Ejection apparatus and ejection speed calculation method

An ejection apparatus comprising:

• an ejection head configured to eject a droplet from an ejection port formed on an ejection port surface;
• a platen configured to support a recording medium conveyed in a conveyance direction and located at a position facing the ejection head;
• a droplet detection sensor provided next to the platen in a direction intersecting with the conveyance direction and configured to detect that the ejected droplet has reached a predetermined position;
• a change unit configured to change a distance between the ejection port surface of the ejection head and the droplet detection sensor;
• and
• a determination unit configured to determine an ejection timing of the droplet of when an image is printed on the recording medium by the ejection head based on a result of detecting by the droplet detection sensor when the distance from the ejection port surface of the ejection head to the predetermined position is a first distance and a result of detecting by the droplet detection sensor when the distance from the ejection port surface of the ejection head to the predetermined position is a second distance,
• wherein the ejection head prints, in accordance with the timing determined by the determination unit by detecting the droplet by the droplet detection unit, a pattern for adjusting the ejection timing on the recording medium at a timing that is after the determination performed by the determination unit by detecting the droplet by the droplet detecting unit, and
• wherein the determination unit determines the ejection timing, based on the pattern and a result of the droplet detection by the droplet detection unit.

A droplet ejection speed calculation method comprising:

• detecting that a droplet ejected from an ejection port formed on an ejection port surface of an ejection head which has a plurality of ejection ports has reached a predetermined position;
• changing a distance from the ejection head to the predetermined position to a second distance different from a first distance;
• determining an ejection timing of the droplet of when an image is printed on a recording medium by the ejection head based on by detecting a droplet ejected from each of the plurality of ejection ports when the distance from the ejection port surface of the ejection head to the predetermined position is a first distance and by detecting the droplet ejected from each of the plurality of ejection ports when the distance from the ejection port surface of the ejection head to the predetermined position is a second distance;
• printing, by the ejection head, in accordance with the timing determined by the determination unit by detecting the droplet by the droplet detection unit, a pattern for adjusting the ejection timing on the recording medium at a timing that is after the determination performed by the determination unit by detecting the droplet by the droplet detection unit;
• and
• determining the ejection timing, based on the pattern and a result of the droplet detection by the droplet detection unit.

A droplet ejection speed calculation method comprising:

• printing an image by an ejection head which has a plurality of ejection ports and is located at a position facing a platen configured to support a recording medium conveyed in a conveyance direction;
• detecting that a droplet ejected from each of the plurality of ejection ports formed on an ejection port surface of the ejection head has reached a predetermined position by a droplet detection sensor provided next to the platen in a direction intersecting with the conveyance direction;
• changing a distance from the ejection head to the predetermined position to a second distance different from a first distance,
• determining an ejection timing of the droplet of when an image is printed on the recording medium by the ejection head, by detecting the droplet ejected from each of the plurality of ejection ports by the droplet detection sensor when the distance from the ejection port surface of the ejection head to the predetermined position is a first distance and detecting the droplet ejected from each of the plurality of ejection ports by the droplet detection sensor when the distance from the ejection port surface of the ejection head to the predetermined position is a second distance;
• printing, by the ejection head, in accordance with the timing determined by the determination unit by detecting the droplet by the droplet detection unit, a pattern for adjusting the ejection timing on the recording medium at a timing that is after the determination performed by the determination unit by detecting the droplet by the droplet detection unit;
• and
• determining the ejection timing, based on the pattern and a result of the droplet detection by the droplet detection unit.