Print system capable of inhibiting deformation of printing paper due to drying of ink and print method thereof

A print system comprising a printer and a terminal apparatus,

• the printer comprising:
• a print head that ejects ink;
• an upstream transfer device that is provided in a feed path extending from a feed position to a counter area facing the print head, and transfers a recording medium along the feed path;
• a downstream transfer device that is provided in a discharge path extending from the counter area to a discharge position, and transfers the recording medium along the discharge path;
• and
• a print instruction device that provides instructions for the upstream or downstream transfer device to transfer the recording medium and for the print head to eject ink in turn based on print data representing a predetermined image shown in an ejection pattern of ink to print the image upon the recording medium,
• the terminal apparatus comprising:
• an ink amount measurement device that measures the amount of ink ejected from the print head and stores the amount as a measurement value;
• and
• an ink amount determination device that determines whether the measurement value stored in the ink amount measurement device exceeds a preset value when the recording medium is transferred by the upstream transfer device and a front end of the recording medium is moved to a first position, wherein
• said printer and said terminal apparatus are communicable to each other for data exchange,
• the downstream transfer device is comprised of a drive roller and a driven roller so that the recording medium can be passed through between the drive roller and the driven roller, and
• the print instruction device discontinues the instructions based on the print data if it is determined by the ink amount determination device that the measurement value exceeds the preset value, and instructs the upstream transfer device to transfer the recording medium from the first position to the downstream transfer device, and when the front end of the recording medium is transferred to the downstream transfer device to be held between the drive roller and the driven roller, further instructs the upstream transfer device to transfer the recording medium to a second position located at least downstream of the first position, the second position being the position where the printing should be performed next to the printing at the first position, so that the instructions based on the print data are continued when the front end of the recording medium has reached to the second position.

A terminal apparatus comprising:

• an ink amount measurement device that measures an amount of ink ejected from a print head and stores the amount as a measurement value;
• an ink amount determination device that determines whether the measurement value stored in the ink amount measurement device exceeds a preset value when a recording medium is transferred by an upstream transfer device and a front end of the recording medium is moved to a first position;
• and
• a mode switching device that switches the operation mode of a print system between a suspension mode and a regular mode, in the suspension mode instructions based on the print data from a print instruction device being interrupted according to determination result of said ink amount determination device, and in the regular mode the instructions not being interrupted regardless of the determination result of the ink amount determination device.

A printer comprising:

• a print head that ejects ink;
• an upstream transfer device that is provided in a feed path extending from a feed position to a counter area facing the print head, and transfers a recording medium along the feed path;
• a downstream transfer device that is provided in a discharge path extending from the counter area to a discharge position, and transfers the recording medium along the discharge path;
• and
• a print instruction device that provides instructions for the upstream or downstream transfer device to transfer the recording medium and for the print head to eject ink in turn based on print data representing a predetermined image shown in an ejection pattern of ink to print the image upon the recording medium, wherein
• the downstream transfer device is comprised of a drive roller and a driven roller so that the recording medium can be passed through between the drive roller and the driven roller, and
• the print instruction device discontinues the instructions based on the print data if it is determined by an ink amount determination device that a measurement value exceeds the preset value, and instructs the upstream transfer device to transfer the recording medium from a first position to the downstream transfer device, and when a front end of the recording medium is transferred to the downstream transfer device to be held between the drive roller and the driven roller, further instructs the upstream transfer device to transfer the recording medium to a second position located at least downstream of the first position, the second position being the position where the printing should be performed next to the printing at the first position, so that the instructions based on the print data are continued when the front end of the recording medium has reached to the second position.

A print method for a print system comprising a print head that ejects ink, an upstream transfer device that is provided in a feed path extending from a feed position to a counter area facing the print head, and transfers a recording medium along the feed path, and a downstream transfer device that is provided in a discharge path extending from the counter area to a discharge position, and transfers the recording medium along the discharge path, the downstream transfer device being comprised of a drive roller and a driven roller, so that the recording medium is passed through between the drive roller and the driven roller,

• a predetermined image being printed onto the recording medium when transfer of the recording medium to the upstream or downstream transfer device and ink ejection from the print head are instructed in turn based on print data representing the image shown in an ejection pattern of ink, the method comprising steps of:
• measuring the amount of ink ejected from the print head and storing the amount as a measurement value;
• determining whether the measurement value stored in the ink amount measurement device exceeds a preset value when the recording medium is transferred by the upstream transfer device and a front end of the recording medium is moved to a first position;
• and
• discontinuing the instructions based on the print data if it is determined that the measurement value exceeds the preset value, and instructing the upstream transfer device to transfer the recording medium from the first position to the downstream transfer device, and when the recording medium is transferred to the downstream transfer device to be held between the drive roller and the driven roller, further instructing the upstream transfer device to transfer the recording medium to a second position located at least downstream of the first position, the second position being the position where the printing should be performed next to the printing at the first position, so that the instructions based on the print data are continued when the front end of the recording medium has reached to the second position.

A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions, the instructions comprising:

• instructions for a print instruction device to provide instructions for an upstream or downstream transfer device to transfer a recording medium and for a print head to eject ink in turn based on print data representing a predetermined image shown in an ejection pattern of ink to print the image upon the recording medium;
• instructions for an ink amount measurement device to measure the amount of ink ejected from the print head and stores the amount as a measurement value;
• and
• instructions for an ink amount determination device to determine whether the measurement value stored in the ink amount measurement device exceeds a preset value when the recording medium is transferred by the upstream transfer device and a front end of the recording medium is moved to a first position, wherein
• the downstream transfer device is comprised of a drive roller and a driven roller so that the recording medium can be passed through between the drive roller and the driven roller, and
• the print instruction device discontinues the instructions based on the print data if it is determined by the ink amount determination device that the measurement value exceeds the preset value, and instructs the upstream transfer device to transfer the recording medium from the first position to the downstream transfer device, and when the front end of the recording medium is transferred to the downstream transfer device to be held between the drive roller and the driven roller, further instructs the upstream transfer device to transfer the recording medium to a second position located at least downstream of the first position, the second position being the position where the printing should be performed next to the printing at the first position, so that the instructions based on the print data are continued when the front end of the recording medium has reached to the second position.