JP5099162B2 - Liquid ejection apparatus and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid ejection apparatus that ejects recording liquid and processing liquid, and a program used therefor.

  In an ink jet printer that is an example of a liquid ejection device, it is known to perform preliminary ejection in order to eliminate or suppress the increase in viscosity of ink in the vicinity of the ejection port of the head. Preliminary ejection refers to ejection that does not contribute to image formation from an ejection port, and is performed toward a cap, a recording medium, a conveyance belt, or the like.

  When preliminary ejection is performed toward the cap, it takes time to move the head to the cap position, and it is difficult to achieve high-speed recording. Moreover, since the arrangement | positioning area | region of a cap is required, the whole apparatus will enlarge. When performing preliminary ejection toward a recording medium for recording, the recording quality deteriorates due to ink adhering to the recording medium. When performing preliminary ejection toward a recording medium for non-recording, recording for non-recording is performed. A medium must be prepared, which is uneconomical. Therefore, by providing a preliminary discharge area on the surface of the conveyor belt and performing preliminary discharge in the area, the above problems can be reduced.

  The preliminary ejection is also performed on a head that ejects a processing liquid (reactive liquid) applied to a recording medium before and / or after ink landing (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-198997 A

  However, when preliminary ejection is performed in the preliminary ejection area provided on the surface of the transport belt, ink related to the preliminary ejection is scattered when colliding with the surface of the transport belt, or landing on the surface of the transport belt due to preliminary ejection. The ink droplets moved to the upstream side in the transport direction by the inertial force accompanying the travel of the transport belt (force in the direction to move upstream in the transport direction), thereby supporting the recording medium provided on the surface of the transport belt It can adhere to the support area or the recording medium on the support area.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid ejection apparatus and a program capable of suppressing the recording liquid ejected to the preliminary ejection area provided on the surface of the conveyor belt from adhering to the support area or the recording medium on the support area. Is to provide.

In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, a first head having a first ejection surface in which a plurality of first ejection ports for ejecting a recording liquid to a recording medium are opened, and the recording A second head having a second ejection surface with a plurality of second ejection openings for ejecting a transparent processing liquid to the medium, a support area for supporting the recording medium, and a preliminary ejection area are provided on the surface. A transport belt for transporting the recording medium in the transport direction by moving the surface in a transport direction parallel to the first and second discharge surfaces while facing the first and second discharge surfaces; The preliminary ejection data relating to the preliminary ejection, which is ejection that does not contribute to the image formation from the first and second ejection ports, and the conveyance belt in which the support area is arranged on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the preliminary ejection area Pre-discharge data creation And a control means for controlling the driving of the first head, the second head, and the conveyor belt, and the control means allows the recording liquid to be discharged from the first ejection port based on the preliminary ejection data. The recording liquid is ejected and landed on the preliminary ejection area, and the processing liquid is ejected from the second ejection port, and the processing liquid is located on the preliminary ejection area from the position where the recording liquid is landed. The drive of the first head, the second head, and the transport belt is controlled so as to land on the upstream side in the transport direction, and the recording liquid is transferred from the first discharge port to the preliminary discharge area based on the preliminary discharge data. Until the first predetermined time elapses after the ejection, the recording liquid related to the preliminary ejection other than the recording liquid is ejected to a position other than the position where the recording liquid is landed in the preliminary ejection area. Like, before After controlling the driving of the first head and the conveyor belt, and after the first predetermined time has elapsed since the recording liquid was discharged from the first discharge port to the preliminary discharge area based on the preliminary discharge data, Controlling the driving of the first head and the conveying belt so that the recording liquid related to the preliminary ejection other than the recording liquid is ejected to the position where the recording liquid is landed in the preliminary ejection area; A position where the processing liquid has landed in the preliminary discharge area until a second predetermined time has elapsed since the processing liquid was discharged from the second discharge port to the preliminary discharge area based on the preliminary discharge data. The second head and the transport belt are controlled so that the processing liquid related to the preliminary discharge other than the processing liquid is discharged at a position other than the processing liquid, and the second discharge port is used to control the driving of the second head and the transport belt. Treatment liquid After the second predetermined time has elapsed since the liquid was discharged to the preliminary discharge region, the processing related to the preliminary discharge other than the processing liquid is performed at the position where the processing liquid has landed in the preliminary discharge region. A liquid ejection apparatus is provided that controls driving of the second head and the transport belt so that the liquid is ejected .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a first head having a first ejection surface in which a plurality of first ejection ports for ejecting a recording liquid to a recording medium are opened, and a process transparent to the recording medium A second head having a second ejection surface in which a plurality of second ejection ports for ejecting liquid are opened, a support region for supporting the recording medium, and a preliminary ejection region are provided on the surface, and the surface is the first surface. And a transport belt that transports the recording medium in the transport direction by moving in a transport direction parallel to the first and second discharge surfaces while facing the second discharge surface, the transport belt being in the preliminary discharge region. Preliminary ejection data relating to preliminary ejection, which is ejection that does not contribute to image formation from the first and second ejection ports, is created by a liquid ejection device that includes a conveyance belt having the support region disposed on the upstream side in the conveyance direction. To create preliminary discharge data And a control unit that controls driving of the first head, the second head, and the transport belt, and the control unit is configured to output the recording liquid from the first ejection port based on the preliminary ejection data. Is discharged, the recording liquid lands on the preliminary discharge area, and the processing liquid is discharged from the second discharge port, and the processing liquid is positioned above the position where the recording liquid lands in the preliminary discharge area. The drive of the first head, the second head, and the transport belt is controlled to land on the upstream side in the transport direction, and the recording liquid is discharged from the first discharge port based on the preliminary discharge data in the preliminary discharge area. Until the first predetermined time elapses, the recording liquid related to the preliminary ejection other than the recording liquid is ejected to a position other than the position where the recording liquid is landed in the preliminary ejection area. The And controlling the driving of the first head and the conveyor belt, and the first predetermined time has elapsed since the recording liquid was discharged from the first discharge port to the preliminary discharge area based on the preliminary discharge data. After that, the first head and the transport belt are driven so that the recording liquid related to the preliminary ejection other than the recording liquid is ejected to the position where the recording liquid is landed in the preliminary ejection area. And the processing liquid in the preliminary discharge area is landed until a second predetermined time elapses after the processing liquid is discharged from the second discharge port to the preliminary discharge area based on the preliminary discharge data. The second head and the transport belt are driven so that the processing liquid related to the preliminary discharge other than the processing liquid is discharged to a position other than the position where the second liquid is discharged, and the second head is controlled based on the preliminary discharge data. Discharge port After the second predetermined time has elapsed since the processing liquid was discharged to the preliminary discharge area, the spare liquid other than the processing liquid is placed at a position where the processing liquid has landed in the preliminary discharge area. There is provided a program that controls the driving of the second head and the transport belt so that the processing liquid relating to the ejection is ejected .

  According to the first and second aspects, the treatment liquid lands on the upstream side in the transport direction from the landing position of the recording liquid in the preliminary ejection region. Therefore, even if the recording liquid related to the preliminary ejection scatters when colliding with the surface of the transport belt, it is difficult to adhere to the support area or the recording medium on the support area due to the presence of the processing liquid. Further, even if the recording liquid discharged to the preliminary discharge area moves to the upstream side in the transport direction, it is difficult to adhere to the support area or the recording medium on the support area due to the presence of the processing liquid. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the recording liquid discharged to the preliminary discharge area provided on the surface of the conveyor belt from adhering to the support area or the recording medium on the support area.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the recording liquid ejected to the preliminary ejection area provided on the surface of the conveyor belt from adhering to the support area or the recording medium on the support area.

1 is a schematic side view showing an internal structure of an ink jet printer as an embodiment of a liquid ejection apparatus according to the present invention. It is a top view which shows the flow-path unit and actuator unit of the inkjet head contained in the printer of FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a region III surrounded by an alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a conveyance belt included in the printer of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an electrical configuration of a printer. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an ink discharge mode according to preliminary discharge.

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

  First, an overall configuration of an ink jet printer 1 as an embodiment of a liquid ejection apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  The printer 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped casing 1a. A paper discharge unit 31 is provided on the top of the casing 1a. The internal space of the housing 1a can be divided into spaces A, B, and C in order from the top. In the spaces A and B, a paper conveyance path that is continuous with the paper discharge unit 31 is formed. In the space C, a cartridge 41 as a processing liquid supply source for the precoat head 40 and four cartridges 39 as ink supply sources for the four inkjet heads 10 are accommodated.

  In the space A, a precoat head 40, four heads 10, a transport unit 21 for transporting the paper P, a guide unit for guiding the paper P, and the like are arranged. In the upper part of the space A, a control device 1p that controls the operation of each part of the printer 1 and controls the operation of the entire printer 1 is disposed.

  Based on the image data supplied from the external device, the control device 1p performs the recording operation (the conveyance operation of the paper P by each part of the printer 1, the image formation synchronized with the conveyance of the paper P and the ink and the pretreatment liquid relating to the preliminary ejection. Control the discharge operation and the like. The recording operation including preliminary ejection will be described in detail later.

  The conveyance unit 21 includes belt rollers 6 and 7, an endless conveyance belt 8 wound between the rollers 6 and 7, a nip roller 4 and a separation plate 5 disposed outside the conveyance belt 8, and an inside of the conveyance belt 8. It has the platen 9 etc. which were arrange | positioned. The belt roller 7 is a drive roller, and is rotated by the drive of the transport motor 121 (see FIG. 6), and rotates clockwise in FIG. As the belt roller 7 rotates, the conveyor belt 8 travels in the direction of the thick arrow in FIG. The belt roller 6 is a driven roller and rotates clockwise in FIG. 1 as the transport belt 8 travels. The nip roller 4 is disposed to face the belt roller 6 and presses the sheet P supplied from the upstream side in the transport direction against the surface 8 a of the transport belt 8. Thereafter, the paper P is transported toward the belt roller 7 while being supported on the front surface 8 a as the transport belt 8 travels. The peeling plate 5 is disposed to face the belt roller 7, peels the paper P from the surface 8a, and guides the paper P further downstream in the transport direction. The platen 9 is disposed to face a total of five heads, that is, the precoat head 40 and the four heads 10, and supports the upper loop of the conveyor belt 8 from the inside.

  The configuration of the surface 8a of the conveyor belt 8 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG.

  Each of the heads 10 and 40 is a line head having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the main scanning direction. The lower surfaces of the heads 10 and 40 are discharge surfaces 10a and 40a in which a large number of discharge ports (see the discharge ports 14a of the inkjet head 10 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) are opened. During recording (image formation), black (K), magenta (M), cyan (C), and yellow (Y) inks are ejected from the ejection surfaces 10a of the four inkjet heads 10, respectively. As will be described in detail later, depending on the situation, the pretreatment liquid is discharged from the discharge surface 40a of the precoat head 40 onto the paper P before ink landing. The heads 10 and 40 are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the sub-scanning direction, and are supported by the housing 1 a via the head holder 3. In the head holder 3, the discharge surfaces 10a and 40a face the support surface 8a of the upper loop of the conveyor belt 8, and a predetermined gap suitable for recording is formed between the discharge surfaces 10a and 40a and the support surface 8a. As shown, the heads 10 and 40 are held. A more specific configuration of the heads 10 and 40 will be described in detail later.

  The guide unit includes an upstream guide portion and a downstream guide portion disposed with the transport unit 21 interposed therebetween. The upstream guide portion has two guides 27 a and 27 b and a pair of feed rollers 26. The guide unit connects a paper feeding unit 1 b (described later) and the transport unit 21. The downstream guide portion has two guides 29 a and 29 b and two pairs of feed rollers 28. The guide unit connects the transport unit 21 and the paper discharge unit 31.

  In the space B, the paper feeding unit 1b is detachably arranged with respect to the housing 1a. The paper feed unit 1 b includes a paper feed tray 23 and a paper feed roller 25. The paper feed tray 23 is a box that opens upward, and can accommodate a plurality of types of paper P. The paper feed roller 25 feeds the uppermost paper P in the paper feed tray 23 and supplies it to the upstream guide unit.

  As described above, in the spaces A and B, the paper transport path from the paper feed unit 1b to the paper discharge unit 31 via the transport unit 21 is formed. Based on the recording command received from the external device, the control device 1p includes a paper feed motor 125 for the paper feed roller 25 (see FIG. 6), a feed motor 127 for the feed roller of each guide unit (see FIG. 6), and conveyance. The motor 121 (see FIG. 6) and the like are driven. The paper P sent out from the paper feed tray 23 is supplied to the transport unit 21 by the feed roller 26. When the paper P passes directly below the heads 10 and 40 in the sub-scanning direction, ink of each color (and pre-treatment liquid from the precoat head 40 depending on the situation) is ejected in order from the head 10 onto the paper P. A color image is formed. Further, during such a recording operation, a preliminary discharge described later is also performed. The ejection operation of the ink and the pretreatment liquid is performed based on the detection signal from the paper sensor 32. The paper P is then peeled off by the peeling plate 5 and conveyed upward by the two feed rollers 28. Further, the paper P is discharged from the upper opening 30 to the paper discharge unit 31.

  Here, the sub-scanning direction is a direction parallel to the transport direction of the paper P by the transport unit 21, and the main scanning direction is a direction parallel to the horizontal plane and orthogonal to the sub-scanning direction.

  In the space C, the cartridge unit 1c is detachably attached to the housing 1a. The cartridge unit 1 c includes a tray 35 and five cartridges 41 and 39 housed side by side in the tray 35. The cartridge 39 stores ink, and the cartridge 41 stores pretreatment liquid. These supply ink or pretreatment liquid to the corresponding heads 40 and 10 via tubes (not shown).

  Next, the configuration of the heads 10 and 40 will be described. Since the heads 10 and 40 have the same configuration, the configuration of the inkjet head 10 will be described below with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 3, the pressure chamber 16 and the aperture 15 which are located below the actuator unit 17 and should be indicated by dotted lines are indicated by solid lines.

  The head 10 has a reservoir unit (not shown) stacked vertically, a flow path unit 12, eight actuator units 17 (see FIG. 2) fixed to the upper surface 12 x of the flow path unit 12, and joined to each actuator unit 17. FPC (flat flexible substrate) 19 (see FIG. 4) and the like. In the reservoir unit, a flow path including a reservoir that temporarily stores ink supplied from the cartridge 39 (see FIG. 1) is formed. The flow path unit 12 is formed with a flow path from the opening 12y (see FIG. 2) on the upper surface 12x to each discharge port 14a on the lower surface (discharge surface 10a). The actuator unit 17 has a piezoelectric actuator for each discharge port 14a.

  Irregularities are formed on the lower surface of the reservoir unit. The convex portion is bonded to a region where the actuator unit 17 is not disposed on the upper surface 12x of the flow path unit 12 (a region surrounded by a two-dot chain line including the opening 12y illustrated in FIG. 2). The front end surface of the convex portion has an opening connected to the reservoir and facing each opening 12 y of the flow path unit 12. Thereby, the reservoir and the individual flow path 14 communicate with each other through the openings. The recess faces the upper surface 12x of the flow path unit 12, the surface of the actuator unit 17, and the surface of the FPC 19 via a slight gap.

  The flow path unit 12 is formed by laminating and adhering nine rectangular metal plates 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 12e, 12f, 12g, 12h, and 12i (see FIG. 4) having substantially the same size. Laminated body. 2, 3, and 4, the flow path of the flow path unit 12 includes a manifold flow path 13 having an opening 12 y at one end, a sub-manifold flow path 13 a branched from the manifold flow path 13, and a sub-flow path It includes an individual flow path 14 extending from the outlet of the manifold flow path 13a to the discharge port 14a via the pressure chamber 16. As shown in FIG. 4, the individual flow path 14 is formed for each discharge port 14 a and includes an aperture 15 that functions as a restriction for flow path resistance adjustment. In the adhesion region of each actuator unit 17 on the upper surface 12x, substantially rhombic openings that expose the pressure chambers 16 are arranged in a matrix. In the area facing the adhesion area of each actuator unit 17 on the lower surface (discharge surface 10a), the discharge ports 14a are arranged in a matrix with the same arrangement pattern as the pressure chambers 16.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the actuator units 17 each have a trapezoidal planar shape, and are arranged in two rows in a staggered pattern on the upper surface 12 x of the flow path unit 12. As shown in FIG. 3, each actuator unit 17 covers the openings of a number of pressure chambers 16 formed in the adhesion region of the actuator unit 17. Although illustration is omitted, the actuator unit 17 includes a plurality of piezoelectric layers extending across a number of pressure chambers 16 and electrodes sandwiching the piezoelectric layers in the thickness direction. The electrodes include individual electrodes provided for each pressure chamber 16 and common electrodes common to the pressure chambers 16. The individual electrode is formed on the surface of the uppermost piezoelectric layer.

  The FPC 19 has wiring corresponding to each electrode of the actuator unit 17, and a driver IC (not shown) is mounted in the middle thereof. One end of the FPC 19 is fixed to the actuator unit 17, and the other end is fixed to a control board (disposed above the reservoir unit, not shown) of the head 10. Under the control of the control device 1p (see FIG. 1), the FPC 19 transmits various drive signals output from the control board to the driver IC, and transmits signals generated by the driver IC to the actuator unit 17.

  In the precoat head 40, the pretreatment liquid is appropriately supplied from the cartridge 41 (see FIG. 1) to the reservoir of the reservoir unit.

  The pretreatment liquid is a transparent liquid, and contributes to improving the recording quality (for example, a density improving action (an action for improving the density of the ink ejected onto the paper P), an ink bleeding or a back-through (paper P). Inhibiting action of ink that has landed on the surface of the paper P and penetrating to the back surface of the paper P), improving the color development and quick drying of the ink, and suppressing wrinkling and curling of the paper P after ink landing Action). The material of the pretreatment liquid can be appropriately selected from a liquid containing a polyvalent metal salt such as a cationic polymer or a magnesium salt. In addition, a pretreatment liquid that agglomerates pigment pigments is used for pigment ink, and a pretreatment liquid that precipitates dye pigments is used for dye ink. When the ink lands on the area of the paper P to which such pretreatment liquid has been applied in advance, the polyvalent metal salt or the like acts on the dye or pigment that is the colorant of the ink, and insoluble or hardly soluble metal composites or the like aggregate. Alternatively, it is formed by precipitation.

  Next, the configuration of the surface 8a of the conveyor belt 8 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a support area 8x for supporting the paper P and a preliminary discharge area 8y are provided on the surface 8a. The width (length in the main scanning direction) of each region 8x, 8y is the same as the width of the surface 8a.

  A plurality of support regions 8 x are arranged at intervals along the entire circumference of the conveyor belt 8. The support areas 8x are respectively arranged on the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction of the preliminary discharge area 8y. The length of the support area 8x (the length in the transport direction) is slightly longer than the length of the maximum size paper P that can be recorded by the printer 1.

  The preliminary ejection area 8y is disposed between the support areas 8x, and is also provided on the surface 8a of the lower loop of the transport belt 8 (the surface opposite to the surface shown in FIG. 5). The paper P is not placed in the preliminary ejection area 8y. The preliminary ejection region 8y includes an ink ejection range 8y1, a treatment liquid ejection range 8y2, and a non-ejection range 8y3. The treatment liquid discharge range 8y2 is located upstream of the ink discharge range 8y1 in the transport direction.

  The ink discharge range 8y1 is a range in which ink related to preliminary discharge is discharged, and includes discharge ranges 18K, 18M, 18C, and 18Y corresponding to the four heads 10, respectively. The discharge range 18K is black ink, the discharge range 18M is magenta ink, the discharge range 18C is cyan ink, and the discharge range 18Y is a range where yellow ink is discharged. The discharge ranges 18K, 18M, 18C, and 18Y are long ranges (substantially the same shape and size as the discharge surface 10a) in the main scanning direction, and are arranged in parallel from the downstream side to the upstream side in the transport direction without overlapping each other. In other words, the color ink with lower lightness is located on the downstream side in the transport direction (lightness is black (K)> magenta (M)> cyan (C)> yellow (Y)). Further, each of the discharge ranges 18K, 18M, 18C, and 18Y is divided into a range of 1 to n (n is an integer of 2 or more) along the transport direction (FIG. 5 shows only the divided range of the discharge range 18K. The same applies to the other discharge ranges 18M, 18C, and 18Y). In addition, although the division | segmentation range is shown by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 5, it is a conceptual (invisible) thing. The divided ranges 1 to n are discharge ranges in the first to n-th preliminary discharge periods (periods in which the preliminary discharge region 8y faces the discharge surface 10a or the discharge surface 40a). The divided ranges 1 to n are long in the main scanning direction and have a width corresponding to one line (one pixel), and are arranged in parallel from the downstream side in the transport direction without overlapping each other.

  The treatment liquid discharge range 8y2 is a range in which the pretreatment liquid related to the preliminary discharge is discharged, and has the same configuration as the discharge ranges 18K, 18M, 18C, and 18Y of the ink discharge range 8y1. That is, the treatment liquid discharge range 8y2 is a long range (substantially the same shape and size as the discharge surface 40a) in the main scanning direction, and is divided into a range of 1 to n (not shown) along the transport direction. Is done. The divided ranges 1 to n in the treatment liquid discharge range 8y2 are also long ranges in the main scanning direction and have a width corresponding to one line (one pixel), and 1 in each discharge range 18K, 18M, 18C, and 18Y. In the same manner as the division range of ~ n, they are arranged in parallel from the downstream side in the transport direction without overlapping each other.

  The non-ejection range 8y3 is a range in which neither ink nor pretreatment liquid is ejected, and is provided between the ink ejection range 8y1 and the treatment liquid ejection range 8y2. The non-ejection range 8y3 has the same width (length in the main scanning direction) as the width of the surface 8a, and substantially half the length (length in the transport direction) of the processing liquid ejection range 8y2.

  A portion of the preliminary ejection region 8y excluding the non-ejection range 8y3 (that is, the ink ejection range 8y1 and the treatment liquid ejection range 8y2) is formed by subjecting the surface 8a to a liquid repellent treatment. Property of repelling the pretreatment liquid). Examples of the liquid repellent treatment include forming a liquid repellent film by vapor deposition or dipping of a liquid repellent material containing fluorine atoms. The non-ejection range 8y3 is a portion where the surface 8a is not subjected to the liquid repellent treatment, and the surface roughness is larger than the ink ejection range 8y1 or the like where the liquid repellent treatment is performed. As a result, the non-ejection range 8y3 functions as a damming unit that dams the ink ejected into the ink ejection range 8y1 from flowing upstream in the transport direction.

  The thickness of the conveyor belt 8 is constant over the entire circumference, and there is almost no difference between the regions 8x and 8y (except for a thin film by liquid repellent treatment).

  Next, the electrical configuration of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in addition to a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101 that is an arithmetic processing unit, the control device 1p includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory: including a nonvolatile RAM) 103, An ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) 104, an I / F (Interface) 105, an I / O (Input / Output Port) 106, and the like are included. The ROM 102 stores programs executed by the CPU 101, various fixed data, and the like. The RAM 103 temporarily stores data necessary for executing the program (for example, image data relating to an image formed on the paper P, discharge history of each discharge port 14a, and the like). In the ASIC 104, rewriting and rearranging of image data (for example, signal processing and image processing) are performed. The I / F 105 performs data transmission / reception with an external device. The I / O 106 inputs / outputs detection signals of various sensors.

  The control device 1p is connected to the motors 121, 125, 127, the paper sensor 32, the control boards of the heads 10, 40, and the like.

  Next, the control of the printing operation including the preliminary ejection performed by the control device 1p will be described. Each process in the recording operation is executed by the CPU 101 in accordance with a program stored in the ROM 102.

  Preliminary ejection refers to ejection that does not contribute to image formation from the ejection port 14a. In the present embodiment, preliminary ejection is performed every time before recording on one sheet P is started. That is, when recording on two or more sheets P (continuous recording) is performed, preliminary ejection is performed between the sheets P.

  When the control device 1p receives a recording command from the external device, the ink related to image formation from the ejection port 14a of each head 10 (and the head 40 depending on the situation) based on the image data included in the recording command ( In addition, the ejection control of the pretreatment liquid is performed according to the situation, and the ejection control of the ink and the pretreatment liquid related to the preliminary ejection from the ejection ports 14a of the heads 10 and 40 is performed based on the preliminary ejection data.

  The control device 1p creates preliminary ejection data for each preliminary ejection period and for each of the heads 10 and 40. In creating the preliminary ejection data, the control device 1p ejects ink or pretreatment liquid during the preliminary ejection period based on the ejection history of the ejection ports 14a of the heads 10 and 40 before and after the preliminary ejection period. The discharge port 14a to be used is selected. Then, the control device 1p creates preliminary ejection data so that ink or pretreatment liquid related to preliminary ejection is ejected from the selected ejection port 14a to the preliminary ejection area 8y. The control device 1p selects, for example, the ejection port 14a in which the ejection operation is not performed for a certain time or longer (for example, recording immediately before the preliminary ejection period).

  Based on the preliminary ejection data, the control device 1p ejects ink from the selected ejection port 14a of each head 10, the ink lands on the ink ejection range 8y1 of the preliminary ejection area 8y, and the head 40 is selected. The drive of the heads 10 and 40 and the conveyor belt 8 is controlled so that the pretreatment liquid is discharged from the discharge port 14a and the pretreatment liquid lands on the treatment liquid discharge range 8y2 of the preliminary discharge region 8y.

  At this time, the control device 1p performs a first predetermined time (in this embodiment, 1 for each preliminary ejection region 8y) after ink is ejected from the ejection port 14a of the head 10 to the ink ejection range 8y1 based on the preliminary ejection data. The time required for the preliminary ejection period for the head 10 to appear at intervals of n times, that is, the time during which the conveyor belt 8 travels n rounds) has passed, the ink in the ink ejection range 8y1 has landed. The driving of the head 10 and the conveyance belt 8 is controlled so that ink related to preliminary ejection other than the ink is ejected to a position other than the current position. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, when the ink L1 ejected from a certain ejection port 14a has landed on the preliminary ejection area 8y (ink ejection range 8y1), the ink L1 is ejected and then the first The ink L2 related to the preliminary ejection that is ejected during the period until the predetermined time of 1 elapses is ejected toward a position other than the landing position (occupied portion) of the ink L1 in the preliminary ejection region 8y (ink ejection range 8y1). The In the present embodiment, the interval D in the transport direction is equal to or greater than the width of one line between the ejection position of the ink L1 ejected first in the period and the ejection position of the ink L2 ejected later.

  Further, at this time, the control device 1p performs a second predetermined time (in the present embodiment, one spare time) after the pretreatment liquid is ejected from the ejection port 14a with the head 40 to the treatment liquid ejection range 8y2 based on the preliminary ejection data. The time required for the preliminary discharge period to the head 40 to appear at intervals of n times per discharge area 8y, that is, until the same time as the first predetermined time described above, the time during which the conveyor belt 8 travels n times) elapses. The head 40 and the transport belt 8 are driven so that the pretreatment liquid related to the preliminary discharge other than the pretreatment liquid is discharged to a position other than the position where the pretreatment liquid is landed in the treatment liquid discharge range 8y2. To control. A specific description of this control is the same as that described above with reference to FIG.

  Here, the preliminary ejection control during the recording operation will be described more specifically. The control device 1p stores the discharge start point of the ink and the pretreatment liquid related to the preliminary discharge for each preliminary discharge region 8y and for each discharge port 14a. Then, the control device 1p starts the ejection of the ink and the pretreatment liquid related to the preliminary ejection in one preliminary ejection area 8y, and each head 10 and 40 in the first preliminary ejection area 8y within the predetermined time period. In addition, the head or the pretreatment liquid is ejected in 1 to n divided ranges (see (1) to (n) of the ejection range 18K in FIG. 5) in each of 1 to n preliminary ejection periods. 10 and 40 and the drive of the conveyor belt 8 are controlled. At this time, for example, the control device 1p sets so that the discharge positions from the discharge ports 14a are arranged along a line passing through the center of the width of each divided range, and the preliminary discharge discharged from the discharge ports 14a. The size of the ink or the pretreatment liquid is set so that the ink or the pretreatment liquid falls within the width of each divided range when the ink or the pretreatment liquid lands on the preliminary ejection region 8y.

  Each time the recording operation (including preliminary ejection) based on one recording command is completed, the control device 1p cleans ink and the like that has landed on each preliminary ejection region 8y. The cleaning is performed, for example, by running the conveyor belt 8 once in a state where a cleaning member (not shown) such as a blade or sponge is in contact with the surface 8 a of the conveyor belt 8.

  The controller 1p performs preliminary ejection on one head 10 per one preliminary ejection area 8y before the recording operation (including preliminary ejection) based on one recording command is completed (that is, before the cleaning is performed). When the period appears more than n times, the control is performed as follows. That is, in the preliminary discharge area 8y, the control device 1p performs n * α + m (α is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and m is an integer greater than or equal to 1 and less than n) for each head 10, 40 in the preliminary discharge period. Control of driving of the heads 10 and 40 and the conveyance belt 8 is controlled so that the ink or the pretreatment liquid is discharged in the divided range (see (1) to (n) of the discharge range 18K in FIG. 5) with respect to the m-th preliminary discharge period. To do.

As described above, according to the printer 1 and the program according to the present embodiment, the pretreatment liquid lands on the upstream side in the transport direction from the ink landing position in the preliminary ejection region 8y (see FIG. 5). Therefore, even if the ink related to the preliminary ejection is scattered when colliding with the surface 8a of the transport belt 8, it is difficult to adhere to the support area 8x or the paper P on the support area 8x due to the presence of the pretreatment liquid. Further, even if the ink ejected to the preliminary ejection area 8y moves upstream in the transport direction, it is difficult to adhere to the support area 8x or the paper P on the support area 8x due to the presence of the pretreatment liquid. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the ink ejected to the preliminary ejection area 8y provided on the surface 8a of the transport belt 8 from adhering to the support area 8x or the paper P on the support area 8x.
Even if the pretreatment liquid adheres to the support area 8x or the paper P on the support area 8x, the pretreatment liquid is transparent and therefore hardly affects the recording quality.

  In the preliminary ejection area 8y, when ink is further ejected to a position where the undried ink that has already been ejected has landed, the ink scatters or ink on the surface 8a of the transport belt 8 due to collision between the inks. Droplet enlargement can occur. The scattered ink can adhere to the ejection surfaces 10a and 40a, the support area 8x, or the paper P on the support area 8x. Larger ink droplets also adhere to the ejection surfaces 10a and 40a, move to the upstream side in the transport direction by the inertial force associated with the travel of the transport belt 8, and adhere to the support area 8x or the paper P on the support area 8x. It can be. However, according to the present embodiment, the above control of the control device 1p prevents the inks from colliding with each other in the preliminary ejection region 8y as shown in FIG. 7, so that these problems can be reduced.

  Even when the pretreatment liquids collide with each other in the preliminary ejection region 8y, the problem of scattering and the enlargement of droplets on the surface of the transport belt may occur as in the case of the collision between the inks described above. However, according to the present embodiment, the above-described control of the control device 1p prevents the pretreatment liquids from colliding with each other in the preliminary ejection region 8y, so that the problem can be reduced.

  When the preliminary ejection area 8y has liquid repellency, the cleaning performance of the preliminary ejection area 8y is improved (that is, the ink that has landed on the preliminary ejection area 8y can be easily removed), but the preliminary ejection area 8y is ejected to the preliminary ejection area 8y. Ink scattering and movement upstream in the transport direction are likely to occur, and adhesion of the ink to the support area 8x or the paper P on the support area 8x becomes a problem. However, according to the present embodiment, due to the presence of the pretreatment liquid, it is possible to improve the cleaning property of the preliminary ejection region 8y while reducing the problem.

  When the ink and the pretreatment liquid are mixed in the preliminary ejection region 8y, the ink is solidified by a chemical reaction and is difficult to remove by cleaning. However, according to the present embodiment, the presence of the non-ejection range 8y3 suppresses mixing of the ink and the pretreatment liquid in the preliminary ejection area 8y, thereby preventing the cleaning performance of the preliminary ejection area 8y from being deteriorated.

  The non-ejection range 8y3 functions as a damming unit that dams the ink ejected to the ink ejection range 8y1 from flowing upstream in the transport direction. Thereby, it is possible to more reliably suppress the mixing of the ink discharged to the preliminary discharge region 8y and the pretreatment liquid.

  A portion of the preliminary ejection region 8y excluding the non-ejection range 8y3 (that is, the ink ejection range 8y1 and the treatment liquid ejection range 8y2) is formed by performing a liquid repellent process on the surface 8a. This is a portion where the surface 8a is not subjected to the liquid repellent treatment. Due to such a configuration, the conveyance belt 8 can be easily manufactured.

  When the heads 10 and 40 are of the line type as in the present embodiment, problems (preventing high-speed recording and enlargement of the entire printer 1) when performing preliminary ejection toward the cap are significant, and conveyance is performed. The effect obtained by performing preliminary discharge toward the belt 8 is great. Further, when the heads 10 and 40 are of the line type, the ejection range (1 to n divided ranges in the 1st to nth preliminary ejection periods in one preliminary ejection region 8y (1) of the ejection range 18K in FIG. 5). To (n)) in parallel from the downstream side in the transport direction to the upstream side, the length of the preliminary ejection region 8y along the transport direction can be suppressed while preventing the inks and the pretreatment liquids from colliding with each other. it can. That is, while preventing the ink and the pretreatment liquid from colliding with each other, the interval between the support regions 8x can be narrowed to improve the conveyance efficiency, thereby realizing high-speed recording.

  Even when including four line-type heads 10 as in the present embodiment, the discharge ranges 18K, 18M, 18C, and 18Y in the n preliminary discharge periods for each head 10 are arranged in parallel from the downstream side in the transport direction, Further, the discharge range (1 to n divided range; see (1) to (n) of the discharge range 18K in FIG. 5) in the first to n-th preliminary discharge periods of each head 10 is changed from the downstream side in the transport direction to the upstream side. In parallel with each other, the length of the preliminary ejection region 8y along the transport direction can be suppressed. Thereby, since the space | interval of the support area | region 8x becomes narrow, conveyance efficiency improves and it can implement | achieve high-speed recording.

  When ink having a relatively low lightness adheres to the paper P, the recording quality is significantly deteriorated. According to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the discharge ranges 18K, 18M, 18C, and 18Y are located on the downstream side in the transport direction as the color of the ink has lower lightness. For this reason, it is difficult for ink having a relatively low color to adhere to the paper P, and deterioration of recording quality can be effectively suppressed.

  The ink that has landed on the preliminary ejection area 8y dries with time and becomes difficult to remove by cleaning. Therefore, when the preliminary ejection period for one head 10 appears more than n per one preliminary ejection region 8y, the control device 1p performs control so that ink is ejected in order again in the divided range 1 to n. . That is, the control device 1p has landed the ink in the preliminary ejection region 8y after the first predetermined time has elapsed since the ink related to the preliminary ejection was ejected from the certain ejection port 14a to the preliminary ejection region 8y. The driving of the head 10 and the conveyor belt 8 is controlled so that ink related to preliminary ejection other than the ink is ejected to the position. By such control, the cleaning property can be improved by ejecting new ink to a position where the old ink that has been dried to some extent lands, and moistening the old ink. Further, since the old ink that has been dried to some extent serves as an anchor, and the movement of newly ejected ink is suppressed, it is possible to more reliably suppress the ink from adhering to the support area 8x or the paper P on the support area 8x. Can do. In this case, since the old ink has a higher viscosity due to drying, even if the new ink collides with the old ink, scattering is unlikely to occur.

  The pretreatment liquid that has landed on the preliminary discharge area 8y may also be dried with time and difficult to remove by cleaning. However, according to the present embodiment, under the control of the control device 1p as in the case of the ink described above, the new pretreatment liquid is discharged to the position where the old pretreatment liquid that has been dried to some extent has landed, and the old pretreatment liquid The cleaning property can be improved by applying moisture to the surface. Also, the anchor effect can be obtained in the same manner as in the case of the ink described above. In this case, even if the old pretreatment liquid and the new pretreatment liquid collide with each other, scattering hardly occurs.

  The thickness of the conveyor belt 8 is the same in the support area 8x and the preliminary ejection area 8y. Here, when the thickness of the conveyance belt 8 in the preliminary discharge region 8y is smaller than the thickness of the conveyance belt 8 in the support region 8x, the strength of the conveyance belt 8 is reduced. Further, when the thickness of the conveyor belt 8 in the preliminary ejection area 8y is larger than the thickness of the conveyor belt 8 in the support area 8x, the conveyor belt 8 can come into contact with the ejection surfaces 10a and 40a. According to this embodiment, these problems can be reduced.

  Since the discharge range (divided range of 1 to n, see (1) to (n) of the discharge range 18K in FIG. 5) in each of the n preliminary discharge periods has a width of one line, the preliminary discharge region 8y. The length along the conveyance direction can be more reliably suppressed. Thereby, since the space | interval of the support area | region 8x becomes narrow, conveyance efficiency improves and it can implement | achieve high-speed recording.

  When creating the preliminary ejection data, the control device 1p ejects ink or pretreatment liquid during the preliminary ejection period based on the ejection history of the ejection ports 14a of the heads 10 and 40 in the period before and after the preliminary ejection period. The discharge port 14a to be used is selected. In this case, it is possible to more reliably prevent the inks and the pretreatment liquids from colliding with each other in the preliminary ejection region 8y as compared with the case where the inks or the pretreatment liquids related to the preliminary ejection are ejected from all the ejection ports 14a regardless of the ejection history. can do.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes can be made as long as they are described in the claims.

Based on the preliminary ejection data, until the predetermined time has elapsed after the liquid is ejected from the ejection port to the preliminary ejection area, the ejection position of the recording liquid or processing liquid related to the preliminary ejection has already landed As long as there is no overlap with the landing position (occupied portion), the collision between the recording liquids or the processing liquids in the preliminary ejection area is prevented, and the scattering of the recording liquids or the processing liquids or the enlargement of the droplets can be suppressed. Therefore, even when the occupied portions of the recording liquids and the processing liquids partially overlap in each discharge range after landing on the preliminary discharge area, the above effect can be obtained. Regarding the enlargement of the liquid droplets, the liquid ejection position in each preliminary ejection period has already landed at a distance that does not overlap with the already occupied liquid occupied portion even after the liquid has landed on the preliminary ejection area. It can suppress effectively by separating from the landing position of the liquid which is carrying out.

  The width of the discharge range in each preliminary discharge period is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a width corresponding to three or more lines.

  When the preliminary ejection period for one head 10 appears more than n per one preliminary ejection region, it is not necessary to perform control so that the ink is ejected sequentially in the divided range of 1 to n again. For example, cleaning may be performed after the end of the nth preliminary ejection period. The same applies to the pretreatment liquid.

  The present invention is not limited to selecting an ejection port through which the recording liquid or the processing liquid is ejected during the preliminary ejection period based on the ejection history of the period before and after the preliminary ejection period. For example, the recording liquid or the processing liquid related to the preliminary ejection may be ejected from all ejection ports regardless of the ejection history.

  The preliminary ejection may be performed every time recording on two or more recording media is completed. Further, the preliminary ejection is not limited to being performed at regular intervals, and may be performed at an arbitrary timing.

  When recording liquids having different brightness are discharged from a plurality of heads, the discharge range of the recording liquid in each preliminary discharge period may be arranged regardless of the brightness.

  The colors of ink ejected from a plurality of heads are not limited to four colors of black (K), magenta (M), cyan (C), and yellow (Y), but magenta (M), cyan (C), yellow The three colors (Y) may be various.

  The first and second heads may include ejection energy generating means such as an electrostatic applied voltage element and a thermal heating element in addition to the piezoelectric actuator.

  The liquid ejection apparatus is not limited to having a plurality of first heads, and may have one first head.

  The thickness of the conveyor belt may be different between the support area and the preliminary ejection area.

  The preliminary ejection region preferably has non-absorbability (property including liquid repellency, lyophobic property, liquid separation property, etc.) from the viewpoint of improving the cleaning property of the preliminary ejection region, but is not limited thereto. It is not a thing.

  The damming portion is not limited to a portion where the surface of the conveyor belt is not subjected to the liquid repellent treatment, and is an absorber, a convex portion or the like that protrudes in a direction closer to the first or second ejection surface than the preliminary ejection region. Also good.

  The non-ejection range is not limited to including the blocking portion as long as the recording liquid and the processing liquid are not ejected. For example, the non-ejection range is the same as the other ranges (ink ejection range and processing liquid ejection range) of the preliminary ejection area. It may be a part having a liquid repellent last name. Further, it is not necessary to provide a non-ejection range in the preliminary ejection area.

  The recording medium is not limited to paper, and may be various recording media.

  As long as the treatment liquid is a transparent liquid, it may have any property and may be made of any material. The treatment liquid is not limited to the pretreatment liquid (treatment liquid applied to the recording medium before landing of the recording liquid), but may be post-treatment liquid (treatment liquid applied to the recording medium after landing of the recording liquid). .

  The recording liquid is not limited to ink, and may be liquid other than ink.

  The present invention is not limited to a printer, but can be applied to a facsimile, a copier, and the like.

1 Inkjet printer (liquid ejection device)
1p control device (preliminary discharge data creation means, control means)
8 Conveying belt 8a Surface 8x Support area 8y Preliminary ejection area 8y1 Ink ejection range (recording liquid ejection range)
8y2 Processing liquid discharge range (Processing liquid discharge range)
8y3 Non-discharge range (damming part)
10 Inkjet head (first head)
10a Discharge surface (first discharge surface)
14a Discharge port (first discharge port)
40 Precoat head (second head)
40a Discharge surface (second discharge surface)
L1, L2 Preliminary ejection ink P Paper (recording medium)

Claims (10)

A first head having a first discharge surface in which a plurality of first discharge ports for discharging a recording liquid to a recording medium are opened;
A second head having a second ejection surface in which a plurality of second ejection ports for ejecting a transparent processing liquid to the recording medium are opened;
A support area and a preliminary discharge area for supporting the recording medium are provided on the surface, and the surface moves in a transport direction parallel to the first and second discharge surfaces while facing the first and second discharge surfaces. A transport belt for transporting the recording medium in the transport direction, the transport belt having the support region disposed upstream of the preliminary discharge region in the transport direction;
Preliminary ejection data creation means for creating preliminary ejection data relating to preliminary ejection, which is ejection that does not contribute to image formation from the first and second ejection ports;
Control means for controlling the driving of the first head, the second head, and the conveyor belt;
The control means includes
Based on the preliminary discharge data, the recording liquid is discharged from the first discharge port, the recording liquid reaches the preliminary discharge region, and the processing liquid is discharged from the second discharge port. Controlling the driving of the first head, the second head, and the transport belt so that the recording liquid lands on the upstream side in the transport direction from the position where the recording liquid lands in the preliminary ejection region ,
Based on the preliminary ejection data, the recording liquid in the preliminary ejection area has landed until the first predetermined time has elapsed since the recording liquid was ejected from the first ejection port to the preliminary ejection area. The drive of the first head and the transport belt is controlled so that the recording liquid related to the preliminary ejection other than the recording liquid is ejected to a position other than the position, and the first ejection port is controlled based on the preliminary ejection data. After the first predetermined time has elapsed since the recording liquid was ejected to the preliminary ejection area, the preliminary ejection other than the recording liquid is at a position where the recording liquid has landed in the preliminary ejection area. Controlling the drive of the first head and the transport belt so that the recording liquid according to
Based on the preliminary discharge data, the processing liquid in the preliminary discharge area has landed until a second predetermined time has elapsed since the processing liquid was discharged from the second discharge port to the preliminary discharge area. The drive of the second head and the transport belt is controlled so that the processing liquid related to the preliminary discharge other than the processing liquid is discharged to a position other than the position, and the second discharge port is controlled based on the preliminary discharge data. After the second predetermined time has elapsed since the processing liquid was discharged to the preliminary discharge area, the preliminary discharge other than the processing liquid is at a position where the processing liquid has landed in the preliminary discharge area. A liquid ejecting apparatus , wherein the driving of the second head and the transport belt is controlled so that the processing liquid is discharged . The liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preliminary ejection area has liquid repellency with respect to the recording liquid and the processing liquid. 2. The non-ejection range in which the recording liquid and the processing liquid are not ejected is provided between the recording liquid ejection range and the processing liquid ejection range in the preliminary ejection area. Or the liquid discharge apparatus of 2. The non-ejection range has a surface roughness larger than a portion of the preliminary ejection region other than the non-ejection range, and is closer to the first and second ejection surfaces than a portion of the preliminary ejection region other than the non-ejection range. at least one of the projecting direction approaching, according to claim 3, wherein the recording liquid discharged in the preliminary ejection region, characterized in that it comprises a damming portion for blocking the flow in the upstream side Liquid discharge device. The portion of the preliminary discharge area excluding the blocking portion is formed by performing a liquid repellent treatment on the surface,
The liquid ejection device according to claim 4 , wherein the damming portion is a portion where the surface is not subjected to a liquid repellent treatment. The first head is a line-type head in which the first discharge surface is elongated in a main scanning direction orthogonal to the transport direction and the first discharge ports are arranged along the main scanning direction.
The control means includes the first preliminary ejection area corresponding to the first preliminary ejection area within the first predetermined time after the ejection of the recording liquid related to the preliminary ejection is started in the first preliminary ejection area. And when the preliminary ejection period facing the second ejection surface appears at an interval of n (n is an integer of 2 or more) times, the main scanning direction in each of the preliminary ejection periods in the one preliminary ejection region. The recording liquid is discharged in a long range, and the discharge range of the recording liquid in the first to n-th preliminary discharge periods is arranged in parallel from the downstream side in the transport direction to the upstream side. apparatus according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that for controlling the driving of the conveyor belt. The second head is a line-type head in which the second ejection surface is elongated in a main scanning direction orthogonal to the transport direction and the second ejection ports are arranged along the main scanning direction,
The control means includes the first preliminary discharge area corresponding to the first preliminary discharge area within the second predetermined time after the discharge of the processing liquid related to the preliminary discharge is started in one preliminary discharge area. And when the preliminary ejection period facing the second ejection surface appears at an interval of n (n is an integer of 2 or more) times, the main scanning direction in each of the preliminary ejection periods in the one preliminary ejection region. The second liquid and the second head so that the processing liquid is discharged in a long range and the discharge range of the processing liquid in the first to n-th preliminary discharge periods is arranged in parallel from the downstream side in the transport direction to the upstream side. apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that for controlling the driving of the conveyor belt. A plurality of the first heads are arranged in parallel along the transport direction,
In the one preliminary ejection region, the control unit has a recording liquid ejection range in the n preliminary ejection periods for each of the plurality of first heads arranged in parallel from the downstream side in the transport direction, and The driving of the first head and the transport belt is performed so that the discharge range of the recording liquid in the first to n-th preliminary discharge periods of each of the plurality of first heads is arranged in parallel from the downstream side in the transport direction to the upstream side. the liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that to control. The plurality of first heads discharge the recording liquids having different brightness,
In the first preliminary ejection region, the control unit may be configured such that the recording liquid ejection range in the n preliminary ejection periods of the plurality of first heads is closer to the downstream side in the transport direction as the recording liquid has a lower brightness. The liquid ejecting apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein driving of the first head and the transport belt is controlled so as to be positioned. A first head having a first ejection surface with a plurality of first ejection ports for ejecting a recording liquid to the recording medium, and a plurality of first heads for ejecting a transparent processing liquid to the recording medium. A second head having a second ejection surface with two ejection openings open, a support area for supporting the recording medium, and a preliminary ejection area are provided on the surface, and the surface faces the first and second ejection surfaces. A transport belt that transports the recording medium in the transport direction by moving in a transport direction parallel to the first and second discharge surfaces, wherein the support region is upstream of the preliminary discharge region in the transport direction. A liquid ejection device including a conveyor belt disposed,
Preliminary ejection data creating means for creating preliminary ejection data relating to preliminary ejection that is ejection that does not contribute to image formation from the first and second ejection ports; and
Function as control means for controlling the driving of the first head, the second head, and the conveyor belt;
The control means includes
Based on the preliminary discharge data, the recording liquid is discharged from the first discharge port, the recording liquid reaches the preliminary discharge region, and the processing liquid is discharged from the second discharge port. Controlling the driving of the first head, the second head, and the transport belt so that the recording liquid lands on the upstream side in the transport direction from the position where the recording liquid lands in the preliminary ejection region ,
Based on the preliminary ejection data, the recording liquid in the preliminary ejection area has landed until the first predetermined time has elapsed since the recording liquid was ejected from the first ejection port to the preliminary ejection area. The drive of the first head and the transport belt is controlled so that the recording liquid related to the preliminary ejection other than the recording liquid is ejected to a position other than the position, and the first ejection port is controlled based on the preliminary ejection data. After the first predetermined time has elapsed since the recording liquid was ejected to the preliminary ejection area, the preliminary ejection other than the recording liquid is at a position where the recording liquid has landed in the preliminary ejection area. Controlling the drive of the first head and the transport belt so that the recording liquid according to
Based on the preliminary discharge data, the processing liquid in the preliminary discharge area has landed until a second predetermined time has elapsed since the processing liquid was discharged from the second discharge port to the preliminary discharge area. The drive of the second head and the transport belt is controlled so that the processing liquid related to the preliminary discharge other than the processing liquid is discharged to a position other than the position, and the second discharge port is controlled based on the preliminary discharge data. After the second predetermined time has elapsed since the processing liquid was discharged to the preliminary discharge area, the preliminary discharge other than the processing liquid is at a position where the processing liquid has landed in the preliminary discharge area. A program for controlling driving of the second head and the transport belt so that the processing liquid according to the method is discharged .

Images