An inkjet printer includes a carriage motor that moves a carriage, a carriage driving part that drives the carriage motor, a control value calculating part that calculates a total control value (Wt) composed with a control value for a feedback control and a control value for a feedforward control, which are respectfully referred as a feedback control value (Wb) and a feedforward control value (Wf), and an abnormality judging part that judges whether an abnormality has occurred to the carriage movement based on whether a proportional component (Wp) of the feedback control value has exceeded a threshold value.

A printing apparatus includes a carriage mounted with a printing unit, a belt, a first motor configured to drive the belt at one end in a widthwise direction, a second motor configured to drive the belt at the other end in the widthwise direction, and a control unit configured to control the first motor and the second motor. The control unit performs first control by driving the first motor in which the carriage moves from a state in which the carriage is stopped. In the control, the second motor is controlled from a first state in which its torque is lower than that of the first motor to a second state in which its torque is higher than that in the first state.

A printing apparatus includes: a printer that performs printing on a printing medium; and a sensor that outputs a detection signal while the printing apparatus moves relative to the printing medium. The printing apparatus determines whether the sensor is above a first surface or above a second surface of the printing medium, based on the detection signal output from the sensor, the first surface being a surface on which a moving amount of the printing apparatus with respect to the printing medium is acquired, and the second surface being a surface on which the moving amount is not acquired, and if the sensor is determined to be above the second surface, controls printing on the printing medium by the printer according to an estimated value of the moving amount with respect to the printing medium.

A print bar for a for a multi-pass printer, the print bar comprising a static part configured to extend across a print area of a print target and a moveable part comprising a print bar beam and printer comprising such a print bar.

An optical scale includes a tabular base material and an optical pattern provided above a principal plane of the base material and including a first region where a resin layer including photosensitive resin is formed and a second region where the resin layer is not formed. The optical pattern includes a pigment.

In an image forming apparatus, a carriage mounts a recording head for discharging droplets, and moves in a main scan direction. A guide member slidably guides the carriage. An encoder scale is arranged along the main scan direction. An encoder sensor reads the encoder scale. The carriage includes a head mounting part for mounting the recording head, and a sensor attaching part for attaching the encoder sensor. The sensor attaching part is provided so as to be extended from the head mounting part. The encoder scale is arranged at a location which the encoder sensor can read. A partition member is provided to separate the head mounting part from the sensor attaching part in the carriage. The head mounting part is arranged in a first space, and the sensor attaching part and the encoder scale are arranged in a second space separated from the first space by the partition member.

In an image forming apparatus, a carriage mounts a recording head for discharging droplets, and moves in a main scan direction. A guide member slidably guides the carriage. An encoder scale is arranged along the main scan direction. An encoder sensor reads the encoder scale. The carriage includes a head mounting part for mounting the recording head, and a sensor attaching part for attaching the encoder sensor. The sensor attaching part is provided so as to be extended from the head mounting part. The encoder scale is arranged at a location which the encoder sensor can read. A partition member is provided to separate the head mounting part from the sensor attaching part in the carriage. The head mounting part is arranged in a first space, and the sensor attaching part and the encoder scale are arranged in a second space separated from the first apace by the partition member.

A recording apparatus includes an ink tank, a carriage, a recording head mounted on the carriage, a carriage control unit, and a supply tube connected to the recording head and the ink tank and including a bent portion that moves with carriage movement. The carriage control unit moves the carriage in predetermined directions to record on a recording medium. Assuming that, of an acceleration/deceleration area of a carriage moving area, an area in which pressure changes to decrease negative pressure in the recording head is a first area, and an area in which the pressure changes to increase the negative pressure in the recording head is a second area, the carriage control unit moves the carriage so that an absolute value of acceleration or deceleration of the carriage in the first area is less than an absolute value of acceleration or deceleration of the carriage in the second area.

According to an embodiment of this invention, the following processing is performed to solve a problem of accurately determining an abnormal state in a carriage by using an acceleration sensor. Output values from a plurality of acceleration sensors mounted in locations which have low degrees of mechanical/physical coupling in a carriage and a printing apparatus main body are transformed into data in a frequency domain. Subsequently, a carriage operation abnormality and a level of the abnormal state are determined based on a plurality of acceleration values in the frequency domain and a comparison of magnitudes of the acceleration values.

A recording apparatus includes: a carriage that has a recording head which performs recording on a medium; and a gap adjusting unit that causes the carriage to shift in a direction in which a gap between a medium and the recording head changes depending on rotation of a cam. In a state in which the carriage is positioned at an end portion in a moving range in the first direction, at least a part of the carriage and at least a part of the cam overlap in a moving direction of the carriage. In the state in which the carriage is positioned at the end portion in the moving range in the first direction, the cam does not project with respect to the carriage in the first direction.