JP2007268826A - Printing device and printing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To acquire an excellent printing result by performing a preliminary discharge near a printing area and stabilizing an ink discharge of a print head. <P>SOLUTION: While a printing is performed by discharging an ink from the print head 10 with making a head part 6 move to and fro in the main scanning direction for a printing medium on a platen 12 and then moving the printing medium 4 to the sub-scanning direction on the platen, the preliminary discharge is performed before making a print in the printing medium with the print head at a predetermined timing. The preliminary discharge is performed in the position near the printing area by the print head except for the platen. The position near the printing area belongs to the non-printing area of the printing medium and is located on a presser member for pressing the printing medium with sliding free and is established on a conveyance auxiliary member which supports the printing medium and be conveyed to the sub-scanning direction in working together with the printing medium concerned. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing method for performing printing by ejecting ink onto a printing medium.

In an ink jet printer, in order to stabilize the ink ejection operation of the nozzles of the ink ejection type print head, a test ink ejection, that is, preliminary ejection (preliminary ejection) is performed before printing is started. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an ink jet plotter in which preliminary discharge positions are provided on the left and right sides of a platen is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Also, there is known one in which preliminary ejection positions are provided over the entire size of the sheet (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
JP-A-9-226151 JP-A-6-115097

If the preliminary discharge position, that is, the preliminary discharge position is provided on both sides of the platen, there is no problem if the paper uses the entire width of the platen, but if a narrow paper is placed on one side of the platen, the paper One side is close to the preliminary ejection position, but the other is very far away. In addition, when the paper is arranged at the center of the platen, it is far from the middle. In this case, printing starts after the head portion has moved for a while from the position of preliminary ejection, so the stability of ink ejection means that the stability of the initial ejection is lower than when preliminary ejection is performed nearby. As a result, good printing results cannot be obtained. Also, in a structure where the ink is mechanically received by a structure such as a plate or a groove, if the preliminary discharge position is outside the printing area, even if the preliminary discharge position is dirty, the conveyed print medium is affected. There is no problem because it does not come out, but if it is provided in the area where the print medium is transported, the next print medium may be soiled if the area around the plate or groove becomes dirty. Yes, there is no problem when using only specific paper, but it becomes a problem when using paper with different paper widths.
The present invention aims to solve the above problems.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention reciprocates a head portion on which an ink ejection type print head is mounted in a main scanning direction with respect to a printing medium, and moves the printing medium relative to the head portion in a sub scanning direction. A printing apparatus that moves, discharges ink from the ink discharge type print head, and performs printing on the print medium, the preliminary discharge of ink from the nozzles of the ink discharge type print head performed at a predetermined timing, This is performed at the preliminary discharge position set in the non-printing area of the printing medium.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a head portion on which an ink discharge type print head is mounted is reciprocated in a main scanning direction with respect to a print medium, and the print medium is moved relative to the head portion in a sub-scanning direction. A printing apparatus that discharges ink from a print head and performs printing on the print medium, and enables preliminary discharge of ink from the nozzle of the ink discharge print head to be slidable at a predetermined timing. This is performed at the preliminary discharge position set on the pressing member to be pressed.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a head portion on which an ink discharge type print head is mounted is reciprocated in a main scanning direction with respect to a print medium, and the print medium is moved relative to the head portion in a sub-scanning direction. A printing apparatus that discharges ink from a print head and performs printing on the print medium, and supports preliminary discharge of ink from nozzles of the ink discharge print head performed at a predetermined timing while supporting the print medium. This is performed at the preliminary discharge position set on the conveyance auxiliary member that is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction in conjunction with the print medium.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a head portion on which an ink ejection type print head is mounted is reciprocated in a main scanning direction with respect to a printing medium on a platen, and the printing medium is moved in the sub scanning direction on the platen. A printing method in which ink is ejected from a printer and printing is performed at a predetermined timing before printing on a print medium by the print head, wherein the preliminary ejection is performed by the print head excluding the platen. This is performed in the vicinity of the print area.
Further, the invention is characterized in that a position in the vicinity of the print area is a non-print area of the print medium.
Further, the invention is characterized in that a position in the vicinity of the printing area is on a pressing member that slidably presses the printing medium.
In the invention, it is preferable that a position near the print area is on a conveyance auxiliary member that supports the print medium and is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction in conjunction with the print medium.

  In the present invention, since preliminary ejection can be performed near the printing medium, ink ejection from the nozzle is stable, and a better printing result can be obtained than when performed outside the printing area, and the platen and the like are not soiled. , The medium being transported is not soiled.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention. The body (not shown) of the inkjet printer 2 includes a controller, and the controller is connected to the computer via a connector. A program for causing the printer to perform the operation shown in the flowchart of FIG. 5 is stored in the controller of the printer or the computer connected thereto.

The printer 2 reciprocates the head unit 6 along a Y-axis rail 8 by a sub-scan feed mechanism that transports a transport medium 4 made of a print medium such as roll paper or cut paper by a paper feed motor, and a Y-axis motor. And a main scanning feed mechanism. Here, the feed direction of the transport medium 4 in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface by the sub-scan feed mechanism is called a sub-scan direction, and the movement direction of the head unit 6 along the Y-axis rail 8 by the main scan feed mechanism is called a main scan direction. Note that the term “printing” is not a narrow meaning of simply writing a character, but a broad concept of drawing a character, an image, a symbol, and the like.

A plurality of ink ejection type print heads 10 are mounted on the head unit 6, and the nozzles of the respective print heads 10 are opened on the lower surface of the head unit 6 so as to face the print surface. The transport medium 4 is driven in the sub-scanning direction by a driving roller and a pinch roller (not shown) and slides on the platen 12. An object detection sensor (not shown) for detecting the conveyance medium 4 on the platen 12 is attached to the head unit 6 so that the controller can recognize the coordinate position of the edge of the conveyance medium 4 on the platen 12. ing.

Outside the printing area on both sides of the platen 12, ink receiving portions 14 and 16 and cap mechanisms 18 and 20 for closing the nozzles of the head portion 6 to prevent the ink from drying or to suck out the ink from the nozzles are provided. ing. The ink receiving portions 14 and 16 and the cap mechanisms 18 and 20 are well-known mechanisms and are also disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228707, and thus detailed description of their structures is omitted.

  In the above configuration, when the printing operation is started, the head unit 6 is reciprocated in the main scanning direction along the Y-axis rail 8 under the control of the controller, and ink is ejected from the nozzles of the print head 10 mounted on the head unit 6. Drops are ejected, and printing is performed at a predetermined position on the transport medium 4. When the head unit 6 reaches the end in the main scanning direction, the controller moves the carrier medium 4 by a predetermined pitch in the sub-scanning direction, and executes a printing operation in the next main scanning direction.

Next, the printing operation will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
When the operator starts the printing operation of the printer, the operator selects an ink preliminary ejection position (preliminary ejection position) by the operation panel and inputs the selection information to the controller (step 1). In the first embodiment, the conveyance medium (printing medium), that is, the unnecessary non-printing portions (a) and (b) of the paper 4 is selected as the preliminary ejection position.

Next, the controller starts printing (step 2), moves the head unit 6 in the main scanning direction, scans the paper 4 by the detection sensor, and detects both sides of the paper 4 based on the signal from the object detection sensor. The end point is detected and the width of the paper 4 is recognized. Next, the controller determines whether the designation of the preliminary discharge position is on the paper or a predetermined discharge position on the ink receiving portions 14 and 16 outside the print area (step 4), and determines that it is on the paper. Then, the preliminary ejection position data table with respect to the paper width is referred to, and the preliminary ejection position is read from this data table (step 5).

Numerical values in this data table are set in advance and stored in the memory of the controller. Next, the controller enters a printing operation, moves the head unit 6 toward the paper 4 (step 7), and a data table of an unnecessary non-printing portion (a) or (b) at the end on the paper 4. After the ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles at the preliminary ejection position designated by (1) and preliminary ejection is performed (step 7), printing is performed on the paper 4 (step 8). The timing of the preliminary ejection is preferably performed for each scanning operation of the head unit 6.

In addition, since the print position of the preliminary discharge may become sticky as the number of heads increases, it may be changed for each print head (color). Next, the controller determines whether or not the print data has been completed (step 9). If a negative determination is made in step 9, the moving direction of the head unit 6 is changed in the vicinity of the end of the printing paper (step 10), and the process proceeds to step 7. When images A, B, and C are printed on the printing paper 4, preliminary ejection is performed on unnecessary non-printing portions (a) and (b) of the paper 4, so that normal printing starting from the vicinity of the preliminary ejection position can be performed. Therefore, very stable ejection is performed and a good printing result is obtained. If preliminary ejection is performed for each scan, a line is formed in the non-printing portion by the width of the image.

The unnecessary non-printing portions (a) and (b) are portions that are cut and discarded after printing. In the case of setting the preliminary ejection position on the paper 4, in the embodiment of FIG. 1, ink is directly ejected to unnecessary non-printing portions (a) and (b) of the printing paper 4, but as shown in FIG. When both sides of the printing paper 4 are required, a preliminary ejection position is set in the non-printing portions (a) and (b), the preliminary ejection papers 18, 20, 22, and 24 are attached to the portions, and the preliminary ejection positions are set on the preliminary ejection papers. You may make it perform discharge. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, when both sides of the printing paper 4 are slidably pressed by the paper pressing members 26 and 28, preliminary printing such as paper and an ink absorbing pad is provided on the paper pressing members 26 and 28. The preliminary discharge positions may be configured by placing the members 30 and 32 for use.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a plate-like conveyance auxiliary member 34 is placed on the platen 12, a print medium 36 is set on the conveyance auxiliary member 34, and the conveyance auxiliary member 34 is placed on the platen 12. In the printer that transports in the sub-scanning direction, the ejection assisting member 34 may be provided with ink ejection grooves 38 and 40, and the grooves 38 and 40 may be set as preliminary ejection positions.

In FIG. 5, when it is determined in step 4 that the ejection position outside the printing area is designated, the controller moves the head unit 6 (step 11), and the ejection position outside the printing area, that is, the ink receiving section 14 or 16 is moved. Preliminary ejection is performed (step 12), and then printing is performed (step 13). Next, the controller determines whether or not the print data has been completed (step 14). If a negative determination is made in step 14, the moving direction of the head unit 6 is changed at the ejection position (step 15), and the process proceeds to step 13.

It is explanatory drawing of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows other embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating operation | movement of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

2 Printer 4 Conveying medium 6 Head unit 8 Y-axis rail 10 Print head 12 Platen 14 Ink receiving unit 16 Ink receiving unit 18 Paper 20 Paper 22 Paper 24 Paper 26 Paper pressing member 28 Paper pressing member 30 Preliminary printing member 32 For preliminary printing Member 34 Conveyance auxiliary member 36 Print medium 38 Groove 40 Groove

Claims (7)

A head portion on which the ink discharge type print head is mounted is reciprocated in the main scanning direction with respect to the print medium, the print medium is moved relative to the head portion in the sub scanning direction, and the ink is discharged from the ink discharge type print head. Is a printing apparatus that performs printing on the print medium, wherein preliminary ejection of ink from the nozzles of the ink ejection type print head that is performed at a predetermined timing is set in a non-printing area of the printing medium. A printing apparatus characterized by being performed at a position. A head portion on which the ink discharge type print head is mounted is reciprocated in the main scanning direction with respect to the print medium, the print medium is moved relative to the head portion in the sub scanning direction, and the ink is discharged from the ink discharge type print head. A printing apparatus for printing on the print medium, wherein the ink is ejected at a predetermined timing from the nozzles of the ink discharge type print head on the pressing member for slidably holding the print medium. A printing apparatus characterized in that the printing is performed at the preliminary discharge position set in (1). A head portion on which the ink discharge type print head is mounted is reciprocated in the main scanning direction with respect to the print medium, the print medium is moved relative to the head portion in the sub scanning direction, and the ink is discharged from the ink discharge type print head. A printing device that prints on the print medium and supports preliminary printing of ink from the nozzles of the ink discharge type print head performed at a predetermined timing in conjunction with the print medium. And a pre-discharge position set on a conveyance auxiliary member conveyed in the sub-scanning direction. A head portion equipped with an ink discharge type print head is reciprocated in the main scanning direction with respect to the print medium on the platen, and the print medium is moved in the sub-scanning direction on the platen to discharge ink from the print head. A printing method for performing preliminary ejection before printing on a print medium by the print head at a predetermined timing, wherein the preliminary ejection is performed in the vicinity of a print area by the print head excluding the platen. A printing method characterized in that the printing is performed. The printing method according to claim 4, wherein a position near the print area is a non-print area of the print medium. The printing method according to claim 4, wherein a position in the vicinity of the printing area is on a pressing member that slidably presses the printing medium. The printing method according to claim 4, wherein a position in the vicinity of the printing area is on a conveyance auxiliary member that supports the printing medium and is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction in conjunction with the printing medium.

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