Image formation apparatus that can form an image efficiently
AssigneeMinolta Co., Ltd.
InventorsHideo Hotomi, Shoichi Minato
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image formation apparatus is provided that carries out printing efficiently to improve the printout speed. In the ink jet printer, a straight line formed of dots ejected from a large diameter nozzle and a straight line formed of dots ejected from a small diameter nozzle can have a similar configuration. By the continuous output of two dots from the small diameter nozzle, a combination of these dots are substantially equal to dots ejected from the large diameter nozzle.
Claims28
An image formation apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, comprising:
- a large printer head portion having at least one large diameter nozzle for ejecting ink droplets onto the recording medium to form a dot of a predetermined size and a predetermined color on the recording medium;
- a small printer head portion having at least one small diameter nozzle for ejecting ink droplets onto the recording medium to form a dot, each of said at least one small diameter nozzle having a diameter which is smaller than a diameter of any of said at least one large diameter nozzle;
- and
- a controller for controlling said small printer head portion, in a first print mode, to eject an ink drop to print an ink dot having a size which is smaller than said dot of said predetermined size, said controller controlling said small printer head portion, in a second print mode, to eject a plurality of ink droplets to form an ink dot of a size substantially equal to said predetermined size and a color substantially equal to said predetermined color,
- wherein said controller is configured to control said small printer head portion in said second print mode when the image to be printed is a binary image.
A printing control method for an image formation apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
- optionally ejecting ink droplets from a large diameter nozzle of a large diameter printer head portion onto a recording medium to form dots of a predetermined size and a predetermined color on the recording medium;
- ejecting ink droplets from at least one small diameter nozzle of a small printer head portion onto the recording medium to form dots on the recording medium;
- controlling said small printer head portion, in a first print mode, to eject an ink drop to print an ink dot having a size which is smaller than said dot of said predetermined size;
- and
- controlling said small printer head portion, in a second print mode, to eject a plurality of ink droplets to form an ink dot of a size substantially equal to said predetermined size and a color substantially equal to said predetermined color,
- wherein the step of controlling said small printer head portion in the second print mode is performed when an image to be printed is a binary image.
A control device for an image formation apparatus including a large printer head portion having a large diameter nozzle for ejecting ink droplets to form large size dots of a predetermined color on a recording medium, and a small printer head portion having at least one small diameter nozzle for ejecting ink droplets to form dots on the recording medium, said control device comprising:
- a controller for controlling said small printer head portion, in a first print mode, to eject an ink drop to print an ink dot having a size which is smaller than said large size dots, said controller controlling said small printer head portion, in a second print mode, to eject a plurality of ink droplets to form an ink dot of a size substantially equal to said large size dots and a color substantially equal to said predetermined color,
- wherein said controller is configured to control said small printer head portion in said second print mode when the image to be printed is a binary image.
An image formation apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, comprising:
- a large printer head portion having a large diameter nozzle for ejecting ink droplets onto the recording medium to form a dot of a predetermined size;
- a small printer head portion having a small diameter nozzle for ejecting ink droplets onto the recording medium to form a dot, said small diameter nozzle having a diameter which is smaller than a diameter of said large diameter nozzle;
- and
- a controller for controlling said small printer head portion, in a first print mode, to eject an ink drop from said small diameter nozzle to form a dot on said recording medium having a size which is smaller than said predetermined size, said controller controlling said small printer head portion, in a second print mode, to eject a plurality of ink droplets from said small diameter nozzle to form an ink dot on said recording medium having a size substantially equal to said predetermined size,
- wherein said controller is configured to control said small printer head portion in said second print mode when the image to be printed is a binary image.
A printing control method for an image formation apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:
- optionally ejecting ink droplets from a large diameter nozzle of a large printer head portion onto a recording medium to form dots of a predetermined size;
- ejecting ink droplets from a small diameter nozzle of a small printer head portion onto the recording medium to form dots;
- controlling said small printer head portion, in a first print mode, to eject an ink drop from said small diameter nozzle to print an ink drop having a size which is smaller than said predetermined size;
- and
- controlling said small printer head portion, in a second print mode, to eject a plurality of ink drops from said small diameter nozzle to form an ink dot of a size which is substantially equal to said predetermined size,
- wherein the step of controlling said small printer head portion in the second print mode is performed when an image to be printed is a binary image.
An image formation apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium, comprising:
- a large printer head portion having a large diameter nozzle for ejecting ink droplets onto the recording medium to form a dot of a predetermined size;
- a small printer head portion having a small diameter nozzle for ejecting ink droplets onto the recording medium to form a dot, said small diameter nozzle having a diameter which is smaller than a diameter of said large diameter nozzle;
- and
- a controller for controlling said small printer head portion, in a first print mode, to eject an ink drop from said small diameter nozzle to form a dot on said recording medium having a size which is smaller than said predetermined size, said controller controlling said small printer head portion, in a second print mode, to eject a plurality of ink droplets from said small diameter nozzle to form an ink dot on said recording medium having a size substantially equal to said predetermined size.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.