A printer includes a printhead, a platen, a carriage, a carriage moving mechanism configured to move the carriage between an opposing position at which the printhead faces the platen and a standby position at which the printhead does not face the platen, a head moving mechanism configured to move the printhead between a first head position and a second head position when the carriage is at the opposing position, and a sensor. A first gap between the printhead and the platen when the printhead is at the first head position is smaller than a second gap between the printhead and the platen when the printhead is at the second head position. The sensor is configured to detect whether the carriage is at the opposing position and the printhead is at the second head position, or not.

In a print head support assembly for carrying a number of print heads and for positioning the number of print heads, the print head support assembly includes a carriage plate provided with reference elements for positioning the number of print heads, the carriage plate being further provided with at least four support positions and a support sub-assembly provided with at least four adjustable mounting points for coupling to said at least four support positions and for supporting the carriage plate at said at least four support positions. The support sub-assembly is configured to constrain the carriage plate in six degrees of freedom with respect to a position of the carriage plate and to constrain the carriage plate in at least one degree of freedom with respect to a shape of the carriage plate. Thus, a light-weight and compliant carriage plate may be used to provide for a light-weight carriage suitable for high-speed printing.

There is provided a printing apparatus which includes the following: A printhead including a plurality of nozzles that discharge ink to a print medium. A first detection unit that detects a distance between the printhead and a platen. An adjustment unit that adjusts the distance between the printhead and the platen. An acquisition unit that acquires difference information concerning a difference of a distance between the platen and each of the nozzle on an upstream side and the nozzle on a downstream side in a conveyance direction of the print medium. The adjustment unit adjusts the distance based on a detection result of the first detection unit and the difference information acquired by the acquisition unit.

A head alignment apparatus for determining a reference position using position synchronization and aligning a plurality of head modules according to the reference position, and a substrate treating system including the same are provided. The head alignment apparatus may include, a reference position determining unit for determining a first reference position of a head transfer, in which a plurality of inkjet head modules are installed; and a mounting position determining unit for determining a second reference position of the inkjet head module based on the first reference position so that the inkjet head module can be moved from a current position to a second reference position, wherein the reference position determining unit determines a first reference position using a first image sensor installed on the same plane as the inkjet head module and a second image sensor installed facing the inkjet head module.

A printer is provided with a front linear guide rail, a front linear guide block, a rear linear guide rail, a rear linear guide block, and a carriage. The front linear guide rail extends in a first direction. The front linear guide block is configured to move along the front linear guide rail. The rear linear guide rail is provided in a second direction with respect to the front linear guide rail, and extends in the first direction. The rear linear guide block is configured to move along the rear linear guide rail. The carriage is fixed to the front linear guide block and the rear linear guide block. One of the front linear guide block and the rear linear guide block positions the carriage in the second direction, and the other positions the carriage in a third direction.

A moving body support apparatus including a main shaft, a sub-shaft that is arranged to be spaced from the main shaft, and a carriage that moves along the main shaft while causing a contact surface to be in contact with the sub-shaft is provided. A distance between the main shaft and the sub-shaft changes along a moving direction of the moving body. A printing apparatus including the moving body support apparatus is also provided.

A liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharge portion having a liquid discharge port and a liquid discharge unit. The liquid discharge portion performs a liquid discharge to discharge a liquid in a liquid discharge direction. The liquid discharge unit holds the liquid discharge portion and is movable along the liquid discharge direction. The liquid discharge apparatus further includes a first driver to move the liquid discharge unit along the liquid discharge direction, a second driver to move the liquid discharge portion relative to the liquid discharge unit along the liquid discharge direction, an abnormality detector to detect an abnormality of the liquid discharge unit, and circuitry. The circuitry increases an excitation current of the first driver in response to an abnormality detection signal from the abnormality detector or an instruction to clean the liquid discharge portion, and drives the second driver after increasing the excitation current.

A printing unit includes a support frame that is supported to face a transfer passage for a sheet; an inkjet head that is fixed to the support frame and performs printing on a printing surface of the sheet; drive bodies that are rotatably supported on the support frame on both sides of the inkjet head in a width direction of the sheet and come into contact with the printing surface of the sheet; and a drive device that drives and rotates the drive bodies.

A printer includes a gap adjustment unit that displaces a carriage in a Z-axis direction in which a gap changes. The gap adjustment unit has a sliding member that moves in a width direction integrally with the carriage, and a cam member that is interposed between the carriage and the sliding member and has a stepped portion in which a maintenance surface that maintains a position of the carriage in the Z-axis direction and an adjustment surface that changes the position of the carriage in the Z-axis direction are alternately arranged in the width direction. The gap adjustment unit is configured such that the cam member slides in the width direction with respect to the carriage and the sliding member to change the gap. The gap adjustment unit includes a buffer unit that decreases a displacement speed of the carriage in the Z-axis direction when the gap is reduced.

An example printing apparatus is illustrated. The printing apparatus includes a print engine assembly. The print engine assembly further includes a bottom chassis portion. The print engine assembly also includes a top chassis portion. The print engine assembly also includes a print head positioned within the top chassis portion. The print engine assembly also includes a plurality of offset pins coupled to the print head, where the plurality of offset pins abuts the bottom chassis portion, and where the plurality of offset pins enables the print head to be positioned at a predetermined distance from the bottom chassis portion.