Printing Apparatus Roller Conveyance Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for correcting conveyance amounts in printing apparatuses, such as inkjet printers, consume unnecessary consumables like paper and ink through test prints, which is undesirable.
Innovation Solution
A printing apparatus that includes a storage unit for pre-stored information about conveyance fluctuations independent of the roller's rotational phase, combined with actual conveyance data from test patterns, allows for precise control of the conveyance roller's rotation to minimize consumable usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a test print is performed to determine correction amount, then conveyance accuracy is improved, but consumption of consumables (paper and ink) increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary characterization of the conveyance roller's periodic conveyance fluctuation during manufacturing or initial setup, storing the fluctuation amount information in advance. This preliminary action allows the control unit to compensate for conveyance errors during actual printing without requiring test prints, thus resolving the contradiction between achieving conveyance accuracy and minimizing consumable consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of performing physical test prints to measure conveyance accuracy, the system uses a model (stored fluctuation amount information) that represents the conveyance roller's behavior. This copying approach allows the control unit to determine correction amounts based on the stored model and actual conveyance fluctuations, eliminating the need for consumable-intensive test prints while maintaining accuracy.
2Device complexity
If conveyance correction is performed without using stored fluctuation information, then simplicity is maintained, but conveyance precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit uses feedback from the actual conveyance fluctuation amount (detected during operation) combined with the stored periodic fluctuation information to determine the correction amount. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adapt to real-time conveyance variations while utilizing pre-stored characterization data, achieving high precision without overly complex control procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a printing apparatus comprising a storage unit storing first information about a conveyance fluctuation amount of sheet conveyance by a roller that depends on a rotational phase of the roller, and second information about a conveyance deviation amount of sheet conveyance by the roller that is independent of the rotational phase of the roller. The first and second information are used for controlling the rotation of the roller when printing an image. The second information is determined based on an actual conveyance fluctuation amount acquired by reading test patterns printed by the printing apparatus. The first information is stored previously in the storage unit.