US 11,697,295 B2Granted

Printing position adjustment method and storage medium

AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsYumi Komamiya, Satoshi Oikawa, Shingo Okushima

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Abstract

Misalignment of printing positions between print heads associated with thermal expansion is reduced without increasing a data processing load. To this end, printing element substrates in a reference head and an adjustment target head are adjusted to a target temperature, and a liquid is circulated through the print element substrates. After thermal expansion of the reference head and the adjustment target head reaches a steady state, a first printing region being a printing region of the reference head and a second printing region being a printing region of the adjustment target head in a longitudinal direction are obtained from an image printed by using all printing elements. Then, used regions to be used for actual printing are set among the printing elements arranged on the reference head and the adjustment target head based on the first printing region and the second printing region.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A printing position adjustment method applied to a printing apparatus provided with a first print head and a second print head, each of the first print head and the second print head including a plurality of printing element substrates in which a plurality of printing elements are continuously arranged in a first direction, a temperature adjustment unit configured to adjust a temperature of the printing element substrates, a circulation unit configured to circulate a liquid through the printing element substrates, and a driving unit configured to drive the printing elements to cause the printing elements to eject the liquid, the first print head and the second print head being arranged in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, the printing position adjustment method being a method for adjusting printing positions in the first direction of the first print head and the second print head, comprising:

an obtaining step of
adjusting the printing element substrates in the first print head and the second print head to a target temperature by using the temperature adjustment unit,
circulating a liquid through the printing element substrates in the first print head and the second print head by using the circulation unit, and
obtaining a first printing region being a printing region of the first print head in the first direction and a second printing region being a printing region of the second print head in the first direction from an image printed on a print medium by using all the printing elements of the first print head and the second print head after thermal expansion of the first print head and the second print head reaches a steady state;
and
a setting step of:
setting a first used region of the printing elements arranged on the first print head to be actually used for printing based on the first printing region, and
setting a second used region of the printing elements arranged on the second print head to be actually used for printing based on the first used region and on the second printing region.

5 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a printing position adjustment method applied to a printing apparatus provided with a first print head and a second print head, each of the first print head and the second print head including a plurality of printing element substrates in which a plurality of printing elements are continuously arranged in a first direction, a temperature adjustment unit configured to adjust a temperature of the printing element substrates, a circulation unit configured to circulate a liquid through the printing element substrates, and a driving unit configured to drive the printing elements to cause the printing elements to eject the liquid, the first print head and the second print head being arranged in a second direction intersecting with the first direction, the printing position adjustment method being a method for adjusting printing positions in the first direction of the first print head and the second print head, the printing position adjustment method comprising:

an obtaining step of
adjusting the printing element substrates in the first print head and the second print head to a target temperature by using the temperature adjustment unit,
circulating a liquid through the printing element substrates in the first print head and the second print head by using the circulation unit, and
obtaining a first printing region being a printing region of the first print head in the first direction and a second printing region being a printing region of the second print head in the first direction from an image printed on a print medium by using all the printing elements of the first print head and the second print head after thermal expansion of the first print head and the second print head reaches a steady state;
and
a setting step of:
setting a first used region of the printing elements arranged on the first print head to be actually used for printing based on the first printing region, and
setting a second used region of the printing elements arranged on the second print head to be actually used for printing based on the first used region and on the second printing region.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/506,868Filed 21 Oct 2021
Priority: JP 2020-18294230 Oct 2020
Published: US 2022/0134777 A15 May 2022
Granted: 11 Jul 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification18 codes

B41J 3/543
With two or more sets of type or printing elements: with multiple inkjet print heads
B41J 11/008
Devices or arrangements of selective printing mechanisms, e.g. ink-jet printers or thermal printers, for supporting or handling copy material in…:…
B41J 2/04505
Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits: aiming at correcting alignment
B41J 2/04563
Control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits, control circuits: detecting head temperature; Ink temperature