Ink-jet printing apparatus and cleaning control method of the same

A cleaning control method used when wiping means cleans an ink discharge opening surface of an ink-jet printing head for printing an image by discharging an ink onto a printing medium, comprising:

• the count step of counting the number of ink droplets discharged from said printing head after a last cleaning operation;
• the first determination step of determining, on the basis of a compared result obtained by comparing a first predetermined value with a counted result in the count step, whether the ink discharge opening surface of said printing head is to be cleaned by said wiping means while said printing head is printing one page of the printing medium, wherein cleaning is determined to perform when the counted result is equal to or larger than the first predetermined value, and determined not to perform when the counted result is less than the first predetermined value;
• and
• the second determination step of determining, on the basis of a compared result obtained by comparing a second predetermined value with the counted result in the count step, whether the ink discharge opening surface of said printing head is to be cleaned by said wiping means when the printing medium printed by said printing head is discharged, wherein the cleaning is determined to perform when the counted result is equal to or larger than the second predetermined value, and is determined not to perform when the counted result is less than the second predetermined value, and wherein the first predetermined value is larger than the second predetermined value.

An ink-jet printing apparatus for printing an image by discharging an ink from a printing head onto a printing medium, comprising:

• discharging means for discharging the printing medium to an outside of said apparatus;
• wiping means for cleaning an ink discharge opening surface of said printing head;
• counting means for counting the number of ink droplets discharged from said printing head after a last cleaning operation by said wiping means;
• measuring means for measuring an elapsed time from the last cleaning operation by said wiping means;
• first determining means for determining, on the basis of a counted result from said counting means, whether the ink discharge opening surface of said printing head is to be cleaned by said wiping means while said printing head is printing one page of the printing medium;
• and
• second determining means for determining, on the basis of the elapsed time measured by said measuring means, whether the ink discharge opening surface of said printing head is to be cleaned by said wiping means after said discharging means discharges the printing medium.

A cleaning control method used when wiping means cleans an ink discharge opening surface of an ink-jet printing head for printing an image by discharging an ink onto a printing medium, comprising:

• the count step of counting the number of ink droplets discharged from said printing head after a last cleaning operation;
• the measurement step of measuring an elapsed time from the last cleaning operation;
• the first determination step of determining, on the basis of a counted result in the count step, whether the ink discharge opening surface of said printing head is to be cleaned by said wiping means while said printing head is printing one page of the printing medium;
• and
• the second determination step of determining, on the basis of the elapsed time measured in the measurement step, whether the ink discharge opening surface of said printing head is to be cleaned by said wiping means after the printing medium is discharged.