JPH106533A - Printer and control method for the printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer for printing by scanning a printing medium reciprocating a head from side to side with respect to the medium, jetting ink out of jet openings in the process of reciprocating scanning in which a plurality of heads of different constitution can be replaced and the ink impacting positions at the time of reciprocating scanning are protected from shifting regardless of the kind of constitution of the head to be used. SOLUTION: In the constitution of jetting selectively a printing head for jetting monochrome ink (for example, black BK) of a plurality of jet openings or a printing head for jetting a plurality of colors, a discrimination means (step S1) for discriminating the kind of the printing head to be jetted and setting means (step SB1-SB15 and SC1-SC13) for setting the ink jet timing of the printing head at the time of reciprocating scanning in compliance with the constitution of the head based on the discrimination are provided.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing device having a so-called recording head for forming input information such as characters and images on a suitable printing medium such as paper, cloth, plastic film or the like. The present invention relates to automatic correction of printing deviation between a forward pass and a return pass when so-called reciprocating printing is performed in a printing apparatus, and improves the stability of image formation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in the field of printing (recording) technology, particularly in the field of ink jet recording technology, a cartridge type ink jet unit in which a print head and an ink tank are integrated has been developed due to a demand for miniaturization of the apparatus and maintenance-free. It is being used.
This ink jet unit is detachable from a scanning carriage provided in the printing apparatus, and when the ink in the ink tank ends, the operator can easily replace a new ink jet unit.

In recent years, however, the demand for color image formation has increased in particular, and as a configuration that satisfies the demand for colorization by the above-described ink jet unit, for example, an ink jet unit for each color is provided separately in the scanning direction. That are arranged side by side on a carriage and form a color image by scanning the print medium, or an ink tank containing yellow, magenta, and cyan inks used for color recording and ejecting these inks A color ink jet unit in which heads are arranged side by side in parallel, and an ink jet unit which is black alone are arranged on a carriage, and a color image is formed by scanning this on a print medium. and so on.

Incidentally, in a recording apparatus in which a recording head is mounted on a carriage which reciprocates with respect to a print medium and performs image formation (so-called reciprocal printing) on both the forward path and the backward path, printing is performed during forward path printing and backward path printing. There have been many proposals for correction of print misalignment that may occur with time.

For example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 1-44524 (PFU Co., Ltd.), in a printer that performs bidirectional printing, means for controlling print timing based on a print shift adjustment time instruction signal and a print start dot position instruction signal is provided. Proposed.

In Japanese Patent Publication No. 4-74192 (Seiko Epson Corporation), the printing unit is reciprocated when the power is turned on, and a displacement is calculated by detecting a position signal when passing an index provided on the passage. Based on this, a technique has been proposed in which the delay time of the print timing signal is adjusted to automatically adjust the print position.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-279957 (Alps Electric Co., Ltd.) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-94856 (Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.), a correction value is input and stored in a backup memory. It has been proposed that a mechanical value such as a DIP switch is not required by reading a correction value and adjusting an adjustment time.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-215565 (Hitachi, Ltd.) proposes that correction can be made for each printing speed in a printing mode.

As described above, various proposals have been made for correction of print misalignment in reciprocal printing. However, in the conventional proposals, it is assumed that a single recording head is fixedly mounted on the apparatus main body. Therefore, once the adjustment is made, the print misalignment can be corrected. However, in the case where a method in which a plurality of heads or cartridges can be replaced on the same main body is used, it is necessary to set the correction of the printing position deviation for each head. That is, as for the method of performing the correction each time the head is replaced, no solution is presented in the above-mentioned conventional example.

Furthermore, when a mechanism (so-called paper interval adjusting mechanism) is adopted for enabling a print head to be separated / approached to a print medium and maintaining an optimum gap regardless of the thickness of the print medium. In addition, it has been found from the experimental study of the present inventors that the landing positions of the ink droplets are shifted between the forward printing and the backward printing by the set value of the paper separation, and that the image is deteriorated. There has not been proposed any means for solving the reciprocal printing misregistration in a recording apparatus having a mechanism.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention employs a configuration in which a plurality of print heads can be exchanged on the same printing apparatus and the gap between the print heads and the print medium can be switched. In this case, it is an object of the present invention to minimize printing deviation even when performing reciprocal printing.

For example, it is possible to replace a BK (black) head cartridge with a color head cartridge in which each color of Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan) and BK (black) is integrated. In a configuration that can be attached to and detached from the apparatus main body, the printing operation can be performed with a plurality of types of print heads. preferable. In addition, it is preferable to perform print misregistration every time the setting of the head gap with respect to the print medium (hereinafter also referred to as head gap) is changed. In conventional printing apparatuses, the recording head is often of a stationary type, so when it is necessary to replace the head or when the distance between the heads is changed, a complicated adjustment work is required for the operator etc. each time. And an erroneous operation may be caused.

Therefore, according to the present invention, in a configuration in which a plurality of different heads can be exchanged or a configuration in which a head gap adjusting mechanism is employed, head information and head gap settings are automatically detected and forward printing is performed. It is an object of the present invention to control the ejection timing between the time and the return path printing and correct the printing misalignment so that a high-quality image can always be formed without forcing the operator to perform complicated adjustments. .

[0014]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention makes it possible to use a plurality of types of print heads having discharge ports for discharging ink, and to position the print head relative to a print medium. In a printing apparatus that performs reciprocating scanning and discharges ink from the discharge ports in the process of reciprocating scanning to perform printing, a determining unit that determines the type of the attached print head, and the reciprocating according to the determination. Setting means for setting the ink ejection timing of the print head during scanning.

Further, the present invention can use a plurality of types of print heads having an ejection port for ejecting ink, and reciprocally scans the print head relative to a print medium. In a method of controlling a printing apparatus that performs printing by discharging ink from the discharge ports, a step of determining or setting a type of the print head to be used, and the print head during the reciprocal scanning according to the determination or setting. Setting the ink ejection timing.

In the above-mentioned printing apparatus or control method, it is possible to have a supporting means for selectively removably supporting the different types of print heads.

Further, in the determining means or the step, the type is determined at the time of mounting on the supporting means based on information presenting means provided on the print head for presenting its own type. Can be.

In order to enable transmission and reception of an electric signal to and from the print head, the print head and the support means are provided with an electric contact portion which is interconnected at the time of the mounting, and the discrimination means or the step comprises The type of the print head may be determined based on electrical information obtained via the electrical contact portion at the time of interconnection.

Further, the plurality of types of print heads that can be mounted on the supporting means are configured to discharge a single color ink from a plurality of discharge ports, and to discharge a plurality of color inks. It can be a print head.

Further, the setting means or the step further comprises a plurality of print modes prepared for each of the plurality of types of print heads, wherein the plurality of print heads perform printing by changing the moving speed during the reciprocal scanning. The ejection timing may be set for each print mode.

In addition, the apparatus further comprises switching means for switching a distance between the print medium and the print head, and the setting means or the step further comprises an ink ejection timing of the print head at the time of the reciprocal scanning according to the switching. May be set.

Further, based on the first ejection timing control information set for each of the plurality of types of heads, the second ejection timing control information set based on the condition for setting the distance, and the print mode. And setting the third ejection timing control information. The setting means or the step stores the first ejection timing control information in accordance with the determined type, the print mode, and the switched distance.
Alternatively, a setting in which the third control information is combined can be performed.

According to the present invention, there is provided a printing apparatus which performs reciprocating scanning with respect to a print medium having a discharge port relative to a print medium and discharges ink from the discharge port during the reciprocating scanning to perform printing. A switching unit that switches a distance between a print medium and the print head; a unit that detects the switching; and a setting unit that sets an ink ejection timing of the print head at the time of the reciprocal scanning according to the switching detection result. I can.

Further, the present invention provides a method of controlling a printing apparatus which performs reciprocating scanning of a print head having an ejection port relative to a print medium and ejects ink from the ejection port in the course of the reciprocating scanning to perform printing. A switching step of switching a distance between the print medium and the print head, and a setting step of setting an ink ejection timing of the print head during the reciprocal scanning according to the switching.

In the above, the print head is an energy generating element provided to generate energy used for discharging ink from the discharge port.
The ink may include an electrothermal conversion element that generates heat energy that causes film boiling of the ink.

In the present specification, "recording" and "printing" include not only forming significant information such as characters and figures, but also widely forming (printing) images, patterns and patterns on a medium. I will also say the case.

The "print medium" is not limited to paper used in a general recording apparatus, but also broadly a cloth, a plastic film, a metal plate and the like which can receive ink ejected by a head. However, in the following embodiments, such a print medium may be symbolically called "paper".

[0028]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First Example) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration example of an ink jet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The recording apparatus 1 generally includes a paper feed unit 2, paper feed units 30, 34, 36 and 37, a paper discharge unit 41, carriage units 5 and 50, and cleaning units 6, 60 and 61. I have.

The carriage section 50 is provided with a contact section for making an electrical connection with the head cartridge when the head cartridge is mounted. The electrical contact portion is provided at an end of the flexible cable 56, and the other end of the flexible cable 56 is attached to an electric board in the main body (not shown). Carriage 5
0 is reciprocatingly driven along a guide shaft 81 provided in a direction (for example, a direction orthogonal to) that intersects the recording paper conveyance direction (sub-scanning direction), and discharges ink from the discharge port of the head cartridge 7 in the process. By doing so, printing is performed.

The cleaning unit 6 includes a pump 60 for applying a required suction pressure (negative pressure) to perform cleaning when the head cartridge 7 shown in FIG. 2 is mounted on the main body, and a discharge port of the head cartridge. Or a cap 61 for preventing the liquid passage inside thereof from drying out and preventing dust from adhering from the outside. Also, the surface (face surface) on which the ejection openings of the head are formed
There is provided a blade made of an elastic body that performs a wiping operation for removing dust adhering to the ink and ink droplets adhering after the suction operation. The blade is made of a material that is not reactive with the ink and further minimizes damage to the face of the head, such as non-hydrolyzable urethane rubber and H.
It is preferably formed of NBR or the like.

FIG. 2 shows a BK head cartridge (hereinafter, simply referred to as a BK head) 7 mounted on the recording apparatus of FIG.
3A is a rear view, FIG. 3B is a front view as viewed from the direction of arrow 4B in FIG. Figures (c) and (d) show the arrow 4C and arrow 4 in FIG.
It is the side view seen from D direction.

The BK head cartridge 7 includes a discharge unit 70
And the ink tank 73 are integrally formed and are easily replaceable. The guide 74 receives the guide arm 513 provided on the carriage on the apparatus main body side during the mounting operation, and is used for abutting or positioning on the carriage. Convex part 7
6, a notch 79 having a square hole 77a, a round hole 77b, a concave portion 731 and a contact surface connected to an electrical contact portion on the carriage side. The ejection unit 70 supported by a base plate 72 made of aluminum or the like has a means capable of applying heat to the ink by a heater or the like, and the heat causes film boiling in the ink, thereby causing air bubbles due to the film boiling phenomenon. This is to form an image on a print medium by ejecting ink from ejection ports by a pressure change caused by growth or contraction of the ink.

FIG. 3 shows an outline of the ejection section of the head used in this embodiment. In the figure, reference numeral 700 denotes a substrate, which carries a so-called heater board on which an electric wiring pattern, a discharge heater 701, a sub-heater 702 for head temperature adjustment, and the like are formed. Reference numeral 705 denotes a top plate joined to the heater board, a liquid path provided corresponding to the discharge heater 701, and a common liquid chamber 70 for supplying ink by communicating with one end of the liquid path.
3. Supply path 70 for supplying ink to the common liquid chamber
And a discharge port 70 for opening the other end of the liquid path on the surface facing the print medium. In response to the bubbling on the discharge heater 701, the ink is discharged from the discharge port 70 in the direction of the arrow in FIG.
From 3 the ink is refilled into the fluid path.

The BK head 7 having such a configuration specifically has, for example, 128 discharge ports. The ink discharge amount is about 90 ng / dot (1 ng = 1 × 10 ⁻⁹ g), and the driving frequency is It can be designed to be 10 KHz.
Further, as the ink, ink having a composition that provides good print quality even on so-called plain paper is used. The composition of such an ink can be, for example, BK dye 3 parts glycerin 5 parts ethylene glycol 5 parts urea 5 parts isopropyl alcohol 3 parts PH adjuster trace water remaining part, but is not limited thereto. It goes without saying that a material having an appropriate composition can be used depending on the medium or the like.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the structure of the carriage unit 5 in detail. In the head holder 51 in the figure,
A guide arm 513 for securely mounting or fixing the head cartridge, a position guide 515 for setting a head gap, and a gap setting switching lever 514 for operating the member are provided. . Further, it has a contact surface 503 provided with a group of contacts for making an electrical connection with the head.
Connected through.

FIG. 5 shows a BK head cartridge 7 or a color head cartridge 1 to be described later on the carriage unit 5.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an attachment mode of the head cartridge 01, and an electrical contact can be obtained at the same time by attaching the head cartridge 7 or 101 to the carriage unit 5.

FIG. 6 shows a color head cartridge 101.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an outline of a configuration (hereinafter, also referred to as a color head). The color head 101 includes ink tank mounting sections 110 and 111. FIG.
As shown in (b) and (c), the color head 101
Is surrounded by a housing 103 having a pair of side plates and a back plate connecting the pair of side plates, a front plate 113 forming a storage space for the ink tank between the housing 103, and these plates. Plate 104 that divides the divided space into two regions
The divided spaces are a mounting portion 110 for the color ink tank and a mounting portion 111 for the black ink tank.

At the bottom of the color head 101, the ink in the ink tank is discharged by a discharge section 120B having a discharge port group.
Ink supply pipe 1 to K, 120C, 120M, 120Y
06 (Y, M, C, BK) is provided with an ink outlet tube 107 (only 107Y for yellow and 107C for cyan are shown in the figure). Filters 109 (Y, M, C, and Y) are provided in the opening inside the housing of the outlet pipe 107 disposed on the side of the mounting sections 110 and 111 where the color ink tank and the black ink tank are mounted.
BK), and the length of the mounting portion 1 is appropriately determined so that it can be inserted into the ink supply port of the ink tank.
10 and 111 project inward.

It should be noted that as shown in FIG.
13 has a notch 11 at a position facing the mounting portion 111.
2 are provided. Only the ribs provided in the black ink tank containing the black ink can be inserted here, so as not to cause erroneous insertion between the color ink tanks containing the yellow, magenta, and cyan inks. It is designed. An ink tank containing black ink is mounted on the mounting portion 111 of the color head 101 having such a configuration, and a color ink tank storing yellow, magenta, and cyan inks is mounted on the mounting portion 110, respectively.

FIGS. 7 (a), (b), (c) and (d)
Is a BK ink tank 201 containing black ink.
It is a side view, a front view, a bottom surface, and an upper side sectional view, each of which is partially cut away. In the figure, 201 is an ink tank, 202 is a housing for storing ink,
Reference numeral 203 denotes a lid member having an air communication opening 205. Reference numeral 204 denotes an upper member having a knob 204a used for attaching and detaching the tank. At the bottom of the ink tank, an ink supply opening 2 into which the outlet pipe 107 (for BK in this case) of the color head 101 is inserted.
08 and a rib 215 projecting therearound, and inclined portions 214a and 214b connecting the ink supply opening 208 and the rib 215. Reference numeral 206 denotes a porous ink container formed of a material such as urethane, and reference numeral 207 denotes an ink lead-out member, which is formed of a fiber bundle material capable of holding ink. Reference numeral 209 denotes an ink lead-out member 207.
Is a support member for supporting the inside of the tank.

FIGS. 8 (a), (b), (c) and (d)
FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram for explaining a color ink tank. In this example, the color ink tank 321 containing the yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) inks is configured by integrating the ink tank units separately containing these inks. Specifically, it has the same configuration as the black ink tank described with reference to FIG.

That is, 321 in the figure is an ink tank, 3
Reference numeral 22 denotes a housing for accommodating ink, and 323 denotes a lid member, which has an opening 325 for communicating with the atmosphere. Reference numeral 324 denotes an upper member having a knob 324a used for attaching and detaching the tank. At the bottom of the ink tank, an ink supply opening 328 into which the outlet pipe 107 (in this case, for Y, M, and C) of the color head 101 is inserted, and a rib 335 protruding around the ink supply opening 328, the ink supply It has inclined portions 334a and 334b connecting the opening 328 and the rib 335. 326 is a porous ink container formed of a material such as urethane, and 327 is an ink lead-out member, which is formed of a fiber bundle material capable of holding ink.
Reference numeral 329 denotes a support member for supporting the ink lead-out member 327 in the tank, and a slit for communicating the inside of the ink tank with the outside is provided on a part of the inner surface thereof. In addition, 336 and 337 are partition members for each color part.

The ink composition used was a black ink having excellent printing quality with respect to so-called plain paper, which is generally used, and a character having a high character quality such as text and a clear feeling was used. Further, as the color ink, an ink was used in which even if the inks were adjacent to each other, bleeding hardly occurred in the image portion at the boundary. Examples of the composition of each color ink are as follows, but are not limited to the same as described above.

<Y ink><Mink> Y dye 2 parts M dye 3 parts Thiodiglycol 7 parts Thiodiglycol 7 parts Glycerin 7 parts Glycerin 7 parts Urea 7 parts Urea 7 parts Surfactant 1 part Surfactant 1 Part PH adjuster trace amount PH adjuster trace amount water residue water residue <C ink> C dye 4 parts thiodiglycol 7 parts glycerin 7 parts urea 7 parts surfactant 1 part PH adjuster trace water residuals Has a configuration in which a black ejection port array and three types of color (Y, M, C) ejection port arrays are arranged on a straight line. More specifically, for black, for example, there are 64 ejection port groups, and the ejection amount of ink droplets is about 90 ng / dot. For color ink, for example, each of 24 ejection port groups for yellow, magenta, and cyan. Can be designed so that the ejection amount of the ink droplet is about 40 ng / dot. In addition, a distance equivalent to about eight discharge ports is provided between the discharge port groups of each color. The printing drive frequency is 6KH
z.

FIG. 9 shows that the ink tank 321 is placed on the upper portion 114 of the front plate 113 of the color head cartridge 101.
FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b) are schematic diagrams showing a head cartridge replacement operation in a state where the housing is pivotally mounted with a part of the housing as a guide portion, and the BK head cartridge 7 and the color head cartridge 101 are shown. Can also be exchanged.

In the recording apparatus described above, the black head cartridge 7 and the color head cartridge 101 can be arbitrarily exchanged on the main body of the main body of the recording apparatus. It is configured to be able to detect with.

In the above, the case where two types of head cartridges are replaceable has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. Furthermore, for example, two or more types of heads may be detected even for a black head, so that a head cartridge using a dye-based ink and a head cartridge using a pigment-based ink may be recognized. . If the type of ink is different, the speed and size of ink droplets ejected from the recording head are different, and printing deviation on recording paper occurs. This is effective in preventing this.

It is an object of the present invention to determine the types of a plurality of heads and optimize the control for setting the ejection timing in forward printing and backward printing for each. For this purpose, first, when the BK head cartridge 7 or the color head cartridge 101 is mounted on the recording apparatus, the head itself is connected by an electrical connection between a contact portion on the carriage portion 5 and a PCB (wiring board) of the head. The ID (unique information) possessed is detected, and the type of head is determined in the recording apparatus main body. Thus, information relating to ejection timing control during forward printing and backward printing, which is uniquely set for each type of head, is set based on the determination information.

For example, when the BK head cartridge 7 is detected, the first ejection timing control is selected. The BK head has 128 ejection ports as described above, and is designed to be capable of high-speed printing, capable of ejecting 100,000 shots or more per second, and having a frequency of 10 KHz. The carriage is driven at the printing speed. Therefore, when the BK head cartridge 7 is detected, it is strongly desirable to set the ejection timing so that there is no deviation between forward printing and backward printing even if printing is performed at a carriage speed of 10 KHz with 128 ejection ports.

As a means for correcting the print misalignment, for example, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 12, the inspection pattern is printed on one type of head by changing the conditions of the ejection timing in the forward printing and the backward printing in various ways (“1” to “6” or “1”). To “5”), an ejection timing condition when an equivalent inspection pattern is obtained as compared with an appropriate image pattern without deviation (shown as “OK”) is set as an optimal ejection timing control condition for the head. None, the type of head, the respective optimal ejection timing conditions (or correction conditions), and the print mode described later are tabulated and stored in the non-volatile memory of the recording apparatus main body. Then, the ejection timing control condition (or correction condition) may be read from the table based on the ID presented by the head when the head is mounted, and set.

Inspection patterns are not limited to those shown in FIG. 11 or FIG. 12, and any pattern can be used as long as appropriate ejection timing control conditions can be found from the state of printing misalignment between forward printing and backward printing. Needless to say, it may be.

Further, the means for correcting the printing misalignment is not limited to the means for storing the ejection timing setting information in the non-volatile memory provided in the main body. For example, the head itself may be provided with means for presenting its own optimum control conditions to the apparatus, and the apparatus may read and set the head when the head is mounted.
Alternatively, an optical reading means is provided on the device side,
An inspection pattern is printed under various conditions at an appropriate timing such as when the head is replaced, and the inspection pattern is scanned by an optical reading unit, and the inspection pattern without deviation is detected. It can also be set as an optimal discharge timing control condition.

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing landing when the BK head 7 moves on the recording medium in the main scanning direction in order to explain the occurrence of print misalignment between forward printing and backward printing. It is.

In the figure, A is a vector in the moving direction of the carriage, and B is an ejection speed vector of the ink droplet ejected from the recording head. L is the distance between the recording head and the printing paper as the recording medium. Therefore, the actual flight direction of the ink droplet on the outward path is a combination of the vector A and the vector B, and the ink droplet flying in the direction of the vector C lands on the paper. On the other hand, the ink droplet on the return path actually flies with the same vector in the D direction, which is the combination of the vector in the −A direction opposite to the direction of the vector A and the vector B. That is, since the distance between the landing point FD of the ink droplet on the forward path and the landing point RD of the ink droplet on the return path is generated as a print deviation LD, the ejection timing is controlled so as to eliminate the print deviation. For example, appropriate settings are made based on the storage contents of the above-described nonvolatile memory.

FIG. 14 shows the landing state of ink droplets when printing is performed in a state where the ejection timing is appropriately controlled between forward printing and backward printing. The landing point RD at the time of homeward printing matches.

Next, when printing is performed with the color head 101 mounted, printing is performed at a drive frequency of 6 KHz as described above in this example. At this time, if the ejection control means is set to a driving frequency of 10 KHz as in the case of the BK head cartridge 7, a printing shift occurs between forward printing and backward printing because the carriage speed is different.

FIGS. 15 (a), (b) and (c) show the state of printing deviation when the printing speed is different, and the impact points FD1, FD during forward printing depending on the printing speed.
2 and FD3 and the landing points RD1, RD2, and RD3 at the time of homeward printing are shifted from each other.
Different like D1, LD2 and LD3.

Further, in this embodiment, the BK head cartridge 7
And the color head cartridge 101 are different from each other in the number of ejection ports and the length thereof, and the conditions such as the distance between the head and the recording medium on the recording apparatus main body are different from those of the BK head cartridge. No printing deviation occurs between printing and return printing. Therefore, it is strongly desirable to set appropriate ejection timings for the BK head cartridge and the color head cartridge, respectively. In other words, if the head gap is set to be equal between the case where the BK head cartridge is used and the case where the color head is used, and a suitable ejection timing is set for the BK head cartridge, printing using the color head cartridge will cause The landing point of the ink droplet is FD2 and RD2, or FD
3 and RD3, and it was found that printing deviation occurred.

Therefore, the color head cartridge 10
In the case of No. 1, the shift correction in the reciprocal printing corresponding to this is also performed unique to the head, and the correction amount is written in, for example, a nonvolatile memory installed in the recording body in the same manner as in the case of the BK head cartridge. It is possible to automatically set an appropriate ejection timing according to the head to be used.

When the BK head cartridge 7 is used, for example, 1. First high quality mode (HQ): 10 KHz drive 2. High quality mode (SHQ): 5 KHz drive 3. High quality mode (Fine): 10 KHz drive / multi-pass printing 4. High speed, mode (HS): 13 KHz drive (50% duty thinned-out printing) Economy mode (Eco): 13 KHz drive (3
(1% duty thinning-out printing), and the printing mode can be set by, for example, key operation on the recording device or a command of print data received from the host device or the like. In this case, the carriage speed is different, so that a shift occurs between forward printing and backward printing as described above. Therefore, shift correction in reciprocal printing corresponding to the drive speed in each print mode is performed, for example, the correction amount is written in a non-volatile memory installed in the printing main body, and setting change on the printing apparatus and When a printer driver (for example, Windows (trademark) of Microsoft Corporation) on the host computer makes a selection from the various print modes described above, the operator selects the print mode based on the conditions in the nonvolatile memory. What is necessary is just to automatically select and execute the discharge timing control conditions in the forward pass printing and the backward pass printing corresponding to the set print mode.

In this case, the first high-quality mode and the third
Since the head speeds are the same for the ultra high quality mode, the discharge timing control conditions for the forward pass and the return pass may be the same. Similarly, the same control conditions may be applied to the fourth high-speed mode and the fifth economy mode.

Next, when the color head 101 is used, 1. High quality mode (HQ): 6 KHz drive / 1-pass printing 2. High quality mode (Fine): 6 KHz drive / multi-pass printing High-speed mode (HS): The same may be applied to the case where 9 kHz drive (50% duty thinned-out printing) can be selected.

FIG. 16 shows a configuration in which the BK head cartridge and the color head cartridge can be selectively used as described above, and a plurality of print modes can be selected in each case. An example of a procedure for appropriately selecting and setting the ejection timing control at the time of homeward printing will be described.

This procedure is started in response to the input of a print signal. First, after identifying the type of the mounted head (step S1), the print mode is detected to detect the forward mode and the return path which are adjusted in advance. Set the ejection timing setting conditions appropriately. That is, when the mounting of the BK head cartridge is detected, it is determined whether or not to perform one-way printing (printing only in the forward path or the backward path) (step S).
3) If the determination is affirmative, the discharge timing control condition corresponding to the determination is set (step S5). On the other hand, if the determination is negative, various print modes are determined (steps SB1 to SB).
4), control conditions BK1 to BK1 corresponding to the determined print mode
BK5 is set (steps SB11 to SB15).

Similarly, when the mounting of the color head cartridge 101 is detected, it is determined whether or not the one-way printing is to be performed (step S7). If the determination is affirmative, the discharge timing control condition corresponding thereto is set. (Step S
9) On the other hand, if the determination is negative, various print modes are determined (steps SC1 and SC2), and then control conditions C1 to C3 according to the determined print modes are set (step SC).
11 to SC13).

As described above, by starting the printing operation after setting appropriate control conditions according to the type of the head cartridge and the printing mode, it is possible to always obtain a stable and high-quality image.

This embodiment is a recording apparatus capable of reciprocal printing, in which a head or a head cartridge can be detachably attached to a predetermined position on a carriage serving as a support means at an exchange position set along the main scanning direction. In the recording apparatus, a plurality of types of heads or head cartridges can be exchanged, and when the head is mounted on the carriage, the electrical contact surfaces mentioned above come into contact with each other, so that the head presents its own type. The ID (individual recognition number information) of the head is detected, and the discharge timing control at the time of forward printing and at the time of backward printing according to the head type identified by the ID is set. The means for presenting the ID may be a DIP switch or an IC attached to the head cartridge.
An element or a magnetic tape, the contents of which can be read electrically or magnetically in the main body of the apparatus, or can be mechanically, optically, Alternatively, it is possible to read the information electrically. However, as shown in the above example, the configuration that enables the presentation or determination of the ID information based on the electrical contact according to the interconnection between the contact surfaces is performed by using the head and the support means. This is preferable in terms of simplification of the configuration on the side and reduction in dimensions.

In the present embodiment, an apparatus has been described which enables compatibility between a black (single color) head and a color head in which the arrangement range of the ejection port groups is different as the type of print head. What is the type of head?
In addition to the difference between the colors and the configuration, when the same ejection timing is set, it is assumed that the above-described printing shift occurs. For example, even if the color or the configuration is the same, the present invention can be effectively applied to a case where the ejection conditions are different due to the different ink composition and the like and the type of the head that causes the printing displacement as described above is caused. is there.

Further, not only when the heads can be selectively mounted, but also when the heads are mounted at the same time, it is determined which head is to be used for printing, and according to the determination. It is preferable that an appropriate ejection timing can be set, and the present invention can cope with such a case.

Since the apparatus in the above example has a mechanism for switching the distance between the recording head and the printing paper as the recording medium, the recording apparatus main body shifts the head position in synchronization with the switching position. It is possible to detect and automatically set the discharge timing control for forward printing and backward printing. For this purpose, for example, a switch or the like that responds to the operation of the above-described switching lever 514 may be provided, and an optimal discharge condition may be set according to the operation in the same procedure as in FIG. According to this, the information uniquely set for each recording head, the head gap detection information, and the print mode information are recognized, and the optimal ejection timing is automatically set. Can always obtain high-quality images without any adjustment. This aspect will be described in detail in a second example.

FIG. 17 is a block diagram schematically showing a control system of the printing apparatus for controlling the ejection timing according to the procedure of FIG. 16 or the head gap. In the figure, reference numeral 1105 denotes a main controller which controls the operation of the entire printing apparatus, receives print data sent from the host computer 1102, develops it into a print image, prints it on a print medium such as paper, and the like. Control. This main controller 1105
The ROM 1107 includes a CPU in the form of a microprocessor, and stores a control program of the CPU (a program corresponding to the processing procedure described above with reference to FIG. 16), various ejection conditions, and other necessary fixed data. It is used as an area and is connected to a RAM 1108 and the like for temporarily storing various data.

Reference numeral 1113 denotes a line feed motor for transporting recording paper or the like as a print medium, and reference numeral 1111 denotes a carriage motor for scanning the carriage 50 on which the head is mounted. Motor drivers 1110 and 1112 receive control signals from the main controller 1105 and rotate the corresponding motors at appropriate times. Reference numeral 1106 denotes a head driver, which is a RAM 1
The print head 1109 is driven according to the print data stored in the storage unit 108 to perform a printing operation.

Reference numerals 1120 and 1122 denote ID information presenting means provided on the head cartridge and ID information reading means provided on the carriage 50, respectively. These may be integrated with the contact portions 78 and 503, respectively. Reference numeral 1130 denotes a gap information presenting unit that responds to a gap adjusting mechanism provided on the carriage. These ID information and gap information are transmitted to the main controller 1105, and the above-described control is performed.

(Second Example) In the first example described above, when a plurality of heads or head cartridges are mounted on the main body of the recording apparatus, the print misalignment correction control in forward printing and backward printing is adjusted according to the type of head and the like. In the second example, the printing displacement correction that occurs when the distance between the recording head and the printing paper as the recording medium is switched will be described in detail in the second example.

When the BK head cartridge 7 is mounted, as described above, ink of good print quality is used when using so-called plain paper, so that ink permeability is low on a recording medium. Things. This is not a problem when printing a text having a low print duty, but when performing high-duty printing such as printing a graph, for example, the so-called cockling in which the printing paper as a recording medium is stretched by ink moisture. Occurs.

When cockling occurs, the printing paper rises, and the discharge surface of the recording head during the printing operation rubs against the printing paper, causing the paper to become dirty, thereby causing a problem that the image quality is remarkably deteriorated.

Therefore, when using the apparatus of this embodiment, the operator can change the recording head position so that the recording head is not rubbed by the printing paper, and use the recording head away from the recording surface of the recording medium. .

The operator can also use the apparatus of the present example for a recording medium to be printed having a thickness such as a postcard or a plurality of sheets such as an envelope. When used, the recording head can be used away from the recording surface of the recording medium so that the recording head is not rubbed by the recording medium.

FIG. 18 is a view for explaining an aspect in which the landing positions of the ejected ink droplets differ when the distance between the recording head and the printing paper as the recording medium is changed.

The inter-paper distance at the first position is L11, and the landing point deviation amount in reciprocating printing is LD11. When the distance L12 at the second position is the distance L12, the deviation amount is LD12, and when the distance L13 between the sheets at the third position is L13, the landing point deviation amount is LD13.

As is apparent from this figure, if the head gap is changed, the print misalignment easily occurs. Even if an appropriate ejection timing is set for one head position, the print misalignment may occur at another position. If the ejection drive is performed at the same timing, the print quality naturally decreases.

In this embodiment, the displacement in reciprocal printing is eliminated by controlling the ejection timing particularly in conjunction with the setting of the head position.

FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view for explaining the configuration of the carriage section 5 in detail. A gap setting lever (hereinafter also referred to as a sheet interval lever) 514 in the drawing is rotatable, and the distance between the recording head and the recording medium is changed at each of the rotational positions. Position guide 515
Is a guide member for fixing the rotating position of the sheet interval lever 514. On the upper surface of the head holder 51, electrodes 516a, 516b, and 516c for automatically detecting the rotational position, that is, the head position, in conjunction with the sheet lever 514 are wired. Each electrode is provided with resistors R1, R2 and R3 exhibiting different resistance values,
In response to the rotation position of the sheet interval lever 514, the corresponding electrode wiring is conducted, whereby each of them can be identified. Each of the electrodes 516a to 516c is connected via a flexible substrate 56 to a controller of the recording apparatus main body.

FIGS. 20 (a) and 20 (b) are diagrams for explaining in detail the sheet interval lever 514 and its rotation position detecting electrode wiring 516. FIG.

First, FIG. 9A is a plan view of three electrodes 516 formed above the head holder 51. FIG. Specifically, in this example, there are three levels of the sheet interval,
Reference numeral 6a denotes an electrode for detecting the first position, 516b denotes an electrode for detecting the second position, and 516c denotes an electrode for detecting the third position. Different resistors R1, R2, and R3 are provided in each of the electrodes. The electrode 516 is normally in an open state, and is configured to conduct when the sheet lever 514 is engaged.

FIG. 13B is a schematic view which makes it easy to explain the head holder 51 when viewed from the front. A conductive member 520 such as a metal is installed on the sheet-to-sheet lever 514, and in the figure, the electrode 516b and the conductive member 520 are in contact with each other to be in a conductive state, whereby the resistance value R2 of the resistor of the electrode 516b is changed. Alternatively, the state where the lever position, that is, the head gap amount can be detected by detecting the current value is shown. Note that a minute current is periodically supplied to each electrode from the controller side so that the conduction state can be detected.

In this example, the print head specific information as well as the ejection timing control condition based on the print test pattern for performing the deviation correction between the forward pass printing and the backward pass printing as described in FIG. The ejection timing control conditions to be adjusted in accordance with the gap switching position and the print mode are stored in, for example, a non-volatile memory, so that the operator can instruct the printing operation in any state to perform the forward printing. Thus, a stable high-quality image can be always obtained without any deviation between the time and the backward printing.

FIG. 21 shows an example of a procedure for appropriately selecting and setting the ejection timing control between the forward printing and the backward printing, including the ejection timing adjustment corresponding to the head gap amount.

This procedure is also started in response to the input of the print signal. First, the type of the mounted head is identified (step S21), and the forward path adjusted in advance by detecting the head gap (inter-paper position). Appropriately set the ejection timing setting conditions for printing and return printing. That is, B
If the mounting of the K head cartridge is detected, it is determined whether or not the set sheet gap position is "1" (step S2B1). If the determination is affirmative, the selected print mode is further taken into consideration. To set a discharge timing control condition (step S2B11). On the other hand, if the determination is negative, it is determined whether or not the set sheet gap position is “2” (step S2B2), and the sheet gap position (“2” or “3”) set after the judgment is made. And sets the ejection timing control conditions corresponding to the selected print mode (steps S2B12 and S2B1).
3).

Similarly, when the mounting of the color head cartridge 101 is detected, the set sheet interval position is determined (steps S2C1, S2C2).
An ejection timing control condition corresponding to the set sheet interval position ("1", "2" or "3") and corresponding to the selected print mode is set (step S2).
C1 to S2B13).

As described above, a stable and high-quality image can be always obtained by starting a printing operation after setting appropriate control conditions corresponding to not only the type of the head cartridge and the printing mode but also the head gap. Will be able to

(Third Example) In the second example described above, the setting of the sheet interval position prepared for each head type and the discharge timing control for the print mode are set in advance, and when each condition is detected, For example, an appropriate one is determined by referring to a reciprocating printing misalignment correction table stored in a nonvolatile memory.

In the third example, three setting conditions of a head type, a sheet interval position, and a printing mode are separately stored in, for example, a non-volatile memory, and an optimum value based on the recording conditions is determined by a CPU in the recording apparatus main body. An embodiment in which the determination can be made by the main controller including the (processing element) will be described.

Since the recording head has an ID (individual recognition number information), the first ejection timing control condition corresponding to the head type is set in a non-volatile manner in order to correct the printing deviation in the reciprocating printing based on the ID. It is stored in the memory. In addition, in order to perform reciprocal printing misalignment correction with respect to the paper head position setting (for example, three stages) of the recording head, a second ejection timing control condition corresponding to the paper head position setting is stored in the nonvolatile memory. Keep it. further,
In order to correct a printing shift by setting a printing mode corresponding to the moving speed of the recording head, a third ejection timing control condition corresponding to the printing mode is stored in a nonvolatile memory.

Here, each discharge timing condition setting may be adjusted by using a print pattern for deviation correction between forward printing and backward printing as described with reference to FIG. 11 and FIG. The discharge timing may be obtained by performing a theoretical calculation based on a designed numerical value, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram relating to the ejection timing control in this example. The information of the recording head ID is obtained when the contact surface 78 of the head shown in FIG. 2 and the contact surface 503 of the head holder shown in FIG. 20 come into contact with each other. 19 and FIG.
As shown in FIG. 0, it is possible to determine where the paper position lever is set. The print mode is determined from information such as a key operation on the recording apparatus in FIG. 1, a print command, and a printer driver (for example, a print mode setting on an OS such as Windows (trademark)).

Assuming that the ejection timing control condition set for each condition is stored in the non-volatile memory 801, the CPU 802 determines the condition based on the setting condition when the operator instructs printing. By recognizing the current state to be recorded from each set condition, it is possible to determine the print misregistration correction amount in forward printing and return printing. The head is driven through the controller 803 based on the determined information.

As described above, by performing the ejection timing control in accordance with each condition, even in various situations, the printing deviation at the time of reciprocating printing can always be minimized, and a high-quality image can be obtained. Become like

(Others) The present invention can be applied to various types of ink jet systems using mechanical energy or heat energy as energy used for ink ejection. Among them, heat energy is generated. Means (for example, an electrothermal converter, a laser beam, etc.) are provided, and an excellent effect is obtained in a print head or a printer of a type in which the state of ink is changed by the thermal energy. This is because according to such a method, it is possible to achieve higher density and higher definition of recording.

The typical configuration and principle are described in, for example, US Pat. Nos. 4,723,129 and 4,740.
It is preferable to use the basic principle disclosed in the specification of Japanese Patent No. 796. This method is a so-called on-demand type,
Although it can be applied to any type of continuous type, in particular, in the case of the on-demand type, it can be applied to a sheet holding liquid (ink) or an electrothermal converter arranged corresponding to the liquid path. Applying at least one drive signal corresponding to the recorded information and providing a rapid temperature rise exceeding the nucleate boiling, causing the electrothermal transducer to generate thermal energy, causing film boiling on the heat acting surface of the printhead. This is effective because bubbles can be formed in the liquid (ink) corresponding to this drive signal on a one-to-one basis. Due to the growth and contraction of this bubble, the liquid (ink)
To form at least one droplet. When this drive signal is formed into a pulse shape, the growth and shrinkage of the bubble are performed immediately and appropriately, so that the liquid (ink) having particularly excellent responsiveness can be obtained.
Discharge can be achieved, which is more preferable. As the pulse-shaped drive signal, US Pat. No. 4,463,359,
The one described in the specification of US Pat. No. 4,345,262 is suitable. Further, if the conditions described in US Pat. No. 4,313,124 relating to the temperature rise rate of the heat acting surface are adopted, more excellent recording can be performed.

As the configuration of the print head, in addition to the combination configuration (straight liquid flow path or right-angled liquid flow path) of the discharge port, liquid path, and electrothermal converter as disclosed in the above-mentioned respective specifications, A configuration using U.S. Pat. No. 4,558,333 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,600, which discloses a configuration in which a heat acting portion is arranged in a bending region, is also included in the present invention. In addition, for multiple electrothermal transducers,
JP-A-59-123670 which discloses a configuration in which a common slit is used as a discharge portion of an electrothermal transducer and JP-A-59-123670 which discloses a configuration in which an opening for absorbing a pressure wave of heat energy corresponds to a discharge portion. The effect of the present invention is effective even in a configuration based on JP-A-138461. That is, according to the present invention, recording can be performed reliably and efficiently regardless of the form of the print head.

It is preferable to add a discharge recovery means for the print head, a preliminary auxiliary means, and the like as the structure of the printer of the present invention since the effects of the present invention can be further stabilized. Specifically, heating is performed on the print head using capping means, cleaning means, pressurizing or suction means, an electrothermal converter, another heating element, or a combination thereof. Pre-heating means for performing the pre-heating and pre-discharging means for performing the discharging other than the recording can be used.

The type and number of print heads to be mounted are also, for example, one for one color ink.
In addition to those provided with only a plurality of inks, a plurality of inks may be provided corresponding to a plurality of inks having different recording colors and densities. That is, for example, the printing mode of the printer is not limited to a printing mode of only a mainstream color such as black, but may be any of a print head integrally formed or a combination of a plurality of print heads. The present invention is also very effective for an apparatus provided with at least one of the full-color recording modes by color mixture.

In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention described above, the ink is described as a liquid. However, an ink which solidifies at room temperature or lower and which softens or liquefies at room temperature may be used. In general, the ink jet system generally controls the temperature of the ink itself within a range of 30 ° C. or more and 70 ° C. or less to control the temperature so that the viscosity of the ink is in a stable ejection range. Sometimes, the ink may be in a liquid state. In addition, in order to positively prevent temperature rise due to thermal energy by using it as energy for changing the state of the ink from a solid state to a liquid state, or to prevent evaporation of the ink, the ink is solidified in a standing state and heated. May be used. In any case, the application of heat energy causes the ink to be liquefied by the application of the heat energy according to the recording signal and the liquid ink to be ejected, or to start solidifying when it reaches the recording medium. The present invention is also applicable to a case where an ink having a property of liquefying for the first time is used. In such a case, the ink
JP-A-54-56847 or JP-A-60-7
As described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 1260, it is also possible to adopt a form in which the sheet is opposed to the electrothermal converter in a state where it is held as a liquid or solid substance in the concave portion or through hole of the porous sheet. In the present invention, the most effective one for each of the above-mentioned inks is to execute the above-mentioned film boiling method.

In addition, the form of the ink jet printer to which the present invention can be applied includes, in addition to those used as image output terminals of information processing equipment such as computers,
A copying machine combined with a reader or the like, or a facsimile machine having a transmission / reception function may be used.

[0107]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Automatically detects head information and head gap settings and controls ejection timing during forward printing and backward printing in a configuration that enables the exchange of multiple different heads or a configuration that uses a head gap adjustment mechanism. However, by correcting the print misalignment, a high-quality image can always be formed without forcing the operator to perform complicated adjustments.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a schematic configuration example of an inkjet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining the appearance of a BK head cartridge mounted on the apparatus of FIG. 1, wherein FIG.
(B) is a front view as seen from the direction of arrow 4B in FIG.
(C) and (d) are the arrows 4C in FIG.
And a side view seen from the direction of arrow 4D.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an outline of a discharge unit of a head used in the example of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view for explaining in detail a configuration of a carriage unit used in the example of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a manner in which a BK head cartridge or a color head cartridge is attached to a carriage unit.

FIGS. 6A to 6E are diagrams for explaining the outline of the configuration of the color head cartridge used in the example of FIG. 1;

7 (a), (b), (c) and (d) are schematic views of a BK ink tank containing a black ink, and are respectively a side view, a front view, and a bottom view partially cut away. It is a part and upper side sectional drawing.

FIGS. 8A to 8D are schematic configuration diagrams illustrating a color ink tank.

9 is an explanatory diagram showing a state when the ink tank of FIG. 8 is mounted on a color head cartridge.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing a head cartridge replacement operation.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of an inspection pattern for correcting a print misalignment.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the inspection pattern for correcting the print misalignment.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a manner of occurrence of print misalignment between forward printing and backward printing.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing landing states of ink droplets when printing is performed in a state where ejection timing is appropriately controlled at the time of forward pass printing and at the time of backward pass printing.

FIGS. 15 (a), (b) and (c) are explanatory diagrams showing states of printing misregistration when printing speeds are different.

FIG. 16 relates to a first example of the present invention, in which a BK head cartridge and a color head cartridge can be selectively used, and a plurality of print modes can be selected in each case; 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a procedure for appropriately selecting and setting ejection timing control between time and return printing.

FIG. 17 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a control system of a printing apparatus for performing ejection timing control.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an aspect in which the landing positions of the ink droplets ejected when the distance between the print head and the print medium paper are changed are different.

FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view for explaining in detail a configuration of a carriage unit according to a second example of the present invention.

FIGS. 20 (a) and (b) are a schematic plan view and a front view, respectively, for explaining in detail a sheet distance lever and its rotation position detection electrode wiring according to a second example of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is an example of a procedure for appropriately selecting and setting ejection timing control between forward printing and backward printing, including ejection timing adjustment corresponding to the head gap amount, according to the second example of the present invention. It is a flowchart shown.

FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram for explaining ejection timing control in a third example of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 printing device 2 paper feed unit 5 carriage unit 7 black head cartridge 30 to 37 transport unit 41 paper discharge unit 50 carriage 51 head holder 70 nozzle unit 72 base plate 73 ink tank 74 guide 78 head contact surface 101 color head 110 BK tank mounting Part 111 Color tank mounting part 120 Head part 201 Black ink tank 321 Color ink tank 322 Ink whistle 336, 337 Partition member 503 Carriage contact surface 513 Guide arm 514 Paper gap position setting lever 515 Position guide 516 Paper gap position Detection electrode 520 conductive member 701 discharge heater 710 discharged ink droplet 801 nonvolatile memory in recording apparatus 802 CPU 803 controller 1005 Main controller 1108 RAM 1113 Carriage motor A Moving speed vector of recording head A1, A2, A3 Moving speed vector of recording head B Speed vector of ink droplet B1, B2, B3 Speed vector of ink droplet C Vectors A and B for forward printing Combined vector C1, C2, C3 Forward printing vector A1, A2, A
3 and vector B1, B2, and B3. D: Combined vector of return path printing (-A) and B. D1, D2, D3. Backward printing vector -A1, -A.
2, -A3 and composite vector of vectors B1, B2, B3 FD Impact point on printing paper in forward printing RD Impact point on printing paper in backward printing FD1, FD2, FD3 Printing paper in forward printing Landing point RD1, RD2, RD3 Landing point on printing paper in return printing L, L11 to L13 Distance between head and printing paper LD, LD1 to LD3, LD11 to LD13 Deviation in forward printing and return printing amount

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Hidehiko Kanda 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Canon Inc.

Claims (20)

[Claims] A plurality of types of print heads having discharge ports for discharging ink can be used, and the print head is relatively reciprocally scanned with respect to a print medium. In a printing apparatus that performs printing by discharging ink, a determination unit configured to determine a type of the print head to be used, and a setting unit configured to set an ink discharge timing of the print head during the reciprocal scanning according to the determination. A printing device comprising: 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a support unit for selectively removably supporting the different types of print heads. 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit determines the type of the print head when it is mounted on the support unit, based on information presenting unit provided on the print head for presenting its own type. Item 3. The printing device according to Item 2. 4. The print head and the support means are provided with an electrical contact part which is interconnected at the time of the mounting so as to enable transmission and reception of an electric signal to and from the print head, and the discrimination means is provided with the interconnection means. 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the type of the print head is determined based on electrical information obtained via the electrical contact unit at times. 5. A plurality of types of print heads that can be mounted on the support means, are configured to discharge a single color ink from a plurality of discharge ports, and are configured to discharge a plurality of color inks. 5. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the printing apparatus is a print head. 6. The plurality of print modes provided for each of the plurality of types of print heads, wherein the plurality of print modes perform printing by changing the moving speed during the reciprocal scanning. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the ejection timing is set for each time. 7. A switching means for switching a distance between the print medium and the print head, wherein the setting means further sets an ink ejection timing of the print head during the reciprocal scanning according to the switching. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit includes: first ejection timing control information set for each of the plurality of types of heads; second ejection timing control information set based on a setting condition of the distance; Storage means for respectively storing third ejection timing control information set based on the print mode, wherein the first ejection timing control information is set according to the determined type, the print mode, and the switched distance.
The printing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the setting is performed by combining the third control information. 9. A printing apparatus which performs reciprocating scanning with respect to a print medium having a discharge port relative to a print medium and discharges ink from the discharge port in the course of the reciprocal scanning to perform printing. A printing apparatus, comprising: switching means for switching a distance to a print head; and setting means for setting an ink ejection timing of the print head during the reciprocal scanning according to the switching. 10. The print head, as an energy generating element provided to generate energy used for discharging ink from the discharge port, an electric heat generating thermal energy for causing film boiling of the ink. 10. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a conversion element. 11. A print head having a plurality of types of discharge heads for discharging ink can be used, and the print head is reciprocally scanned relative to a print medium. In a method of controlling a printing apparatus that performs printing by discharging ink, a step of determining or setting a type of the print head to be used, and a timing of discharging the ink of the print head during the reciprocal scanning according to the determination or setting. Setting method for controlling the printing apparatus. 12. The control method according to claim 11, wherein the printing apparatus has a support unit for selectively removably supporting the different types of the print heads. 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determining includes determining the type of the print head when the print head is mounted on the support unit, based on information presenting means provided on the print head for presenting its own type. Item 13. A control method for a printing apparatus according to Item 12. 14. The print head and the support means are provided with an electrical contact portion which is interconnected at the time of mounting so that an electric signal can be transmitted / received to / from the print head. 14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the type of the print head is determined based on electrical information obtained through the electrical contact unit. 15. A plurality of types of print heads mountable on the support means, wherein the print head is configured to discharge a single color ink from a plurality of discharge ports, and configured to discharge a plurality of color inks. 15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the method is a print head. 16. The setting step further includes a plurality of print modes prepared for each of the plurality of types of print heads, the plurality of print modes performing printing by changing a moving speed during the reciprocal scanning. Every,
16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the ejection timing is set. 17. The printing apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising a switching unit configured to switch a distance between the print medium and the print head, wherein the setting step further sets an ejection timing of the ink of the print head during the reciprocal scanning according to the switching. 11. The method according to claim 11, wherein:
7. The method for controlling a printing apparatus according to any one of 6. 18. A print mode based on first ejection timing control information set for each of the plurality of types of heads, second ejection timing control information set based on the distance setting condition, and the print mode. And the third ejection timing control information set in advance. In the setting step, the first to third information are set in accordance with the determined type, the print mode, and the switched distance.
18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the setting is performed by combining the control information. 19. A control method for a printing apparatus, wherein a print head having an ejection port is reciprocally scanned with respect to a print medium and ink is ejected from the ejection port in the course of the reciprocal scanning to perform printing. A switching step of switching a distance between a medium and the print head; a unit for detecting the switching; and a setting step of setting an ink ejection timing of the print head at the time of the reciprocal scanning according to the switching detection result. A method for controlling a printing apparatus, comprising: 20. The print head, as an energy generating element provided to generate energy used for discharging ink from the discharge port, an electric heat generating thermal energy for causing film boiling of the ink. 20. The method according to claim 11, further comprising a conversion element.