Nozzle state inspection apparatus, nozzle state inspection method, and non-transitory recording medium storing computer-readable nozzle state inspection program
AssigneeKonica Minolta, Inc.
InventorHiroaki Okano
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A nozzle state inspection apparatus has an inexpensive configuration and inspects a state of a nozzle by acquiring a reverberation waveform of the nozzle with high accuracy. The nozzle state inspection apparatus includes a hardware processor, in which the hardware processor is capable of forming a drive waveform including first drive output and second drive output and outputting the drive waveform to a plurality of nozzles included in an inkjet head, and the hardware processor acquires, in accordance with the drive waveform, a reverberation waveform generated in a nozzle to be measured among the plurality of nozzles and inspects the nozzle for abnormality.
Claims11
A nozzle state inspection apparatus that inspects states of a plurality of nozzles included in an inkjet head, the nozzle state inspection apparatus comprising a hardware processor, wherein
- the hardware processor is capable of forming a drive waveform including first drive output and second drive output and outputting the drive waveform to the plurality of nozzles included in the inkjet head, and
- the hardware processor acquires, in accordance with the drive waveform, a reverberation waveform generated in a nozzle to be measured among the plurality of nozzles and inspects the nozzle for abnormality,
- wherein the hardware processor detects the reverberation waveform commonly acquired for the plurality of nozzles;
- the nozzle state inspection apparatus further comprises a two-channel switch that is connectable to each of the plurality of nozzles and operates to switch between outputting the drive waveform to the nozzles and acquiring the reverberation waveform from the nozzles under control by the hardware processor;
- wherein the hardware processor controls the operation of the two-channel switch as control of whether or not to apply the drive waveform to the nozzles in accordance with a type of image data included in a pre-registered image.
A nozzle state inspection method for an inkjet head including a plurality of nozzles, the nozzle state inspection method comprising:
- forming, by a hardware processor, a drive waveform including first drive output and second drive output and outputting the drive waveform to the plurality of nozzles included in the inkjet head;
- acquiring, by the hardware processor, in accordance with the drive waveform, a reverberation waveform generated in a nozzle to be measured among the plurality of nozzles and inspecting the nozzle for abnormality,
- detecting, by the hardware processor, the reverberation waveform commonly acquired for the plurality of nozzles;
- operating, by the hardware processor, a two-channel switch that is connectable to each of the plurality of nozzles to switch between outputting the drive waveform to the nozzles and acquire the reverberation waveform from the nozzles under control by the hardware processor;
- and
- controlling, by the hardware processor, the operation of the two-channel switch as control of whether or not to apply the drive waveform to the nozzles in accordance with a type of image data included in a pre-registered image.
A non-transitory recording medium storing a computer-readable nozzle state inspection program for an inkjet head including a plurality of nozzles, the nozzle state inspection program causing a computer to execute:
- form a drive waveform including first drive output and second drive output and output the drive waveform to the plurality of nozzles included in the inkjet head;
- acquire, in accordance with the drive waveform, a reverberation waveform generated in a nozzle to be measured among the plurality of nozzles and inspect the nozzle for abnormality,
- detect the reverberation waveform commonly acquired for the plurality of nozzles;
- operate a two-channel switch that is connectable to each of the plurality of nozzles to switch between outputting the drive waveform to the nozzles and acquire the reverberation waveform from the nozzles under control by the computer;
- and
- control the operation of the two-channel switch as control of whether or not to apply the drive waveform to the nozzles in accordance with a type of image data included in a pre-registered image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.