JP2007069429A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer which can continue registration adjustment without making it an error that a paper with a size other than that of a reference paper is set when the registration adjustment is performed. <P>SOLUTION: In the automatic registration adjustment using an optical sensor of an inkjet printer, a paper size is detected, and an adjustment resolution and an adjustment phase are set according to the paper size. The printer can perform the automatic registration adjustment without issuing an automatic registration adjustment failure error by the paper size. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer relating to an ink jet recording system that forms an image by ejecting ink onto a recording medium from a plurality of recording elements arranged in a recording head.

  In the conventional automatic registration adjustment of a printer, when the paper width is narrower than the registration adjustment reference size, the registration is not performed by causing the printer to have a registration failure error and canceling the registration adjustment.

For this reason, when the user sets paper of a size smaller than the reference size, after printing the ink ejection confirmation pattern, the paper is discarded and an automatic registration adjustment failure error occurs.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-124221 JP-A-6-31909 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-99643

  To solve the above problems, paper width detection is performed by the carriage sensor, and the registration adjustment range and registration adjustment ink nozzle row corresponding to the paper width are judged, so that paper of a size other than the reference paper is set during registration adjustment. An object of the present invention is to provide a printer capable of continuing registration adjustment without causing an error even if the error occurs.

  The present invention relates to a registration adjustment method when the registration adjustment of a printer is automatically performed by a sensor provided in a carriage.

  The width of the fed paper is detected by a sensor provided in the carriage.

  If the detected paper width is narrower than the reference width, the adjustment resolution of the adjustment pattern is determined by calculating how many adjustment patterns can be printed from the paper width and the width of the adjustment pattern.

  Also, if the paper width is narrower than the width of the reference paper to be adjusted, the length is expected to be short, so limiting the nozzles to be adjusted maximizes the paper that has been fed without wasting it. It is possible to make adjustments using this.

  That is, the technical contents of the present invention can solve the above-described problems by including the following configuration.

  (1) In a printer having a sensor for detecting a paper width, a print head on a carriage, and a sensor for reading ink ejected on a medium on a carriage, an adjustment pattern printed by changing a registration value of a print head nozzle is printed. A printer characterized in that a printed adjustment pattern is read by a sensor on a carriage, and an optimum read value pattern is set as an optimum print head registration value.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to perform registration adjustment with paper of a size other than the reference paper, and it is possible to provide a printer that does not force the user to perform registration adjustment work with reference paper.

  Hereinafter, a configuration example of an ink jet recording system applicable to the present invention will be specifically described.

  The key configuration of the ink jet printer according to the present embodiment includes a power key and a function key.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printer 1-1 includes a carriage 1-2, a print head 1-3, an optical sensor 1-4, and a platen 1-5.

  The platen 1-5 outputs a value different from that of the paper as a result of the sensor.

  A specific example of the most characteristic configuration of the present invention will be described below using the recording apparatus of the present embodiment described above.

  An example in which the adjustment reference paper is set to A4 with the A4 printer and the registration adjustment is performed with B5 is shown below (see FIG. 2).

  Start cash register adjustment work. In this case, a registration adjustment start command from the host may be transmitted, or registration adjustment start may be selected from the panel key (step 2-1).

  When registration adjustment is started, paper feeding is performed (step 2-2).

  When the paper supply is completed, the carriage is moved in the scanning direction to scan the paper width (step 2-3).

  In this embodiment, the A4 paper width is 203 mm, the paper length is 279.4 mm, and the adjustment pattern printing has a width of 20 mm and a vertical length of 15 mm.

  If the printer is an A4 printer, paper smaller than A4, such as A5, B5, and L plates, may be fed. Therefore, the size of the paper fed by the medium having the sensed paper width is determined.

  When the B5 paper is fed, if the pattern is A4, seven patterns can be printed (see FIG. 3-1), but only five patterns can be printed (see FIG. 3-2).

  The adjustment resolution is determined from the paper width and the adjustment print pattern width (step 2-4).

  Therefore, in A4, the adjustable range is from −3 to +3 at 1200 ppi, but in B5, the adjustable range is from −2 to +2. Since the paper length is the B5 paper length, the ink nozzle row to be adjusted is adjusted to four colors of C, M, K, and light cyan in A4, and the three colors of CMK are used as the adjustment target ink nozzle row. . Assign the adjustment value of C to light cyan.

  The blank space or the paper surface is scanned before printing and used as the white reference of the sensor (step 2-6).

  A head discharge confirmation pattern is printed (step 2-5), and sensord (step 2-7).

  The optimum registration value can be judged by using a detection method in which the sensor input value is high in the adjustment pattern in which the registration value is the darkest. A detection method that optimizes a place where the sensor input value is low in the pattern may be used.

  If the input value is in the vicinity of the sensor white reference value as a result of sensing the pattern, a registration adjustment error is set as an error because of head ejection failure (step 2-11).

  The registration adjustment sequence is terminated (step 2-9).

  The fact that the registration adjustment has been performed with a size other than the reference size is stored in the printer (step 2-10).

  This is to warn the user that registration adjustment is not performed under the original conditions when printing on a high-quality medium such as photo paper.

  Further, when printing on plain paper, the quality is sufficiently satisfied with media other than the reference paper, so that the use of printing text on plain paper is a very effective registration adjustment means for the main user.

  As described above, in the registration adjustment method of the printer according to the present embodiment, when a paper having a size other than the reference paper is fed, the registration adjustment failure is caused by changing the registration adjustment accuracy according to the paper size. It has become possible to provide a printer in which registration adjustment is completed normally without showing an error.

  The present invention can be applied to a serial type ink jet recording system that forms an image by ejecting ink from a plurality of recording elements.

Configuration diagram of printer of this embodiment Flowchart for explaining automatic registration adjustment of this embodiment The figure which shows the adjustment range of A4 The figure which shows the adjustment range of B5

Explanation of symbols

1-1 Printer 1-2 Carriage 1-3 Printhead 1-4 Sensor 1-5 Platen

Claims (5)

A sensor for detecting the paper width;
A print head on the carriage,
A sensor for reading the ink discharged to the medium on the carriage;
In a printer having
Print the adjustment pattern printed by changing the registration value of the print head nozzle,
Read the printed adjustment pattern with the sensor on the carriage,
A printer characterized in that an optimum reading value pattern is set as an optimum value of a print head registration. The printer according to claim 1.
If the detected paper width is wider than the standard paper width,
Set the registration value of the print head nozzle and print the adjustment pattern by changing the setting range in detail from the standard.
Read the printed adjustment pattern with the sensor on the carriage,
A printer characterized in that an optimum registration value of a print head is set in more detail than a reference registration setting resolution. The printer according to claim 1.
If the detected paper width is narrower than the standard paper width,
Print the adjustment pattern by changing the print head nozzle registration value to be wider than the reference width.
Read the printed adjustment pattern with the sensor on the carriage,
A printer characterized in that an optimum value of a registration of a print head is set coarser than a reference registration setting resolution. The printer according to claim 3.
In an inkjet printer composed of dark ink and light ink,
If the detected paper width is narrower than the standard paper width,
A printer characterized in that the ink head nozzle row to be adjusted is dark ink only. The printer according to claim 3.
If the detected paper width is narrower than the standard paper width,
A printer characterized by narrowing an adjustment pattern width for adjustment and printing an adjustment pattern having the same adjustment width as a reference width.

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