unit are driven by a single motor, an increase in the cost of the apparatus can be suppressed, and the apparatus can be downsized. Also, by configuring the moving means to include the first moving unit and the second moving unit, the amount of movement of the recording unit with respect to one rotation of the output shaft of the motor can be made different between the first moving unit and the second moving unit. As a result, when the moving area includes an area where it is desired to move the recording unit with high accuracy and an area where it is desired to secure the amount of movement of the recording unit, such requirements can be appropriately met.

[0013] The third aspect is an aspect dependent on the second aspect, wherein the moving area of the recording unit includes a third area located on the opposite side of the second area with the first area in between, the opposing portion has a support portion that supports the recording unit when the recording unit is placed on the opposing portion using its own weight and is movable along the moving direction, and includes a pressing member that presses the support portion toward the recording unit, the moving means includes a third moving portion that moves the recording unit against the pressing force of the pressing member in the third area, and when the recording unit transitions from the first area to the third area, it shifts from the state of being moved by the first moving portion to the state of being moved by the third moving portion, and when transitioning from the third area to the first area, it shifts from the state of being moved by the third moving portion to the state of being moved by the first moving portion.

[0014] According to this aspect, in addition to the first moving portion and the second moving portion, since the third moving portion is driven by one motor, an increase in the cost of the device can be suppressed, and the device can be downsized.

[0015] The fourth aspect is an aspect dependent on the second or third aspect, wherein the control unit detects each area constituting the moving area based on the origin position of the recording unit in the moving direction, and controls the motor with control parameters corresponding to each area.

[0016] According to this aspect, since the control unit detects each area constituting the moving area based on the origin position of the recording unit in the moving direction and controls the motor with control parameters corresponding to each area, the recording unit can be appropriately positioned by appropriate control according to each area.

[0017] The fifth aspect is an aspect dependent on the fourth aspect, wherein the control parameters include torque limit values of the motor. When the load applied to the motor differs in each region constituting the movement region, the required motor torque will also differ. Therefore, if a large torque limit value is set for a region with a small load, there is a risk that an excessive load will be applied to the mechanism parts in the event of an abnormality, leading to damage to the mechanism parts or the like. However, according to this aspect, since the control parameter includes the torque limit value of the motor, it is possible to suppress damage to the mechanism parts described above.

[0018] The sixth aspect is an aspect subordinate to the second or third aspect, characterized in that the control unit reduces the speed of the motor or temporarily stops the motor at the boundary of each region constituting the movement region.

[0019] At the boundary of each region constituting the movement region, there is a risk that a collision sound will occur between members as the drive mechanism switches. According to this aspect, since the control unit reduces the speed of the motor or temporarily stops the motor at the boundary of each region constituting the movement region, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the above collision sound. Note that this aspect is not limited to the second or third aspect above, and may also be subordinate to the fourth or fifth aspect above.

[0020] The seventh aspect is an aspect subordinate to the second or third aspect, comprising receiving means for receiving a selection of either a speed priority mode or a normal mode, and when the speed priority mode is selected, the control unit continuously drives the motor at the boundary of each region constituting the movement region, and when the normal mode is selected, the control unit temporarily stops the motor at the boundary of each region constituting the movement region.

[0021] At the boundary of each region constituting the movement region, there is a risk that a collision sound will occur between members as the drive mechanism switches. According to this aspect, in the speed priority mode, since the motor is continuously driven at the boundaries of the regions constituting the movement region, the throughput of processing can be improved. Further, in the normal mode, since the motor is temporarily stopped at the boundaries of the regions constituting the movement region, the generation of the above-described collision sound can be suppressed. Note that this aspect is not limited to the second or third aspect described above, and may be subordinate to the fourth or fifth aspect described above.

[0022] The eighth aspect is an aspect subordinate to the third aspect, in which the recording unit includes a plurality of nozzles that discharge liquid along a width direction intersecting the medium conveyance direction, and includes a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid from the nozzles without moving in the width direction, and a cap unit that covers the liquid discharge surface of the liquid discharge head is provided at a position facing the liquid discharge head, the cap unit is displaceable in a direction of advancing and retreating with respect to the liquid discharge head, the first moving unit is a cam that rotates by the power of the motor, and includes a cam that moves the recording unit by rotating while supporting the recording unit, the second moving unit includes a rack provided on the recording unit and a pinion that meshes with the rack, and the pinion rotates by the power of the motor to move the recording unit, and the third moving unit is characterized by having a pressing-down unit that presses the recording unit toward the cap unit against the pressing force of the pressing member.

[0023] According to this aspect, since the first moving unit is a cam that rotates by the power of the motor and includes a cam that moves the recording unit by rotating while supporting the recording unit, the position of the recording unit can be finely adjusted at a position close to the conveyance path. As a result, the recording unit can be positioned at an appropriate position according to the thickness of the medium. Further, the second moving part includes a rack provided in the recording part and a pinion that meshes with the rack and moves the recording part by rotating by the power of the motor. Thus, even when a large area is secured in the second area, the recording part can be moved accordingly, facilitating maintenance work and the like. Further, since the third moving part has a pressing-down part that presses the recording part toward the cap part against the pressing force of the pressing member, the liquid ejection surface can be surely pressed against the cap part, and the liquid ejection surface can be surely covered by the cap part. Note that this aspect is not limited to the third aspect above, and may be subordinate to any of the fourth to seventh aspects.

[0024] A ninth aspect is an aspect subordinate to the eighth aspect, and is characterized by including a rotating body in which the cam, the pinion, and the pressing-down part are integrally formed and that rotates by the power of the motor.

[0025] According to this aspect, since the cam, the pinion, and the pressing-down part are integrally formed, power can be easily transmitted from the motor to the first moving part, the second moving part, and the third moving part. Further, since there is no need to individually transmit power from the motor to the first moving part, the second moving part, and the third moving part, the number of parts can be reduced. As a result, an increase in the cost of the apparatus can be suppressed, and the apparatus can be downsized.

[0026] A tenth aspect is an aspect subordinate to the first aspect, and is characterized by including a cylindrical worm driven by the motor and a worm wheel that meshes with the cylindrical worm and rotates as the cylindrical worm rotates.

[0027] Since the moving means includes a worm gear mechanism, if excessive surface pressure occurs between the worm wheel and the cylindrical worm, there is a risk of locking. However, due to the operation and effect of the first aspect described above, when grasping the position of the recording unit with respect to the opposing portion, an excessive load is not applied to the moving mechanism, so the occurrence of the above locking can be suppressed. In addition, the worm gear mechanism can increase the reduction ratio when transmitting power from the motor to the recording unit. As a result, the resolution of the rotary encoder can be made higher than the resolution of the linear encoder, and the recording unit can be accurately positioned with respect to the opposing portion. Here, the resolution means the number of edges (transition from low to high of the waveform) of the encoder output for a unit operation amount. In other words, it means the moving amount of the recording unit per edge. Also, a high resolution means that the number of edges output for a unit operation amount is large. In other words, it means that the moving amount of the recording unit per edge is small. Note that this aspect is not limited to the first aspect described above, and may be subordinate to any of the second to ninth aspects.

[0028] The eleventh aspect is an aspect subordinate to the first aspect, wherein the recording unit includes a protruding portion that protrudes toward the opposing portion, and the recording unit rests on the opposing portion by using its own weight when the protruding portion abuts against the opposing portion.

[0029] According to this aspect, the recording unit includes a protruding portion that protrudes toward the opposing portion, and when the protruding portion abuts against the opposing portion, the recording unit rests on the opposing portion by using its own weight. Therefore, contact between the portion of the recording unit that records on the medium and the opposing portion can be avoided. As a result, damage to the portion of the recording unit that records on the medium can be suppressed, and fouling of the opposing portion can also be suppressed. Note that this aspect is not limited to the first aspect described above, and may be subordinate to any of the second to tenth aspects.

[0030] The control method of a recording apparatus according to the 12th aspect includes a conveyance path for conveying a medium, a recording unit for performing recording on the medium, the recording unit being movable in a direction advancing and retreating with respect to the conveyance path, an opposing unit disposed opposite to the recording unit, a motor that is a power source for moving the recording unit, moving means for moving the recording unit by receiving the power of the motor, position detection means for detecting the position of the recording unit with respect to the conveyance path, and rotation detection means for detecting the rotation of the motor. The control method of the recording apparatus is such that the moving direction of the recording unit includes a vertical direction component, the position detection means is a linear encoder including a linear scale provided along the moving direction of the recording unit and a first detection unit provided on the recording unit for detecting the linear scale, the rotation detection means is a rotary encoder including a rotary scale that rotates with the rotation of the motor and a detection unit for detecting the rotary scale, the moving means has a configuration that allows the motor to idle after the recording unit has landed on the opposing unit using its own weight when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing unit, and the control method includes a step of setting the origin position of the recording unit in the moving direction based on the position of the recording unit when the signal change of the linear encoder disappears while the signal change of the rotary encoder is present when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing unit, or based on the position of the recording unit when the signal change of the linear encoder occurs while the signal change of the rotary encoder is present when the recording unit is raised from the state of being placed on the opposing unit. According to this aspect, in the recording apparatus, the same operational effects as those of the above-described first aspect can be obtained.

[0031] Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described. Hereinafter, an inkjet printer 1 will be described as an example of a recording apparatus that performs recording on a medium. Hereinafter, the inkjet printer 1 will be simply referred to as the printer 1. Furthermore, in each figure, the X-Y-Z coordinate system shown has the X-axis direction being the width direction of the apparatus, which is the width direction of the medium on which recording is performed. When viewed from the operator of the printer 1, the +X direction is the left side, and the -X direction is the right side. Hereinafter, the X-axis direction may be referred to as the medium width direction or simply the width direction. The Y-axis direction is the depth direction of the apparatus and is the direction along the medium conveyance direction during recording. The +Y direction is the direction from the back surface to the front surface of the apparatus, and the -Y direction is the direction from the front surface to the back surface of the apparatus. In the present embodiment, among the side surfaces constituting the periphery of the printer 1, the side surface in the +Y direction is the front surface of the apparatus, and the side surface in the -Y direction is the back surface of the apparatus. The Z-axis direction is the direction along the vertical direction and is the height direction of the apparatus. The +Z direction is the vertically upward direction, and the -Z direction is the vertically downward direction. Furthermore, hereinafter, the direction in which the medium is sent may be referred to as "downstream", and the opposite direction may be referred to as "upstream".

[0032] <Printer's Medium Conveyance Path> Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 1, the medium conveyance path of the printer 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 1 includes a medium storage cassette 2 at the bottom of the apparatus. The symbol P indicates the medium stored in the medium storage cassette 2. An example of the medium is recording paper. The medium storage cassette 2 is detachably provided from the front side of the apparatus.

[0033] Above the medium storage cassette 2, a pick-up roller 3 driven by a motor (not shown) is provided. The pick-up roller 3 can move forward and backward with respect to the medium stored in the medium storage cassette 2, and sends the medium out from the medium storage cassette 2 in the +Y direction by rotating in contact with the medium stored in the medium storage cassette 2. Downstream of the medium storage cassette 2, a feed roller 5 driven by a motor (not shown) and a separation roller 6 to which rotational torque is applied by a torque limiter (not shown) are provided. The medium sent out from the medium storage cassette 2 is separated by being nipped between the feed roller 5 and the separation roller 6 and is further sent downstream.

[0034] Downstream of the feed roller 5 and the separation roller 6, a reversing roller 8 driven by a motor (not shown) is provided. Around the reversing roller 8, a first nip roller 9 and a second nip roller 10 are provided. The medium is nipped between the reversing roller 8 and the first nip roller 9, and further nipped between the reversing roller 8 and the second nip roller 10 and conveyed. The conveyance direction of the medium is reversed from the +Y direction to the -Y direction by the reversing roller 8 and conveyed downstream.

[0035] Downstream of the reversing roller 8, a first conveyance roller pair 15 including a drive roller 16 driven by a motor (not shown) and a driven roller 17 that can be driven to rotate is provided. The medium is conveyed by the first conveyance roller pair 15 to a position facing the line head 40. In addition to the medium feed path from the medium storage cassette 2, the printer 1 includes a medium feed path from the medium support portion 12. The medium support portion 12 supports the medium in an inclined posture, and the supported medium is conveyed to the first conveyance roller pair 15 by a feed roller 13 driven by a motor (not shown). Reference numeral 14 is a separation roller to which rotational torque is applied by a torque limiter (not shown).

[0036] Upstream of the first conveyance roller pair 15, a medium detection unit 22 is provided. A control unit 100 (see FIG. 4), which will be described later, can determine the position of the leading end of the medium with respect to the line head 40 based on the detection information of the medium detection unit 22, and for example, can position the medium at the recording start position.

[0037] The line head 40 is an example of a recording unit that performs recording on the medium. Further, the line head 40 is an example of a liquid discharge head that discharges and records ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto the medium. The line head 40 is a liquid discharge head in which a plurality of nozzles 44 that discharge ink cover the entire area in the medium width direction. The line head 40 is configured as a liquid discharge head that is long in the medium width direction and can perform recording over the entire medium width without moving in the medium width direction.

[0038] Symbol 42a is the head surface that faces the medium. The head surface 42a can also be referred to as the liquid ejection surface or the nozzle surface. The head surface 42a is formed by a plate member 42 (see FIG. 2) described later. The head surface 42a is parallel to the medium conveyance direction, i.e., the Y-axis direction, at the position facing the line head 40. Also, the head surface 42a is parallel to the X-Y plane. The two-dot chain line indicated by symbol Ta is the medium conveyance path between the line head 40 and the opposing portion 45. The medium conveyance path Ta is parallel to the X-Y plane. The printer 1 includes an ink storage portion (not shown), and the ink ejected from the line head 40 is supplied from the ink storage portion to the line head 40 via an ink tube (not shown).

[0039] An opposing portion 45 is provided at the position facing the head surface 42a of the line head 40. The opposing portion 45 according to the present embodiment includes an upstream support portion 46 (see FIG. 5) and a shutter 47 (see FIG. 5) described later, and supports the medium by the upstream support portion 46 and the shutter 47 to define the gap between the medium and the head surface 42a. Hereinafter, the gap between the opposing portion 45 and the head surface 42a may be referred to as the platen gap.

[0040] The line head 40 is provided so as to be movable in the direction of advancing and retreating with respect to the opposing portion 45, i.e., the adjustment direction of the platen gap. In the present embodiment, the adjustment direction of the platen gap is parallel to the Z-axis direction. Hereinafter, the movement of the line head 40 or other component parts in the +Z-axis direction may be referred to as "ascending", and the movement in the -Z direction may be referred to as "descending". As shown in FIG. 4, the line head 40 moves along the Z-axis direction by obtaining the power of a head movement motor 101, which is an example of a drive source. Here, with reference to FIG. 4, the movement operation of the line head 40 will be outlined. The power of the head movement motor 101 is converted into the operation of the line head 40 in the Z-axis direction by a movement means 110. The movement means 110 will be described later in detail.

[0041] The control unit 100 that controls the head movement motor 101 raises and lowers the line head 40 according to the thickness of the medium and adjusts the platen gap based on the type of medium included in the received print data. For example, if the position of the line head 40 when recording on plain paper is set as the first recording position, when recording on a special paper thicker than plain paper, the line head 40 is positioned at the second recording position higher than the first recording position. If the medium contacts the line head 40 even when the second recording position is selected, it is positioned at the third recording position higher than the second recording position.

[0042] In FIG. 4, reference numerals Am1, Am2, and Am3 indicate the movement regions of the line head 40 with respect to the head surface 42a. The movement region of the line head 40 has a first region Am1 and a second region Am2 that is farther from the medium conveyance path Ta than the first region Am1. The first region Am1 includes the first recording position, the second recording position, and the third recording position described above. Of course, the first region Am1 may further include other recording positions. In the present embodiment, the movement region of the line head 40 includes a third region Am3 below the first region Am1.

[0043] When the line head 40 moves to the position Hp2, which is the uppermost position of the second region Am2, the distance between the opposing portion 45 and the head surface 42a becomes the widest. Thereby, when a jam occurs, the jammed medium can be removed. Hereinafter, the position Hp2 is referred to as the jam processing position of the line head 40. The position Hp1 is the recording position when recording on the medium. The position Hp1 changes according to the type of medium as described above. That is, the recording position Hp1 includes the first recording position, the second recording position, and the third recording position described above. The position Hp0 is the lowermost position of the third region Am3. This position is where the cap portion 61, which will be described later, covers the head surface 42a. Hereinafter, the position Hp0 is referred to as the cap position of the line head 40.

[0044] Returning to FIG. 1, downstream of the line head 40, a second pair of transport rollers 19 is provided, which includes a drive roller 20 driven by a motor (not shown) and a driven roller 21 that can rotate in a driven manner. The medium on which recording has been performed is sent downstream by the second pair of transport rollers 19. Downstream of the second pair of transport rollers 19, a third pair of transport rollers 27 is provided, and further downstream of the third pair of transport rollers 27, a pair of discharge rollers 28 is provided. Between the third pair of transport rollers 27 and the pair of discharge rollers 28, it is configured as a face-down discharge path, and the medium on which recording has been performed is discharged to the discharge tray 29 by the pair of discharge rollers 28 with the most recent recording surface facing down.

[0045] <Configuration of the line head> Subsequently, with reference to FIG. 2, the line head 40, which is an example of a liquid ejection head, will be further described. As shown in FIG. 2, the line head 40 includes a plate member 42 on a base 41. The base 41 is a structure in which a flow path for supplying ink supplied from an ink storage portion (not shown) to the head chip 43 is provided inside.

[0046] The plate member 42 is a metal plate and forms a head surface 42a. A plurality of openings 42d are formed in the plate member 42, and the head chip 43 is provided in each opening 42d. A plurality of nozzles 44 (see FIG. 1) are provided in the head chip 43 along the medium width direction. The plate member 42 and the head chip 43 are provided flush with each other.

[0047] The head chips 43 are alternately arranged at upstream positions and downstream positions along the X-axis direction, that is, the medium width direction. In the present embodiment, three head chips 43 at the upstream position are provided along the medium width direction, and four head chips 43 at the downstream position are provided along the medium width direction. As a result, a cap portion 61, which will be described later and covers the head chips 43, is alternately arranged at upstream positions and downstream positions along the medium width direction.

[0048] The line head 40 is provided on the unit frame 31 and constitutes the head unit 30 together with the unit frame 31. The head unit 30 is a structure including the line head 40. Therefore, it can be rephrased that the members constituting the head unit 30 are the members provided on the line head 40. The line head 40 or the head unit 30 is an example of a recording unit that performs recording on a medium. The power of the head movement motor 101 (see FIG. 4) is transmitted to the unit frame 31, whereby the head unit 30, that is, the line head 40, moves in the Z-axis direction.

[0049] <Configuration of the cap unit> Subsequently, the cap unit 60 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The cap unit 60 includes a cap portion 61 that covers the head chip 43. Since the head chip 43 is provided on the head surface 42a, the cap portion 61 can also be referred to as a member that covers a part of the head surface 42a. Also, since the nozzle 44 is provided on the head chip 43, the cap portion 61 can also be referred to as a member that covers the nozzle 44. A plurality of cap portions 61 constitute the cap unit 60. The cap unit 60 is provided below the opposing portion 45.

[0050] The cap unit 60 includes a plurality of cap portions 61 on the base portion 62. The cap portion 61 has a shape that is long in the X-axis direction and includes a cap main body portion 61b formed of a resin material or the like and an elastic portion 61a formed of an elastic material such as rubber at a portion that contacts the head surface 42a. The cap main body portion 61b is held by the base portion 62 so as to be displaceable in the Z-axis direction, and the movement limit in the +Z direction is defined by a regulating portion (not shown) formed on the base portion 62. The cap main body portion 61b is pressed in the +Z direction by a cap spring 63 which is an example of a pressing member. In the present embodiment, two cap springs 63 are provided for one cap main body portion 61b.

[0051] A waste liquid tube (not shown) is connected to each cap main body 61b. This waste liquid tube is connected to a pump (not shown). When the pump operates with the cap portion 61 covering the head surface 42a, a negative pressure is generated in the cap portion 61, and thereby ink is sucked from the nozzles 44 of the line head 40.

[0052] The cap portions 61 are alternately arranged at an upstream position and a downstream position along the X-axis direction, i.e., the medium width direction. In the present embodiment, three cap portions 61 at the upstream position, i.e., in the +Y direction, are provided, and four cap portions 61 at the downstream position, i.e., in the -Y direction, are provided. Such an arrangement of the cap portions 61 corresponds to the arrangement of the head chips 43 in the line head 40. The cap portion 61 is exposed by moving a shutter 47 (described later) from a shielding position to an open position.

[0053] <Configuration of the opposing portion> Next, the opposing portion 45 will be further described with reference to FIG. 5. The opposing portion 45 facing the line head 40 includes an upstream support portion 46 and a shutter 47 positioned downstream of the upstream support portion 46 as shown in FIG. 5. The shutter 47 is movable along the medium conveyance direction, and can move between a shielding position shown as state ST1 in FIG. 5 and open positions shown as states ST2 and ST3 in FIG. 5 by the power of a motor (not shown). When the shutter 47 moves to the open position, an opening 45a is formed in the opposing portion 45, and the cap portion 61 is exposed inside the opening 45a. With the shutter 47 in the open position, when the line head 40 descends as shown in state ST3 in FIG. 5, the cap portion 61 can cover the head chip 43. At that time, the cap portion 61 is slightly pushed downward in the -Z direction against the pressing force of the cap spring 63, whereby the cap portion 61 is brought into close contact with the head surface 42a. Note that the descent of the line head 40 when bringing the cap portion 61 into close contact with the head surface 42a in this way may be referred to as a "cap operation".

[0054] When the device is in the recording standby state when the power is off or on, the control unit 100 keeps the shutter 47 in the open position and covers the head chip 43 with the cap unit 61. Also, when performing a flushing operation to prevent clogging of the nozzles 44, the control unit 100 discharges ink toward the cap unit 61 with the shutter 47, which will be described later, in the open position.

[0055] When the control unit 100 receives recording data and performs recording, it raises the line head 40 to separate the head surface 42a from the cap unit 61 and moves the shutter 47, which will be described later, to the shielding position. This suppresses the transported medium from entering the opening 45a of the opposing unit 45 or the posture of the medium from being disturbed. In addition, it is suppressed that foreign substances such as paper dust enter the cap unit 61 during the conveyance of the medium and the performance of the cap unit 61 is impaired.

[0056] In addition, in this embodiment, the shutter 47 moves between the shielding position and the open position by a link mechanism 35 (see FIG. 6) that operates by the reverse rotation of the drive roller 20 that constitutes the second conveyance roller pair 19.

[0057] In addition, the upstream support portion 46 is provided so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction and is pressed in the +Z direction by a coil spring 54, which is an example of a pressing member. However, the upstream support portion 46 is regulated in its movement in the +Z direction at a predetermined position by contacting a regulating portion (not shown). When performing the cap operation, the line head 40 pushes down the upstream support portion 46 in the -Z direction against the pressing force of the coil spring 54.

[0058] <Configuration of the moving means for moving the line head> Hereinafter, the moving means 110 that converts the power of the head moving motor 101 (see FIG. 4) into the operation of the line head 40 in the Z-axis direction will be described. First, the position of the line head 40 in the Z-axis direction can be grasped by the control unit 100 based on the detection information transmitted from the rotary encoder 103 (see FIG. 4) and the detection information transmitted from the linear encoder 107 (see FIG. 4). Hereinafter, the term "encoder" will be abbreviated as "ENC".

[0059] As shown in FIG. 9, the rotary ENC 103 includes a rotary scale 104 provided on the motor output shaft of the head movement motor 101 and a second detection unit 105 that detects the rotation of the rotary scale 104. The rotary ENC 103 detects the translucent scale of the rotary scale 104 and outputs a detection pulse signal including a number of pulses proportional to the rotation amount of the motor output shaft. The linear ENC 107 includes a linear scale 108 provided on a guide frame 33 described later and a first detection unit 109 that detects the movement of the linear scale 108. The linear ENC 107 detects the translucent scale of the linear scale 108 and outputs a detection pulse signal including a number of pulses proportional to the movement amount of the head unit 30.

[0060] As described above, the head unit 30 including the line head 40 has a unit frame 31 as a base, and the line head 40 is provided on the unit frame 31. Rack members 32 are provided at the +X direction end and the -X direction end of the unit frame 31 as shown in FIG. 8. The rack member 32 provided at the +X direction end of the unit frame 31 is denoted by reference numeral 32A, and the rack member 32 provided at the -X direction end is denoted by reference numeral 32B. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the rack members 32A and 32B, they will be collectively referred to as the rack member 32.

[0061] In the +Y direction with respect to the unit frame 31, a guide frame 33 is provided as shown in FIG. 7. First guide portions 33a are formed at the +X direction end portion and the -X direction end portion of the guide frame 33. The first guide portion 33a is a portion forming a plane parallel to the Y-Z plane. Further, a second guide portion 33b is formed at the -Y direction end portion of the first guide portion 33a. The second guide portion 33b is a portion forming a plane parallel to the X-Z plane. Note that the guide frame 33 is supported by base frames 33A and 33B which are provided at intervals in the X-axis direction as shown in FIG. 6.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 8, guided portions 32c and 32d are provided on the rack member 32. By the guided portions 32c and 32d, the first guide portion 33a of the guide frame 33 can be sandwiched in the X-axis direction. Further, guided portions 32e and 32f are provided on the rack member 32. By the guided portions 32e and 32f, the second guide portion 33b of the guide frame 33 can be sandwiched in the Y-axis direction. With such a configuration, the unit frame 31, that is, the head unit 30 is guided in the Z-axis direction by the guide frame 33. Note that the shape of the rack member 32B is line-symmetric to the shape of the rack member 32A with the Y-axis as the axis of symmetry at the intermediate position between the rack member 32A and the rack member 32B in the X-axis direction.

[0063] Next, as shown in FIG. 7, a shaft 77 parallel to the X-axis direction is rotatably supported by the guide frame 33. Rotating bodies 74 are provided near the +X direction end portion and the -X direction end portion of the shaft 77. The rotating body 74 provided near the +X direction end portion of the shaft 77 is denoted by reference numeral 74A, and the rotating body 74 provided at the -X direction end portion is denoted by reference numeral 74B. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the rotating bodies 74A and 74B, they are collectively referred to as the rotating body 74. Note that the shape of the rotating body 74B is line-symmetric to the shape of the rotating body 74A with the Y-axis as the axis of symmetry at the intermediate position between the rotating body 74A and the rotating body 74B in the X-axis direction. The rotating body 74 rotates integrally with the shaft 77. In the following, the rotational directions of the shaft 77, the rotating body 74, and the pinion 72, the cam 66, and the pressing portion 75, which will be described later, may be expressed using the symbols C1 and C2 shown in the figure.

[0064] Between the rotating body 74A and the rotating body 74B, a first bevel gear 78 is provided as shown in FIG. 9. The first bevel gear 78 rotates integrally with the shaft 77. The first bevel gear 78 constitutes a speed reduction mechanism 76 (see FIG. 9) that transmits power from the head movement motor 101 to the shaft 77. Hereinafter, the speed reduction mechanism 76 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. The speed reduction mechanism 76 includes the first bevel gear 78, the second bevel gear 79, the spur gear 80, the spur gear 81, the spur gear 82, the worm wheel 83, and the cylindrical worm 84.

[0065] The second bevel gear 79 meshes with the first bevel gear 78. The second bevel gear 79 and the spur gear 80 are integrally formed and are rotatably supported by the mounting frame 34 (see FIG. 6). The mounting frame 34 is screw-fixed to the guide frame 33. Further, the head movement motor 101 is screw-fixed to the mounting frame 34.

[0066] The spur gear 80 meshes with the spur gear 81. The spur gear 81 is rotatably provided on the mounting frame 34 (see FIG. 6). The spur gear 82 meshes with the spur gear 81. The spur gear 82 and the worm wheel 83 are integrally formed and are rotatably provided on the mounting frame 34 (see FIG. 6). The cylindrical worm 84 meshes with the worm wheel 83, and the worm wheel 83 and the cylindrical worm 84 constitute a worm gear mechanism. The cylindrical worm 84 is provided on the output shaft (not shown) of the head movement motor 101. Thus, when the head movement motor 101 rotates, the rotation is transmitted to the shaft 77 via the speed reduction mechanism 76, and the shaft 77 rotates. Still, in the present embodiment, the reduction ratio of the speed reduction mechanism 76, specifically, the reduction ratio of the power transmission from the head movement motor 101 to the shaft 77 is 111. The reduction ratio is preferably greater than 1, more preferably greater than 10, and even more preferably greater than 100 as in the present embodiment.

[0067] Next, as shown in FIG. 11, the rotating body 74 is provided with a pinion 72 that constitutes a rack and pinion mechanism. The rotating body 74 is also provided with a cam 66. The rotating body 74 is further provided with a lever-shaped pressing portion 75. As shown in FIGS. 8, 10, 13 to 18, the rack member 32 is formed with a rack 71 that constitutes a rack and pinion mechanism. The rack 71 meshes with the pinion 72. Therefore, when the pinion 72 rotates, the head unit 30, that is, the line head 40 moves in the Z-axis direction. Specifically, when the pinion 72 rotates in the rotation direction C1, the line head 40 descends, and when the rack 71 rotates in the rotation direction C2, the line head 40 ascends. The rack 71 and the pinion 72 constitute a second moving portion 70 that moves the line head 40 in the second region Am2. Still, since the second moving portion 70 moves the line head 40 up and down by a rack and pinion mechanism, hereinafter, the operation of moving the line head 40 up and down by the second moving portion 70 may be referred to as "rack and pinion drive".

[0068] Further, as shown in FIGS. 8, 10, 13 to 18, the rack member 32 is provided with a contact portion 32a that can contact the cam 66. The contact portion 32a is provided so as to protrude in the +Y direction, and the cam 66 is disposed below the contact portion 32a. The head unit 30, that is, the line head 40, is supported by the cam 66 via the contact portion 32a in the first region Am1, so that the position in the Z-axis direction is defined. In other words, the head unit 30, that is, the line head 40, can rest on the cam 66 by using its own weight. Note that the head unit 30, that is, the line head 40, may rest on the cam 66 only by its own weight, or may rest on the cam 66 while receiving a pressing force in a direction including a vertically downward component from a spring or the like. When the head unit 30, that is, the line head 40, rests on the cam 66 while receiving a pressing force in a direction including a vertically downward component from a spring or the like, the lifting of the head unit 30, that is, the line head 40, is suppressed, and the platen gap is stabilized.

[0069] The outer peripheral surface of the cam 66 is formed such that the distance from the axis center of the shaft 77, that is, the radius, changes along the circumferential direction (see FIG. 12). Therefore, when the cam 66 rotates with the contact portion 32a in contact with the cam 66, the head unit 30, that is, the line head 40, moves in the Z-axis direction. Specifically, when the cam 66 rotates in the rotation direction C1, the line head 40 descends, and when the cam 66 rotates in the rotation direction C2, the line head 40 ascends. The cam 66 and the contact portion 32a constitute a first moving portion 65 that moves the line head 40 in the first region Am1. Note that since the first moving portion 65 raises and lowers the line head 40 by the cam 66, the operation of raising and lowering the line head 40 by the first moving portion 65 may be hereinafter referred to as "cam driving". The first moving portion 65 and the second moving portion 70 described above constitute a moving means 110 (see FIG. 4).

[0070] Further, as shown in FIGS. 10, 13 to 18, the rack member 32 is provided with a pressed portion 32b that can contact a pressing portion 75. The pressed portion 32b is provided so as to protrude in the +Y direction, and the pressing portion 75 is configured to be able to contact the pressed portion 32b from above. When the rotating body 74 rotates in the rotation direction C1, the pressing portion 75 presses the pressed portion 32b from above, and the head unit 30, that is, the line head 40 can be pushed downward in the -Z direction, that is, downward. The pressing portion 75 and the pressed portion 32b constitute a third moving portion 73 that lowers the line head 40 in the third region Am3. When the line head 40 rises in the third region Am3, the line head 40 rises under the pressing force of the coil spring 54 (see FIG. 5), which is an example of the pressing member described above. Therefore, the coil spring 54 (see FIG. 5) also constitutes the third moving portion 73. In addition, since the third moving portion 73 raises and lowers the line head 40 by the lever-shaped pressing portion 75, the operation of raising and lowering the line head 40 by the third moving portion 73 may be referred to as "lever drive" hereinafter. In the present embodiment, the third moving portion 73 constitutes a moving means 110 (see FIG. 4).

[0071] FIG. 12 shows the formation ranges of the cam 66 and the pinion 72. The pinion 72 has a first phase region Ak1 in which a part of the teeth is missing and a second phase region Ak2 in which the teeth are formed. Hereinafter, when simply referring to the "pinion 72", for the sake of convenience, it refers to the portion of the second phase region Ak2 where the teeth are formed. The cam 66 has a non-support phase region Aj1 that does not support the contact portion 32a and a support phase region Aj2 that can support the contact portion 32a. In the support phase region Aj2, the radius Ra of the outer peripheral surface that supports the contact portion 32a changes along the circumferential direction. Hereinafter, when simply referring to the "cam 66", for the sake of convenience, it refers to the portion of the support phase region Aj2.

[0072] Hereinafter, the operations of the first moving portion 65, the second moving portion 70, and the third moving portion 73 will be further described. FIG. 13 shows a state where the line head 40 is at the first recording position in the first area Am1. In this state, the first moving part 65 functions. That is, the head unit 30 is in a state of resting on the cam 66 by using its own weight. In this state, the rack 71 is not engaged with the pinion 72, and the pressing part 75 is separated from the pressed part 32b. In the first area Am1, that is, the area where recording is performed on the medium, since it is necessary to accurately determine the position of the line head 40, cam driving by the first moving part 65 is adopted. When the shaft 77 is rotated in the rotation direction C2 from the state of FIG. 13, the cam 66 also rotates in the rotation direction C2. In the present embodiment, the outer peripheral surface of the cam 66 is formed such that when the cam 66 rotates 1°, the radius changes by 0.01 mm. That is, when the cam 66 rotates 1°, the line head 40 rises or falls by 0.01 mm.

[0073] FIG. 14 shows a state where the shaft 77 rotates in the rotation direction C2 from the state of FIG. 13 and the line head 40 moves to the second recording position in the first area Am1. FIG. 15 shows a state where the shaft 77 further rotates in the rotation direction C2 from the state of FIG. 14 and the line head 40 moves to the third recording position in the first area Am1. In this way, in the first area Am1, by the function of the first moving part 65 where the moving amount of the line head 40 per unit rotation angle of the shaft 77 is small, the line head 40 can be accurately positioned at each recording position. In addition, when the line head 40 is lowered from the state of FIG. 15 and positioned at the second recording position or the first recording position, or when positioning at the cap position Hp0, the shaft 77 is rotated in the rotation direction C1.

[0074] Next, FIGS. 16 and 17 show a state where the shaft 77 further rotates in the rotation direction C2 from the state of FIG. 15, and FIGS. 16 and 17 are diagrams of the same state. The state shown in FIGS. 16 and 17 is a state where the contact part 32a rests on the part where the radius Ra of the cam 66 is the largest. When the shaft 77 further rotates in the rotation direction C2 from this state, the contact part 32a will come off the cam 66. Also, this state is the state where the rack 71 starts engaging with the pinion 72 as shown in FIG. 17. In this way, when the line head 40 transitions from the first region Am1 to the second region Am2, it shifts from the state of being moved by the first moving part 65 to the state of being moved by the second moving part 70.

[0075] Incidentally, when transitioning from the cam drive by the first moving part 65 to the rack and pinion drive by the second moving part 70, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the cam 66 contacts the contact part 32a, that is, contacts the line head 40, and a state where the pinion 72 meshes with the rack 71 is temporarily formed. As a result, even if the contact part 32a comes off the cam 66, the line head 40 will not drop thereby.

[0076] FIG. 18 shows a state where the shaft 77 further rotates in the rotational direction C2 from the states of FIGS. 16 and 17, and the head unit 30 is raised to the position furthest in the +Z direction by the second moving part 70, that is, the rack and pinion mechanism. This state is the state where the line head 40 is furthest from the opposing part 45, and it becomes the jam processing position Hp2 when paper jamming occurs. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the rack and pinion mechanism composed of the rack 71 and the pinion 72 is configured such that when the pinion 72 rotates 1°, the line head 40 rises or falls by approximately 0.26 mm. Therefore, the amount of movement of the line head 40 per unit rotation angle of the shaft 77 is extremely larger for the second moving part 70 than for the first moving part 65. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the platen gap when the line head 40 is at the jam processing position Hp2 is 30 mm to 40 mm.

[0077] In the above process, that is, in the process of raising the line head 40 from the first recording position to the jam processing position, it is not necessary to rotate the shaft 77 in the rotational direction C2 and switch the rotational direction. Furthermore, the lowest position in the moving region of the line head 40 is the cap position Hp0, and the uppermost position is the jam processing position Hp2. Similarly, even in the process of raising the line head 40 from the cap position Hp0 to the jam processing position Hp2, the shaft 77 is rotated in the rotation direction C2, and there is no need to switch the rotation direction.

[0078] In addition, when the line head 40 descends from the jam processing position Hp2, the situation is reversed from the above. That is, when the line head 40 transitions from the second region Am2 to the first region Am1, it shifts from the rack and pinion drive by the second moving part 70 to the cam drive by the first moving part 65. Specifically, when the line head 40 transitions from the second region Am2 to the first region Am1, the pinion 72 separates from the rack 71, and the contact part 32a is placed on the cam 66. Then, in the process of lowering the line head 40 from the jam processing position Hp2 to the first recording position, the shaft 77 is rotated in the rotation direction C1, and there is no need to switch the rotation direction. Similarly, in the process of lowering the line head 40 from the jam processing position Hp2 to the cap position Hp0, the shaft 77 is rotated in the rotation direction C1, and there is no need to switch the rotation direction.

[0079] Also, when transitioning from the rack and pinion drive by the second moving part 70 to the cam drive by the first moving part 65, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the cam 66 contacts the contact part 32a, that is, the line head 40, and a state where the pinion 72 meshes with the rack 71 is temporarily formed. As a result, even if the pinion 72 disengages from the rack 71, the line head 40 will not descend thereby.

[0080] Subsequently, the case where the line head 40 is lowered from the first region Am1, that is, the case where the cap operation is performed, will be described. In addition, when performing the cap operation, when the shutter 47 (see FIG. 5) provided in the opposing part 45 is in the shielding position, the shutter 47 is moved from the shielding position to the open position as described above prior to the cap operation.

[0081] Figure 19 shows the state where the line head 40 is in the first region Am1, and more specifically, in the first recording position. At a position in the head unit 30 facing the upstream support portion 46, a protruding portion 40a protruding toward the opposing portion 45 is provided. In this state, a gap Gp is formed between the protruding portion 40a and the upstream support portion 46. Although not shown in the figure, the protruding portion 40a is provided at a position outside the medium conveyance area in the X-axis direction. Also, the protruding portion 40a is provided on both sides of the medium conveyance area in the X-axis direction. The protruding portion 40a is provided on the unit frame 31 as an example.

[0082] When performing the cap operation from this state, the shaft 77 is rotated in the rotational direction C1. As a result, since the radius Ra of the cam 66 at the position where the contact portion 32a contacts the outer peripheral surface of the cam 66 becomes smaller, the line head 40 descends. When the line head 40 descends, the protruding portion 40a contacts the upstream support portion 46 as shown in FIG. 20, and the descent of the line head 40 stops. This state is a state where the head unit 30 is placed on the upstream support portion 46, that is, the opposing portion 45, using its own weight. The pressing force of the coil spring 54 that presses the upstream support portion 46 upward is set to a magnitude such that the upstream support portion 46 does not displace downward when the head unit 30 is placed on the upstream support portion 46 using its own weight.

[0083] Note that the line head 40 being placed on the opposing portion 45 using its own weight does not refer only to the form in which the line head 40 is placed on the opposing portion 45 only by its own weight, but also includes the form in which the line head 40 is placed on the opposing portion 45 while receiving a pressing force in a direction including a vertically downward component from a spring or the like in addition to its own weight. When the head unit 30, that is, the line head 40, is placed on the opposing portion 45 while receiving a pressing force in a direction including a vertically downward component from a spring or the like, the floating of the head unit 30, that is, the line head 40, is suppressed, and the platen gap becomes stable. Note that when the protruding portion 40a contacts the upstream support portion 46, since the pressing-down portion 75 is not in contact with the portion to be pressed 32b, there is a period during which the line head 40 maintains a stopped state even if the shaft 77, that is, the rotating body 74, rotates in the rotational direction C1. This period becomes the idling period of the head movement motor 101, which will be described in detail later.

[0084] When the shaft 77 further rotates in the rotation direction C1 from the state shown in FIG. 20, the pressing portion 75 abuts against the pressed portion 32b and presses the pressed portion 32b downward. That is, the lever driving by the third moving portion 73 is started, and thereby the head unit 30, that is, the line head 40 descends. At this time, the head unit 30 presses the upstream support portion 46 downward against the pressing force of the coil spring 54. FIG. 21 shows a state where the line head 40 is at the cap position Hp0. In the process of the line head 40 moving to the cap position Hp0, the head surface 42a of the line head 40 contacts the cap portion 61, and further the head surface 42a presses the cap portion 61 downward by a predetermined amount against the pressing force of the cap spring 63. Thereby, the cap portion 61 comes into close contact with the head surface 42a.

[0085] When raising the head unit 30, that is, the line head 40 from the state shown in FIG. 21, the shaft 77 is rotated in the rotation direction C2. As a result, since the pressing portion 75 is displaced upward, the position of the line head 40 in the Z-axis direction is restricted by the pressing portion 75, and the line head 40 rises by the spring force of the coil spring 54 and returns to the state shown in FIG. 20. When the shaft 77 is further rotated in the rotation direction C2 from the state shown in FIG. 20, the cam drive by the first moving portion 65 is switched.

[0086] Here, in FIG. 21, the reference sign k1 is a clearance formed between the cam 66 and the contact portion 32a. If there is no such clearance k1, a state where the line head 40 is supported by the cam 66 and a state where the pressing portion 75 presses the pressed portion 32b, that is, the line head 40 downward are simultaneously formed, and there is a possibility that the rotating body 74 may be in a locked state and unable to rotate. However, by providing the clearance k1, a state where the line head 40 is supported by the cam 66 and a state where the pressing portion 75 presses the line head 40 downward are not simultaneously formed, and the locking of the rotating body 74 can be avoided.

[0087] Also, in the present embodiment, as described above, the line head 40 includes a rack member 32 in which the pressed portion 32b, the contact portion 32a, and the rack 71 are integrally formed. Thereby, the relative positional relationship among the pressed portion 32b, the contact portion 32a, and the rack 71 is easily determined. As a result, a configuration in which the state of supporting the line head 40 by the cam 66 and the state of the pressing portion 75 pressing down the line head 40 are not formed simultaneously can be surely realized.

[0088] In addition, even if a clearance k1 is formed with the cam 66 separated from the contact portion 32a, the line head 40 is supported by the upstream support portion 46, so the line head 40 does not descend. However, instead of the configuration in which the upstream support portion 46 supports the line head 40 in a state where the cam 66 is separated from the contact portion 32a and the clearance k1 is formed, the cap portion 61 may be configured to support the line head 40.

[0089] As described above, the printer 1 includes a medium conveyance path Ta for conveying a medium, a line head 40 movable with respect to the medium conveyance path Ta in a direction intersecting the recording surface of the medium, and a moving means 110 for moving the line head 40. The moving region of the line head 40 has a first region Am1 and a second region Am2 farther from the medium conveyance path Ta than the first region Am1. The moving means 110 includes a first moving portion 65 for moving the line head 40 in the first region Am1 and a second moving portion 70 for moving the line head 40 in the second region Am2. When the line head 40 transitions from the first region Am1 to the second region Am2, it transitions from the state of being moved by the first moving portion 65 to the state of being moved by the second moving portion 70. Also, when the line head 40 transitions from the second region Am2 to the first region Am1, it transitions from the state of being moved by the second moving portion 70 to the state of being moved by the first moving portion 65. The first moving part 65 and the second moving part 70 are driven by a head moving motor 101 which is a common drive source. Thereby, compared with a configuration in which the first moving part 65 and the second moving part 70 are driven by separate drive sources, an increase in the cost of the apparatus can be suppressed, and the apparatus can be downsized.

[0090] Also, when the line head 40 transitions from the first area Am1 to the third area Am3, it shifts from a state of being moved by the first moving part 65 to a state of being moved by the third moving part 73. Further, when the line head 40 transitions from the third area Am3 to the first area Am1, it shifts from a state of being moved by the third moving part 73 to a state of being moved by the first moving part 65. That is, in the present embodiment, in addition to the first moving part 65 and the second moving part 70, the third moving part 73 is driven by a single head moving motor 101. As a result, an increase in the cost of the apparatus can be suppressed, and the apparatus can be downsized.

[0091] In the present embodiment, the first moving part 65 is a cam that rotates by the power of the head moving motor 101, and includes a cam 66 that moves the line head 40 by rotating while supporting the line head 40. Thereby, the position of the line head 40 can be finely adjusted at a position close to the medium conveyance path Ta. As a result, the line head 40 can be positioned at an appropriate position according to the thickness of the medium. In the present embodiment, the second moving part 70 includes a rack 71 provided on the line head 40 and a pinion 72 that meshes with the rack 71, and the pinion 72 that moves the line head 40 by rotating by the power of the head moving motor 101. Thereby, even when a large second area Am2 is secured, the line head 40 can be moved correspondingly large, which is convenient for maintenance work and the like. However, the first moving part 65 is not limited to cam drive, and other configurations such as rack and pinion drive may be adopted. Also, the second moving part 70 is not limited to rack and pinion drive, and other configurations such as cam drive may be adopted.

[0092] In this embodiment, the cam 66 and the pinion 72 are integrally formed to constitute a rotating body 74. Thereby, power can be easily transmitted from the head movement motor 101 to the first moving part 65 and the second moving part 70. Further, since there is no need to individually transmit power from the head movement motor 101 to the first moving part 65 and the second moving part 70, the number of components can be reduced. As a result, an increase in the cost of the apparatus can be suppressed, and the apparatus can be downsized. However, the cam 66 and the pinion 72 may be separately configured.

[0093] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a pressing part 75 is provided on the rotating body 74. Thereby, power can be easily transmitted from the head movement motor 101 to the first moving part 65, the second moving part 70, and the third moving part 73. Further, since there is no need to individually transmit power from the head movement motor 101 to the first moving part 65, the second moving part 70, and the third moving part 73, the number of components can be reduced. As a result, an increase in the cost of the apparatus can be suppressed, and the apparatus can be downsized. However, the pressing part 75 may be configured separately from the rotating body 74.

[0094] In this embodiment, the pinion 72 has a first phase region Ak1 in which a part of the teeth is missing. When the first phase region Ak1 faces the rack 71, the cam 66 supports the line head 40. Thereby, the following operational effects can be obtained. That is, when the first moving part 65 moves the line head 40, if the second moving part 70 tries to move the line head 40, the position adjustment of the line head 40 by the first moving part 65 may be disrupted. According to this aspect, since the pinion 72 has a first phase region Ak1 in which a part of the teeth is missing, and when the first phase region Ak1 faces the rack 71, the cam 66 supports the line head 40, it is possible to suppress the second moving part 70 from causing an adverse effect when the first moving part 65 tries to move the line head 40.

[0095] Also, when shifting from the movement of the line head 40 by the cam 66 to the movement of the line head 40 by the pinion 72, and when shifting from the movement of the line head 40 by the pinion 72 to the movement of the line head 40 by the cam 66 in this embodiment, a state is temporarily formed in which the cam 66 is in contact with the line head 40 and the pinion 72 meshes with the rack 71. As a result, a state where the line head 40 is not supported by either the cam 66 or the pinion 72 does not occur. Consequently, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of defects in the line head 40 caused by the line head 40 dropping and being impacted. Note that the state where the cam 66 is in contact with the line head 40 and the pinion 72 meshes with the rack 71 is different from the states of the first recording position, the second recording position, and the third recording position described above. Also, when the cam 66 and the pinion 72 are configured separately, there is a possibility that a state where the cam 66 is in contact with the line head 40 and the pinion 72 meshes with the rack 71 cannot be temporarily formed due to component tolerances, assembly errors, etc. However, in this embodiment, since the cam 66 and the pinion 72 are integrally configured, the occurrence of the above-mentioned defects can be suppressed.

[0096] Also, in this embodiment, the line head 40 includes a rack member 32 in which a contact portion 32a that contacts the cam 66 and the rack 71 are integrally formed. Thereby, the positional relationship between the contact portion 32a and the rack 71 is easily determined. Here, if the contact portion 32a and the rack 71 are configured separately, there is a possibility that a state where the cam 66 is in contact with the line head 40 and the pinion 72 meshes with the rack 71 cannot be temporarily formed due to component tolerances, assembly errors, etc. However, since the contact portion 32a and the rack 71 are integrally configured and the positional relationship between the contact portion 32a and the rack 71 is easily determined, the occurrence of the above-mentioned defects can be suppressed.

[0097] Also, in the present embodiment, the printer 1 includes a guide frame 33 that guides the line head 40 in the X-axis direction, that is, the moving direction of the line head 40, and a shaft 77 that is the rotation axis of the rotating body 74. The shaft 77 is rotatably supported by the guide frame 33. As a result, the positional relationship between the rotating body 74 and the rack member 32 is easily determined, the positional relationship between the rack 71 and the pinion 72 is appropriately determined, and the positional relationship between the contact portion 32a and the cam 66 is also appropriately determined. Therefore, the line head 40 can be appropriately moved by the first moving portion 65 and the second moving portion 70.

[0098] Also, in the present embodiment, the head unit 30 includes a plurality of nozzles 44 that discharge ink, which is an example of a liquid, along the medium width direction, and includes a line head 40 that is a liquid discharge head that discharges ink from the nozzles 44 without moving in the medium width direction. A cap portion 61 that covers the head surface 42a, which is the liquid discharge surface of the line head 40, is provided at a position facing the line head 40. The cap portion 61 is displaceable in a direction of advancing and retreating with respect to the line head 40, and the cap portion 61 is pressed toward the line head 40 by a cap spring 63, which is an example of a pressing member. The line head 40 is further movable from the first region Am1 toward a cap position Hp0 where the head surface 42a is covered by the cap portion 61. The rotating body 74 is provided with a pressing portion 75 that presses the line head 40 toward the cap portion 61 as the rotating body 74 rotates after the contact between the contact portion 32a that contacts the cam 66 in the line head 40 and the cam 66 is released. As a result, the following operational effects are obtained.

[0099] In order to ensure that the head surface 42a of the line head 40 is covered by the cap portion 61, it is necessary to press the head surface 42a against the cap portion 61 against the pressing force of the cap spring 63. The first moving portion 65 moves the line head 40 in the first region Am1 and also moves the line head 40 by the rotation of the cam 66, and cannot press the head surface 42a against the cap portion 61. However, the rotating body 74 is provided with a pressing portion 75 that presses the line head 40 downward toward the cap portion 61 as the rotating body 74 rotates after the contact between the contact portion 32a that contacts the cam 66 in the line head 40 and the cam 66 is released. Thereby, the head surface 42a can be surely pressed against the cap portion 61, and the head surface 42a can be surely covered by the cap portion 61. In addition, since the pressing portion 75 is provided on the rotating body 74, a separate power source for surely pressing the head surface 42a against the cap portion 61 becomes unnecessary. As a result, an increase in the cost of the apparatus can be suppressed, and the apparatus can be downsized.

[0100] <Detection of the position of the line head> Next, the position detection in the moving direction of the line head 40 will be described. Hereinafter, when simply referred to as the moving direction, it means the moving direction (Z-axis direction) of the line head 40. First, the control unit 100 will be further described with reference to FIG. 4. Note that the control unit 100 controls the entire printer 1, but the configuration not related to the movement of the line head 40 in FIG. 4 is not shown. The control unit 100 performs various controls including recording control of the printer 1. The control unit 100 includes one or more processors that operate according to a computer program, in other words, software. The processor includes a CPU and memories such as a RAM and a ROM, and the memories store program codes or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute processing. The control unit 100 is not limited to performing software processing. For example, the control unit 100 may include a dedicated hardware circuit that performs hardware processing for at least a part of the processing it executes, such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0101] A head movement motor 101 is electrically connected to the control unit 100 as an output system. In the present embodiment, the head movement motor 101 is a DC motor and is PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) controlled by the control unit 100. Further, in the control unit 100, as input units, an operation unit 115, a rotary ENC 103, and a linear ENC 107 are electrically connected thereto. The operation unit 115 is a part that accepts the power on / off of the printer 1, various settings, and recording execution, and can be configured by, for example, a touch panel in which a user interface is realized under the control of the control unit 100.

[0102] The control unit 100 includes an arithmetic unit 120, a motor control unit 121, a motor driver 122, a volatile memory 123, and a non-volatile memory 124 which is an example of a storage means. The arithmetic unit 120 performs various arithmetic operations necessary for operating the printer 1. For example, the arithmetic unit 120 performs arithmetic operations such as various setting values necessary for executing the program 125 stored in the non-volatile memory 124. The volatile memory 123 is used as a temporary data storage area.

[0103] The motor control unit 121 controls the head movement motor 101 via the motor driver 122 by outputting a current command value, for example, a duty signal necessary for PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control, to the motor driver 122. The motor driver 122 includes a D / A converter and controls the current supplied to the head movement motor 101 by performing PWM control based on the duty signal. In this embodiment, the motor control unit 121 performs PID control on the head movement motor 101. The motor control unit 121 multiplies the position deviation between the target rotation position of the head movement motor 101 and the actual rotation position obtained from the output signal of the rotary ENC 103 by a gain Kp to calculate the target rotation speed. Then, based on the speed deviation between this target rotation speed and the actual rotation speed obtained from the output of the rotary ENC 103, the motor control unit 121 performs calculations of a proportional component, an integral component, and a differential component using a proportional element, an integral element, and a differential element, and based on the sum of these calculation results, sends a duty signal to the motor driver 122. Further, the motor control unit 121 may control the head movement motor 101 based on the output signal of the linear ENC instead of the output signal of the rotary ENC 103.

[0104] The arithmetic unit 120 detects the edges of the output pulses of the rotary ENC 103, counts the number thereof, and calculates the rotational position of the head movement motor 101 based on this count value. The arithmetic unit 120 distinguishes the forward rotation and reverse rotation of the head movement motor 101 from the comparison process of the two pulse signals output from the rotary ENC 103. Then, when one edge is detected, the arithmetic unit 120 performs a counting process so as to increment and decrement the rotational position of the head movement motor 101 according to the forward rotation and reverse rotation. In the "Rotary ENC Position" shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, the vertical axis represents the rotational position of the head movement motor 101 obtained by the above counting process. The upward direction is the increment direction, that is, the upward direction of the line head 40, and the downward direction is the decrement direction, that is, the downward direction of the line head 40.

[0105] Further, the rotary ENC 103 outputs two pulse signals, pulse ENC-A and pulse ENC-B. In both the forward rotation and reverse rotation of the head movement motor 101, pulse ENC-A and pulse ENC-B are out of phase by 90 degrees. When the head movement motor 101 is rotating forward, pulse ENC-A is 90 degrees ahead in phase than pulse ENC-B. On the other hand, when the head movement motor 101 is rotating in reverse, pulse ENC-A is 90 degrees behind in phase than pulse ENC-B. The time for one cycle of each pulse is equal to the time for the head movement motor 101 to rotate by the interval of the slits of the rotary scale 104. Thereby, the arithmetic unit 120 can detect the rotational speed of the head movement motor 101. The "Rotary ENC Speed" shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 corresponds to the rotational speed.

[0106] Further, the arithmetic unit 120 can calculate the moving amount of the line head 40 based on the rotation amount of the head movement motor 101 and the reduction ratio of the reduction mechanism 76 described above. Also, if the arithmetic unit 120 detects the time of one cycle of each pulse, it can calculate the moving speed of the line head 40 based on the reduction ratio of the reduction mechanism 76 described above. However, when the signal change of the linear ENC 107 is not detected, that is, when the position of the linear ENC described later does not change, even if the position of the rotary ENC 103 changes, the line head 40 does not move.

[0107] Also, the arithmetic unit 120 can detect the edge of the output pulse of the linear ENC 107, count the number thereof, and calculate the position in the moving direction of the line head 40 based on this count value. The arithmetic unit 120 distinguishes the rise and fall of the line head 40 from the comparison process of the two pulse signals output from the linear ENC 107. Then, when one edge is detected, the arithmetic unit 120 performs a counting process so as to increment and decrement the position of the line head 40 according to the rise and fall. The "linear ENC position" shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 has a vertical axis that is the position obtained by the above counting process and corresponds to the position in the moving direction of the line head 40. The linear ENC position has an upward increment direction, that is, the upward direction of the line head 40, and a downward decrement direction, that is, the downward direction of the line head 40.

[0108] Further, the linear ENC 107 outputs two pulse signals, pulse ENC-A and pulse ENC-B. In both the case of the rise and fall of the line head 40, the phases of pulse ENC-A and pulse ENC-B are shifted by 90 degrees. When the line head 40 is rising, pulse ENC-A is advanced in phase by 90 degrees compared to pulse ENC-B. On the other hand, when the line head 40 is falling, pulse ENC-A is delayed in phase by 90 degrees compared to pulse ENC-B. The time of one cycle of each pulse is equal to the time for the line head 40 to move by the interval of the slit of the linear scale 108. If the arithmetic unit 120 counts the number of pulse signals, the movement amount of the line head 40 can be detected. Further, if the arithmetic unit 120 detects the time of one cycle of each pulse, the movement speed of the line head 40 can be calculated. The "linear ENC speed" shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 corresponds to the movement speed.

[0109] Hereinafter, an outline of the method for detecting the origin of the line head 40 will be described. As an example, when the line head 40 descends from the recording position Hp1 shown in FIG. 19, both the rotary ENC 103 and the linear ENC 107 generate signal changes until the protruding portion 40a provided on the line head 40 contacts the upstream support portion 46. This is shown in the rotary ENC position and the linear ENC position during the cam drive period shown in FIG. 22. When the protruding portion 40a provided on the line head 40 contacts the upstream support portion 46, the descent of the line head 40 temporarily stops, so the signal change of the linear ENC 107 disappears. This is shown in the linear ENC position during the motor idling period shown in FIG. 22. However, since the head movement motor 101 continues to rotate, as shown in the rotary ENC position during the motor idling period shown in FIG. 22, the signal change of the rotary ENC 103 continues to occur.

[0110] The control unit 100 can utilize this property to set the origin position of the line head 40. That is, when the control unit 100 lowers the line head 40 toward the opposing portion 45, based on the position of the line head 40 when the signal change of the linear ENC 107 disappears while the signal change of the rotary ENC 103 is present, the control unit 100 sets the origin position of the line head 40. In FIG. 22, the position Pm0 is the rotary ENC position when the signal change of the linear ENC 107 disappears, that is, the origin position of the rotary ENC 103, and the position Pn0 is the linear ENC position when the signal change of the linear ENC 107 disappears, that is, the origin position of the linear ENC 107.

[0111] The position of the line head 40 in the moving direction may be grasped based on the origin position of the rotary ENC103, or may be grasped based on the origin position of the linear ENC107. In any case, the distance from the origin position to the boundary of each region can be stored in the non-volatile memory 124 as a known value. As a result, the control unit 100 can grasp the current position of the line head 40. In addition, in the present embodiment, the encoder resolution with respect to the single displacement amount of the line head 40 by the speed reduction mechanism 76 is higher for the rotary ENC103 than for the linear ENC107. Therefore, in order to ensure the stop position accuracy of the line head 40, it is preferable to perform the basic speed control of the head movement motor 101 based on the output signal of the rotary ENC103.

[0112] In addition, when the line head 40 is raised, the origin position of the line head 40 can be set. For example, when the line head 40 rises from the cap position Hp0, both the rotary ENC103 and the linear ENC107 generate signal changes until the upstream support portion 46 rises to the upper limit position. This is shown in the rotary ENC position and the linear ENC position during the lever drive period shown in FIG. 23. When the upstream support portion 46 rises to the upper limit position and the pressing portion 75 separates upward from the pressed portion 32b, the rise of the line head 40 temporarily stops, so the signal change of the linear ENC107 disappears. This is shown in the linear ENC position during the motor idling period shown in FIG. 23. However, since the head movement motor 101 continues to rotate, as shown in the rotary ENC position during the motor idling period shown in FIG. 23, the signal change of the rotary ENC103 continues to occur. Then, when the cam 66 abuts against the contact portion 32a and lifts the line head 40, the protruding portion 40a separates from the upstream support portion 46, and the line head 40 rises. This is shown in the linear ENC position when transitioning from the motor idling period to the cam drive period shown in FIG. 23.

[0113] The control unit 100 can utilize this property to set the origin position of the line head 40. That is, the control unit 100 sets the origin position of the line head 40 based on the position of the line head 40 when the signal change of the linear ENC 107 occurs while the signal of the rotary ENC 103 is changing. In FIG. 23, the position Pm0 is the rotary ENC position when the signal change of the linear ENC 107 disappears, that is, the origin position of the rotary ENC 103, and the position Pn0 is the linear ENC position when the signal change of the linear ENC 107 disappears, that is, the origin position of the linear ENC 107.

[0114] Hereinafter, the processing executed by the control unit 100 will be further described with reference to FIG. 24. The control unit 100 sets the origin position of the line head 40 described above at a predetermined timing (step S101). This origin position setting can be performed when the printer 1 is powered on or when the elapsed time since the previous origin position setting has passed a predetermined time. Next, the control unit 100 sets the rotary ENC position as shown in step S102. Note that the position in step S102 is the rotary ENC position, but it may also be the linear ENC position.

[0115] As a result, the rotary ENC position in the lever drive region is set to "position < origin - dx1". The distance dx1 is the distance from the origin position to the lever drive region. Also, the rotary ENC position in the cam drive region is set to "origin ≤ position < origin + dx2". The distance dx2 is the distance from the origin position to the rack and pinion drive region. Also, the rotary ENC position in the rack and pinion drive region is set to "origin + dx2 ≤ position". The values dx1 and dx2 are stored in the non-volatile memory 124 as part of the control parameter 126 (see FIG. 4). Note that the lengths of the lever drive region and the rack and pinion drive region are also stored in the non-volatile memory 124 as part of the control parameter 126 (see FIG. 4).

[0116] Next, when the control unit 100 moves the line head 40 (Yes in step S103), it determines whether the printing mode is the normal mode (step S104). The printing mode can be selected by the user via the operation unit 115 as either the normal mode or the speed priority mode. In the case of the normal mode, the control unit 100 temporarily stops the line head 40 before the area boundary and selects control parameters for each area (step S105). Also, in the case of the speed priority mode, the control unit 100 continuously drives the line head 40 without stopping it at the area boundary and selects control parameters for each area (step S106).

[0117] The control parameters for each area are stored in the non-volatile memory 124 as part of the control parameter 126 (see FIG. 4). The control parameters for each area include the torque limit value of the head movement motor 101. The torque limit value is, for example, the limit value of the duty signal sent to the motor driver 122, thereby restricting the drive current value of the head movement motor 101. The torque limit value for each area is stored in the non-volatile memory 124 as part of the control parameter 126 (see FIG. 4). By setting the torque limit value, it is possible to prevent an excessive load from being applied to the drive mechanism in the event of an abnormality.

[0118] FIG. 27 shows the head movement speed, motor rotation speed, motor drive load, and torque limit value for each area when the line head 40 rises and when it falls. When the line head 40 is descending, the head movement speed is the lowest in the first area Am1, i.e., in the case of cam drive, the highest in the second area Am2, i.e., in the case of rack and pinion drive, and intermediate in the third area Am3, i.e., in the case of lever drive. Also, when the line head 40 is descending, the motor rotation speed is speed 2 in each area. However, for example, in order to reduce the impact when the line head 40 abuts an obstacle in the second area Am2 or the third area Am3, it may be set to a speed lower than speed 2.

[0119] Also, when the line head 40 descends, the driving load of the head movement motor 101 is the smallest in the first area Am1 and the second area Am2, and becomes larger in the third area Am3 than in the first area Am1 and the second area Am. Therefore, when the line head 40 descends, the torque limit values are the smallest in the first area Am1 and the second area Am2, and become larger in the third area Am3 than in the first area Am1 and the second area Am. In the third area Am3, it is because the pressing part 75 presses down the line head 40 against the spring forces of the coil spring 54 (see FIG. 20) and the cap spring 63 (see FIG. 20). This is shown in the motor duty in the lever drive area shown in FIG. 22. When the line head 40 descends, in the third area Am3, the head movement motor 101 first receives a load from the coil spring 54, and then receives loads from both the coil spring 54 and the cap spring 63. Therefore, as the line head 40 descends, the motor duty increases. Therefore, the torque limit value is the largest in the third area Am3.

[0120] Next, when the line head 40 ascends, the head movement speed is the lowest in the first area Am1, i.e., in the case of cam drive, the highest in the second area Am2, i.e., in the case of rack and pinion drive, and intermediate in the third area Am3, i.e., in the case of lever drive. Also, when the line head 40 ascends, the motor rotation speed becomes speed 1 in each area. However, for example, in order to mitigate the impact when the line head 40 abuts against an obstacle in the second area Am2 or the third area Am3, it may be set to a speed lower than speed 1. Note that speed 1 may be set equal to speed 2, higher than speed 2, or lower than speed 2.

[0121] Also, when the line head 40 rises, the driving load of the head movement motor 101 is the smallest in the third region Am3 and the first region Am1, and becomes larger in the second region Am2 than in the first region Am1 and the second region Am. However, when the line head 40 rises, the torque limit value is the largest in the third region Am3. This is because when meshing occurs in the worm gear mechanism during head descent, there is a possibility that a larger motor driving load than the motor driving load during head descent will be applied when the head rises. Incidentally, the torque limit value is the smallest in the first region Am1, and becomes larger in the second region Am2 than in the first region Am1.

[0122] Next, with reference to FIG. 25, a process of raising the line head 40 from the state where the line head 40 is placed on the upstream support portion 46 via the protruding portion 40a and performing origin detection of the line head 40 will be described. The control unit 100 starts driving the head movement motor 101 to raise the line head 40 in a state where the line head 40 is placed on the upstream support portion 46 via the protruding portion 40a (step S201). Next, when a signal change of the linear ENC 107 occurs (Yes in step S202), assuming that the number of edges of the output pulse of the linear ENC 107 is Ce1, the origin position based on the linear ENC 107 is set before the Ce1 edge (step S203). An example of the number of edges Ce1 is 1.

[0123] Next, the control unit 100 sets the origin position based on the rotary ENC 103 before the Ce1×(Rs1 / Rs2) edge (step S204). Here, Rs1 is the resolution of the rotary ENC 103, specifically, the number of edges of the output pulse of the rotary ENC 103 with respect to the unit displacement amount of the line head 40. Also, Rs2 is the resolution of the linear ENC 107, specifically, the number of edges of the output pulse of the linear ENC 107 with respect to the unit displacement amount of the line head 40. By setting the origin position of the line head 40 in this way, the origin position of the line head 40 can be accurately set.

[0124] Next, with reference to FIG. 26, a process of performing origin detection of the line head 40 by lowering the line head 40 from a state where the protruding portion 40a of the line head 40 is separated from the upstream support portion 46 will be described. The control unit 100 starts driving the head movement motor 101 to lower the line head 40 (step S301). Next, when the signal change of the linear ENC 107 disappears (Yes in step S302), if there is a signal change in the rotary ENC 103 (Yes in step S303), the origin position based on the linear ENC 107 is set to the linear ENC position at the time when the signal change of the linear ENC 107 disappears (step S304). Further, the control unit 100 sets the origin position based on the rotary ENC 103 to the rotary ENC position at the time when the signal change of the linear ENC 107 disappears (step S305). By setting the origin position of the line head 40 in this way, the origin position of the line head 40 can be accurately set. For the origin position setting in step S101 of FIG. 24, the process shown in FIG. 25 may be adopted, or the process shown in FIG. 26 may be adopted.

[0125] In addition, when the signal change of the linear ENC 107 disappears (Yes in step S302), if the signal change of the rotary ENC 103 also disappears even though it is within the movement range of the line head 40 (No in step S303), it is determined that the head unit 30 has abutted against some obstacle, the head movement motor 101 is stopped (step S306), and error processing is performed. As an example of the error processing, an alert indicating that an abnormality has occurred is displayed on the operation unit 115. Thereby, an excessive load can be prevented from being applied to the line head 40 and the moving means 110, and damage to the line head 40 and the moving means 110 can be suppressed.

[0126] Currently, there is play such as gear backlash in the moving means 110. Therefore, particularly when the origin position of the line head 40 is set while lowering the line head 40 and then the line head 40 is raised, and when the line head 40 is raised based on the origin position of the rotary ENC 103, it is preferable to set the target stop position of the head movement motor 101 in consideration of the above backlash.

[0127] Next, the processing when the power of the printer 1 is not turned off in the normal procedure will be described with reference to FIG. 28. When the power of the printer 1 is turned off in the normal procedure, specifically, when the user presses a power button (not shown) to turn off the power, the line head 40 is moved to the cap position. Therefore, in this case, when the power of the printer 1 is turned on, the control unit 100 can determine that the line head 40 is in the cap position. However, when the power of the printer 1 is not turned off in the normal procedure, for example, when the power cord is unplugged while the power is on, and then the power of the printer 1 is turned on, the control unit 100 cannot grasp the exact current position of the line head 40. Therefore, in this case, an exception process for grasping the current position of the line head 40 is required. Incidentally, it is also possible to grasp the position of the line head 40 by abutting the line head 40 against one end or the other end of the movement area and detecting an increase in the drive current value of the head movement motor 101 at that time. However, in this method, excessive surface pressure may occur between the worm wheel 83 (see FIG. 9) and the cylindrical worm 84 (see FIG. 9) constituting the worm gear mechanism, leading to locking, which is not preferable.

[0128] Whether the power of the printer 1 has been turned off in the normal procedure can be determined by saving a power flag indicating that fact in the non-volatile memory 124 (see FIG. 4) when the power of the printer 1 is turned off in the normal procedure. For example, when the power of the printer 1 is turned off in the normal procedure, the control unit 100 saves "1" as the above power flag in the non-volatile memory 124. Then, when the power of the printer 1 is turned on, the control unit 100 reads the above power flag, and if it is "1", the origin position is set in the normal procedure (step S101 in FIG. 24). At that time, the above power flag is reset to "0". Also, when the power of the printer 1 is turned on, the control unit 100 reads the above power flag, and if it is "0", it performs the exception processing shown in FIG. 28 on the assumption that the power of the printer 1 has not been turned off in the normal procedure.

[0129] In FIG. 28, when the power of the printer 1 is turned on, the control unit 100 determines whether it is a power-on from a normal power-off (step S401). If it is a power-on from a normal power-off (Yes in step S401), the normal origin position setting is performed (step S405). Note that the process of step S405 is the same as the process of step S101 in FIG. 24. When it is not a power-on from a normal power-off (No in step S401), the control unit 100 drives the head movement motor 101 by a predetermined amount in the direction opposite to the previous driving direction (step S402).

[0130] Here, the previous driving direction is the driving direction when the control unit 100 previously drove the head movement motor 101. Each time the control unit 100 drives the head movement motor 101, it saves a direction flag indicating the rotation direction in the non-volatile memory 124 (see FIG. 4). By reading the above direction flag, the control unit 100 can grasp the rotation direction when the head movement motor 101 was previously driven. Also, the "predetermined amount" in step S402 is preferably as small as possible within the range where the linear ENC speed can be detected. For example, the above "predetermined amount" is preferably 5.0 mm or less, more preferably 3.0 mm or less, when converted to the movement amount of the line head 40. The above "predetermined amount" is stored in the non-volatile memory 124 as part of the control parameter 126 (see FIG. 4). By minimizing the above "predetermined amount" in this way, when the line head 40 is moved, it is possible to prevent the line head 40 from contacting some obstacle and causing the lock of the worm gear mechanism described above.

[0131] Next, the control unit 100 determines in which area the line head 40 is currently located based on the linear ENC speed (step S403). As described with reference to FIG. 27, the moving speed of the line head 40, that is, the linear ENC speed, is different in each of the first area Am1, the second area Am2, and the third area Am3. That is, the linear ENC speed when the head movement motor 101 is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed is different in each area and can be obtained as a known value. Therefore, the control unit 100 can determine in which area of each area the line head 40 is based on the linear ENC speed. Of course, if the linear ENC speed when the head movement motor 101 is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed is zero, it can be determined that the line head 40 is in the motor idling area of FIGS. 22 and 23. The moving speeds of the line head 40 in each area when the head movement motor 101 is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed are stored in the non-volatile memory 124 as part of the control parameter 126 (see FIG. 4). Of course, the above moving speed is a value with a width considering errors.

[0132] If it is possible to determine in which area the line head 40 is located, it is possible to determine in which direction the line head 40 should be moved to set the origin position. Therefore, the control unit 100 sets the origin position based on in which area the line head 40 is located (step S404). For example, if the line head 40 is in the second area Am2 or the first area Am1, the origin position can be set by lowering the line head 40. Also, if the line head 40 is in the third area Am3 or the motor idling area, the origin position can be set by raising the line head 40. The origin position setting by raising the line head 40 is the process shown in FIG. 25, and the origin position setting by lowering the line head 40 is the process shown in FIG. 26.

[0133] In addition, when the linear ENC speed is zero when the head movement motor 101 is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed, it is conceivable that the line head 40 is in the motor idling area and that the line head 40 is in contact with some part and cannot move. However, in step S402, the head movement motor 101 is driven in the direction opposite to the previous driving direction. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a state in which the line head 40 cannot move because it has hit at least one end of the moving area. As described above, even when the power of the printer 1 is not turned off in the normal procedure, the current position of the line head 40 can be grasped based on the detection information of the rotary ENC 103 and the linear ENC 107. Also, at that time, the occurrence of the lock of the worm gear mechanism described above can be suppressed.

[0134] In the above embodiment, the control unit 100 determines in which area the line head 40 is currently located based on the linear ENC speed. However, instead of the linear ENC speed, the motor drive load, specifically the motor drive current value, may be adopted. This is because the motor drive load, that is, the motor drive current value, is different in each area.

[0135] If the shutter 47 (see Fig. 5) is closed, the line head 40 is in the first area Am1 or the second area Am2. Therefore, when a sensor for detecting the position of the shutter 47 is provided, the position of the line head 40 may be grasped with reference to the position of the shutter 47. Also, when a sensor for detecting that the cap unit 60 is in the lowered position is provided, the position of the line head 40 may be grasped with reference to the state of this sensor. For example, if the cap unit 60 is not in the lowered position, the line head 40 is lowered. Thereby, when the lowered position of the cap unit 60 is detected, it can be determined that the line head 40 is in the cap position.

[0136] Hereinafter, the operation and effect of the printer 1 configured as described above will be described. First, as described above, the moving direction of the line head 40 includes a vertical direction component. The position detection means for detecting the position of the line head 40 with respect to the medium conveyance path Ta is a linear ENC 107 including a linear scale 108 provided along the moving direction of the line head 40 and a first detection unit 109 provided on the line head 40 for detecting the linear scale 108. The moving means 110 that moves the line head 40 by receiving the power of the head moving motor 101 has a configuration that allows the head moving motor 101 to idle after the line head 40 is lowered toward the opposing portion 45 using its own weight and the line head 40 is placed on the opposing portion 45. This idling of the head moving motor 101 corresponds to the rotation of the head moving motor 101 in the motor idling region shown in Figs. 22 and 23. That is, the idling of the head moving motor 101 means a state in which the rotation of the head moving motor 101 is not converted into the movement of the line head 40 and the head moving motor 101 does not receive a load from the line head 40.

[0137] Then, when the line head 40 descends to the opposing part 45, the control unit 100 grasps the position of the line head 40 in the moving direction based on the change in the detection signal of the linear ENC 107 (linear ENC position Pn0 in Fig. 22), or when the line head 40 rises from the state of being placed on the opposing part 45, based on the change in the detection signal of the linear ENC 107 (linear ENC position Pn0 in Fig. 23). Thereby, the position of the line head 40 relative to the opposing part 45 can be appropriately grasped, and thus the platen gap can be appropriately set. Also, the line head 40 can be appropriately positioned at the cap position Hp0 and the jam processing position Hp2.

[0138] In addition, since the platen gap can be set with high precision, adjustment in the device assembly process becomes unnecessary, and the assembly time can be shortened. Also, even if the components such as gears constituting the moving means 110 are deformed from the assembled state due to the impact during the transportation of the device, it is easy to obtain the desired platen gap. Moreover, even if the members such as gears constituting the moving means 110 wear due to aging deterioration, it is difficult for this to affect the platen gap.

[0139] Also, when the moving means 110 lowers the line head 40 toward the opposing part 45, since it has a configuration that allows the head movement motor 101 to idle after the line head 40 has landed on the opposing part 45 using its own weight, the following effects can be obtained. For example, when detecting an increase in the drive current value of the head movement motor 101 when the line head 40 abuts against the opposing portion 45, in the case of a configuration for grasping the position of the line head 40 in the moving direction, a load is applied to the moving means 110, which may cause damage to the components. Also, it may be difficult to appropriately set the threshold value of the drive current value. Further, when the moving means 110 includes a worm gear mechanism (see FIG. 9) as in this embodiment, there is also a risk of excessive surface pressure occurring between the worm wheel 83 and the cylindrical worm 84 and causing locking. However, when the moving means 110 lowers the line head 40 toward the opposing portion 45, it has a configuration that allows the head movement motor 101 to idle after the line head 40 has rested on the opposing portion 45 using its own weight. Thereby, the occurrence of the above-mentioned problems can be suppressed.

[0140] Also, in this embodiment, a rotary ENC 103, which is a rotation detection means for detecting the rotation of the head movement motor 101, is provided. And the control unit 100 grasps the position of the line head 40 in the moving direction based on the detection signal of the linear ENC 107 and the detection signal of the rotary ENC 103. Thereby, the position of the line head 40 in the moving direction can be accurately grasped.

[0141] Also, in this embodiment, the rotation detection means is a rotary ENC 103 including a rotary scale 104 provided on the motor output shaft of the head movement motor 101 and a second detection unit 105 for detecting the rotary scale 104. Thereby, the rotation of the head movement motor 101 can be accurately detected.

[0142] Also, the moving means 110 includes a cylindrical worm 84 driven by the head movement motor 101 and a worm wheel 83 that meshes with the cylindrical worm 84 and rotates as the cylindrical worm 84 rotates. In such a configuration, as described above, if excessive surface pressure occurs between the worm wheel 83 and the cylindrical worm 84, there is also a risk of locking. However, as described above, when grasping the position of the line head 40 with respect to the opposing portion 45, an excessive load is not applied to the moving means 110, so the occurrence of the above-mentioned locking can be suppressed. In addition, the worm gear mechanism can increase the reduction ratio when transmitting power from the head movement motor 101 to the line head 40. As a result, the resolution of the rotary ENC 103 can be made larger than the resolution of the linear ENC 107, and the line head 40 can be accurately positioned with respect to the opposing portion 45.

[0143] Further, when the control unit 100 lowers the line head 40 toward the opposing portion 45, the position of the line head 40 at the time when the signal change of the linear ENC 107 disappears during the rotation of the head movement motor 101 (linear ENC position Pn0 in FIG. 22), or when the line head 40 is raised from the state of being placed on the opposing portion 45, the position of the line head 40 at the time when the signal change of the linear ENC 107 occurs during the rotation of the head movement motor 101 (linear ENC position Pn0 in FIG. 23), based on this, the origin position of the line head 40 in the moving direction is set. In other words, when the control unit 100 lowers the line head 40 toward the opposing portion 45, the position of the line head 40 at the time when the signal change of the linear ENC 107 disappears while the signal change of the rotary ENC 103 exists (linear ENC position Pn0 in FIG. 22), or when the line head 40 is raised from the state of being placed on the opposing portion 45, the position of the line head 40 at the time when the signal change of the linear ENC 107 occurs while the signal change of the rotary ENC 103 exists (linear ENC position Pn0 in FIG. 23), based on this, the origin position of the line head 40 in the moving direction is set. In addition, the control method realized by the control unit 100 includes the step of setting the origin position of the line head 40 in the moving direction based on the position of the line head 40 at the time when the signal change of the linear ENC 107 disappears while the signal change of the rotary ENC 103 exists when the line head 40 is lowered toward the opposing portion 45, or the position of the line head 40 at the time when the signal change of the linear ENC 107 occurs while the signal change of the rotary ENC 103 exists when the line head 40 is raised from the state of being placed on the opposing portion 45. As a result, the origin in the moving direction of the line head 40 can be appropriately set by utilizing the signal change of the linear ENC 107. As a result, the positioning accuracy of the line head 40 is improved.

[0144] The line head 40 also includes a protruding portion 40a that protrudes toward the opposing portion 45. When the protruding portion 40a abuts against the opposing portion 45, the line head 40 rests on the opposing portion 45 by utilizing its own weight. As a result, contact between the portion of the line head 40 that records on the medium, specifically the head chip 43 (see FIG. 2), and the opposing portion 45 can be avoided. As a result, damage to the head chip 43 can be suppressed, and fouling of the opposing portion 45 can also be suppressed.

[0145] In addition, a plurality of protruding portions 40a are provided in the medium width direction, and by bringing the protruding portions 40a into contact with the opposing portion 45, the posture of the line head 40 with respect to the opposing portion 45 is also appropriately determined. Therefore, for example, the position of the line head 40 when the protruding portion 40a abuts against the opposing portion 45 may be set as the first recording position. As a result, the platen gap is set extremely appropriately, and the parallelism of the line head 40 with respect to the opposing portion 45 can also be ensured, and appropriate recording quality can be obtained. In addition, in order to grasp the posture of the line head 40 with respect to the opposing portion 45, a plurality of linear ENCs 107 may be provided at intervals in the X-axis direction, and thereby the posture of the line head 40 with respect to the opposing portion 45 may be detected. Also, at this time, in order to correct the posture of the line head 40 with respect to the opposing portion 45, the rotating body 74A provided near the +X direction end of the shaft 77 and the rotating body 74B provided at the -X direction end may be driven by separate motors.

[0146] Also, in this embodiment, the moving means 110 has a speed reduction mechanism 76 with a speed reduction ratio greater than 1 when transmitting power from the head moving motor 101 to the recording head. The control unit 100 grasps the position of the line head 40 in the moving direction based on the signal of the linear ENC 107, and controls the head moving motor 101 based on the signal of the rotary ENC 103. In other words, the control method realized by the control unit 100 includes the steps of grasping the position of the line head 40 in the moving direction based on the signal of the linear ENC 107 and controlling the head moving motor 101 based on the signal of the rotary ENC 103.

[0147] According to such a configuration, since the linear ENC 107 directly detects the movement of the line head 40, the position of the line head 40 can be appropriately grasped. As a result, it becomes easier to appropriately adjust the gap between the line head 40 and the opposing portion 45. Also, by referring to the detection signal of the linear ENC 107 during motor control based on the detection signal of the rotary ENC 103, the position of the line head 40 can be accurately grasped without being affected by the backlash of the gears constituting the moving means 110.

[0148] Here, since the linear ENC 107 directly detects the movement of the line head 40, there is a possibility that the stop accuracy when stopping the head moving motor 101 cannot be obtained due to the resolution of the linear ENC 107. As a result, there is a possibility that the line head 40 cannot be accurately stopped at a desired position. However, in this embodiment, the moving means 110 has a speed reduction mechanism 76 with a speed reduction ratio greater than 1 when transmitting power from the head moving motor 101 to the line head 40. From this, the resolution of the rotary ENC 103 can be ensured. And by controlling the head moving motor 101 based on the signal of the rotary ENC 103, the stop accuracy when stopping the head moving motor 101 can be improved, and it becomes easier to accurately stop the line head 40 at a desired position.

[0149] Also, the control unit 100 detects each region that constitutes the movement region based on the origin position of the line head 40 in the movement direction, and controls the head movement motor 101 with control parameters corresponding to each region. Therefore, by appropriate control according to each region, the line head 40 can be appropriately positioned.

[0150] Also, the control parameters include the torque limit value of the head movement motor 101. Thereby, the following operational effects can be obtained. When the loads applied to the head movement motor 101 are different in each region that constitutes the movement region of the line head 40, the required motor drive torques are different. Therefore, if a large torque limit value is set for a region with a small load, excessive load may be applied to the mechanism parts in the event of an abnormality, leading to damage to the mechanism parts or the like. However, since the above control parameters include the torque limit value of the head movement motor 101, damage to the mechanism parts described above can be suppressed. Note that the above control parameters may be other parameters such as the target speed of the head movement motor 101, the gain Kp of PID control, or any two or more of these multiple parameters.

[0151] Also, at the boundary of each region that constitutes the movement region, the control unit 100 temporarily stops the head movement motor 101 (step S105 in FIG. 24). That is, at the boundary of each region that constitutes the movement region of the line head 40, there is a possibility that a collision sound between members may occur due to the switching of the drive mechanism. However, by temporarily stopping the head movement motor 101 at the boundary of each region that constitutes the movement region, the generation of the above collision sound can be suppressed. Note that instead of temporarily stopping the head movement motor 101, the speed of the head movement motor 101 may be decreased.

[0152] The printer 1 also includes an operation unit 115, which is an example of receiving means for receiving a selection of either a speed priority mode or a normal mode as a control mode when moving the line head 40. When the speed priority mode is selected, the control unit 100 continuously drives the head movement motor 101 at the boundaries of the respective regions constituting the movement region (step S106 in FIG. 24). When the normal mode is selected, the control unit 100 temporarily stops the head movement motor 101 at the boundaries of the respective regions constituting the movement region (step S105 in FIG. 24).

[0153] At the boundaries of the respective regions constituting the movement region of the line head 40, there is a possibility that a collision sound between members may occur as the drive mechanism switches. However, in the normal mode, since the head movement motor 101 is temporarily stopped at the boundaries of the respective regions constituting the movement region of the line head 40, the generation of the above-described collision sound can be suppressed. Also, in the speed priority mode, since the head movement motor 101 is continuously driven at the boundaries of the respective regions constituting the movement region of the line head 40, the throughput of the process can be improved.

[0154] Hereinafter, modifications of the above-described embodiment will be described. The above-described medium conveyance path Ta is not limited to being parallel to the X-Y plane and may have an angle with respect to the X-Y plane. Therefore, the moving direction of the line head 40 is not limited to being parallel to the Z-axis direction and may have an angle with respect to the Z-axis direction. Alternatively, instead of providing the protruding portion 40a at a position where it abuts against the upstream support portion 46, it may be provided at a position where it abuts against the shutter 47.

[0155] Also, the control unit 100 may selectively use encoders used for controlling the head movement motor 101 according to the operation. For example, when performing the origin detection operation, the head movement motor 101 may be controlled based on the output signal of the linear ENC 107. After the origin detection operation is performed, the head movement motor 101 may be controlled based on the output signal of the rotary ENC 103. Also, the head movement motor 101 may be controlled based on the output signal of the linear ENC 107, and when the origin is detected due to a speed reduction, the control may be switched to the control using the rotary ENC 103 during driving. By seamlessly performing the switching of the target position, that is, the conversion from the linear ENC position to the rotary ENC position during driving, deceleration, stop, and acceleration are not involved, so the throughput can be improved.

[0156] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and modifications described above, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and it goes without saying that those are also included in the scope of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0157] 1... Inkjet printer, 2... Media storage cassette, 3... Pickup roller, 5... Feed roller, 6... Separation roller, 8... Reverse roller, 9... First nip roller, 10... Second nip roller, 12... Media support part, 13... Feed roller, 14... Separation roller, 15... First pair of conveyance rollers, 16... Driving roller, 17... Driven roller, 19... Second pair of conveyance rollers, 20... Driving roller, 20a... Rotation axis, 21... Driven roller, 22... Media detection part, 27... Third pair of conveyance rollers, 28... Discharge roller pair, 29... Discharge tray, 30... Head unit, 31... Unit frame, 32, 32A, 32B... Rack member, 32a... Contact part, 32b... Pressed part, 32c, 32d... Guided part, 33... Guide frame, 33a... First guide part, 33b... Second guide part, 33A, 33B... Base frame, 34... Mounting frame, 35... Link mechanism, 40... Line head, 40a... Protrusion part, 41... Base, 41d... Rack part, 42... Plate member, 42a... Head surface, 42d... Opening part, 43... Head chip, 44... Nozzle, 45... Opposing part, 45a... Opening part, 46... Upstream support part, 47... Shutter, 48... First moving part, 49... Second moving part, 54... Coil spring, 60... Cap unit, 61... Cap part, 61a... Elastic part, 61b... Cap main body part, 62... Base part, 63... Cap spring, 65... First moving part, 66... Cam, 70... Second moving part, 71... Rack, 72... Pinion, 72a... First phase region, 73... Third moving part, 74, 74A, 74B... Rotating body, 75... Pushing-down part, 76... Reduction mechanism, 77... Axis, 78... First bevel gear, 79... Second bevel gear, 80, 81, 82... Spur gear, 83... Worm wheel, 84... Cylindrical worm, 100... Control part, 101... Head movement motor, 103... Rotary encoder, 104... Rotary scale, 105... Second detection part, 107... Linear encoder, 108... Linear scale, 109... First detection part, 110... Moving means, 115... Operation part, 120... Arithmetic unit, 121... Motor control part, 122... Motor driver, 123... Volatile memory, 124... Non-volatile memory, 125... Program, 126... Control parameter, Am1... First region, Am2... Second region, Am3... Third region, Hp0... Cap position, Hp1... Recording position, Hp2... Jam processing position

Claims

1. A conveyance path for conveying a medium, A recording unit for recording on the medium, the recording unit being movable in a direction advancing and retreating with respect to the conveyance path, An opposing part disposed opposite to the recording unit, A motor that is a power source when moving the recording unit, Moving means for receiving the power of the motor and moving the recording unit, Position detection means for detecting the position of the recording unit with respect to the conveyance path, Rotation detection means for detecting the rotation of the motor, A control unit for controlling the motor, Comprising, The moving direction of the recording unit includes a vertical direction component, The position detection means, A linear scale provided along the moving direction of the recording unit, A first detection unit provided on the recording unit for detecting the linear scale, A linear encoder comprising, The rotation detection means, A rotary scale that rotates with the rotation of the motor, A detection unit for detecting the rotary scale, A rotary encoder comprising, The moving means has a configuration that allows the motor to idle after the recording unit has landed on the opposing part using its own weight when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing part, The control unit determines the position of the recording unit when the signal change of the linear encoder disappears while the signal change of the rotary encoder is present when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing part, or the position of the recording unit when the signal change of the linear encoder occurs while the signal change of the rotary encoder is present when the recording unit is raised from the state of being placed on the opposing part, and sets the origin position of the recording unit in the moving direction based thereon. A recording apparatus characterized by the above.

2. In the recording apparatus according to Claim 1, The moving area of the recording unit is, A first area, A second area farther from the conveyance path than the first area, Having, The moving means, A first moving part for moving the recording unit in the first area, A second moving part for moving the recording unit in the second area, Comprising, The recording unit, When transitioning from the first area to the second area, it transitions from the state of being moved by the first moving part to the state of being moved by the second moving part, When transitioning from the second area to the first area, it transitions from the state of being moved by the second moving part to the state of being moved by the first moving part. A recording apparatus characterized by the above.

3. In the recording apparatus according to Claim 2, The moving area of the recording unit includes a third area located on the side opposite to the second area with the first area interposed therebetween. When the recording unit is placed on the opposing portion by utilizing its own weight, the opposing portion is provided with a support portion that supports the recording unit and is movable along the moving direction. The recording unit is provided with a pressing member that presses the support portion toward the recording unit. The moving means includes a third moving portion that moves the recording unit against the pressing force of the pressing member in the third area. The recording unit When transitioning from the first area to the third area, it shifts from the state of being moved by the first moving portion to the state of being moved by the third moving portion. When transitioning from the third area to the first area, it shifts from the state of being moved by the third moving portion to the state of being moved by the first moving portion. A recording apparatus characterized by the above.

4. In the recording apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3, The control unit detects each area constituting the moving area based on the origin position of the recording unit in the moving direction, and controls the motor with control parameters corresponding to each area. A recording apparatus characterized by the above.

5. In the recording apparatus according to claim 4, The control parameters include torque limit values of the motor. A recording apparatus characterized by the above.

6. In the recording apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3, At the boundary of each area constituting the moving area, the control unit reduces the speed of the motor or temporarily stops the motor. A recording apparatus characterized by the above.

7. In the recording apparatus according to claim 2 or claim 3, The apparatus is provided with receiving means for receiving a selection of either a speed priority mode or a normal mode. The control unit When the speed priority mode is selected, continuously drives the motor at the boundary of each area constituting the moving area. When the normal mode is selected, temporarily stops the motor at the boundary of each area constituting the moving area. A recording apparatus characterized by the above.

8. In the recording apparatus according to claim 3, The recording unit includes a plurality of nozzles that discharge liquid along a width direction intersecting the medium conveyance direction, and a liquid discharge head that discharges liquid from the nozzles without moving in the width direction. A cap portion that covers the liquid discharge surface of the liquid discharge head is provided at a position facing the liquid discharge head. The cap portion is displaceable in a direction of advancing and retreating with respect to the liquid ejection head, The first moving portion is a cam that rotates by the power of the motor, and includes a cam that rotates while supporting the recording portion to move the recording portion, The second moving portion is, a rack provided on the recording portion, a pinion that meshes with the rack and rotates by the power of the motor to move the recording portion, and includes, The third moving portion has a pressing portion that presses the recording portion toward the cap portion against the pressing force of the pressing member, A recording apparatus characterized by this.

9. In the recording apparatus according to claim 8, a rotating body in which the cam, the pinion, and the pressing portion are integrally formed and that rotates by the power of the motor is provided, A recording apparatus characterized by this.

10. In the recording apparatus according to claim 1, The moving means is, a cylindrical worm driven by the motor, a worm wheel that meshes with the cylindrical worm and rotates as the cylindrical worm rotates, and includes, A recording apparatus characterized by this.

11. In the recording apparatus according to claim 1, The recording portion includes a protruding portion that protrudes toward the opposing portion, The recording portion rests on the opposing portion by its own weight when the protruding portion abuts against the opposing portion, A recording apparatus characterized by this.

12. A transport path for transporting a medium, a recording portion that records on the medium and is movable in a direction of advancing and retreating with respect to the transport path, an opposing portion disposed opposite to the recording portion, a motor that is a power source when moving the recording portion, moving means that receives the power of the motor and moves the recording portion, position detection means for detecting the position of the recording portion with respect to the transport path, rotation detection means for detecting the rotation of the motor, A control method for a recording apparatus including, The moving direction of the recording portion includes a vertical direction component, The position detection means is, a linear scale provided along the moving direction of the recording portion, a detection portion provided on the recording portion and being a first detection portion that detects the linear scale, and is a linear encoder including, The rotation detection means is, a rotary scale that rotates as the motor rotates, a detection portion that detects the rotary scale, and is a rotary encoder including, When the moving means lowers the recording unit toward the opposing unit, it has a configuration that allows the motor to idle after the recording unit has rested on the opposing unit using its own weight. The control method includes a step of setting the origin position of the recording unit in the moving direction based on the position of the recording unit when the signal change of the linear encoder disappears while the signal change of the rotary encoder is present when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing unit, or based on the position of the recording unit when the signal change of the linear encoder occurs while the signal change of the rotary encoder is present when the recording unit is raised from the state of resting on the opposing unit. A control method for a recording apparatus, characterized by the above.

Images