JP4681985B2 - Recording apparatus and recording method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus that forms an image by recording a recording agent (for example, ink) on a recording medium.

  Recently, OA devices such as personal computers and word processors are widely used, and various recording devices for recording information output from these devices on various recording media are provided. In particular, the ink jet recording apparatus has various advantages such as low noise, low running cost, small size, and relatively easy colorization, and is accepted by a wide range of users. Recently, there has been an increasing demand for outputting images taken with a digital camera with the same quality as a silver halide photograph, and a recording method incorporating various ideas for responding to this has been implemented. For example, at the front end portion or the rear end portion of the recording medium, the conveyance accuracy of the recording medium tends to decrease due to the configuration of the recording apparatus. On the other hand, an ink jet recording apparatus that employs a special recording method at the front end portion or the rear end portion of the recording medium has already been provided. In addition, a recording apparatus employing a recording method called “multi-pass recording” in order to output a smoother image suitable for the picture quality is now common. Hereinafter, specific configurations of “front and rear end recording” and “multipass recording” will be briefly described.

(About the recording method on the front and rear ends)
When recording the leading edge or trailing edge of the recording medium, the recording medium may come off from some of the plurality of rollers that support and convey the recording medium from the front and back of the recording section. Is often disturbed. Hereinafter, such a state will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a recording head, a recording medium, and a conveyance mechanism that conveys the recording medium while supporting the recording medium in a state where the central portion of the recording medium is being recorded. In the figure, a conveying roller M3060, two paper discharge rollers M3100, M3110, and spurs M3070 and M3120 facing each of these rollers form three sets of nip portions to stretch and support the recording medium P. . Further, by rotating the three rollers, the recording medium P can be conveyed in the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure.

  H1000 is a head cartridge. In the head cartridge H1000, a plurality of recording elements for ejecting ink are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the transport direction in the figure. The head cartridge H1000 discharges ink from each recording element while moving and scanning in the depth direction of the drawing, and forms an image on the area of the recording medium P located between the transport roller M3060 and the paper discharge roller M3100. To do. Images are sequentially formed on the recording medium P by alternately repeating the recording scanning by the head cartridge H1000 and the conveying operation of the recording medium P by the three roller pairs.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which recording further proceeds from the state of FIG. 1 and recording is performed on the vicinity of the rear end portion of the recording medium P. The recording medium P has already been removed from the conveyance roller M3060 and is conveyed by the rotation of only the paper discharge rollers M3100 and M3110.

  By the way, generally, there are many differences between the roller diameter and the conveyance accuracy in the conveyance roller M3060 and the discharge rollers M3100 and M3110 due to the difference in main roles. As for the transport roller M3060, the main role is to position the recording medium at an appropriate position with respect to the recording head for each recording scan. Therefore, it has a sufficient roller diameter and can perform a transport operation with a desired accuracy. On the other hand, the paper discharge rollers M3100 and M3110 have a main role of reliably discharging the recording medium after recording. Therefore, the roller diameter is small and the conveyance accuracy of the recording medium is often inferior compared to the conveyance roller M3060. In other words, the area from the time when the trailing edge of the recording medium P is removed from the conveying roller M3060 to the time when the recording of the trailing edge of the recording medium P is completed is more accurate than the area before that. A deteriorating situation will occur. At this time, depending on the image to be recorded, a black streak is confirmed when the transport amount is insufficient, and a white streak is confirmed when the transport amount is too large, which may cause an image problem that cannot be ignored.

  In addition, image defects due to the fact that both ends of the recording medium are not held also occur. When the rear end of the recording medium P is out of the conveying roller M3060, the distance between the recording head and the recording medium (hereinafter referred to as the inter-paper distance) fluctuates not a little, and then becomes unstable. The ink jet recording head performs moving scanning while ejecting ink at a timing corresponding to a predetermined inter-paper distance maintained by the front and rear rollers. The ink ejected at an appropriate timing becomes dots on the recording medium, and an image is formed by arranging the ink at an appropriate pitch. Therefore, if the paper-to-paper distance is changed during recording or the paper-to-paper distance fluctuates thereafter, the dot position on the recording medium becomes unstable, and images such as white lines, black lines, or rough feeling Detriment will occur. Such a problem of the inter-paper distance occurs similarly when recording not only the rear end portion of the recording medium but also the front end portion.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state where recording is performed on the vicinity of the front end of the recording medium P. The recording medium P is held and transported only by the transport roller M3060. In the case of recording at the leading edge, the recording medium P is conveyed not by the discharge rollers M3100 and M3110 but by the conveyance roller M3060. Therefore, compared with the state where the vicinity of the rear end portion described in FIG. 2 is recorded, the conveyance is performed with higher accuracy. However, the problem of the inter-paper distance due to the fact that the leading edge of the recording medium P is not held is equivalent to the state of FIG. That is, the positional accuracy of dots on the recording medium is unstable compared to the recording at the center of the recording medium.

  In a serial-type inkjet recording apparatus that places particular emphasis on image quality, the recording width of the recording head (that is, the actual recording width of the recording head (that is, actually) In general, a method has been adopted in which the number of recording elements ejecting ink) is suppressed and the conveyance amount of the recording medium is reduced accordingly (see, for example, Patent Document 1). By narrowing the recording width of the recording head, fluctuations in the inter-paper distance with respect to the recording width can be suppressed. In this case, an effect is particularly exerted against roughness when multipass printing described later is performed. Even in a situation where the conveyance accuracy is reduced, the conveyance error can be reduced by reducing the conveyance amount of the recording medium. Further, coupled with the fact that the pitch of the connecting portion becomes fine, there is an effect that white stripes and black stripes become inconspicuous.

  Also, an ink jet recording apparatus that employs an interlace recording method that uses a recording head in which the arrangement density of recording elements is lower than the recording density and completes an image while interpolating the recording density in the sub-scanning direction by a plurality of recording scans. However, a method is also employed in which the number of recording elements that actually eject ink only at the front and rear end portions is suppressed, and the conveyance amount of the recording medium is adjusted accordingly (see, for example, Patent Document 2). .

(About multi-pass recording method)
The multipass recording method will be briefly described below.

  FIG. 4 schematically shows a recording head and a recording pattern in order to explain the multipass recording method. P0001 indicates a recording head. Here, for simplicity, it is assumed that the recording head has 16 recording elements (recording elements). The recording elements are divided into first to fourth recording element groups as shown in the figure, and each recording element group includes four recording elements. P0002 indicates a mask pattern, and an area in which each recording element performs recording is shown in black. The patterns recorded by each recording element group are complementary to each other. When these patterns are overlapped, recording of an area corresponding to a 4 × 4 area is completed.

  Each pattern indicated by P0003 to P0006 shows a state in which an image is completed by overlapping recording scans. At the end of each recording scan, the recording medium is conveyed by the width of the recording element group in the direction of the arrow in the figure. Therefore, the same area of the recording medium (area corresponding to the width of each recording element group) is configured such that an image is completed only after four recording scans.

  As described above, the formation of each region of the recording medium by a plurality of recording element groups by scanning a plurality of times has an effect of reducing variations peculiar to the recording elements, variations in conveyance accuracy of the recording medium, and the like. Further, by devising the arrangement of the mask pattern, it is possible to take measures against other various image problems and reliability problems of the printing apparatus.

  For example, in recent years, in an inkjet recording head that discharges a large number of small droplets at a high frequency, the ejection direction of the recording element located at the end of the recording head tends to be inclined obliquely inwardly and obliquely. . In this case, since the dots formed by the recording elements located at the end of the recording element array land on the inner position shifted from the normal position, the white stripes (hereinafter, “ It has been confirmed that this will occur. Even in such a situation, the edge stripe can be made inconspicuous by devising the arrangement of the mask pattern described above (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

  FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a mask pattern employed to reduce the end stripe. The black area of the mask pattern in FIG. 5 is a portion that plays the same role as the black area of the mask pattern in FIG. 4 and indicates an area that allows recording. The white area of the mask pattern in FIG. 5 is a part that plays the same role as the white area of the mask pattern in FIG. 4 and indicates an area that does not allow recording. Here, a case where a recording head having 768 recording elements is used and 4-pass multi-pass recording is performed is shown as an example. As in the case of FIG. 4, all the 768 printing elements are divided into four printing element groups. Here, the printing rate (the black ratio with respect to the total number of black areas and white areas constituting the mask pattern depends on the position of the printing elements). It can be seen that the ratio of the number of areas is different. The recording rate of the mask pattern corresponding to the first recording element group is N%, the recording rate of the mask pattern corresponding to the second recording element group is M (where M> N)%, and the mask corresponding to the third recording element group. The pattern recording rate is M%, the mask pattern recording rate corresponding to the fourth recording element group is N%, and the total of the mask pattern recording rates corresponding to these four recording element groups (N + M + M + N) is 100. %. As described above, the recording rate of the recording element in the central portion is set to be relatively high, but the recording rate gradually decreases toward the end. It has been confirmed that the above-described inner oblique in the ejection direction appears more markedly as smaller droplets of ink are recorded at higher speed and higher density. Therefore, setting the recording rate at the end to be lower than that at the center can alleviate the inclining tendency of the recording element located at the end. Further, even if there is a slight inclining tendency, the number of ejected dots is reduced, so that the effect of making the edge streaks due to the landing position deviation inconspicuous is also obtained.

  In an ink jet recording apparatus that places importance on photographic image quality, a small amount of droplets, a high density of recording elements, and a high frequency of driving are important factors in achieving both image quality and recording speed. Therefore, the mask pattern as shown in FIG. 5 is a generally useful configuration in recent inkjet recording apparatuses that place importance on photographic image quality.

  By the way, as described above, in the recording apparatus in which image quality is particularly important, the number of recording elements (number of nozzles) applied to recording is reduced at the front end portion and the rear end portion of the recording medium. Therefore, in order to realize such front / rear end recording and multi-pass recording at the same time, it is necessary to switch the mask pattern for multi-pass recording at the front end and rear end of the recording medium. Such a configuration is already disclosed in Patent Document 4.

  Even at the front end and rear end where recording is performed with the number of recording elements reduced, there are many cases where measures are required to suppress the adverse effects of end streaks. Therefore, conventionally, even in the mask pattern applied at the front end portion or the rear end portion, the recording rate at the extreme end portion is the extreme end when recording the central portion of the recording medium, regardless of the number of recording elements used for recording. In general, the recording rate is equal to the recording rate of the recording elements.

JP 2004-98668 A JP 11-291506 A JP 2002-096455 A JP 2002-144737 A

  However, in the conventional recording method, since the number of recording elements used for recording on the front and rear end portions is reduced at a stretch compared to the central portion, the recording time for the front and rear end portions is remarkably increased. There was a problem. That is, by providing a large number of recording elements, even a recording apparatus capable of high-speed recording causes a reduction in recording speed when recording on the front and rear ends, and the high speed cannot be sufficiently exhibited. It has been. In such a situation, the inventors of the present invention, as a result of intensive studies, paid attention to the fact that image adverse effects at the leading edge and the trailing edge can be suppressed to some extent by devising a mask pattern to be applied. If such a mask pattern is applied in the front end portion and the rear end region, an image of almost the same level as the conventional one can be obtained without reducing the number of recording elements applied to the recording to the conventional level. I thought that it would be possible to output at high speed.

  That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a mask pattern that can suppress image defects peculiar to the front end portion and the rear end portion without reducing the number of recording elements used for recording on the front and rear end portions as much as conventionally. And providing a recording apparatus and a recording method capable of outputting an image of the same quality as the conventional one at a higher speed than the conventional one.

To this end, the present invention provides a recording scan for recording according to image data while scanning a recording head in which a plurality of recording elements for recording a recording agent on a recording medium are arranged in a predetermined direction in a direction different from the predetermined direction, A recording apparatus that forms an image by repeating sub-scanning for transporting the recording medium in a direction that intersects a scanning direction,
A first mask pattern for distributing image data corresponding to the same scanning area in the central portion of the recording medium to a plurality of recording scans, and the same at at least one of the leading edge and the trailing edge of the recording medium A storage unit storing a second mask pattern for distributing image data corresponding to a scanning area to the plurality of recording scans, and the recording based on the first mask pattern and the image data read from the storage unit First recording control means for recording on the center of the medium, and second recording control for recording on the end of the recording medium based on the second mask pattern and image data read from the storage and means, said conveying means for conveying the recording medium includes a first conveying means for supporting and conveying the recording medium located on the upstream side of the recording head, the recording And a second transport means for supporting and transporting the recording medium located on the downstream side of the recording medium, and when the recording medium is supported and transported only by the first transport means, When the recording medium is supported and transported by the first and second transport means, it is determined that the recording is performed on the central portion, and the recording medium is transported by the second transport means. In the case where only the recording element is supported and transported, it is determined that the recording is performed on the rear end portion, and the recording rate of the recording element located at the end portion among the recording elements used for recording by the second recording control means is The recording rate of each of the first and second mask patterns is determined so as to be lower than the recording rate of the recording element located at the end of the recording elements used for recording by one recording control means. It is characterized in that is.

Further, a recording scan for recording according to image data while scanning a recording head in which a plurality of recording elements for recording a recording agent on a recording medium are arranged in a predetermined direction in a direction different from the predetermined direction, and a direction of the scanning Is a recording method for forming an image by repeating sub-scanning for transporting the recording medium in the intersecting direction, wherein image data corresponding to the same scanning region in the central portion of the recording medium is a first mask pattern. And a plurality of recording scans for recording in the same scanning area in the central portion of the recording medium based on the first distribution step for distributing the recording scans to a plurality of times and the image data distributed in the first distribution step. A first masking step to be performed, and image data corresponding to the same scanning region at at least one of the leading edge and the trailing edge of the recording medium is stored in a second mask. Based on the second distribution step in which the recording scan is distributed a plurality of times by the turn and the image data distributed in the second distribution step, the recording for the same scanning region at the end of the recording medium is performed in the plurality of times. A second recording step carried out by scanning; and a conveying means for conveying the recording medium, the first conveying means for supporting and conveying the recording medium located upstream from the recording head, and the downstream from the recording head. A second transport unit that is positioned and supports and transports the recording medium, and when the recording medium is supported and transported only by the first transport unit, it is determined that the recording is performed on the tip portion; When the recording medium is supported and transported by the first and second transporting means, it is determined that the recording is performed on the central portion, and the recording medium is transported to the second transporting medium. If it is supported and conveyed only by means comprises a determination step of determining a recording on the trailing end, the recording element located at the end of the recording elements used in the second recording step The recording rate of the second mask pattern corresponding to 1 is lower than the recording rate of the first mask pattern corresponding to the recording element located at the end of the recording elements used in the first recording step. To do.

  According to the present invention, since it is possible to suppress the deterioration in recording quality peculiar to the front and rear end portions by the mask pattern, it is not necessary to reduce the number of recording elements used when recording the front and rear end portions as much as in the past. Therefore, it is possible to output an image having the same quality as the conventional one at a higher speed than the conventional one.

  The first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below. First, the main body configuration of the ink jet recording apparatus applied in the present embodiment will be described.

(Mechanical structure)
The recording apparatus main body according to the present embodiment can be classified into a paper feed unit, a paper transport unit, a paper discharge unit, a carriage unit, a cleaning unit, and an exterior unit according to the role of each mechanism. Hereinafter, these will be outlined by item.

(A) Paper Feed Unit FIGS. 12 and 13 are perspective views of a recording apparatus applied in this embodiment. FIG. 12 shows a non-use state of the recording apparatus, and FIG. 13 shows a use state of the recording apparatus M1. Yes. 14, FIG. 15 and FIG. 16 are diagrams for explaining the internal mechanism of the recording apparatus main body. FIG. 14 is a perspective view from the upper right portion, FIG. 15 is a perspective view from the upper left portion, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the recording apparatus main body.

  Referring to FIGS. 12 to 16, the sheet feeding unit includes a pressure plate 2010 for stacking recording media, a sheet feeding roller M2080 for feeding recording media one by one, a separation roller M2041 for separating recording media, and a stacking position for recording media. A return lever M2020, etc. for returning to the base M2000 is attached to the base M2000.

  A paper feed tray M2060 for holding a stacked recording medium is attached to the base M2000 or the exterior. The paper feed tray M2060 is a multistage type and is rotated when used.

  The feed roller M2080 has a bar shape with a circular arc in cross section. One separation roller rubber is provided based on the sheet reference, and the recording medium is fed by this. The driving force of the paper feeding roller M2080 is transmitted from a dedicated ASF motor E0105 provided in the paper feeding unit by a drive transmission gear and a planetary gear (not shown).

  A movable side guide M2030 is movably provided on the pressure plate M2010 to restrict the recording medium stacking position. The pressure plate M2010 can rotate around a rotation shaft coupled to the base M2000, and is urged by the pressure plate spring M2012 to the paper feed roller M2080. A separation sheet M2013 made of a material having a large coefficient of friction such as an artificial skin is provided at a portion of the pressure plate M2010 facing the sheet feeding roller M2080 in order to prevent double feeding of the recording medium when the number of remaining sheets is small. ing. The pressure plate M2010 can be brought into contact with and separated from the paper feed roller M2080 by a pressure plate cam.

  In the base M2000, a separation roller holder M2040 to which a separation roller M2041 for separating the recording media one by one is attached so as to be rotatable around a rotation shaft provided in the base M2000, and is separated by a separation roller spring (not shown). The sheet is fed to the sheet feeding roller M2080. A clutch (not shown) is attached to the separation roller M2041, and the portion to which the separation roller M2041 is attached rotates when a load exceeding a predetermined value is applied. The separation roller M2041 is configured to be able to abut against and separate from the paper feed roller M2080 by a separation roller release shaft M2044 and a control cam (not shown). The positions of the pressure plate M2010, the return lever M2020, and the separation roller M2041 are detected by an auto sheet feed sensor (hereinafter referred to as an ASF sensor) E0009.

  A return lever M2020 for returning the recording medium to the loading position is rotatably attached to the base M2000, and is biased by a return lever spring (not shown) in the release direction. When the recording medium is returned, the recording medium is rotated by a control cam.

  A state of feeding paper using the above configuration will be described below.

  In a normal standby state, the pressure plate M2010 is released by the pressure plate cam, and the separation roller M2041 is released by the control cam. The return lever M2020 is provided at a stacking position that closes the stacking port so that the recording medium is returned and the stacked recording medium does not enter the back.

  When feeding paper, first, the separation roller M2041 contacts the paper feeding roller M2080 by driving the motor. Then, the return lever M2020 is released, and the pressure plate M2010 comes into contact with the paper feed roller M2080. In this state, feeding of the recording medium is started. The recording medium is limited by a pre-stage separation unit (not shown) provided on the base M2000, and only a predetermined number of recording media is sent to a nip portion composed of a paper feed roller M2080 and a separation roller M2041. The sent recording medium is separated at the nip portion, and only the uppermost recording medium is conveyed.

  When the recording medium reaches the conveyance roller M3060 and the pinch roller M3070, the pressure plate M2010 is released by a pressure plate cam (not shown), and the separation roller M2041 is released by a control cam. The return lever M2020 is returned to the loading position by the control cam. As a result, the recording medium that has reached the nip portion formed by the paper feed roller M2080 and the separation roller M2041 is returned to the stacking position.

(B) Paper Conveying Unit A conveyance roller M3060 for conveying a recording medium and a paper end sensor (hereinafter referred to as a PE sensor) E0007 are rotatably attached to a chassis M1010 made of a bent metal sheet. The conveying roller M3060 has a structure in which ceramic fine particles are coated on the surface of a metal shaft, and is attached to the chassis M1010 in a state where the metal portions of both shafts are received by bearings (not shown). A roller tension spring (not shown) is provided between the bearing and the conveyance roller M3060. By energizing the conveyance roller M3060, an appropriate amount of load is applied during rotation so that stable conveyance can be performed. Yes.

  A plurality of driven pinch rollers M3070 are provided in contact with the transport roller M3060. The pinch roller M3070 is held by the pinch roller holder M3000, but is urged by a pinch roller spring (not shown) to be brought into pressure contact with the conveyance roller M3060, and generates a conveyance force for the recording medium. At this time, the rotation shaft of the pinch roller holder M3000 is attached to the bearing of the chassis M1010 and rotates around this position.

  A paper guide flapper M3030 and a platen M3040 for guiding the recording medium are disposed at the entrance where the recording medium is conveyed. The pinch roller holder M3000 is provided with a PE sensor lever M3021, and the PE sensor lever M3021 plays a role of transmitting the detection of the leading edge and the trailing edge of the recording medium to the PE sensor-E0007. The platen M3040 is attached to the chassis M1010 and positioned. The paper guide flapper M3030 can rotate around a bearing portion (not shown) and is positioned by contacting the chassis M1010. Further, the bearing portion slides in engagement with the transport roller M3060.

  A recording head H1001 (not shown) is provided on the downstream side of the conveyance roller M3060 in the recording medium conveyance direction.

  The conveyance process in the above configuration will be described. The recording medium sent to the paper transport unit is guided by the pinch roller holder M3000 and the paper guide flapper M3030, and is sent to the roller pair of the transport roller M3060 and the pinch roller M3070. At this time, the PE sensor lever M3021 detects the leading edge of the recording medium, and thereby the recording position with respect to the recording medium is obtained. A roller pair composed of a conveyance roller M3060 and a pinch roller M3070 is rotated by driving of the LF motor E0002, and the recording medium is conveyed on the platen M3040 by this rotation. The platen M3040 is provided with a rib serving as a conveyance reference surface, and a gap between the recording head H1001 and the recording medium surface is managed by the rib. At the same time, the ribs play a role of suppressing the undulation of the recording medium together with a paper discharge unit described later. Further, a sponge part (not shown) is provided on the platen M3040, and an image is formed using a recording element at a position corresponding to the sponge part at the time of recording at the front end part and the rear end part of the recording medium.

  The driving force for rotating the transport roller M3060 is transmitted, for example, to the pulley M3061 provided on the shaft of the transport roller M3060 via a timing belt (not shown) from the LF motor E0002 made of a DC motor. It is obtained by doing. Further, a code wheel M3062 for detecting the amount of conveyance by the conveyance roller M3060 is provided on the axis of the conveyance roller M3060, and an adjacent chassis M1010 is used for reading a marking formed on the code wheel M3062. An encode sensor M3090 is provided. The markings formed on the code wheel M3062 are formed at a pitch of 150 to 300 lpi (line / inch; reference value).

(C) Paper Discharge Unit The paper discharge unit includes a first paper discharge roller M3100 and a second paper discharge roller M3110, a plurality of spurs M3120, a gear train, and the like.

  The first paper discharge roller M3100 is configured by providing a plurality of rubber portions on a metal shaft. The first paper discharge roller M3100 is driven by transmitting the driving of the transport roller M3060 to the first paper discharge roller M3100 via an idler gear.

  The second paper discharge roller M3110 has a structure in which a plurality of elastomer elastic bodies M3111 are attached to a resin shaft. The second paper discharge roller M3110 is driven by transmitting the drive of the first paper discharge roller M3100 via an idler gear.

  The spur M3120 is formed by integrating a circular thin plate made of, for example, SUS with a plurality of convex shapes around the resin portion, and is attached to a spur holder. This attachment is performed by a spur spring provided with a coil spring in a rod shape. At the same time, the spring force of the spur spring causes the spur M3120 to contact the discharge rollers M3100 and M3110 with a predetermined pressure. With this configuration, the spur M3120 can be rotated following the two discharge rollers M3100 and M3110. Some of the spurs M3120 are provided at the position of the rubber portion of the first paper discharge roller M3100 or the elastic body M3111 of the second paper discharge roller M3110, and mainly play a role of generating the conveyance force of the recording medium. Yes. In addition, some others are provided at positions where the rubber part or the elastic body part M3111 is not present, and mainly play a role of suppressing the lifting of the recording medium during recording.

  Further, the gear train plays a role of transmitting the driving of the transport roller M3060 to the paper discharge rollers M3100 and M3110.

  A paper end support (not shown) is provided between the first paper discharge roller M3100 and the second paper discharge roller M3110. The paper edge support plays a role of protecting the recording made on the recording medium from scratching of the carriage by lifting both ends of the recording medium and holding the recording medium at the tip of the first paper discharge roller M3100. . Specifically, a resin member having a roller (not shown) at the tip is urged by a paper end support spring (not shown) and presses the roller against the recording medium with a predetermined pressure. It is constructed so that it can be lifted, strained and held in place.

  With the above configuration, the recording medium on which an image has been formed is sandwiched between the nip between the first discharge roller M3110 and the spur M3120, conveyed, and discharged to the discharge tray M3160. The paper discharge tray M3160 is divided into a plurality of parts and can be stored in a lower part of a lower case M7080 described later. When used, pull out. Further, the discharge tray M3160 is designed such that its height increases toward the leading end, and both ends thereof are held at high positions, improving the stackability of the discharged recording medium, rubbing the recording surface, and the like. Is preventing.

(D) Carriage part The carriage part has a carriage M4000 for mounting the recording head H1001, and the carriage M4000 is supported by a guide shaft M4020 and a guide rail M1011. The guide shaft M4020 is attached to the chassis M1010 and guides and supports the carriage M4000 to reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the recording medium conveyance direction. The guide rail M1011 is formed integrally with the chassis M1010, and holds the rear end of the carriage M4000 and plays a role of maintaining a gap between the recording head H1001 and the recording medium. Further, a sliding sheet M4030 made of a thin plate of stainless steel or the like is stretched on the sliding side of the guide rail M1011 with respect to the carriage M4000 so as to reduce the sliding noise of the recording apparatus.
The carriage M4000 is driven via a timing belt M4041 by a carriage motor E0001 attached to the chassis M1010. The timing belt M4041 is stretched and supported by an idle pulley M4042. Further, the timing belt M4041 is coupled to the carriage M4000 via a carriage damper made of rubber or the like, and the unevenness of the recorded image is reduced by attenuating the vibration of the carriage motor E0001 or the like.

  An encoder scale E0005 for detecting the position of the carriage M4000 is provided in parallel with the timing belt M4041. On the encoder scale E0005, markings are formed at a pitch of 150 to 300 lpi, and an encoder sensor E0004 (described later with reference to FIG. 17) for reading the markings is mounted on a carriage M4000 (refer to FIG. 17). Provided later). The carriage substrate E0013 is also provided with a head contact E0101 for electrical connection with the recording head H1001. In addition, a flexible cable E0012 (not shown) for transmitting a drive signal from the electric board E0014 to the recording head H1001 is connected to the carriage M4000.

  As a configuration for fixing the recording head H1001 to the carriage M4000, an abutting portion (not shown) for positioning the recording head H1001 against the carriage M4000 and a pressing means (not shown) for fixing the recording head H1001 at a predetermined position are provided. It is provided on the carriage M4000. The pressing means is mounted on the head set lever M4010 and is configured to act on the recording head H1001 by turning the head set lever M4010 about the rotation fulcrum when setting the recording head H1001.

  Further, the carriage M4000 is provided with a position detection sensor M4090 including a reflection type optical sensor for recording on a special medium such as a CD-R or for detecting the position of a recording result or a sheet edge. . The position detection sensor M4090 can detect the current position of the carriage M4000 by emitting light from the light emitting element and receiving the reflected light.

  When an image is formed on the recording medium in the above configuration, the roller pair including the conveyance roller M3060 and the pinch roller M3070 conveys and positions the recording medium with respect to the row position. For the row position, the carriage M4000 is moved in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction by the carriage motor E0001 to place the recording head H1001 at the target image forming position. The positioned recording head H1001 ejects ink to the recording medium in accordance with a signal from the electric substrate E0014. Although the detailed configuration and recording system of the recording head H1001 will be described later, in the recording apparatus according to the present embodiment, a recording main scan in which the carriage M4000 scans in the column direction while recording is performed by the recording head H1001, and a conveyance roller M3060. An image is formed on the recording medium by alternately repeating sub-scanning in which the recording medium is conveyed in the row direction.

(E) Cleaning unit The cleaning unit includes a pump M5000 for cleaning the recording head H1001, a cap M5010 for suppressing the drying of the recording head H1001, and a blade M5020 for cleaning the discharge port forming surface of the recording head H1001. , Etc.

  A dedicated cleaning motor E0003 is disposed in the cleaning unit. The cleaning motor E0003 is provided with a one-way clutch (not shown). The pump is operated by rotation in one direction, and the blade M5020 is operated at the same time as rotation of the cap M5010 is operated by rotation in the other direction. ing.

  The pump M5000 is configured such that a negative pressure is generated when a pump roller (not shown) squeezes two tubes (not shown). Cap M5010 is connected to pump M5000 via a valve (not shown) or the like. When the pump M5000 is operated in a state where the cap M5010 is in close contact with the ink discharge port of the recording head H1001, unnecessary ink or the like is sucked from the recording head H1001. Further, a cap absorber M5011 is provided in an inner portion of the cap M5010 in order to reduce ink remaining on the face surface of the head H1001 after suction. Further, by sucking the ink remaining in the cap M5010 with the cap M5010 opened, consideration is given to preventing the remaining ink from sticking and the subsequent adverse effects. The ink sucked by the pump M5000 becomes waste ink, is absorbed by the waste ink absorber provided in the lower case M7080, and is held here.

  A series of operations continuously performed, such as the operation of the blade M5020, the raising and lowering of the cap M5010, and the opening and closing of the valve, are controlled by a main cam (not shown) provided with a plurality of cams on the shaft. The cams and arms of the respective parts are acted on the main cam to perform a predetermined operation. The position of the main cam can be detected by a position detection sensor such as a photo interrupter. When the cap M5010 descends, the blade M5020 moves vertically in the scanning direction of the carriage M4000, and cleans the face surface of the recording head H1001. A plurality of blades M5020 are provided, one for cleaning the vicinity of the recording element of the recording head H1001 and the other for cleaning the entire face surface. Then, when the carriage M4000 moves to the innermost position, the ink adhered to the blade M5020 itself can be removed by contacting the blade cleaner M5060.

(F) Exterior Unit Each unit described in (A) to (E) is mainly incorporated in the chassis M1010 to form a mechanism portion of the recording apparatus. The exterior is attached so as to cover the periphery. The exterior portion mainly includes a lower case M7080, an upper case M7040, an access cover M7030, a connector cover, and a front cover M7010.

  A lower discharge tray rail (not shown) is provided below the lower case M7080, and the divided discharge tray M3160 can be stored. Further, the front cover M7010 is configured to close the paper discharge port when not in use.

  An access cover M7030 is attached to the upper case M7040 and is configured to be rotatable. A part of the upper surface of the upper case has an opening, and the ink tank H1900 and the recording head H1001 are configured to be replaceable at this position. In the recording apparatus of the present embodiment, a head cartridge in which the ink tank H1900 can be attached and detached independently for each color with respect to a recording head unit in which a recording head capable of ejecting one color of ink is integrally formed for a plurality of colors. It has a configuration. Further, the upper case is provided with a door switch lever (not shown) for detecting opening / closing of the access cover, an LED guide M7060 for transmitting / displaying LED light, a key switch M7070 for acting on a switch (SW) on the board, and the like. It has been. Further, the multi-stage type paper feed tray M2060 is rotatably attached, and when the paper feed unit is not used, the paper feed tray M2060 is accommodated so that it also serves as a cover for the paper feed unit. It is configured.

  The upper case M7040 and the lower case M7080 are attached with elastic fitting claws, and a connector cover (not shown) covers a portion where the connector portion is provided therebetween.

(Electric circuit configuration)
Next, the configuration of the electrical circuit in the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 17 is a block diagram for schematically explaining the overall configuration of the electrical circuit in the embodiment of the present invention.

  The recording apparatus applied in the present embodiment is mainly configured by a carriage substrate (CRPCB) E0013, a main PCB (Printed Circuit Board) E0014, a power supply unit E0015, a front panel E0106, and the like.

  Here, the power supply unit E0015 is connected to the main PCB E0014 and supplies various driving powers.

  The carriage substrate E0013 is a printed circuit board unit mounted on the carriage M4000, and functions as an interface that exchanges signals with the recording head H1001 through the head connector E0101. Further, a change in the positional relationship between the encoder scale E0005 and the encoder sensor E0004 is detected based on a pulse signal output from the encoder sensor E0004 as the carriage M4000 moves, and the output signal is further transmitted to a flexible flat cable (CRFFC). Output to the main PCB E0014 through E0012. The carriage substrate E0013 is provided with a temperature sensor such as a thermistor for detecting the ambient temperature and a required optical sensor (hereinafter, these sensors are referred to as an OnCR sensor E0102). Information obtained by the OnCR sensor E0102 is output to the main PCB E0014 through the flexible flat cable (CRFFC) E0012 together with the head temperature information from the recording head cartridge H1000.

  The main PCB E0014 is a printed circuit board unit that controls driving of each part of the ink jet recording apparatus according to the present embodiment. On the substrate, a paper edge detection sensor (PE sensor) E0007, an automatic sheet feeder (ASF) sensor E0009, A cover sensor E0022 and a host interface (host I / F) E0017 are provided. In addition, a carriage motor E0001 as a driving source for main-scanning the carriage M4000, an LF motor E0002 as a driving source for conveying a recording medium, a PG motor E0003 as a driving source for a recovery operation of the recording head H1001, and a recording medium Are connected to various motors such as an ASF motor E0105 serving as a driving source of the paper feeding operation, and the driving of each function is controlled. Furthermore, while receiving various sensor signals E0104 indicating the mounting and operating states of various optional units such as an ink empty sensor, media (paper) discrimination sensor, carriage position (height) sensor, LF encoder sensor, and PG sensor, An option control signal E0108 is output in order to perform drive control of various option units. The main PCB E0014 is connected to each of the CRFFC E0012, the power supply unit E0015, and the front panel E0106, and has an interface for exchanging information by the panel signal E0107.

  The front panel E0106 is a unit provided on the front surface of the recording apparatus main body for the convenience of user operation, and is a device used for connection with a resume key E0019, LED E0020, power key E0018, and peripheral devices such as a digital camera. I / F E0100.

  FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the main PCB E1004.

  In the figure, reference numeral E1102 denotes an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), which is connected to the ROM E1004 through the control bus E1014 and performs various controls in accordance with programs stored in the ROM E1004. For example, each sensor output on the main PCB E0014, sensor signal E0104, OnCR sensor signal E1105 on the CRPCB E0013, encoder signal E1020, output from the power key E0018 and resume key E0019 on the front panel E0106 are detected. Yes. In addition, according to the connection of the host I / F E0017 and the device I / FE0100 on the front panel and the data input state, various logical operations and condition determination are performed, each component is controlled, and drive control of the inkjet recording apparatus is performed. I am in charge.

  E1103 is a driver / reset circuit, which uses a motor power supply (VM) E1040 as a drive source, and in accordance with a motor control signal E1106 from the ASIC E1102, a CR motor drive signal E1037, LF motor drive signal E1035, PG motor drive signal E1034, ASF A motor drive signal E1104 is generated to drive each motor. Further, the driver / reset circuit E1103 has a power supply circuit, supplies necessary power to each part such as the main PCB E0014, CRPCB E0013, front panel E0106, and further detects a drop in the power supply voltage to detect a reset signal. E1015 is generated and initialized.

  E1010 is a power supply control circuit that controls power supply to each sensor having a light emitting element in accordance with a power supply control signal E1024 from the ASIC E1102.

  The host I / F E0017 transmits a host I / F signal E1028 from the ASIC E1102 to a host I / F cable E1029 connected to the outside, and transmits a signal from the cable E1029 to the ASIC E1102.

  On the other hand, a head power supply (VH) E1039, a motor power supply (VM) E1040, and a logic power supply (VDD) E1041 are supplied from the power supply unit E0015. A head power supply ON signal (VHON) E1022 and a motor power supply ON signal (VMOM) E1023 from the ASIC E1102 are input to the power supply unit E0015 to control ON / OFF of the head power supply E1039 and the motor power supply E1040, respectively. The logic power supply (VDD) E1041 supplied from the power supply unit E0015 is voltage-converted as necessary, and then supplied to each part inside and outside the main PCB E0014.

The head power signal E1039 is smoothed on the main PCB E0014 and then sent to the CRFFC E0012 to be used for driving the recording head cartridge H1000.
The ASIC E1102 is a one-chip semiconductor integrated circuit with a processing unit, and outputs the motor control signal E1106, the option control signal E0108, the power supply control signal E1024, the head power supply ON signal E1022, the motor power supply ON signal E1023, and the like. Then, signals are exchanged with the host I / F E0017, and signals are exchanged with the device I / F E0100 on the front panel through the panel signal E0107. Furthermore, a PE detection signal (PES) E1025 from the PE sensor E0007, an ASF detection signal (ASFS) E1026 from the ASF sensor E0009, a cover detection signal (COVS) E1042 from the cover sensor E0022, a panel signal E0107, a sensor signal E0104, and The state of the OnCR sensor signal E1105 is detected, and the driving of the panel signal E0107 is controlled to blink the LEDE0020 on the front panel.

  Further, the ASIC E1102 detects the state of the encoder signal (ENC) E1020, generates a timing signal, and controls the printing operation by using the head control signal E1021 to interface with the printhead cartridge H1000. Here, the encoder signal (ENC) E1020 is an output signal of the CR encoder sensor E0004 inputted through the CRFFC E0012. The head control signal E1021 is supplied to the recording head H1001 via the flexible flat cable E0012, the carriage substrate E0013, and the head connector E0101.

  FIG. 19 is a block diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the ASIC E1102. In the figure, the connection between each block shows only the flow of data related to the control of the head and each mechanism component, such as recording data and motor control data. Such control signals, clocks, and control signals related to DMA control are omitted in order to avoid complications described in the drawings.

  In the figure, E2107 is a clock control unit, which receives a clock signal (CLK) E2031 from a clock oscillation circuit (not shown), converts the frequency as necessary, and supplies it to most of the ASIC E1102 (not shown) ).

  Reference numeral E2102 denotes a CPU, and control such as register read / write for each block, as described below, and control by a reset signal E1015, an interrupt signal E2034 output from each block in the ASIC, and a control signal from the control bus E1014. Supplying clocks to the unit blocks, accepting interrupt signals, etc. (neither shown). Further, the CPU E2102 has a RAM therein, and also receives a print file from an external device through the device I / FE0100, and performs processing for converting it into recording data.

  Reference numeral E2005 denotes a DRAM which has areas such as a reception buffer E2010, a work buffer E2011, a print buffer E2014, and a development data buffer E2016 as recording data buffers, and a motor control buffer E2023 for motor control. .

  The DRAM E2005 is also used as a work area necessary for the operation of the CPU E2102. That is, under the control of the DRAM control unit E2004, the access from the CPU E2102 to the DRAM E2005 by the control bus and the access from the DMA control unit E2003 to the DRAM E2005 to be described later are switched, and the read / write operation to the DRAM E2005 is performed. Yes.

  The DMA control unit E2003 receives a request signal (not shown) from each block, and together with an address signal and a control signal (not shown), in the case of a write operation, write data E2038, E2041, E2042, and E2044, etc. Is output to the DRAM controller for DRAM access. In the case of reading, read data E2040, E2043, E2045, E2051, etc. from the DRAM control unit E2004 are transferred to the request source block.

  E2007 is a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device, which becomes a bidirectional communication interface with an external host device (not shown) through the host I / F E0017 under the control of the CPU E2102. Further, at the time of recording, the reception data (host reception data E2037) from the host I / F E0017 is transferred to the reception control unit E2008 by DMA processing.

  E2101 is a USB host, and becomes a bidirectional communication interface with an external device (not shown) through the device I / F E0100 under the control of the CPU E2102. Further, at the time of recording, the reception data (device reception data E2108) from the device I / F E0100 is transferred to the reception control unit E2008 by DMA processing.

  The reception control unit E2008 writes the reception data (WDIF) E2038) from the selected I / F of the USB device E2007 or the USB host E2101 to the reception buffer write address managed by the reception buffer control unit E2039.

  Reference numeral E2009 denotes a compression / decompression DMA controller, which reads reception data (raster data) stored in the reception buffer E2010 from a reception buffer read address managed by the reception buffer control unit E2039 under the control of the CPU E2102. Further, the data (RDWK) E2040 is compressed / decompressed according to the designated mode. Each obtained recording code is rearranged and transferred to an address on the work buffer E2011 suitable for the data transfer order to the recording head cartridge H1000, and is written in the work buffer area as a recording code string WDWK E2041.

  E2013 is a recording buffer transfer DMA controller, which reads the recording code (RDWP) E2043 on the work buffer E2011 under the control of the CPU E2102 and transfers it to the print buffer E2014 (WDWP E2044).

  E2012 is a work clear DMA controller, and under the control of the CPU E2102, the designated work fill data (WDWF) E2042 is repeatedly written in the area on the work buffer that has been transferred by the recording buffer transfer DMA controller E2013.

  E2015 is a recording data expansion DMA controller, and the recording code written on the print buffer and the expansion data buffer E2016 are written under the control of the CPU E2102 with the data expansion timing signal E2050 from the head controller E2018 as a trigger. The loaded development data (development record data RDHDG E2045) is read out. Further, the read data is written into the column buffer E2017 as column buffer write data (WDHDG) E2047. Here, the column buffer E2017 is an SRAM that temporarily stores transfer data (development recording data) to the recording head cartridge H1000, and a handshake signal (not shown) between the recording data expansion DMA controller E2015 and the head control unit E2018. ) Is shared and managed by both blocks.

  Reference numeral E2018 denotes a head control unit, which performs an interface with the recording head cartridge H1000 via a head control signal under the control of the CPU E2102. Further, based on the head drive timing signal E2049 from the sensor signal processing unit E2022, the data development timing signal E2050 is output to the print data development DMA controller. Further, during recording, the developed recording data (RDHD) E2048 is read from the column buffer according to the head drive timing signal E2049, and the data is output to the recording head cartridge H1000 as the head control signal E1021.

  E2022 is a sensor signal processing unit that receives the sensor signal E0104, the OnCR sensor signal E1105, the PE detection signal E1025, the ASF detection signal E1026, and the cover detection signal E1042, and according to the mode determined by the control of the CPU E2102 Information is communicated to CPU E2102. In addition, a sensor detection signal E2052 is output to the motor control unit E2103. Further, in response to the encoder signal (ENC), the head drive timing signal E2049 is output in accordance with the mode determined by the control of the CPU E2102, and information related to the position and speed of the carriage M4001 obtained from the encoder signal E1020 is stored in the register. To the CPU E2102. Based on this information, the CPU E2102 determines various parameters in the control of the CR motor E0001. Similarly, in response to the LF encoder sensor signal constituting the sensor signal E0104, information relating to the paper feed position and speed is stored in a register and provided to the CPU E2102. Based on this information, the CPU E2102 determines various parameters in the control of the LF motor E0002.

  E2104 is an A / D converter, and includes analog discrimination sensor output and ink empty sensor output that constitute sensor signal E0104, environmental temperature detection thermistor output that constitutes OnCR sensor signal E1105, reflective sensor output, head temperature detection output, and the like. The signal is converted into a digital value, and the sensor detection information is transmitted to the CPU E2102 according to the mode determined by the control of the CPU E2102.

  The motor control unit E2103 reads the motor drive table (RDPM) E2051 from the motor control buffer E2023 on the DRAM E2005 and outputs a motor control signal E1106 as necessary under the control of the CPU E2102. Further, depending on the operation mode, the motor control signal E1106 is output using various sensor detection signals as control triggers.

  Reference numeral E2105 denotes a panel I / F unit which outputs an LED control signal constituting the panel signal E0107 under the control of the CPU E2102. In addition, it receives the status output signals of the power key and resume key constituting the panel signal and transmits them to the CPU E2102.

  E2029 is a port controller that outputs a head power ON signal E1022, a motor power ON signal E1023, and a power control signal E1024 under the control of the CPU E2102.

(Recording head configuration)
The configuration of the head cartridge H1000 applied in the present embodiment will be described below. The head cartridge H1000 in this embodiment has a recording head H1001, means for mounting the ink tank H1900, and means for supplying ink from the ink tank H1900 to the recording head, and is detachable from the carriage M4000. Mounted on.

  FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a state where the ink tank H1900 is attached to the head cartridge H1000 applied in the present embodiment. The recording apparatus of the present embodiment forms an image with seven colors of ink of cyan, magenta, yellow, black, red, green, and blue. Therefore, the ink tank H1900 is also prepared for seven colors independently. As shown in the figure, each is detachable from the head cartridge H1000. The ink tank H1900 can be attached and detached while the head cartridge H1000 is mounted on the carriage M4000.

  FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view of the head cartridge H1000. In the figure, a head cartridge H1000 includes a first recording element substrate H1100 and a second recording element substrate H1101, a first plate H1200, a second plate H1400, an electric wiring substrate H1300, a tank holder H1500, and a flow path forming member H1600. , Filter H1700, seal rubber H1800, and the like.

  The first recording element substrate H1100 and the second recording element substrate H1101 are Si substrates, and a plurality of recording elements (recording elements) for ejecting ink are formed on one side thereof by a photolithography technique. Electric wiring such as AI for supplying electric power to each recording element is formed by a film forming technique, and a plurality of ink flow paths corresponding to individual recording elements are also formed by a photolithography technique. Further, an ink supply port for supplying ink to the plurality of ink flow paths is formed to open on the back surface.

  FIG. 22 is an enlarged front view for explaining the configuration of the first recording element substrate H1100 and the second recording element substrate H1101. H2000 to H2600 are recording element arrays corresponding to different ink colors, and the first recording element substrate H1100 includes a recording element array H2000 supplied with cyan ink and a recording element array H2100 supplied with magenta ink. , And a recording element array for three colors of the recording element array H2200 to which yellow ink is supplied. The second recording element substrate H1101 is supplied with a recording element array H2300 supplied with black ink, a recording element array H2400 supplied with red ink, a recording element array H2500 supplied with green ink, and a blue ink. Recording element arrays for four colors of the recording element array H2600 are configured.

Each printing element array is composed of 768 printing elements arranged at an interval of 1200 dpi (dot / inch; reference value) in the conveyance direction of the printing medium, and ejects approximately 2 picoliters of ink droplets. The opening area at each recording element discharge port is set to about 100 square μm ² . The first recording element substrate H1100 and the second recording element substrate H1101 are bonded and fixed to the first plate H1200. Here, the first recording element substrate H1100 and the second recording element substrate H1101 are attached to the first recording element substrate H1100. An ink supply port H1201 for supplying ink is formed.

  Further, a second plate H1400 having an opening is bonded and fixed to the first plate H1200. The second plate H1400 is composed of the electric wiring substrate H1300, the first recording element substrate H1100, and the second plate H1400. The electric wiring substrate H1300 is held so that the recording element substrate H1101 is electrically connected.

  The electrical wiring substrate H1300 applies an electrical signal for ejecting ink from each recording element formed on the first recording element substrate H1100 and the second recording element substrate H1101, and the first recording element Electrical wiring corresponding to the substrate H1100 and the second recording element substrate H1101 and an external signal input terminal H1301 for receiving an electrical signal from the recording apparatus main body located at the end of the electrical wiring. The external signal input terminal H1301 is positioned and fixed on the back side of the tank holder H1500.

  On the other hand, in a tank holder H1500 that holds the ink tank H1900, a flow path forming member H1600 is fixed by, for example, ultrasonic welding to form an ink flow path H1501 that communicates from the ink tank H1900 to the first plate H1200.

  A filter H1700 is provided at the ink tank side end of the ink flow path H1501 that engages with the ink tank H1900, and can prevent dust from entering from the outside. Further, a seal rubber H1800 is attached to the engaging portion with the ink tank H1900 so that ink can be prevented from evaporating from the engaging portion.

  Further, as described above, the tank holder portion composed of the tank holder H1500, the flow path forming member H1600, the filter H1700, and the seal rubber H1800, the first recording element substrate H1100, the second recording element substrate H1101, and the first plate. The head cartridge H1000 is configured by bonding the recording head unit H1001 including the H1200, the electric wiring substrate H1300, and the second plate H1400 by bonding or the like.

  FIG. 23 is a block diagram for explaining the flow of image data conversion processing in the present embodiment. The ink jet recording apparatus applied in this embodiment performs recording with red, green, and blue in addition to inks that are basic colors of cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. For this purpose, these seven colors of ink are ejected. A recording head is provided. As shown in FIG. 23, each process shown here is assumed to be configured by a recording device and a personal computer (PC) as a host device.

  There are an application and a printer driver as programs that operate in the operating system of the host device, and the application J0001 executes processing for creating image data to be recorded by the recording device. At the time of actual recording, image data created by the application is passed to the printer driver.

  Assume that the printer driver in this embodiment includes a pre-stage process J0002, a post-stage process J0003, a γ correction J0004, a halftoning J0005, and a print data creation J0006. Here, each process will be briefly described. The pre-stage process J0002 performs color gamut mapping. Then, data conversion is performed to map the color gamut reproduced by the image data R, G, B of the sRGB standard into the color gamut reproduced by the recording apparatus. Specifically, data in which R, G, and B are each expressed in 8 bits is converted into 8-bit data of R, G, and B having different contents by using a three-dimensional LUT.

  The post-process J0003 is based on the data R, G, B on which the color gamut is mapped, and the color separation data Y, M, C, K, R, G corresponding to the combination of inks that reproduce the color represented by this data. And B are obtained. Here, similarly to the pre-processing, it is assumed that interpolation calculation is performed in combination with a three-dimensional LUT.

  The γ correction J0004 performs gradation value conversion for each color data of the color separation data obtained by the post-processing J0003. Specifically, by using a one-dimensional LUT corresponding to the gradation characteristics of each color ink of the recording apparatus, conversion is performed so that the color separation data is linearly associated with the gradation characteristics of the recording apparatus.

  Halftoning J0005 performs quantization that converts 8-bit color separation data Y, M, C, K, R, G, and B into 4-bit data. In the present embodiment, 256-bit 8-bit data is converted to 9-gradation 4-bit data using an error diffusion method. This 4-bit data is data serving as an index for indicating an arrangement pattern in the dot arrangement patterning process in the printing apparatus.

  At the end of the processing performed by the printer driver, print data is created by adding print control information to the print image data containing the 4-bit index data as described above by print data creation processing J0006.

The printing apparatus performs a dot arrangement patterning process J0007 and a mask data conversion process J0008 on the input print data.

  The dot arrangement patterning process J0007 of this embodiment will be described below. In the halftone process described above, the number of levels is reduced from 256-level multi-value density information (8-bit data) to 9-level tone value information (4-bit data). However, information that can be actually recorded by the ink jet recording apparatus of the present embodiment is binary information indicating whether or not to record ink. In the dot arrangement patterning process, it plays a role of reducing the multi-value level of 0 to 8 to a binary level that determines the presence or absence of dots. Specifically, in this dot arrangement patterning process J0007, for each pixel represented by 4-bit data of levels 0 to 8, which is an output value from the halftone processing unit, the gradation value of the pixel (level 0 to level 0) 8), a dot arrangement pattern corresponding to 8) is assigned, whereby dot on / off is defined in each of a plurality of areas in one pixel, and 1-bit ejection of “1” or “0” is performed in each area in one pixel. Arrange the data.

  FIG. 24 shows output patterns for input levels 0 to 8, which are converted by the dot arrangement patterning process in the high image quality mode of the present embodiment. Each level value shown on the left of the figure corresponds to level 0 to level 8 which are output values from the halftone processing unit. An area composed of 2 vertical areas × 4 horizontal areas arranged on the right side corresponds to an area of one pixel (pixel) output by halftone processing, and is 600 ppi (pixels / inch; reference value) in both vertical and horizontal directions. The size corresponds to the pixel density. Each area in one pixel corresponds to a minimum unit in which dot on / off is defined, and corresponds to a recording density of 1200 dpi (dot / inch; reference value) in the vertical direction and 2400 dpi in the horizontal direction. is there. In the recording apparatus of the present embodiment, a desired density can be obtained by recording one 2 pl ink droplet for one area represented by about 20 μm in length and about 10 μm in width corresponding to the recording density. It is designed like this.

  In FIG. 24, the vertical direction is the direction in which the ejection openings of the recording head are arranged, and the arrangement density of the areas, the ejection openings, and the arrangement density match at a value of 1200 dpi. The horizontal direction indicates the scanning direction of the recording head, and in the high-quality photo mode of this embodiment, the recording head is configured to perform recording at a density of 2400 dpi.

  Furthermore, in the figure, the area in which a circle is entered indicates an area where dots are recorded, and the number of dots to be recorded increases by one as the number of levels increases.

  (4n) to (4n + 3) indicate pixel positions in the horizontal direction from the left end of the input image by substituting an integer of 1 or more for n. Each of the patterns shown below indicates that a plurality of different patterns are prepared according to the pixel position even at the same input level. That is, even when the same level is input, four types of dot arrangement patterns shown in (4n) to (4n + 3) are cyclically assigned on the recording medium. Such a configuration causes the number of ejections to be dispersed between the recording elements located in the upper part of the dot arrangement pattern and the recording elements located in the lower part, and various noises peculiar to the recording apparatus are dispersed. The effect is obtained.

  In the present embodiment, the density information of the original image is finally reflected in such a form, and when the dot arrangement patterning process is completed, all the dot arrangement patterns for the recording medium are determined.

  The mask data conversion process J0008 will be described below.

  Since the dot arrangement patterning process described above determines the presence or absence of dots for each area on the recording medium, a desired image can be recorded by inputting this information directly into the drive circuit of the recording head. . However, as already described in the background section, the inkjet recording apparatus generally employs multi-pass recording in order to improve the image quality. In the present embodiment, the mask pattern shown in FIG. 5 described after the background art is applied. This mask data is stored in a memory in the recording apparatus main body. In the mask data conversion process, an AND process is performed between the mask data and the output signal of the dot arrangement patterning process described above, thereby determining a print pixel to be actually ejected in each print scan. Thereafter, the recording pixel data is input as an output signal to the drive circuit J0009 of the recording head H1001.

  In the present embodiment, as will be described later, the mask pattern to be used is varied depending on the recording position (central portion or end portion) on the recording medium. Specifically, a first mask pattern for recording on the central portion of the recording medium and a second mask pattern for recording on the end portion (at least one of the front end portion or the rear end portion) of the recording medium are provided. Therefore, the first mask pattern and the second mask pattern are stored in the memory.

(Recording at the front and rear end of the recording medium)
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the areas of the front end, the center, and the rear end when recording is performed on an A4 size recording medium with the recording apparatus of the present embodiment. That is, as described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the recording medium has its leading end positioned before the leading end of the recording medium is supported by the paper discharge roller M3100, and the trailing end of the recording medium is separated from the conveying roller M3060. The area recorded later is the rear end. Further, an area other than the front end part and the rear end part is set as a central part, and the central part is an area where the recording medium is held by both the transport roller M3060 and the paper discharge roller M3100.

  In the following description, three types of transport states are defined as follows. That is, a transport operation that is supported by the transport roller and not supported by the paper discharge roller is referred to as a first transport operation. Further, a transport operation in a state supported by both the transport roller and the paper discharge roller is referred to as a second transport operation. Further, a transport operation that is not supported by the transport roller but supported by the paper discharge roller is referred to as a third transport operation. Considering more strictly in a state where the transport operation is defined in this way, when performing multi-pass printing, the printing area can be divided into the following five areas. That is, an area A in which an image is completed only through the first transport operation, an area B in which an image is completed through the first transport operation and the second transport operation, and an image is completed only through the second transport operation. A region C in which an image is completed by the intervention of the second conveyance operation and the third conveyance operation, and a region E in which an image is completed by the intervention of only the third conveyance operation. In the embodiment described below, two types of prepared mask patterns are applied to the above five regions, with region A and region B being the leading end, region C being the central portion, and region D and region E being the trailing end. I am letting.

In the present embodiment, recording is performed on the leading end portion and the trailing end portion by a part of the recording elements located on the further downstream side (the discharge roller side) in the array of recording elements arranged. Therefore, the area treated as the rear end is slightly wider than the area treated as the front end.
(Relationship between mask pattern recording rate and image quality)
In the following, the study conducted by the inventors will be described.

  FIG. 7 is a graph showing the recording rates of a plurality of mask patterns created by the inventors. In the figure, the horizontal axis indicates the positions of 768 recording elements arranged on the recording head. The vertical axis shows the recording rate for each recording element. The present inventors created five types of mask patterns a to e in order to perform this study. In this examination, since the mask pattern is applicable to 4-pass multi-pass printing, the average recording rate of each of the curves a to e is 25%. Here, the average recording rate is represented by 100 / K, where K is the number of passes required to complete the same area.

  The mask pattern recording rate is the percentage of the number of recording allowable areas to the total number of recording allowable areas (black areas in FIG. 5) and non-recording allowable areas (white areas in FIG. 5) constituting the mask pattern. It is represented by. This will be specifically described below. For example, let us consider a case where the size of the mask pattern in FIG. 5 in the horizontal direction (direction orthogonal to the printing element arrangement direction) is 768 areas. As a result, the total number of print permitting areas and non-printing permitting areas constituting the mask pattern corresponding to one printing element is 768. Of these 768 areas, if the recording allowable area is 192 and the non-recording allowable area is 576, the recording rate of the mask pattern corresponding to this recording element is 25 (= 192/768 × 100)%. It will be.

  In all of the curves a to e in FIG. 7, the distribution of the recording rate is high in the central portion and low in the end portion. Among them, the curve a has the smallest difference between the recording rates. In curve a, the recording rate at the center is 35%, the recording rate at both ends is 15%, and the ratio of the recording rate at the end to the average recording rate of 25% is 15/25 = 0.6. ing. Hereinafter, such a ratio of the edge recording rate to the average recording rate of 25% is referred to as an edge recording rate ratio.

  On the other hand, the curve e is the largest in the recording rate difference between the central portion and the end portion. In curve e, the recording rate at the center is 45%, the recording rate at both ends is 5%, and the ratio of the recording rate at the end to the average recording rate of 25% is 5/25 = 0.2. . Curves b to d show the recording rate of the mask pattern having the characteristic of equally dividing between a and e.

  FIG. 8 is a table showing the edge recording rate, the central recording rate, and the edge recording rate ratio for the masks a to e shown in FIG. For the b, c, and d mask patterns, the end recording ratios are 0.5, 0.4, and 0.3, respectively.

  FIG. 9A shows an example of the mask pattern shown by a in FIG. In the figure, the vertical direction corresponds to the direction in which 768 recording elements are arranged, the recording rate of the central recording element is 35%, and the recording rate of both end recording elements on both sides is 15%. FIG. 9B shows a mask pattern for recording with a 256 recording element while having the same edge recording ratio as that in FIG. Also in this figure, the recording rate of the central recording element is 35%, and the recording rate of the both end recording elements is 15%.

  FIG. 10A shows an example of the mask pattern shown by d in FIG. In the figure, the vertical direction corresponds to the direction in which 768 recording elements are arranged, the recording rate of the central recording element is 42.5%, and the recording rate of the both end recording elements is 7.5%. FIG. 10B shows a mask pattern when recording is performed with a 256 recording element while having the same edge recording ratio as that in FIG. Also in this figure, the recording rate of the central recording element is 42.5%, and the recording rate of the both end recording elements is 7.5%. In both FIGS. 10A and 10B, it can be confirmed that the recording rate at the center is higher and the recording rate at both ends is lower than the mask pattern shown in FIGS. .

  In order to reproduce the recording state at the front end portion and the rear end portion, the inventors use a mask pattern for 256 recording elements as shown in FIG. 9B or FIG. 10B, The disturbance of the image with respect to the variation in the transport amount was confirmed. A specific examination method will be described below.

In the recording apparatus of the present embodiment, the recording elements on the recording head are arranged at 1200 dpi. Therefore, when performing 4-pass multi-pass printing using continuous 256 printing elements, the transport amount to be performed between each printing scan is as follows:
25.4 (mm / inch) /1200×256/4≈1.3547 (mm)
It becomes. With respect to this value, a plurality of types of patterns with high uniformity in gray and other hues were recorded using the mask pattern while changing the carry amount forward and backward by 1 μm. Thereafter, by visually observing the output image, evaluation was made on how to notice black streaks that occur when the transport amount is too small and white stripes that occur when the transport amount is too large.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the visual evaluation results. In the figure, the horizontal axis represents the edge portion recording rate ratio of the mask pattern. The vertical axis indicates the transport error (deviation amount) with respect to the regular transport amount. The five arrows correspond to the five types of created mask patterns a to e, and each indicates an allowable conveyance error range by arrows. According to the figure, in the mask pattern a with an end recording rate ratio of 0.6, only an error of about ± 3 μm is allowed with respect to the normal transport amount, whereas the end recording rate ratio is 0.3. It can be confirmed that an error of about −4 to +12 μm is allowed in a certain mask pattern d. For the mask pattern of e with an end portion recording rate ratio of 0.2, white stripes and black stripes did not stand out over the entire error range studied, so here they are confirmed by broken arrows. Shows the area.

  From the above results, it can be seen that white stripes and black stripes are less conspicuous as the mask pattern on the left side of the evaluated mask patterns, that is, the mask pattern with a smaller edge recording rate ratio. White stripes and black stripes resulting from the variation in the carry amount appear at the connection between the print scans of the print head, that is, at the end of the print area. Therefore, the recording rate of the recording element group that covers this part is set high with another recording scan while lowering the recording rate of the area where the most harmful effect is likely to occur and making the presence of black and white stripes sparse. By doing so, it is presumed that white stripes and black stripes at the connecting portion can be made inconspicuous. Hereinafter, the results of verification by the present inventors on the relationship between the edge recording rate ratio (mask pattern gradient) and image defects will be described.

  FIGS. 26A to 26C and FIGS. 27A to 27C are diagrams for explaining the influence of the edge recording ratio on the image quality. In each figure, the horizontal axis indicates the position on the recording medium in the conveyance direction in units of one pixel. The vertical axis represents the mask pattern recording rate for each position. This example shows a case where 4-pass multi-pass printing is performed, and printing is performed at each position by a plurality of mask patterns indicated by solid lines or broken lines. Also, the thick solid line shown at the top of the graph indicates the image density at each position, and the position indicated by the arrow indicates the position recorded at the end of the recording element array, that is, the position that becomes the connecting part of the recording scan. Show.

  In FIGS. 27A to 27C, a 4-pass mask pattern having a relatively small gradation gradient, that is, a large end recording rate ratio is used, and the conveyance amount of the recording medium is shorter or longer than the normal amount. In this case, the black stripes and white stripes are shown. FIG. 27A shows a case where the transport amount is a regular amount. In this case, since the carry amount is a normal amount, neither black stripes nor white stripes appear on the image. On the other hand, FIG. 27B shows a case where the transport amount is shorter than the normal amount. In this case, a portion having a higher density than other regions, that is, a black streak is confirmed at the connecting portion indicated by the arrow. Further, FIG. 27C shows a case where the transport amount is longer than the normal amount. In this case, a portion having a lower density than other regions, that is, a white streak is confirmed at the connecting portion indicated by the arrow.

  On the other hand, FIGS. 26A to 26C show black stripes and white stripes when a 4-pass mask pattern having a relatively large gradation gradient, that is, a small edge recording ratio, is used. ing. FIG. 26A shows a case where the transport amount is a regular amount. In this case, as in FIG. 27A, neither black stripes nor white stripes appear on the image. On the other hand, FIG. 26B shows a case where the transport amount is shorter than the normal amount. In this case, black streaks are confirmed for the same reason as in FIG. 27B, but the black streaks are reduced compared to FIG. Further, FIG. 26C shows a case where the carry amount is shorter than the normal amount. In this case, white stripes are reduced as compared with FIG. 27C.

  According to the above examination results, it can be seen that a black pattern and a white line caused by a conveyance error are less noticeable as the mask pattern has a smaller edge recording rate ratio. However, on the other hand, in the actually observed image, the mask pattern having a smaller edge recording rate ratio has a higher density in the mask pattern recording rate portion at the center of the recording area in one recording scan. It was confirmed that a high part appeared. More specifically, although the band-shaped density unevenness was not confirmed in the mask pattern a with a large end portion recording ratio, it was only slightly confirmed in the mask pattern b, and c, d, As the ratio of e to the edge recording rate decreased, the tendency was more clearly recognized.

  Although a clear mechanism cannot be determined, it has also been confirmed that, in a series of recording element arrays, if the recording rate is too biased, there is a difference in ejection performance due to differences in temperature distribution and ejection frequency. It is also conceivable that the frequency at which ink droplets are connected to the recording medium before penetrating and fixing on the recording medium varies depending on the density of the ink droplets that are ejected onto the recording medium in the recording scan. This may be the cause of the appearance of the dark portion.

  Further, in the original gradation mask as disclosed in Patent Document 3, by maintaining the recording rate distribution in a smooth curve, it is possible to prevent the edge deviation and make the edge stripe inconspicuous. It is done. However, if the recording rate fluctuates too much like the mask pattern e, there is a concern that the sufficient effect cannot be obtained. Furthermore, in the plurality of recording elements of the ink jet recording head, it can be said that it is preferable from the viewpoint of life to keep the recording rate as uniform as possible.

  From the above examination results, the present inventor has obtained the following knowledge. That is, it is advantageous to use a large mask pattern (mask pattern with a large gradient) with a small edge recording rate ratio in order to reduce white stripes and black stripes caused by conveyance errors. On the other hand, when white stripes and black stripes are not so conspicuous, it is advantageous to use a mask pattern having a large edge recording ratio (mask pattern having a small gradient).

  Therefore, the present inventor has focused attention on the transport error that causes white stripes and black stripes, and decided to change the mask pattern to be applied in a situation where a transport error is likely to occur and a situation where a transport error is unlikely to occur. Specifically, a mask pattern with a small edge recording rate ratio is applied when recording the leading edge and the trailing edge with a large conveyance error, and an edge recording rate is recorded when recording the center with a small conveyance error. It was decided to apply a mask pattern with a large ratio.

(Composition of mask pattern)
Based on the above examination results, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the mask pattern indicated by d is applied using 256 recording elements at the leading edge and the trailing edge of the recording medium. Further, in the central portion other than the front end portion and the rear end portion, the mask pattern indicated by a is applied using all 768 recording elements. This will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 25A is a diagram showing the recording rate distribution of the mask pattern applied at the center of the recording medium. Here, it is assumed that 4-pass multi-pass printing is executed, and the mask pattern shown by the curve a in FIG. 7 is applied. That is, out of the total number of recording elements 768, the recording rate of the recording element at the end is 15%, the recording rate of the recording element at the center is 35%, and the end recording ratio is 0.6.

  FIG. 25B shows a mask pattern in a state where the number of recording elements used for recording is limited to 128 while the recording rate and the edge recording rate ratio are kept at the same values as in FIG. Conventionally, the mask pattern in the front / rear end region, which has been generally applied, has an end portion recording rate ratio equivalent to the mask pattern applied in the center portion.

  FIG. 25C shows a mask pattern applied in the front and rear end regions in the high-speed recording mode in this embodiment. Here, the number of recording elements to be used is 256, which is twice that of the prior art, and a mask pattern having a recording rate equivalent to that shown as the curve d in FIG. 7 is applied. That is, the recording rate of the central recording element is 42.5%, the recording rate of the recording element at the end is 7.5%, and the end recording rate ratio is 0.3.

  Now, as described above, conventionally, at the front end portion and the rear end portion of the recording medium, the mask pattern having the same end portion recording rate ratio as the central portion (the end portion recording rate ratio shown in FIG. 0.6 mask pattern) was used. Therefore, as apparent from FIG. 11 again, the conveyance error of the recording medium is allowed only up to about −3 to +3 μm. Therefore, only 128 recording elements can be applied to recording in order to keep the error in this region. However, according to the present embodiment, at the front end portion and the rear end portion, a mask pattern indicated by d different from the central portion (a mask pattern having an end duty ratio of 0.3 shown in FIG. 25C). ) Is allowed to allow a recording medium conveyance error of about −4 to +12 μm. As a result, the number of recording elements used for recording can be expanded to 256 recording elements, which is twice that of the prior art, and the recording time for the leading end and the trailing end can be reduced to about half.

  When the photographic image actually output using the mask pattern was evaluated, slight unevenness occurred at the front end portion and the rear end portion, but it was not confirmed to the naked eye. Depending on the type of image, the presence may be known, but it was not so conspicuous as to be recognized as an image detriment. Since the conveyance accuracy is sufficient in the central portion, a high-quality image with high uniformity is realized even if the mask pattern indicated by a (mask pattern in FIG. 25A) is used.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, at the rear end portion and the front end portion of the recording medium, by using a mask pattern having a smaller end recording ratio than the mask pattern used at the central portion, use recording more than necessary. Without reducing the number of elements, it has become possible to output a good image without noticeable black stripes, white stripes or roughness. In other words, it has become possible to output an image of the same quality as the conventional one at a higher speed than the conventional one.

  In the present embodiment, the same mask pattern indicated by d is applied to both the front end portion and the rear end portion of the recording medium, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the mask for the rear end portion where the lowering of the conveyance accuracy is expected to be d is set as d, and the mask for the front end portion where the transfer accuracy is expected not to be lowered as the rear end portion is set as c. The mask pattern to be applied may be varied depending on the actual conveyance accuracy. On the other hand, if the mask used for recording the front end is d, the throughput can be further increased if the number of recording elements for recording the front end can be set to 256 or more.

(Second Embodiment)
The second embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Also in this embodiment, the same recording apparatus as that in the first embodiment is applied. However, the number of recording elements of each color provided in the recording head is 256 instead of 768. In addition, the number of recording elements used for recording is kept fixed at 256 at the front end, center, and rear end of the recording medium, and only the mask pattern is changed in each region.

  The mask pattern shown by a in FIG. 7 is applied to the central portion of the recording medium. A mask pattern indicated by d is applied to the front end portion and the rear end portion of the recording medium.

  In the case of a recording apparatus having a configuration in which the number of recording elements of the recording head is not so large as in this embodiment, the original transport error is kept low. Therefore, even at the front end portion and the rear end portion of the recording medium, recording can be performed with the same number of recording elements as the central portion. However, even in this case, the edge recording rate ratio of the mask pattern to be applied is set smaller than the mask pattern at the center at the leading edge or the trailing edge of the recording medium. White stripes and black stripes generated at the end can be more actively reduced.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, in multi-pass printing at the front end portion or the rear end portion, it is possible to output a higher quality image by appropriately switching the mask pattern to be applied to the central portion. It has become possible.

(Third embodiment)
The third embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Also in this embodiment, the same recording apparatus and recording head as those in the first embodiment are applied. However, in this embodiment, the mask pattern applied at the center is not a gradation mask as in the above embodiment. As described with reference to FIG. 4, a mask pattern having a uniform recording rate is applied to each recording element, and an image is formed using all 768 recording elements. On the other hand, at the front end portion and the rear end portion of the recording medium, the same 256 recording elements as in the first embodiment are used, and an image is formed by the mask pattern indicated by d.

  In a recording apparatus, end stripes are not always a problem. In a situation where the edge stripes are not a problem, it is preferable from the viewpoint of the life of the recording head to keep the recording rate of the recording elements as uniform as possible. However, even if the end stripe is not conspicuous, the image deterioration at the front end and the rear end may be regarded as a problem. The present embodiment can function effectively in such a situation.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, in multi-pass printing at the leading edge or trailing edge, a higher quality image can be obtained by appropriately switching the mask pattern and the number of printing elements to be applied to the central portion. It became possible to output.

(Other embodiments)
Note that the form of the mask pattern (arrangement form of the print permitting area) applicable in the present invention is not limited to the arrangement shown in the above-described embodiment. The present invention is characterized by the distribution of the recording rate with respect to the recording element position of the recording head, and the recording rate between the recording element at the end and the recording element other than the end has a predetermined relative relationship. As long as the arrangement of the recording pixels in the mask pattern is in any form, the effect can be exhibited. For example, a regular pattern as shown in FIG. 4 may be arranged periodically. Moreover, the arrangement | sequence which gave randomness as disclosed by Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 6-330616 may be sufficient. Furthermore, the present invention is effective even when a mask pattern having a dot arrangement with a predetermined dispersibility as described in JP-A-2002-144522 is applied.

  Further, it is not necessary to be limited to the configuration in which the recording rate continuously changes with respect to the position of the recording element as described in the above embodiment. The effect of the present invention can be obtained even in a configuration in which all the recording elements are divided into a plurality of recording element groups and the recording rate changes stepwise for each divided recording element group.

  In the above embodiment, the 4-pass multi-pass recording has been described. Of course, the effect of the present invention is not limited to this, and the multi-bus recording with a larger number of passes or a smaller number of passes is possible. This is also effective.

  Furthermore, although the above embodiment has been described using an ink jet recording head that ejects ink as droplets, the effects of the present invention are not limited to such a recording method. In a state in which a recording head having a plurality of recording elements is provided between at least two rollers that facilitate the conveyance of the recording medium, such as the conveying roller and the discharge roller described with reference to FIGS. As long as the image can be formed at the front end, the center, or the rear end, the effect of the present invention can be obtained no matter what recording method is applied. Of course, the present invention can also be applied to so-called “marginless recording” in which image recording is performed without providing a margin at the end of the recording medium.

It is the figure which showed typically the state which is recording the center part of a recording medium in the conveyance mechanism which conveys this while supporting a recording medium. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which recording is performed on the vicinity of a rear end portion of a recording medium in a conveyance mechanism that conveys the recording medium while supporting the recording medium. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which recording is performed on the vicinity of the front end portion of the recording medium in a conveyance mechanism that conveys the recording medium while supporting the recording medium. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating a recording head and a recording pattern for explaining a multi-pass recording method. It is the figure which showed an example of the mask pattern employ | adopted in order to reduce an end stripe. It is the figure which each showed the area | region of the front-end | tip part, the center part, and the rear-end part in a recording medium. It is the figure which showed the recording rate of the several mask pattern as a graph. It is the table | surface which showed the recording rate of the edge part of a mask pattern, the recording rate of the center part, and edge part duty ratio. (A) And (B) is the figure which showed the example of the mask pattern shown by a. (A) And (B) is the figure which showed the example of the mask pattern shown by d. It is a figure for demonstrating the evaluation result by visual observation. 1 is a perspective view of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mechanism unit of the recording apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a mechanism unit of the recording apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing an overall configuration of an electrical circuit in an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structural example of main PCB. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of ASIC. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state where an ink tank is mounted on the head cartridge applied in the embodiment of the present invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the head cartridge applied in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a recording element substrate in a head cartridge applied in an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a print system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is the figure which showed the output pattern with respect to the input level converted by the dot arrangement patterning process of embodiment of this invention. (A)-(C) are the figures which showed the printing rate distribution of the mask pattern applied in embodiment of this invention, and its comparative example. (A)-(C) is a figure for demonstrating the influence which an edge part recording rate ratio has on image quality. (A)-(C) is a figure for demonstrating the influence which an edge part recording rate ratio has on image quality.

Explanation of symbols

M3060 transport roller
M3070 spur M3100 first paper discharge roller M3110 second paper discharge roller M3120 spur H1000 head cartridge P0001 mask pattern

Claims (7)

A recording scan in which recording is performed in accordance with image data while a recording head in which a plurality of recording elements for recording a recording agent on a recording medium are arranged in a predetermined direction is scanned in a direction different from the predetermined direction, and the scanning direction intersects A recording apparatus for forming an image by repeating sub-scanning for conveying the recording medium in a direction to
A first mask pattern for distributing image data corresponding to the same scanning area in the central portion of the recording medium to a plurality of recording scans, and the same at at least one of the leading edge and the trailing edge of the recording medium A storage unit storing a second mask pattern for distributing image data corresponding to a scanning area to the plurality of recording scans, and the recording based on the first mask pattern and the image data read from the storage unit First recording control means for recording on the center of the medium;
Based on the second mask pattern and image data read from the storage unit, second recording control means for recording on the end of the recording medium;
Conveying means for conveying the recording medium is located on the upstream side of the recording head and supports and conveys the recording medium. The conveying means supports and conveys the recording medium located on the downstream side of the recording head. Second recording means, and when the recording medium is supported and conveyed only by the first conveying means, it is determined that the recording is performed on the leading end, and the recording medium is the first and first recording media. If the recording medium is supported and conveyed by the second conveying means, it is determined that the recording is performed on the central portion. If the recording medium is supported and conveyed only by the second conveying means, the rear end portion is determined. Judging the record against
Among the recording elements used for recording by the second recording control means, the recording element located at the end of the recording elements positioned at the end of the recording elements used in recording by the first recording control means. A recording apparatus, wherein the recording rates of the first and second mask patterns are determined so as to be lower than the recording rate.   Each of the first and second mask patterns is such that, among the plurality of recording elements used for the recording, the recording rate of the recording element located at the end is lower than the recording rate of the recording element located near the center. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording apparatus is configured as follows.   The number of recording elements used for recording by the second recording control means is smaller than the number of recording elements used for recording by the first recording control means. Recording device.   Conveying means for conveying the recording medium is located on the upstream side of the recording head and supports and conveys the recording medium. The conveying means supports and conveys the recording medium located on the downstream side of the recording head. Second recording means, and when the recording medium is supported and conveyed only by the first conveying means, it is determined that the recording is performed on the leading end, and the recording medium is the first and first recording media. If the recording medium is supported and conveyed by the second conveying means, it is determined that the recording is performed on the central portion. If the recording medium is supported and conveyed only by the second conveying means, the rear end portion is determined. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit that determines that recording is performed on the recording medium. A second mask pattern for use in recording with respect to the distal portion, a second mask pattern for use in recording with respect to the rear end, to claim 1, characterized in that different from each other 4. The recording device according to any one of 3 . The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the recording element ejects ink as a recording agent. A recording scan in which recording is performed in accordance with image data while a recording head in which a plurality of recording elements for recording a recording agent on a recording medium are arranged in a predetermined direction is scanned in a direction different from the predetermined direction, and the scanning direction intersects A recording method for forming an image by repeating sub-scanning for transporting the recording medium in the direction of
A first distribution step of distributing image data corresponding to the same scanning region in the central portion of the recording medium to a plurality of recording scans by a first mask pattern;
Based on the image data distributed in the first distribution step, a first recording step of performing recording in the same scanning area in the central portion of the recording medium in the plurality of recording scans;
A second distribution step of distributing image data corresponding to the same scanning region in at least one of the leading end portion and the trailing end portion of the recording medium to the plurality of recording scans by a second mask pattern;
Based on the image data distributed in the second distribution step, a second recording step in which recording in the same scanning region at the end of the recording medium is performed in the plurality of recording scans ;
Conveying means for conveying the recording medium is located on the upstream side of the recording head and supports and conveys the recording medium. The conveying means supports and conveys the recording medium located on the downstream side of the recording head. Second recording means, and when the recording medium is supported and conveyed only by the first conveying means, it is determined that the recording is performed on the leading end, and the recording medium is the first and first recording media. If the recording medium is supported and conveyed by the second conveying means, it is determined that the recording is performed on the central portion. If the recording medium is supported and conveyed only by the second conveying means, the rear end portion is determined. And a determination step for determining a record for
The recording rate of the second mask pattern corresponding to the recording element located at the end of the recording element used in the second recording step is at the end of the recording element used in the first recording process. A recording method characterized by being lower than a recording rate of a first mask pattern corresponding to a recording element located.

Images