Image Printing Apparatus

The present disclosure relates to an image printing apparatus, or more specifically, an image printing apparatus that distinguishes a substrate.

An image printing apparatus controls its printing operation and the like according to the substrate used for printing. In the event where a substrate is replaced by a substrate of a different type, such an image printing apparatus updates substrate information so that a substrate mismatch error will not occur in the image printing apparatus.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-208418 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Literature 1) describes the following image printing apparatus. Specifically, with rolled paper (a substrate) being removed from a loading unit of the image printing apparatus, new substrate information is received from a host apparatus, and rolled paper information is updated and set. After that, new rolled paper is loaded into the loading unit. Then, after this update, the image printing apparatus determines whether the rolled paper newly loaded matches the content of the current substrate information. This configuration makes it possible to prevent a substrate mismatch error from occurring in the process of substrate replacement and updating and setting of rolled paper information.

However, the substrate replacement process in Patent Literature 1 is limited to a case of attaching a new substrate to the apparatus after the update of substrate information. Thus, a substrate mismatch error may occur in the process of substrate replacement and updating and setting of rolled paper information, i.e., during substrate replacement. For example, a substrate mismatch error occurs in Patent Literature 1 in a case where, by mistake, substrate information is updated after attachment of a new substrate, in reverse from the order described above.

In this way, in a case where a substrate mismatch error occurs during substrate replacement, the user, to check the status, needs to move from the position where they loaded the substrate to a position where the substrate mismatch error is displayed. Especially for a relatively large image printing apparatus, the distance between those two positions where the user needs to move is long. Thus, the status checking is troublesome and time-consuming for the user, which lowers operation convenience.

The present disclosure provides an image printing apparatus that prints an image on a substrate and includes: a supply unit that supplies a substrate loaded; a print unit that performs printing on the substrate supplied by the supply unit; a distinguishment unit that distinguishes a substrate category of the substrate supplied from the supply unit; a setting unit that sets a substrate category of a substrate used for printing; a detection unit provided between the print unit and the supply unit to detect a splice portion where substrates are connected; a determination unit that determines whether the substrate category distinguished by the distinguishment unit and the substrate category set by the setting unit match; and a reporting unit that reports an error in a case where the determination unit determines that the substrate categories do not match. The reporting unit does not report the error until the supply unit completes substrate supply preparation.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

Modes for carrying out the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangement, and the like of components in the embodiments described below may be changed as needed depending on the configuration and various conditions of an image printing apparatus to which the present disclosure is applied. The scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below.

is a side view showing an image printing apparatusaccording to the present embodiment. As shown in, the image printing apparatusincludes a feed unitthat speedily feeds a substrate in a roll shape, a wind-up unitthat winds up a substrate conveyed thereto, and a conveyance unitprovided between the unitsand. An image formation unitis provided along a conveyance path formed by the conveyance unit. Specifically, the image formation unitincludes a white image formation unit(see) disposed upstream in a conveyance direction and a color image formation unit(see) disposed downstream. The conveyance unitincludes an upstream conveyance roller pair(see) and a downstream conveyance roller pair(see) and meandering correction units corresponding to the white image formation unit and the color image formation unit. A control unitis configured having a controller unitand a print engine unit(seefor both) which execute, e.g., control to be described later usingand the like based on an operation panel and an operation performed through this operation panel. The control unitperforms control so that the conveyance unitconveys a rolled substrate housed in the feed unitto the two image formation units in the image formation unit. Then, the image formation unitforms an image on the substrate, and the conveyance unitconveys the substrate having the image formed thereon to the wind-up unitalong a downstream conveyance path. The wind-up unitwinds up the substrate having the image formed thereon. After that, the substrate wound up can be cut and removed.

A substrate in the present embodiment is a material on which an image can be formed by the image formation unitand which can then be wound up. Examples of a substrate can be a film or paper. A substrate can also be release paper with labels attached thereto.

is a schematic diagram showing the units according to the present embodiment disposed along the conveyance path formed by the conveyance unit. As shown in, to suppress sagging of a substrate, a dancer roller (not shown) is provided on the conveyance path between the feed unitand the main conveyance unitof the image formation unitand between the sub conveyance unitof the image formation unitand the wind-up unit. Also, a splice mechanismand a substrate holddown mechanismare provided between the feed unitand the image formation unit. The feed unitkeeps a substrate in a rolled state, the substrate being, for example, 1000 meters long. Then, the splice mechanismand the substrate holddown mechanismare disposed at positions approximately one meter downstream of the feed unitholding the substrate.

The splice mechanismis in the shape of a desk with a flat portion and is provided with a groove corresponding to the width direction of a substrate to cut the substrate with a cutter. Thus, a substrate can be cut with a cutter in the splice mechanism. Also, in the splice mechanism, a cut substrate can be joined with a new substrate with a splice tape. The substrate holddown mechanismhas a rubber member (not shown) and, using the rubber member operated up and down with a switch, can hold down a substrate so that the substrate will not move. After a substrate is cut in the splice mechanism, the substrate holddown mechanismreleases the substrate. Then, a new substrate can be loaded into the feed unit. Further, the leading edge of a new replacing substrate is moved to the splice mechanism, and with the substrate holddown mechanismholding down the leading edge portion of the new substrate, the leading edge portion of the new substrate and the tailing edge portion of the substrate cut and remaining in the substrate holddown mechanismare joined with a splice tape. After that, the substrate holddown mechanismreleases the substrates, and once a user presses a substrate feed button (see), the substrate is conveyed by the rollers of the main conveyance unitand the sub conveyance unit.

In this conveyance, depending on the type of the splice tape or the joining method, the portion where the substrates are joined with a splice tape in the splice mechanism(hereinafter referred to as a “splice portion”) may have a certain thickness or more. Thus, first, to avoid fluctuations while the main conveyance unitand the sub conveyance unitsend the substrate, the user moves the splice portion to a location downstream of the sub conveyance unit. With this conveyance of substrate, substrate replacement work is completed.

Also, a step at the splice portion is detected while the substrate is conveyed. Specifically, a splice sensoris disposed adjacent to the main conveyance unitand detects a step on the substrate being conveyed, the step having a predetermined thickness or more (a splice portion detection unit). Thus, a print controllerof the control unit(see) can learn the presence and position of the splice portion at the substrate. The splice sensoris, in the present embodiment, a laser displacement meter and can detect a step on a substrate by irradiating the substrate with laser light and receiving light reflected from the substrate.

Once the splice sensordetects a splice portion, the print controller(see) determines that a new substrate has been loaded into the feed unit. Also, upon detection of a splice portion, the splice sensorcan identify the position of the splice portion on the substrate by identifying the position of an encoder (not shown). Also, in the event where the splice sensordetects a step on a substrate during printing, the print controller(see) notifies of an error so that the splice portion, as the substrate is conveyed farther, will not collide against the printhead located at a downstream position.

An information obtainment sensoris provided between the first print unitof the image formation unitand the main conveyance unit. This information obtainment sensorcan move up and down relative to the substrate conveyance path and moves down in obtaining data for substrate distinguishment and obtains substrate data.

The information obtainment sensorof the present embodiment is, for example, a contact image sensor (CIS) and obtains substrate information by capturing an image relating to unevenness of the surface of the substrate. Because a CIS captures a shadow produced by unevenness on the surface of a substrate while in direct contact therewith, image capture and detection by a CIS enables accurate substrate distinguishment based on the unevenness capturing image. As will be described, with the substrate distinguishment, a substrate or a substrate category can be determined using a model trained by machine learning, based on substrate information, i.e., the unevenness capturing image obtained by the information obtainment sensor. For this determination of a substrate or a substrate category, basically, for example, unevenness of Coated Paper A, unevenness of Coated Paper B, unevenness of Non-Coated Paper C, and unevenness of Non-Coated Paper D are identified and distinguished from one another by the substrate distinguishment. This makes it possible to tell apart coated paper combining unevenness of Coated Paper A and unevenness of Coated Paper B and non-coated paper combining unevenness of Non-Coated paper C and unevenness of Non-Coated Paper D. In other words, in a case where individual substrates (Coated Paper A, Coated Paper B, Non-Coated Paper C, and Non-Coated Paper D) can be distinguished from one another, substrate categories (coated paper and non-coated paper), which are categories into which the substrates are grouped, can be distinguished from each other as well.

Note that substrate information may be combined with data other than unevenness obtained by the CIS sensor, such as brightness. In another embodiment, the information obtainment sensormay be a sensor that obtains information with more data, such as a sensor that directly measures paper thickness or an ultrasonic sensor.

Also, a particular substrate or substrate category may be defined for a substrate using a model trained by machine learning, based on substrate information obtained by the information obtainment sensor. Although information obtainment methods described above involve a CIS sensor obtaining unevenness or brightness as an example, the information may include more data obtained using, for example, a sensor that directly measures the thickness of a substrate, an ultrasonic sensor, or the like.

Image capture and detection of a substrate by the information obtainment sensordescribed above is desirably done with the substrate conveyed at a constant speed. Thus, as will be described in detail later, image capture and detection for information obtainment are started once the splice portion being conveyed using a substrate feed button is located downstream of the information obtainment sensor. In this event, the print controllerconveys the substrate at a substrate feed speed of 4.5 mpm and carries out obtainment of substrate information once the speed reaches a constant speed.

The first print unit (white image formation unit)of the image formation unitis a print unit for white and is disposed downstream of the main conveyance unit, and the second print unit (color image formation unit)of the image formation unitis a print unit for color and is disposed downstream of the first print unit.

The first print unithas a white headwhich is a line head, and the white headincludes a head for white and a head for primer ink for fixating white. A substrate is printed while being conveyed with the line head fixed. The white headprints a white image by ejecting white ink to a substrate conveyed in a print direction.

While the first print unitperforms printing on a substrate, ink ejected to the substrate is dried and cooled in a white fixation region. A heater and a fan are provided as a drier in the white fixation regionto dry the ink. After the ink dries, the substrate heated by the drier is cooled by a cooler provided with a fan.

After the substrate having the white image printed thereon is cooled, the substrate is conveyed to the second print unit. A sensorin the second print unitscans an eye mark printed with white ink on the surface of the substrate as described above. In alignment with the scanned position, a color headwhich is a line head ejects color inks to the substrate conveyed in the print directionand prints color images on the white image. Only color images may be printed in a case where printing with white is not needed. Specifically, in a case where the substrate is not a transparency film but formed of a white material, the second print unitmay print on the substrate without the first print unitprinting on the substrate.

Meanwhile, while the second print unitperforms printing on a substrate, ink ejected to the substrate is dried and cooled in a color fixation region. Like the white fixation region, the color fixation regionis provided with a heater and a fan as a drier to dry the ink. After the ink dries, the substrate heated by the drier is cooled by a cooler provided with a fan. After the substrate having the color images printed thereon is cooled, the substrate is conveyed through the sub conveyance unitto the wind-up unitand is wound up by the wind-up unit. After that, the substrate is cut by a cutting unit, and then the printed substrate can be removed from the wind-up unit. For the next printing, the leading edge portion of the substrate remaining after the cutting is attached to the wind-up unitwith a tape.

is a block diagram showing the control unitof the image printing apparatus according to the present embodiment. The control unitincludes the controller unitthat performs overall control of the image printing apparatus and the print engine unitthat performs overall control of the print engine.

The print controllerof the print engine unitcontrols various mechanisms of the print engine unitas instructed by a main controllerof the controller unit.

In the controller unit, the main controllerformed of a CPU controls the image printing apparatus according to programs and various parameters stored in a ROM, using a RAMas a work area. For example, upon input of a print job from a host apparatusvia a host I/F, the main controllerrecognizes the print job and displays the inputted job on an operation panelto be described later.

Upon detection of pressing of a Print button on the operation panel, the main controllerdetermines whether a substrate or a substrate category set on the operation panelmatches a result of substrate distinguishment. If they do not match, the main controllerdisplays a mismatch error shown inas will be described later. If they match, as instructed by the main controller, an image processing unitperforms predetermined image processing on image data in the order in which the data is inputted. Then, the main controllertransmits image data obtained by the image processing to the print engine unitvia a print engine I/F.

Note that the main controllermay obtain image data from an external storage device (such as, for example, USB memory) connected to the image printing apparatus. The operation panelis a mechanism through which a user inputs information to the image printing apparatus or through which information is outputted to the user. Through the operation panel, a user can instruct an operation such as execution of print or feed of a substrate, can set a print mode, and can check information on the image printing apparatus. Also, in the present embodiment, the operation panelis a substrate setting mechanism configured to set a substrate or a substrate category. The operation panelis a touch panel, and a mouse and a keyboard can be connected to input information.

In the print engine unit, the print controllerformed of a CPU controls various mechanisms of the image printing apparatus according to programs and various parameters stored in a ROM, using a RAMas a work area. Various commands and image data are received via a controller I/F, and the print controllersaves the received image data to the RAM.

The print controllercauses an image processing controllerto convert the saved image data into print data, and using the print data, the white headand the color headcan perform printing on a substrate. Specifically, after the print data is generated, the print controllercauses the white headand the color headto execute a print operation based on the print data via a head I/F. In this event, the print controllerdrives the feed unit, the main conveyance unit, the sub conveyance unit, and the wind-up unitthrough a conveyance control unitto perform control so that the substrate may be conveyed in a feeding direction or a wind-back direction.

The print controllerdetermines whether the substrate holddown mechanism(see) has been operated via the conveyance control unitand whether the splice sensorhas detected a splice portion. If it is determined that the substrate holddown mechanismhas been operated and a splice portion has been detected, the print controllerdetermines that a substrate has been replaced.

Upon pressing of a substrate feed button shown into be described later, the print controllercan detect the pressing of the substrate feed button. Once a substrate feed button is pressed, the print controllerdrives the feed unit, the main conveyance unit, the sub conveyance unit, and the wind-up unitshown inat the specified speed via the conveyance control unit.

After determining that a substrate has been replaced and therefore determining to execute a substrate distinguishment operation, the print controllerdrives the information obtainment sensorvia the conveyance control unitto obtain substrate data.

In the substrate distinguishment, the substrate is determined to be a particular substrate or substrate category using a model trained by machine learning, based on substrate data obtained by the print controller. The substrate or substrate category which is a result of the distinguishment is transmitted to the controller unit through a controller IFand is stored in the ROM.

In response to an instruction to start printing, the main controllerdetermines whether the result of substrate distinguishment stored and the substrate information set on the operation panelmatch, and if they do not, notifies the user of that by displaying a mismatch error or warning on the operation panel.

Similarly, the print controllerdrives the color fixation regionand the white fixation regionthrough a fixation control unitto drive the heater and fan as the drier and the fan as the cooler. The print controlleralso performs positioning by controlling ejection timing based on signals from the sensor. Thus, as instructed by the print controller, the color headand the white headexecute a print operation on a substrate in conjunction with a substrate conveyance operation, thereby performing print processing.

The color headand the white headcan move up and down. For example, the color headand the white headmove down in printing a substrate and move up for maintenance. A head carriage control unitchanges the vertical position of the color headdepending on the mode of the image printing apparatus: maintenance mode or print mode.

An ink supply control unitcontrols an ink supply unit so that the pressure of the ink supplied to the color headmay fall within an appropriate range.

In performing a maintenance operation on the color heador the white head, a maintenance control unitmoves a maintenance unit to a position under the raised head and controls a maintenance operation performed on the head for, e.g., the cap or wiping.

Table 1 shows information on each of the substrates usable in the present embodiment.

Among substrates usable in the image printing apparatus of the present embodiment, especially substrates used for label printing can be ordered with freely chosen combinations of specifications such as surface substrate, adhesive, and release paper/film.

For example, substrates No. 1 to No. 3 provided by Company A all have the same surface substrate, Coated Paper 1, but are combined with different adhesives: permanent adhesion type, removable type, and weak adhesion type. Also, as the release paper, the same release paper, namely Release Film 1, is used. Because these substrates No. 1 to No. 3 have the same surface substrate but different adhesives, they are under different substrate names, namely Coated Paper A, Coated Paper B, and Coated Paper C. Similarly, No. 4 is No. 1 with different release paper, namely Release Paper 1, and is under the substrate name of Coated Paper D. In the present embodiment, these substrates with the same surface substrate are handled as the same substrate category, Coated Paper. No. 5 and No. 6 have different types of adhesive and release paper but the same surface substrate, and therefore, they are handled as the same substrate category, Non-Coated Paper. Similarly, No. 7 and No. 8, which have the same type of adhesive and different types of release paper/film, are handled as the same substrate category, Synthetic Paper, because their surface substrate types are both synthetic paper. The same applies to the films of No. 9 and No. 10 and low heat-resistance films of No. 11 and No. 12, and they are handled as Film and Low Heat-Resistance Film, respectively, as their substrate categories. No. 13 to No. 15 are substrates provided by a different company, Company B, and are made of different surface substrates from those of Company A.

The substrate category of a substrate is Coated Paper as long as its surface substrate is coated-paper based. In this way, a surface substrate can be freely combined with various types of adhesive and release paper/film. For example, a substrate different from others only in glue has its own substrate name.

In the present embodiment, substrates are categorized based on their surface substrates into five categories, namely Coated Paper, Non-Coated Paper, Synthetic Paper, Standard Film, and Low Heat-Resistance Film, which are categories shown under “Substrate Category” in Table 1, and the above-described information obtainment sensoris used to distinguish which of these five “Substrate Categories” the loaded substrate belongs to. A specific description of this distinguishment is described below.

As described earlier, the information obtainment sensordetects unevenness on a surface of a substrate. Then, using a model trained by machine learning, the substate category to which the unevenness corresponds is defined and held as a table in advance. If the features of unevenness detected are defined as A, B, C, D, E, . . . , in the present embodiment, they are, in a table, linked with Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, . . . , respectively, in Table 1. Thus, unevenness information is not directly linked with “Substrate Category,” but with “Substrate” itself (what is defined as No. 1, . . . in Table 1). Then, in a case where obtained unevenness information is, for example, B, “Substrate Category” of the substrate is distinguished to be “Coated Paper” because B is linked with the substrate No. 2 in the table (a distinguishment unit).

Although a substrate is distinguished by “Substrate Category” in Table 1 in the present embodiment, it is also possible to distinguish a substrate by “Substrate Name” or “Surface Substrate” in Table 1, as is apparent from the above description. Thus, distinguishing “Substrate Category” of a substrate as described herein encompasses distinguishing “Substrate Name” or “Surface Substrate” of a substrate as well.

is a flowchart showing how the image printing apparatus according to the present embodiment performs substrate distinguishment processing. After confirming that a substrate has been replaced and obtaining substrate data on the substrate (e.g., unevenness information on the surface of the substrate) using the information obtainment sensor, the image printing apparatus distinguishes the substrate by comparing the substrate data with substrate data saved in a table in the image printing apparatus and stores the distinguishment result (the distinguishment unit). Also, because distinguishment by the substrate name and distinguishment by the substrate category can both be performed with the same procedure in the present embodiment, distinguishment of a substrate encompasses distinguishment by the substrate name and distinguishment by the substrate category.