The object of the present invention is to propose a novel device and a novel method to allow the transportation of printable substrates precisely, suited to substrates of various types, sizes and thicknesses. Furthermore, the invention is suited to printing machines that involve no contact with the substrate, such as inkjet printing machines.

There is provided a liquid ejecting apparatus including: an unwinding unit that holds a roll-shaped medium and unwinds the held medium; an ejecting unit that ejects liquid onto the medium unwound from the unwinding unit; a winding unit that winds the medium onto which the liquid is ejected; and a base member to which the unwinding unit and the winding unit are attached.

Systems and methods for adjustable S-rollers in a print system. One system is an apparatus that includes a pair of rollers configured to be positioned on opposite sides of a web of continuous-forms print media, and a coupling member that connects the pair of rollers, wherein the coupling member pivots about a common axis between the pair of rollers. The apparatus also includes a drive unit configured to pivot the coupling member and a controller to receive input that describes at least one property of the web, and to direct the drive unit to pivot the coupling member to a position that applies a normal force between the web and at least one of the pair of rollers based on the at least one property of the web.

The printer has a closed state where the printing head portion and the damper portion are positioned on a position printable on the print mediums, and an open state where the printing head portion and the damper portion are positioned on a position separated from the print mediums. In a case of a transition from the closed state to the open state, the printing head portion and the damper portion behave in conjunction, and in a case of a transition from the open state to the closed state, the damper portion and the printing head portion independently behave.

A medium feeding apparatus includes a feeding portion that performs a feeding operation, which feeds a medium to a downstream side, and a reverse feeding operation, which feeds the medium to an upstream side, and a wind-up portion that performs a wind-up operation, which winds up a medium fed to the downstream side by the feeding operation, and a unwinding operation that unwinds the wound up medium, in which the wind-up portion performs the unwinding operation prior to the reverse feeding operation.

A medium feeding apparatus includes a feeding roller which feeds a medium unwound from a roll body around which the medium is wound, a roll motor which applies torque for rotating the roll body to the roll body, and a roll control portion which controls the roll motor at the time of a feeding operation based on effective tension calculated by acquiring a feeding amount of the medium fed at each of a plurality of acquiring timings included in a pre-feeding operation, which is a feeding operation performed in advance, acquiring tension applied to the medium between the roll body and the feeding roller between a plurality of the acquiring timings, and weighting a plurality of the acquired tensions with the corresponding feeding amount.

A conveying device includes a sheet conveyor configured to convey a medium in a conveyance direction of the medium, a sheet winder including a winding roller and a winding motor, and circuitry to control the sheet conveyor and the sheet winder. The circuitry is configured to convey the medium intermittently while repeating: causing the sheet conveyor and the sheet winder to convey the loosened medium by a predetermined conveyance amount; rotating the winding motor in a normal direction by a predetermined torque according to an outer winding diameter of the medium to apply a predetermined tension force to the medium; and rotating the winding motor in a reverse direction to loosen the medium by a predetermined slack amount. The circuitry is configured to determine the predetermined tension force according to the width of the medium intersecting with the conveyance direction of the medium.

A printing machine (10) for printing on a substrate having the form of a web (12) is described. It comprises a web entry unit (14) for receiving the web (12) on which a printing process is to be performed and a web exit unit (20) for dispensing the web (12) after the printing process. Furthermore, at least two printing units (26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38) are provided, wherein each of the printing units (26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38) is configured for applying an ink of a predetermined color on the web (12). Additionally at least two web paths (A, B) are provided between the web entry unit (14) and the web exit unit (20), each of the web paths (A, B) passing by all of the printing units (26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38). The web paths (A, B) pass the printing units (26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38) in a differing sequence. Moreover, a method for changing a color sequence within a printing process is presented. According to this method, the web (12) is arranged along an alternative web path (A, B) passing by the printing units (26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38) in a differing sequence, whereas a travelling direction of the web remains the same.

Example implementations relate to printers for printing a printing liquid on a medium, the printer having a media path for the medium; the media path comprising a print platen for receiving the medium from an input media carrier and for outputting the medium to an output media carrier; the media path also comprising a spread roller disposed between the print platen and the output media roller, and the print platen having an associated arcuate surface for orientating the medium towards the spread roller.

A recording device including a feeding unit configured to feed out a target recording medium while supporting the target recording medium in a roll form, a head that ejects ink to a surface of the target recording medium fed from the feeding unit thereby forming an image on the surface, a corona irradiation unit that is arranged between the feeding unit and the head in a transport path of the target recording medium and modifies the surface by performing corona irradiation, and a transport path length changing unit that is arranged between the corona irradiation unit and the head and changes a length of the transport path.