Printing with multiple print heads
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorToyohiko Mitsuzawa
Life of this patent
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Abstract
[Problem] Controlling ejection of ink drops with a less number of temperature sensors than the number of print heads. [Solution] The present invention is an printing apparatus for printing by ejecting ink drops onto a print medium. The printing apparatus comprises N print heads, M temperature sensors, and an ejection controller. M temperature sensors are allocated in the printing apparatus. An ejection controller is configured to control the ejection of the ink drops from at least part of the N print heads in response to an output of the M temperature sensors. The integer M is smaller than the integer N.
Claims27
1-26. (canceled)
A printing apparatus for printing by ejecting ink drops onto a print medium, the printing apparatus comprising:
- N print heads, each comprising
- at least one nozzle array comprising a plurality of nozzles, wherein each nozzle array ejects a single color of ink;
- wherein N is an integer of at least three;
- M temperature sensors, M being an integer of at least two;
- and
- an ejection controller which controls the ejection of the ink drops from at least one of the N print heads in response to an output of the M temperature sensors;
- wherein the integer M is smaller than the integer N.
A method of printing by ejecting ink drops onto a print medium, the method comprising:
- (a) providing
- N print heads, each comprising at least one nozzle array comprising a plurality of nozzles, wherein each nozzle array ejects a single color of ink;
- wherein N is an integer of at least three, and
- M temperature sensors, M being an integer of at least two;
- and
- (b) controlling an ejection of ink drops from at least one of the N print heads in response to an output of the M temperature sensors;
- wherein
- the integer M is smaller than the integer N.
A printing apparatus for printing by ejecting ink drops onto a print medium, the printing apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of print heads each comprising a nozzle array comprising a plurality of nozzles which all eject the same color of ink;
- a plurality of temperature sensors;
- and
- an ejection controller which controls the ejection of ink drops from at least one of the plurality of print heads in response to an output of the plurality of temperature sensors, thereby compensating for a variation in ejection of the ink drops due to a temperature variation of the plurality of print heads;
- wherein the plurality of print heads are located at a plurality of positions of different elevations;
- and
- one of the N print heads, having a higher ink ejection speed than at least one other of the N print heads for ejecting an ink drop of the same weight and temperature, is located at a greater elevation than the elevation of the at least one other of the N print heads.
A method of printing by ejecting ink drops onto a print medium, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a plurality of print heads each comprising a nozzle array comprising a plurality of nozzles, which all eject the same color of ink, and a plurality of temperature sensors;
- and
- (b) controlling the ejection of ink drops from at least one of the plurality of print heads in response to an output of the plurality of temperature sensors, thereby compensating for a variation in ejection of the ink drops due to a temperature variation of the plurality of print heads;
- wherein (a) further comprises locating the plurality of print heads at a plurality of positions of different elevations in an operation of the printing apparatus, and
- positioning one of the N print heads, having a higher ink ejection speed than at least one other of the N print heads for ejecting an ink drop of the same weight and temperature, at a greater elevation than the elevation of the at least one other of the N print heads.
A printing apparatus for printing by ejecting ink drops onto a print medium, the printing apparatus comprising—
- N print heads, each comprising a nozzle array comprising a plurality of nozzles which all eject the same color of ink, wherein N is an integer of at least three;
- and
- M temperature sensors, wherein M is an integer of at least two and the integer M is smaller than the integer N;
- and
- the printing apparatus is configured to stop the ejection of ink drops from the N print heads, when an output of at least one of the M temperature sensors indicates that a preset temperature has been exceeded.
A method of printing by ejecting ink drops onto a print medium, the method comprising:
- (a) providing
- N print heads each comprising a nozzle array comprising a plurality of nozzles, which each eject the same color of ink, wherein N is an integer of at least three, and
- M temperature sensors, wherein M is an integer of at least two;
- and
- (b) stopping the printing in response to an output of the M temperature sensors when an output of at least one of the M temperature sensors indicates that a preset temperature has been exceeded;
- wherein
- the integer M is smaller than the integer N.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.