JP2009269333A - Ink-jet printer and all-nozzle ejection control method for ink-jet printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform all-nozzle ejection control without moving a nozzle head in the width direction of a web. <P>SOLUTION: The ink-jet printer is constituted to provide an operation panel with a print stand-by mode switch and to provide a print data control device with an all-nozzle ejection printing control device for performing all-nozzle ejection control of a print head every fixed time after the stop of printing based on a product print data group by turning on the print stand-by mode switch. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention controls a print data control device and a transport device control device by operating a switch on an operation panel, and a product print data group in the print data control device on a web controlled by the transport device control device. The present invention relates to an inkjet printer configured to perform printing with a controlled print head and an all-nozzle ejection control method of the inkjet printer.

  In an inkjet printer, particularly a piezo-type inkjet printer, if the printing pause state continues for a long time, the ink on the bottom surface of the head exposed to the air dries and solidifies, causing an ink ejection failure when printing resumes. Usually, in order to prevent such a situation, storage control is performed to cover the bottom surface of the print head with a dedicated cap at the storage position during the suspension of printing. However, if the ink is not ejected even during printing for a long time without being discharged during printing, the bottom surface of the head dries and ink ejection failure occurs.

  In order to solve this problem, when counting is started and counted up from the point when the cap is released and printing starts, the head is moved out of the recording area by at least the width of the head, and the ink on the bottom surface of the head is dried. It is known that all nozzles are discharged at the discharge position before solidification (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2).

JP-A-3-257 JP-A-63-252748

  However, in the conventional system, when a line head is used as the nozzle head, this head must be moved by the web width. In this case, the head itself is large and heavy, and the moving speed is increased. In other words, the time required for the entire discharge becomes longer. In addition, vibration accompanying frequent acceleration / deceleration of the large head adversely affects machine accuracy.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and enables the discharge control of all nozzles without moving the nozzle head in the web width direction, thereby adversely affecting time loss during discharge, machine accuracy, and printing accuracy. It is an object of the present invention to provide an all-nozzle discharge control method for an ink-jet printer and an all-nozzle printer in which all-nozzle control is performed with a high recovery effect.

  In order to achieve the above object, an ink jet printer according to the present invention controls a print data control device and a transport device control device by operating a switch on an operation panel, and prints on a web whose transport is controlled by the transport device control device. In an ink jet printer configured to print with a print head controlled by a print data group for products in a data control apparatus, a print standby mode switch is provided on the operation panel, and the print data control apparatus includes the print standby mode. By switching on the mode switch, an all-nozzle ejection printing control device is provided that performs all-nozzle ejection control of the print head at regular intervals after printing by the product print data group is stopped.

  The all-nozzle discharge control method in the ink jet printer having the above-described configuration is such that when the print standby mode switch is turned on, all-nozzle discharge control is performed for a certain period of time from the time when printing is finished and transport is stopped. Each time nozzle discharge control is completed, the web is transported over a length longer than the width of the print head, and after the print standby mode switch is turned off, the print head is moved to the storage position when printing does not start for a certain period of time. .

  According to the ink jet printer of the present invention, by setting the print standby mode, it is possible to eject ink from all the print heads at regular intervals after printing is stopped, and after a state in which printing is not performed for a long time continues. There is no problem with the print quality. In this state, it is not necessary to confirm the print head discharge state before starting printing and to perform cleaning control, so that the operation rate of the ink jet printer can be improved.

  Further, according to the all-nozzle discharge control method according to the present invention in the above-described ink jet printer, since all the nozzles are discharged without moving the print head, time loss and mechanical vibration in a long line can be reduced. Further, although all the nozzles are discharged toward the web, the web is stopped, so that there is little waste paper. Furthermore, after a certain period of time has elapsed without discharging all nozzles, the nozzle head is automatically moved to the storage position, where the nozzle head can be opposed to the cap, and printing stops for a long time. Drying of the bottom of the head can be effectively prevented.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of the structure for carrying out the method of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a web conveyed by conveying rollers 2a and 2b, and 3 is a print head arranged opposite to the surface of the web 1. The print head 3 is provided with a K (black) head 3a, a C (cyan) head 3b, an M (magenta) head 3c, and a Y (yellow) head 3d from the upstream side of the web 1 in the conveying direction. Yes. Each head has the full width of the web. Reference numerals 4a and 4b denote drive motors for driving the transport rollers 2a and 2b, respectively.

  Reference numeral 5 denotes a print data control device for controlling printing by the print head 3 with a piezo drive signal p, which includes a product print data group 5a and an all-nozzle discharge print control device 5b. Reference numeral 6 denotes a transport machine control device for an ink jet printer that controls the drive motors 4a and 4b for driving the transport rollers 2a and 2b with a drive motor speed command signal q. These control devices 5 and 6 are actuated by operating the operation panel 7.

  The operation panel 7 is provided with a print standby switch 7a in addition to each switch (not shown) for operating each function of the ink jet printer, and a print standby mode is prepared. When the switch 7a is turned on, the print standby mode is set, and the all-nozzle discharge signal S is output to the print data control device 5 and the transporting device control device 6, and the all-nozzle discharge signal is output at regular intervals by this signal S. Control is to be performed.

  During the print standby mode by turning on the switch 7a, all-nozzle discharge control set by the all-nozzle discharge control device 5b is performed separately from the product print data group 5a for printing the product. ing. At this time, the web 1 is stopped, and ink is ejected from the respective nozzles of the heads 3a to 3d of the print head 3 onto the web 1. After the completion of the ink ejection, the web 1 is moved to the print head, for example. 3 is conveyed by a fixed length L + α obtained by adding a predetermined length α to the width L of 3. This print standby mode is performed at regular intervals, and after the completion of each print standby mode, each product pattern is sequentially printed by the product print data group 5a.

  FIG. 2 shows a state where printing is performed on each of the nozzles 3a to 3d on the web 1, and the print nozzles 3a to 3d for K, C, M, and Y are applied to the stopped web 1 in the print standby mode. Ink is ejected from all nozzles, and all-nozzle prints 8 a, 8 b, 8 c, and 8 d for each color are printed on the web 1 in a line shape in the width direction of the web 1. After the print standby mode is completed, the product 9, 9,... Is repeatedly printed after the web 1 has been conveyed by L + α.

  FIG. 3 is a timing chart in the method of the present invention. In this timing chart, the timing counter is used as a reference. For example, a case where the print standby mode is turned on by operating the switch 7a of the operation panel 7 at point a during printing will be described below.

  When printing is completed in the ON state of the print standby mode and ink ejection is stopped, and the web transport is stopped, counting is started from this time point b. Then, all nozzles are controlled to discharge at a certain time, that is, at the time point c when counting up, and ink is discharged from all the nozzles over a predetermined count. Next, at the time d when ink ejection from all the nozzles is completed, the transport rollers 2a and 2b are driven for a certain length, and the web 1 is transported over L + α. When the web 1 is conveyed for a certain length, the count starts again, and after a certain time has elapsed (the same count as the above-mentioned bc), if there is no print start command, the count up at this time is increased. At the time, all-nozzle discharge control is performed as described above. The all-nozzle discharge control cycle and the discharge amount at this time can be arbitrarily set on the operation panel.

  When an instruction to start printing is issued within a predetermined time from the time point e at which the web 1 has been conveyed for a certain length, printing is started at the print data group 5a. Is reset. When the printing is completed while the print standby mode is ON, the count is restarted at the printing completion time point g as in the case described above, and all nozzle discharge control is performed again after a certain time has passed in this state.

  When the print standby mode is canceled, if the control of printing or the like is not started even after a lapse of a certain time from the time point h, the storage control is automatically operated from the time point i to the time point k, and the print head 3 is in a standby state. The head surface of the print head 3 is prevented from drying by moving the nozzle head to the position so that each nozzle head faces the cap.

  In each of the above actions, the count-up value up to point c is reduced, and all nozzle ejection control is performed immediately after printing end point b, so that the same printing and monochrome printing continue even after ejection of all nozzles. Can prevent clogging.

  When the print standby mode is turned on at a time a ′ after the printing end time b, the count number between the time b and the time a ′ is taken into the print control 5b for all nozzle ejection, and this b−a 'Is added and counted, and this count number becomes a predetermined number, that is, the same operation as described above is performed after a predetermined time from the printing end point b in terms of the count number. .

It is a structure explanatory view of the device of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows all the nozzle discharge area | regions. It is a timing chart of the method of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Web, 2a, 2b ... Conveyance roller, 3 ... Print head, 3a, 4b, 3c, 3d ... Head, 4a, 4b ... Drive motor, 5 ... Print data control apparatus, 5a ... Print data group for products, 5b ... Print control device for all nozzle discharge, 6 ... Conveyor control device for inkjet printer, 7 ... Operation panel, 7a ... Switch, 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d ... All nozzle printing, 9 ... Design.

Claims (2)

The print data control device and the transport device control device are controlled by operating the switch on the operation panel, and the print controlled by the print data group for products in the print data control device on the web controlled by the transport device control device. In an inkjet printer that prints with a head,
Provide a print standby mode switch on the operation panel,
All-nozzle discharge print control for controlling all nozzle discharge of the print head at regular intervals after printing by the product print data group is stopped by turning on the print standby mode switch in the print data control device. An ink jet printer characterized by comprising an apparatus. The inkjet printer according to claim 1.
When the print standby mode switch is turned ON, all nozzle discharge control is performed for a certain period of time after a certain period of time has elapsed from when printing is completed and transport is stopped. Web transport over length,
An all-nozzle ejection control method for an ink jet printer, characterized in that, after the print standby mode switch is turned off, the print head is moved to a storage position when printing is not started for a certain period of time.

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