JPS58179652A - Recording system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a recording system capable of improving picture quality by a method wherein a recording head to be moved outwardly and another to be moved inwardly are symmetrically arranged so as to be driven selectively and the coloring orders are made uniform in both the ways. CONSTITUTION:Outwardly recording heads 7M, 7C, 7BK and inwardly recording heads 8M, 8C, 8BK are arranged point-symmetrically in terms of ink colors, centering a reciprocal head 7Y for yellow color. When a carriage 6 is outwardly moved in the direction R, while driving the reciprocal head 7Y and outwardly recording heads 7M, 7C, 7BK only so as to switch the outwardly recording heads to inwardly recording heads to be driven synchronously with the scanning direction of the carriage 6. When th carriage 6 is moving in the direction L, the reciprocally moving head 7Y and inwardly moved heads 8M, 8C, 8BK only are driven, so that a color image is recorded on recording paper 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a multicolor image recording method, and in particular to a reciprocating scanning method in which a carriage on which a plurality of recording heads of different recording colors are mounted is moved back and forth, and images are recorded even during the backward movement. Concerning the improvement of recording methods.

The above-mentioned reciprocating scanning printing method can be considered as an effective means for improving the printing speed of printing apparatuses such as inkjet printers and thermal transfer printers.

This recording method not only improves the recording speed, but also has the advantage that the carriage speed is the same both in the forward and backward directions, which prevents jerking when the carriage returns, and that the speed control of the carriage drive motor is simplified. It is believed that there is. However, if the above-mentioned printing method is applied to a conventional device that prints in parallel with printheads with different print colors in the main scanning direction, that is, the direction in which the carriage reciprocates, the ink will increase as the scanning direction is reversed. Recording is performed in which the order of overlapping is reversed. For example, Fig.
), when recording in the order of yellow, magenta, cyan, and black (hereinafter referred to as Y, M, C, and BK, respectively) during forward movement, the lth
As shown in figure (b), BK, C, M, Y in the opposite direction from the forward movement.
There is a problem in that recording is performed in this order, and as a result, the recorded color, which should originally be the same, becomes a different color tone during the forward movement and the backward movement. That is, as shown in Figure 1 (,), Y and M are printed on the recording paper l during forward movement.

If the ink is layered in the order of C, the first figure (b
), since the inks overlap in the order of C, M, and Y, C is emphasized in the forward pass and Y is emphasized in the return pass, and a tone difference appears in the sub-scanning direction (paper feeding direction). It becomes very difficult to see.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, and improve the performance of both by arranging the forward recording head and the backward recording head symmetrically and selectively driving them so that the layer color order is the same in both directions. The objective is to provide a recording method that allows for

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration of a multi-nozzle inkjet color printer according to the present invention, where / is recording paper,
C is a paper feed roller that sends the recording paper l in the direction of arrow Y (sub-scanning direction), 3 is a paper feed pulse motor that drives the paper feed roller 1, and D and J are guide rollers that form a recording plane.

6 is the 7 multi-nozzle inkjet heads mentioned later? This is a carriage on which Y-ARK is placed, and the Nox motor IO moves the carriage via a timing belt.
, and reciprocates along the guide rail // in the directions of arrows R and L (main scanning direction). 7.2 and /3 are the leftmost and rightmost carriage position sensors p
When the carriage 6 reaches the left or right end home position, a predetermined detection signal is generated.

/! ic and 15BK are Y, M, C1 and B respectively
Is it a K color ink tank) and a head via Kubu/Hiroshi? Connects to Y-JBK. /6 is valley head 7Y~JB
This is a flexible printed wiring board that supplies drive pulses to each nozzle in K.

7Y, ? M, 'Ic and 78 are multi-nozzle inkjet heads for yellow, magenta, cyan and black, respectively, and similarly JM, Je and JBK are multi-nozzle inkjet heads for magenta, cyan and plastic, respectively.

Each of these heads has 728 nozzles arranged in a straight line in the direction of arrow Y at an interval (pitch) of S/III, and is driven by driving pulses supplied via each flexible printed wiring board/6. Ink of each color is ejected toward the recording paper l. This ink is ejected by, for example, a bubble jet method in which a heating element is embedded in a nozzle and a valve (bubble) generated by heat generated by a pressurized nozzle is used to eject ink droplets.

The valley head is A from the right side of the drawing in the direction of the arrow as shown.
RK, &C,, &M, 7Y, 7M,? C and 7BK are arranged side by side in the main scanning direction. In other words, the yellow head, which is a reciprocating head? Forward movement heads 7M, 7C, and 7BK and backward movement recording head AM centering on Y.
, 110 and JBK are arranged point-symmetrically with respect to the ink color. When the carriage 6 moves forward in the direction of the arrow R, the reciprocating common head 7Y shown by diagonal lines on the left side of FIG.
(j) During the backward movement in which the gear ridge 6 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow, Only the reciprocating common head 7Y and the reciprocating heads gM, gc, and gBK shown by the f+ line on the right side of the figure are driven to record a color image on the recording paper.

In this way, the forward movement head and the backward movement head are provided separately,
Both heads are arranged point-symmetrically with respect to the ink color, and both heads are switched and used according to the switching of the scanning direction during reciprocating scanning, so the layer color order is the same during reciprocating movement.
Disturbances in color tones due to differences in reciprocation can be prevented.

3 shows an example of the main part configuration of the control circuit of the color printer shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 6 shows each color page memory (image memory) shown in FIG. 5: I/Y, 3/M, 3/C. and,
The address assignment for 7/BK is an example. Here, for example, A
Assuming that recording paper of the size of the II version is used vertically, and recording is performed to fill the entire paper surface with a density of S dots/square in both the vertical and horizontal directions,
The address assignment of the page memory shown in Fig. 6 is as shown in the figure.If one address (column address) is assigned to each l dot for every 10 horizontal i6gθ dots/units, then from CI to Cl480 (6) The layout is 2576 dots in the vertical direction) 7297
For tn*, if seven addresses (line addresses) are assigned to /λ8 dots so as to correspond to the number of recording head nozzles/2s, the number of addresses is from l/ to 1.20. Note that the line address is displayed at the top and the column address is displayed at the bottom. Also, on the 20th line, there are a total of 2S O θ dots, so the remaining / O dots) / 2
1111 minutes are left as appropriate margins at the top and bottom of the recording paper.

Next, the control circuit of FIG. S will be explained with reference to FIG. 6.

Here, JAY, J, 2M, ? , 2C and 3.2BK are each color page memory 3/Y , )/C, 3
/M and? /BK column address pointer for specifying each column address, and here it is 0.
A ring counter that counts from 00/ to ibgo is used. 33 is a line address pointer for simultaneously specifying the line address of the valley memory. ,,? ff,
3'1M, JFC and 3'lBK are head drivers υ, each page memory, )/Y, 3/C,,
According to the dot signals read from 7/M and 3/BK, the valley recording head? Y-? M, 7C, 7BK, gM.

The inkjet nozzles of gC O and JBK/211115 are driven. 3 On the left is a carriage feed motor driver that drives the carriage feed pulse motor 10, 3A
3 is a paper feed motor driver that drives the paper feed pulse motor 3, and 37 is a microprocessor (control computer) that controls each of the above-mentioned blocks. Further, 1, 7 & are head switching signals, which are sent from the microprocessor 37 to the head driver J4/M,...? 4'C and? 47BK and performs drive head selection switching.

Next, the recording process of the recording method of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG. First, the carriage 6 is moved to the left and stopped at the position where the left end position sensor 2 issues a detection signal (left side home position). At this time, the central recording head 7
Y is located at the leftmost end of the recorded range as shown on the left side of FIG. 9, and this position corresponds to column address C00O/. Column address pointer 32Y, , 32M, ? ,2
C and? 000/ each uBK.

/400. /120 and /'I'IO, and the line address pointer 33 is preset to O/. driver,? Remaining head driver 3 except 4'Y
A prohibition signal is supplied to '1M, 3' IC and 3da BK to stop their operation. Furthermore, position sensor/2
(The head switching signal 3g is sent from the microprocessor 37 according to the 7% issue) -) - It is supplied to the driver 31/-M, 3daC and JIBK, and the recording head JM for backward movement is supplied.
, ltc and 8BK only.

In this state, each page memory, 3/Y, 3
7M.

When the read signal 39 is supplied to 3/C and 3/BK, each page memory, 7/Y, 3/M, , 7/C
and each address lθicoθ0/ of 37BK,
lθ/C/480. lO/C/1,0θ, and lO
Dot data is read from /C/120, but the head driver? Since the operations other than ff are stopped, only the recording head 7Y is driven, and yellow dots corresponding to the dot data are recorded on the recording paper. Next, column address pointer, 32Y, 32M, JcoC
and,? , 2BK in the forward direction, and supplies a drive signal to the carriage feed motor driver 3S, rotates the carriage drive pulse motor 10 by /pulse, and moves the carriage 6 in the direction of arrow (9) R, i.e. Move by 1//8ml, and then again each page memo IJ, 3/Y, J/M,
A read signal 3q is supplied to 3/C and 3/BK, and the recording head 7Y is driven to record lθ of the page memo IJ 3/Y.
A yellow dot corresponding to the dot data at addresses /CO0 and 2 is self-recorded on the recording paper l.

While repeating these operations, the carriage 6 is moved in the direction of the arrow R, and coos θ is moved from the column address C000/ of the line address lO/ of the page memo IJ JAY.
Record the dot data up to 8 times. As a result, yellow dots are recorded on the recording paper with a width of 1 Am in the vertical direction. Next, the prohibition signal to the head driver 39M is released, and each page memo jJ, 7/Y, 3/M.

When the indulgence signal 39 is supplied to 3/C and 3/BK, the recording head 7Y receives the address lO/CO of the page memory 3/Y.
The dot data of address lθ/Cθ0/ of the page memory 3/M is supplied to the recording head 7M. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3(&), the magenta M ink is printed over the yellow ink Y on the recording sheet K(/θ).

Next, column address pointer 3.2Y, ,? , 2M
, J2C, j, and 2BK in the forward direction, moves the carriage 6 in the R direction/pitch, supplies the read signal 3 to each page memory, and drives the recording heads 7Y and 7M. and a yellow dot corresponding to the dot data at address 710/C0It2 of page memory J/Y, and a yellow dot corresponding to the dot data at address 710/C0It2 of page memory J/Y, and lO/ of page memory 7/M.
A magenta dot corresponding to the COθ coordinate address data is recorded on the recording paper l. While repeating these operations, the carriage 6 is moved in the direction of the arrow R, and the column address C/ of the line address lO/ of the page memory 3/Y is moved.
After recording the dot data up to Aθ, the inhibit signal to the head driver J&C is released, and each page memo IJ31
1Y~,? When the read signal 39 is supplied to /BK, the recording head 7C receives the page memo IJ, address 10/ of 3/C.
Dot data of C00/ is supplied. Furthermore, when dot data up to column address C2QO of line address lθ/ of page memory J/Y is recorded, the head driver, ? When the prohibition signal to FBK is canceled, all prohibition signals are canceled, right? Y, 7
M, 7C and 7BK are all driven.

Immediately after moving the carriage 6 in the direction of arrow R while repeating the above-mentioned operations and recording the dot data of the column addresses CH and gO of the line address lO/ of the page memo I7.7/Y, the yellow head driver, ? f
A prohibition signal is supplied to f to stop its operation. In this way, each page memory, 7/M, , 7/C and 3/B
Head driver corresponding to column address C/l of K, go dot data recording evening/timing, 3'1M
, , 3 and JIIBK Ic inhibit signals are supplied to sequentially stop the operation, and the column address COθO/ to C/68θ of the line address 730/ of the valley page memory is supplied.
Record the dot data up to this point.

As a result, yellow dots, magenta dots, cyan dots, and black dots are printed in the vertical direction/A iii w in this order on the recording paper 1 (see FIG. 2 (&)).

Next, the carriage 6 is moved to the left, and when the right end position sensor 3 detects the right end position of the carriage 6, a predetermined drive pulse is supplied to the paper feed driver 3t, and the paper feed pulse motor 3 is activated at the same time. Rotate Figure 3 or Figure 9
As shown in the figure, the recording paper l is moved by 6 degrees in the direction of arrow Y. However, if the center recording head 7Y or column address c
It is assumed that the position of the carriage B when the iuto dot data kHz is recorded is the right end start position of the backward stroke of the carriage B, and this is detected by the right end position sensor /3.

Next, the column address pointer JAY, , 3.2M,
, 32C and j2BK respectively /Age, 0υ
go, oito, and 02'lθ, and preset line address pointer J3 to 02. The remaining head drivers 311-M except driver J4tY
, 3'IC and ? Supply the prohibition number 1 to 4'BK and stop its operation. In history, position sensor/3
The head switching signal 3g is sent from the microprocessor 37 to the driver, 71ItM, j+c and 3daB in response to the signal from the microprocessor 37.
Is it a self-recording head that supplies K and is used exclusively for forward movement? M.

Disconnect only the lines to 7C and 7BK, and connect the lines to backward recording heads KM, Ic, and IIBK.

In this state, each page memory 3/Y, , ? /M, 3
/C and 3/BK When the K read signal 39 is supplied, each base (/3) memory, 7/Y, 3/h/1.3/C and 3/B
K's respective addresses 1j02c/680. lθ2CO
OJlO, 102cO/40 and lθ: The dot data is read from lC0, 2daθ, but the head driver? Since the operations other than ff are stopped, recording head 7
Only Y is driven, and yellow dots corresponding to the dot data are recorded on the recording paper. Next, 3 column address pointers Y.

, 12M, 31C and ? , 2BK is advanced in the opposite direction, the carriage 6 is moved in the direction of the arrow to perform a recording operation.

In this way, the valley column address pointer,? , 2M
, ,,? , 2C and J, each time 2BK changes from / to /680, the corresponding head driver j'FM,
The inhibit signal to JIIC and 34I-BK is released, and the recording heads 7Y, &M, Ic, and &BK that should be driven during the backward movement are all driven.

At that time, each recording head 7Y, JM, jc and &B
Is the arrangement order of the color K based on the recording head during forward movement with respect to the direction of movement of carriage B? Y-? M.? C and 7B
Since the colors are yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, which are similar to K, they will be printed in an overlapping manner in the order in which those colors are arranged. In other words, since yellow dots, magenta dots, cyan dots, and black dots are printed in the order of yellow dots, magenta dots, cyan dots, and black dots on the recording paper during reciprocating movement, there is no change in color tone due to the amount of reciprocating scanning, and image quality that is extremely faithful to the original image is obtained. .

The subsequent backward recording operation is performed using the column address pointer 3Y.
, ,7.2M, ,? JC and? , except that the carriage 6 is moved # in the direction of the arrow in synchronization with advancing the contents of 2BK in the opposite direction, and the dot data at the column address Cθθθ/ of the corresponding page memory is performed. At the timing of recording the line address of each page memory, a prohibition signal is sequentially supplied to each head driver JgY, 3gM, 3gC, and 3rdBK. 0
．． 2. Record the dot data data from column address C/68θ to C00O/. Next, the carriage 6 is moved in the right direction R, and when the left end position sensor 2 detects the left end position of the carriage B, the paper feed pulse motor 3 is rotated to move the recording paper 76 blades in the direction of the arrow Y. Move on to the next forward recording operation. By repeating the above reciprocating recording operation, recording up to line address 120 is completed.

FIG. 7 shows another example of the configuration of a multi-nozzle inkjet color printer according to the present invention, and FIG. S shows an example of a control circuit for the color printer shown in FIG. In this embodiment, as shown in the figure, a reciprocating recording head is not used, but recording heads 7Y and 7M are used.

7C and 7BK are used as heads exclusively for forward movement, and recording heads IIY, gM, EC, and JBK are used as heads only for backward movement. Also, each head is JBK from the right side of the drawing in the direction of the arrow as shown in Figure 7.

,! Ic, KM, JY, W, 7C and 78 are installed in parallel in this order.

That is, when recording an image, the forward moving heads 7M,
? C, 78 and backward movement recording head IM, JC.

JBK and JBK are arranged so as to be point symmetrical with respect to their ejected ink colors.

When the carriage 6 moves in the direction of the arrow R for forward movement, the forward movement head 7Y shown by diagonal lines on the left side of FIG.
At the time of backward recording in which only 7M, 7C, and 7BK are driven and the carriage 6 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow, the backward movement head gY is indicated by diagonal lines on the right side of FIG.

Only A'M, fc, and ffBK are driven to record.

Therefore, in the control circuit of this example, as shown in Fig. 3, the central h self-recording heads driven by the head driver JFY are fixed at 7Y and 21 of JY, and the head switching signal 3g is also applied to this head driver WY. Supplied. The rest of the configuration is almost the same as the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 3 and S, so a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted. Therefore, the color order is exactly the same during reciprocating motion, and no difference in color tone occurs due to the difference in reciprocating motion.

As explained above, according to the recording method of the present invention, when the recording operation is performed not only when the recording head moves forward but also when it moves backward, there is no difference in color tone due to the difference between the forward and backward paths, and a good result is obtained. image quality can be obtained.

In particular, when conventional devices perform back-and-forth recording, a noticeable difference in color tone occurs in the main scanning direction, resulting in mottling, making it impossible to put it to practical use.However, with the recording method of the present invention, such inconveniences can be completely eliminated. Since the problem can be solved (/7), even in multicolor recording, the recording operation can be performed not only when the recording head moves forward, but also when it moves backward, and the recording speed of color images can be improved.

In addition, as a result of making such reciprocating recording possible, there is no need to pay for the carriage to go back at high speed as in the conventional one-way recording method, the configuration of the carriage feed motor driver is simplified, and the carriage can go back at high speed. The recoil of the casing that occurs when moving the camera is also eliminated.

Regarding the side running eclipse, in the embodiment of the present invention, the recording paper / was moved in the Y direction, but the recording paper is fixed and the carriage is moved in the opposite direction of the arrow Y, like an X-Y plotter. You can do it like this. Furthermore, the target recording device is not limited to the inkjet printer as in the embodiment, but is of course suitable for thermal transfer printers and the like.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1) and (b) are state diagrams showing an example of the recording process by a conventional recording device during forward recording and backward recording, respectively. 7g) An explanatory diagram showing examples of recording corresponding to FIGS. 1 (-) and (b), respectively, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing seven examples of the printer according to the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the control circuit of the printer shown in FIG. 3; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of address assignment of the page memory shown in FIG. 5; 7 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the printer according to the present invention, FIG. g is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the control circuit of the printer of FIG. 7, and FIG. It is a state diagram showing a process. l...recording paper, c...paper feed roller, 3
...a feed, a pulse motor, da, j...paper guide roller, 6...carriage, ? Y-? M.? C, 7BK, tY, fM, f
fc, tBK-・-inkjet head, ? ...Timing belt, io-...Carriage feed pulse motor, //...Guide rail, /-...Left end carriage position sensor, /3...Right end carriage position sensor, /DA...Ink supply Pipe, /! Y, /,tM, /! iC, /kBK...
Ink tank, /6...7 lexiple printed circuit board, J/Y, 3/M, 3/C, J/BK... page memory, 3 Y, J M, 31 C, J BK...・Column address pointer (ring counter), 33...Line address pointer, 3'lY, 3daM, 3daC9 review BK...head driver, 3S...carriage feed motor driver, 36・
... Paper feed motor driver, 37... Microprocessor, 3... Head switching signal, 39... Read signal. Patent applicant Canon Co., Ltd.↓ ↓ ゛綜綜

Claims (1)

[Claims] With the common recording head as the center, the forward recording head and the backward recording head are arranged symmetrically on different sides in the scanning direction so that the coloring order during recording is the same. i2 Each recording head is reciprocated in the scanning direction, and during the forward movement, the common recording head and the forward recording head are selectively driven to perform a recording operation, and during the backward movement, the common recording head and the forward recording head are selectively driven. A recording method characterized in that a backward motion recording head is selectively driven to perform a recording operation.