JPH09118023A - Ink jet recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Problem] To grasp output data of a missing portion even when output data of the clogged portion is missing. An inkjet recording apparatus that selects a nozzle corresponding to output data stored in an output data storage area 45 from a nozzle group of an inkjet head, and sprays ink from the nozzle onto a sheet for printing. When the nozzle corresponding to the output data is clogged, it has an output data changing means for changing the output data of the output data storage area 45 so as to select the nozzle adjacent to the nozzle.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus for printing by ejecting ink onto a sheet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A communication device such as a facsimile device and an information processing device such as a personal computer usually include a recording device capable of printing data consisting of characters and figures as visual information so that the data can be printed on paper. Have. Various recording methods such as an impact method, a heat-sensitive method, and an ink-jet method are adopted for this recording apparatus. In recent years, an ink-jet method which is excellent in quietness and can print on paper of various materials is adopted. Ink-jet recording apparatuses are frequently used.

In the above-mentioned ink jet recording apparatus, an ink jet head having a large number of nozzles and a paper are arranged so as to face each other, and ink is ejected from the nozzles corresponding to output data and sprayed onto the paper while the ink jet head is main-scanned. According to this, characters and figures are printed on paper. Therefore, in the ink jet recording apparatus that prints by such an operation, quick drying is required for the ink so that the ink sprayed on the paper does not contaminate the area other than the sprayed portion, while high-definition print output is achieved. In addition, since the nozzle is required to have a small diameter, the nozzle is apt to be clogged due to the solidification of the ink.

Therefore, the conventional ink jet recording apparatus is provided with a clogging detecting sensor which is an optical sensor capable of detecting ink sprayed on a sheet,
Ink is sprayed on the paper from each nozzle to mark,
By reading this marking with a clogging detection sensor, clogging of individual nozzles is detected. When clogging is detected, clogging information is displayed on the display device or an alarm is issued to perform clogging processing to notify the operator of clogging.

[0005]

However, as in the prior art described above, only with the configuration for executing the clogging process for notifying the clogging to the operator, the clogging is caused until the operator notices the clogging and repairs it. Since the printed data is output in the state, there is a problem that the output data of the clogging portion is completely missing and the output data of the missing portion cannot be recognized. In particular, this problem is extremely great for a facsimile machine that operates even in a situation where an operator does not exist for a long period of time, such as nighttime or holidays.

Therefore, the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of grasping the output data of the missing portion even when the output data of the clogging portion is missing.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a nozzle corresponding to output data stored in an output memory is selected from a nozzle group of an ink jet head, and ink is sprayed from the nozzle to a sheet for printing. In an ink jet recording apparatus, an output data change for changing the output data of the output memory by taking the logical sum (OR) of the output data of the nozzle and the output data of one of the nozzles adjacent to the nozzle. It is characterized by having means. As a result, even when the output data of the clogged portion is missing due to the clogging of the nozzle, the output data of the missing portion is printed by the adjacent nozzles, so that the output data of the missing portion can be grasped.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a case where the present invention is applied to an ink jet recording apparatus of a facsimile machine.
This will be described below with reference to FIG.

The ink jet recording apparatus according to this embodiment is built in a facsimile machine as shown in FIG. The facsimile apparatus has an apparatus main body 1 having a lower cover 2 and an upper cover 3 serving as a housing, and a receiver 4 arranged on a side of the apparatus main body 1. The device body 1
As shown in FIG. 4, a document feeding device 21 that takes in the document 20 from above the upper cover 3 and then discharges it from the opening 3a, and an image reading device that reads an image of the document 20 conveyed by the document feeding device 21. 22 and a paper cassette 5 detachably provided from the front surface (left side surface in the drawing) of the lower cover 2.

A large number of sheets 6 are placed in the sheet cassette 5 described above.
Are stacked and accommodated. These sheets 6 are urged upward at the front end side of the sheet cassette 5 located on the right side in the figure, and the uppermost sheet 6 is placed in the sheet cassette 5.
The sheet feeding roller 7 is provided in the vicinity of the sheet feeding port 5a.

The paper feed roller 7 is adapted to feed the paper 6 in the paper cassette 5 to the paper feeding device 8 from the paper feed port 5a. The paper feeding device 8 that feeds the paper 6 includes a paper feed roller 10 that feeds the paper 6, a sensor 11 for detecting the leading edge of the paper 6, and a curved paper that regulates the feeding direction of the paper 6. It has a guide 9 and advances the paper 6 along the paper guide 9 to reach the printing unit 12.

The printing unit 12 has a platen roller 13 that is rotatably supported so as to convey the paper 6, and an ink jet recording apparatus main body 30 that sprays ink onto the paper 6 for printing. As shown in FIG. 5, the inkjet recording apparatus main body 30 includes an inkjet head 31 for ejecting ink, a carriage 32 joined to the inkjet head 31, and a guide member for movably supporting the carriage 32 in the main scanning direction X. 34a ・ 34b
And a traveling mechanism 33 that reciprocates (main scans) the carriage 32 in the main scanning direction X along the guide members 34a and 34b.

The above ink jet head 31 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, the piezoelectric element has a plurality of nozzles 31b ... Which eject ink by driving the piezoelectric element. Note that the inkjet head 31 may eject ink by a bubble method. The nozzles 31b ... Are arranged at regular intervals in the sub-scanning direction Y orthogonal to the main scanning direction X, and the nozzle numbers P (0) to P (N) can be individually specified. Is set.
The ink jet head 31 has the nozzle surface 31a formed with these nozzles 31b ... Faced so as to be parallel to the paper 6, and the ink ejected from each nozzle 31b. It is designed to spray vertically. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, in the printing unit 12, the main scanning of the inkjet head 31 by the inkjet recording apparatus main body 30 and the sub-scanning of the paper 6 by the platen roller 13 are repeated, so that the entire surface of the paper 6 is Alternatively, some parts are printed by spraying ink.

On the side where the paper 6 is carried out from the printing section 12, a paper guide 14 for restricting the traveling direction of the printed paper 6 and a paper discharged outside the machine while being conveyed along the paper guide 14 are provided. The paper discharge table 15 that supports the sheet 6 is arranged in this order. Further, a clogging detection sensor 18 used for detecting clogging by reading the marking formed on the paper 6 is provided between the paper guide 14 and the paper discharge tray 15.

The clogging detection sensor 18 shown in FIG.
As shown in, the sensor signal input unit 41 is connected. The sensor signal input unit 41 is connected to various sensors such as the above-described paper leading edge detecting sensor 11 shown in FIG.
Then, the sensor signal input unit 41 converts the signals from these sensors into a signal form suitable for information processing and controls the control unit 4.
0 is output. A key input section 42 arranged on the front side of the upper cover 3 of FIG. 3 is connected to the control section 40. From the key input section 42, various kinds of numeric key data, function data, mode designation data, etc. Data will be input.

Further, the control unit 40 includes a head drive unit 4
3 and the display unit 44 are connected, and the head drive unit 4
3 is, when the output data is input from the control unit 40,
The drive voltage is applied to the nozzles 31b ... Of the nozzle number corresponding to the output data. The display unit 4
Reference numeral 4 denotes a liquid crystal display, which displays the control result and control contents on the screen based on the display data from the control unit 40.

The control unit 40 has an arithmetic unit and a storage unit (not shown). In the storage unit, as shown in FIG.
As shown in (b), various data areas such as the output data storage area 45 (output memory) are formed. The output data storage area 45 is a data table of sub-scanning direction addresses corresponding to the nozzle numbers P (0) to P (N) of the inkjet head 31 and main scanning direction addresses corresponding to the main scanning direction of the inkjet head 31. The output data for one line when the inkjet head 31 is main-scanned is stored. Further, when clogging of the nozzles 31b ... Is detected in the storage unit, the logical sum of the output data of one of the nozzles 31b adjacent to the clogging nozzle number P (i) (O
R), a control program including various control routines such as an output data changing routine (output data changing means) for changing the output data of the output data storage area 45 is stored.

In the above arrangement, when clogging of the nozzles 31b ... Is detected when a mode is designated by a key operation, when the recording apparatus is started up, or when a signal from the facsimile apparatus is received, the clogged nozzle number is detected. After P (i) is stored, the output data change routine of FIG. 2 will be executed.

That is, first, after the main scanning address variable s is initialized to "0" (S1), FIG. 1 (a).
As shown in (b), the output data D corresponding to all the nozzle numbers P (0) to P (N) at the main scanning direction address A (s) are read from the output data storage area 45 (S2). ). After this, the clogged nozzle number P
After (i) is read (S3), this nozzle number P
It is determined whether or not the nozzle number P (i) matches the nozzle number P (0) so as to confirm whether or not (i) is the nozzle 31b located at the top of the inkjet head 31. (S4).

If it is determined in S4 that they match (S4, YES), the output data D of the nozzle number P (i = 0) corresponding to the uppermost nozzle 31b and the uppermost nozzle 31b. Output data D of the nozzle number P (1) corresponding to the nozzle 31b arranged adjacent to the lower position of the
After and are logically ORed (S5), it is confirmed whether or not there is another clogged nozzle number P (i) (S7).

When it is determined in S4 that they do not match (S4, NO), the nozzle number P (i)
Output data D and the nozzle 31b of the nozzle number P (i)
After the output data D of the nozzle number P (i-1) corresponding to the nozzle 31b arranged adjacent to the upper position of (3) is ORed (S6), another clogged nozzle number P ( It will be confirmed whether i) exists or not (S7).

If it is determined in S7 that there is another clogged nozzle number P (i) (S7, Y
ES), and S3 to S7 described above are re-executed.
Then, the output data D of all the nozzle numbers P (i) are ORed (OR), and the clogged nozzle numbers P (i).
If it is determined that there is no more (S7, NO), then it is determined whether the main scanning direction address A (s) is the final address SE (S8). Then, until the final address SE is determined (S8, YES),
By repeating the above S2 to S7, replacement by the logical sum (OR) of the entire output data storage area 45 is performed in the main scanning direction address A (s) unit.

Thus, for example, as shown in FIG. 1A, when the nozzle 31b having the nozzle number P (4) is clogged, no printing is performed at the position corresponding to the nozzle number P (4). Therefore, the content of the output data D of the nozzle number P (4) cannot be grasped, but when the output data change routine is executed, as shown in FIG. 1B, the output of the adjacent nozzle number P (3) is output. Data D is nozzle number P
Since it is replaced with the output data D of (4) and printed at the position corresponding to this nozzle number P (3), the content of the output data D of the nozzle number P (4) can be grasped.

In the present embodiment, the output data D of the nozzle 31b adjacent to the upper position is mainly rewritten, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the output data D of the nozzle 31b adjacent to the lower position is mainly. Output data D
May be rewritten. Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a facsimile device is described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can be applied to a printer device such as a personal computer.

[0025]

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the present invention selects the nozzle corresponding to the output data stored in the output memory from the nozzle group of the inkjet head, and sprays the ink on the paper from the nozzle to print. In, when the nozzle corresponding to the output data is clogged, the output is obtained by ORing the output data of the nozzle and the output data of any one of the nozzles adjacent to the nozzle. This is a configuration having output data changing means for changing the output data of the memory.

As a result, even if the output data of the clogged portion is missing due to the clogging of the nozzle, the output data of the missing portion is printed by the adjacent nozzles. Therefore, the output data of the missing portion should be grasped. There is an effect that can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between an output data storage area and a printing state, FIG. 1A is a state before changing output data, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram showing a state after changing output data. .

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an output data change routine.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the facsimile machine.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vertical cross section of the facsimile apparatus as viewed from the side.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a printing unit.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an inkjet head.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Device Main Body 4 Handset 5 Paper Cassette 6 Paper 7 Paper Feeding Roller 8 Paper Feeding Device 11 Paper Leading Edge Detection Sensor 12 Printing Part 13 Platen Roller 18 Clogging Detection Sensor 21 Document Feeding Device 22 Image Reading Device 31 Inkjet Head 31a Nozzle Surface 31b Nozzle 33 Traveling mechanism 41 Sensor signal input section 42 Key input section 43 Head drive section 44 Display section 45 Output data storage area 51 Marking

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An inkjet recording apparatus for selecting a nozzle corresponding to output data stored in an output memory from a nozzle group of an inkjet head, and spraying ink from the nozzle onto a sheet for printing, the nozzle corresponding to the output data. Output data for changing the output data of the output memory by taking the logical sum of the output data of the nozzle and the output data of any one of the nozzles adjacent to the nozzle when An ink jet recording apparatus having a changing unit.