JP2732466B2 - Color inkjet recording device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Overview] A color ink jet recording apparatus capable of performing color recording using three primary colors of yellow, magenta and cyan and a mixed color obtained by superimposing the three primary colors includes a reddish yellow ink and a bluish yellow ink. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a color ink jet recording apparatus capable of selectively using one of the two types of yellow ink as required, and two colors including at least yellow among the three primary colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan, and a combination thereof. Ink jet recording apparatus for performing color recording using a mixed color according to the present invention, comprising both a yellow ink head for reddish yellow ink and a yellow ink head for bluish yellow ink, and both yellow ink jet heads Either one as needed Constituting include color ink jet recording apparatus and a selective actuation means for selectively driven.

[Industrial applications]

The present invention relates to a color ink jet recording apparatus capable of performing color recording using three primary colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan, and a mixed color obtained by superimposing them.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, an ink jet recording apparatus has attracted attention as a color printer because it can easily perform rich color recording. That is, if an ink jet head is provided for each of the three primary color inks of yellow, magenta, and cyan, a mixed color of red, green, and blue can be easily obtained by easily overlapping these color inks with each other. Because you can. In addition, yellow, magenta,
Black should be obtained in principle by superimposing all of cyan, but in actuality, beautiful black is not reproduced. Therefore, the color ink jet recording apparatus requires an ink jet head for each of the three primary color inks. Also, a black inkjet head is usually equipped.

On the other hand, word processors and microcomputers capable of processing multi-tone images such as photographs and natural images have been developed. With such a color ink jet recording apparatus, not only line drawings such as characters and figures but also photographs and natural images have been developed. Multi-tone images such as images are also recorded in color.
As a method of recording a multi-tone image with a color ink jet recording apparatus, generally, a density gradation method using several inks of different densities for the same color or an area gradation method such as a halftone pixel or a dot matrix pixel is used. The law is known. When such a multi-tone method, particularly the area gradation method, is introduced, several different densities for each color and various intermediate colors can be obtained, so that richer color expression can be achieved.

As described above, in the color ink jet recording apparatus, it is possible to easily perform color recording of rich colors, but accordingly, the red, green, and blue of the three primary colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan are superimposed. The demand for reproducibility of mixed colors will also increase. In particular, such demands are further strengthened for color recording of multi-tone images such as natural images where color reproducibility is regarded as important.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

Now, among the three primary color inks of yellow, magenta and cyan used in the color ink jet recording apparatus, two types of yellow inks having different hues from each other are known. That is, one yellow ink has a reddish hue (bright yellow), and the other yellow ink has a bluish hue (lemon yellow).

The reddish yellow ink and the bluish yellow ink have mutually opposite recording characteristics. More specifically, thin lines recorded with the reddish yellow ink are clearly visible, but thin lines recorded with the bluish yellow ink are hard to see. Although an almost ideal hue can be reproduced when expressing, the hue shift is large when red and green are reproduced by superimposing reddish yellow ink on magenta and cyan.

Therefore, reddish yellow ink is particularly suitable for color printing such as line drawings containing many fine lines, and bluish yellow ink is particularly suitable for color printing of multi-tone images such as natural images where color reproducibility is important. It can be said. Which yellow ink is selected depends on the purpose of use of the color ink jet recording apparatus and the user's own preference, but in any case, only one of the reddish yellow ink and the bluish yellow ink is used. The color ink jet printing apparatus used cannot meet various demands of users for color printing.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a color ink jet recording apparatus which can be selectively used as required for one of two systems of yellow ink, a reddish yellow ink and a bluish yellow ink.

[Means for solving the problem]

According to the present invention, there is provided a color inkjet recording apparatus that performs color recording using an inkjet head that records at least three primary color inks of yellow, magenta, and cyan.
An ink jet head for reddish yellow ink,
A bluish yellow ink inkjet head, and further selectively driving one of the reddish yellow ink inkjet head and the bluish yellow ink jet head when recording is performed using yellow ink. There is provided a color ink jet recording apparatus provided with a selective actuation means for causing the color ink jet recording apparatus.

(Operation)

According to the above configuration, when reddish yellow ink is used for color recording, the ink jet head for reddish yellow ink is driven by the selection operation means, and bluish yellow ink is used for color recording. In this case, the ink jet head for bluish yellow ink is driven by the selection operation means.

〔Example〕

Next, an embodiment of a color ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view partially showing only a printing section of a color ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention. The printing section includes a platen 10 rotatably supported by a suitable frame structure (not shown). Is provided. Platen
A sheet holding rod 12 is incorporated in the sheet 10 in a well-known manner, and the recording sheet S is fed at a predetermined line interval by driving the platen 10 while being securely held on the platen 10 by the sheet holding rod 12.

As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of guide rods 14,14 are arranged in parallel along the platen 10, and each guide rod may be supported by a suitable frame structure as described above. A print head carriage 16 is slidably mounted on the pair of guide rods 14, 14, so that the print head carriage 16 can move along the platen 10. The print head carriage 16 incorporates a well-known appropriate drive mechanism, for example, a belt drive mechanism, but such a drive mechanism is not directly related to the present invention and is not shown in FIG. .

Printing head carriage 16 is mounted five inkjet heads _{18 Y1, 18 Y2, 18 M} , 18 C and 18 _B, one for yellow ink jet head 18 _Y1 is reddish, the ink jet head 18 _Y2 is bluish for yellow thing,
The inkjet head _18M is for magenta, the inkjet head _18C is for cyan, and the inkjet head _18B is for black. An ink jet head of this type is well known, in which an ink ejection nozzle is provided, and a piezoelectric element (piezo) incorporated so as to apply a pressure wave to the ink is provided behind the ink ejection nozzle. . When a pulse voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element, a pressure wave is applied to the ink, whereby a small ink droplet is ejected from the ink ejection nozzle toward the recording paper S. When the ink droplet collides with the recording paper S, an ink dot is formed there. As a result, an image is recorded on the recording paper S in units of the ink dot.

Five of the ink jet head 18 _Y1, 18 _Y2, 18 _M, 18 ink intake duct _C and 18 respectively to _B 20 _Y1, 20 _Y2, is 20 _M, 20 _C and 20 _B are provided, each of these ink intake pipe Allowed FLEXIBLE ink supply tube _{22 Y1, 22 Y2, 22 M} , 22 C and 22 _B are connected. Ink supply tube 22 _{Y1,22 Y2,2}
2 _M, 22 _C and 22 predetermined ink supply source, each of _B, that is connected to the ink supply tank _{24 Y1, 24 Y2, 24 M} , 24 C and 24 _B. Of course, the ink supply tanks _24Y1 and _22Y2 respectively contain reddish yellow ink and the ink supply tank _24Y2 contain bluish yellow ink. Also, the ink supply tanks 22 _M , 22 _C and 22 _B
Contains magenta ink, cyan ink, and black ink, respectively.

As the yellow dye of reddish yellow ink, C.
I.Direct Yellow 11,28,33,50,86 or CIAcid Yel
low 99,162,163 etc. In addition, as the yellow dye of the reddish yellow ink, those yellow dyes include orange CIDirect Orenge 6,49 or CIAcid Oreng.
A mixture of e 7,41 and the like is also known. On the other hand, yellow dyes of bluish yellow ink include CIDirect
Yellow 1,26,27,44,142 or CIAcid Yellow 7,1
7,38,42,44 and so on. For these yellow dyes,
Water, polyhydric alcohols, polyhydric alcohol alkyl ethers, polyhydric alcohol acetates, amino alcohols, and the like can be used as inks as solvents.
The yellow dye concentration is 10 wt% or less, usually several wt%.
%.

Referring to FIG. 2, a selective actuation means for selectively driving one of the inkjet heads _18Y1 and _18Y2 as required is indicated generally by the reference numeral 26. The selective operation means 26 is an inkjet head 18 _Y1
And 18 _Y2 head driving circuit 28 and the _Y1 and 28 _Y2, "AND" circuit 30 are respectively connected to these head drive circuit 28 _Y1 and 28 _Y2 to impart a pulse voltage to each of the piezoelectric elements of
_{It comprises Y1} and _30Y2 and a signal delay circuit _32Y2 for correcting the head installation position. During recording operation, "AND" circuit 30 _Y1 and
An image signal is input to 30 _Y2 from a word processor or a microcomputer, and a mode switching signal is input to the “AND” circuits 30 _Y1 and 30 _{Y2 by} , for example, a manual switch (not shown). “AN
The D "circuits _30Y1 and _30Y2 each function as a gate for an image signal.

More specifically, for example, as the mode switching signal “1”
When is inputted, although "AND" mode switching signal to the circuit 30 _Y1 "1" is input directly, since the "AND" circuit 30 _Y2 inverted signal "0" is input, the image signal " The signal is input to the head drive circuit _28Y1 only through the AND "circuit _30Y1 , and as a result, only the inkjet head _18Y1 is driven. On the other hand, when “0” is input as the mode switching signal, “AND”
The mode switching signal “0” is directly input to the circuit 30 _Y1 ,
Since the inverted signal “1” is input to the “AND” circuit 30 _Y2 , the image signal passes only through the signal delay circuit 32 _Y2 and the head drive circuit
28 _Y2 , so that only the inkjet head 18 _Y2 is driven. In short, by selecting any one of the mode switching signals “1” and “0”, the driving of the inkjet heads _18Y1 and _18Y2 is switched. During the recording operation, a predetermined image signal is also input to the head drive circuits (not shown) of the other ink jet heads 18 _M , 18 _C and 18 _B , whereby the respective ink jet heads 18 _M , 18 _C and 18 _B Is driven as appropriate.

In the above embodiment, the ink jet heads _18Y1 and
18 individually to the head drive circuit 28 _Y1 and 28 _Y2 of _Y2 but are connected, a common head drive circuit for both of the inkjet head 18 _Y1 and 18 _Y2 may be provided only one. In short, an “OR” circuit is provided between the “AND” circuits 30 _Y1 and 30 _Y2 and the common head drive circuit, and an “AND” circuit 30 is provided between the common head drive circuit and both the inkjet heads 18 _Y1 and 18 _{Y2. Provide} gates like _Y1 and 30 _Y2 ,
As a result, the pulse voltage output from the common head drive circuit is used as the mode switching signal to control the inkjet head 18.
You may make it distribute to _Y1 and 18 _Y2 .

Further, in the present invention, the inkjet head 18 _Y1
Alternatively, either one of _18Y2 and _18Y2 can be selectively driven as required by software using a microcomputer. In this case, the driving of the inkjet heads _18Y1 and _18Y2 may be switched during the recording operation by including the mode switching signal in the image signal. Thus, for example, that during recording of the line drawing or the like including a fine line by driving the ink jet head 18 _Y1, at the time of recording the multi-gradation image such as a natural image that require mixed color to drive the ink jet head 18 _Y2 Becomes possible.

〔The invention's effect〕

As is apparent from the above-described recording, according to the present invention, either one of the two systems of yellow ink, reddish yellow ink and bluish yellow ink, can be selectively used as necessary. It is possible to answer various requests for

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a printing portion of a color ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram for selectively switching the driving of both the reddish yellow ink and the bluish yellow ink as necessary. It is a control block diagram of. 10 ... Platen, 12 ... Paper holding rod, 14 ... Guide rod, 16 ... Print head carriage, 18 _Y1 , 18 _Y2 , 18 _M , 18 _C , 18 _B ... Inkjet head, 20 _Y1 , 20 _Y2 20 _M・ 20 _C・ 20 _B …… Ink intake tube, 22 _{Y1,22 Y2}・ 22 _M・ 22 _C・ 22 _B …… Ink supply tube, 24 _Y1・ 24 _Y2・ 24 _M・ 24 _C・ 24 _B …… Ink supply tank, 26 ... selective operation means, 28 _Y1 , 28 _Y2 ... head drive circuit, 30 _Y1 , 30 _Y2 ... "AND" circuit, 32 _Y2 ... signal delay circuit.

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Akira Nakazawa 1015 Kamidadanaka, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside Fujitsu Limited

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A color ink jet recording apparatus for performing color recording using an ink jet head for recording at least three primary color inks of yellow, magenta and cyan, wherein the yellow ink jet head is a reddish yellow ink jet ink. A head and a bluish ink jet head for yellow ink, and when printing is performed using yellow ink,
A color ink jet recording apparatus comprising a selective operating means for selectively driving one of the reddish yellow ink inkjet head and the bluish yellow ink inkjet head.