Liquid ejection control method and liquid ejection apparatus
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorHironori Endo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
It is an object of the invention to achieve a liquid ejection control method and the like that allows the amount of consumed liquid to be reduced. The liquid ejection control method controls the ejection of liquid, from nozzles for ejecting liquid, onto a medium that is fed in a predetermined feed direction, and has a step of detecting a portion of the medium that is positioned on an upstream side in said feed direction, and a step of not ejecting liquid from nozzles of a plurality of nozzles that are located on the upstream side in the feed direction based on the results of the detection.
Claims16
A liquid ejection control method for controlling ejection of liquid from nozzles arranged in a predetermined feed direction, the nozzles for ejecting liquid onto a medium that is fed in said feed direction, comprising the following steps:
- a step of detecting a portion of said medium that is positioned on an upstream side in said feed direction;
- and
- a step of making a nozzle located most upstream in said feed direction, and nozzles within a predetermined distance in said feed direction from the most upstream nozzle, not eject liquid based on a result of the detection;
- a step of moving a carriage in a main-scanning direction, wherein the most upstream nozzle and nozzles within said predetermined distance in said feed direction from a most upstream nozzle are kept from ejecting liquid and other nozzles eject liquid;
- a step of feeding said medium in said feed direction;
- a step of increasing said predetermined distance;
- and
- a step of moving said carriage in said main-scanning direction, wherein the most upstream nozzle and nozzles within the increased predetermined distance in said feed direction from said most upstream nozzle are kept from ejecting liquid and other nozzles eject liquid.
A liquid ejection control method for controlling ejection of liquid from nozzles arranged in a predetermined feed direction, the nozzles for ejecting liquid onto a medium that is fed in said feed direction, comprising the following steps:
- a step of detecting a portion of said medium that is positioned on an upstream side in said feed direction;
- and
- a step of making a nozzle located most upstream in said feed direction, and nozzles within a predetermined distance in the feed direction from the most upstream nozzle, not eject liquid based on a result of said detection;
- wherein said predetermined distance is increased in correspondence with an increase of an aggregate paper feed amount of said medium after said portion of said medium that is positioned on the upstream side in said feed direction has been detected;
- wherein the paper feed amount of said medium is increased after said portion of said medium that is positioned on the upstream side in said feed direction has been detected;
- and
- wherein said predetermined distance is an amount obtained by subtracting a predetermined amount from said aggregate paper feed amount.
A liquid ejection control method for controlling ejection of liquid from nozzles arranged in a predetermined feed direction, the nozzles for ejecting liquid onto a medium that is fed in said feed direction, comprising the following steps:
- a step of detecting a portion of said medium that is positioned on an upstream side in said feed direction;
- and
- a step of making a nozzle located most upstream in said feed direction, and nozzles within a predetermined distance in the feed direction from the most upstream nozzle, not eject liquid based on a result of said detection;
- wherein said predetermined distance is increased in correspondence with an increase of an aggregate paper feed amount of said medium, after said portion of said medium that is positioned on the upstream side in said feed direction has been detected, to increase a number of said nozzles that are made not to eject said liquid;
- wherein said portion of said medium that is positioned on the upstream side in said feed direction is detected by determining whether or not said portion of said medium on the upstream side in said feed direction has passed a predetermined position in said feed direction;
- wherein, if the number of said nozzles that are made not to eject said liquid exceeds a number of predetermined nozzles among said plurality of nozzles, then the operation for ejecting liquid onto said medium is ended;
- wherein when it is determined that said portion of said medium on the upstream side in said feed direction has passed a predetermined position in said feed direction, liquid is not ejected from nozzles other than said predetermined nozzles among said plurality of nozzles;
- wherein said predetermined nozzles are in opposition to a recessed section of a medium support section that is provided with said recessed section and that is for supporting said medium;
- and
- wherein said predetermined distance is an amount that is obtained by subtracting a predetermined amount from said aggregate paper feed amount.
A liquid ejection apparatus for ejecting liquid onto a medium, comprising:
- a plurality of nozzles, arranged in a predetermined feed direction, for ejecting the liquid;
- a movable ejection head provided with said plurality of nozzles;
- and
- a feed mechanism for feeding the medium in said feed direction;
- a controller which,
- makes a nozzle located most upstream in said feed direction, and nozzles within a predetermined distance in said feed direction from a most upstream nozzle, not eject liquid based on a result of a detection of a portion of said medium that is positioned in an upstream side in said feed direction,
- moves a carriage, comprising the ejection head, in a main-scanning direction, wherein the most upstream nozzle and nozzles within said predetermined distance in said feed direction from the most upstream nozzle are kept from ejecting liquid and other nozzles eject liquid,
- feeds said medium in said feed direction,
- increases said predetermined distance, and
- moves said carriage in said main scanning direction, wherein the most upstream nozzle and nozzles within the increased distance in said feed direction from said most upstream nozzle are kept from ejecting liquid and other nozzles eject liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.