Ink jet recorder, recording method and purging method
AssigneeBrother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsKoji Imai, Hirotake Nakamura
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An ink jet recorder includes a recording head having an ejection nozzle, and a purging apparatus for recovering the ejecting condition of the nozzle. The recorder further includes a timer for clocking the time having passed after the last purging by the purging apparatus, and a controller for controlling the head and the purging apparatus. If a command for operating the head is input in the recorder, and on condition the time clocked by the timer exceeds a predetermined time period, the controller starts the head ejecting ink. The air bubbles produced in the head by purging can vanish naturally during the predetermined period. It is therefore possible to improve the ejecting characteristic and secure high recording quality.
Claims24
An ink jet recorder comprising:
- a recording head having an ejection nozzle for ejecting ink onto a recording medium;
- a purging apparatus for purging the nozzle to improve the ejection of ink from the nozzle;
- a judging device for judging whether a first predetermined time period has passed or not after the last purging by the purging apparatus, if a command for operating the head for recording is input in the recorder;
- and
- an authorizing device for authorizing the operation of the head for recording if the judging device judges that the first period has passed.
An ink jet recorder comprising:
- a recording head having a plurality of ejection nozzles for ejecting ink onto a recording medium;
- a purging apparatus which can purge the nozzles one after one to improve the ejection of ink from the nozzles;
- a determining device for determining a time having passed after the last purging;
- a purge controller for controlling the purging depending on the length of the time determined by the determining device, if there is a command for operating the head;
- and
- an authorizing device for authorizing the operation of the head, after or without purging, in accordance with the determination by the determining device;
- whereby, when two or more of the nozzles are purged, the controller makes the two or more individual nozzles purged once sequentially and at least once again sequentially.
An ink jet recorder comprising:
- a recording head having a plurality of ejection nozzles for ejecting ink onto a recording medium;
- a purging apparatus which can purge the nozzles one after one to improve the ejection of ink from the nozzles;
- and
- a purge controller for controlling the purging by the purging apparatus in such a manner that, when two or more of the nozzles are purged, the two or more individual nozzles are purged once sequentially and at least once again sequentially.
An ink jet recorder comprising:
- a recording head having an ejection nozzle for ejecting ink onto a recording medium;
- a purging apparatus for purging the nozzle;
- and
- a controller for controlling the purging apparatus in such a manner that the apparatus repeats first purging for the nozzle a first predetermined number of times, then halts until the predetermined time has passed which a air bubbles in the ink in the head take to vanish, and thereafter performs second purging for the nozzle a second predetermined number of times.
An ink jet recorder comprising:
- a recording head having an ejection nozzle for ejecting ink onto a recording medium to record on the medium;
- an ink cartridge for supplying the head with ink;
- a suction cap for contact with the nozzle surface of the nozzle;
- a suction pump for sucking ink out of the cartridge from the ejection side of the nozzle through the cap;
- and
- a purge controller for controlling the purging of the nozzle by the cap and the pump;
- whereby, after the cartridge is replaced with a new ink cartridge, the controller makes the nozzle purged a number of times which is necessary for introducing ink from the new cartridge up to the front end of the nozzle, then halts the purging until a time passes which the air bubbles in the introduced ink take to vanish, and thereafter makes the nozzle purged a predetermined number of times.
An ink jet recorder, comprising:
- a recording head having at least one ejection nozzle for ejecting ink onto a recording medium;
- a purging apparatus for recovering the ejection of ink from the nozzle;
- a timer for clocking the time having passed after the last purging by the purging apparatus or a waiting period;
- and
- a controller for controlling the head and the purging apparatus;
- the controller starting the head ejecting ink if the time clocked by the timer exceeds the waiting period.
A recording method of an ink jet recorder including a recording head, which has an ejection nozzle, and a purging apparatus for purging the nozzle, the method comprising the steps of:
- clocking the time which has passed after the last purging by the purging apparatus;
- judging whether the clocked time exceeds a predetermined time period or not, before the recording by the head;
- starting the recording by the head if it is judged that the clocked time exceeds the period;
- and
- waiting for the recording until the clocked time exceed the period if it is judged that the clocked time does not exceed the period.
A purging method of an ink jet recorder including a recording head, which has a plurality of nozzles for ejecting different color inks, and a purging apparatus for purging the nozzles one by one, the method comprising the steps of:
- purging the individual nozzles once sequentially;
- and
- purging the purged individual nozzles at least once again sequentially.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.