Recording device and method for controlling the recording device

Abstract

In configurations where the head unit moves, it is desirable to accurately detect the position of the head unit in the direction of movement and to appropriately adjust the gap. [Solution] The recording device includes a rotary ENC that detects the rotation of a motor that moves the recording unit, and a linear ENC that detects the position of the recording unit. The control unit can execute a sampling mode based on the output signals of the linear ENC and the rotary ENC to acquire the amount of motor rotation required to move the recording unit from a first position to a second position, and controls the motor based on the results of the sampling mode to position the recording unit at the target position.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] The recording device 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 device 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] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a recording device comprising: a transport path for transporting a medium; a recording unit for recording on the medium, the recording unit being movable in a direction advancing and receding relative to the transport path; a counter unit positioned opposite the recording unit; a motor which is a power source for moving the recording unit; a moving means for moving the recording unit by receiving power from the motor; a position detection means for detecting the position of the recording unit relative to the transport path; a rotation detection means for detecting the rotation of the motor; and a control unit which controls the motor based on the output signals of the position detection means and the rotation detection means, wherein the position detection means includes a linear scale provided along the direction of movement of the recording unit, and the above The linear encoder comprises a detection unit provided in the recording unit, a first detection unit for detecting the linear scale, and the rotation detection means is a rotary encoder comprising a rotary scale that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the motor, and a second detection unit for detecting the rotary scale, and the control unit is capable of executing a sampling mode to acquire the amount of rotation of the motor necessary to move the recording unit from a first position to a second position based on the output signal of the linear encoder and the output signal of the rotary encoder, and controls the motor based on the result of the sampling mode to position the recording unit at a target position.

[0006] Furthermore, the control method for a recording device of the present invention comprises a transport path for transporting a medium, a recording unit for recording on the medium, the recording unit being movable in a direction advancing and receding relative to the transport path, a counter unit positioned opposite to the recording unit, a motor which is a power source for moving the recording unit, a moving means for moving the recording unit by receiving power from the motor, a position detection means for detecting the position of the recording unit relative to the transport path, and a rotation detection means for detecting the rotation of the motor, wherein the position detection means comprises a linear scale provided along the direction of movement of the recording unit, and a detection unit provided on the recording unit. The linear encoder comprises a first detection unit for detecting a linear scale, the rotation detection means is a rotary encoder comprising a rotary scale that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the motor, and a second detection unit for detecting the rotary scale, and the control method is characterized by comprising: a first step of obtaining the amount of rotation of the motor necessary to move the recording unit from a first position to a second position based on the output signal of the linear encoder and the output signal of the rotary encoder; and a second step of controlling the motor based on the result of the first step to position the recording unit at a target position. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the entire media transport path in a printer. [Figure 2] Plan view of the head surface of the line head. [Figure 3] Perspective view of the cap unit. [Figure 4] A block diagram showing the control system involved in the movement of the line head. [Figure 5] A diagram showing the operation progression of the line head and shutter. [Figure 6] Perspective views of the head unit, guide frame, and base frame. [Figure 7] Perspective view of the guide frame and head unit. [Figure 8] Perspective view of the head unit and rotating body. [Figure 9] A perspective view of the reduction mechanism that transmits power from the head movement motor to the rotating body. [Figure 10] Perspective view of the head unit and linear encoder. [Figure 11] Perspective view of a rotating body. [Figure 12] Front view of a rotating body. [Figure 13] Perspective view of the rotating body and rack components. [Figure 14] Perspective view of the rotating body and rack components. [Figure 15] Perspective view of the rotating body and rack components. [Figure 16] Perspective view of the rotating body and rack components. [Figure 17] Perspective view of the rotating body and rack components. [Figure 18] Perspective view of the rotating body and rack components. [Figure 19] Cross-sectional view of the head unit and cap unit. [Figure 20] Cross-sectional view of the head unit and cap unit. [Figure 21] Cross-sectional view of the head unit and cap unit. [Figure 22A] A chart showing the rotary ENC position, rotary ENC speed, linear ENC position, linear ENC speed, and motor duty cycle when lowering the line head to set the origin position. [Figure 22B] A chart showing the rotary ENC position, rotary ENC speed, linear ENC position, linear ENC speed, and motor duty cycle when lowering the line head. [Figure 23A] A chart showing the rotary ENC position, rotary ENC speed, linear ENC position, linear ENC speed, and motor duty cycle when raising the line head. [Figure 23B] A chart showing the rotary ENC position, rotary ENC speed, linear ENC position, linear ENC speed, and motor duty cycle when raising the line head. [Figure 24] A flowchart showing the processing flow performed by the control unit. [Figure 25] A flowchart showing the process flow when setting the origin position while raising the line head. [Figure 26] A flowchart showing the process flow when setting the origin position while lowering the line head. [Figure 27] A table showing the relationship between the head movement speed, motor rotation speed, motor drive load, and torque limit value in each of the lever drive area, cam drive area, and rack and pinion drive area. [Figure 28] A flowchart showing the process flow when the power is not turned on after normal power off. [Figure 29] A perspective view of the rotating body and the rack member according to another embodiment. [Figure 30] A graph showing the relationship between the rotary ENC position and the linear ENC position. [Figure 31] A flowchart showing the processes before and after the execution of the sampling mode. [Figure 32] A flowchart showing the processes in the sampling mode.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, the present invention will be schematically described. A recording device according to the first embodiment comprises a transport path for transporting a medium, a recording unit for recording on the medium, the recording unit being movable in a direction toward and toward the transport path, a counter unit positioned opposite the recording unit, a motor which is a power source for moving the recording unit, a moving means for moving the recording unit by receiving power from the motor, a position detection means for detecting the position of the recording unit with respect to the transport path, a rotation detection means for detecting the rotation of the motor, and a control unit which controls the motor based on the output signals of the position detection means and the rotation detection means, wherein the position detection means includes a linear scale provided along the direction of movement of the recording unit, and the recording unit is provided The linear encoder comprises a detection unit and a first detection unit that detects the linear scale, and the rotation detection means is a rotary encoder comprising a rotary scale that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the motor and a second detection unit that detects the rotary scale, and the control unit is capable of executing a sampling mode to acquire the amount of rotation of the motor necessary to move the recording unit from a first position to a second position based on the output signal of the linear encoder and the output signal of the rotary encoder, and controls the motor based on the result of the sampling mode to position the recording unit at a target position.

[0009] According to this embodiment, the position detection means is a linear encoder comprising a linear scale provided along the direction of movement of the recording unit and a first detection unit provided on the recording unit that detects the linear scale. Since this configuration directly detects the movement of the recording unit, the position of the recording unit can be appropriately determined. As a result, it becomes easier to appropriately adjust the gap between the recording unit and the opposing unit. The control unit is capable of executing a sampling mode to acquire the amount of rotation of the motor necessary to move the recording unit from a first position to a second position, based on the output signal of the linear encoder and the output signal of the rotary encoder, and controls the motor to position the recording unit at the target position based on the results of the sampling mode. This makes it possible to suppress deviations in the position of the recording unit from the target position due to error factors such as component precision.

[0010] The second embodiment is an embodiment dependent on the first embodiment, characterized in that the moving means has a reduction mechanism with a reduction ratio greater than 1 when transmitting power from the motor to the recording unit.

[0011] According to this embodiment, the moving means has a reduction mechanism with a reduction ratio greater than 1 when transmitting power from the motor to the recording unit, thereby ensuring the resolution of the rotary encoder. Furthermore, by controlling the motor based on the output signal of the rotary encoder, the stopping accuracy when stopping the motor can be improved, making it easier to accurately stop the recording unit at the desired position.

[0012] Here, resolution refers to the number of encoder edges (transitions from low to high waveforms) output for a given unit of motion, or in other words, the amount of movement of the recording unit per edge. Furthermore, high resolution means a large number of edges output for a given unit of motion, or in other words, a small amount of movement of the recording unit per edge.

[0013] A third embodiment is a function of the second embodiment, wherein the direction of movement of the recording unit includes a vertical component, and the moving means has a configuration that allows the motor to slip after the recording unit has rested on the opposing unit using its own weight when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing unit, and the control unit sets the origin position of the recording unit in the direction of movement based on the position of the recording unit when there is a signal change in the rotary encoder and the signal change in the linear encoder disappears when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing unit, or the position of the recording unit when there is a signal change in the rotary encoder and the signal change in the linear encoder occurs when the recording unit is raised from the state where it is resting on the opposing unit.

[0014] According to this embodiment, the control unit sets the origin position of the recording unit in the direction of movement based on the signal changes of the linear encoder and the rotary encoder when the recording unit is placed on the opposing unit using its own weight, or when the recording unit rises from the state in which it is placed on the opposing unit. As a result, the position of the recording unit relative to the opposing unit can be appropriately determined.

[0015] Furthermore, when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing unit, the moving means has a configuration that allows the motor to rotate freely after the recording unit has rested on the opposing unit using its own weight, thus providing the following advantages. For example, if the position of the recording unit in the direction of movement is determined by detecting an increase in the drive current value of the motor when the recording unit comes into contact with the opposing unit, the moving means may be subjected to a load, potentially leading to damage to the components. Furthermore, if the moving means includes a worm gear mechanism, excessive surface pressure may be generated between the worm wheel and the cylindrical worm, potentially causing it to lock up. However, in this embodiment, as described above, when the moving means lowers the recording unit toward the opposing unit, it is configured to allow the motor to rotate freely after the recording unit has rested on the opposing unit using its own weight, thereby suppressing the occurrence of the above-mentioned problems. Furthermore, "idling" of the motor means a state in which the rotation of the motor is not converted into movement of the recording unit, and the motor is not receiving any load from the recording unit. Furthermore, in this specification, the phrase "the recording unit rests on the opposing unit using its own weight" means not only that the recording unit rests on the opposing unit by its own weight alone, but also that it rests on the opposing unit by receiving a pressing force from a spring or the like in a direction including a vertically downward component, in addition to its own weight.

[0016] A fourth aspect is a configuration dependent on the third aspect, characterized in that, with Rs1 being the resolution of the linear encoder, Rs2 being the resolution of the rotary encoder, and Ce1 being the number of output edges of the linear encoder when a signal change is detected in the linear encoder while the recording unit is being raised from the position where it is mounted on the opposing unit, the control unit sets the origin position of the recording unit based on the linear encoder to just before the Ce1 edge, and sets the origin position of the recording unit based on the rotary encoder to just before the Ce1 × (Rs2 / Rs1) edge. According to this embodiment, the origin position of the recording unit can be accurately set.

[0017] A fifth embodiment is an embodiment dependent on the third embodiment, characterized in that the control unit sets the origin position of the recording unit based on the linear encoder and the origin position of the recording unit based on the rotary encoder, with reference to the point in time when there is a signal change in the rotary encoder and the signal change in the linear encoder disappears when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing unit. According to this embodiment, the origin position of the recording unit can be accurately set.

[0018] The sixth aspect is an aspect dependent on the third aspect, characterized in that the first position is the origin position. According to this embodiment, since the first position is the origin position, the amount of rotation of the motor required to move the recording unit from the first position to the second position can be easily obtained. Furthermore, this embodiment is not limited to the third embodiment described above, but may also be dependent on the fourth or fifth embodiment described above.

[0019] The seventh embodiment is an embodiment dependent on any of the first to sixth embodiments, characterized in that the control unit obtains a mathematical formula based on the results of the sampling mode, in which the amount of movement of the recording unit and the amount of rotation of the motor are variables, and obtains the amount of rotation of the motor necessary to position the recording unit at the target position based on the mathematical formula.

[0020] The amount of rotation of the motor necessary to position the recording unit at the target position can be obtained by the sampling mode, with the second position as the target position. However, if the number of target positions increases and the sampling mode is performed for each of the multiple target positions, it can lead to problems such as an increase in the time required to complete the sampling mode and an increase in the data storage area for holding the results of the sampling mode. However, according to this embodiment, the amount of rotation of the motor necessary to position the recording unit at the target position is obtained based on the above formula, thereby suppressing the above-mentioned problems.

[0021] The eighth aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the control unit executes the sampling mode when the device is first powered on after shipment. According to this embodiment, since the control unit executes the sampling mode when the device is first powered on after shipment, it is possible to suppress vibrations and shocks during the transport of the device from affecting the positioning accuracy of the recording unit. Furthermore, this embodiment is not limited to the first embodiment described above, but may be dependent on any of the second to seventh embodiments described above.

[0022] The ninth aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the control unit executes the sampling mode when the device is powered on. According to this embodiment, since the control unit executes the sampling mode when the device is powered on, it is possible to suppress the influence of changes in the state of the device over time on the positioning accuracy of the recording unit. Furthermore, this embodiment is not limited to the first embodiment described above, but may be dependent on any of the second to eighth embodiments described above.

[0023] The tenth aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the control unit executes the sampling mode each time a predetermined number of media are recorded. According to this embodiment, since the control unit executes the sampling mode each time a predetermined number of media are recorded, it is possible to suppress the effect of changes in the state of the device due to an increase in the usage time of the device on the positioning accuracy of the recording unit. Furthermore, this embodiment is not limited to the first embodiment described above, but may be dependent on any of the second to ninth embodiments described above.

[0024] The eleventh aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the control unit is capable of receiving an instruction to execute the sampling mode at any timing. According to this embodiment, since the control unit can receive instructions to execute the sampling mode at any timing, the positioning accuracy of the recording unit can be improved by executing the sampling mode at any timing. Furthermore, this embodiment is not limited to the first embodiment described above, but may be dependent on any of the second to tenth embodiments described above.

[0025] The twelfth aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, characterized in that the control unit executes the sampling mode when transitioning to the power saving mode. According to this embodiment, since the control unit executes the sampling mode when transitioning to the power-saving mode, it is possible to suppress the waiting time that occurs to the user when the sampling mode is executed. Furthermore, this embodiment is not limited to the first embodiment described above, but may be dependent on any of the second to eleventh embodiments described above.

[0026] A thirteenth aspect is an aspect dependent on the first aspect, wherein the control unit can perform the sampling mode both when the recording unit is raised and when it is lowered, and further, when the recording unit is raised to position it at a target position, the control unit raises the recording unit using the results of the sampling mode when it is raised, and when the recording unit is lowered to position it at a target position, the control unit lowers the recording unit using the results of the sampling mode when it is lowered. According to this embodiment, the recording unit can be positioned more appropriately at the target location. Furthermore, this embodiment is not limited to the first embodiment described above, but may be dependent on any of the second to twelfth embodiments described above.

[0027] A control method for a recording device according to a 14th embodiment is a control method for a recording device comprising: a transport path for transporting a medium; a recording unit for recording on the medium, the recording unit being movable in a direction toward and toward the transport path; a counter unit positioned opposite the recording unit; a motor which is a power source for moving the recording unit; a moving means for moving the recording unit by receiving power from the motor; a position detection means for detecting the position of the recording unit with respect to the transport path; and a rotation detection means for detecting the rotation of the motor, wherein the position detection means comprises a linear scale provided along the direction of movement of the recording unit and a detection unit provided on the recording unit. The linear encoder comprises a first detection unit for detecting the linear scale, and the rotation detection means is a rotary encoder comprising a rotary scale that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the motor, and a second detection unit for detecting the rotary scale, and the control method is characterized by comprising: a first step of obtaining the amount of rotation of the motor necessary to move the recording unit from a first position to a second position based on the output signal of the linear encoder and the output signal of the rotary encoder; and a second step of controlling the motor based on the result of the first step to position the recording unit at a target position. According to this embodiment, the same effects and advantages as those of the first embodiment described above can be obtained.

[0028] The present invention will be described in detail below. The following describes an inkjet printer 1 as an example of a recording device that records data onto a medium. Hereafter, the inkjet printer 1 will simply be referred to as printer 1. In each figure, the XYZ coordinate system is a Cartesian coordinate system, where the direction of the arrow is the + direction and the opposite direction is the - direction. The X-axis direction is the width direction of the device, which is the width direction of the recording medium. From the perspective of the operator of printer 1, the +X direction is to the left and the -X direction is to the right. Hereafter, 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 device and is aligned with the media transport direction during recording. The +Y direction is from the back of the device toward the front, and the -Y direction is from the front of the device toward the back. In this embodiment, of the sides that make up the perimeter of the printer 1, the side in the +Y direction is the front of the device, and the side in the -Y direction is the back of the device. The Z-axis direction is aligned with the vertical direction and corresponds to the height of the device. The +Z direction is vertically upward, and the -Z direction is vertically downward. In the following, the direction in which the medium is sent will be referred to as "downstream," and the opposite direction as "upstream."

[0029] <Printer media transport path> The media transport path of printer 1 will be described below with reference to Figure 1. As shown in Figure 1, printer 1 is equipped with a media storage cassette 2 at the bottom of the device. The symbol P indicates the media stored in the media storage cassette 2. One example of media is recording paper. The media storage cassette 2 is detachably mounted from the front of the device.

[0030] A pick roller 3, driven by a motor (not shown), is provided on the top of the media storage cassette 2. The pick roller 3 is movable back and forth relative to the media stored in the media storage cassette 2, and rotates in contact with the media stored in the media storage cassette 2 to feed the media out of the media storage cassette 2 in the +Y direction. Downstream from the media-containing cassette 2, there is 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). The media sent out from the media-containing cassette 2 is separated by being nipped by the feed roller 5 and the separation roller 6, and then sent further downstream.

[0031] Downstream from the feeding roller 5 and the separating roller 6, there is a reversing roller 8 driven by a motor (not shown). A first nip roller 9 and a second nip roller 10 are provided around the reversing roller 8. The medium is nipped by the reversing roller 8 and the first nip roller 9, and then nipped again by the reversing roller 8 and the second nip roller 10 before being transported. The transport direction of the medium is reversed by the reversing roller 8 from the +Y direction to the -Y direction and then transported downstream.

[0032] Downstream of the reversing roller 8, there is a first conveyor roller pair 15 comprising a drive roller 16 driven by a motor (not shown) and a driven roller 17 that can rotate while being driven. The medium is conveyed by the first conveyor roller pair 15 to a position facing the line head 40. Furthermore, the printer 1 has a media supply path from the media storage cassette 2, as well as a media supply path from the media support unit 12. The media support unit 12 supports the media in an inclined position, and the supported media is transported to the first transport roller pair 15 by a supply roller 13 driven by a motor (not shown). Reference numeral 14 denotes a separation roller to which rotational torque is applied by a torque limiter (not shown).

[0033] A media detection unit 22 is provided upstream of the first transport roller pair 15. The control unit 100 (see Figure 4), which will be described later, can determine the position of the media tip relative to the line head 40 based on the detection information from the media detection unit 22, and can, for example, position the media at the recording start position.

[0034] The line head 40 is an example of a recording unit that records data onto a medium. The line head 40 is also an example of a liquid ejection head that ejects ink, an example of a liquid, onto the medium for recording. The line head 40 is a liquid ejection head in which multiple nozzles 44 that eject ink are arranged to cover the entire width of the medium. The line head 40 is elongated in the width direction of the medium and is configured as a liquid ejection head that can record across the entire width of the medium without movement in the width direction of the medium.

[0035] Reference numeral 42a denotes the head surface, which is the surface facing the medium. The head surface 42a can also be called the liquid discharge surface or nozzle surface. The head surface 42a is formed by a plate member 42 (see Figure 2), which will be described later. The head surface 42a is parallel to the medium transport direction, i.e., the Y-axis direction, at the position facing the line head 40. The head surface 42a is also parallel to the XY plane. The dashed line indicated by reference numeral Ta is the medium transport path between the line head 40 and the opposing part 45. The medium transport path Ta is parallel to the XY plane. However, the medium transport path Ta is not limited to being parallel to the XY plane, but may also have an angle with respect to the XY plane. Therefore, the direction of movement of the line head 40 (described later) is not limited to being parallel to the Z-axis direction, but may also have an angle with respect to the Z-axis direction. Printer 1 is equipped with an ink storage unit (not shown), and ink ejected from line head 40 is supplied to line head 40 from the ink storage unit via an ink tube (not shown).

[0036] A facing portion 45 is provided at a position opposite the head surface 42a of the line head 40. The facing portion 45 according to this embodiment includes an upstream support portion 46 (see Figure 5) and a shutter 47 (see Figure 5), which will be described later. The gap between the medium and the head surface 42a is defined by supporting the medium with the upstream support portion 46 and the shutter 47. Hereafter, the gap between the facing portion 45 and the head surface 42a may be referred to as the platen gap.

[0037] The line head 40 is provided so as to be movable in the direction of advancing and retracting relative to the opposing part 45, that is, in the direction of adjusting the platen gap. In this embodiment, the direction of adjusting the platen gap is parallel to the Z-axis direction. Hereafter, movement of the line head 40 or other components in the +Z direction may be referred to as "upward movement," and movement in the -Z direction may be referred to as "downward movement." As shown in Figure 4, the line head 40 moves along the Z-axis direction by obtaining power from a head moving motor 101, which is an example of a drive source. Here, with reference to Figure 4, the movement of the line head 40 will be outlined. The power from the head moving motor 101 is converted into movement of the line head 40 along the Z-axis direction by the moving means 110. The moving means 110 will be explained in more detail later.

[0038] The control unit 100, which controls the head movement motor 101, raises and lowers the line head 40 according to the thickness of the medium based on the type of medium included in the received print data, and adjusts the platen gap. For example, if the position of the line head 40 when recording on plain paper is defined as the first head position, then when recording on special paper that is thicker than plain paper, the line head 40 is positioned at a second head position, which is higher than the first head position. If the medium would come into contact with the line head 40 even when the second head position is selected, the line head 40 is positioned at a third head position, which is even higher than the second head position.

[0039] In Figure 4, the symbols Am1, Am2, and Am3 indicate the movement regions of the line head 40 relative to the head surface 42a. The movement region of the line head 40 has a first region Am1 and a second region Am2 which is further from the media transport path Ta than the first region Am1. The first region Am1 includes the first head position, the second head position, and the third head position described above. Of course, the first region Am1 may also include other head positions. In this embodiment, the movement region of the line head 40 also includes a third region Am3 which is below the first region Am1.

[0040] When the line head 40 moves to position Hp2, which is the uppermost position in the second region Am2, the gap between the opposing part 45 and the head surface 42a becomes the widest. This allows the jammed media to be removed if a jam occurs. Hereinafter, position Hp2 will be referred to as the jam processing position of the line head 40. Position Hp1 is the recording position when recording to the medium. Position Hp1 changes depending on the type of medium, as described above. That is, recording position Hp1 includes the first head position, second head position, and third head position described above. Position Hp0 is the lowest position in the third region Am3. This position is where the cap portion 61, described later, covers the head surface 42a, and hereafter, position Hp0 will be referred to as the cap position of the line head 40.

[0041] Returning to Figure 1, downstream of the line head 40 is a second transport roller pair 19 comprising a drive roller 20 driven by a motor (not shown) and a driven roller 21 that can rotate on its own. The recorded medium is sent downstream by the second transport roller pair 19. A third pair of transport rollers 27 is provided downstream of the second pair of transport rollers 19, and a discharge roller pair 28 is provided further downstream of the third pair of transport rollers 27. The space between the third pair of transport rollers 27 and the discharge roller pair 28 is configured as a face-down discharge path, and the recorded medium is discharged to the discharge tray 29 by the discharge roller pair 28 with the most recent recorded surface facing downwards.

[0042] <Linehead Configuration> Next, with reference to Figure 2, we will further explain the line head 40, which is an example of a liquid discharge head. As shown in Figure 2, the line head 40 is equipped with a plate member 42 on a base 41. The base 41 is a structure in which a flow path is provided for supplying ink from an ink storage section (not shown) to the head chip 43.

[0043] The plate member 42 is a metal plate and forms the head surface 42a. Multiple head tips 43 are provided on the plate member 42. Multiple nozzles 44 (see Figure 1) are provided on the head tips 43 along the width direction of the media. The plate member 42 and the head tips 43 are arranged to be flush with each other.

[0044] The head chips 43 are arranged alternately in upstream and downstream positions along the X-axis direction, i.e., the media width direction. In this embodiment, four head chips 43 are provided in the upstream position along the media width direction, and three head chips 43 are provided in the downstream position along the media width direction. As a result, the cap portion 61, which will be described later and covers the head chips 43, is arranged alternately in upstream and downstream positions along the media width direction.

[0045] The line head 40 is mounted on the unit frame 31 and together with the unit frame 31 constitutes the head unit 30. The head unit 30 is a structure that includes the line head 40. Therefore, it can be said that the components constituting the head unit 30 are the components provided on the line head 40. The line head 40, or head unit 30, is an example of a recording unit that records data onto a medium. Power from the head movement motor 101 (see Figure 4) is transmitted to the unit frame 31, causing the head unit 30, i.e., the line head 40, to move in the Z-axis direction. Furthermore, the line head 40 is provided with a first protrusion 55A and a second protrusion 55B. These protrusions will be explained in more detail later.

[0046] <Composition of the cap unit> Next, the cap unit 60 will be described with reference to Figure 3. The cap unit 60 includes a cap portion 61 that covers the head tip 43. Since the head tip 43 is provided on the head surface 42a, the cap portion 61 can also be described as a member that covers a part of the head surface 42a. Furthermore, since the head tip 43 is provided with a nozzle 44, the cap portion 61 can also be described as a member that covers the nozzle 44. Multiple cap portions 61 constitute a cap unit 60. The cap unit 60 is provided on the lower side of the opposing portion 45.

[0047] The cap unit 60 consists of a base portion 62 and a plurality of cap portions 61. The cap portion 61 has an elongated shape in the X-axis direction and comprises a cap body portion 61b formed of a resin material or the like, and an elastic portion 61a that contacts the head surface 42a and is formed of an elastic material such as rubber. The cap body portion 61b is held by the base portion 62 so as to be displaceable in the Z-axis direction, and the limit of movement in the +Z direction is defined by a restricting portion (not shown) formed on the base portion 62. The cap body portion 61b is pressed in the +Z direction by a cap spring 63, which is an example of a pressing member. In this embodiment, two cap springs 63 are provided for one cap body portion 61b.

[0048] A waste liquid tube (not shown) is connected to each cap body 61b. This waste liquid tube is connected to a pump (not shown). When the pump operates with the cap 61 covering the head surface 42a, negative pressure is generated inside the cap 61, which draws ink from the nozzle 44 of the line head 40.

[0049] The cap portions 61 are arranged alternately in the upstream and downstream positions along the X-axis direction, i.e., the media width direction. In this embodiment, four cap portions 61 are provided in the upstream position, i.e., the +Y direction, and three cap portions 61 are provided in the downstream position, i.e., the -Y direction. This arrangement of the cap portion 61 corresponds to the arrangement of the head tip 43 in the line head 40. The cap portion 61 is exposed by moving the shutter 47, which will be described later, from the shielded position to the open position.

[0050] <Configuration of the opposing section> Next, we will further explain the opposing portion 45 with reference to Figure 5. The opposing section 45 facing the line head 40 includes an upstream support section 46 and a shutter 47 located downstream of the upstream support section 46, as shown in Figure 5. In this embodiment, the shutter 47 is configured by rotatably connecting an upstream shutter 47A and a downstream shutter 47B. The shutter 47 is movable along the media transport direction and can move between a shielded position shown as state ST1 in Figure 5 and an open position shown as states ST2 and ST3 in Figure 5, powered by a motor (not shown). When the shutter 47 moves to the open position, an opening 45a is formed in the opposing part 45, and the cap part 61 is exposed inside the opening 45a. With the shutter 47 in the open position, the line head 40 descends as shown in state ST3 in Figure 5, allowing the cap portion 61 to cover the head tip 43. At this time, the cap portion 61 is pushed down slightly in the -Z direction against the pressing force of the cap spring 63, causing the cap portion 61 to make close contact with the head surface 42a. This descent of the line head 40 when the cap portion 61 makes close contact with the head surface 42a is sometimes referred to as the "cap operation".

[0051] When the device is powered off or in recording standby mode when powered on, the control unit 100 keeps the shutter 47 in the open position and covers the head chip 43 with the cap portion 61. Also, when performing a flushing operation to prevent clogging of the nozzle 44, the control unit 100 ejects ink toward the cap portion 61 with the shutter 47 (described later) in the open position.

[0052] When the control unit 100 receives and records recording data, it raises the line head 40 to separate the head surface 42a from the cap portion 61 and moves the shutter 47 (described later) to a shielding position. This prevents the transported medium from entering the opening 45a of the opposing portion 45 and prevents the orientation of the medium from being disturbed. In addition, it prevents foreign matter such as paper dust from entering the cap portion 61 during transport of the medium and impairing the performance of the cap portion 61.

[0053] In this embodiment, the shutter 47 moves between the shielded position and the open position by a link mechanism 35 (see Figure 6) which is operated by the reverse rotation of the drive rollers 20 that constitute the second transport roller pair 19.

[0054] Furthermore, the upstream support portion 46 is provided 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 movement of the upstream support portion 46 in the +Z direction is restricted at a predetermined position by contact with a restricting portion (not shown). When the capping operation is performed, the line head 40 pushes the upstream support portion 46 downward in the -Z direction against the pressing force of the coil spring 54.

[0055] <Configuration of the means for moving the line head> The following describes the moving means 110 that converts the power of the head moving motor 101 (see Figure 4) into movement of the line head 40 in the Z-axis direction. First, the position of the line head 40 in the Z-axis direction can be determined by the control unit 100 based on the detection information transmitted from the rotary encoder 103 (see Figure 4) and the detection information transmitted from the linear encoder 107 (see Figure 4). Hereafter, the term "encoder" will be abbreviated as "ENC".

[0056] As shown in Figure 9, the rotary ENC103 comprises a rotary scale 104 provided on the motor output shaft of the head moving motor 101, and a second detection unit 105 that detects the rotation of the rotary scale 104. The rotary ENC103 detects the translucent scale of the rotary scale 104 and outputs a detection pulse signal containing a number of pulses proportional to the amount of rotation of the motor output shaft. The linear ENC 107 also comprises a linear scale 108 provided on the 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 light-transmitting scale of the linear scale 108 and outputs a detection pulse signal containing a number of pulses proportional to the amount of movement of the head unit 30.

[0057] As described above, the head unit 30, which includes the line head 40, is based on a unit frame 31, and the line head 40 is mounted on the unit frame 31. As shown in Figure 8, rack members 32 are provided at the +X end and the -X end of the unit frame 31. The rack member 32 provided at the +X end of the unit frame 31 is denoted by reference numeral 32A, and the rack member 32 provided at the -X end is denoted by reference numeral 32B. Hereafter, when there is no need to distinguish between rack members 32A and 32B, they will be collectively referred to as rack members 32.

[0058] As shown in Figure 7, a guide frame 33 is provided in the +Y direction relative to the unit frame 31. The guide frame 33 has first guide portions 33a formed at its +X direction end and -X direction end. The first guide portions 33a form a surface parallel to the YZ plane. Furthermore, a second guide portion 33b is formed at the -Y direction end of the first guide portion 33a. The second guide portion 33b forms a surface parallel to the XZ plane. The guide frame 33 is supported by base frames 33A and 33B, which are spaced apart in the X-axis direction, as shown in Figure 6.

[0059] As shown in Figure 8, the rack member 32 is provided with guided portions 32c and 32d. The guided portions 32c and 32d can clamp the first guide portion 33a of the guide frame 33 in the X-axis direction. The rack member 32 is also provided with guided portions 32e and 32f. The guided portions 32e and 32f can clamp the second guide portion 33b of the guide frame 33 in the Y-axis direction. With this configuration, the unit frame 31, i.e., the head unit 30, is guided in the Z-axis direction by the guide frame 33. Furthermore, the shape of rack member 32B is obtained by making the shape of rack member 32A symmetrical with respect to the Y-axis at an intermediate position between rack member 32A and rack member 32B in the X-axis direction.

[0060] Next, as shown in Figure 7, an axis 77 parallel to the X-axis direction is rotatably supported on the guide frame 33. Rotating bodies 74 are provided near the +X-direction end and the -X-direction end of the axis 77. The rotating body 74 provided near the +X-direction end of the axis 77 is denoted by the reference numeral 74A, and the rotating body 74 provided at the -X-direction end is denoted by the reference numeral 74B. Hereafter, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the rotating bodies 74A and 74B, they will be collectively referred to as the rotating body 74. Furthermore, the shape of the rotating body 74B is obtained by making the shape of the rotating body 74A symmetrical with respect to the Y-axis at an intermediate position between the rotating bodies 74A and 74B in the X-axis direction. The rotating body 74 rotates integrally with the shaft 77. In the following description, the rotational directions of the shaft 77, the rotating body 74, and the pinion 72, cam 66, and push-down part 75, which will be described later, may be expressed using the symbols C1 and C2 shown in the figure.

[0061] A first bevel gear 78 is provided between the rotating body 74A and the rotating body 74B, as shown in Figure 9. The first bevel gear 78 rotates integrally with the shaft 77. The first bevel gear 78 constitutes a reduction mechanism 76 (see Figure 9) that transmits power from the head moving motor 101 to the shaft 77. The reduction mechanism 76 will now be described with reference to Figure 9. The reduction mechanism 76 comprises a first bevel gear 78, a second bevel gear 79, a spur gear 80, a spur gear 81, a spur gear 82, a worm wheel 83, and a cylindrical worm 84.

[0062] 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 rotatably supported by a mounting frame 34 (see Figure 6). The mounting frame 34 is screw-fixed to the guide frame 33. The head moving motor 101 is also screw-fixed to the mounting frame 34.

[0063] Spur gear 81 meshes with spur gear 80. Spur gear 81 is rotatably mounted on the mounting frame 34 (see Figure 6). Spur gear 82 meshes with spur gear 81. Spur gear 82 and worm wheel 83 are integrally configured and rotatably mounted on the mounting frame 34 (see Figure 6). Cylindrical worm 84 meshes with worm wheel 83, and the worm wheel 83 and cylindrical worm 84 constitute a worm gear mechanism. The cylindrical worm 84 is mounted on the output shaft (not shown) of the head moving motor 101, so when the head moving motor 101 rotates, its rotation is transmitted to the shaft 77 via the reduction mechanism 76, causing the shaft 77 to rotate. In this embodiment, the reduction ratio of the reduction mechanism 76, specifically the reduction ratio of power transmission from the head moving 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 this embodiment.

[0064] Next, the rotating body 74 is provided with a pinion 72 that constitutes a rack and pinion mechanism, as shown in Figure 11. The rotating body 74 is also provided with a cam 66. Furthermore, the rotating body 74 is provided with a lever-shaped push-down portion 75. As shown in Figures 8, 10, 13 to 18, a rack 71 is formed on the rack member 32, which constitutes a rack and pinion mechanism. The rack 71 meshes with the pinion 72. Therefore, when the pinion 72 rotates, the head unit 30, i.e., the line head 40, moves in the Z-axis direction. Specifically, when the pinion 72 rotates in rotational direction C1, the line head 40 descends, and when the rack 71 rotates in rotational direction C2, the line head 40 rises. The rack 71 and pinion 72 constitute a second moving part 70 that moves the line head 40 in the second region Am2. Furthermore, since the second moving section 70 raises and lowers the line head 40 using a rack and pinion mechanism, the operation of raising and lowering the line head 40 by the second moving section 70 may be referred to as "rack and pinion drive" hereafter.

[0065] Furthermore, the rack member 32 is provided with a contact portion 32a that can contact the cam 66, as shown in Figures 8, 10, and 13 to 18. The contact portion 32a is provided so as to protrude in the +Y direction, and the cam 66 is positioned below the contact portion 32a. The head unit 30, i.e., the line head 40, is supported by the cam 66 via the contact portion 32a in the first region Am1, thereby defining its position in the Z-axis direction. In other words, the head unit 30, i.e., the line head 40, can rest on the cam 66 using its own weight. The head unit 30, i.e., the line head 40, may rest on the cam 66 by its own weight alone, or it may rest on the cam 66 by receiving a pressing force from a spring or the like in a direction including a vertically downward component. When the head unit 30, i.e., the line head 40, rests on the cam 66 by receiving a pressing force from a spring or the like in a direction including a vertically downward component, the lifting of the head unit 30, i.e., the line head 40 is suppressed, and the platen gap is stabilized.

[0066] The outer surface of the cam 66 is formed such that the distance from the axis center of the shaft 77, i.e., the radius, changes along the circumferential direction (see Figure 12). Therefore, when the cam 66 rotates with the contact portion 32a resting on the cam 66, the head unit 30, i.e., the line head 40, moves in the Z-axis direction. Specifically, when the cam 66 rotates in rotational direction C1, the line head 40 descends, and when the cam 66 rotates in rotational direction C2, the line head 40 rises. 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. Furthermore, since the first moving part 65 raises and lowers the line head 40 using the cam 66, the operation of raising and lowering the line head 40 by the first moving part 65 may be referred to as "cam drive" hereafter. The first movable part 65 and the second movable part 70 described above constitute the moving means 110 (see Figure 4).

[0067] Furthermore, the rack member 32 is provided with a pressed portion 32b that can come into contact with the pressing portion 75, as shown in Figures 10, 13 to 18. The pressed portion 32b is provided so as to protrude in the +Y direction, and the pressing portion 75 is configured to come into contact with 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, pushing the head unit 30, i.e., the line head 40, downward in the -Z direction. The pressing portion 75 and the pressed portion 32b constitute the 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 due to the pressing force of the coil spring 54 (see Figure 5), which is an example of the pressing member described above. Therefore, the coil spring 54 (see Figure 5) also constitutes the third moving portion 73. Furthermore, since the third moving part 73 raises and lowers the line head 40 by a lever-shaped push-down part 75, the operation of raising and lowering the line head 40 by the third moving part 73 may be referred to as "lever drive" hereafter. In this embodiment, the third moving part 73 constitutes the moving means 110 (see Figure 4).

[0068] Figure 12 shows the formation range of the cam 66 and pinion 72. The pinion 72 has a first phase region Ak1 in which some of the teeth are missing, and a second phase region Ak2 in which the teeth are formed. Hereafter, when simply referred to as "pinion 72," for convenience, it will refer to the portion of the second phase region Ak2 in which the teeth are formed. Furthermore, 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 circumferential surface that supports the contact portion 32a changes along the circumferential direction. Hereafter, when simply referred to as "cam 66," for convenience, it refers to the portion of the support phase region Aj2.

[0069] The operation of the first moving part 65, the second moving part 70, and the third moving part 73 will be further explained below. Figure 13 shows the state in which the line head 40 is in the first head position in the first region Am1. In this state, the first moving part 65 is functioning. That is, the head unit 30 is resting on the cam 66 using its own weight. In this state, the rack 71 is not engaged with the pinion 72, and the push-down part 75 is separated from the pressed part 32b. In the first region Am1, that is, the region where recording is performed on the medium, it is necessary to accurately determine the position of the line head 40, so a cam drive by the first moving part 65 is employed. From the state shown in Figure 13, when the shaft 77 is rotated in the rotational direction C2, the cam 66 also rotates in the rotational direction C2. In this embodiment, the outer surface of the cam 66 is formed such that the radius changes by 0.01 mm when the cam 66 rotates by 1°. That is, when the cam 66 rotates by 1°, the line head 40 rises or falls by 0.01 mm.

[0070] Figure 14 shows the state in which the shaft 77 has rotated in the rotational direction C2 from the state in Figure 13, and the line head 40 has moved to the second head position in the first region Am1. Figure 15 shows the state in which the shaft 77 has rotated further in the rotational direction C2 from the state in Figure 14, and the line head 40 has moved to the third head position in the first region Am1. In this way, in the first region Am1, the first moving part 65, which has a small amount of movement of the line head 40 per unit rotation angle of the axis 77, functions to accurately position the line head 40 at each head position. Furthermore, when lowering the line head 40 from the state shown in Figure 15 to position it at the second head position or the first head position, or when positioning it at the cap position Hp0, the shaft 77 is rotated in the rotational direction C1.

[0071] Next, Figures 16 and 17 show the state after the shaft 77 has rotated further in the rotational direction C2 from the state in Figure 15, and Figures 16 and 17 are diagrams of the same state. In the state shown in Figures 16 and 17, the contact portion 32a is placed on the part of the cam 66 where the radius Ra is largest, and when the shaft 77 rotates further in the rotational direction C2 from this state, the contact portion 32a will disengage from the cam 66. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 17, this state is when the rack 71 begins to engage with the pinion 72. In this manner, when the line head 40 transitions from the first region Am1 to the second region Am2, it transitions from being moved by the first moving part 65 to being moved by the second moving part 70.

[0072] Furthermore, when transitioning from cam drive by the first moving part 65 to rack and pinion drive by the second moving part 70, as shown in Figures 16 and 17, a state is temporarily formed in which the cam 66 contacts the contact part 32a, i.e., the line head 40, and the pinion 72 engages with the rack 71. As a result, even if the contact part 32a disengages from the cam 66, the line head 40 will not descend as a result.

[0073] Figure 18 shows the state in which the shaft 77 has rotated further in the rotational direction C2 from the state in Figures 16 and 17, and the head unit 30 has been raised to its furthest position in the +Z direction by the second moving part 70, i.e., the rack and pinion mechanism. In this state, the line head 40 is furthest away from the opposing part 45, and this is the jam handling position Hp2 in the event of a paper jam. In this embodiment, the rack and pinion mechanism, consisting of the rack 71 and pinion 72, is configured such that when the pinion 72 rotates by 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 significantly greater for the second moving part 70 than for the first moving part 65. In this embodiment, the platen gap when the line head 40 is in the jamming position Hp2 is 30mm to 40mm.

[0074] In the process described above, that is, the process of raising the line head 40 from the first head position to the jam processing position, it is not necessary to rotate the shaft 77 in the rotational direction C2 and to switch the direction of rotation. Furthermore, the lowest position in the movement range of the line head 40 is the cap position Hp0, and the highest position is the jamming position Hp2. Similarly, when raising the line head 40 from the cap position Hp0 to the jamming position Hp2, the shaft 77 is rotated in the rotation direction C2, and there is no need to switch the direction of rotation.

[0075] Furthermore, when the line head 40 descends from the jam processing position Hp2, the opposite occurs. That is, when the line head 40 transitions from the second region Am2 to the first region Am1, it transitions from rack and pinion drive by the second moving part 70 to 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 portion 32a rests on the cam 66. Furthermore, in the process of lowering the line head 40 from the jamming position Hp2 to the first head position, the shaft 77 is rotated in the rotational direction C1, and there is no need to switch the direction of rotation. Similarly, in the process of lowering the line head 40 from the jamming position Hp2 to the cap position Hp0, the shaft 77 is rotated in the rotational direction C1, and there is no need to switch the direction of rotation.

[0076] Furthermore, when transitioning from rack and pinion drive by the second moving part 70 to cam drive by the first moving part 65, as shown in Figures 16 and 17, the cam 66 comes into contact with the contact part 32a, i.e., the line head 40, and the pinion 72 engages with the rack 71, creating a temporary state. As a result, even if the pinion 72 disengages from the rack 71, the line head 40 will not descend as a result.

[0077] Next, we will explain the case where the line head 40 is lowered from the first region Am1, that is, when the cap operation is performed. When the cap operation is performed, if the shutter 47 (see Figure 5) of the opposing part 45 is in the shielded position, the shutter 47 is moved from the shielded position to the open position prior to the cap operation, as described above.

[0078] Figure 19 shows the state in which the line head 40 is in the first region Am1, or more specifically, in the first head position. In the head unit 30, a first projection 55A and a second projection 55B are provided at positions facing the opposing portion 45, projecting toward the opposing portion 45. Hereinafter, the first protrusion 55A and the second protrusion 55B may be collectively referred to as the protrusion 55. In the state shown in Figure 19, a gap Gp is ​​formed between the protruding portion 55 and the opposing portion 45. In Figure 2, the first protrusion 55A and the second protrusion 55B are located outside the media transport area in the X-axis direction. The first protrusion 55A and the second protrusion 55B are provided on the unit frame 31 as an example. However, either or both of the first protrusion 55A and the second protrusion 55B may be provided within the media transport area in the X-axis direction.

[0079] In this embodiment, the first protrusion 55A faces the upstream support portion 46, and the second protrusion 55B faces the upstream shutter 47A. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the first protrusion 55A and the second protrusion 55B may face the upstream shutter 47A, or the first protrusion 55A may face the upstream shutter 47A and the second protrusion 55B may face the downstream shutter 47B.

[0080] To perform the cap operation from the state shown in Figure 19, the shutter 47 is opened and the shaft 77 is rotated in the rotational direction C1. As a result, the radius Ra of the cam 66 at the position where the contact portion 32a contacts the outer surface of the cam 66 becomes smaller, causing the line head 40 to descend. As the line head 40 descends, the first projection 55A contacts the upstream support portion 46 as shown in Figure 20, and the descent of the line head 40 stops. This state is when the head unit 30 is resting on the opposing portion 45 using its own weight. When the shutter 47 is open and the line head 40 descends and the head unit 30 rests on the upstream support portion 46, the pressing force of the coil spring 54 that presses the upstream support portion 46 upward is set to be such that the upstream support portion 46 does not displace downward when the head unit 30 is resting on the upstream support portion 46 using its own weight.

[0081] Furthermore, the statement that the line head 40 rests on the opposing part 45 using its own weight means that it is not limited to a configuration in which the line head 40 rests on the opposing part 45 solely by its own weight, but also includes a configuration in which it rests on the opposing part 45 due to a pressing force from a spring or the like that includes a vertically downward component, in addition to its own weight. When the head unit 30, i.e., the line head 40, rests on the opposing part 45 due to a pressing force from a spring or the like that includes a vertically downward component, the lifting of the head unit 30, i.e., the line head 40, is suppressed, and the platen gap is stabilized. Furthermore, at the moment the protruding portion 55 contacts the opposing portion 45, the pressing portion 75 is not in contact with the pressed portion 32b. Therefore, even if the shaft 77, i.e., the rotating body 74, rotates in the rotational direction C1, there is a period during which the line head 40 remains stationary. This period corresponds to the idle period of the head moving motor 101, which will be explained in detail later.

[0082] Then, as the shaft 77 rotates further in the rotational direction C1 from the state shown in Figure 20, the pressing part 75 comes into contact with the pressed part 32b and pushes the pressed part 32b downward. That is, the lever drive by the third moving part 73 is started, and the head unit 30, i.e., the line head 40, descends. At this time, the head unit 30 pushes the upstream support part 46 downward against the pressing force of the coil spring 54. Figure 21 shows the line head 40 in 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 comes into contact with the cap portion 61, and the head surface 42a further pushes down the cap portion 61 by a predetermined amount against the pressing force of the cap spring 63. As a result, the cap portion 61 comes into close contact with the head surface 42a.

[0083] To raise the head unit 30, i.e., the line head 40, from the state shown in Figure 21, the shaft 77 is rotated in the rotational direction C2. This causes the push-down part 75 to be displaced upward, and the line head 40 is raised by the spring force of the coil spring 54 while its position in the Z-axis direction is restricted by the push-down part 75, returning to the state shown in Figure 20. If the shaft 77 is further rotated in the rotational direction C2 from the state shown in Figure 20, the drive switches to cam drive by the first moving part 65.

[0084] Here, in Figure 21, the reference numeral k1 denotes the clearance formed between the cam 66 and the contact portion 32a. Without this clearance k1, the state in which the cam 66 supports the line head 40 and the state in which the pressing portion 75 pushes down the pressed portion 32b, i.e., the line head 40, would be formed simultaneously, and there is a risk that the rotating body 74 would become locked and unable to rotate. However, by providing the clearance k1, the state in which the line head 40 is supported by the cam 66 and the state in which the push-down part 75 pushes down the line head 40 are not formed simultaneously, thereby preventing the rotating body 74 from locking up.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the line head 40 includes a rack member 32 in which a pressed portion 32b, a contact portion 32a, and a rack 71 are integrally formed. This makes it easier to determine the relative positional relationship between the pressed portion 32b, the contact portion 32a, and the rack 71. As a result, it is possible to reliably achieve a configuration in which the state in which the line head 40 is supported by the cam 66 and the state in which the push-down portion 75 pushes down the line head 40 are not formed simultaneously.

[0086] Furthermore, even if the cam 66 separates from the contact portion 32a and a clearance k1 is formed, the line head 40 will not descend because it is supported by the upstream support portion 46. However, instead of the configuration in which the upstream support portion 46 supports the line head 40 when the cam 66 separates from the contact portion 32a and a clearance k1 is formed, the cap portion 61 may be configured to support the line head 40. Specifically, this configuration involves positioning the line head 40 away from the upstream support portion 46 in the -Y direction. In this configuration, when the line head 40 descends with the shutter 47 open, the cam 66 disengages from the contact portion 32a, and the cap portion 61 supports the line head 40. In this configuration, the upstream support portion 46 may be fixed in place and not displaced in the Z-axis direction.

[0087] As described above, the printer 1 includes a media transport path Ta for transporting media, a line head 40 that is movable relative to the media transport path Ta in a direction intersecting the recording surface of the media, and a moving means 110 for moving the line head 40. The movement area of ​​the line head 40 includes a first area Am1 and a second area Am2 which is further from the media transport path Ta than the first area Am1. The moving means 110 includes a first moving unit 65 for moving the line head 40 in a first region Am1, and a second moving unit 70 for moving the line head 40 in a second region Am2. When the line head 40 transitions from the first region Am1 to the second region Am2, it transitions from being moved by the first moving unit 65 to being moved by the second moving unit 70. Similarly, when the line head 40 transitions from the second region Am2 to the first region Am1, it transitions from being moved by the second moving unit 70 to being moved by the first moving unit 65. The first moving unit 65 and the second moving unit 70 are driven by a common drive source, the head moving motor 101. This reduces the cost increase of the device and allows for miniaturization of the device compared to a configuration in which the first moving unit 65 and the second moving unit 70 are driven by separate drive sources.

[0088] Furthermore, when the line head 40 transitions from the first region Am1 to the third region Am3, it transitions from being moved by the first moving unit 65 to being moved by the third moving unit 73. Also, when the line head 40 transitions from the third region Am3 to the first region Am1, it transitions from being moved by the third moving unit 73 to being moved by the first moving unit 65. In other words, in this 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, the cost of the device can be kept down, and the device can be made smaller.

[0089] In this embodiment, the first moving unit 65 is a cam that rotates using 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. This allows for fine adjustment of the position of the line head 40 at a position close to the media transport path Ta. As a result, the line head 40 can be positioned at an appropriate position according to the thickness of the media. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second moving unit 70 includes a rack 71 provided on the line head 40 and a pinion 72 that meshes with the rack 71, and rotates with the power of the head moving motor 101 to move the line head 40. As a result, even when the second region Am2 is made large, the line head 40 can be moved accordingly, which is convenient for maintenance work and other tasks. However, the first moving part 65 is not limited to cam drive; other configurations such as rack and pinion drive may also be adopted. Similarly, the second moving part 70 is not limited to rack and pinion drive; other configurations such as cam drive may also be adopted.

[0090] In this embodiment, the cam 66 and the pinion 72 are integrated to form the rotating body 74. This allows power to be easily transmitted from the head moving motor 101 to the first moving part 65 and the second moving part 70. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to transmit power to the first moving part 65 and the second moving part 70 individually from the head moving motor 101, the number of parts can be reduced. As a result, the cost of the device can be suppressed, and the device can be made smaller. However, the cam 66 and pinion 72 may be configured as separate components.

[0091] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rotating body 74 is provided with a push-down section 75. This allows power to be easily transmitted from the head moving motor 101 to the first moving section 65, the second moving section 70, and the third moving section 73. In addition, since it is not necessary to transmit power from the head moving motor 101 to the first moving section 65, the second moving section 70, and the third moving section 73 individually, the number of parts can be reduced. As a result, the cost increase of the device can be suppressed, and the device can be made smaller. However, the push-down section 75 may be configured separately from the rotating body 74.

[0092] In this embodiment, the pinion 72 has a first phase region Ak1 in which a portion of the teeth is missing, and when the first phase region Ak1 faces the rack 71, the cam 66 supports the line head 40. This provides the following effects. In other words, when the first moving part 65 moves the line head 40, if the second moving part 70 tries to move the line head 40, there is a risk that the position adjustment of the line head 40 by the first moving part 65 will be disrupted. According to this embodiment, the pinion 72 has a first phase region Ak1 in which part of the teeth are missing, and when the first phase region Ak1 faces the rack 71, the cam 66 supports the line head 40, so that the second moving part 70 can suppress adverse effects when the first moving part 65 tries to move the line head 40.

[0093] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when transitioning 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 transitioning from the movement of the line head 40 by the pinion 72 to the movement of the line head 40 by the cam 66, a state is temporarily formed in which the cam 66 is in contact with the line head 40 and the pinion 72 is engaged with the rack 71. As a result, a state in which the line head 40 is not supported by either the cam 66 or the pinion 72 is prevented. Consequently, the occurrence of problems such as the line head 40 falling and malfunctioning due to impact can be avoided. Note that the state in which the cam 66 is in contact with the line head 40 and the pinion 72 is engaged with the rack 71 is outside the states of the first head position, second head position, and third head position described above. Furthermore, if the cam 66 and the pinion 72 are configured as separate components, there is a risk that, due to part tolerances, assembly errors, etc., it may not be possible to temporarily create a state in which the cam 66 contacts the line head 40 and the pinion 72 engages with the rack 71. However, in this embodiment, since the cam 66 and the pinion 72 are configured as a single unit, the occurrence of the above-mentioned problems can be suppressed.

[0094] In this embodiment, the line head 40 also includes a rack member 32 in which a contact portion 32a that contacts the cam 66 and a rack 71 are integrally formed. This makes it easier to determine the positional relationship between the contact portion 32a and the rack 71. If the contact portion 32a and the rack 71 were constructed as separate components, there is a risk that, due to part tolerances or assembly errors, the cam 66 may not be able to temporarily contact the line head 40 and the pinion 72 may not be able to engage with the rack 71. However, since the contact portion 32a and the rack 71 are constructed as a single unit, and the positional relationship between the contact portion 32a and the rack 71 is easily determined, the occurrence of such problems can be suppressed.

[0095] In this embodiment, the printer 1 includes a guide frame 33 that guides the line head 40 in the X-axis direction, i.e., the direction of movement of the line head 40, and a shaft 77 which is the rotation axis of the rotating body 74, with the shaft 77 being rotatably supported by the guide frame 33. This makes it easier to determine the positional relationship between the rotating body 74 and the rack member 32, 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 part 65 and the second moving part 70.

[0096] In this embodiment, the head unit 30 is equipped with a plurality of nozzles 44 that eject ink, which is an example of a liquid, along the media width direction, and a line head 40 which is a liquid ejection head that ejects ink from the nozzles 44 without moving in the media width direction. A cap portion 61 is provided at a position opposite the line head 40, which is the head surface 42a, the liquid ejection surface of the line head 40. The cap portion 61 is displaceable in a direction that moves forward and backward relative 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 the 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, after the contact between the contact portion 32a that abuts the cam 66 in the line head 40 and the cam 66 is released, pushes the line head 40 downward toward the cap portion 61 as the rotating body 74 rotates. This provides the following effects.

[0097] In order to ensure that the head surface 42a of the line head 40 is securely 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 therefore cannot press the head surface 42a against the cap portion 61. However, the rotating body 74 is provided with a pressing portion 75 that, after the contact between the contact portion 32a that abuts the cam 66 on the line head 40 and the cam 66 is released, pushes the line head 40 downward toward the cap portion 61 as the rotating body 74 rotates. This ensures that the head surface 42a is securely pressed against the cap portion 61, and that the head surface 42a is securely covered by the cap portion 61. Furthermore, since the pressing-down section 75 is provided on the rotating body 74, a separate power source is not required to reliably press the head surface 42a against the cap section 61. As a result, the cost of the device can be kept down, and the device can be made smaller.

[0098] Furthermore, the rotating body 74A may be formed as shown in Figure 29, as shown in the rotating body 174A. Note that the same reference numerals are used for components already described in Figure 29, and redundant explanations will be avoided thereafter. The rotating body 174A comprises a push-down portion 75, a cam 166, and a pinion 172. The cam 166 is a modified version of the cam 66 described above, and the pinion 172 is a modified version of the pinion 72 described above.

[0099] In this embodiment, the rotating body 174A has the cam 166 and pinion 172 overlapping in the axial direction, i.e., the X-axis direction. In other words, at least a portion of the cam 166 and at least a portion of the pinion 172 are in the same position in the X-axis direction. To put it another way, the cam 166 and pinion 172 are arranged along the circumferential direction of the rotating body 174A. This configuration allows for a reduction in the size of the rotating body 174A in the X-axis direction, thereby enabling miniaturization of the device. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the thickness of the cam 166 and the thickness of the pinion 172 are the same in the X-axis direction, and the formation region of the cam 166 and the formation region of the pinion 172 coincide in the X-axis direction. This further reduces the size of the rotating body 174A in the X-axis direction, and consequently further miniaturizes the device. However, the configuration may include an overlap between a portion of the cam 166 and a portion of the pinion 172 in the X-axis direction. Also, the thickness of the cam 166 and the thickness of the pinion 172 may be different.

[0100] Furthermore, the rack member 32A described above may be formed as shown in Figure 29, as shown in rack member 132A. Rack member 132A includes a contact portion 132a and a rack 171. The contact portion 132a is a modified version of the contact portion 32a described above, and the rack 171 is a modified version of the rack 71 described above. The contact portion 132a and the rack 171 overlap in the X-axis direction to correspond to the arrangement of the cam 166 and pinion 172 described above. In other words, at least a portion of the contact portion 132a and at least a portion of the rack 171 are in the same position in the X-axis direction. This configuration allows for a reduction in the size of the rack member 132A in the X-axis direction, and consequently, enables miniaturization of the device. Furthermore, the configurations of the rotating body 174A and rack member 132A described above can also be applied to a rotating body (not shown) and rack member (not shown) located in the -X direction.

[0101] In this embodiment, as in the embodiment described above, when transitioning from cam drive by the first moving part 65 to rack and pinion drive by the second moving part 70, a state is temporarily formed in which the cam 166 contacts the contact part 132a and the pinion 172 engages with the rack 171. As a result, even if the contact part 132a disengages from the cam 166, the line head 40 will not descend as a result. Furthermore, when transitioning from rack and pinion drive by the second moving part 70 to cam drive by the first moving part 65, a state is temporarily formed in which the cam 166 contacts the contact part 132a, i.e., the line head 40, and the pinion 172 engages with the rack 171. As a result, even if the pinion 172 disengages from the rack 171, the line head 40 will not descend as a result.

[0102] <Line head position detection> Next, we will explain the position detection of the line head 40 in the direction of movement. Hereafter, when simply referred to as the direction of movement, it means the direction of movement of the line head 40 (Z-axis direction). First, the control unit 100 will be further explained with reference to Figure 4. Note that the control unit 100 controls the entire printer 1, but components unrelated to the movement of the line head 40 are omitted from the illustration in Figure 4. 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 processors include a CPU and memory such as RAM and ROM, and the memory stores program code 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 dedicated hardware circuits, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), that perform hardware processing for at least a portion of the processing it performs.

[0103] The control unit 100 is electrically connected to the head movement motor 101 as an output system. In this embodiment, the head movement motor 101 is a DC motor and is controlled by the control unit 100 using PWM (Pulse Width Modulation). Furthermore, the control unit 100 is electrically connected to the following as input systems: the operation unit 115, the rotary ENC 103, and the linear ENC 107. The operation unit 115 is the part that receives requests for power on / off, various settings, and recording execution for the printer 1, and can be configured as, for example, a touch panel whose user interface is realized through the control of the control unit 100.

[0104] The control unit 100 includes a calculation 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 calculations necessary for operating the printer 1. For example, the arithmetic unit 120 performs calculations such as 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.

[0105] The motor control unit 121 controls the head movement motor 101 via the motor driver 122 by outputting a current command value, such as a duty cycle signal necessary for PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) control, to the motor driver 122. The motor driver 122 is equipped with a D / A converter and controls the current supplied to the head movement motor 101 by performing PWM control based on the duty cycle signal. In this embodiment, the motor control unit 121 performs PID control on the head movement motor 101. The motor control unit 121 calculates the target rotational speed by multiplying the position deviation between the target rotational position of the head movement motor 101 and the actual rotational position obtained from the output signal of the rotary ENC 103 by a gain Kp. Then, based on the speed deviation between this target rotational speed and the actual rotational speed obtained from the output of the rotary ENC 103, the motor control unit 121 performs calculations on proportional, integral, and differential components using proportional, integral, and differential elements, and sends a duty cycle signal to the motor driver 122 based on the sum of these calculation results. Furthermore, 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.

[0106] The calculation unit 120 detects the edges of the output pulses of the rotary ENC 103, counts their number, and calculates the rotational position of the head movement motor 101 based on this count value. The calculation unit 120 distinguishes between forward and reverse rotation of the head movement motor 101 from a comparison process of the two pulse signals output from the rotary ENC 103. Then, when one edge is detected, the calculation unit 120 performs counting processing to increment or decrement the rotational position of the head movement motor 101 according to whether it is forward or reverse rotation. The "rotary ENC position" shown in Figures 22A, 22B, 23A, and 23B represents the rotational position of the head moving motor 101 obtained by the above counting process on the vertical axis, with the upward direction being the increment direction, i.e., the upward direction of the line head 40, and the downward direction being the decrement direction, i.e., the downward direction of the line head 40.

[0107] The rotary ENC 103 outputs two pulse signals, pulse ENC-A and pulse ENC-B. In both forward 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 of pulse ENC-B. On the other hand, when the head movement motor 101 is rotating in reverse, pulse ENC-A is 90 degrees behind pulse ENC-B. The time for one cycle of each pulse is equal to the time it takes for the head movement motor 101 to rotate by the distance of the slits in the rotary scale 104. This allows the calculation unit 120 to detect the rotational speed of the head movement motor 101. The "rotary ENC speed" shown in Figures 22A, 22B, 23A, and 23B corresponds to the aforementioned rotational speed.

[0108] Furthermore, the calculation unit 120 can calculate the amount of movement of the line head 40 based on the amount of rotation of the head moving motor 101 and the reduction ratio of the reduction mechanism 76 described above. Also, if the calculation unit 120 detects the time of one cycle of each pulse, it can calculate the movement speed of the line head 40 based on the reduction ratio of the reduction mechanism 76 described above. However, if no signal change is detected in the linear ENC 107, that is, if the position of the linear ENC described later does not change, the line head 40 will not move even if the position of the rotary ENC 103 changes.

[0109] The calculation unit 120 can also detect the edges of the output pulses of the linear ENC 107, count their number, and calculate the position of the line head 40 in the direction of movement based on this count value. The calculation unit 120 distinguishes between the upward and downward movement 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 calculation unit 120 performs counting processing to increment or decrement the position of the line head 40 according to whether it is rising or falling. The "linear ENC position" shown in Figures 22A, 22B, 23A, and 23B represents the position obtained by the above counting process on the vertical axis, and corresponds to the position in the direction of movement of the line head 40. In the linear ENC position, the upward direction is the increment direction, i.e., the upward direction of the line head 40, and the downward direction is the decrement direction, i.e., the downward direction of the line head 40.

[0110] The linear ENC107 outputs two pulse signals, pulse ENC-A and pulse ENC-B. In both the upward and downward movements of the line head 40, pulse ENC-A and pulse ENC-B are out of phase by 90 degrees. When the line head 40 is rising, pulse ENC-A is 90 degrees ahead of pulse ENC-B. Conversely, when the line head 40 is descending, pulse ENC-A is 90 degrees behind pulse ENC-B. The duration of one cycle of each pulse is equal to the time it takes for the line head 40 to move by the distance of the slits in the linear scale 108. The calculation unit 120 can detect the amount of movement of the line head 40 by counting the number of pulse signals. Furthermore, the calculation unit 120 can calculate the movement speed of the line head 40 by detecting the duration of one cycle of each pulse. The "linear ENC speed" shown in Figures 22A, 22B, 23A, and 23B corresponds to the aforementioned movement speed.

[0111] The following is an overview of the method for detecting the origin of the line head 40. The origin detection of the line head 40 is performed with the shutter 47 closed. For example, when the line head 40 descends from the recording position Hp1 shown in Figure 19, both the rotary ENC 103 and the linear ENC 107 produce signal changes until the protrusion 55 provided on the line head 40 contacts the opposing part 45. This is reflected in the rotary ENC position and linear ENC position during the cam drive period shown in Figure 22A. When the line head 40 is lowered and the protruding portion 55 comes into contact with the opposing portion 45, the descent of the line head 40 temporarily stops, and the signal change of the linear ENC 107 ceases. This is reflected in the linear ENC position during the motor idle period shown in Figure 22A. However, since the head movement motor 101 continues to rotate, the signal change of the rotary ENC 103 continues, as shown in the rotary ENC position during the motor idle period shown in Figure 22A.

[0112] The control unit 100 can utilize this property to set the origin position of the line head 40. Specifically, the control unit 100 sets the origin position of the line head 40 based on the position of the line head 40 when there is a signal change in the rotary ENC 103 and the signal change in the linear ENC 107 disappears while the line head 40 is being lowered toward the opposing unit 45. In Figure 22A, position Pm0 is the rotary ENC position at the point when the signal change of linear ENC107 ceases, i.e., the origin position of rotary ENC103, and position Pn0 is the linear ENC position at the point when the signal change of linear ENC107 ceases, i.e., the origin position of linear ENC107.

[0113] The position of the line head 40 in the direction of movement can be determined based on the origin position of the rotary ENC 103 or based on the origin position of the linear ENC 107. In either case, the distance from the origin position to the boundary of each region can be stored as a known value in the non-volatile memory 124. As a result, the control unit 100 can determine the current position of the line head 40. In this embodiment, the encoder resolution for the unit movement amount of the line head 40 is higher for the rotary ENC 103 than for the linear ENC 107 due to the reduction mechanism 76. Therefore, in order to ensure the stopping position accuracy of the line head 40, it is preferable to control the head movement motor 101 based on the output signal of the rotary ENC 103.

[0114] Furthermore, the origin position of the line head 40 can also be set when raising the line head 40. For example, when the line head 40 rises from the state in the motor idle period shown in Figure 23A, the cam 66 contacts the contact portion 32a and lifts the line head 40, causing the protruding portion 55 to separate from the opposing portion 45, and the line head 40 rises. This is reflected in the linear ENC position when transitioning from the motor idle period to the cam drive period shown in Figure 23A.

[0115] The control unit 100 can utilize this property to set the origin position of the line head 40. Specifically, the control unit 100 can set the origin position of the line head 40 based on the position of the line head 40 when a signal change occurs in the linear ENC 107 while there is a signal change in the rotary ENC 103. In this way, the control unit 100 sets the origin position based on the fact that no positional change of the line head 40 occurs based on the linear ENC 107 while the head movement motor 101 is being driven, thus enabling the origin position to be set appropriately. Figure 22B shows an example of lowering the line head 40 from the jamming position Hp2 to the cap position Hp0 with the shutter 47 open, and Figure 23B shows an example of raising the line head 40 from the cap position Hp0 to the jamming position Hp2. In a configuration in which the line head 40 is supported by the upstream support part 46 with the shutter 47 open, the origin position of the line head 40 may be set when lowering the line head 40 with the shutter 47 open, or the origin position of the line head 40 may be set when raising the line head 40.

[0116] The processes executed by the control unit 100 will be further explained below with reference to Figure 24. The control unit 100 sets the origin position of the line head 40 at a predetermined timing (step S101). This origin position setting can be performed when the printer 1 is powered on, or when a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since the last origin position setting. 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.

[0117] As a result, the rotary ENC position in the lever drive area is set to "position < origin - dx1". Distance dx1 is the distance from the origin position to the lever drive area. Furthermore, 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. Furthermore, 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 Figure 4). Furthermore, 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 Figure 4).

[0118] Next, the control unit 100 determines whether the print mode is normal mode or not when moving the line head 40 (Yes in step S103) (step S104). The user can select between normal mode and speed priority mode via the operation unit 115. In normal mode, the control unit 100 temporarily stops the line head 40 before the region boundary and selects control parameters in each region (step S105). In speed priority mode, the control unit 100 drives the line head 40 continuously without stopping it at the region boundary and selects control parameters in each region (step S106).

[0119] The control parameters for each region are stored in the non-volatile memory 124 as part of the control parameters 126 (see Figure 4). The control parameters for each region include the torque limit value for the head movement motor 101. The torque limit value is, for example, the limit value of the duty cycle signal sent to the motor driver 122, which limits the drive current value of the head movement motor 101. The torque limit value for each region is stored in the non-volatile memory 124 as part of the control parameters 126 (see Figure 4). By setting the torque limit value, excessive load on the drive mechanism is suppressed in the event of an abnormality.

[0120] Figure 27 shows the head movement speed, motor rotation speed, motor drive load, and torque limit values ​​for each region when the line head 40 is rising and when it is descending. When the line head 40 descends, the head movement speed is slowest in the first region Am1, i.e., when cam-driven, fastest in the second region Am2, i.e., when rack and pinion-driven, and intermediate in the third region Am3, i.e., when lever-driven. Also, when the line head 40 descends, the motor rotation speed is speed 2 in each region. However, for example, in the second region Am2 or the third region Am3, the speed may be set lower than speed 2 to mitigate the impact when the line head 40 hits an obstacle.

[0121] Furthermore, when the line head 40 descends, the drive load of the head movement motor 101 is smallest in the first region Am1 and the second region Am2, and larger in the third region Am3 than in the first region Am1 and the second region Am. Therefore, when the line head 40 descends, the torque limit is smallest in the first region Am1 and the second region Am2, and larger in the third region Am3 than in the first region Am1 and the second region Am. In the third region Am3, the push-down part 75 pushes down the line head 40 against the spring force of the coil spring 54 (see Figure 20) and the cap spring 63 (see Figure 20). This is reflected in the motor duty cycle in the lever drive region shown in Figure 22B. When the line head 40 descends, in the third region Am3, the head movement motor 101 first receives a load from the coil spring 54, and then receives a load from both the coil spring 54 and the cap spring 63. Therefore, as the line head 40 descends, the motor duty cycle increases. Consequently, the torque limit is largest in the third region, Am3.

[0122] Next, when the line head 40 rises, the head movement speed is slowest in the first region Am1, i.e., when cam-driven, fastest in the second region Am2, i.e., when rack and pinion-driven, and intermediate in the third region Am3, i.e., when lever-driven. Also, when the line head 40 rises, the motor rotation speed is speed 1 in each region. However, for example, in the second region Am2 or the third region Am3, the speed may be set lower than speed 1 to mitigate the impact when the line head 40 hits an obstacle. Furthermore, speed 1 may be the same speed as speed 2, faster than speed 2, or slower than speed 2.

[0123] Furthermore, when the line head 40 rises, the drive load of the head moving motor 101 is smallest in the third region Am3 and the first region Am1, and 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 is largest in the third region Am3. This is because if the worm gear mechanism jams when the head is lowered, there is a risk that the motor drive load will be larger when the head rises than when the head is lowered. The torque limit is smallest in the first region Am1, and larger in the second region Am2 than in the first region Am1.

[0124] Next, referring to Figure 25, the process of raising the line head 40 from a state where the line head 40 is resting on the opposing part 45 via the protruding part 55 and detecting the origin 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 when the line head 40 is resting on the opposing part 45 via the protruding part 55 (step S201). Next, if a signal change occurs in the linear ENC 107 (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 to just before the Ce1 edge (step S203). An example of the number of edges Ce1 is 1.

[0125] Next, the control unit 100 sets the origin position based on the rotary ENC 103 to 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 for a given unit movement of the line head 40. Rs2 is the resolution of the linear ENC 107, specifically the number of edges of the output pulse of the linear ENC 107 for a given unit movement 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 set accurately.

[0126] Next, referring to Figure 26, the process of lowering the line head 40 from a state where the protruding portion 55 of the line head 40 is separated from the opposing portion 45 and detecting the origin of the line head 40 will be explained. The control unit 100 starts driving the head movement motor 101 to lower the line head 40 (step S301). Next, if there is no signal change in the linear ENC 107 (Yes in step S302), or if there is a signal change in the rotary ENC 103 (Yes in step S303), the control unit 100 sets the origin position based on the linear ENC 107 to the linear ENC position at the time when there was no signal change in the linear ENC 107 (step S304). The control unit 100 also sets the origin position based on the rotary ENC 103 to the rotary ENC position at the time when there was no signal change in the linear ENC 107 (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 set accurately. The origin position setting in step S101 in Figure 24 may be done using the process shown in Figure 25 or the process shown in Figure 26.

[0127] Furthermore, if the signal change of the linear ENC 107 ceases (Yes in step S302), and the signal change of the rotary ENC 103 also ceases despite being within the movement range of the line head 40 (No in step S303), the system determines that the head unit 30 has come into contact with some kind of obstacle, stops the head movement motor 101 (step S306), and performs error processing. As an example of error processing, an alert indicating that an abnormality has occurred is displayed on the operation unit 115. This prevents excessive load from being placed on the line head 40 and the moving mechanism 110, thereby preventing damage to the line head 40 and the moving mechanism 110.

[0128] Furthermore, the moving mechanism 110 has play such as gear backlash. For this reason, especially when setting the origin position of the line head 40 while lowering the line head 40 and then raising the line head 40, and raising the line head 40 based on the origin position of the rotary ENC 103, it is preferable to set the target stopping position of the head moving motor 101 taking the above backlash into consideration.

[0129] Next, the handling of cases where the printer 1 is not turned off by the normal procedure will be explained with reference to Figure 28. When the printer 1 is turned off by the normal procedure, specifically when the user turns off the power by pressing the power button (not shown), the line head 40 moves to the cap position. Therefore, in this case, when the printer 1 is turned on, the control unit 100 can determine that the line head 40 is in the cap position. However, if the printer 1 is not turned off by the normal procedure, for example, if the power cord is unplugged while the power is on, when the printer 1 is subsequently turned on, the control unit 100 cannot determine the exact current position of the line head 40. Therefore, in this case, exception handling is required to determine the current position of the line head 40. Furthermore, it is also possible to determine the position of the line head 40 by abutting it against one or the other end of the moving area and detecting the increase in the drive current value of the head moving motor 101 at that time. However, this method is undesirable because it may cause excessive surface pressure to be generated between the worm wheel 83 (see Figure 9) and the cylindrical worm 84 (see Figure 9) that constitute the worm gear mechanism, potentially leading to locking.

[0130] Furthermore, whether or not the power to printer 1 has been turned off in the normal procedure can be determined by saving a power flag indicating this to the non-volatile memory 124 (see Figure 4) when the power to printer 1 has been turned off in the normal procedure. For example, the control unit 100 saves "1" as the power flag in the non-volatile memory 124 when the power to printer 1 has been turned off in the normal procedure. Then, when the power to printer 1 is turned on, the control unit 100 reads the power flag, and if it is "1", it performs the origin position setting in the normal procedure (step S101 in Figure 24). At that time, the power flag is reset to "0". Furthermore, when the printer 1 is powered on, the control unit 100 reads the power flag, and if it is "0", it assumes that the printer 1 was not powered off by the normal procedure, and performs the exception processing shown in Figure 28.

[0131] In Figure 28, when the printer 1 is powered on, the control unit 100 determines whether it is a power-on from a normal power-off state (step S401). If it is a power-on from a normal power-off state (Yes in step S401), it performs the normal origin position setting (step S405). Note that the process in step S405 is the same as the process in step S101 in Figure 24. If the control unit 100 is not powered on from a normal power-off state (No in step S401), it drives the head movement motor 101 by a predetermined amount in the opposite direction to the previous drive direction (step S402).

[0132] Here, the previous drive direction refers to the drive direction when the control unit 100 last 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 direction of rotation in the non-volatile memory 124 (see Figure 4). By reading the above direction flag, the control unit 100 can determine the direction of rotation when the head movement motor 101 was last driven. Furthermore, the "determined amount" in step S402 is preferably as small as possible within the range in which the linear ENC speed can be detected. For example, the "determined amount" is preferably 5.0 mm or less when converted to the amount of movement of the line head 40, and more preferably 3.0 mm or less. The "determined amount" is stored in the non-volatile memory 124 as part of the control parameter 126 (see Figure 4). By minimizing the "determined amount" in this way, it is suppressed that the line head 40 will come into contact with some obstacle when the line head 40 is moved, and that the worm gear mechanism described above will not lock up.

[0133] Next, the control unit 100 determines which region the line head 40 is currently in based on the linear ENC speed (step S403). As explained with reference to Figure 27, the movement speed of the line head 40, i.e., the linear ENC speed, differs in each of the first region Am1, second region Am2, and third region Am3. That is, the linear ENC speed when the head movement motor 101 is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed differs in each region and can be obtained as a known value. Therefore, the control unit 100 can determine which region the line head 40 is in 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 idle region shown in Figures 22A and 23A. The movement speed of the line head 40 in each region when the head movement motor 101 is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed is stored in the non-volatile memory 124 as part of the control parameter 126 (see Figure 4). Of course, the movement speed is a value with a range to account for errors.

[0134] If it is possible to determine which region the line head 40 is in, 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 which region the line head 40 is in (step S404). For example, if the line head 40 is in the second region Am2 or the first region Am1, the origin position can be set by lowering the line head 40. Also, if the line head 40 is in the third region Am3 or the motor idle region, the origin position can be set by raising the line head 40. Setting the origin position by raising the line head 40 is the process shown in Figure 25, and setting the origin position by lowering the line head 40 is the process shown in Figure 26.

[0135] Furthermore, when the linear ENC speed is zero while the head movement motor 101 is rotating at a predetermined rotational speed, it is possible that the line head 40 is in the motor idle region, or 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 opposite direction to the previous drive direction. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the line head 40 is unable to move due to hitting one end or the other end of the movement region. As described above, even if the printer 1 is not turned off using the normal procedure, the current position of the line head 40 can be determined based on the detection information from the rotary ENC 103 and the linear ENC 107. In addition, the occurrence of locking of the worm gear mechanism described above can be suppressed in this case.

[0136] In the above embodiment, the control unit 100 determined which region the line head 40 was currently in 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 used. This is because the motor drive load, i.e., the motor drive current value, differs in each region.

[0137] Furthermore, if the shutter 47 (see Figure 5) is closed, the line head 40 is in the first region Am1 or the second region Am2. Therefore, if a sensor for detecting the position of the shutter 47 is provided, the position of the line head 40 may be determined by referring to the position of the shutter 47. Furthermore, if a sensor is provided to detect when the cap unit 60 is in the lowered position, the position of the line head 40 may be determined by referring 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. If the lowered position of the cap unit 60 is detected in this way, it can be determined that the line head 40 is in the capped position.

[0138] The following describes the operation and effects of the printer 1 configured as described above. First, as described above, the direction of movement of the line head 40 includes a vertical component. The position detection means for detecting the position of the line head 40 with respect to the media transport path Ta is a linear ENC 107 which includes a linear scale 108 provided along the direction of movement of the line head 40 and a first detection unit 109 provided on the line head 40 that detects the linear scale 108. The moving means 110, which moves the line head 40 by receiving power from the head moving motor 101, has a configuration that allows the head moving motor 101 to idle after the line head 40 has rested on the opposing part 45 using its own weight when the line head 40 is lowered toward the opposing part 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 Figures 22A and 23A. In other words, idling of the head moving motor 101 means a state in which the rotation of the head moving motor 101 is not converted into movement of the line head 40, and the head moving motor 101 is not receiving a load from the line head 40.

[0139] The control unit 100 then determines the position of the line head 40 in the direction of movement based on the change in the detection signal of the linear ENC 107 when the line head 40 is placed on the opposing part 45 during the descent (linear ENC position Pn0 in Figure 22A), or the change in the detection signal of the linear ENC 107 when the line head 40 rises from the state where it is placed on the opposing part 45 (linear ENC position Pn0 in Figure 23A). This allows for accurate determination of the position of the line head 40 relative to the opposing section 45, and consequently, the platen gap to be set appropriately. Furthermore, the line head 40 can be appropriately positioned at the cap position Hp0 and the jamming position Hp2.

[0140] In addition, because the platen gap can be set with high precision, adjustments during the assembly process of the device are unnecessary, thus shortening assembly time. Furthermore, even if parts are deformed from their assembled state due to shocks during transportation of the device, it is easier to obtain the desired platen gap. Furthermore, even if components such as gears that make up the moving mechanism 110 wear out due to aging, this is less likely to affect the platen gap.

[0141] Furthermore, when the moving means 110 lowers the line head 40 toward the opposing part 45, it has a configuration that allows the head moving motor 101 to rotate freely after the line head 40 has been placed on the opposing part 45 using its own weight, thus providing the following advantages. For example, if the system is configured to determine the position of the line head 40 in the direction of movement by detecting an increase in the drive current value of the head moving motor 101 when the line head 40 comes into contact with the opposing part 45, the moving mechanism 110 may be subjected to a load, potentially leading to damage to its components. Furthermore, it can be difficult to appropriately set the threshold value for the drive current. Additionally, if the moving mechanism 110 includes a worm gear mechanism (see Figure 9) as in this embodiment, excessive surface pressure may be generated between the worm wheel 83 and the cylindrical worm 84, potentially causing lock-up. However, when the moving mechanism 110 lowers the line head 40 toward the opposing part 45, it is configured to allow the head moving motor 101 to idle after the line head 40 has rested on the opposing part 45 using its own weight. This suppresses the occurrence of the aforementioned problems.

[0142] Furthermore, this embodiment includes a rotary ENC 103, which is a rotation detection means for detecting the rotation of the head moving motor 101. The control unit 100 then determines the position of the line head 40 in the direction of movement based on the detection signal of the linear ENC 107 and the detection signal of the rotary ENC 103. This allows for accurate determination of the position of the line head 40 in the direction of movement.

[0143] In this embodiment, the rotation detection means is a rotary ENC 103 that includes a rotary scale 104 provided on the motor output shaft of the head moving motor 101 and a second detection unit 105 that detects the rotary scale 104. This allows for accurate detection of the rotation of the head moving motor 101.

[0144] The moving mechanism 110 also includes a cylindrical worm 84 driven by the head moving motor 101 and a worm wheel 83 that meshes with the cylindrical worm 84 and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the cylindrical worm 84. In such a configuration, as described above, if excessive surface pressure is generated between the worm wheel 83 and the cylindrical worm 84, there is a risk of locking. However, as described above, since no excessive load is placed on the moving mechanism 110 when determining the position of the line head 40 relative to the opposing part 45, the occurrence of the above-mentioned locking can be suppressed. In addition, the worm gear mechanism allows for a larger reduction ratio when transmitting power from the head moving motor 101 to the line head 40. As a result, the resolution of the rotary ENC 103 can be made greater than that of the linear ENC 107, allowing the line head 40 to be positioned with greater precision relative to the opposing section 45.

[0145] Furthermore, the control unit 100 sets the origin position of the line head 40 in the direction of movement based on the position of the line head 40 at the point when there is no change in the linear ENC 107 signal while the head movement motor 101 is rotating when the line head 40 is being lowered toward the opposing part 45 (linear ENC position Pn0 in Figure 22A), or the position of the line head 40 at the point when there is a change in the linear ENC 107 signal while the head movement motor 101 is rotating when the line head 40 is being raised from the state where it is resting on the opposing part 45 (linear ENC position Pn0 in Figure 23A). In other words, the control unit 100 sets the origin position of the line head 40 in the direction of movement based on the position of the line head 40 when there is a signal change in the rotary ENC 103 and no signal change in the linear ENC 107 when the line head 40 is lowered toward the opposing part 45 (linear ENC position Pn0 in Figure 22A), or the position of the line head 40 when there is a signal change in the rotary ENC 103 and a signal change in the linear ENC 107 occurs when the line head 40 is raised from the position where it is resting on the opposing part 45 (linear ENC position Pn0 in Figure 23A).

[0146] Furthermore, the control method implemented by the control unit 100 includes the step of setting the origin position of the line head 40 in the direction of movement based on the position of the line head 40 when there is a signal change in the rotary ENC 103 and the signal change in the linear ENC 107 disappears when the line head 40 is lowered toward the opposing part 45, or the position of the line head 40 when there is a signal change in the rotary ENC 103 and the signal change in the linear ENC 107 occurs when the line head 40 is raised from the state where it is resting on the opposing part 45. This allows the origin of the line head 40 in its direction of movement to be appropriately set by utilizing the signal changes of the linear ENC107. As a result, the positioning accuracy of the line head 40 is improved.

[0147] Furthermore, the line head 40 is equipped with a projection 55 that protrudes toward the opposing part 45, and the line head 40 rests on the opposing part 45 by utilizing its own weight when the projection 55 abuts against the opposing part 45. This makes it possible to avoid contact between the part of the line head 40 that records onto the medium, specifically the head chip 43 (see Figure 2), and the opposing part 45. As a result, damage to the head chip 43 can be suppressed, and contamination of the opposing part 45 can be suppressed.

[0148] Furthermore, by providing multiple protrusions 55 in the media width direction and bringing the protrusions 55 into contact with the opposing portion 45, the orientation of the line head 40 relative to the opposing portion 45 can be appropriately determined. Therefore, for example, the position of the line head 40 when the protruding portion 55 contacts the opposing portion 45 may be defined as the first head position. This ensures that the platen gap is set very appropriately, and that the parallelism of the line head 40 with respect to the opposing portion 45 is also ensured, resulting in appropriate recording quality. Furthermore, in order to determine the orientation of the line head 40 relative to the opposing part 45, multiple linear ENCs 107 may be provided at intervals in the X-axis direction, thereby detecting the orientation of the line head 40 relative to the opposing part 45. In addition, in order to correct the orientation of the line head 40 relative to the opposing part 45, a rotating body 74A provided near the +X end of the shaft 77 and a rotating body 74B provided at the -X end may be driven by separate motors.

[0149] In this embodiment, the moving means 110 also has a reduction mechanism 76 with a 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 direction of movement based on the signal from the linear ENC 107 and controls the head moving motor 101 based on the signal from the rotary ENC 103. In other words, the control method implemented by the control unit 100 includes the steps of grasping the position of the line head 40 in the direction of movement based on the signal from the linear ENC 107 and controlling the head moving motor 101 based on the signal from the rotary ENC 103.

[0150] With this configuration, the movement of the line head 40 is directly detected by the linear ENC 107, making it possible to accurately determine the position of the line head 40. As a result, it becomes easier to appropriately adjust the gap between the line head 40 and the opposing part 45. Furthermore, by referring to the detection signal of the linear ENC107 during motor control based on the detection signal of the rotary ENC103, the position of the line head 40 can be accurately determined without being affected by the backlash of the gears constituting the moving means 110.

[0151] Here, since the linear ENC 107 is configured to directly detect the movement of the line head 40, there is a risk that the stopping accuracy when stopping the head moving motor 101 may not be obtained due to the resolution of the linear ENC 107. As a result, there is a risk that the line head 40 may not be able to be stopped accurately at the desired position. However, in this embodiment, the moving means 110 has a reduction mechanism 76 with a 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. Then, by controlling the head moving motor 101 based on the signal from the rotary ENC 103, the stopping accuracy when stopping the head moving motor 101 can be improved, making it easier to stop the line head 40 accurately at the desired position.

[0152] Furthermore, the control unit 100 detects each region that constitutes the movement area based on the origin position of the line head 40 in the direction of movement, and controls the head movement motor 101 with control parameters corresponding to each region. Therefore, the line head 40 can be appropriately positioned by appropriate control according to each region.

[0153] The control parameters also include a torque limit value for the head movement motor 101. This provides the following effects. If the load on the head movement motor 101 differs in each region that constitutes the movement area of ​​the line head 40, the required motor drive torque will differ. Therefore, if a large torque limit is set for regions with low load, excessive load may be placed on the mechanical components when a malfunction occurs, potentially leading to damage to the mechanical components. However, since the above control parameters include a torque limit value for the head movement motor 101, damage to the aforementioned mechanical components can be suppressed. Furthermore, the above control parameters may be other parameters such as the target speed of the head movement motor 101 or the PID control gain Kp, or any two or more of these parameters may be used.

[0154] Furthermore, the control unit 100 temporarily stops the head movement motor 101 at the boundary of each region constituting the movement area (step S105 in Figure 24). That is, at the boundary of each region constituting the movement area of ​​the line head 40, there is a risk of collision noise being generated between components due to the switching of the drive mechanism. However, by temporarily stopping the head movement motor 101 at the boundary of each region constituting the movement area, the generation of the above-mentioned collision noise can be suppressed. Alternatively, instead of temporarily stopping the head movement motor 101, the speed of the head movement motor 101 may be reduced.

[0155] The printer 1 also includes an operation unit 115, which is an example of a receiving means for accepting the selection of either a speed-priority mode or a normal mode as the 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 boundary of each area constituting the movement area (step S106 in Figure 24). When the normal mode is selected, the control unit 100 temporarily stops the head movement motor 101 at the boundary of each area constituting the movement area (step S105 in Figure 24).

[0156] At the boundaries of each region that constitutes the movement area of ​​the line head 40, there is a risk of collision noise occurring between components due to the switching of the drive mechanism. However, in normal mode, the head movement motor 101 is temporarily stopped at the boundaries of each region that constitutes the movement area of ​​the line head 40, thereby suppressing the generation of the aforementioned collision noise. Furthermore, in speed-priority mode, the head movement motor 101 is continuously driven at the boundary of each region that constitutes the movement area of ​​the line head 40, thereby improving processing throughput.

[0157] Furthermore, the control unit 100 may use different encoders for controlling the head movement motor 101 depending on the operation. For example, when performing a home position detection operation, the head movement motor 101 may be controlled based on the output signal of the linear ENC 107. After the home position detection operation, the head movement motor 101 may be controlled based on the output signal of the rotary ENC 103. Alternatively, the head movement motor 101 may be controlled based on the output signal of the linear ENC 107, and if the origin is detected due to a decrease in speed, control may be switched to using the rotary ENC 103 during the drive.

[0158] <Sampling Mode> Next, we will explain the sampling mode executed by the control unit 100. First, let me explain the necessity of the sampling mode. For example, let's explain using the case where the line head 40 is raised 1.7 mm from the origin position. The position of the line head 40 when it is raised 1.7 mm from the origin position is an example of the recording position Hp1 described above, and is also an example of the target position. Since the control unit 100 can know the amount of movement of the line head 40 when the head movement motor 101 rotates once as a known value, it can also know the amount of rotation of the head movement motor 101 required to raise the line head 40 1.7 mm from the origin position.

[0159] As an example, let's assume that theoretically, the line head 40 moves 0.1 mm when the head moving motor 101 rotates once. Also, deceleration control is necessary to stop the head moving motor 101, and it takes two rotations for the head moving motor 101 to stop after it starts to decelerate.

[0160] Therefore, theoretically, when the control unit 100 raises the line head 40 by 1.7 mm from the origin position, if it detects that the line head 40 has risen by 1.5 mm using the linear ENC 107 and then starts deceleration control of the head movement motor 101, the line head 40 can be raised by 1.7 mm from the origin position. However, when the head movement motor 101 completes one rotation, the amount the line head 40 rises may be more or less than 0.1 mm due to error factors such as component precision. In this case, even if the head movement motor 101 completes two rotations during deceleration control, the position of the line head 40 will still be off from the target position.

[0161] Furthermore, if the output signal of the rotary ENC103 is used without using the output signal of the linear ENC107, and the head movement motor 101 is rotated 17 times to raise the line head 40 by 1.7 mm from the origin position, theoretically, the line head 40 can be raised by 1.7 mm from the origin position. However, even in this case, if the amount the line head 40 rises is more or less than 0.1 mm due to error factors such as component precision when the head movement motor 101 rotates once, the position of the line head 40 will deviate from the target position. As previously explained, it is difficult to obtain accurate stopping position accuracy for the line head 40 when using only the output signal of the linear ENC107.

[0162] In this embodiment, in view of these problems, the control unit 100 is capable of executing a sampling mode, and based on the results of the sampling mode, it controls the head moving motor 101 to position the line head 40 at the target position. This makes it possible to suppress deviations of the line head 40 from the target position due to error factors such as the aforementioned component precision. Figure 31 shows the processing before and after the execution of the sampling mode. When the control unit 100 determines that it is time to execute the sampling mode (Yes in step S501), it executes the sampling mode (step S502). The timing for executing the sampling mode can be broadly divided into two categories: when instructed from an external source at any time, and at a predetermined timing. These timings for executing the sampling mode will be explained in more detail later. Then, when the control unit 100 executes the sampling mode, it saves the data obtained by the sampling mode to a non-volatile memory 124 (see Figure 4), which is an example of a storage unit (step S503).

[0163] The processing of the sampling mode in step S502 will be explained below with reference to Figure 32. If the origin position has not been set (No in step S601), the control unit 100 sets the origin position (step S602). If the origin position has been set (Yes in step S601), the control unit 100 moves the line head 40 to the sampling position (step S604). Then, it obtains the position of the linear ENC 107 and the position of the rotary ENC 103 when the line head 40 is moved from the origin position to the sampling position (step S605). In this case, the position of the linear ENC 107 can be rephrased as the amount of change in the linear ENC 107 when the line head 40 is moved from the origin position to the sampling position. Similarly, the position of the rotary ENC 103 can be rephrased as the amount of change in the rotary ENC 103 when the line head 40 is moved from the origin position to the sampling position.

[0164] Then, if the control unit 100 needs to acquire the next data (Yes in step S606), it repeats steps S604 and onward. When moving the line head 40 to multiple sampling positions, it starts from the position closest to the origin and proceeds sequentially towards positions further from the origin. Here, the sampling position can be set to any position, and the number of sampling positions can also be set to any number. Of course, the sampling positions can be the cap position Hp0, recording position H1, jam processing position Hp2, etc., as mentioned above.

[0165] The dots labeled Sc1, Sc2, Sc3, Sc4, and Sc5 in Figure 30 represent sampled data. In Figure 30, the vertical axis represents the rotation amount Mr of the head moving motor 101 based on the output signal of the rotary ENC 103, and the horizontal axis represents the movement amount Hm of the line head 40 based on the output signal of the linear ENC 107. Each sampled data is represented by the rotation amount Mr and the movement amount Hm. Therefore, Hm / Mr represents the amount the line head 40 actually moved when the head moving motor 101 rotated once.

[0166] If each sampling data corresponds to the actual target position of the line head 40, the control unit 100 stores each sampling data in the non-volatile memory 124 (see Figure 4) and reads the sampling data when actually moving the line head 40 from the origin position to the target position. This allows the control unit 100 to determine the amount of rotation of the head movement motor 101 required to position the line head 40 from the origin position to the target position. Based on the output signal of the rotary ENC 103, the control unit 100 controls the head movement motor 101 to position the line head 40 at the target position.

[0167] Furthermore, instead of raising the line head 40 from the origin position and starting from the position closest to the origin and proceeding sequentially towards positions farther from the origin, the sampling mode may also be performed by lowering the line head 40 from a position farther from the origin and proceeding towards the origin. Alternatively, the sampling mode may be performed by both raising and lowering the line head 40. In particular, it is preferable to perform the sampling mode by both raising and lowering the line head 40. The reason for this is that the loads on the first moving part 65, the second moving part 70, and the third moving part 73 differ when the line head 40 is rising and when it is falling, and the actual amount the line head 40 moves when the head moving motor 101 rotates once may differ. In addition, as mentioned above, gear backlash may also affect the amount the line head 40 moves when the head moving motor 101 rotates once. By performing sampling modes for both the upward and downward movement of the line head 40, and utilizing the sampling results during the upward movement when raising the line head 40 and the sampling results during the downward movement when lowering the line head 40, the line head 40 can be positioned more accurately.

[0168] Furthermore, if, for example, the sampling mode is performed only when the line head 40 is rising, and the target position of the line head 40 is located below its current position, it is preferable to first lower the line head 40 below the target position. Then, by using the sampling results when raising the line head 40 to the target position, the line head 40 can be positioned more appropriately. Of course, if the sampling mode is performed only when the line head 40 is descending, the opposite applies. Furthermore, if the movement of the line head 40 from the first position to the second position in order to perform sampling mode includes a switch in the direction of movement of the line head 40, specifically a switch from upward to downward or from downward to upward, then the line head 40 can be positioned more appropriately when the above switch is included when moving the line head 40 to the target position.

[0169] Furthermore, when acquiring sampling data based on the origin position, if at least one sampling data point is acquired, an approximate curve representing the line Lk, specifically a linear function equation, can be obtained using this sampling data point and the origin position. Alternatively, the approximate curve can be obtained using two sampling data points excluding the origin position. In this case, the linear function equation may include the intercept. In this manner, the control unit 100 may obtain a mathematical formula based on the results of the sampling mode, which includes the amount of movement of the line head 40 relative to the origin position and the amount of rotation of the head movement motor 101 as variables, and based on this formula, obtain the amount of rotation of the head movement motor 101 necessary to position the line head 40 at the target position. With such a configuration, the following effects can be obtained.

[0170] In other words, the amount of rotation of the head movement motor 101 required to position the line head 40 at the target position can be obtained by setting the sampling position to the target position and executing the sampling mode. However, if the number of target positions for the line head 40 increases and the sampling mode is executed for each of the multiple target positions, it can lead to problems such as an increase in the time required to complete the sampling mode and an increase in the data storage area that holds the results of the sampling mode. However, with the above configuration, the amount of rotation of the head moving motor 101 required to position the line head 40 at the target position is obtained based on a mathematical formula, thereby suppressing the above-mentioned problems.

[0171] Specifically, in this configuration, the slope of the straight line Lk in Figure 30 can be stored in the non-volatile memory 124 (see Figure 4). However, the data stored in the non-volatile memory 124 (see Figure 4) may be the acquired sampling data, or the amount of rotation of the head movement motor 101 required to move the line head 40 by a predetermined amount, obtained from the sampling data, or the amount of movement of the line head 40 when the head movement motor 101 is rotated by a predetermined amount, obtained from the sampling data.

[0172] As described above, the control method implemented by the control unit 100 of the printer 1 according to this embodiment can perform a first step, i.e., a sampling mode, which involves acquiring the amount of rotation of the head moving motor 101 required to move the line head 40 from a first position to a second position, based on the output signal of the linear ENC 107 and the output signal of the rotary ENC 103. The origin position described above is an example of the first position, and the position of the line head 40 shown in the sampling data described above is an example of the second position. By making the first position the origin position, the amount of rotation of the head moving motor 101 required to move the line head 40 from the first position to the second position can be easily acquired, but the first position is not limited to the origin position and may be any other position. The control method described above includes a second step of controlling the head moving motor 101 to position the line head 40 at a target position based on the results of the first step, i.e., the sampling mode. With this type of control, the line head 40 can be positioned to the target position with greater accuracy compared to a configuration in which the line head 40 is positioned based solely on the signal from the linear ENC 107 or solely on the signal from the rotary ENC 103.

[0173] Furthermore, when moving the line head 40 from the first position to the second position, i.e., the target position, the head movement motor 101 may be controlled based on the output signal of the rotary ENC 103 for the entire distance, or the position of the line head 40 may be directly determined based on the output signal of the linear ENC 107 up to a certain point, and then the head movement motor 101 may be controlled based on the output signal of the rotary ENC 103 from that point onward. When controlling the head movement motor 101 based on the output signal of the rotary ENC 103 from a certain point onward, the line head 40 can be accurately positioned at the target position by controlling it based on the relationship between the amount of rotation of the head movement motor 101 and the amount of movement of the line head 40 obtained by the sampling mode.

[0174] Next, we will explain the execution timing of the sampling mode shown in step S501 of Figure 31. Generally speaking, the execution timing of the sampling mode can be either at any time instructed from an external source or at a predetermined time. One example of receiving instructions from an external source at any given time is receiving instructions during the assembly process of the device. In this case, it is possible to suppress the impact of part tolerances and assembly errors on the positioning accuracy of the line head 40. Another example of when the control unit 100 can receive instructions from an external source at any time is during equipment adjustment or repair work by a service technician, such as when replacing the line head 40. Alternatively, the user may arbitrarily execute the sampling mode when the print quality deteriorates. In this configuration, where the control unit 100 can receive instructions to execute the sampling mode at any time, the positioning accuracy of the line head 40 can be improved by executing the sampling mode.

[0175] An example of executing the sampling mode at a predetermined timing is when the device is first powered on after shipment. This helps to suppress the impact of vibrations and shocks during transport of the device on the positioning accuracy of the line head 40.

[0176] Another example of executing the sampling mode at a predetermined timing is when the device is powered on. Note that this power-on includes the initial power-on after the device is shipped, as well as subsequent power-ons. This configuration makes it possible to suppress the impact of changes in the device's state over time on the positioning accuracy of the line head 40.

[0177] Another example of executing the sampling mode at a predetermined timing is when a predetermined number of pages have been recorded on the media. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress the impact of changes in the state of the device due to increased usage time on the positioning accuracy of the line head 40. In this case, the control unit 100 increments the cumulative number of printed pages each time a page is recorded on the media, and when the sampling mode is executed because the number of printed pages has reached a predetermined number, the cumulative number of printed pages is reset to zero. The above predetermined number is stored in the non-volatile memory 124, but this predetermined number may also be adjustable by the user via the operation unit 115 or a printer driver operated on an external terminal.

[0178] Another example of executing the sampling mode at a predetermined timing is when the device transitions to power-saving mode. Here, the control unit 100 can switch between normal mode and power-saving mode as the power state. Normal mode is the mode in which the power necessary for printing by the line head 40 is supplied. Power saving mode is a mode in which the power necessary for printing by the line head 40 is not supplied, and power consumption is lower than in normal mode. In normal mode, the necessary power is supplied to each part of printer 1, and all functions of printer 1 work normally. When the print standby state has elapsed for a predetermined time, the control unit 100 performs a process to switch from normal mode to power-saving mode. Since the sampling mode takes time, executing the sampling mode at the same time the device switches to power-saving mode can minimize waiting time for the user.

[0179] Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and modifications described above, and that various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention as described in the claims, and these are also included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0180] 1... Inkjet printer, 2... Media storage cassette, 3... Pick roller, 5... Feeding roller, 6... Separation roller, 8... Reversing roller, 9... First nip roller, 10... Second nip roller, 12... Media support section, 13... Feeding roller, 14... Separation roller, 15... First transport roller pair, 16... Drive roller, 17... Driven roller, 19... Second transport roller pair, 20... Drive roller, 20a... Rotating shaft, 21... Driven roller, 22... Media detection section, 27... Third transport roller pair, 28... Discharge roller pair, 29... Discharge tray, 30... Head unit T, 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, 41...Base, 41d...Rack part, 42...Plate member, 42a...Head surface, 43...Head tip, 44...Nozzle, 45...Opposite part, 45a...Opening, 46...Upstream support part, 47...Shutter, 47A...Upstream shutter, 47B... Downstream shutter, 47a...recess, 48...first moving part, 49...second moving part, 54...coil spring, 55...protrusion, 55A...first protrusion, 55B...second protrusion, 57...head frame, 60...cap unit, 61...cap part, 61a...elastic part, 61b...cap 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...press-down part, 76...reduction mechanism, 77...shaft, 78...first bevel tooth 79... Second bevel gear, 80, 81, 82... Spur gear, 83... Worm wheel, 84... Cylindrical worm, 100... Control unit, 101... Head moving motor, 103... Rotary encoder, 104... Rotary scale, 105... Second detection unit, 107... Linear encoder, 108... Linear scale, 109... First detection unit, 110... Moving means, 115... Operation unit, 120... Calculation unit, 121... Motor control unit, 122... Motor driver, 123... Volatile memory, 124... Non-volatile memory, 125... Program, 126... Control parameters Am1…First region, Am2…Second region, Am3…Third region, Hp0…Cap position, Hp1…Recording position, Hp2…Jam processing position

Claims

1. A transport route for transporting the medium, A recording unit for recording on a medium, comprising a recording unit that is movable in a direction advancing and retracting with respect to the transport path, A counter unit positioned opposite the recording unit, The motor is the power source for moving the recording unit, A moving means for moving the recording unit by receiving power from the motor, Position detection means for detecting the position of the recording unit with respect to the transport path, Rotation detection means for detecting the rotation of the motor, A control unit that controls the motor based on the output signals of the position detection means and the rotation detection means, Equipped with, The position detection means is A linear scale provided along the direction of movement of the recording unit, A first detection unit provided in the recording unit for detecting the linear scale, It is a linear encoder equipped with, The rotation detection means is A rotary scale that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the motor, A second detection unit for detecting the rotary scale, It is a rotary encoder equipped with, The control unit is capable of executing a sampling mode that acquires the amount of rotation of the motor necessary to move the recording unit from a first position to a second position, based on the output signal of the linear encoder and the output signal of the rotary encoder. Based on the results of the sampling mode, the motor is controlled to position the recording unit at the target position. A recording device characterized by the following features.

2. In the recording device according to claim 1, The moving means has a reduction mechanism with a reduction ratio greater than 1 when transmitting power from the motor to the recording unit. A recording device characterized by the following features.

3. In the recording device according to claim 2, The movement direction of the recording unit includes a vertical component. The moving means has a configuration that, when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing unit, allows the motor to rotate freely after the recording unit has rested on the opposing unit using its own weight. The control unit sets the origin position of the recording unit in the direction of movement based on the position of the recording unit when there is a signal change in the rotary encoder and the signal change in the linear encoder disappears when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing unit, or the position of the recording unit when there is a signal change in the rotary encoder and the signal change in the linear encoder occurs when the recording unit is raised from the state where it is resting on the opposing unit. A recording device characterized by the following features.

4. In the recording device according to claim 3, The resolution of the linear encoder is Rs1, The resolution of the rotary encoder is Rs2, When the recording unit is raised from the position where it is resting on the opposing unit, and a change in the signal of the rotary encoder is detected, the number of output edges of the linear encoder at that time is Ce1. as, The control unit, The origin position of the recording unit based on the linear encoder is set to just before the Ce1 edge. The origin position of the recording unit based on the rotary encoder is set to just before the Ce1 × (Rs2 / Rs1) edge. A recording device characterized by the following features.

5. In the recording device according to claim 3, The control unit sets the origin position of the recording unit based on the linear encoder and the origin position of the recording unit based on the rotary encoder, using as a reference the point in time when there is a signal change in the rotary encoder and the signal change in the linear encoder disappears when the recording unit is lowered toward the opposing unit. A recording device characterized by the following features.

6. In the recording device according to claim 3, The first position is the origin position. A recording device characterized by the following features.

7. In a recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, The control unit obtains a mathematical formula that includes the amount of movement of the recording unit and the amount of rotation of the motor as variables, based on the results of the sampling mode. Based on the above formula, the amount of rotation of the motor necessary to position the recording unit at the target position is obtained. A recording device characterized by the following features.

8. In the recording device according to claim 1, The control unit executes the sampling mode when the device is first powered on after shipment. A recording device characterized by the following features.

9. In the recording device according to claim 1, The control unit executes the sampling mode when the device is powered on. A recording device characterized by the following features.

10. In the recording device according to claim 1, The control unit executes the sampling mode each time a predetermined number of media are recorded. A recording device characterized by the following features.

11. In the recording device according to claim 1, The control unit is capable of receiving instructions to execute the sampling mode at any given timing. A recording device characterized by the following features.

12. In the recording device according to claim 1, The control unit executes the sampling mode when transitioning to the power saving mode. A recording device characterized by the following features.

13. In the recording device according to claim 1, The control unit can perform the sampling mode both when the recording unit is rising and when it is falling. Furthermore, the control unit, When raising the recording unit to position it at the target location, the results of the sampling mode during the raising are used to raise the recording unit. When lowering the recording unit to position it at the target location, the results of the sampling mode during the descent are used to lower the recording unit. A recording device characterized by the following features.

14. A transport route for transporting the medium, A recording unit for recording on a medium, comprising a recording unit that is movable in a direction advancing and retracting with respect to the transport path, A counter unit positioned opposite the recording unit, The motor is the power source for moving the recording unit, A moving means for moving the recording unit by receiving power from the motor, Position detection means for detecting the position of the recording unit with respect to the transport path, Rotation detection means for detecting the rotation of the motor, A control method for a recording device equipped with, The position detection means is A linear scale provided along the direction of movement of the recording unit, A first detection unit provided in the recording unit for detecting the linear scale, It is a linear encoder equipped with, The rotation detection means is A rotary scale that rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the motor, A second detection unit for detecting the rotary scale, It is a rotary encoder equipped with, The control method described above is A first step is to obtain the amount of rotation of the motor necessary to move the recording unit from a first position to a second position, based on the output signal of the linear encoder and the output signal of the rotary encoder. A second step involves controlling the motor based on the result of the first step to position the recording unit at the target position, including, A control method for a recording device, characterized by the following:

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