Patent ID: 7922409
Filing Date: 2011-04-12
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
1. A printer comprising: a transportation mechanism for conveying a rolled print medium through a transportation path with the rolled print medium having a trailing end; a print head for printing images on the print medium; a carriage for carrying the print head while being adapted to move along a carriage path in a direction transverse to the transportation path; a paper detector for detecting the trailing end of the print medium which represents an end of the rolled print medium having little remaining roll print medium; wherein said transportation mechanism comprises first transportation rollers disposed on an upstream side of the carriage path and second transportation rollers disposed on a downstream side of the carriage path; and a drive control unit responsive to a computer and to said paper detector for driving the carriage while directing the transportation mechanism to move the print medium in synchronism with movement of the carriage along the carriage path such that when the paper detector detects the trailing end of the print medium the print medium is advanced a predetermined distance and is then stopped at a fixed position with the trailing end of the print medium held by either the first or second transportation rollers upstream or downstream of the carriage path so that the print medium cannot interfere with further carriage movement.