JP4473632B2 - Ink dot detection mechanism for inkjet printer nozzle function check - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a transparent or translucent ink ejected from a nozzle of an inkjet head in order to check whether or not a transparent or translucent ink droplet is ejected accurately from each of a plurality of nozzles arranged in the inkjet head. The present invention relates to an ink dot detection mechanism for checking the nozzle function of an ink jet printer for detecting the presence or absence of a check ink dot formed on the surface of a check medium by a droplet and the position of the check ink dot.

Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 3, the top of the drawing medium (recording medium) 10 such as a white paper, a resin sheet, or a cloth on which the inkjet head 30 is mounted on the platen 20 is arranged in a horizontal direction substantially parallel to the surface of the medium 10. The ink droplets are moved from a predetermined nozzle (not shown) arranged on the inkjet head 30 by moving the drawing medium 10 in the direction (Y direction) or moving the drawing medium 10 on the platen 20 in the vertical direction (X direction). An ink jet printer that ejects toward the surface of the drawing medium 10 mounted on the platen 20 at the timing is known.
According to this ink jet printer, the ink is jetted at a predetermined timing from a predetermined nozzle of the ink jet head 30 that is relatively moved in the XY direction above the surface of the drawing medium 10 to form dots on the surface of the drawing medium 10. With the plurality of landed ink droplets, it is possible to print a picture or / and a character comprising an array of a plurality of ink dots on the surface of the medium 10.

  In this ink jet printer, the fine nozzles arranged in the ink jet head 30 may cause ink clogging during use. Alternatively, dust attached to the surface of the drawing medium 10 may be attached to some nozzles arranged in the inkjet head 30 that moves relatively in the XY direction above the surface of the drawing medium 10 mounted on the platen 20. Lint or the like may adhere due to the influence of the surface tension of the ink. In some cases, some of the nozzles may not eject ink droplets accurately. Then, a part of the ink dots constituting the picture or / and characters printed on the surface of the drawing medium 10 has fallen out, and a defective part occurs in a part of the picture or / and characters, The printed picture or / and character may be striped. Then, the image quality of the pictures and / or characters printed on the surface of the drawing medium 10 may be significantly reduced.

As means for solving such problems, a nozzle function check mechanism as disclosed in the specification and drawings attached to Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-093253 has been developed.
In this check mechanism, as shown in FIG. 3, before the drawing or / and the characters are printed on the surface of the drawing medium 10, the check mechanism is supported by the supporting means 60 on the side of the drawing medium 10 mounted on the platen 20. The inkjet head 30 is relatively moved in the X and Y directions (vertical and horizontal directions) above the check medium 12. Then, ink droplets are ejected from each of a plurality of nozzles (not shown) arranged on the inkjet head 30 toward the surface of the check medium 12, and a plurality of inks for checking the nozzle function are formed on the surface of the check medium 12. Are arranged side by side. Next, the check media 12 supported by the support means 60 is moved in the X direction, and the surface portion of the check media 12 formed by arranging a plurality of check dots is used as a transport path for the check media 12. The light source 70 and the light receiving means 80 are disposed so as to be opposed to the upper and lower parts of the rear. Then, the illumination light received from the light source 70 on the surface side of the check medium 12 is transmitted through the portion of the check medium 12 where the dot of the check ink is formed and the surrounding check medium 12 portion. The light is received by a light receiving means 80 such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera disposed on the back side of the medium 12. Then, the pattern of the amount of illumination light received by the light receiving means 80 is analyzed by the analyzing means 90 comprising an electronic circuit or the like. From the analysis result, the presence or absence of a plurality of nozzles for nozzle function check formed on the surface of the check medium 12 by the ink droplets ejected from the nozzles arranged in the inkjet head 30 and the plurality of check dots are checked. The position of the ink dot is detected. Based on the detection result, whether or not some of the nozzles arranged in the inkjet head 30 are clogged with ink, or dust is attached to some of the nozzles and some of the nozzles are malfunctioning. I'm checking.
When some of the nozzles arranged in the inkjet head 30 are clogged with ink and it is difficult to recover the function of the some nozzles normally, the inkjet head 30 with some of the nozzles clogged with ink. Are replaced with another inkjet head 30 in which all nozzles function normally. In addition, when dust adheres to some of the nozzles arranged in the inkjet head 30 and some of the nozzles are malfunctioning, the inkjet head 30 is installed at a maintenance station provided on the side of the platen 20. (Not shown), and the lower surface where the nozzles of the inkjet head 30 are lined is wiped with a rubber wiper or the like provided at the maintenance station, and dust adhered to some of the nozzles aligned with the inkjet head 30 And lint etc. are removed. The functions of all the nozzles arranged on the lower surface of the inkjet head 30 are restored to the normal state.
Thereafter, an XY above the drawing medium 10 on which the inkjet head 30 in which the functions of all the nozzles have been checked or the inkjet head 30 in which the functions of all the nozzles have been normalized are mounted on the platen 20 is mounted. The ink droplets are ejected from the predetermined nozzles arranged in the inkjet head 30 at a predetermined timing by moving in the direction relative to each other. Then, a high-quality picture or / and character composed of an array of a plurality of ink dots that do not have missing portions such as missing ink stripes or striped patterns on the surface of the drawing medium 10 can always be accurately printed without failure. Yes.
Specification and drawings attached to Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-093253

By the way, in the above check mechanism, a medium having high transparency such as a transparent film is generally used for the check medium 12. The light transmittance of the check medium 12 where the ink dot for the nozzle function check is formed is the light transmittance of the check medium 12 around the portion where the check ink dot is formed. Compared to the above, it is drastically reduced.
Therefore, the ink droplets of dark colors such as magenta, cyan, and black ejected from the nozzles of the inkjet head form the check ink dots with low transparency on the surface of the check media 12 such as the transparent resin film with high transparency. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4A, the check ink dot formation portion 200 of the check medium 12 is much more transparent than the surrounding check media portion 220. The amount of light A received by the light receiving means 80 on the back side of the check medium 12 and the check ink that has passed through the dot formation portion 200 of the check ink whose transparency has been lowered. The illumination light transmitted through the check media portion 220 around the dot formation area of the The difference H between the light amount B which receives 12 the back side of the light receiving unit 80, as shown in FIG. 4 (b), can be kept large. Then, the pattern of the difference H in the amount of illumination light received by the light receiving means 80 is analyzed by the analyzing means 90, thereby checking for the dark ink droplets ejected from the plurality of nozzles arranged in the ink jet head 30. The presence or absence of a check ink dot with low transparency formed on the surface of the medium 12 and the position of the check ink dot can be accurately detected without error.
However, a check ink dot having a relatively high transparency is formed on the surface of the check medium 12 having a high transparency by using semitransparent ink droplets such as light magenta (light red) and light cyan (light blue). In this case, as shown in FIG. 5A, the difference in transparency between the check ink dot formation portion 200 of the check medium 12 and the surrounding check media portion 220 is very small. It is had. Then, the light quantity A received by the light receiving means 80 on the back side of the check medium 12 and the check light dot formation such as light magenta and light cyan, and the formation of the check ink dots. As shown by the solid line in FIG. 5B, the difference H between the light quantity B received by the light receiving means 80 on the back side of the check media 12 with the illumination light transmitted through the check media portion 220 around the location becomes small. Oops. As a result, it becomes difficult to analyze the pattern of the difference H in the amount of illumination light received by the light receiving means 80 by the analyzing means 90, and for checking light magenta, light cyan, etc. formed on the surface of the check medium 12. The presence or absence of the ink dots and the position of the ink dots for the check could not be accurately detected without error. By the way, what is indicated by a broken line in FIG. 5B is transmitted through the dark ink dot formation portion 200 of the highly transparent check medium and the surrounding highly transparent check medium portion 220. This represents the difference H in the amount of light received by the light receiving means 80 on the back side of the check medium 12.
The same is true for the highly transparent check formed on the surface of the above-described highly transparent check medium 12 by a transparent ink droplet such as a transparent chemical liquid ejected from the nozzle of the inkjet head 30 or a transparent adhesive liquid. The analyzing unit 90 analyzes the pattern of the difference H between the light amounts A and B of the irradiation light received by the light receiving unit 80 on the back side of the check medium 12 for the presence or absence of the nozzles for the nozzles and the positions of the nozzles for the checking. By doing so, even when it was detected. That is, even in such a case, the presence or absence of the dot of the highly transparent check nozzle formed on the surface of the highly transparent check medium 12 by the ink droplet such as the transparent chemical liquid or the transparent adhesive liquid or the like The dot positions of the check nozzles could not be accurately detected without error by the above check mechanism.
In FIGS. 4A and 5A, 126 indicates a highly transparent ink receiving layer formed on the surface of the check medium 12, and 124 indicates a highly transparent substrate constituting the check medium 12. The material is shown.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and as described above, translucent ink droplets such as light magenta and light cyan ejected from the nozzles of an inkjet head, or a transparent chemical solution and a transparent adhesive. Inkjet that can always accurately and accurately detect the presence or absence of a check nozzle dot on the surface of a check medium and the position of the check nozzle dot with a semitransparent ink droplet such as An object of the present invention is to provide an ink dot detection mechanism (hereinafter referred to as a detection mechanism) for checking the nozzle function of a printer.

In order to achieve such an object, the detection mechanism of the present invention is an inkjet head that moves relative to the XY direction above the surface of a check media arranged side by side with the plotting media. With transparent or translucent ink droplets ejected from the nozzle toward the surface of the check medium, the presence or absence of a check ink dot formed on the surface of the check medium and the position of the dot of the check ink are determined. , The illumination light from the front side of the check medium is transmitted through the check medium where the dot of the check ink is formed and the surrounding check media part to receive light on the back side of the check medium. And the analysis means analyzes the pattern of the difference H in the amount of the illumination light received by the light receiving means. , Is detected, an ink dot of the sensing mechanism of for a check,
A translucent medium in which the check medium is formed with a translucent ink receiving layer having a large number of bubble cells that absorb the transparent or translucent ink droplets dispersed on the surface of a base material having a high light transmittance. Alternatively, by using a medium that causes light diffusion, a transparent or semi-transparent ink droplet ejected from the nozzle of the inkjet head causes a dot of a check ink formed on the surface of the semi-transparent medium or the medium that causes light diffusion. Compared to the surrounding translucent media or the media portion where light diffusion occurs, the formation location is in a state of increased transparency, and the illumination light transmitted through the formation location of the check ink dots with increased transparency is The amount of light A received by the light receiving means and the semi-transparent medium or the medium where light diffusion occurs around the area where the ink dots for the check are formed. The analysis light analyzes the pattern of the difference H from the amount of light B received by the light receiving means with respect to the illumination light transmitted through the part A, so that the check ink formed on the surface of the translucent medium or light-diffusing medium It is characterized by detecting the presence or absence and the position of the ink dot for the check.

In this detection mechanism, a transparent or semi-transparent ink droplet ejected from a nozzle of an inkjet head forms a dot for a nozzle function check ink, and a transparent or semi-transparent medium surface with a high light transmittance. A translucent medium or a medium that causes light diffusion is used, in which a translucent ink receiving layer having a large number of bubble cells that absorb transparent ink droplets is dispersed.
Therefore, when the ink dots for checking are formed by transparent or semi-transparent ink droplets ejected from the nozzles of the inkjet head on the surface of the semi-transparent medium or light diffusing medium, the semi-transparent medium or light diffusing is formed. The transparency of the ink dot formation for checking the generated media is greatly increased compared to the surrounding semi-transparent media or the media portion where light diffusion occurs.
The reason for this is that transparent or translucent ink droplets that have landed on the surface of the translucent medium or light-diffusing media from the nozzles of the inkjet heads land on the surface of the translucent medium or light-diffusing media that has landed. It is considered that this is because the large number of bubble cells dispersed and present in the formed semi-transparent ink receiving layer portion enter into the large number of cells filled with ink. And the refractive index with respect to the light of each of many cells dispersed and existing in the ink receiving layer portion at the landing position of the transparent or translucent ink droplet has an ink receiving layer portion in which there is no bubble cell in the vicinity. It is thought that this is because it approaches the refractive index of light. In other words, the refractive index of the light of the ink receiving layer portion of the landed portion of the transparent or translucent ink droplet is almost uniform including the portion where a large number of bubble cells are dispersed. ,Conceivable. As a result, the translucent medium on which the transparent or translucent ink droplets land or the ink receiving layer part on the surface of the light-diffusing medium and the base part having a high light transmittance directly below the translucent medium or light It is considered that most of the irradiation light from the surface side of the medium where diffusion occurs can be transmitted straight to the semi-transparent medium or the back side of the medium where light diffusion occurs without irregular reflection. And it is thought that it is because the transparency of the formation part of the ink dot for the check of the translucent medium or the medium where light diffusion occurs is greatly increased.
On the other hand, there are a large number of bubble cells dispersed in the ink receiving layer on the surface of the translucent medium or light-diffusing media around the landing point of the transparent or semi-transparent ink droplet. The refractive index with respect to light possessed by is greatly separated from the refractive index of light possessed by the ink receiving layer portion where there is no bubble cell in the vicinity. Therefore, the ink receiving layer around the translucent medium or the light-diffusing medium portion where the transparent or translucent ink droplets land and the check ink dots are formed, and the high light transmittance base immediately below the ink receiving layer. Most of the irradiation light from the translucent medium or light diffusion media surface that passes through the material part is diffusely reflected on the surface of each of the many bubble cells that are dispersed in the ink receiving layer, This is probably because the translucent medium or the back side of the medium where light diffusion occurs cannot be transmitted straight. It is considered that the transparency of the semi-transparent medium or the part of the medium where light diffusion occurs is not increased around the formation of the ink dots for checking the semi-transparent medium or light diffusion medium.
From such a phenomenon, the light quantity A received by the light receiving means from the semi-transparent medium or the light-diffusing medium surface side that has passed through the formation of the check ink dots whose transparency has been increased, and The amount of light B received by the light receiving means is the illumination light from the surface of the semi-transparent medium or the light-diffusing medium that has passed through the semi-transparent medium or the light-diffusing medium portion around the check ink dot formation location. It is considered that the difference H becomes much larger.
This phenomenon has been confirmed by experiments described later.
Therefore, according to this detection mechanism, the transparent or semi-transparent ink droplet has landed and passed through the dot formation portion of the check ink whose transparency has been increased, from the semi-transparent medium or the medium surface where light diffusion occurs. The amount of light A received by the light receiving means and the surface of the translucent medium or the light-diffusing medium that has passed through the semi-transparent medium or the light-diffusing medium around the ink dot formation area for the check. By analyzing the pattern of the difference H from the amount of light B received by the light receiving means with the analyzing means, the presence or absence of the check ink formed on the surface of the translucent medium or the medium where light diffusion occurs and the check The position of the ink dot can always be reliably detected without error.
According to experiments, it is optimal to use a translucent medium or a medium that causes light diffusion when the illumination light with a wavelength of 470 to 600 nm is irradiated and the transmittance of the illumination light is 60 to 80%. It was confirmed that there was.

  As described above, according to the detection mechanism of the present invention, translucent ink droplets such as light magenta and light cyan ejected from the nozzles of the inkjet head, or transparent ink droplets such as a transparent chemical solution and a transparent adhesive. Accordingly, it is possible to reliably detect the presence or absence of the nozzle function check ink formed on the surface of the check medium and the position of the dot of the check ink without error.

  1 and 2 show a preferred embodiment of the detection mechanism of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the structure of a translucent medium or a medium in which light diffusion occurs, and FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the principle thereof. The detection mechanism will be described below.

This detection mechanism has a structure similar to the nozzle function check mechanism shown in FIG.
That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the inkjet head 30 that moves relative to the XY direction above the surface of the check medium 12 supported by the support means 60 side by side with the drawing medium 10 on the side of the drawing medium 10. A plurality of check dots (not shown) are formed side by side on the surface of the check medium 12 by ink droplets ejected from the nozzles arranged in the direction toward the surface of the check medium 12. Yes. Next, the check medium 12 supported by the support means 60 is moved in the X direction, and the surface portion of the check medium 12 formed by arranging a plurality of ink dot dots for checking the nozzle function is arranged on the check medium 12. It is structured to be positioned between the light source 70 and the light receiving means 80 arranged so as to oppose the upper and lower sides behind the transport path. Then, the illumination light received on the surface side of the check medium 12 from the light source 70 disposed above the check medium 12 is used to check the location of the check medium 12 where dots of a plurality of inks are arranged and the surrounding area. The structure is such that the light receiving means 80 such as a CCD camera disposed on the back side of the check medium 12 is transmitted through the portion of the medium 12 for check. Then, by analyzing the pattern of the difference H in the amount of illumination light received by the light receiving means 80 by the analyzing means 90 formed of an electronic circuit or the like, a plurality of nozzle function check lines formed side by side on the surface of the check medium 12 are checked. It has a structure for detecting the presence or absence of ink dots and the positions of the plurality of ink dots.

The above configuration is the same as the detection mechanism provided in the above-described conventional nozzle function check mechanism, but in this detection mechanism, dark colors such as magenta, cyan, black, etc. from each of the plurality of nozzles arranged in the inkjet head 30. A structure in which translucent ink droplets such as light magenta and light cyan, or transparent ink droplets such as a transparent chemical solution and a transparent adhesive solution are ejected toward the surface of the check medium 12 instead of the light droplets of I am doing.
In addition, the check medium 12 is not a medium such as a transparent film having high transparency, but a large number of fine particles that absorb transparent or translucent ink droplets on the surface of the substrate 124 having a high light transmittance as shown in FIG. It has a structure using a special translucent medium or a medium 122 in which light diffusion occurs, in which a translucent ink receiving layer 128 having small-sized bubble cells 126 dispersed almost uniformly is formed.
As the translucent medium or the medium 122 in which light diffusion occurs, for example, a translucent film TPX manufactured by Pictorico Co., Ltd., which is used as a medium for printing pictures or / and characters by an ink jet printer, is suitable.
Then, it is formed side by side on the surface of the semi-transparent medium or light-diffusing medium 122 by transparent ink drops such as transparent chemical liquid ejected from a plurality of nozzles of the inkjet head 30 or semi-transparent ink drops such as light magenta. A plurality of ink dot formation portions 200 to be checked are in a state where the transparency is remarkably increased as compared to the surrounding semi-transparent media or the media portion 220 where light diffusion occurs.
Then, the illumination light from the front surface side of the translucent medium or light diffusion medium 122 that has passed through the check ink dot formation portion 200 with increased transparency is used as the back surface of the translucent medium or light diffusion medium 122. The light amount A received by the light receiving means 80 such as the CCD camera on the side, and the translucent medium or light diffusion that has passed through the semi-transparent medium or light-diffusing media portion 220 around the dot formation area of the check ink. An analysis means 90 comprising an electronic circuit or the like is used to form a pattern of a difference H from the amount of light B received by a light receiving means 80 such as a CCD camera or the like on the back side of a translucent medium or light-diffusing medium 122. It has a structure to analyze by. Then, from the pattern of the difference H between the light amounts A and B analyzed by the analyzing means 90, a transparent ink droplet such as a transparent chemical liquid ejected from each of a plurality of nozzles arranged in the inkjet head 30 and a half of light magenta or the like. Presence / absence of a plurality of ink dots for checking the nozzle function formed on the surface of the check medium 12 composed of a translucent medium or a medium 122 in which light diffusion is caused by transparent ink droplets, and a plurality of ink dots for the check. It has a structure that detects the position.

Others are configured in the same manner as the check mechanism shown in FIG. 3 described above, and in this detection mechanism, the check medium 12 has a structure as shown in FIG. Since the medium 122 is used, formation of dots of the check ink formed on the translucent medium or the medium 122 where light diffusion occurs due to the transparent or translucent ink droplets ejected from the nozzles of the inkjet head 30 The transparency of the portion 200 is significantly increased as compared with the surrounding semi-transparent medium or the medium 122 where light diffusion occurs.
The reason for this is that, as shown in FIG. 1, the transparent or translucent ink droplets that are ejected from the nozzles of the inkjet head 30 and landed on the surface of the translucent medium or the medium 122 where light diffusion occurs are the semi-transparent media. It penetrates into each of a large number of bubble cells 126 existing in a dispersed manner in a transparent medium or a translucent ink receiving layer 128 formed on the surface of a medium 122 where light diffusion occurs, and the inside of each of the many cells 126 is filled with ink. It is thought that it is because it becomes a full state. And the refractive index with respect to the light of many each cell 126 which is disperse | distributing and exists in the ink receiving layer 128 part of the location where the transparent or semi-transparent ink droplet landed, and the bubble cell 126 of the periphery does not exist. This is considered to be because the refractive index of light of the ink receiving layer 128 is approached. That is, it is considered that the light refractive index of the portion of the ink receiving layer 128 where the transparent or translucent ink droplet has landed is made substantially uniform including the portion where the bubble cell 126 exists. It is done. Therefore, the translucent medium on which the transparent or translucent ink droplet has landed or the ink receiving layer 128 portion on the surface of the medium 122 where light diffusion occurs and the base material 124 portion having a high light transmittance directly below the translucent medium Alternatively, as shown by the straight arrows in FIG. 1, most of the irradiation light from the front surface side of the medium 122 where light diffusion occurs does not reflect irregularly and passes straight to the back surface side of the translucent medium or light medium 122 where light diffusion occurs. It is thought that it is because it comes to get. As a result, it is considered that the transparency of the ink dot formation portion 200 for checking the semi-transparent medium or the medium where light diffusion occurs is greatly increased.
On the other hand, a large number of bubble cells 126 are dispersed in the ink receiving layer 128 on the surface of the translucent medium or the medium 122 where light diffusion occurs around the landing position of the transparent or translucent ink droplet. The refractive index of the bubble cell 126 with respect to the light is greatly separated from the refractive index of the light of the ink receiving layer 128 where the bubble cell 126 around it does not exist. Therefore, the ink receiving layer 128 around the translucent medium where the transparent or translucent ink droplet is landed to form a check ink dot or a medium where light diffusion occurs, and the light transmittance just below the translucent medium The irradiation light from the surface side of the translucent medium or the light-diffusing medium 122 that is transmitted through the high substrate 124 part is mostly distributed on the ink receiving layer 128 part, and the surface of each of the bubble cells 126. Thus, as indicated by the broken line arrow in FIG. 1, it is considered that the light is diffusely reflected and cannot be transmitted straight to the back side of the translucent medium or the medium 122 where light diffusion occurs. As a result, it is considered that the transparency of the translucent medium around the dot formation portion of the check ink or the media portion 220 where light diffusion occurs does not increase.
Then, from such a phenomenon, as shown in FIG. 2A, the surface side of the translucent medium or light diffusion medium 122 that has passed through the dot formation portion 200 of the check ink whose transparency is increased. The light quantity A received by the light receiving means 80 and the semi-transparent medium or the light-diffusing medium transmitted through the semi-transparent medium or the light-diffusing medium portion 220 around the dot formation area of the check ink. It is considered that the difference H from the amount of light B received by the light receiving means 80 with illumination light from the surface 122 is significantly increased as shown by the solid line in FIG. Incidentally, what is indicated by a broken line in FIG. 2 (b) is a point where ink dots are formed on a highly transparent check medium by transparent or translucent ink droplets ejected from the nozzles of the inkjet head 30, and This represents the difference H in the amount of light received by the light receiving means 80 on the back side of the check medium, with the illumination light transmitted through each of the surrounding check media portions having high transparency.
This phenomenon occurs when an experiment is actually performed using the detection mechanism having the structure shown in FIG. 3 using the above-described translucent film TPX manufactured by Pictorico Co., Ltd. as the check medium 12. That was confirmed.
Therefore, according to this detection mechanism, the transparent or semi-transparent ink droplet has landed and transmitted through the dot formation portion 200 of the check ink whose transparency has been increased, and the translucent medium or the medium 122 in which light diffusion occurs. The amount of light A received by the light receiving means 80 from the front surface side and the translucent medium or light diffusing light transmitted through the semi-transparent medium or the light-diffusing medium portion 220 around the dot formation portion of the check ink. By analyzing the pattern of the difference H from the amount of light B received by the light receiving means 80 with the illumination light from the surface side of the generated medium 122 by the analyzing means, the check is formed on the surface of the translucent medium or the medium 122 where light diffusion occurs. The presence or absence of ink and the position of the ink dot for the check can always be reliably detected without error.
According to experiments, it is preferable to use a translucent medium or a medium 122 in which light diffusion occurs when illumination light in a wavelength region of 470 to 600 nm is irradiated and the light transmittance of the irradiation light is 60 to 80%. It was confirmed to be optimal.

  The detection mechanism of the present invention is a translucent ink droplet such as light magenta or light cyan ejected from a plurality of nozzles arranged in an inkjet head such as a large-scale inkjet printer having a plurality of inkjet heads arranged side by side, a transparent chemical liquid, an adhesive liquid Check the presence or absence of multiple ink dots for the nozzle function check and the position of the multiple ink dots that are formed side by side on the surface of the check media using ink droplets, etc., and check the irradiation light from the check media surface side. It can be widely used in a detection mechanism for transmitting a detection medium, receiving it on a light receiving means on the back side of the check medium, and detecting from a light amount difference pattern received by the light receiving means.

It is structure explanatory drawing of the check medium used for the detection mechanism of this invention. It is principle explanatory drawing of the detection mechanism of this invention. It is structure explanatory drawing of a detection mechanism. It is principle explanatory drawing of the conventional detection mechanism. It is principle explanatory drawing of the conventional detection mechanism.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Drawing media 12 Check media 20 Platen 30 Inkjet head 60 Supporting means 70 Light source 80 Light receiving means 90 Analyzing means 122 Translucent medium or media in which light diffusion occurs 124 Base material 126 Bubble cell 128 Ink receiving layer 200 Check ink dot Formation location 220 Check media portion around the check ink dot formation location

Claims (2)

Transparent or semi-transparent sprayed from the nozzle of the inkjet head that moves relative to the XY direction above the surface of the check media arranged side by side with the plotting media on the side of the plotting media The presence or absence of the check ink dots formed on the surface of the check medium by the ink droplets and the position of the check ink dots, the illumination light from the check medium surface side, A difference H in the amount of the illumination light received by the light receiving means is transmitted through the portion where the check ink dots are formed and the surrounding check media portion and is received by the light receiving means on the back side of the check media. This is a mechanism for detecting ink dots for checking, which is detected by analyzing Te,
A translucent medium in which the check medium is formed with a translucent ink receiving layer having a large number of bubble cells that absorb the transparent or translucent ink droplets dispersed on the surface of a base material having a high light transmittance. Alternatively, a transparent or semi-transparent ink droplet ejected from the nozzle of the inkjet head using a light-diffusing medium, and a check ink dot formed on the surface of the semi-transparent medium or light-diffusing medium. Compared to the surrounding translucent media or the media portion where light diffusion occurs, the formation location is in a state of increased transparency, and the illumination light transmitted through the formation location of the check ink dots with increased transparency is The amount of light A received by the light receiving means and the semi-transparent medium around the dot formation location of the ink for the check or the medium that causes light diffusion A check pattern formed on the surface of the translucent medium or light-diffusing medium by analyzing the pattern of the difference H from the light quantity B received by the light-receiving means with the analyzing means by analyzing the illumination light transmitted through the via portion. An ink dot detection mechanism for checking a nozzle function of an ink jet printer, characterized by detecting the presence or absence of ink and the position of an ink dot for checking the ink.   2. The inkjet printer according to claim 1, wherein when the semi-transparent medium or the medium in which light diffusion occurs is irradiated with illumination light in a wavelength region of 470 to 600 nm, one having a light transmittance of 60 to 80% is used. Ink dot detection mechanism for nozzle function check.

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