Method and apparatus for recording color with plural printheads
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorRoger L. Willis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In an electrophotographic printer first and second printheads are provided for recording, in accordance with electronic data the same image frame. To reduce the cost for mechanical supports needed to accurately register pixels recorded by the respective printheads, a test is run to determine the misregistration between the printheads and the data to be printed. In response to these tests, the timing and/or cross-track position of the printing of the pixels on the recording member is adjusted to register the pixels printed by one printhead with those printed by the other.
Claims19
A non-impact printer apparatus comprising:
- a recording member for supporting an electrostatic charge;
- a first printhead for producing a modulated charge pattern on the recording member in accordance with first image data signals provided thereto for creating in an area of the recording member a first electrostatic charge pattern representing an image to be reproduced with a first type of toner;
- a first development means for developing the first electrostatic charge pattern on the recording member with toner of the first type;
- a second printhead for producing a modulated charge pattern on the recording member in accordance with second image data signals provided thereto for creating in the said area of the recording member a second electrostatic charge pattern representing an image to be reproduced with a second type of toner;
- a second development means for developing the second electrostatic charge pattern on the recording member with a toner of a second type;
- means for simultaneously transferring the respective images to one surface of a copy sheet;
- image data processing means for providing said image data signals to said first and second printheads;
- said image data processing means including means for adjusting the image data signals representing information to be reproduced on the copy sheet and sent to one of the printheads to compensate for misregistration of the printheads.
A method for recording, said method comprising:
- moving an electrophotographic recording member along a path;
- electrostatically charging an area of the member;
- illuminating a plurality of light-emitting diodes on a first printhead to electrostatically record in an area of the member a series of pixels representing an image to be recorded on the member representing image data signals to be recorded from a first printhead in a direction perpendicular to the path of movement of the member;
- developing the image recorded on the member with a toner of a first color;
- electrostatically charging the developed area of the member;
- illuminating a plurality of light-emitting diodes from a second printhead to electrostatically record in the area of the member a second series of pixels representing a series of image data signals to be recorded on the member in a direction perpendicular to the path of movement of the member;
- developing the image recorded in the second series of pixels with a toner of a second color;
- simultaneously transferring the respective images to one surface of a copy sheet to form a composite recorded image;
- generating a series of adjusted image data signals for recording a line of pixels by one of said printheads that are shifted in response to adjustment signals so that in response to the shifting of the image data signals the line of recorded pixels of one printhead is shifted relative to the line of recorded pixels of the other printhead to provide a more registered composite image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.