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US 11,238,320 B2Granted
Printing apparatus and printing method
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorTakashi Doi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a printing chip overlapping area being an area in which a first printing chip and a second printing chip overlap with each other when viewed from a second direction, ink is discharged so that a first overlapping area and a second overlapping area at least partially do not overlap with each other when viewed from the second direction. In the first overlapping area, a nozzle usage ratio of a first nozzle row and a nozzle usage ratio of a third nozzle row are neither 0% nor 100%. In the second overlapping area, a nozzle usage ratio of a second nozzle row and a nozzle usage ratio of a fourth nozzle row are neither 0% nor 100%.
Claims4
A printing apparatus for performing printing on a medium, the printing apparatus comprising:
- a printing head including a first nozzle row, a second nozzle row, a third nozzle row, a fourth nozzle row, a fifth nozzle row, and a sixth nozzle row, which are arranged to at least partially overlap with each other when viewed from a second direction intersecting a first direction, the first nozzle row, the second nozzle row, the third nozzle row, the fourth nozzle row, the fifth nozzle row, and the sixth nozzle row including a plurality of nozzles arrayed in the first direction for discharging ink onto the medium;
- a conveyance unit configured to convey the medium relatively to the printing head;
- and
- a printing control unit configured to cause the printing head to discharge the ink onto the medium, wherein
- the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row are configured to discharge a first color ink,
- the third nozzle row and the fourth nozzle row are configured to discharge a second color ink,
- the fifth nozzle row and the sixth nozzle row are configured to discharge a third color ink, and
- the printing control unit is configured to cause the ink to be discharged so that a first distance is shorter than a second distance and the first distance is shorter than a third distance,
- the first distance is a distance between a center of a first overlapping area and a center of a second overlapping area in the first direction,
- the first overlapping area where both the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row discharge the ink when viewed from the second direction, and
- the second overlapping area where both the third nozzle row and the fourth nozzle row discharge the ink when viewed from the second direction,
- the second distance is a distance between a center of the first overlapping area and a center of a third overlapping area in the first direction,
- the third overlapping area where both the fifth nozzle row and the sixth nozzle row discharge the ink when viewed from the second direction, and
- the third distance is a distance between a center of the second overlapping area and a center of the third overlapping area in the first direction.
11 more elements
A printing method performed by a printing device including a printing head with a plurality of nozzles for discharging ink onto a medium,
- the printing head including a first nozzle row, a second nozzle row, a third nozzle row, a fourth nozzle row, a fifth nozzle row, and a sixth nozzle row which are arranged to at least partially overlap with each other when viewed from a second direction intersecting a first direction, the first nozzle row, the second nozzle row, the third nozzle row, the fourth nozzle row, the fifth nozzle row, and the sixth nozzle row including a plurality of nozzles arrayed in the first direction,
- the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row are configured to discharge a first color ink,
- the third nozzle row and the fourth nozzle row are configured to discharge a second color ink,
- the fifth nozzle row and the sixth nozzle row are configured to discharge a third color ink,
- the printing method comprising:
- conveying the medium relatively to the printing head;
- and
- causing the printing head to discharge the ink onto the medium, wherein
- the causing the printing head to discharge the ink onto the medium includes causing the ink to be discharged so that a first distance is shorter than a second distance and a third distance,
- the first distance is a distance between a center of a first overlapping area and a center of a second overlapping area in the first direction,
- the first overlapping area where both the first nozzle row and the second nozzle row discharge the ink when viewed from the second direction, and
- the second overlapping area where both the third nozzle row and the fourth nozzle row discharge the ink when viewed from the second direction,
- the second distance is a distance between a center of the first overlapping area and a center of a third overlapping area in the first direction,
- the third overlapping area where both the fifth nozzle row and the sixth nozzle row discharge the ink when viewed from the second direction, and
- the third distance is a distance between a center of the second overlapping area and a center of the third overlapping area in the first direction.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.