JP2008065622A - Recording system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a recording system capable of reducing interruption frequency in recording operation even when a cleaning request is generated in each recorder because the contents of images to be recorded are different in each recorder in recording a large-sized and lengthy image by using a plurality of ink jet recorders. <P>SOLUTION: In the recording system, an information processor 100 is provided with a simultaneous cleaning instruction means for simultaneously instructing the cleaning operation of all recorders when a cleaning request is generated in any one recorder out of a plurality of recorders 116. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording system that forms one image using a plurality of recording devices.

  Currently, recording systems that control a plurality of inkjet line printers to complete large-sized printed materials are becoming popular.

  In this type of recording system, the entire recording width of a relatively wide recording medium is divided and recorded, and the recording medium is divided into different colors and inks for each area in the width direction of the recording medium. The method of doing etc. can be considered.

  In the case of an ink jet recording head, it is necessary to perform a recovery operation every time a predetermined condition or a predetermined time elapses in order to maintain sound recording performance. When a plurality of ink jet recording apparatuses are used, the timing at which the recovery operation is required shifts because the number of ejected recording pixels differs for each recording apparatus.

Conventionally, when any one of the ink jet recording apparatuses performs a recovery operation, the other ink jet recording apparatuses are also controlled to be in a standby state. This is because a completed image can be formed only during a period in which all the recording apparatuses can maintain the recording state.
(For example, see Patent Document 1)
WO04 / 106068

  As described above, the timing at which the recovery operation is required in each inkjet recording apparatus is shifted, so the frequency of interrupting the entire recording operation is inevitably increased.

  The present invention has been made in such a background, and its main purpose is to start an operation other than printing such that any of a plurality of recording devices is similar to a recovery operation during standby or printing. Then, an efficient operation is realized by not synchronizing the other printing apparatuses to start but synchronizing them to start the same operation.

A recording system according to the present invention comprises a plurality of recording devices,
In a printing system provided with an information processing device that generates print data for the plurality of printing devices and controls operations,
To reduce waiting time and improve productivity,
During printing standby or printing, if any of the recording devices starts an operation other than printing, for example, similar to a recovery operation, the remaining printing devices are synchronized to start the same operation. Recording system characterized by performing the most efficient control.

  More specifically, when any of the plurality of recording devices starts an operation similar to a recovery operation, a similar operation start command is transmitted to other recording devices that are not performing the operation. According to the present invention, when one of a plurality of recording devices starts an operation similar to the recovery operation, the other recording device is instructed to start the same operation instead of waiting.

  The recording system according to the present invention also instructs all the recording apparatuses to perform the same operation even when an operation request accompanied by the interruption of the recording operation occurs regardless of the recovery operation, and temporarily instructs the transport apparatus. An instruction to interrupt the transfer operation is given.

  According to the present invention, when one of a plurality of recording devices starts an operation similar to a recovery operation, the recording system is instructed to start the same operation instead of waiting for the other recording devices. As a whole, the frequency of interrupting the recording operation is overwhelmingly small.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.
<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a recording system embodying the present invention.

  The CPU 101 is a central processing unit that performs system control of the information processing apparatus 100 in general.

  In the information processing apparatus 100, an application for generating an image by the CPU 101 under the control of an operating system, an image segmentation program according to the present invention, control programs (device drivers) for a plurality of recording apparatuses 116-1 to 116-5, and the like. Control and control.

  The system bus of the CPU 101 has, for example, a PCI bus and an ISA bus as local buses, and a hierarchical bus via a host / PCI bridge 102 and a PCI / ISA bridge 105, respectively, and is connected to each hardware.

  The system bus has a high-speed memory using an SRAM <Static Random Access Memory> called a cache 120, and stores codes and data that the main CPU 101 always accesses.

  The video controller 106 continuously and continuously reads out the RGB display data written in the VRAM (Video-RAM) 107, CRT, LCD, PDP (Plasma Display Panel), SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display). Or the like is continuously transferred to the display 108 as a screen refresh signal.

  The communication interface 109 with the recording devices 116-1 to 116-5 is connected to a PCI bus, and examples of the interface used include IEEE 1284 (bidirectional Centronics), USB (Universal Serial Bus), and a network.

  In this embodiment, a wired USB using a HUB is used, but it can also be realized by a communication interface such as a wireless LAN.

  ROM 112 is a BIOS (Basic Input Output System) program for controlling input / output devices such as keyboard 114, mouse 115, CDD 111 and FDD 110 connected via an input / output circuit (not shown), initialization at power-on, self A diagnostic program or the like is stored, and an EEPROM (Electronic Erasable Read Only Memory) 113 is a non-volatile memory for storing various parameters used permanently.

  The main memory 103 is a temporary storage area for an execution program such as an operating system, an application program according to the present invention, printer drivers for a plurality of recording devices 116-1 to 116-5, and operations for executing each program. It is also used as a memory area.

  These execution programs are read from the hard disk drive HDD104, for example.

  In the image recording operation, a printer driver stored in the HDD 104 is loaded into the main memory 103 and the CPU 101 executes a program.

  The printer driver includes means for setting a plurality of recording devices 116-1 to 116-5 (that is, the number of divisions for dividing an image of one page) connected to the information processing device 100 and which recording device is included in one page. Setting means for indicating whether the image of the area is shared is provided.

  As described above, since the printer driver performs recording data generation and transfer processing for the plurality of recording devices 116-1 to 116-5, print data generation processing and print data transfer processing within the program itself or the print program. Can be operated in parallel (multi-process, multi-thread) and processed at high speed.

  Next, a conceptual perspective view of a recording system embodying the present invention is shown in FIG.

  The information processing apparatus 100 is connected by a USB cable 201 via a plurality of recording apparatuses 116-1 to 116-5 and a transport apparatus 117 HUB, and each recording data, operation start, end command, etc. are transferred.

  Each recording device 116-1 to 116-5 and the transport device 117 transmit and receive a signal for synchronizing the cueing of the recording medium 206 and the transport speed with printing by a cable (not shown).

  Each of the recording devices 116-1 to 116-5 has, for example, four recording heads (K, C, M, and Y) each having a recording width of about 4 inches. In this embodiment, therefore, a color image having a maximum recording width of about 20 inches. Can be recorded continuously.

  Here, K, C, M, and Y are ink colors to be recorded and indicate K: black, C: cyan, M: magenta, and Y: yellow.

  Ink to the recording devices 116-1 to 116-5 is supplied from a common ink tank 203 K to 203 Y through the tube 204.

  During standby, each recording head is capped by a capping mechanism (not shown) to prevent the nozzles (ejection ports) for ejecting ink from drying and clogging.

  The capping mechanism is desirably disposed below the recording medium 206, but may be disposed on the same side as the recording head, i.e., above the recording medium, in applications where a continuous roll-shaped recording medium is used.

  In some cases, a lower part of the media stage 202 to which the recording medium 206 is conveyed is provided with an adsorption mechanism (not shown) that adsorbs the recording medium 206 such as cardboard with a vacuum pump or the like.

Next, the recording devices 116-1 to 116-5 and the transport device 117 constituting the recording system of the present invention.
The electrical block diagram will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 8 is an electrical block diagram of the recording devices 116-1 to 116-5.

  The divided recording data is received by the interface controller 802 from the host computer (information processing apparatus) 100 via the USB HUB, and the CPU 800 analyzes the command received from the USB interface and then analyzes the image data of each color component of the recording data. When a drawing instruction for bitmap development is given to the VRAM 801, the memory controller 804 writes the image data from the interface controller 802 to the VRAM 801 at high speed.

  Then, the ejection nozzle portions of the recording heads 511K to 511Y corresponding to the respective ink colors are released from the state capped by a capping mechanism (not shown) and wait for a print start signal.

  The capping mechanism is driven back and forth by a minute amount in the conveyance direction of the recording medium 206, for example, by a capping motor 809.

  The pump motor 808 drives a pump that supplies ink from the ink tanks 203K to 203Y to the corresponding recording heads 511K to 511Y.

  Eventually, a cueing signal of the recording medium 206 and a position pulse signal synchronized with the movement of the medium are received by a synchronizing circuit 812 from a medium conveying device 117 described later, and synchronized with a system clock (not shown).

  Data in the VRAM 801 is read at high speed by the memory controller 804 in synchronism with the position pulse, transferred to the recording heads 511K to 511Y via the recording head control circuit 810, and color-recorded (printed).

  The operation of the CPU 800 is executed based on the processing program stored in the program ROM 803. The CPU 800 also uses a work RAM 805 as a working memory.

  Next, FIG. 9 shows an electrical block diagram of the medium transport device 117 constituting the recording system of the present invention.

  When a transfer start command is received from the host PC (information processing apparatus) 100 via the interface 902, the CPU 901 first activates the suction motor 908 and prepares to attract the recording medium 206 to the media stage 202.

  Then, the conveyance motor 205 is driven by the motor drive circuit 909, and the output of the rotary (rotary) encoder 910 coupled to the axis of the conveyance motor is fed back to the servo logic 912, and the constant speed conveyance operation is started. The conveyance speed can be arbitrarily set by a speed instruction value written from the CPU 901 to the servo logic 912.

  When the leading end of the recording medium 206 reaches the vicinity of the print start position, the medium detection sensor 911 detects the input and inputs it to the servo logic 912.

  A print start signal is output from the servo logic to each recording device in accordance with the conveyance direction distance from the medium detection sensor 911 to each recording device 116-1 to 116-5.

  In this embodiment, since the recording devices 116-1 to 116-5 are arranged in two rows in the transport direction, the printing start signals 1 and 2 are output.

  Thereafter, the printing operation is performed in synchronization with the position pulse 913 in which the output of the rotary encoder 910 is converted in the servo logic 912.

  The rotary encoder 910 may be provided at the same position as the transport roller instead of the transport motor shaft.

  The resolution of the position pulse may be a signal corresponding to a plurality of print lines (rows).

  The print start signals 914 and 915 from the medium transport device 117 to the recording devices 116-1 to 116-5 are minute with respect to the physical distance from the medium detection sensor 911 to the recording devices 116-1 to 116-5. It is desirable to add electrical correction and have it independently.

  Next, how the recording devices 116-1 to 116-5 perform the recovery operation by temporarily interrupting the recording operation will be described.

  FIG. 3 is an image diagram showing a state in which the recording head is simultaneously cleaned (wiped) by the wiper blade. This figure shows a case where the recording head is composed of four colors. The cleaning operation by the wiper blade is performed for the following reason.

That is,
As the recording operation progresses, it is considered that ink droplets adhere and grow on the nozzle surfaces of the recording heads 513K to 513Y that discharge ink at a high speed, and the distance from the surface of the recording medium 206 to the nozzle surface is about 1 to 2 [mm]. Because of the close distance, paper dust and the like are likely to adhere. In particular, since ink droplets tend to grow in a region where ink is frequently ejected, there is a concern that stable recording (ink ejection) cannot be continued unless the nozzle surface is wiped when a predetermined condition is reached.

  FIG. 3A is a top view of the recording apparatus being cleaned, and 500 is a support plate that supports the cleaning mechanism.

  FIG. 3B is a perspective view of the cleaning mechanism including the cap mechanisms 512K to 512Y and the wiper blades 511K to 511Y except for the recording head when viewed obliquely from above.

  The cap mechanisms 512K to 512Y are supported on the cap mechanism support plate 500 and hermetically cap the recording heads 513K to 513Y during standby. Further, a pump (not shown) is driven by a pump motor 808, the inside of the recording head is pressurized by the pump, a relatively large amount of ink is forcibly discharged from the nozzles, and is temporarily received after being received in the cap mechanisms 512K to 512Y. It also returns to the illustrated ink tank and plays the role of recycling.

  Reference numeral 501 denotes a wipe motor, which slides a blade holder 505 including wiper blades 511K to 511Y through drive pulleys 503a and 503b and belts 504a and 504b coupled to a motor output shaft to the left and right in the direction of the arrow in the drawing, The nozzle surfaces of 513C, 513M, and 513Y are cleaned (wiped) in the recording width direction.

  Reference numeral 506 denotes a guide shaft for guiding the movement of the blade holder 505.

  Next, FIG. 4 shows a physical state transition diagram of each part.

  In FIG. 4a, when a recording operation command is generated in a standby state in which the recording head is hermetically sealed, the state transitions along the circle 1 (FIG. 4b).

  First, the recording heads 513K to 513Y are finely moved upward as shown in FIG. 4B by a head U / D (Up / Down) motor 820, and then the capping motor 809 moves the cap mechanism support plate 500 in the horizontal direction of the arrow. At this time, the wiper blades 511K to 511Y move integrally with the cap mechanism.

  Thereafter, proceeding to an arrow circle 2, the recording heads 513K to 513Y descend toward the recording medium 206 and stop at the recording position (FIG. 4C).

  Reference numeral 601 denotes a head holder that is coupled to and physically supports the recording heads 513K to 513Y.

  When the recording operation proceeds and eventually a cleaning request for the nozzle surfaces of the recording heads 413K to 413Y is generated, the recording head 513K to 513Y temporarily stops recording and rises to the cleaning position by the wiper blades 511K to 511Y. Subsequently, the wipe motor 501 is driven to clean (wipe) the nozzle surfaces of all the recording heads 513K to 513Y (FIG. 6d).

  When the cleaning operation is completed, the recording position is restored again along the arrow 4 and the recording operation is resumed. Thereafter, the state transitions of the arrows 3 and 4 are repeated until all the recording operations are completed.

  When all the recording operations are completed, the transition is made in the order of the circles 5 and 6, and the recording heads 513K to 513Y return to the standby state in which the sealing cap is closed again (FIG. 4a).

  As is clear from the above description, when a cleaning operation request by the wiper blades 511K to 511Y is generated, the recording operation must be temporarily interrupted. In addition, since the recording devices 116-1 to 116-5 have different image contents to be recorded, the timing at which a cleaning operation request is generated varies. Therefore, the entire recording operation is interrupted every time a cleaning operation request is issued to a certain recording device. Doing so would reduce productivity. In the present invention, when a cleaning operation request is generated in any of the recording apparatuses, all the recording apparatuses 116-1 to 116-5 can execute the cleaning operation all at once, so that the frequency of interruption is significantly reduced.

  FIGS. 5 and 6 correspond to FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively, but a light cyan recording head 513LC and a light magenta recording head 513LM are added to form a six-color structure. Since it is the same as that of FIG. 3, FIG. 4, it abbreviate | omits.

  The operation flow of the characteristic recording system of the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 7 is an operation flow related to the information processing apparatus 100, the recording apparatuses 116-1 to 116-5, and the transport apparatus 117 constituting the recording system of the present invention.

  When a recording operation command is generated, the information processing apparatus 100 issues an operation start command (701). The recording devices 116-1 to 116-5 and the transport device 117 start operation (721, 741) when receiving the command.

  The information processing apparatus 100 continuously checks whether predetermined recording has been completed (702), but in parallel monitors whether any of the recording apparatuses 116-1 to 116-5 has generated a cleaning request ( 703) If a cleaning request is generated in one of the recording apparatuses (703-Yes), a conveying stop command is issued to the conveying apparatus 117 (704), and a cleaning command is issued to all of the recording apparatuses 116-1 to 116-5. (705) Issue. The transport device 117 stops the transport operation (742), and reversely feeds the recording medium by a predetermined amount to wait for the resumption of the recording operation (743).

  In the recording devices 116-1 to 116-5, the recording operation is temporarily stopped, and the cleaning operation by the wiper blades 511K to 511Y is started (722).

  When it is confirmed that all the recording apparatuses 116-1 to 116-5 have been cleaned (706-Yes), the information processing apparatus 100 sends a transport restart command to the transport apparatus 117 (707), and sends a recording operation restart command to the recording apparatus. It transmits to 116-1 to 116-5 (708).

  The conveyance device 117 resumes the conveyance operation (744), and the recording devices 116-1 to 116-5 also resume the recording operation (723).

  The information processing apparatus 100 then returns to 702. If predetermined recording is completed (702-Yes), an operation end command is issued (709), and the transport device 117 and the recording devices 116-1 to 116-5 end their operations. (745, 724).

  It should be noted that the reverse feeding of the recording medium 206 by a predetermined amount when interrupted by the operation of the conveying device 117 is necessary to ensure the continuity of the image when the recording medium 206 is continuous paper such as roll paper. However, in the case of a recording medium such as a cut sheet, even if a cleaning request occurs during recording, the page during the recording operation will complete recording and prepare for resumption.

  In the above step 703, a case where a cleaning request is generated is shown. However, a different operation request, for example, a case where an ink replenishment request is generated from an ink tank 203 to a sub tank (not shown) in any recording apparatus, or a recording head Even in the recovery operation of the nozzle by pressurization to forced discharge of the internal ink, the operation can be started all at once by issuing a common command from the information processing apparatus 100 to all the recording apparatuses 116-1 to 116-5. Again, the utilization rate of the recording system could be improved.

  The recording system of the present invention can be used for a high-speed and heavy-duty label printer and a large color printer. In particular, when used in large format line printers, not only high-quality images can be output with high reliability, but also the operating rate of the system can be greatly improved.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a recording system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a recording system embodying the present invention. It is an image figure which shows a motion of the cleaning mechanism of a recording device. FIG. 6 is a state transition diagram of a recording head and a cleaning mechanism of the recording apparatus. It is an image figure which shows a motion of the cleaning mechanism made into 6 color structure. FIG. 6 is a state transition diagram of a recording head and a cleaning mechanism having a six-color configuration. FIG. 3 is an interoperation flow of devices constituting the recording system of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an electrical block diagram of a recording apparatus constituting a recording system of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an electrical block diagram of a transport apparatus that constitutes the recording system of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

100 Information processing equipment (PC)
101 CPU
103 Main memory 108 Display 109 USB port (HUB)
116-1 to 116-5
Recording device 117 Conveying device

205 Conveyor motor 206 Recording medium

501 Wipe motor 511K ~ 511Y
Wiper blade 512K ~ 512Y
Cap mechanism 513K ~ 513Y
Recording head

800 CPU (recording device)
809 Capping motor 820 Head Up / Down motor

901 CPU (conveying device)
910 Encoder 911 Medium detection sensor

Claims (3)

An information processing apparatus that generates image data, a recording system that includes a plurality of recording apparatuses that record the image data on a recording medium that is being conveyed, and a medium conveyance apparatus that conveys the recording medium,
The information processing apparatus includes a simultaneous cleaning instruction unit that simultaneously instructs a cleaning operation of all the recording apparatuses when a cleaning request for any one of the plurality of recording apparatuses is generated. system. The recording system according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning operation includes a wiping operation of the recording head by a wiper blade. An information processing apparatus that generates image data, a recording system that includes a plurality of recording apparatuses that record the image data on a recording medium that is being conveyed, and a medium conveyance apparatus that conveys the recording medium,
The information processing apparatus includes a simultaneous operation instruction means for instructing all recording apparatuses to perform the same operation when an operation request accompanied by a recording operation interruption occurs in any one of the plurality of recording apparatuses, and the transport The recording system according to claim 1, wherein each of the apparatuses has conveyance operation interruption instruction means for interrupting the conveyance operation.

Images