US-12618695-B2 - Printing apparatus, control method for printing apparatus, and computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for printing apparatus

Abstract

A printing apparatus includes a head, a carriage, an encoder including a scale, a first light emitting element and a first light receiving element, a measuring sensor including a second light emitting element and a second light receiving element, and a controller. The controller is configured to perform a printing operation of causing the head to eject ink while moving the carriage based on a signal output by the encoder, a measuring operation of moving the carriage based on a signal output by the encoder, causing the second light emitting element to emit light onto a measuring position of the scale, and receiving light reflected from or passing through the measuring position using the second light receiving element, and a calculating operation of calculating lifetime of the scale based on a light amount received by the second light receiving element.

Inventors

• Masaru Someya

Assignees

• BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20240124

Priority Date

20230124

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A printing apparatus comprising: a head configured to eject ink on a recording medium; a carriage including the head; an encoder including a scale, a first light emitting element and a first light receiving element, the scale being elongated along a moving direction of the carriage, the first light emitting element being mounted on the carriage and configured to emit light toward the scale, the first light receiving element being mounted on the carriage and configured to receive light emitted from the first light emitting element and reflected from or passing through the scale, the encoder being configured to output a signal corresponding to a light amount received by the first light receiving element; a measuring sensor including a second light emitting element and a second light receiving element, the second light emitting element being mounted on the carriage and configured to emit light toward the scale, the second light receiving element being mounted on the carriage and configured to receive light emitted from the second light emitting element and reflected from or passing through the scale; and a controller configured to perform: a printing operation of causing the head to eject ink while moving the carriage based on a signal output by the encoder; a measuring operation of moving the carriage based on a signal output by the encoder, causing the second light emitting element to emit light onto a measuring position of the scale, and receiving light reflected from or passing through the measuring position using the second light receiving element; and a calculating operation of calculating multiple lifetimes of the scale based on a light amount received by the second light receiving element.
2. 2 . The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to perform: in the measuring operation, receiving lights reflected from or passing through respective multiple measuring positions of the scale using the second light receiving element; and in the calculating operation, calculating the multiple lifetimes of the scale based on the light amounts received by the second light receiving element, respectively.
3. 3 . The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to perform an excluding operation of excluding part of the multiple measuring positions from subjects of the measuring operation based on a result of comparing a shortest lifetime with other lifetimes other than the shortest lifetime among the multiple lifetimes calculated for the respective multiple measuring positions.
4. 4 . The printing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein, in the calculating operation, the controller is configured to perform: calculating a first change curve indicating a light amount received by the second light receiving element with respect to a printing amount for a first measuring position among the multiple measuring positions; calculating a second change curve indicating a light amount received by the second light receiving element with respect to a printing amount for a second measuring position among the multiple measuring positions; calculating a first lifetime printing amount at which a light amount received by the second light receiving element in the first change curve matches a threshold value; and calculating a second lifetime printing amount at which a light amount received by the second light receiving element in the second change curve matches the threshold value, and wherein, when the first lifetime printing amount is the shortest lifetime, in the excluding operation, the controller is configured to perform: calculating a ratio of the second lifetime printing amount to the first lifetime printing amount; and excluding the second measuring position from subjects of the measuring operation when the ratio is greater than or equal to a first particular value.
5. 5 . The printing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein, in the calculating operation, the controller is configured to perform: calculating a third change curve indicating a light amount received by the second light receiving element with respect to a printing amount for a third measuring position among the multiple measuring positions; calculating a fourth change curve indicating a light amount received by the second light receiving element with respect to a printing amount for a fourth measuring position among the multiple measuring positions; calculating a third lifetime printing amount at which a light amount received by the second light receiving element in the third change curve matches a threshold value; and calculating a fourth lifetime printing amount at which a light amount received by the second light receiving element in the fourth change curve matches the threshold value, and wherein, when the third lifetime printing amount is less than the fourth lifetime printing amount, in the excluding operation, the controller is configured to perform: calculating a ratio of a slope of a tangent line in a current printing amount in the fourth lifetime printing amount to a slope of a tangent line in a current printing amount in the third lifetime printing amount; and excluding the fourth measuring position from subjects of the measuring operation when the ratio is less than or equal to a second particular value.
6. 6 . The printing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the third lifetime printing amount indicates the shortest lifetime.
7. 7 . The printing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein, in the calculating operation, the controller is configured to perform: calculating a fifth change curve indicating a light amount received by the second light receiving element with respect to a printing amount for a fifth measuring position among the multiple measuring positions; calculating a sixth change curve indicating a light amount received by the second light receiving element with respect to a printing amount for a sixth measuring position among the multiple measuring positions; calculating a fifth lifetime printing amount at which a light amount received by the second light receiving element in the fifth change curve matches a threshold value; and calculating a sixth lifetime printing amount at which a light amount received by the second light receiving element in the sixth change curve matches the threshold value, and wherein, when the fifth lifetime printing amount is less than the sixth lifetime printing amount, in the excluding operation, the controller is configured to perform: when the printing amount is x, the light amount received by the second light receiving element is y and a formula for the fifth change curve is y=ae bx , calculating a coefficient b of the formula for the fifth change curve; when the printing amount is x, the light amount received by the second light receiving element is y and a formula for the sixth change curve is y=ae bx and when a corrected formula for the sixth change curve is y=ae bx +c in a case where the sixth change curve is corrected from a current printing amount in such a manner that the printing amount matches the fifth lifetime printing amount, calculating a correction coefficient b of the corrected formula for the sixth change curve; calculating a ratio of the correction coefficient b with respect to the coefficient b; determining whether the ratio of the correction coefficient b is greater than or equal to a third particular value; and excluding the sixth measuring position from subjects of the measuring operation when determining that the ratio of the correction coefficient b is greater than or equal to the third particular value.
8. 8 . The printing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the fifth lifetime printing amount indicates the shortest lifetime.
9. 9 . The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an output device configured to output information, wherein the controller is configured to cause the output device to output information indicating options for a lifetime extending process of the scale.
10. 10 . A control method for a printing apparatus including: a head configured to eject ink on a recording medium; a carriage including the head; an encoder including a scale, a first light emitting element and a first light receiving element, the scale being elongated along a moving direction of the carriage, the first light emitting element being mounted on the carriage and configured to emit light toward the scale, the first light receiving element being mounted on the carriage and configured to receive light emitted from the first light emitting element and reflected from or passing through the scale, the encoder being configured to output a signal corresponding to an amount of light received by the first light receiving element; and a measuring sensor including a second light emitting element and a second light receiving element, the second light emitting element being mounted on the carriage and configured to emit light toward the scale, the second light receiving element being mounted on the carriage and configured to receive light emitted from the second light emitting element and reflected from or passing through the scale, wherein the control method comprises: causing the head to eject ink while moving the carriage based on a signal output by the encoder; moving the carriage based on a signal output by the encoder, causing the second light emitting element to emit light onto a measuring position of the scale, and receiving light reflected from or passing through the measuring position using the second light receiving element; and calculating multiple lifetimes of the scale based on an amount of light received by the second light receiving element.
11. 11 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for a printing apparatus including a head configured to eject ink on a recording medium, a carriage including the head, an encoder including a scale, a first light emitting element and a first light receiving element, the scale being elongated along a moving direction of the carriage, the first light emitting element being mounted on the carriage and configured to emit light toward the scale, the first light receiving element being mounted on the carriage and configured to receive light emitted from the first light emitting element and reflected from or passing through the scale, the encoder being configured to output a signal corresponding to an amount of light received by the first light receiving element, and a measuring sensor including a second light emitting element and a second light receiving element, the second light emitting element being mounted on the carriage and configured to emit light toward the scale, the second light receiving element being mounted on the carriage and configured to receive light emitted from the second light emitting element and reflected from or passing through the scale, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium contains computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions being configured to, when executed by a controller of the printing apparatus, cause the printing apparatus to perform: causing the head to eject ink while moving the carriage based on a signal output by the encoder; moving the carriage based on a signal output by the encoder, causing the second light emitting element to emit light onto a measuring position of the scale, and receiving light reflected from or passing through the measuring position using the second light receiving element; and calculating multiple lifetimes of the scale based on an amount of light received by the second light receiving element.
12. 12 . A printing apparatus comprising: a head configured to eject ink on a recording medium; a carriage including the head; an encoder including a scale, a light emitting element and a light receiving element, the scale being elongated along a moving direction of the carriage, the light emitting element being mounted on the carriage and configured to emit light toward the scale, the light receiving element being mounted on the carriage and configured to receive light emitted from the light emitting element and reflected from or passing through the scale, the encoder being configured to output a signal corresponding to a light amount received by the light receiving element; and a controller configured to perform: a printing operation of causing the head to eject ink while moving the carriage based on a signal output by the encoder; a measuring operation of moving the carriage based on a signal output by the encoder, causing the light emitting element to emit light onto a measuring position of the scale, and receiving light reflected from or passing through the measuring position using the light receiving element; and a calculating operation of calculating multiple lifetimes of the scale based on a light amount received by the light receiving element.
13. 13 . The printing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to perform: in the measuring operation, receiving lights reflected from or passing through respective multiple measuring positions of the scale using the light receiving element; and in the calculating operation, calculating multiple lifetimes of the scale based on the light amounts received by the light receiving element, respectively.
14. 14 . The printing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to perform an excluding operation of excluding part of the multiple measuring positions from subjects of the measuring operation based on a result of comparing a shortest lifetime with other lifetimes other than the shortest lifetime among the multiple lifetimes calculated for the respective multiple measuring positions.
15. 15 . The printing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein, in the calculating operation, the controller is configured to perform: calculating a first change curve indicating a light amount received by the light receiving element with respect to a printing amount for a first measuring position among the multiple measuring positions; calculating a second change curve indicating a light amount received by the light receiving element with respect to a printing amount for a second measuring position among the multiple measuring positions; calculating a first lifetime printing amount at which a light amount received by the light receiving element in the first change curve matches a threshold value; and calculating a second lifetime printing amount at which a light amount received by the light receiving element in the second change curve matches the threshold value, and wherein, when the first lifetime printing amount indicates the shortest lifetime, in the excluding operation, the controller is configured to perform: calculating a ratio of the second lifetime printing amount to the first lifetime printing amount; and excluding the second measuring position from subjects of the measuring operation when the ratio is greater than or equal to a first particular value.
16. 16 . The printing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein, in the calculating operation, the controller is configured to perform: calculating a third change curve indicating a light amount received by the light receiving element with respect to a printing amount for a third measuring position among the multiple measuring positions; calculating a fourth change curve indicating a light amount received by the light receiving element with respect to a printing amount for a fourth measuring position among the multiple measuring positions; calculating a third lifetime printing amount at which a light amount received by the light receiving element in the third change curve matches a threshold value; and calculating a fourth lifetime printing amount at which a light amount received by the light receiving element in the fourth change curve matches the threshold value, and wherein, when the third lifetime printing amount is less than the fourth lifetime printing amount, in the excluding operation, the controller is configured to perform: calculating a ratio of a slope of a tangent line in a current printing amount in the fourth lifetime printing amount to a slope of a tangent line in a current printing amount in the third lifetime printing amount; and excluding the fourth measuring position from subjects of the measuring operation when the ratio is less than a second particular value.
17. 17 . The printing apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the third lifetime printing amount indicates the shortest lifetime.
18. 18 . The printing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein, in the calculating operation, the controller is configured to perform: calculating a fifth change curve indicating a light amount received by the light receiving element with respect to a printing amount for a fifth measuring position among the multiple measuring positions; calculating a sixth change curve indicating a light amount received by the light receiving element with respect to a printing amount for a sixth measuring position among the multiple measuring positions; calculating a fifth lifetime printing amount at which a light amount received by the light receiving element in the fifth change curve matches a threshold value; and calculating a sixth lifetime printing amount at which a light amount received by the light receiving element in the sixth change curve matches the threshold value, and wherein, when the fifth lifetime printing amount is less than the sixth lifetime printing amount, in the excluding operation, the controller is configured to perform: when the printing amount is x, the light amount received by the light receiving element is y and a formula for the fifth change curve is y=ae bx , calculating a coefficient b of the formula for the fifth change curve; when the printing amount is x, the light amount received by the light receiving element is y and a formula for the sixth change curve is y=ae bx and when a corrected formula for the sixth change curve is y=ae bx +c in a case where the sixth change curve is corrected from a current printing amount in such a manner that the printing amount matches the fifth lifetime printing amount, calculating a correction coefficient b of the corrected formula for the sixth change curve; calculating a ratio of the correction coefficient b with respect to the coefficient b; and excluding the sixth measuring position from subjects of the measuring operation when the ratio of the correction coefficient b is greater than or equal to a third particular value.
19. 19 . The printing apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the fifth lifetime printing amount indicates the shortest lifetime.
20. 20 . The printing apparatus according to claim 12 , further comprising an output device configured to output information, wherein the controller is configured to output information indicating a lifetime extending process of the scale.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-008608 filed on Jan. 24, 2023. The entire content of the priority application is incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND ART The present disclosures relate to a printing apparatus, a control method for the printing apparatus, and a computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for the printing apparatus. There has been known a recording apparatus (hereafter, referred to as a conventional recording apparatus) provided with a recording head configured to eject ink droplets to a recording sheet, and a carriage configured to move the recording head in a particular direction (hereafter, referred to an X-direction). Such a recording apparatus is typically provided with an encoder sensor to detect a movement of the carriage with respect to the recording apparatus. The recording apparatus controls the recording head to eject the ink droplets toward the sheet, while moving the carriage (i.e., the recording head) based on a detection signal of the encoder sensor, thereby forming an image on the sheet. DESCRIPTION In the aforementioned conventional recording apparatus, light-transmitting and light-blocking areas arranged along the X-direction of the encoder scale are detected by the encoder sensor, and a moving operation and an ink ejecting operation of the carriage are controlled based on detection results of the encoder sensor. According to such a configuration, since the recording head ejects the ink droplets with being moved, there could be a case where mists of the ink may float and adhered to the encoder scale. In such a case, a detection accuracy of the encoder sensor is lowered and misalignments of landing positions of the ink droplets may occur. Then, deterioration such as exhibition of white lines on an image as printed by occur, and a lifetime of the recording apparatus may be shortened. According to aspects of the present disclosures, there is provided a printing apparatus including a head configure to eject ink on a recording medium, a carriage including the head, an encoder including a scale, a first light emitting element and a first light receiving element, the scale being elongated along a moving direction of the carriage, the first light emitting element being mounted on the carriage and configured to emit light toward the scale, the first light receiving element being mounted on the carriage and configured to receive light which is emitted from the first light emitting element and reflected from or passing through the scale, the encoder being configured to output a signal corresponding to a light amount received by the first light receiving element, a measuring sensor including a second light emitting element and a second light receiving element, the second light emitting element being mounted on the carriage and configured to emit light toward the scale, the second light receiving element being mounted on the carriage and configured to receive light which is emitted from the second light emitting element and reflected from or passing through the scale, and a controller. The configured is configured to perform a printing operation of causing the head to eject ink while moving the carriage based on a signal output by the encoder to form an image on the recording medium, a measuring operation of moving the carriage based on a signal output by the encoder, causing the second light emitting element to emit light onto a measuring position of the scale, and receiving light reflected from or passing through the measuring position using the second light receiving element, and a calculating operation of calculating lifetime of the scale based on a light amount received by the second light receiving element. According to aspects of the present disclosures, there is provided a control method for a printing apparatus including a head configure to eject ink on a recording medium, a carriage including the head, an encoder including a scale, a first light emitting element and a first light receiving element, the scale being elongated along a moving direction of the carriage, the first light emitting element being mounted on the carriage and configured to emit light toward the scale, the first light receiving element being mounted on the carriage and configured to receive light which is emitted from the first light emitting element and reflected from or passing through the scale, the encoder being configured to output a signal corresponding to an amount of light received by the first light receiving element, and a measuring sensor including a second light emitting element and a second light receiving element, the second light emitting element being mounted on the carriage and configured to emit light toward the scale, the second light receiving element being mounted on the carriage and configured to receive light which is emitted from the second light emitting element and ref