EP0390198B1 - An ink jet recording apparatus - Google Patents

An ink jet recording apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0390198B1
EP0390198B1 EP90106170A EP90106170A EP0390198B1 EP 0390198 B1 EP0390198 B1 EP 0390198B1 EP 90106170 A EP90106170 A EP 90106170A EP 90106170 A EP90106170 A EP 90106170A EP 0390198 B1 EP0390198 B1 EP 0390198B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
ink
supplying
recording head
temperature
discharging
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP90106170A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0390198A3 (en
EP0390198A2 (en
Inventor
Toshiaki Hirosawa
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.)
Canon Inc
Original Assignee
Canon Inc
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
Application filed by Canon Inc filed Critical Canon Inc
Publication of EP0390198A2 publication Critical patent/EP0390198A2/en
Publication of EP0390198A3 publication Critical patent/EP0390198A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0390198B1 publication Critical patent/EP0390198B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime 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
    • B41J2/17—Ink jet characterised by ink handling
    • B41J2/195—Ink jet characterised by ink handling for monitoring ink quality
    • 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
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/145—Arrangement thereof
    • B41J2/155—Arrangement thereof for line printing
    • 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
    • B41J2/135—Nozzles
    • B41J2/14—Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
    • B41J2002/14379—Edge shooter
    • 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
    • B41J2202/00—Embodiments of or processes related to ink-jet or thermal heads
    • B41J2202/01—Embodiments of or processes related to ink-jet heads
    • B41J2202/08—Embodiments of or processes related to ink-jet heads dealing with thermal variations, e.g. cooling
    • 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
    • B41J2202/00—Embodiments of or processes related to ink-jet or thermal heads
    • B41J2202/01—Embodiments of or processes related to ink-jet heads
    • B41J2202/12—Embodiments of or processes related to ink-jet heads with ink circulating through the whole print head

Definitions

  • the preamble of the present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus, more particularly to an ink jet recording apparatus provided with a recording head having a chamber for containing ink to be ejected through an ejection outlet as shown in the document PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 5, no 101 (M-76)(773), 30 June 1981; & JP - A - 5644664, 23.
  • Known ink jet heads include a type wherein the liquid in the liquid passage is pressurized by deformation of a piezoelectric element, for example, to eject ink droplet, a type wherein a pair of electrodes is used, and the liquid droplet is electrostatically sucked to be ejected by the electric field between the electrode, and a type wherein a thermal energy generating element disposed in the liquid passage rapidly generates heat to produce a bubble in the ink liquid to eject a droplet of the ink.
  • the thermal energy using type can be said to be particularly advantageous in that a number of ejection outlets and thermal energy generating elements can be arranged at very high density without much difficulty, and also in that high speed recording is possible.
  • known recording heads contain a serial printing type wherein the recording operation is carried out while a recording head is moving in a predetermined detection relative to the recording material such as sheet of paper and a line type (full-line type) wherein a number of ejection outlets and ejection energy generating elements are disposed corresponding to the entire width of the recording material.
  • the line type is advantageous.
  • the ink jet recording head of the conventional line type when a high density image recording operation such as for solid image recording operation in which all of the heat generating elements are driven at once, or a high speed recording operation in which the heat generating elements are driven at high frequency (greater number of heat generating elements are driven per unit time), is performed, residual portions of the heat generated by the heat generating elements are not sufficiently removed, as the case may be, only by the carrying-over of the heat by the ejected ink or by the heat transfer through various parts of the recording head.
  • the recording head or the ink are heated by the heat generated by drivers for driving the heat generating elements. During the long term recording operation using the heat energy, the heat is accumulated in the recording head or the ink.
  • the recorded image has such a non-uniform image density in the direction of the recording width S that the right side has a higher density than the left side.
  • the quality of the recorded image may be degraded.
  • the temperature gradient in the ink is so large that there exists a portion having a temperature higher than a predetermined level, the bubble formation becomes improper in the case of the recording head in which the ink is ejected by the formation of the bubble using the thermal energy.
  • the dissolved gases in the ink become easy to evaporate to obstruct the proper ink droplet formation.
  • an ink jet recording apparatus which is substantially free from the problem arising from the droplet volume change or the ink viscosity change attributable to the temperature gradient of the ink jet recording head of an ink jet recording type using the thermal energy, and/or the temperature gradient in the ink supplied in the recording head.
  • an ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a recording head having ink discharging portions for discharging ink and an ink chamber for supplying the ink to the discharging portions in accordance with discharging of the ink by the discharging portions; a plurality of ink supply ports for supplying the ink to the ink chamber; ink supplying means for supplying the ink through said ink supplying ports; a plurality of temperature detecting means for detecting temperatures of said recording head at different positions; control means, responsive to said temperature detecting means, for controlling supply of the ink through said ink supply ports and by said ink supplying means.
  • an ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a recording head including heat generating elements for generating heat energy contributable to discharge ink, ink passages corresponding to the heat generating elements, and an ink chamber communicating with the ink passages; a plurality of supply pipes communicating with the ink chamber; a plurality of temperature sensors for detecting temperatures of said recording head at different positions; control means, responsive to said temperature sensors, for selectively supplying the ink through said ink passages.
  • the present invention provides an ink jet recording apparatus provided with a plurality of ink supply ports for supplying ink to the recording head, and proper supply port or ports are selected from the plural supply ports in accordance with the temperature distribution of the recording head, and the ink is supplied from the selected port or ports, whereby the temperature of the recording head is made more uniform, and in addition, the temperature of the recording head can be reduced.
  • the present invention provides an ink jet recording apparatus including a recording head provided with ejection outlets for ejecting ink and an ink chamber for supplying the ink toward the ejection outlet in accordance with the ejection of the ink therethrough, a plurality of ink supply ports for supplying the ink to the ink chamber, ink supply means for supplying the ink through the ink supply ports, a plurality of temperature detecting means for detecting temperature of the recording head at plural different positions, and control means for controlling quantity of the ink supplied from the plural ink supply ports by said supply means in accordance with the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means.
  • Figure 1A is a somewhat schematic top sectional view of an ink jet recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 1B is a side sectional view of the same.
  • Figure 2 is a block diagram of an ink supply system and a control system therefor for supplying ink to the recording head shown in Figure 1.
  • Figure 3 is a flow chart showing the control process for the ink supply system shown in Figure 2.
  • Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an ink supply system and a control system therefor according to another embodiment of the present invention.
  • Figure 5 shows a schematic top plan view of a recording material, a somewhat schematic top plan view of the recording head and a temperature distribution, illustrating a relationship between the ink temperature distribution in a common chamber and the image record density in a conventional recording head.
  • the temperatures of the recording heads are detected at different positions. If the temperature distribution in the recording head is so non-uniform beyond a predetermined level, a proper supply port is selected from plural ink supply ports for supplying ink to the recording head in consideration of the detected non-uniformity, and the ink is supplied through the supply port. By doing so, the temperature of the recording head is lowered by the supplied ink, and therefore, the temperature of the entire recording head is made uniform.
  • a recording head 1 is of the line type wherein a number of ejection outlets which will hereinafter be called “orifices" are provided corresponding to the width of the recording material.
  • the recording head comprises a common ink chamber and ink passages 4 communicating with the respective orifices 2 from the common chamber.
  • the ink passages 4 disposed at regular intervals are provided with respective heat generating elements 5.
  • each of the heat generating elements 5 includes a heat generating resistor layer and at least a pair of electrodes electrically connected therewith.
  • the heat generating resistor layer and/or the electrodes may be coated with protection layers, if necessary.
  • the recording head further includes a first supply port 6A for supplying ink to the common ink chamber 3 and a second supply port 6B for supplying the ink from an ink container which will be described hereinafter when the ink is supplied to the common ink chamber 3 or when the ink is circulated.
  • Temperature sensors 8a and 8b are mounted on the backside of the ink passages 4 of the recording head (the side opposite from the heat generating element 5 through the substrate), as shown in Figure 1B, at or adjacent the opposite longitudinal ends of the array of the orifices.
  • FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the ink supply system and the circulation system for the recording head 1.
  • the system includes a supply pipe 8 for supplying the ink from the ink supply container 15 through the supply port 6A to the recording head during the recording operation, a second supply pipe 10 for supplying the ink to the common ink chamber 3 of the recording head 1 through the supply port 6B during the recording and circulating operations, shut-off valves in the form of solenoid valves 12A and 12B provided in the supply pipes 8 and 9, respectively.
  • the supply container 15 is provided with an air vent valve 13.
  • a pump 14 is driven by a driver 20.
  • the solenoid valves 12A and 12B are operated by switching elements 18A and 18B for energizing or deenergizing the solenoid valves.
  • a control circuit 21 is responsive to the temperature detection signals of the temperature sensors 8A and 8B to control the solenoid valves 12A and 12B and the pump 14, which will be described in more detail hereinafter.
  • the control circuit 21 has memory means for storing the problem of the control steps which will be described below in conjunction with Figure 3.
  • the solenoid valve 12A When the recording operation is performed, the solenoid valve 12A is opened at step S1, and the air vent valve 13 is opened. At step S2, the solenoid valve 12B is closed. Thereafter, that is, at step S3, the recording head is driven to start the recording operation. At step S4, the temperature T1 adjacent the first supply port 6A is detected by the temperature sensor 8A and the temperature T2 adjacent to the second supply port 6B is detected by the temperature sensor 8B.
  • step S5 a difference ⁇ T between the temperatures T1 and T2 is obtained.
  • step S6 the discrimination is made as to whether the temperature difference ⁇ T is beyond the upper limit To or not. If not, the steps S4 - S6 are repeatedly executed, and the temperature difference is monitored until the upper limit temperature To is reached. If the discrimination indicates that the temperature difference reaches the upper limit temperature To, that is, the temperature T2 adjacent to the supply port 6B is higher than the temperature T1 adjacent to the supply port 6A by a predetermined difference level, the solenoid valve 12B associated with the supply port 6B is opened at step S7, and the solenoid valve 12A associated with the supply port 6A is closed at step S8.
  • the temperatures T1 and T2 are detected again.
  • the temperature difference ⁇ T which is reverse of the difference at the step S5 that is, T1 - T2 is obtained. Then, the discrimination is made as to whether or not the temperature difference ⁇ T reaches the upper limit To or not. If not, the temperature is monitored until the upper limit temperature To is reached, similarly to the above-described step.
  • the solenoid valve 12A is opened at step S12, and the solenoid valve 12B is closed at step S13.
  • step S14 the discrimination is made as to whether the recording operation will be continued or not. If so, the step S4 is executed, and if not, the solenoid valve 12A and the air vent valve 13 of the container 15 are closed at step S15.
  • the ink is supplied to the portion where the ink temperature is high, so that a relatively low temperature ink is supplied to that portion, by which the high temperature portion of the recording head is decreased, and therefore, the temperature distribution of the recording head can be made uniform.
  • the solenoid valves 12A and 12B are closed, and the circulating valve 10 is opened. Then, the pump 14 is driven to eject idly the ink through the orifice 2.
  • an additional ink supply port 6c is provided at the center together with an additional supply pipe 30 and solenoid valve 12C.
  • the variation of the ink supply port selection may be increased, so that the control operation can be effected with finer steps against the temperature distribution of the recording head.
  • the temperature distribution can be detected more accurately, so that the finer control is possible.
  • the temperature sensors 8A, 8B, 8C (8C is not shown) are mounted corresponding to the supply ports 6A, 6B and 6C, respectively.
  • the ink supplies through the supply ports 6A, 6B and 6C can be controlled.
  • the solenoid valves in the supply pipes are on-off-controlled. If the upper limit of the temperature difference To is desired to be decreased in order to further increase the image quality, flow control valves are used in place of the solenoid valves 12A and 12B, so that the amounts of the ink supplied to the supply pipes are more finely controlled. In this case, the control steps are the same as shown in Figure 3, but the flow rate is controlled in accordance with the temperature detection in place of the on-off-control of the valves.
  • the recording heads described in the foregoing embodiments are particularly effective when the ink is ejected using the heat generating element, but the present invention is not limited to such types, but is applicable to the case where the ejection energy is produced by piezoelectric element or the like.
  • the temperatures of the recording head are detected at different positions, and if the temperature distribution in the recording head is not uniform, more particularly, the non-uniformity is beyond a tolerable limit, the ink is supplied from a selected one or ones of plural supply ports to the recording head, by which the temperature of the recording head can be reduced by the ink thus supplied, and the temperature distribution of the entire recording head can be made more uniform. Therefore, the variation of the size of the ink droplet ejected can be suppressed, and therefore, the difference in the recording density on the recording medium can be reduced. By controlling the amount of ink supply through the plural ink supply ports, further improved recording is possible.
  • the present invention is particularly suitable for the line type recording head.
  • the stabilized recording is always possible even when the continuous recording operation can be carried out for a long period of time, in addition, to the advantage that high speed recording operation is possible.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Quality & Reliability (AREA)
  • Ink Jet (AREA)
  • Particle Formation And Scattering Control In Inkjet Printers (AREA)
  • Inks, Pencil-Leads, Or Crayons (AREA)
  • Ink Jet Recording Methods And Recording Media Thereof (AREA)
EP90106170A 1989-03-31 1990-03-30 An ink jet recording apparatus Expired - Lifetime EP0390198B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP8230289 1989-03-31
JP82302/89 1989-03-31
JP73216/90 1990-03-26
JP2073216A JPH0315557A (ja) 1989-03-31 1990-03-26 インクジェット記録装置

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0390198A2 EP0390198A2 (en) 1990-10-03
EP0390198A3 EP0390198A3 (en) 1991-07-31
EP0390198B1 true EP0390198B1 (en) 1995-10-04

Family

ID=26414370

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP90106170A Expired - Lifetime EP0390198B1 (en) 1989-03-31 1990-03-30 An ink jet recording apparatus

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0390198B1 (ja)
JP (1) JPH0315557A (ja)
AT (1) ATE128670T1 (ja)
DE (1) DE69022759T2 (ja)
ES (1) ES2077600T3 (ja)

Families Citing this family (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5166699A (en) * 1990-04-11 1992-11-24 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Recording apparatus
DE69122726T2 (de) * 1990-12-12 1997-03-13 Canon Kk Tintenstrahlaufzeichnung
JP3114776B2 (ja) * 1992-06-23 2000-12-04 セイコーエプソン株式会社 インクジェット式ライン記録ヘッドを用いたプリンタ
ATE214529T1 (de) * 1993-01-08 2002-03-15 Canon Kk Aufzeichnungsverfahren zur gradationsaufzeichnung mit hell- und dunkelfarbigen tinten und gerät dafür
JP4065476B2 (ja) * 1998-11-27 2008-03-26 キヤノン株式会社 カラーフィルタの製造方法及び表示装置の製造方法
GB0121909D0 (en) 2001-09-11 2001-10-31 Xaar Technology Ltd Droplet deposition apparatus
JP4836266B2 (ja) * 2007-02-15 2011-12-14 キヤノン株式会社 インクジェット記録装置及びその記録方法
JP5153369B2 (ja) * 2008-01-31 2013-02-27 理想科学工業株式会社 画像形成装置
JP4618375B2 (ja) * 2008-12-26 2011-01-26 ブラザー工業株式会社 液体吐出ヘッド
JP2016049738A (ja) * 2014-09-01 2016-04-11 東芝テック株式会社 インク循環装置

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5644664A (en) * 1979-09-21 1981-04-23 Ricoh Co Ltd Detecting and controlling device for temperature of ink in ink-jet recording device
US4459469A (en) * 1981-05-15 1984-07-10 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Ink temperature control apparatus for ink jet printing apparatus
JPS57193371A (en) * 1981-05-25 1982-11-27 Ricoh Co Ltd Ink jet recorder with ink heater
JPS6328651A (ja) * 1986-07-22 1988-02-06 Ricoh Co Ltd インクジエツト記録装置のインク粘度制御装置
US4896172A (en) * 1987-11-20 1990-01-23 Canon Kabushiki Kaisha Liquid injection recording apparatus including recording liquid circulation control
JP3371464B2 (ja) * 1993-05-20 2003-01-27 ソニー株式会社 レーザー製版装置

Non-Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 12, no. 236 (M-715)(3083), 6 July 1988; & JP-A-63 28651 (RICOH CO. LTD.) 06 February 1988. *
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 5, no. 101 (M-76)(773), 30 June 1981; & JP-A 56 44664 (RICOH K.K.) 23 April 1981. *
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 7, no. 44 (M-195)(1189), 22 February 1983; & JP-A-57 193371 (RICOH K.K.) 27 November 1982. *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0390198A3 (en) 1991-07-31
EP0390198A2 (en) 1990-10-03
JPH0315557A (ja) 1991-01-23
ATE128670T1 (de) 1995-10-15
DE69022759D1 (de) 1995-11-09
DE69022759T2 (de) 1996-04-11
ES2077600T3 (es) 1995-12-01

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