Flushing controller incorporated in ink-jet recording apparatus, and flushing control method for the same
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorMunehide Kanaya
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flushing determination section 55 determines whether a flushing operation is to be performed, on the basis of a paper size recognized by a paper width recognizer and a traveling direction detected by a carriage traveling direction detector. In this case, a threshold value produced by threshold value determination section is set so as to assume different values according to the traveling direction of the carriage. The probability of recording heads being subjected to flushing in the vicinity of the home position is made greater while required flushing intervals are maintained. Consequently, print throughput on recording paper of comparatively large size is improved, and the traveling range of the carriage can be reduced.
Claims42
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
- an ink jet recording head mounted on a carriage reciprocatively moving in a width direction of a loaded recording medium having a printing region on which image is recorded;
- at least one flushing region situated at least one of opposite side ends of the printing region, in which a flushing operation of the recording head is performed;
- means for setting a reference value which is determined in accordance with a first time period required for the carriage to travel a width dimension of the loaded recording medium;
- means for setting a threshold value, which is used for determining whether the flushing operation is performed, in accordance with the reference value;
- a timer which is reset when the flushing operation is performed;
- and
- means for determining whether the flushing operation is performed by comparing the threshold value and a time period counted by the timer.
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
- an ink jet recording head, mounted on a carriage reciprocatively moving in a width direction of a loaded recording medium having a printing region on which an image is recorded;
- at least one flushing region, disposed at least one of opposite side ends of the printing region, in which a flushing operation of the recording head is performed;
- a reference provider, which provides a reference value which is determined in accordance with a first time period required for the carriage to travel a width dimension of the loaded recording medium;
- a threshold provider, which provides a threshold value, which is used for determining whether the flushing operation is performed, in accordance with the reference value;
- a timer, which is reset when the flushing operation is performed;
- and
- a flushing controller, which determines whether the flushing operation is performed based on the threshold value and a time period counted by the timer.
A flushing control method used for an ink jet recording apparatus having an ink jet recording head, mounted on a carriage reciprocatively moving in a width direction of a loaded recording medium having a printing region on which an image is recorded;
- and at least one flushing region, disposed at least one of opposite side ends of the printing region, in which a flushing operation of the recording head is performed, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a reference value which is determined in accordance with a first time period required for the carriage to travel a width dimension of the loaded recording medium;
- providing a threshold value, which is used for determining whether the flushing operation is performed, in accordance with the reference value;
- counting a time period since a previous flushing operation was performed;
- and
- determining whether a present flushing operation is performed based on the threshold value and the time period.
A flushing controller incorporated in an ink jet recording apparatus having an ink jet recording head, mounted on a carriage reciprocatively moving in a width direction of a loaded recording medium having a printing region on which an image is recorded;
- and at least one flushing region, disposed at least one of opposite side ends of the printing region, in which a flushing operation of the recording head is performed, the flushing controller comprising:
- a reference provider, which provides a reference value which is determined in accordance with a first time period required for the carriage to travel a width dimension of the loaded recording medium;
- a threshold provider, which provides a threshold value, which is used for determining whether the flushing operation is performed, in accordance with the reference value;
- and
- a timer, which is reset when the flushing operation is performed,
- wherein the flushing controller determines whether the flushing operation is performed based on the threshold value and a time period counted by the timer.
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
- an ink jet recording head mounted on a carriage reciprocatively moving in a width direction of a loaded recording medium having a printing region on which an image is recorded;
- at least one flushing region disposed at least one of opposite side ends of the printing region, in which a flushing operation of the recording head is performed;
- a paper width detector, which detects a width dimension of the recording medium;
- a threshold provider, which provides a plurality of threshold values determined in accordance with the width dimension of the recording medium;
- a timer which is reset when the flushing operation is performed;
- and
- a flushing controller, which determines whether the flushing operation is performed based on one of the threshold values according to the width dimension of the recording medium and a time period counted by the timer.
A flushing control method used for an ink jet recording apparatus having an ink jet recording head mounted on a carriage reciprocatively moving in a width direction of a loaded recording medium having a printing region on which an image is recorded;
- and at least one flushing region disposed at least one of opposite side ends of the printing region, in which a flushing operation of the recording head is performed, the method comprising the steps of:
- detecting a width dimension of the recording medium;
- providing a plurality of threshold values determined in accordance with the width dimension of the recording medium;
- counting a time period since a previous flushing operation was performed;
- and
- determining whether a present flushing operation is performed based on one of the threshold values according to the width dimension of the recording medium and the time period.
A flushing controller incorporated in an ink jet recording apparatus having an ink jet recording head mounted on a carriage reciprocatively moving in a width direction of a loaded recording medium having a printing region on which an image is recorded;
- and at least one flushing region disposed at least one of opposite side ends of the printing region, in which a flushing operation of the recording head is performed, the flushing controller comprising:
- a paper width detector, which detects a width dimension of the recording medium;
- a threshold provider, which provides a plurality of threshold values determined in accordance with the width dimension of the recording medium;
- and
- a timer which is reset when the flushing operation is performed,
- wherein the flushing controller determines whether the flushing operation is performed based on one of the threshold values according to the width dimension of the recording medium and a time period counted by the timer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.