US 2016/0257114 A1 · INK JET PRINTING APPARATUS AND INK JET PRINTING METHOD

Abstract

A recording apparatus is capable of executing multiple types of different temperature control. A recording head of the recording apparatus has multiple temperature sensors disposed at different positions from each other in the recording head. Each of the multiple types of different temperature control is performed based on representative temperatures acquired using different combinations of the temperature sensors.

Claims53

Dependent claims

An ink jet printing apparatus, comprising:

a printing head having
a printing element array, in which a plurality of printing elements configured to generate thermal heat to discharge ink are arrayed in a predetermined direction, and
detecting elements configured to detect temperature;
an acquisition unit configured to, at a time of performing first temperature control of the printing head, acquire information relating to temperature at a plurality of detecting elements necessary for first temperature control of the printing head, and at a time of performing second temperature control of the printing head, acquire information relating to temperature at a plurality of detecting elements necessary for second temperature control of the printing head;
and
a control unit configured to perform temperature control of the printing head based on information relating to temperature that has been acquired by the acquisition unit,
wherein the plurality of detecting elements necessary for first temperature control of the printing head and the plurality of detecting elements necessary for second temperature control of the printing head partially overlap.

4 more elements

An ink jet printing apparatus that performs printing by discharging ink, the ink jet printing apparatus comprising:

a printing head including at least
a board,
a printing element array disposed on the board, in which a plurality of printing elements configured to generate thermal heat to discharge ink are arrayed in a predetermined direction, and
a plurality of detecting elements disposed at different positions from each other in the board, and configured to detect temperature at their respective positions;
an acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of information pieces relating to temperatures at the respective positions in the board that have been detected by each of the plurality of detecting elements;
a selecting unit configured to select a predetermined combination of the information pieces from the plurality of information pieces acquired by the acquisition unit;
and
a control unit configured to effect a plurality of types of temperature control relating to ink temperature nearby the printing element array, based on the information pieces selected by the selecting unit,
wherein the selecting unit selects combinations of information pieces that are different from each other, in accordance with the type of temperature control performed by the control unit.

6 more elements

An ink jet printing apparatus that performs printing by discharging ink, the ink jet printing apparatus comprising:

a printing head including at least
a board,
a printing element array disposed on the board, in which a plurality of printing elements configured to generate thermal heat to discharge ink are arrayed in a predetermined direction,
a plurality of detecting elements disposed at different positions from each other in the board, and configured to detect temperature at their respective positions, and
a heating element provided to cover one end side of the printing element array in an intersecting direction intersecting the predetermined direction of the printing element array, to heat ink nearby the plurality of printing elements;
an acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of information pieces relating to temperatures at the respective positions in the board that have been detected by each of the plurality of detecting elements;
a selecting unit configured to select a predetermined combination of the information pieces from the plurality of information pieces acquired by the acquisition unit;
and
a control unit configured to effect at least two types of temperature control, out of a plurality of types of temperature relating to ink temperature including at least
(i) first temperature control where a first representative temperature is acquired based on temperature indicated by the predetermined combination of information pieces selected by the selecting unit, a driving pulse to apply to the plurality of printing elements is decided based on the acquired first representative temperature, and the decided driving pulse is applied to the plurality of printing elements, thereby controlling discharging of ink,
(ii) second temperature control where a second representative temperature is acquired based on temperature indicated by the predetermined combination of information pieces selected by the selecting unit, and heating by the heating element is controlled based on the second representative temperature that has been acquired,
(iii) third temperature control where control is effected so that a third representative temperature is acquired based on temperature indicated by the predetermined combination of information pieces selected by the selecting unit, and discharge of ink from the printing head is stopped in a case where the third representative temperature is equal to or higher than a third threshold value, and
(iv) fourth temperature control where control is effected so that a fourth representative temperature is acquired based on temperature indicated by the predetermined combination of information pieces selected by the selecting unit, and driving pulses of a level that ink is not discharged are applied to the printing elements before starting printing, until the fourth representative temperature that has been acquired reaches a fourth threshold value,
wherein the plurality of detecting elements include at least
a first detecting element disposed near one end in a predetermined direction of the printing element array,
a second detecting element disposed near an other end in the predetermined direction of the printing element array,
a third detecting element disposed between the first detecting element and the second detecting element in the predetermined direction, and near the printing element array on one end side of the printing element array in an intersecting direction that intersects the predetermined direction,
a fourth detecting element disposed between the first detecting element and the second detecting element in the predetermined direction, and near the printing element array on an other end side of the printing element array in the intersecting direction, and
a fifth detecting element distantly positioned from each of the first, second, third, and fourth detecting elements,
and wherein the selecting unit
(i) selects, at the time of performing the first temperature control by the control unit, information relating to temperature detected from each of the first, second, third, and fourth detecting elements, as the predetermined combination of information pieces, without using information relating to temperature detected by the fifth detecting element, the temperature having been acquired by the acquisition unit,
(ii) selects, at the time of performing the second temperature control by the control unit, information relating to temperature detected from each of the first, second, and third detecting elements, as the predetermined combination of information pieces, without using information relating to temperature detected by the fourth and fifth detecting element, the temperature having been acquired by the acquisition unit,
(iii) selects, at the time of performing the third temperature control by the control unit, information relating to temperature detected from each of the plurality of detecting elements, as the predetermined combination of information pieces, the temperature having been acquired by the acquisition unit, and
(iv) selects, at the time of performing the fourth temperature control by the control unit, information relating to temperature detected from each of the first, second, third, and fourth detecting elements, as the predetermined combination of information pieces, without using information relating to temperature detected by the fifth detecting element, the temperature having been acquired by the acquisition unit.

21 more elements

An ink jet printing method of performing printing using

a printing head that includes
a board,
a printing element array disposed on the board, in which a plurality of printing elements configured to generate thermal heat to discharge ink are arrayed in a predetermined direction,
a plurality of detecting elements disposed at different positions from each other in the board, and configured to detect temperature at their respective positions, and
a heating element provided to cover one end side of the printing element array in an intersecting direction intersecting the predetermined direction of the printing element array, to heat ink nearby the plurality of printing elements,
the method comprising:
an acquisition step to acquire a plurality of information pieces relating to temperatures at the respective positions in the board that have been detected by each of the plurality of detecting elements;
a selecting step to select a predetermined combination of the information pieces from the plurality of information pieces acquired in the acquisition step;
and
a control step to effect at least two types of temperature control, out of, out of a plurality of types of temperature relating to ink temperature including at least
(i) first temperature control where a first representative temperature is acquired based on temperature indicated by the predetermined combination of information pieces selected in the selecting step, a driving pulse to apply to the plurality of printing elements is decided based on the acquired first representative temperature, and the decided driving pulse is applied to the plurality of printing elements, thereby controlling discharging of ink,
(ii) second temperature control where a second representative temperature is acquired based on temperature indicated by the predetermined combination of information pieces selected in the selecting step, and heating by the heating element is controlled based on the second representative temperature that has been acquired,
(iii) third temperature control where control is effected so that a third representative temperature is acquired based on temperature indicated by the predetermined combination of information pieces selected in the selecting step, and discharge of ink from the printing head is stopped in a case where the third representative temperature is equal to or higher than a third threshold value, and
(iv) fourth temperature control where control is effected so that a fourth representative temperature is acquired based on temperature indicated by the predetermined combination of information pieces selected in the selecting step, and driving pulses of a level that ink is not discharged are applied to the printing elements before starting printing, until the fourth representative temperature that has been acquired reaches a fourth threshold value,
wherein the plurality of detecting elements include at least
a first detecting element disposed near one end in a predetermined direction of the printing element array,
a second detecting element disposed near an other end in the predetermined direction of the printing element array,
a third detecting element disposed between the first detecting element and the second detecting element in the predetermined direction, and near the printing element array on one end side of the printing element array in an intersecting direction that intersects the predetermined direction,
a fourth detecting element disposed between the first detecting element and the second detecting element in the predetermined direction, and near the printing element array on an other end side of the printing element array in the intersecting direction, and
a fifth detecting element distantly positioned from each of the first, second, third, and fourth detecting elements,
and wherein in the selecting step
(i) at the time of performing the first temperature control in the control step, information relating to temperature detected from each of the first, second, third, and fourth detecting elements, is selected as the predetermined combination of information pieces, without using information relating to temperature detected by the fifth detecting element, the temperature having been acquired in the acquisition step,
(ii) at the time of performing the second temperature control in the control step, information relating to temperature detected from each of the first, second, and third detecting elements, is selected as the predetermined combination of information pieces, without using information relating to temperature detected by the fourth and fifth detecting element, the temperature having been acquired in the acquisition step,
(iii) at the time of performing the third temperature control in the control step, information relating to temperature detected from each of the plurality of detecting elements, is selected as the predetermined combination of information pieces, the temperature having been acquired in the acquisition step, and
(iv) at the time of performing the fourth temperature control in the control step, information relating to temperature detected from each of the first, second, third, and fourth detecting elements, is selected as the predetermined combination of information pieces, without using information relating to temperature detected by the fifth detecting element, the temperature having been acquired in the acquisition step.

22 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Ink jet printing apparatus and ink jet printing method

Life of this patent

Ink jet printing apparatus and ink jet printing method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims53