JP2006051653A - Image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that even test printing cannot be done or a printing result causes a thin spot by forcing the test printing, in the absence of a recording liquid of a specific color, when the test printing is done. <P>SOLUTION: When printing a color sample image 201, this image forming apparatus discriminates between the presence and absence of recording liquids of all CMYK colors, and does not print the color sample image in the absence of the recording liquid of any one of the colors. When printing system information 202, the image forming apparatus discriminates the presence or absence of the recording liquid of the black color, and prints the system information by means of the recording liquid of the color except the black color in the absence of the recording liquid of the black color. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, and more particularly, to an image forming apparatus capable of performing information about an image forming apparatus and test printing.

  As various image forming apparatuses such as printers, facsimiles, copiers, and printer / facsimile / copier multifunction machines, a plurality of colors, for example, black (black: Bk), yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C) There is an ink jet recording apparatus that forms a color image using the recording liquids of the respective colors (printing, recording, printing, and printing are also used in the same meaning).

  In such an image forming apparatus, not only normal image data from the outside is printed, but also the current status of the apparatus itself, such as information about the image forming apparatus (this is referred to as “system information”) and sample images. It has a test print function that prints out various information for confirmation.

As an image forming apparatus having a conventional test printing function, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, in test printing for inspecting a printing state of a color such as yellow having poor visibility, yellow and At the same time, by ejecting cyan droplets, a green test pattern is formed, so that it is possible to determine the ejection failure location of the yellow nozzle by searching for the cyan portion that has not changed to green. .
JP-A-9-66650

Further, while the conventional image forming apparatus can only output the fixed test print data stored in advance, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, the apparatus includes an exchangeable information storage means. By storing test print data in this information storage means, the latest accessory information can be added to the test print data, and the latest system information can always be printed during test printing. There is.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-119948

  However, in the above-described conventional image forming apparatus, when a certain recording liquid becomes insufficient, all printing operations are stopped until the cartridge replacement of the recording liquid of the color that has become insufficient is completed. Therefore, there is a problem that even when it is desired to check the system information of the apparatus, test printing cannot be performed until the cartridge is replaced.

  In this case, if test printing is forced even if the remaining amount of recording liquid is insufficient, not only will the print result be unreadable due to blurring, but also color recording will be performed especially when test printing a color sample image. If test printing is forced even though the liquid has run out, the meaning of the test printing is lost, resulting in a problem that the paper and the recording liquid are wasted.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an image forming apparatus capable of performing test printing as much as possible even when a recording liquid of a specific color is insufficient.

  In order to solve the above problems, an image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a unit that prints information about the image forming apparatus using a recording liquid of a color other than black when there is no black recording liquid. It was. “No recording liquid” means a recording liquid end or recording liquid near-end state.

  Here, the recording liquid used when there is no black recording liquid is preferably a recording liquid other than yellow. The recording liquid used when there is no black recording liquid is preferably cyan, magenta and yellow recording liquid. Furthermore, when printing a color sample image together with information relating to the image forming apparatus itself, it is preferable not to print the color sample image when there is no recording liquid of at least one color recording liquid necessary for printing the color sample image. .

  According to the image forming apparatus of the present invention, when there is no black recording liquid, the image forming apparatus includes means for printing out information relating to the image forming apparatus using a recording liquid of a color other than black. System information can be printed out even when there is not.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an explanatory perspective view of the image forming apparatus as an example of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention as viewed from the front side.
The image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body 1, a paper feed tray 2 for loading paper loaded in the apparatus main body 1, and a discharge for stocking paper on which an image is recorded (formed) mounted on the apparatus main body 1. The apparatus body 1 further includes a cartridge loading portion 6 that protrudes forward from the front surface 4 and is lower than the upper surface 5 on one end side of the front surface 4 of the apparatus main body 1. An operation unit 7 such as operation keys and a display is arranged on the upper surface of the display. The cartridge loading unit 6 has a front cover 8 that can be opened and closed for attaching and detaching an ink cartridge 10 that is a main tank in which recording liquid is stored.

Next, the mechanism of this image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining the overall configuration of the mechanism unit, and FIG. 3 is a plan view for explaining a main part of the mechanism unit.
A carriage 13 is slidably held in the main scanning direction by a guide rod 11 and a stay 12 that are horizontally mounted on left and right side plates (not shown), and moved and scanned in the direction indicated by an arrow in FIG. 3 by a main scanning motor (not shown). To do.

  The carriage 13 has a recording head 14 composed of a liquid discharge head (here, an ink jet head) for discharging droplets of a recording liquid (here, ink) in a direction crossing a plurality of nozzles with the main scanning direction. They are arranged and mounted with the ink droplet ejection direction facing downward.

  Here, as the recording head 14, for example, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, droplets that eject ink droplets of each color of yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K). Four independent liquid discharge heads 14y, 14m, 14c, and 14k (hereinafter, “recording head 14” is a term for not distinguishing colors), which are discharge heads, are used. A configuration in which one or a plurality of heads having a plurality of nozzle rows to be ejected is also used. The number of colors and the order of arrangement are not limited to this.

  As the ink-jet head constituting the recording head 14, a piezoelectric actuator such as a piezoelectric element, a thermal actuator that utilizes a phase change caused by film boiling of a liquid using an electrothermal transducer such as a heating resistor, and a metal phase change caused by a temperature change. A shape memory alloy actuator to be used, an electrostatic actuator using an electrostatic force, or the like provided as energy generating means for discharging ink can be used.

  Further, the carriage 13 is equipped with a sub tank 15 which is a liquid container of each color for supplying ink of each color to the recording head 14. Ink is supplied to the sub tank 15 from the main tank (ink cartridge) 10 for each color through the ink supply tube 16. Here, the main tank 10 stores ink of each color of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K) corresponding to each color.

  Further, the sub tank 15 is provided with an ink end sensor using a detection electrode for detecting that the amount of ink (recording liquid) contained in the sub tank 15 is less than or equal to a predetermined amount (ink end). When the inside of the ink tank 15 reaches the ink end, the recording liquid of the corresponding color is replenished and supplied from the corresponding ink cartridge 10, and the ink end state in the sub tank 15 is resolved despite the replenishing and supplying operation from the ink cartridge 10. If not, the ink cartridge 10 is also assumed to be in an ink end and performs the required processing. The “no recording liquid” state in the present invention corresponds to a state in which the ink cartridge 10 is in an ink end. The ink end state includes an ink near end state.

  On the other hand, as a paper feeding unit for feeding the paper 22 stacked on the paper stacking unit (pressure plate) 21 of the paper feeding tray 3, a half-moon roller (feeding) that separates and feeds the paper 22 from the paper stacking unit 21 one by one. A separation pad 24 made of a material having a large friction coefficient is provided opposite to the sheet roller 23 and the sheet feeding roller 23, and the separation pad 24 is biased toward the sheet feeding roller 23 side.

  As a transport unit for transporting the paper 22 fed from the paper feed unit on the lower side of the recording head 14, a transport belt 31 for transporting the paper 22 by electrostatic adsorption, and a paper feed unit The counter roller 32 for transporting the paper 22 fed through the guide 25 while sandwiching it between the transport belt 31 and the paper 22 fed substantially vertically upward are turned approximately 90 ° and copied onto the transport belt 31. A conveying guide 33 for adjusting the pressure and a tip pressing roller 35 urged toward the conveying belt 31 by a pressing member 34. In addition, a charging roller 36 that is a charging unit for charging the surface of the transport belt 31 is provided.

  Here, the conveyance belt 31 is an endless belt, and is configured to be looped around the conveyance roller 37 and the tension roller 38 in the belt conveyance direction of FIG. The charging roller 36 is disposed so as to contact the surface layer of the conveyor belt 31 and rotate following the rotation of the conveyor belt 31, and applies 2.5 N to both ends of the shaft as a pressing force. In addition, a guide member 41 is disposed on the back side of the conveyance belt 31 so as to correspond to a printing area by the recording head 14.

  In addition, as a paper discharge unit for discharging the paper 22 recorded by the recording head 14, a separation claw 51 for separating the paper 22 from the conveyance belt 31, a paper discharge roller 52, and a paper discharge roller 53 are provided. The paper discharge tray 3 is provided below the paper discharge roller 52. Here, the height from the sheet discharge roller 52 and the sheet discharge roller 53 to the sheet discharge tray 3 is increased to some extent in order to increase the amount that can be stored in the sheet discharge tray 3.

  A double-sided paper feeding unit 61 is detachably mounted on the back surface of the apparatus body 1. The double-sided paper feeding unit 61 takes in the paper 22 returned by the reverse rotation of the transport belt 31, reverses it, and feeds it again between the counter roller 32 and the transport belt 11. A manual paper feed unit 62 is provided on the upper surface of the double-sided paper feed unit 61.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, in one non-printing area of the carriage 13 in the scanning direction, a maintenance / recovery mechanism 71 which is a reliability maintaining means for maintaining and recovering the nozzle state of the recording head 14 is arranged. An empty discharge receiving member 81 is disposed in the other non-printing area.

  The maintenance / recovery mechanism 71 includes cap members 72a, 72b, 72c, and 72d that are capping means for capping the nozzle surface of the recording head 14, and a wiper blade 73 that is a wiping means for wiping the nozzle surface. ing.

Next, an outline of the control unit of the image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. This figure is an overall block diagram of the control unit.
The control unit 100 includes a CPU 101 that controls the entire apparatus that also functions as a unit that performs processing related to test printing, and a ROM 102 that stores a program executed by the CPU 101, sample image data for test printing, and other fixed data. A RAM 103 for temporarily storing image data and the like, a non-volatile memory (NVRAM) 104 for retaining data even while the apparatus is powered off, and an image for performing various signal processing and rearrangement on the image data. And an ASIC 105 for processing input / output signals for controlling the processing and other devices.

  The control unit 100 also includes an I / F 106 for transmitting and receiving data and signals to and from the host, a head drive control unit 107 and a head driver 108 for driving and controlling the recording head 14, and a main scanning motor 110. A main scanning motor driving unit 111 for driving the sub scanning motor, a sub scanning motor driving unit 113 for driving the sub scanning motor 112, and an AC bias supply unit for applying a high voltage to the charging roller 36 (not shown). Yes.

  Further, the control unit 100 receives detection signals from the recording liquid remaining amount detection sensor 115 that detects that the recording liquid (ink) provided in the sub tank 10 is in an ink end state, and various other sensors (not shown). I / O 117 and the like are provided. The control unit 100 is connected to an operation panel 118 (operation unit 7) for inputting and displaying information necessary for the apparatus.

  The control unit 100 receives print data and the like from the host side such as an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, an image reading apparatus such as an image scanner, and an imaging apparatus such as a digital camera via the cable or the network by the I / F 106.

  The CPU 101 reads and analyzes the print data in the reception buffer included in the I / F 106, performs necessary image processing, data rearrangement processing, and the like in the ASIC 105, and transfers the image data to the head drive control unit 107. To do. The generation of dot pattern data for image output may be performed by storing font data in the ROM 102, for example, or image data is developed into bitmap data by a host-side printer driver and transferred to this apparatus. You may do it.

  When the head drive control unit 107 receives image data (dot pattern data) corresponding to one line of the recording head 14, the dot pattern data for one line is serialized to the head driver 108 in synchronization with the clock signal. Data is sent out, and a latch signal is sent to the head driver 108 at a predetermined timing.

  The head drive control unit 107 includes a ROM (can be configured by the ROM 102) storing pattern data of a drive waveform (drive signal) and D / A-converted D of drive waveform data read from the ROM. A waveform generation circuit including an A converter and a drive waveform generation circuit including an amplifier and the like are included.

  The head driver 108 also receives a clock signal from the head drive control unit 107 and serial data as image data, and a latch circuit that latches the register value of the shift register using a latch signal from the head drive control unit 107. A level conversion circuit (level shifter) that changes the output value of the latch circuit, an analog switch array (switch means) that is controlled to be turned on / off by the level shifter, and the like, and controls on / off of the analog switch array. In this way, a required drive waveform included in the drive waveform is selectively applied to the actuator means of the recording head 14 to drive the head.

  Here, when there is a test print request, the control unit 100 performs a test print process in which the sample image stored in the ROM 102 and the system information stored in the ROM 102 or the NVRAM 104 are read and printed out.

  In the image forming apparatus configured as described above, the sheets 22 are separated and fed one by one from the sheet feeding tray 2, and the sheets 22 fed substantially vertically upward are guided by the guide 25, and the conveying belt 31 and the counter roller 32, and the tip is guided by the transport guide 33 and pressed against the transport belt 31 by the tip pressure roller 35, and the transport direction is changed by approximately 90 °.

  At this time, a positive output and a negative output are alternately and repeatedly applied to the charging roller 36 from a high voltage power source (not shown), that is, an alternating voltage is applied, and a charging voltage pattern in which the conveying belt 31 alternates, that is, in the circumferential direction. In a certain sub-scanning direction, plus and minus are alternately charged in a band shape with a predetermined width. When the sheet 22 is fed onto the conveyance belt 31 that is alternately charged with plus and minus, the sheet 22 is electrostatically attracted to the conveyance belt 31, and the sheet 22 is moved in the sub scanning direction by the circular movement of the conveyance belt 31. Be transported.

  Therefore, by driving the recording head 14 according to the image signal while moving the carriage 13, ink droplets are ejected onto the stopped paper 22 to record one line, and after the paper 22 is conveyed by a predetermined amount, Record the next line. Upon receiving a recording end signal or a signal that the trailing edge of the paper 22 has reached the recording area, the recording operation is finished and the paper 22 is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 3.

  Further, during printing (recording) standby, the carriage 13 is moved to the maintenance / recovery mechanism 71 side, the recording head 14 is capped by the caps 72a to 72d, and the nozzles are kept in a wet state to prevent ejection failure due to ink drying. In addition, nozzle suction is performed to recover the state of the nozzle, and further, recovery operation such as idle ejection that ejects ink that is not related to recording is performed before the start of recording or during recording to maintain stable ejection performance. .

  Next, test print processing executed by the control unit will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, as shown in FIG. 7, an example will be described in which a demo chart image including a color sample image 201 and system information 202 is printed by test printing.

  First, as shown in FIG. 7, when there is a test print request from the host side or when there is a test print request by an input from the operation panel 118, recording of the color necessary for printing the color sample image 201 is performed. It is determined whether or not all the recording liquids of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K), which are liquids, are present. To print.

  That is, the color sample image is not printed when there is no recording liquid of at least one of the recording liquids of the color necessary for printing the color sample image 201. As a result, it is useless to print color sample images without recording liquids of all colors that should be originally used. Therefore, by avoiding printing, wasteful consumption of recording liquids and papers can be prevented. Can do.

  Thereafter, it is determined whether or not there is a black (K) recording liquid. If there is a black recording liquid, the system information 202 is printed using the black (black) recording liquid. On the other hand, when there is no black recording liquid, whether there are cyan (C), magenta (M) and yellow (Y) recording liquids, that is, when all of these three color recording liquids are present, The system information is printed with composite black that is a mixture of cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y) recording liquids.

  On the other hand, when composite black cannot be used, it is determined whether or not there is cyan (C) recording liquid. When cyan (C) recording liquid is present, system information is printed in cyan and cyan (C If there is no magenta (M) recording liquid, then it is determined whether or not there is a magenta (M) recording liquid, and if there is a magenta (M) recording liquid, system information is printed with magenta. When there is no yellow recording liquid, it is determined whether or not there is a yellow (Y) recording liquid. When there is a yellow (Y) recording liquid, the system information is printed in yellow, and the yellow (Y) recording liquid is printed. If not, the demo chart printing is disabled and the test printing process is terminated.

  In other words, when there is no black recording liquid, printing system information using a recording liquid of a color other than black makes it possible to print system information that does not place importance on color, etc., so check the status of the device can do.

  In this case, the recording liquid used in place of the black recording liquid can sufficiently ensure the visibility by preferentially using a recording liquid of a color other than the yellow recording liquid, which is not sufficiently visible. . In particular, when all of the C, M, and Y color recording liquids are available, printing with composite black can provide a printing result equivalent to that obtained using the black recording liquid.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an example of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention as viewed from the front side. 2 is a configuration diagram illustrating an outline of a mechanism unit of the image forming apparatus. FIG. It is principal part plane explanatory drawing of the mechanism part. FIG. 2 is a schematic block explanatory diagram of a control unit of the image forming apparatus. It is a flowchart with which it uses for description of the test printing process which the same control part performs. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the demo chart printed by the process of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image forming apparatus main body 10 ... Ink cartridge 13 ... Carriage 14y, 14m, 14c, 14k ... Recording head 100 ... Control part

Claims (4)

  An image forming apparatus that forms an image using recording liquids of a plurality of colors includes means for printing information relating to the image forming apparatus itself using a recording liquid of a color other than black when there is no black recording liquid. An image forming apparatus.   2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording liquid used when there is no black recording liquid is a recording liquid of a color other than yellow.   2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording liquid used when there is no black recording liquid is a cyan, magenta and yellow recording liquid. 4. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a color sample image is printed together with information relating to the image forming apparatus itself, at least one of recording liquids of a color necessary for printing the color sample image. An image forming apparatus, wherein the color sample image is not printed when there is no recording liquid.

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