JP2002225301A - Apparatus and method for ink jet recording - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To carry out preliminary discharge without staining a transfer device and without lowering the throughput. SOLUTION: A control unit 8 makes the user set a medium 7 to be recorded so that the medium 7 to be recorded is transferred in a direction of an arrow Y1 under a recording head 1. The control unit 8 adds a preliminary discharge data 21 to a recording data 20 so that the preliminary discharge is carried out to a position of a binding margin 9 at the side of an upper end of the medium 7 to be recorded. After the preliminary discharge is carried out to the position of the binding margin 9, recording by the recording data 20 is executed subsequently.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method in which recording is performed by a full line type recording head and preliminary ejection is performed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink jet recording apparatus is configured to discharge ink droplets from a discharge port of a recording head.
If the ink droplets are not ejected for a long period of time, the water in the ink evaporates from the ejection ports and dries, and there is a possibility that the ink may thicken and cause ejection failure. Therefore,
Preliminary ejection for recovering the recording head is performed by performing preliminary ink droplet ejection before recording. In this preliminary ejection, a thickened ink or bubbles and impurities (dust) in the ink are forcibly discharged to the outside from the ejection ports using a pump or the like, so that the subsequent recording operation can be performed normally. is there. In addition, the ejection port on the front surface of the recording head is covered by an ink droplet receiving member such as a cap during the preliminary ejection so that the thickened ink discharged at the time of the preliminary ejection does not stain the recording medium or the like.

In a general ink-jet recording apparatus, a recording head performs recording while performing a serial scan (moving in a direction intersecting the transport direction of a recording medium) to perform recording over the entire width of the recording medium. There are an ink jet recording apparatus and a so-called full line type ink jet recording apparatus in which a long head having substantially the same width as a recording area of a recording medium is fixed to a main body.

In a serial type ink jet recording apparatus, the home position of the recording head is out of a range through which the recording medium passes, and preliminary ejection is often performed there. On the other hand, in a full-line type ink jet recording apparatus, since the recording medium passes under the recording head while the recording head is fixed, the preliminary ejection is performed between the sequentially transported recording medium and the recording medium. For example, between the first page paper and the second page paper, when the recording medium is directly transferred to a transport device that transports the recording medium to the recording area of the recording head, Or by transporting a sheet dedicated for preliminary ejection.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, in the case of a full-line type ink jet recording apparatus, preliminary discharge is performed to the transport apparatus itself between recording media sequentially transported. The ink adheres to the transfer device and becomes dirty, and this ink must be wiped off. Preliminary ejection in the cap eliminates the problem of contamination of the transport device.However, since the recording head or the cap must be moved so that the recording head can eject to the cap, the time required for preliminary ejection is reduced. As a result, the throughput is reduced. In addition, the preliminary ejection using the preliminary ejection paper also causes a decrease in throughput and extra consumption of paper.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an ink jet recording apparatus and an ink jet recording method capable of performing preliminary ejection without polluting a transport device and without reducing throughput.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a conveying means for conveying a recording medium, a supply for holding the recording medium and supplying the recording medium to the conveying means. And a recording unit for performing recording on the recording medium by discharging ink from a discharge port in accordance with external recording data. Means for urging the user to set the recording medium on the supply means so that the recording medium first passes through the recording area of the recording means, and a preliminary ejection by preliminary ejection for restoring the recording characteristics of the recording means. Means for adding preliminary ejection data for performing ejection recording to the binding margin to the recording data.

In the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention configured as described above, when the binding margin of the recording medium first passes through the recording area of the recording means, the preliminary ejection data for performing the preliminary ejection recording at the binding margin is generated. Recording is performed based on the added recording data. For this reason, the ink by the preliminary ejection is ejected on the binding margin of the recording medium.

Further, the ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention may have means for allowing a user to select whether or not to perform preliminary discharge recording, and the recording means is adapted to correspond to the width of the recording area of the recording medium. The recording head may be a full line type recording head having a recording area to be printed.

The ink jet recording method according to the present invention comprises a conveying means for conveying a recording medium, a supply means for holding the recording medium and supplying the recording medium to the conveying means, and a recording data from outside. A recording means for performing recording on the recording medium by discharging ink from a discharge port in accordance with an ink jet recording method, wherein a preliminary discharge for restoring recording characteristics of the recording means is performed by a preliminary discharge. A step of adding preliminary ejection data for performing preliminary ejection recording to a binding margin of the recording medium to the recording data; and performing a recording based on the recording data to which the preliminary ejection data is added. It is characterized by.

As described above, the recording of the present invention is performed based on the recording data to which the preliminary ejection data for performing the preliminary ejection recording at the binding margin of the recording medium is added. For this reason, the ink by the preliminary ejection is ejected on the binding margin of the recording medium.

[0012]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a main part of an ink jet recording apparatus for explaining an embodiment of the present invention.

The ink jet recording apparatus of this embodiment is
A recording head 1B that discharges four color inks of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K)
K, 1Y, 1M, 1C, a full-line type recording head 1 having a recording area corresponding to the width of a recording area of a recording medium 7 such as recording paper, and rollers 5, 6;
A transport device 11 including a transport belt 2 that transports the recording medium 7 by being rotationally driven in a direction indicated by an arrow X in the drawing by a drive mechanism (not shown), and a transport belt 2 that sandwiches the recording medium 7
A supply device 13 that includes rollers 3 and 4 that supply the recording medium 7 upward, and that holds the recording medium 7 and supplies the recording medium 7 into the main body of the inkjet recording apparatus; a cap (not shown) that caps the recording head 1; And a control unit 8 for performing control such as recording on the recording medium 7, preliminary ejection for restoring the recording characteristics of the recording head 1, and driving of the transport device 11.

Further, in the ink jet recording apparatus of the present embodiment, an attraction charger 10 is arranged close to the transport belt 2 so as to charge the surface of the transport belt 2. In the present embodiment, the transport belt 2 is made of an elastic rubber material. The upper surface of the transport belt 2 is charged by the suction charger 10 to electrostatically attract the recording medium 7. When the recording medium 7 passes under the recording head 1, an image is recorded. Thereafter, the recording medium 7 is peeled off from the surface of the transport belt 2 by a curvature separation method using a waist of the recording medium 7, and is not shown by a discharge device or the like. Sent to the tray. Note that the recording medium 7 includes an OHP sheet made of resin in addition to the recording paper.

The controller 8 allows the user to select whether or not to perform the preliminary ejection during the preliminary ejection, and allows the user to specify the direction of the binding margin 9 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) of the recording medium 7. Also have.

Further, the ink jet recording apparatus of the present embodiment can designate a binding margin for not recording on the recording medium 7.

Next, FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the basic structure of the recording head.

The heater board 232 of the recording head 1 includes
Electrothermal transducer (discharge heater) 233 on silicon substrate
And an electrode 234 made of aluminum or the like for supplying electric power thereto.
Are formed and disposed. Ink fluid path 235
Is a top plate 236 having a partition for partitioning the liquid passage 235.
Is adhered to the heater board 232.

The ink supplied from an ink tank (not shown) is filled into a common liquid chamber 239 in the recording head 1 through a supply port 238 provided in the top plate 236.
From 39, it is led into each liquid path 235. These fluid paths 23
5, a discharge port 12a is formed.
“a” is formed at a predetermined pitch with respect to the recording medium 7 of the recording head 1.

Here, the aforementioned bubble jet (registered trademark) is used.
FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (g) show the ink flying principle in the recording method.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

In the steady state, as shown in FIG. 3A, the ink 241 filled in the liquid path 235 is
At a, the surface tension and the external pressure are balanced. To fly the ink 241 in this state, electricity is supplied to the electrothermal converter 233 in the liquid path 235 and the ink 241 in the liquid path 235 is supplied.
Causes a rapid rise in temperature beyond nucleate boiling. Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, the ink 241 adjacent to the electrothermal converter 233 is heated to generate fine bubbles (bubbles), and the ink in the heated portion is vaporized to cause film boiling. Bubbles 242 grow rapidly as shown in FIG.

When the bubble 242 grows to the maximum as shown in FIG. 3D, the ink droplet is pushed out from the discharge port 12a in the liquid passage 235, and the ink droplet is discharged at the speed.
And an ink image is recorded. Electrothermal converter 233
When the current supply to the end is completed, as shown in FIG. 3 (e), the grown bubbles 242 are cooled and contracted by the ink 241 in the liquid path 235, and as shown in FIG. When the ink contacts the surface 233 and cools rapidly, the bubbles 242 disappear or shrink to an almost negligible volume. Then, when the bubble 242 contracts, FIG.
As shown in (g), the ink is supplied from the common liquid chamber 239 into the liquid path 235 by capillary action, and is prepared for the next energization.

Next, with regard to the preliminary ejection to the binding margin in the ink jet recording apparatus of the present embodiment having the above configuration,
This will be described with reference to the flowchart of the preliminary ejection control shown in FIG.

In the following description, the print data 20 and the preliminary ejection data 21 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 are the print data input to the ink jet printing apparatus of this embodiment from an external device such as a computer (not shown). Data 2
0 and the preliminary ejection data 21, the recording head 1
Indicates an image recorded on the recording medium 7 by discharging ink from the recording medium 7.

First, the control unit 8 provides the user with the recording medium 7.
A selection is made as to whether preliminary discharge can be performed (step 10
1).

If the preliminary ejection can be performed on the recording medium 7, the control unit 8 then allows the user to specify the direction of the binding margin 9 of the recording medium 7 (step 102). The preliminary ejection data 21 is added to the print data 20 according to the direction (step 103). That is, the recording medium 7
When the binding margin 9 is provided as shown in FIG. 5 (a), the control unit 8 sends the recording medium 7 to the recording head 1 (in FIG. 6, for simplicity), as shown in the conceptual diagram of FIG. so as to be transported under the only illustrated) one recording head from an arrow Y ₁ direction to set the recording medium 7 to a user. In this case, the setting direction of the recording medium 7 may be displayed on a monitor (not shown) of a computer. Then, the control unit 8 adds the preliminary ejection data 21 to the print data 20 so that the preliminary ejection is performed at the position of the binding margin 9 on the upper end side in FIG. In addition, according to the relationship between the binding margin 9 and the recording data 20, in the case of FIG.
It is set to the recording medium 7 to the user so that the recording medium 7 in the arrow Y ₂ direction is conveyed, as a preliminary ejection is performed in the position of the binding margin 9 shown in FIG. 5 (b) middle left side, prefire The data 21 is added to the recording data 20. Alternatively, FIG.
In the case of (c), the controller 8 sets the recording medium 7 to the user so that the recording medium 7 is conveyed in the arrow Y ₃ direction, the position of the binding margin 9 shown in FIG. 5 (c) Medium right end The preliminary ejection data 21 is stored in the recording data 20 so that the preliminary ejection is performed
Is added to

At this time, the state after recording may be displayed on a recording preview screen or the like.

As described above, after the preliminary ejection is performed on the binding margin 9 of the recording medium 7, the recording is performed (step 104).

On the other hand, if the user selects not to perform the preliminary ejection on the recording medium 7 in step 101, the control unit 8 sets the preliminary ejection on the transport device 11, in the cap, or on the preliminary ejection paper. The user is caused to select whether to perform ejection (step 105). The user operates the transfer device 11
If it is selected to perform preliminary ejection on the top, in the cap, or on the preliminary ejection paper, the preliminary ejection is performed (step 106), and if not selected, the preliminary ejection is performed. Then, the recording is executed (step 104).

As described above, according to the ink jet recording apparatus of the present embodiment, the preliminary ejection is performed on the binding margin 9 of the recording medium 7, so that the conveying device 11 is not stained and the preliminary ejection is performed. Cap or recording head 1
No time is required for moving the paper, and there is no need to set and consume paper for preliminary ejection,
Predischarge can be performed. Furthermore, since recording is started continuously immediately after the preliminary ejection when the ink ejection characteristics become good, good recording can be performed. Also,
Since the preliminary ejection is performed at the binding allowance 9, the recording medium 7 is bound, so that the user does not feel obstructive to the recording by the preliminary ejection.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Printing is performed based on print data to which preliminary ejection data for performing preliminary ejection recording at the binding margin of the recording medium is added. For this reason, the ink by the preliminary ejection is ejected on the binding margin of the recording medium. Therefore, the transport device is not stained by the preliminary ejection. In addition, the time required for moving the recording means is not required for the preliminary ejection, and neither the setting nor the consumption of the preliminary ejection paper is required. Therefore, the throughput does not decrease.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part of an inkjet recording apparatus for describing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a basic configuration of a recording head.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a principle of bubble jet recording in the recording head shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating preliminary ejection control according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a binding margin position, a relationship between preliminary ejection data and print data, and a transport direction of a print medium.

FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a state in which printing is performed after execution of preliminary ejection.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Recording head 2 Conveying belt 3, 4, 5, 6 Roller 7 Recording medium 8 Control part 9 Binding margin 10 Suction charger 11 Conveying device 12a Discharge port 13 Supply device 20 Recording data 21 Preliminary discharge data 232 Heater board 233 Electricity Heat converter 234 Electrode 235 Liquid path 235 Each liquid path 236 Top plate 238 Supply port 239 Common liquid chamber 241 Ink 242 Bubbles

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A conveying means for conveying a recording medium, a supply means for holding the recording medium and supplying the recording medium to the conveying means, and a discharge port in accordance with external recording data. A recording unit that performs recording on the recording medium by discharging ink, such that a binding margin of the recording medium first passes through a recording area of the recording unit by the transport unit. Means for prompting the user to set the recording medium on the supply means, and preliminary ejection data for performing preliminary ejection recording by preliminary ejection for restoring recording characteristics of the recording means in the binding margin. An ink jet recording apparatus, comprising: means for adding the recording data. 2. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for allowing a user to select whether or not to perform the preliminary ejection recording. 3. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording unit is a full line type recording head having a recording area corresponding to a width of a recording area of the recording medium. 4. A conveying means for conveying a recording medium, a supply means for holding the recording medium and supplying the recording medium to the conveying means, and a discharge port according to external recording data. In an ink jet recording method using an ink jet recording apparatus having recording means for performing recording on the recording medium by discharging ink, the pre-discharge recording by pre-discharge for restoring recording characteristics of the recording means is performed on the recording medium. Inkjet printing, comprising: a step of adding preliminary ejection data to the recording data for performing a binding margin of a recording medium; and a step of performing recording based on the recording data to which the preliminary ejection data is added. Method.