EP0315206B1 - Punktdrucker - Google Patents

Punktdrucker Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0315206B1
EP0315206B1 EP19880118446 EP88118446A EP0315206B1 EP 0315206 B1 EP0315206 B1 EP 0315206B1 EP 19880118446 EP19880118446 EP 19880118446 EP 88118446 A EP88118446 A EP 88118446A EP 0315206 B1 EP0315206 B1 EP 0315206B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
mode
ink
setting
voltage
under
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Revoked
Application number
EP19880118446
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0315206A2 (de
EP0315206A3 (en
Inventor
Hiroshi Kubota
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sharp Corp
Original Assignee
Sharp Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Family has litigation
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Application filed by Sharp Corp filed Critical Sharp Corp
Publication of EP0315206A2 publication Critical patent/EP0315206A2/de
Publication of EP0315206A3 publication Critical patent/EP0315206A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0315206B1 publication Critical patent/EP0315206B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Revoked legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
    • B41J2/01—Ink jet
    • B41J2/21—Ink jet for multi-colour printing
    • B41J2/2121—Ink jet for multi-colour printing characterised by dot size, e.g. combinations of printed dots of different diameter
    • B41J2/2128—Ink jet for multi-colour printing characterised by dot size, e.g. combinations of printed dots of different diameter by means of energy modulation

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an ink-jet printer in which printing is selectively effected in different modes, e. g. a normal mode and a mode of high speed printing, a so-called draft mode. However, more than two modes may be provided.
  • An ink-jet printer generally comprises the following features:
  • the amount of ink being ejected per area onto a printing material is smaller in the draft mode than in the normal mode. Accordingly, the density of the patterns printed in the draft mode is reduced against the density achieved in the normal mode.
  • the ink-jet printer of the present invention comprises the above listed features and is characterized in that said drive means is arranged to control said ink ejecting means in dependence of the selected mode in a way that the amount of ejected ink used for depicting a dot is lower in a first mode than in a second mode, whereby more dots are printed in an image in the first mode than in the second mode.
  • the amount of ink per droplet may be changed by the amplitude and/or the width of the driving pulse for driving the ink ejecting means, as per se known from the prior art gray-scale ink-jet printers.
  • Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of an ink-jet printer 1 according to the present invention which comprises a mode selection switch 8, a main control 2, a drive power source 3, a drive control 4, a drive circuit 5, and a piezoelectric device 6.
  • the mode selection switch 8 is connected to the main control 2 for controlling the printer in a normal mode (or a fine mode) or a draft mode, according to the position of the mode selection switch 8.
  • the main control 2 controls various elements, such as the pulse motor, printing data inputted to and outputted from a memory 7, the drive pulse signal of the drive control 4, and the drive power source 3.
  • Drive circuit 5 receives the power from power source 3, the drive pulse signal from drive control 4, and the printing data from the memory 7.
  • the piezoelectric device 6 is driven by the output signal from the drive circuit 5 so as to apply pressure to ink. As a result, the ink is ejected from a nozzle (not shown) to effect the printing.
  • the drive control 4 comprises a number setting circuit 11 and a counter 12 which are provided for changing the pulse width of the drive pulse signal according to the control signal supplied from the main control 2.
  • the signal applied from the main control 2 to the number setting circuit 11 under the fine, or normal, mode differs from that applied under the draft mode as described below.
  • the number setting circuit 11 outputs, for example, parallel signals P0, P1, P2 and P3 of of a four bit signal representing a number N to the counter 12 in response to these control signals.
  • the parallel signals P0, P1, P2 and P3 representing the value N are applied to the counter 12 as the initial counting value from which the count-up operation starts.
  • the counter 12 counts up starting from the a value N until the maximum amount which the counter 12 can count, such as 15.
  • a signal RCO generated from the counter 12 becomes low in response to the step down of the trigger signal Tr and becomes high when the counter 12 has counted up to the maximum, i.e., to 15.
  • the signal RCO is applied to drive circuit 5 and also to a terminal EP of the counter 12 through an inverter 13.
  • the signal RCO becomes high and held high thereafter, and the signal applied to the terminal EP becomes low and held low thereafter.
  • drive circuit 5 drives the piezoelectric device 6 so as to apply pressure to the ink to effect the ink ejection from the nozzle during the signal RCO is maintained low.
  • the initial value N produced from number setting circuit 11 under the fine mode is greater than that produced under the draft mode.
  • the initial value N as defined by signals P0, P1, P2 and P3 is assumed to be 10
  • the draft mode the same is assumed to be 4.
  • Fig. 3 the operation under the fine mode is shown by two-dot chain lines, and the operation under the draft mode is shown by solid lines.
  • the parallel signals P0, P1, P2 and P3 are applied to the counter 12.
  • the counter 12 starts count up from value 10 under the fine mode, and from 4 under the draft mode. Since the count up continues until the counter has counted up to 15, the counter 12 continues to counts during a period T1 under the fine mode, and during a period T2 under the draft mode (Fig. 3, waveform (5)).
  • the signal RCO is maintained low.
  • the signal RCO is maintained low for period T1
  • the signal RCO is maintained low for period T2, which is longer than T1.
  • the piezoelectric device 6 is operated so that during which ink is ejected from the nozzle.
  • the darkness of the character printed under the draft mode can be maintained as dark as that obtained under the fine mode.
  • the printing quality can be improved.
  • the drive power source 3 comprises a switching circuit 21, a differential amplifier 22, and a transistor 24.
  • Voltages V1 and V2 having different levels are applied to the switching circuit 21.
  • the switching circuit 21 applies either voltage V1 or voltage V2 to the non-inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier 22.
  • the voltage V1 is applied, and under the draft mode, the voltage V2 under is applied.
  • the differential amplifier 22 is negative fedback so that the internal impedance of the input side thereof is great, thus enabling the differential amplifier 22 to function as a buffer.
  • the output of the differential amplifier 22 is applied to the transistor 24 through a resistor 23 so that, by the source voltage VD, an amplified output is applied to the drive circuit 5.
  • the voltage level of the signal produced from the drive circuit 5 changes. For example, if V1 ⁇ V2, the drive power as produced from drive circuit 5 and applied to the piezoelectric device 6 under the draft mode is greater than that applied under the fine mode.
  • the ink ejected under the draft mode is ejected with a stronger pressure than that under the fine mode, resulting such that the amount of ink ejected under the draft mode is greater than that under the fine mode.
  • circuits of Figs. 2 and 4 can be adopted simultaneously to obtain a favorable efficiency, or alternatively, either one of the circuits can be employed to control the amount of ink under two different modes.
  • the present invention can be applied to a printer which can print under three or more modes yet maintaining the same ink darkness quality between the different modes. This can be accomplished, in the case of Fig. 2, by providing three or more different initial values N, and in the case of Fig. 4, by providing three of more different voltages V1, V2, V3, ....
  • the amount of ink ejected from the nozzle can be increased when the printing is performed by the reduced number of dots. Accordingly, in spite of the reduction of the number of dots, the total amount of ink ejected from the nozzle is will be maintained constant, thus preventing the reduction of the density of the printed character, thereby improving the quality of the printed character.

Landscapes

  • Ink Jet (AREA)
  • Particle Formation And Scattering Control In Inkjet Printers (AREA)
  • Dot-Matrix Printers And Others (AREA)

Claims (4)

  1. Tintenstrahldrucker mit:
    - einer Tintenausstoßeinrichtung (6) zum Ausstoßen von Tinte zum Darstellen von Punkten auf einem Druckmaterial;
    - einer Schalteinrichtung (8) zum Auswählen mindestens zweier verschiedener Betriebsarten, wobei verschiedene Anzahlen von Punkten in den verschiedenen Betriebsarten verwendet werden, wenn dasselbe Bild gedruckt wird; und
    - einer Treibereinrichtung (2, 3, 4, 5, 7) zum Betreiben der Tintenausstoßeinrichtung,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Treibereinrichtung (2, 3, 4, 5, 7) so ausgebildet ist, daß sie die Tintenausstoßeinrichtung (6) abhängig von der ausgewählten Betriebsart in solcher Weise betreibt, daß die Menge ausgestoßener Tinte, die zum Anzeigen eines Punktes verwendet wird, in einer ersten Betriebsart geringer ist als in einer zweiten Betriebsart, wodurch in der ersten Betriebsart bei einem Bild mehr Punkte gedruckt werden als in der zweiten Betriebsart.
  2. Drucker nach Anspruch 1, gekennzeichnet durch
    - eine Zeitvorgabeeinrichtung (2, 4) zum Vorgeben einer ersten Zeitspanne (T1), wenn die erste Betriebsart ausgewählt ist, und zum Vorgeben eine zweiten Zeitspanne (T2), die länger ist als die erste Zeitspanne, wenn die zweite Betriebsart ausgewählt ist; und
    - eine Einrichtung (5, 6) zum Ausüben von Druck auf die Tinte während der ersten Zeitspanne, wenn die erste Betriebsart ausgewählt ist und während der zweiten Zeitspanne, wenn die zweite Betriebsart ausgewählt ist.
  3. Drucker nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Zeitvorgabeeinrichtung (2, 4) folgendes aufweist:
    - eine Einrichtung (2, 11) zum Erzeugen einer ersten Vorgabezahl, wenn die erste Betriebsart ausgewählt ist und einer zweiten Vorgabezahl, die kleiner ist als die erste Vorgabezahl, wenn die zweite Betriebsart ausgewählt ist; und
    - eine Einrichtung (12) zum Hochzählen einer dritten vorgegebenen Zahl ausgehend von der ersten vorgegebenen Zahl, wenn die erste Betriebsart ausgewählt ist, wodurch die erste Zeitspanne (T1) während des Zählens eingestellt wird, und zum Hochzählen der dritten Vorgabezahl ausgehend von der zweiten Vorgabezahl, wenn die zweite Betriebsart ausgewählt ist, wodurch die zweite Zeitspanne (T2) ausgewählt wird.
  4. Drucker nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 3, gekennzeichnet durch
    - eine Spannungseinstelleinrichtung (2, 3) zum Einstellen einer ersten Spannung (V1), wenn die erste Betriebsart ausgewählt ist, und zum Einstellen einer zweiten Spannung (V2), die größer ist als die erste Spannung, wenn die zweite Betriebsart ausgewählt; und
    - eine Einrichtung (5, 6) zum Ausüben von Druck auf die Tinte abhängig von der ersten Spannung, wenn die erste Betriebsart ausgewählt ist, und abhängig von der zweiten Spannung, wenn die zweite Betriebsart ausgewählt ist.
EP19880118446 1987-11-04 1988-11-04 Punktdrucker Revoked EP0315206B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP62280144A JPH0645244B2 (ja) 1987-11-04 1987-11-04 インクジェットプリンタの印字方法
JP280144/87 1987-11-04

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0315206A2 EP0315206A2 (de) 1989-05-10
EP0315206A3 EP0315206A3 (en) 1989-09-27
EP0315206B1 true EP0315206B1 (de) 1993-03-10

Family

ID=17620940

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19880118446 Revoked EP0315206B1 (de) 1987-11-04 1988-11-04 Punktdrucker

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0315206B1 (de)
JP (1) JPH0645244B2 (de)
DE (1) DE3879100T2 (de)

Families Citing this family (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH0686125B2 (ja) * 1989-11-27 1994-11-02 松下電器産業株式会社 画像記録方法
JP3176120B2 (ja) * 1991-05-27 2001-06-11 キヤノン株式会社 インクジェット記録装置及びインクジェット記録方法
JPH068474A (ja) * 1992-06-26 1994-01-18 Canon Inc インクジェット記録装置
JP3919874B2 (ja) 1996-04-05 2007-05-30 セイコーエプソン株式会社 高速印刷モードを備えたインクジェット式記録装置
JP3323887B2 (ja) 1998-09-08 2002-09-09 富士ゼロックス株式会社 インクジェット式プリンタ及び印刷方法
JP2002361856A (ja) * 2001-06-11 2002-12-18 Ricoh Co Ltd 画像記録装置及び画像記録方法
JP5277604B2 (ja) * 2007-10-15 2013-08-28 セイコーエプソン株式会社 液体噴射ムラの抑制
JP5023954B2 (ja) * 2007-10-15 2012-09-12 セイコーエプソン株式会社 液体噴射ムラの抑制

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5441329B2 (de) * 1973-05-30 1979-12-07
JPS5931750B2 (ja) * 1977-01-22 1984-08-03 日本電信電話株式会社 パタ−ン発生装置
US4499479A (en) * 1982-08-30 1985-02-12 International Business Machines Corporation Gray scale printing with ink jet drop-on demand printing head
JPS6062779A (ja) * 1983-08-31 1985-04-10 Nec Corp インクジェット記録方法
JPS60143981A (ja) * 1983-12-29 1985-07-30 Konishiroku Photo Ind Co Ltd サ−マルプリンタ
EP0159402B1 (de) * 1984-04-27 1989-03-01 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Tintenschreibeinrichtung zur Darstellung von Zeichen unterschiedlicher Schriftqualität

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0315206A2 (de) 1989-05-10
JPH0645244B2 (ja) 1994-06-15
DE3879100T2 (de) 1993-09-30
JPH01120357A (ja) 1989-05-12
DE3879100D1 (de) 1993-04-15
EP0315206A3 (en) 1989-09-27

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