JPH04163176A - Ink jet device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the accuracy of landing point and produce a controller for that purpose at a low cost by a method wherein the action of a recording head driver is controlled according to signals from a distance detector so that the distance between a recording head and a recording medium becomes a specified one. CONSTITUTION:When there is a vibration of the printing surface caused by the warp of a platen 8 during transfer of a recording medium 9, or a scatter in the ink-jet direction caused by the warp of guide rails 7 during travel of a recording head 3, there occurs an error in the focusing position of a light beam or converging light, i.e., in the position at which the distance between the recording medium 9 and the recording head 3 is kept proper, however, the magnitude and direction of the error in the distance (focus error) is detected and converted into signals by a photo-diode, and the signals which correct the focus error are converted into electric current values and transmitted to a driving source 2 so as to move the recording head 3 in real time.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to an inkjet device, and more specifically, the present invention relates to an inkjet device, and more specifically, to a device that uses an optical sensor or the like to maintain the distance between a recording medium and a recording head with high precision (maintaining a constant value). The present invention relates to a non-impact type inkjet device that can be controlled.

[Prior Art] Among non-impact recording devices, so-called inkjet devices have advantages such as being capable of high-speed recording, being able to record on plain paper without the need for special fixing treatment, and being quiet. It is attracting attention as an extremely powerful recording device.

In such a recording apparatus, it is desirable to provide a means for keeping the distance between the recording object and the recording head constant and a means for detecting the presence or absence of the recording object. The distance between the object to be recorded and the recording head is kept constant by making contact with the holding mechanism by some means, and the latter uses a position detection sensor etc. to detect the presence or absence of the object to be recorded. Those who have done so are known.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention J However, the following problems occur in the mechanism for maintaining a constant distance between the recording medium and the recording head for high-precision recording, which has been provided in conventional inkjet recording devices. There was a point.

In other words, in the case where the carriage is brought into contact with the holding mechanism of the recording medium by some means in order to maintain a constant distance between the recording medium and the recording head, the contact position is limited and Furthermore, the carriage that maintains contact vibrates as it moves, and the vibrations are transmitted to the recording head, making the ejection state unstable and potentially causing image unevenness.

Further, even when the carriage is not brought into contact with the holding mechanism for the recording medium, the following problems occur.

In other words, in the case of a conventional carriage, the positional accuracy when it is stationary and when it is driven depends on the posture accuracy of the carriage itself and the linearity of the rail along which the carriage moves, but when the recording head is being driven, the temperature Rails may warp due to fluctuations, etc. In addition, the platen, which is a holding mechanism for the recording medium, may warp, resulting in slight fluctuations in the distance between the recording medium and the recording head, making it difficult to achieve high accuracy in the point of impact. In addition, there was also the problem that the recording head came too close to the recording medium and came into contact with it, staining the recording medium. Furthermore, excessive pursuit of rail straightness led to increased costs.

Furthermore, the conventional sensor that detects the presence or absence of a recording medium detects a position on the recording medium that is different from the recording position, and is actually located opposite the recording head! It is not possible to detect whether or not there is a recorded object, and for example, if the recorded object is torn, recording may be performed on a part where there is no recorded object. was.

Furthermore, it is wasteful to attach a special sensor to detect the presence or absence of a recording medium.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems by controlling in real time to maintain the distance between the recording medium and the recording head with high precision (constant). An object of the present invention is to provide an inkjet recording device that can improve the accuracy of the landing position and realize a control mechanism at low cost.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a method in which a recording head capable of ejecting ink is mounted on a carriage, and the recording head is moved while the carriage is moved along a recording medium. An inkjet apparatus that performs recording by ejecting ink from a substrate toward the recording medium, comprising: a head support means for supporting the recording head on the carriage so that the recording head can be moved slightly in the ink ejection direction; and a head driving means for causing the fine movement. , distance detection means for optically detecting whether or not the distance between the recording head and the recording object is maintained at a predetermined distance; The apparatus is characterized by comprising a control means for controlling driving of the head driving means so that the distance between the head and the recording medium becomes the predetermined distance.

[Function] According to the present invention, during the recording operation, the distance between the recording head and the recorded object is constantly monitored by the optical distance detection means, and when the distance is deviated from a predetermined distance, the distance between the recording head and the recorded object is monitored by the distance detection means. The control means controls the drive of the head drive means based on the signal, and the recording head supported by the head support means is moved slightly to maintain it at a predetermined distance, thereby increasing the landing accuracy of ink droplets. This ensures high quality recorded images.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail and specifically based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of an inkjet recording apparatus capable of controlling the distance between a recording medium and a recording head, as an embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, 1 is an optical sensor unit equipped with an optical sensor (not shown), 2 is a drive source that moves the recording head 3 in the direction of arrow A, and 4 is the optical sensor unit 1, the recording head 3, and the drive source 2. These are the supports and represent the main parts of the device according to the invention.

These main parts are provided on a stage 5 and mounted on a carriage 6 via a support 4, and the carriage 6 is moved along a guide rail 7 at a predetermined timing by a drive means (not shown). Reference numeral 8 denotes a platen that holds the recording medium 9 at a recording position and can feed the recording medium 9 in sheets by a drive motor (not shown).
The recording head 3 ejects ink toward the recording medium 9 while it is moving and scanning, while being controlled to always maintain a constant distance from the recording medium 9 held by the recording medium 9 by means described later, thereby recording. conduct.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of a control system according to the present invention, that is, a control system that monitors the distance between the recording medium 9 and the recording head 3 on an optical sensor unit and controls the distance to always keep it constant. . Here, 10 is a light source such as a miniature light bulb, LED, or laser, 11 is a polarizing beam splitter, 12 is a collimating lens, 13 is a prism mirror, 14 is a condensing lens, 15 is a cylindrical lens, and 16 is a cylindrical lens as described later. This is a photodiode that receives the light reflected from the light source from the self-recording body 9. The image on the photodiode 16 is analyzed by the control signal detection section 20, and the drive source 2 drives the recording head 3 using a control signal outputted based on the analysis result to move the recording head 3 from the recording medium 9 to a predetermined position. Keep the distance.

Therefore, correction of the distance between the recording medium and the recording head according to this example is performed as follows.

As mentioned above, the surface deflection of the recording surface during conveyance of the recording medium 9 due to the warpage of the platen 8, or the deflection in the ink ejection direction when the recording head 3 moves due to the warpage of the guide rail 7. etc., the focal point position of the light beam or focused light, that is, the position when the distance between the recording medium 9 and the recording head 3 is an appropriate value, will shift. The magnitude and direction of the error) are detected by the photodiode 16 and converted into a signal.
A signal for correcting the shift (focus error) is converted into a current value as described later, and controlled so as to be transmitted to the drive source 2 to move the recording head 3 in real time.

At the same time, the edge of the recording medium 9 is detected using the difference (change) in the amount of light reflected from the platen 8 and the recording medium 9, and the presence or absence of the recording medium 9 is detected. The driving state of the head 3 can be controlled.

Note that the diameter of the light beam or the spot of the focused light obtained from the light source 10 needs to be not too small so that it can react as an optical sensor to the unevenness on the surface of the recording medium 9. In addition, it is necessary that the difference in light amount of the photodiode 16 is kept to a detectable level and not too large, and it is desirable that the difference is about 100 μm to 500 μm.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3A, an optical detection operation when using the astigmatism method will be described as a specific method of detecting the control signal on the optical sensor section.

In FIG. 3A, the reflected light (arrow) from the recording object 9 is configured to focus on two points when the recording object 9 is correctly positioned at the focal point of the focusing lens 14 (solid line). shall be taken as a thing.

In this case, due to the action of the cylindrical lens 15, the two points do not change in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper, but the focus is focused on point X in the direction parallel to the plane of the paper, so that the spot at point P becomes a perfect circle. Then, D1 to D4 are placed at the position of point P.
Assuming that a photodiode 16 formed into four parts is placed,
The spot on the photodiode 16 looks like α in FIG. 3B.

Furthermore, when the recording medium 9 and the recording head 3 approach each other as shown by the broken line, one focal point 2 similarly moves to the 2' point, the X point moves to the X' point, and the spot at the P point moves. The spot is thicker in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper and thinner in the direction parallel to the plane of the paper, and the spot on the photodiode 16 becomes a vertically elongated ellipse like β in FIG. 3B.

Conversely, when the distance between the recording head 3 and the recording head 3 changes so that the recording target 9 moves away from the focusing lens 16, it becomes a horizontally long ellipse as shown by γ in FIG. 3B. Therefore, the focus signal may be calculated based on such changes in the shape of the ellipse.

FIG. 3C shows a control signal detection unit for explaining the process of actually controlling the recording head using a control signal obtained by receiving reflected light from the recording medium 9 by the four-division photodiode 16. FIG.

Here, when the reflected light shown in FIG. 3A is received by the 4-split photodiode 6, the output signals at the opposing positions are sent to two adders A and B, D4, D2 and D3, respectively. Each is input. The outputs from the adders A and B are further input to the adder C and the subtractor, so that it is determined in the subtractor whether the distance between the recording medium 9 and the recording head 3 is appropriate. By comparing this value with a proper value, a focus signal, which is an error signal, is output from the subtractor to the drive source 2, and the focus is corrected, that is, the above-mentioned distance is corrected by driving the drive a2.

Furthermore, by inputting the output of the adder C to the comparator F, it is determined whether or not the recorded object 9 is present relative to the recording head 3, and the output signal is sent to the head driver G. If there is no recording medium 9, no recording is performed by the recording head 3.

4A and 4B show a specific example of a drive mechanism for driving the recording head 3 for the above-described distance correction. In FIG. 4A, a permanent magnet 21 is attached to the side of the recording head 3 and has a polarity formed on one end surface.
2 is a double electromagnetic coil fixed to the carriage 6 as shown, and 4 is a pair of parallel plate springs made of metal.
This is a support body that supports the body so as to be movable in the six directions of arrows. On the other hand, the double electromagnetic coil 22 has two coils 22A and 22B whose winding directions are opposite to each other, as shown in FIG. 4B.
When the output signal from the subtractor 2 becomes too close to the distance between the recording medium 9 and the recording head 3 than the initial setting value, the output signal is sent to the double electromagnetic coil 2 via the changeover switch H.
2 is supplied with a current in a direction that attracts the recording head 3.

Furthermore, when the output signal (■) from the subtractor is zero, it is assumed that the above-mentioned distance is maintained at the initial setting position, and the double electromagnetic coil 22 is not driven. Assuming that the distance between the recording body 9 and the recording head 3 is too large, a current in the opposite direction to that described above is supplied to the double electromagnetic coil 22 via the changeover switch means H to repel the magnet 21. The recording head 3 is moved closer to the recording medium 9. Incidentally, the change in the above-mentioned distance at this time, which was confirmed by experiment, is shown in FIG. 5A. Here, the solid straight line represents the appropriate distance value (ILIll), the broken line represents the change in distance due to carriage movement without the control according to the present invention, and the solid line represents the change in the control result according to the present invention. shows.

As is clear from FIG. 5A, it can be seen that the distance between the recording medium 9 and the recording head 3 was controlled to be corrected with considerable accuracy. In addition, as a result of comparing the image recorded with the control according to the present invention and the image recorded without the control, the former image has much less image unevenness than the latter image ( The present inventors confirmed that , is uniform.

As a second example, in FIG. 3C, if the output signal of the adder C is differentiated and inputted to the comparator F, the output [F] becomes a peak value when the edge of the recording medium 9 is detected. With this, it is also possible to simultaneously detect whether or not the recording medium 9 is present at all times. Furthermore, in FIG. 3C, even if the output signal α of the subtractor is differentiated and inputted to the comparator F (not shown), the output ■ will detect the edge of the recording medium 9. Since the peak value is output when this occurs, it is possible to simultaneously detect whether or not a recording medium is present at all times.

As a third embodiment, the control signal detection means in the optical sensor section 1 can be constructed using a wedge prism method that utilizes the apex angle of the prism 30, as shown in FIG. 6(A).

That is, in this example, the reflected light from the recording medium 9 is obtained from four photodiodes 16 (D, to D4) arranged as shown in the figure. When the distance is an appropriate value and the reflected light from the surface of the recording object is focused at the apex angle of the prism 30, the output relationship becomes 01+D4=Dx+D as shown in (B), and the relationship between the recording object 9 and the recording head becomes 01+D4=Dx+D. If the distance between 3 and 3 is smaller than the appropriate value (
As shown in C), the pressure relationship is +Dn>Ih+Di
, and vice versa if it is large.

In this example as well, a metal parallel plate spring is used as the structure of the support body 4, and by using a head driving means as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the recording medium 9 and the recording head 3 are connected to each other. As a result of experiments, it was confirmed that the change in distance between the recording medium and the recording head 3 caused by the movement of the carriage 6 resulted in highly accurate correction as shown in FIG. 5B. It was done. In addition, the following Figures 5B to 5
Each line in Fig. E will be described later, but since it corresponds to the case of Fig. 5A, the explanation thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 7 shows a fourth embodiment in which the control signal detection means of the optical sensor section 1 is configured to irradiate a light beam or focused light onto the recording medium 9 from an oblique direction. In this embodiment, the reflected light is detected by two photodiodes 16 (D), and as the distance between the recording medium 9 and the recording head 3 changes slightly, the light is Changes in the reflection angle of the beam or focused light from the recording medium 9 are received by the photodiode and D2, and changes in the amount of light received by both are detected depending on the light receiving position.

That is, when the distance between the recording medium 9 and the recording head 3 is an appropriate value and the incident light is focused on the surface of the recording medium, the amount of light is equal between D+ and D2, and the recording medium and When the distance between the recording heads becomes smaller than the appropriate value, the light amount of D2 becomes larger than the light amount of Dl. Also, it is thicker than the appropriate value (and vice versa).

The optical sensor unit 1 in which such a detection means is shown in the first embodiment
The distance between the recording medium 9 and the recording head 3 was corrected by incorporating this into the system, and the change in the distance between the recording medium and the recording head due to the movement of the carriage 6 at that time is shown in Figure 5C. show. In this way, in the example as well, the distance between the recording medium and the recording head could be corrected with sufficient accuracy. Furthermore, the images were more uniform with less image unevenness than before.

FIG. 8 shows, as a fifth embodiment, an example in which the critical angle method is used for the control signal detection means of the optical sensor section l.

That is, in this embodiment, when the distance between the recording medium and the recording head is an appropriate value and the incident light is focused on the recording medium surface, the reflected light from the recording medium surface is parallel as shown by the solid line. This reflected light is reflected by the reflective surface of the prism 13, which is set at a critical angle, and becomes 2
The light is incident on the divided photodiodes 16 (D, and ). In the case of parallel light, the output of the photodiode 16 becomes D1=D2. Additionally, when the distance between the recording medium and the recording head becomes smaller than the appropriate value, the reflected light from the surface of the recording medium becomes diverging light as shown by the broken line, and on the left side of the central ray (dashed line), the angle of incidence on the reflective surface changes. is smaller than the critical angle (therefore, transmitted light Lt is generated. Therefore, in the photodiode 16, the output becomes DI<D2.

Additionally, if the distance between the recording object and the recording head becomes larger than the appropriate value, the output of the photodiode 16 will be reversed to D.
I>Dz.

In this example, the experiment was conducted with the other mechanisms being the same as in Example 1, and the change in the distance between the recorded object and the recording head due to the movement of the carriage 6 was achieved with high precision as shown in FIG. 5D. The following correction results were obtained.

In addition, in this example, image unevenness is sufficiently reduced compared to the conventional method (
, a uniform image was obtained.

FIG. 9 shows a sixth embodiment of the present invention. In this example, the control signal detection means of the optical sensor section 1 is constructed in the same manner as in the second example, and the recording head 3 is driven by a micrometer 41 and a motor 42. The stage 5 is mounted on the carriage 6. It is held movably in the direction of arrow B. In this way, as a result of performing an experiment to correct the distance between the recording medium and the recording head according to this embodiment, the change in the distance between the recording medium and the recording head due to the movement of the carriage was calculated using the fifth E.
As shown in the figure.

In this example as well, the distance between the recording medium and the recording head could be corrected with high precision, and a uniform image with less image unevenness than before was obtained.

Next, with reference to FIG. 10, a procedure for controlling fine movement of the recording head by the control system according to the present invention will be explained.

First, in step S1, from the light source 10 to the recording medium 9,
When light is irradiated toward the recording medium 9 and the reflected light from the recording medium 9 is received by the optical sensor section in step S2, the optical sensor section detects a focus error composed of a plurality of photodiodes 16. As a system, in step S3, each control signal is output to the control signal detection section. Then, in step s4, the presence or absence of the recording object 9 is detected, or the head
It is determined whether the distance between the objects to be recorded is to be corrected, and in the former case, the process branches to step S5, where the calculation result from the adder is input to the comparator, and in step S6, the object to be recorded 9 is aligned with the recording head. It is determined whether or not they are in the opposite position of No. 3. If it is determined that there is an object to be recorded, the process advances to step S7 to permit recording,
If it is determined that there is no recording medium, the process branches to step S8 and recording is prohibited.

Further, in step S4, if it is determined that the distance between the recording head 3 and the recording medium 9 is to be corrected, the process branches to step S9, and here, based on the output from the subtracter, it is determined whether the distance is appropriate or not. to judge. If the information is appropriate, the process directly advances to step Sll to perform recording. In addition, if it is determined that it is not appropriate, the process branches to step SIO and the drive source 2
Then, the recording head 3 is slightly driven and corrected so as to obtain an appropriate value, and then the process proceeds to step Sll.

In the embodiments described above, the control signal detection means, head support mechanism, and head drive source of the optical sensor section 1 are the same as those in the first embodiment, but in addition, the color of the platen 8 is not easily reflected, such as black. By doing so, when the recording apparatus is operated, the edge of the regular recording paper in the head scanning direction can be detected by the optical sensor section 1 as the carriage 6 moves.

Further, the control signal detection means, head support mechanism, and head drive source of the optical sensor section 1 are the same as in the first embodiment, and
Even if the color of the platen 8 is made to be a specular gloss color that is easy to reflect, it is possible to similarly detect the edges of the regular recording paper in the head scanning direction by the optical sensor section 1.

(Others) The present invention brings about excellent effects particularly in a bubble jet type recording head and recording apparatus among inkjet recording types.

This is because such a system can achieve higher recording density and higher definition.

As for typical configurations and principles thereof, it is preferable to use the basic principles disclosed in, for example, US Pat. No. 4,723,129 and US Pat. No. 4,740,796. This method can be applied to both the so-called on-demand type and continuous type, but especially in the case of the on-demand type, it is necessary to arrange the liquid (ink) in accordance with the sheet and liquid path that hold it. The electrothermal converter that is
By applying at least one drive signal that corresponds to the recorded information and provides a rapid temperature rise above nucleate boiling, the electrothermal transducer generates thermal energy to produce film boiling on the thermally active surface of the recording head. This is effective because it can result in the formation of bubbles in the liquid (ink) that correspond to the drive signal in pairs. The growth and contraction of this bubble causes the liquid (ink) to be ejected through the ejection opening to form a small droplet (at least one droplet).If this drive signal is in the form of a pulse, the growth and contraction of the bubble will occur immediately and appropriately. Because you will be exposed to
Particularly responsive liquid (ink) ejection can be achieved,
More preferred. This pulse-shaped drive signal is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,463,359 and 4,345,262.
Those described in the specification are suitable. Furthermore, if the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 concerning the invention regarding the temperature increase rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, even more excellent recording can be performed.

The configuration of the recording head includes, in addition to the combination configuration of ejection ports, liquid paths, and electrothermal converters (straight liquid flow path or right-angled liquid flow path) as disclosed in each of the above-mentioned specifications, thermal effect The present invention also includes configurations using US Pat. No. 4,558,333 and US Pat. No. 4,459,600, which disclose a configuration in which the portion is arranged in a bent region. In addition, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1989-5 discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge part of a plurality of electrothermal converters.
No. 9-123670 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59/1989 which discloses a configuration in which a discharge portion is made to correspond to an opening that absorbs pressure waves of thermal energy.
The effects of the present invention are also effective even if the structure is based on the publication No.-138461. That is, regardless of the form of the recording head, according to the present invention, recording can be performed reliably and efficiently.

Furthermore, the present invention can be effectively applied to a full-line type recording head having a length corresponding to the maximum width of a recording medium that can be recorded by a recording apparatus.

Such a recording head may have either a configuration in which the length is satisfied by a combination of a plurality of recording heads, or a configuration as a single recording head formed integrally.

In addition, even with the serial type shown above, the recording head is fixed to the device body, or by being attached to the device body, electrical connection to the device body and ink supply from the device body are possible. The present invention is also effective when using a replaceable chip type recording head or a cartridge type recording head in which an ink tank is integrally provided in the recording head itself.

Further, it is preferable to add recovery means for the recording head, preliminary auxiliary means, etc., which are provided as a configuration of the recording apparatus, to the present invention, because the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specifically, these include capping means for the recording head, cleaning means, pressure or suction means, preheating means using an electrothermal transducer or another heating element, or a combination thereof; It is also effective to perform a preliminary ejection mode in which ejection is performed separately from printing in order to perform stable printing.

In addition, regarding the type and number of recording heads installed, for example, in addition to one type that corresponds to single-color ink, there is also a plurality of recording heads that correspond to multiple inks with different recording colors and densities. It may be something that can be done. In other words, for example, the recording mode of the recording device is not only a recording mode for only the mainstream color such as black (although the recording head may be configured integrally or by a combination of multiple heads, it can also be used for multiple colors of different colors). The present invention is also extremely effective for devices equipped with at least one of full colors, or mixed colors.

Additionally, in the embodiments of the present invention described above,
Although ink is described as a liquid, it is an ink that solidifies at room temperature or below, but softens or liquefies at room temperature, or in an inkjet method, the ink itself is
Generally, the temperature is adjusted within the range of 0°C or more and 70°C or less so that the viscosity of the ink is within the stable ejection range, so even if the ink is in a liquid state when the recording signal is applied. Bye. In addition, the temperature increase caused by thermal energy can be actively prevented by using the energy to change the state of the ink from a solid state to a liquid state, or ink that solidifies when left standing is used to prevent ink evaporation. In any case, the ink is liquefied by applying thermal energy in accordance with the recording signal, and the liquid ink is ejected, or the ink has already begun to solidify by the time it reaches the recording medium. The present invention is also applicable when using ink that is liquefied only by energy. The ink used in this case is
Publication No. 4-56847 or JP-A-60-71260
As described in the above publication, the porous sheet may be held in a liquid or solid state in the recesses or through-holes of the porous sheet, facing the electrothermal converter. In the present invention, the most effective method for each of the above-mentioned inks is to implement the above-mentioned film boiling method.

In addition, the inkjet recording apparatus of the present invention may take the form of an image output terminal for information processing equipment such as a computer, a copying apparatus combined with a reader, etc., or a facsimile apparatus having a transmitting/receiving function. It may also be something.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the distance between the recording head and the recording medium is constantly monitored by the distance detection means during the recording operation, and when the distance is out of a predetermined distance, the control Since the drive of the head drive means is controlled through the means and the recording head is moved slightly to a predetermined distance, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the landing point and to reduce micro-level image unevenness caused by print deviation. The cost can be improved and the recording quality can be improved.

Further, by providing the distance detection means with a function of detecting the presence or absence of a recording object, it is possible to eliminate recording errors in which recording is performed in a place where there is no recording object.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of an inkjet≠fly device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a control system according to the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 3B is an explanatory diagram showing an example of detection by the control signal detection means of FIG. 3A. Section 3C is a circuit diagram of a recording head control signal detection section according to the present invention. FIG. 4A is an explanatory diagram showing an example of detection by the control signal detection means of FIG. 3A. FIG. 4B is an explanatory diagram of the drive source shown in FIG. 4A, and FIGS.
FIG. 5E is a graph showing experimental results of contouring according to the first, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the optical configuration and principle of the control signal inspection means according to the embodiment, and FIG.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the optical configuration of the control signal detection means according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the optical configuration of the control signal detection means according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a side view showing the configuration of the recording head drive control means according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the recording head fine movement control operation according to the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Optical sensor part, 2... Drive source, 3... Recording head, 4... Support body, 5... Stage, 6... Carriage, 8... Platen, 9... - Recorded object, 10... Light source, 16D, ~D4... Photodiode, 20... Control signal detection section, 21... Permanent magnet, 22... Double electromagnetic coil, 30... prism·

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) A recording head capable of discharging ink is mounted on a carriage, and the carriage is moved along the recording medium while ink is discharged from the recording head toward the recording medium for recording. In an inkjet apparatus that performs distance detection means for optically detecting whether the distance is maintained at a predetermined distance; and a distance detection means for optically detecting whether the distance is maintained at a predetermined distance, and a distance between the recording head and the recording object based on a signal from the distance detection means is determined to be the predetermined distance. An inkjet apparatus comprising: a control means for controlling driving of the head driving means so that the head driving means is driven by the head driving means. 2) The inkjet apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distance detection means has a function of detecting the presence or absence of the recording medium at a position facing the recording head. 3) The inkjet apparatus is an inkjet recording method in which the recording head has an electrothermal converter and performs recording by ejecting ink using thermal energy from the electrothermal converter. Inkjet device. 4) The inkjet device is a bubble jet device in which the recording head has an electrothermal transducer, and ink is ejected from the ejection port to perform recording by the growth of bubbles generated by heating exceeding film boiling by the electrothermal transducer. The inkjet device according to claim 1, which is a recording method.