JP2013252662A - Inkjet recording device and recording method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inkjet recording device capable of suppressing effect on a recorded image caused by a difference in dried ink droplets that are dropped beforehand depending on a position in a main scanning direction in a recording medium, and to provide a recording method.SOLUTION: When a recording head is located inside an end region from an end in a scanning region for scanning in a main scanning direction to a position located inside by a predetermined distance from the end, immediately before the recording head changes its moving direction, an inkjet recording device performs recording with relatively low recording duty in ejecting ink from the recording head. The inkjet recording device performs recording with relatively high recording duty in ejecting from the recording head when the recording head is located inside the end region in the scanning region.

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus corresponding to an influence on a recorded image caused by a difference in the degree of drying of ink droplets at each position, and a recording method using the ink jet recording apparatus.

  In an ink jet recording apparatus that performs recording by ejecting ink onto a recording medium, multipass recording may be performed in which recording is performed by scanning a predetermined area a plurality of times and ejecting ink droplets. In multi-pass printing, ink droplets that have been driven a plurality of times by a plurality of scans are overlapped to form a recorded image. When multi-pass printing is performed in this way, the degree of drying of ink droplets that have landed on a print medium in a previous scan among a plurality of scans may vary greatly depending on the position. For example, the drying speed of the ink droplets that have landed on the recording medium varies depending on the amount of ink droplets that are applied to the recording medium per unit area. When the ink droplets that were ejected in the subsequent scan landed, the recorded image was recorded when the ink droplets that were ejected in the previous scan were sufficiently dry and when the ink droplets were not sufficiently dry. The color may be different. For this reason, in the recording medium, the color varies from region to region, which may reduce the quality of the recorded image.

  Regarding the difference in the color of the recorded image due to the difference in the degree of drying of the ink droplets at each position, Patent Document 1 discloses that the recording medium on which the recording has been performed is heated by using a heater and the recording medium is forced. Inkjet recording devices are disclosed which are dried in a conventional manner. Patent Document 1 discloses an ink jet recording apparatus in which the amount of ink droplets deposited for each position is measured based on recording data, and the heater temperature is adjusted according to the amount of ink droplets deposited.

JP 08-142319 A

  According to the ink jet recording apparatus of Patent Document 1, it is possible to cope with the difference in the drying speed of the ink according to the ink droplet ejection amount for each region. However, in the ink jet recording apparatus, when bi-directional recording is performed in which both the forward scanning and the backward scanning are performed, ink droplets land depending on the position in the main scanning direction on the recording medium. Time intervals may vary. When the position of the recording head in the main scanning direction is different, the time interval at which ejection is performed differs between the ink droplets that are ejected in the previous scan and the ink droplets that are ejected in the subsequent scan. In that case, even if the amount of ink ejection is the same, the position of the ink droplet ejected in the previous scan when the ink droplet ejected in the subsequent scan lands depends on the position where ink ejection is performed. The degree of drying is different. As a result, the color of the recorded image may be different for each position along the main scanning direction. That is, regardless of the amount of ink applied per unit area to the recording medium, the color of the recorded image differs depending on the position in the main scanning direction on the recording medium, which may reduce the quality of the recorded image. .

  Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, the present invention is an ink jet recording that can suppress the influence on the recorded image due to the difference in the degree of drying of the previously ejected ink droplets depending on the position in the main scanning direction on the recording medium. An object is to provide an apparatus and a recording method.

  The present invention includes a carriage capable of mounting a recording head capable of ejecting ink droplets from an ejection port, and a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium, and the carriage is arranged in a conveying direction for conveying the recording medium. While scanning in the intersecting main scanning direction, ink droplets are ejected from the recording head to the recording medium in both the forward scanning and the backward scanning of the reciprocating movement by the carriage, and recording is performed. An inkjet recording apparatus in which a recording image is formed by scanning the carriage a plurality of times with respect to a predetermined recording area in a medium, and the main scanning is performed immediately before the recording head changes a moving direction. When it is inside the end area from the end in the scanning area that scans along the direction to the position inside by a predetermined distance, the ink from the recording head In the recording by discharging the ink, the recording is performed at the first recording duty, and when the recording head is inside the end area in the scanning area, the recording is performed in the recording by discharging the ink from the recording head. It is characterized by having a control means for controlling recording so that recording is performed at a second recording duty higher than one recording duty.

  According to the present invention, the difference in the color of the recorded image due to the position in the main scanning direction on the recording medium can be suppressed to a low level, so that the quality of the recorded image can be maintained high.

1 is a schematic plan view illustrating an ink jet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view illustrating the surroundings of a heater and a recording head in the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG. 1 in an enlarged manner. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system in the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a positional relationship between a scanning area along a main scanning direction of a recording head in the inkjet recording apparatus of FIG. 1 and an area of a recording medium. 2A and 2B are explanatory views for explaining different distances between scans depending on the positions at which ink droplets are ejected from the recording head in the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG. 1, wherein FIG. A case where ink droplets are ejected near the edge of the medium is shown. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing different recording duties for each scanning direction of a recording head and each region of a recording medium in recording on a recording medium by the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG. 1. 2 is a table comparing a recording duty for each area of a recording medium and a recording duty for each area of a recording medium as a comparative example to which the present invention is not applied when recording is performed by the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG. 1. 2 is a graph showing a distribution of recording duty according to the position of a recording medium when recording is performed by the ink jet recording apparatus of FIG. 1. 6 is a graph showing a recording duty for each region of a recording medium when recording is performed by the ink jet recording apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(First embodiment)
The ink jet recording apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view for explaining a schematic configuration of an ink jet recording apparatus 100 to which the present invention is applied. The ink jet recording apparatus 100 includes a recording head 101 formed so that ink droplets can be ejected from ejection ports. In the present embodiment, the ink jet recording apparatus 100 is a so-called serial scan type ink jet recording apparatus 100 that performs recording while moving a recording head 101 capable of ejecting ink droplets in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the recording medium. The ink jet recording apparatus 100 performs recording by alternately performing a transport operation for transporting a recording medium and a recording operation for ejecting ink to a recording medium from a plurality of ejection openings formed along the transport direction of the recording medium. . In this embodiment, the ink jet recording apparatus performs recording by a multi-pass method in which a recording image is formed by the recording head 101 scanning a predetermined recording area a plurality of times. In this embodiment, the inkjet recording apparatus 100 performs bidirectional recording in which recording is performed by ejecting ink onto a recording medium in both the forward scanning and the backward scanning by the recording head 101. .

  The ink jet recording apparatus 100 includes a carriage 7 on which a recording head 101 can be mounted. The recording head 101 is mounted on the carriage 7 in a replaceable manner. An ink tank (not shown) is mounted on the carriage 7 so as to be replaceable. The ink tank once stores the ink therein and supplies the ink toward the recording head 101. The carriage 7 is provided with a connector holder (electric connection portion) (not shown) for transmitting a drive signal and the like to the recording head 101 via a connector (not shown). The carriage 7 is supported while being penetrated by the guide shaft 201. The guide shaft 201 extends along a main scanning direction (arrow A direction) that intersects (in the present embodiment, orthogonal) with the conveyance direction in which the recording medium is conveyed. The carriage 7 is arranged so as to be able to perform reciprocating scanning along the guide shaft 201. The ink jet recording apparatus 100 includes a main scanning motor 120 that is driven to move the carriage 7, and a motor pulley 121 is attached to the main scanning motor 120. In addition, a driven pulley 106 is disposed at the opposite end of the motor pulley 121 with respect to the main scanning direction. A timing belt 107 connected to the carriage 7 is bridged between a motor pulley 121 and a driven pulley 106 that are rotationally driven by the main scanning motor 120. When the main scanning motor 120 is driven to rotate, the timing belt 107 moves between the motor pulley 121 and the driven pulley 106, and the carriage 7 moves along the main scanning direction as the timing belt 107 moves. By these driving mechanisms, the carriage 7 and the recording head 101 move in the main scanning direction.

  The recording medium 102 such as print paper is separated and fed from the auto sheet feeder (ASF) 114 one by one by rotating a pickup roller 113 by a paper feed motor 115 via a gear. From there, the recording medium 102 is conveyed in the conveyance direction indicated by the arrow B by the rotation of the conveyance roller 109, and passes through a position (recording unit) facing the ejection port formation surface (ejection port surface) in the recording head 101. The conveyance roller 109 is rotationally driven by a conveyance motor 116 via a gear. Note that the back surface of the recording medium 102 is supported by a platen (not shown) so as to form a flat recording surface in the recording unit.

  In the ink jet recording apparatus 100 having the above configuration, recording is performed by ejecting ink from the recording head 101 while the recording head 101 is mounted on the carriage 7 while the carriage 7 scans in the direction of arrow A in FIG. . In addition, the recording medium is transported during each scan of the recording head 101.

  The ink jet recording apparatus 100 includes a heater (heating means) 104 for heating the ejected ink. By heating the recording medium on which recording has been performed by the heater 104, drying and fixing of ink landed on the recording medium can be promoted.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the recording head 101, the recording medium, and the heater 104 in the inkjet recording apparatus 100. A cylindrical reflecting plate 105 is provided around the heater 104 on the side opposite to the recording medium so as to surround the heater 104. Since the reflecting plate 105 is not provided between the heater 104 and the recording medium, the radiant heat emitted from the heater 104 is reflected by the reflecting plate 105 and directed toward the recording medium. The radiant heat reflected by the reflecting plate 105 is irradiated toward the recording medium, and when it reaches the recording medium, the inside of the heating region 106 is uniformly heated. The heater 104 and the reflection plate 105 are provided over a distance longer than the length of the recording medium in the main scanning direction along the main scanning direction, and the heating area 106 extends over the entire recording medium along the main scanning direction. Is formed.

  In the present embodiment, the heater 104 is provided at a position relatively close to the recording head 101. If the heat generated by the heater 104 heats the ink stored in the recording head 101, the characteristics of the ink may change. As a result, the viscosity of the ink increases, the density of the recorded image changes, and the increase in the viscosity of the ink may cause non-ejection in which ink is not ejected even when the recording element is driven. In the present embodiment, a heat insulating material 103 is disposed between the heater 104 and the recording head 101 in order to prevent the recording head 101 from being unnecessarily heated. As a result, it is possible to suppress changes in ink characteristics due to heat from the heater 104.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a control system in the ink jet recording apparatus 100 of the present embodiment. A control unit 500 that controls each drive unit in the inkjet recording apparatus 100 includes a CPU 501, a ROM 502, an EEPROM 503, and a RAM 504. The CPU 501 performs various calculations and determinations for processing related to the recording operation, including processing procedures to be described later, and performs processing for recording data and the like. The ROM 502 stores programs corresponding to processing procedures executed by the CPU 501 and other fixed data. The EEPROM 503 is a non-volatile memory and is used for storing predetermined information even when the recording apparatus is turned off. The RAM 504 temporarily stores recording data supplied from the outside and recording data developed according to the apparatus configuration, and also functions as a work area for arithmetic processing by the CPU 501. The various sensors 505 include a linear encoder that detects the position of the carriage in the main scanning direction, a rotary encoder that detects the rotation angle of the carry motor, and the like. The controller 500 is further connected with a driver for driving a main scanning motor that is a driving source for moving the carriage on which the recording head 101 is mounted, and a driver for a conveying motor that is a conveying driving source for the recording medium 102. The head drive circuit 506 drives the recording head 101 under the control of the control unit 500 to perform a recording operation.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the positional relationship along the main scanning direction between the recording head 101 and the recording medium in the inkjet recording apparatus 100. The recording head 101 reciprocates along the guide shaft 201. In the present embodiment, in recording by scanning in the forward direction, the recording head 101 performs recording while moving the recording medium 102 in the order of areas (A), (B), and (C). Conversely, when scanning in the backward direction by the recording head, the recording head 101 moves relative to the recording medium 102 in the order of (C), (B), and (A). In the present embodiment, the area (B) is referred to as a recording medium central portion, and the areas (A) and (C) are referred to as recording medium end portions (end portion regions). The ends of the recording medium in the areas (A) and (C) are areas extending from the end in the scanning area scanned by the recording head 101 to a position inside by a predetermined distance l along the main scanning direction. To do. Further, the central portion of the recording medium in area (B) refers to an area inside the recording medium end in the scanning area scanned by the recording head 101.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of the recording head and the recording medium shown to explain the distance (time) difference in reciprocal recording for each area of the recording medium. FIG. 5A shows a case where ink droplets are ejected to the central area (B) of the recording medium. As shown in FIG. 5A, from the point 301 where ink droplets were ejected during forward recording to the end in the forward direction of the scanning area of the recording head, the recording head 101 is Move in section 302. At this time, the length of the section 302 in which the recording head 101 moves is defined as α. At this time, the recording head 101 has a distance of 2α from the position where the ink droplet is ejected by scanning in the forward direction to the position where the ink droplet is ejected by scanning in the backward direction. Will move.

  FIG. 5B shows a case where recording is performed in the recording medium end area (C). As shown in FIG. 5B, the recording head from the point 303 where the ink droplets were ejected during scanning in the forward direction to the end in the forward direction of the scanning area of the recording head. 101 moves in the section 304. At this time, the moving distance of the section 304 in which the recording head 101 moves is defined as β. At this time, the recording head 101 has 2β from the position where the ink droplets are ejected by scanning in the forward direction to the position where the ink droplets are ejected by scanning in the backward direction. It will move the distance.

  Of the scanning in the forward direction or the backward direction, drying and recording of the ink droplets ejected earlier from ejection of the ink droplets in the scanning performed earlier to ejection of the ink droplets in the scanning performed later Fixing to the medium is performed. That is, the time during which the recording head 101 moves from the ejection of the ink droplet in the forward scan to the ejection of the ink droplet in the backward scan is the time for the ink droplet ejected in the previous scan. It can be said that it is time for drying and fixing.

  When ink is ejected at a point 301 shown in FIG. 5A, the ink droplets ejected in the previous scan are dried while the recording head 101 is moved over a distance of 2α. Fixing to the recording medium is performed. In addition, when ink is ejected at the point 303 shown in FIG. 5B, the ink droplets ejected in the previous scan are moved while the recording head 101 moves over a distance of 2β. Drying and fixing to the recording medium are performed.

  In this embodiment, when the recording head 101 ejects ink in the central area of the recording medium, the scanning distance between the previous scan and the subsequent scan is 2α, whereas the recording head 101 However, when ink is ejected in the area of the recording medium edge, the scanning distance is 2β. At this time, since 2α> 2β, there is a difference in drying / fixing time between the ink landed on the center point 301 and the ink landed on the end point 303. Therefore, even if the time for drying and fixing to the recording medium is sufficient for the ink droplet at the central point 301, the ink droplet is dried and fixed to the recording medium for the end point 303. Time may be insufficient.

  For this reason, in this embodiment, the recording duty is reduced for the range from the end of the scanning region to the position inside by the predetermined distance l immediately before the recording head 101 changes the moving direction.

  When ink droplets are ejected onto a recording medium with a relatively high recording duty, a large amount of ink is ejected around the ink droplets, so the humidity around the ink droplets is high. Therefore, the ink droplets that have landed on the recording medium may require a relatively long time for drying. In addition, since a large amount of ink is accommodated and fixed in the recording medium around the portion where the ink droplets are ejected, there is little extra space for fixing the ink in the recording medium. Accordingly, the ink droplets ejected onto the recording medium may overflow on the recording medium and require a relatively long time for fixing. On the other hand, when ink is driven into the recording medium with a low recording duty, the humidity around the ink droplet is low. Accordingly, the time required for drying the ink droplets can be shortened. In addition, the recording medium has a relatively large space for containing ink. Therefore, it takes a short time to fix the ink droplets.

  In the present embodiment, recording with a low recording duty is performed in an area near the end of the scanning area by the recording head immediately before the recording head 101 changes the moving direction. As described above, the ink droplets that are ejected onto the recording medium with a low recording duty require less time for drying and fixing to the recording medium than the ink droplets that are ejected with a high recording duty. . Therefore, in the region where the time interval between the ink droplets ejected in the previous scan and the ink droplets ejected in the subsequent scan is short, the ink droplets ejected earlier are dried and fixed on the recording medium. Such time can be shortened. Therefore, even in a region where the time interval between the ink droplets ejected in the previous scan and the ink droplets ejected in the subsequent scan is short, the ink droplets ejected earlier are sufficiently dried. The ink droplets can be sufficiently fixed on the recording medium.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for describing a recording area and a recording rate (recording duty) in recording for each recording area in the present embodiment. Here, a description is given taking 4-pass printing as an example.

  FIG. 6A shows a region through which the recording head passes when the recording head scans in the forward direction and the moving direction of the recording head at that time. FIG. 6B shows a region through which the recording head passes when the recording head scans in the backward direction and the moving direction of the recording head at that time. FIG. 6C shows the recording duty for each region in each scan.

  In the present embodiment, different mask patterns are set for each of the areas divided into an end area (A), a recording medium center area (B), and an end area (C) along the main scanning direction. Yes. When attention is paid to the end area (A), recording is performed at a recording duty of 40% in the first scan. Further, recording is performed at a recording duty of 10% in the second scan when the recording head once passes back and forth through the section to the end of the scanning area. In the third scan that arrives immediately after returning from the second scan, recording is performed with a recording duty of 40%. In addition, recording is performed with a recording duty of 10% in the fourth scan when it passes through when it returns to the end of the scanning area once after reciprocating.

  In the central area (B), similarly to the normal 4-pass printing, the 1st to 4th scans are printed evenly using a 25% mask.

  In the end area (C), recording is performed at a recording duty of 10% in the first scan. Further, in the second scan that has arrived immediately after returning from the first scan, recording is performed at a recording duty of 40%. In addition, recording is performed with a recording duty of 10% in the third scan when passing through the section between the end of the scanning area and the end of the scanning area. In the fourth scan that arrives immediately after returning from the third scan, recording is performed with a recording duty of 40%.

  Thus, when the recording head 101 is in the vicinity of the end of the scanning area of the recording head 101 immediately before changing the moving direction in scanning, recording is performed with a relatively low recording duty (first recording duty). Specifically, immediately before the recording head 101 changes the moving direction, the recording head 101 is located inside the end area from the end in the scanning area where the recording head 101 scans in the main scanning direction to a position inside by a predetermined distance l. Sometimes, recording is performed with a relatively low recording duty. When the recording head 101 is in the vicinity of the central portion in the scanning area, recording is performed with a higher recording duty (second recording duty). Specifically, when the recording head 101 is inside the end region in the scanning region, recording is performed with a relatively high recording duty in recording by ejecting ink from the recording head.

  In this embodiment, when the recording head is inside the end region in the scanning region immediately after changing the moving direction, recording is performed with a relatively high recording duty in recording by discharging ink from the recording head. Done. In the present embodiment, recording is performed with a recording duty (third recording duty) higher than the recording duty when the recording head is near the center in the scanning region.

  In the present embodiment, recording is performed with a relatively low recording duty when the recording head 101 is in the vicinity of the end portion of the scanning area by the recording head 101 immediately before changing the moving direction in scanning. Therefore, in the scan immediately after the print head changes the moving direction, if it is inside the end region in the scan area, the print duty is reduced by the amount that the print duty is reduced when the same area is recorded in the previous scan. Make a record. In the present embodiment, the control unit 500 functions as a control unit that controls recording.

  A mask pattern used in recording according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 shows a table for recording duty for each area of the recording medium. Reference numeral 602 in FIG. 7 shows the recording duty for the mask pattern when recording is performed in the present embodiment. Further, reference numeral 601 in FIG. 7 shows, as a comparative example, the recording duty for each area of the recording medium when normal recording to which the present invention is not applied is performed. Recording is performed at a recording duty of 25%. A four-pass mask pattern to be performed is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the mask pattern used in this embodiment is changed in each of the end areas (A), (C) and the central part (B) as indicated by 602 in FIG. . As a result, a mask pattern in which the recording duty is reduced by setting the thinning rate high is set at the end portion where the time until the next scanning is short. In addition, a mask pattern in which the recording duty is increased by lowering the thinning rate is set at the end portion where the time interval until the next scanning is relatively long. By doing so, it is possible to give sufficient time for drying and fixing to the ink landed in each region in each region.

  When 4-pass printing is performed without applying this embodiment, normally, in all the sections, ink is uniformly ejected over the entire area by an ejection amount of 25% per time, and this is repeated four times. Thus, an image is recorded. That is, as shown in the table 601 in FIG. 7, recording is performed by thinning out the recording data to 25% of the whole for each scanning of the carriage, and an image of one area is completed by scanning four times. Recording is performed by the recording method.

  However, if the recording duty is suddenly changed at the boundary of each area, there is a possibility that color unevenness of the image will occur due to pattern switching. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, it is desirable to gently change the recording duty for each area. By using a mask pattern in which the recording duty for each area changes gently, it is possible to reduce image changes at the area switching position. Thereby, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the quality of the recorded image.

  As described above, in an area where the interval between the ink droplets ejected in the previous scan and the ink droplets ejected in the subsequent scan is small, recording is performed with a relatively low recording duty. Therefore, even in such a region, the ink droplets can be sufficiently dried and fixed to the recording medium in accordance with a small time interval for each scan. Therefore, when ink droplets are ejected in the subsequent scanning, the ink droplets ejected in the previous scanning can be sufficiently dried, and the ink droplets can be sufficiently fixed on the recording medium. Therefore, depending on the position along the main scanning direction, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the quality of the recorded image due to insufficient drying and fixing of the ink droplets to be printed in the previous scanning. High quality can be maintained.

  Note that the ink jet recording apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a heater 104, and the ink droplets that have been ejected onto the recording medium by the heater 104 are dried and fixed to the recording medium. However, the present invention can be applied even to a recording apparatus not equipped with a heater. The present invention may be applied to a configuration in which a recording medium into which ink droplets have been implanted is naturally dried without using a heater. However, a recording device that is equipped with a heater and heats the recording medium to dry the ink droplets and fix them to the recording medium, the difference in the time required for drying the ink droplets and fixing to the recording medium is different. The effect of the present invention is increased.

  In addition, the inkjet recording apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is equipped with a heater whose length along the main scanning direction is equal to or greater than the width of the recording medium as a heating unit for the recording medium, but the present invention is not limited thereto. . For example, a form in which a heater is mounted on the carriage 7 may be employed. A configuration in which heaters are installed at both ends of the carriage 7 and the recording medium is heated by the heater before or after recording or just after recording may be employed. In addition, other recording medium heating means may be employed.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described. The description of the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted, and only different parts will be described.

  FIG. 9 shows a table showing the recording duty as a result of thinning out ink ejection by the mask pattern used in the second embodiment. Here, as in the first embodiment, four-pass printing will be described. In the first embodiment, a recording image is formed by scanning 25% thinning four times at the center (B) of the recording medium, as indicated by 602 in FIG. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, only the last scan (four passes in this case) of the scan to the print medium is performed with a print duty higher than the other passes, and printing is performed with a print duty of 34%. . Further, since the print duty is increased in the last scan, the print duty is set lower than 25% in other scans, and is set to 22% in this embodiment.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, printing is performed with a relatively high printing duty in printing performed in the last scanning among scanning performed on the printing medium. Specifically, in the last scanning performed on the recording medium, when the recording head is inside the end region in the scanning region immediately before the moving direction is changed, the recording duty in the previous scanning is exceeded. Recording is performed with a high recording duty (fourth recording duty). Also, among the scans performed on the print medium, even when the print head is inside the end area in the scan area in the last scan, the print duty (fifth) higher than the print duty in the previous scans. Recording). Further, in the recording performed in the last scanning among the scanning performed on the recording medium, when the recording head is inside the end region in the scanning region immediately after changing the moving direction, it is higher than the recording duty so far. Recording is performed with a recording duty (sixth recording duty).

  After the last scan is performed, the next ink does not land at that position, so that there is sufficient time for drying the ink droplets to be ejected and fixing them onto the recording medium. Therefore, the amount of driving can be increased in the scanning compared to other scanning.

  In this embodiment, a mask pattern in which the duty of the last scan (4 passes) is increased is set for the end regions (A) and (C). As a result, recording is performed by adding a mask pattern setting that increases the recording duty of the last scan to the form that secures the time for drying and fixing between scans according to the area of the recording medium. By doing so, the degree of freedom in setting the mask pattern is ensured.

  By using the above method, by increasing the driving amount for the final scanning that is not recorded in the next scanning, the driving amount of the previous scanning can be reduced, and the time for drying and fixing to the landed ink can be reduced. Can give enough.

  In the present specification, “recording” is used not only for forming significant information such as characters and graphics but also for any case. It also represents the case where images, patterns, patterns, etc. are widely formed on a recording medium, or the recording medium is processed, regardless of whether it is manifested so that it can be perceived by human eyes. And

  The “recording apparatus” includes an apparatus having a print function such as a printer, a multifunction printer, a copier, and a facsimile machine.

  “Recording medium” means not only paper used in general recording apparatuses but also a wide range of materials that can accept ink, such as cloth, plastic film, metal plate, glass, ceramics, wood, leather, etc. Shall.

7 Carriage 100 Inkjet recording apparatus 101 Recording head 109 Conveying roller

Claims (7)

A carriage capable of mounting a recording head capable of ejecting ink droplets from an ejection port;
A conveying means for conveying the recording medium,
While the carriage is scanned in the main scanning direction that intersects the conveyance direction for conveying the recording medium, ink is transferred from the recording head to the recording medium in both the forward scanning and the backward scanning of the reciprocating movement by the carriage. An ink jet recording apparatus in which a recording image is formed by performing recording by ejecting droplets and performing scanning a plurality of times with respect to a predetermined recording area in a recording medium.
When the recording head is located inside the end area from the end in the scanning area that scans along the main scanning direction to a position inside by a predetermined distance immediately before changing the moving direction, the ink from the recording head In recording by discharging, recording is performed at the first recording duty,
When the recording head is inside the end area in the scanning area, recording is performed at a second recording duty higher than the first recording duty in recording by ejecting ink from the recording head. like,
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising control means for controlling recording.   When the recording head is inside the end area in the scanning area immediately after the movement direction is changed, the control means is configured to perform the second recording duty in recording by discharging ink from the recording head. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording is controlled so as to perform recording at a third recording duty higher than the recording duty. In the recording performed in the last scanning among the scanning performed on the recording medium, the control means
When the recording head is inside the end region in the scanning region immediately before changing the moving direction, recording is performed at a fourth recording duty higher than the first recording duty,
When the recording head is inside the end area in the scanning area, the recording is performed at a fifth recording duty higher than the second recording duty.
The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording is controlled. In the recording performed in the last scanning among the scanning performed on the recording medium, the control means
Immediately after changing the moving direction, when the recording head is inside the end region in the scanning region, recording is performed at a sixth recording duty higher than the third recording duty.
The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the recording is controlled.   5. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes a recording duty by using a mask pattern. 6.   6. The ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a heating unit for heating the recording medium on which the recording has been performed. A carriage capable of mounting a recording head capable of ejecting ink droplets from an ejection port;
A conveying means for conveying the recording medium,
While the carriage is scanned in the main scanning direction that intersects the conveyance direction for conveying the recording medium, ink is transferred from the recording head to the recording medium in both the forward scanning and the backward scanning of the reciprocating movement by the carriage. A recording method in which droplets are ejected and recording is performed, and recording is performed by an inkjet recording apparatus in which a recording image is formed by scanning the carriage a plurality of times with respect to a predetermined recording area in a recording medium. There,
The first recording duty is set when the recording head is located inside the end area from the end in the scanning area scanned along the main scanning direction to a position inside by a predetermined distance immediately before changing the moving direction. A first recording step of recording in
And a second recording step of performing recording at a second recording duty higher than the first recording duty when the recording head is inside the end region in the scanning region. And a recording method.

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