JP2005305712A - Recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

There is provided a recording apparatus capable of monitoring and managing the state of each nozzle and the ink ejection state of each nozzle without actually being visually observed by a user.
A print unit discharges ink from a plurality of nozzles to a paper to form a test dot corresponding to each nozzle on the paper, and a density for detecting an ink density of each test dot. A sensor and a cleaning unit that performs a head cleaning process on the print head; The nozzle management unit includes a control unit that operates the print head so as to form a test pattern, a memory that stores in advance the reference ink density of the reference test dot corresponding to each nozzle, and a memory that stores the ink density of each test dot And a determination unit that compares the plurality of reference data and the plurality of detection data, respectively, and determines the state of each nozzle and the ink ejection state of each nozzle based on the comparison result.
[Selection] Figure 8

Description

  The present invention relates to a recording apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ink jet printers are configured so that a nozzle check pattern for visually determining whether or not a head nozzle is clogged can be formed on a recording sheet. The nozzle check pattern is a pattern formed by ejecting ink from each nozzle of the head while changing the printing position, and is for checking the nozzles that have not ejected ink. Until now, a dotted drawing pattern has been mainly used as a nozzle check pattern. However, as shown in Patent Document 1, a block drawing pattern has begun to be used to improve visibility.
JP 2003-311939 A

  However, in the ink jet printer according to Patent Document 1, a user actually identifies a defective nozzle by visually observing a block drawing pattern. Therefore, from the viewpoint of simplicity, it is desirable that the ink jet printer itself can identify defective nozzles based on the block drawing pattern.

  Further, even if the nozzles of the same head are used, it is general that there is a slight difference in the landing position and the diameter of the dod on the recording paper for each nozzle. Therefore, it is more preferable that the ink jet printer can monitor the state of each nozzle.

  In addition, in the ink jet printer according to Patent Document 1, although the user can identify whether or not the nozzle is clogged, there is an ink flight curve caused by a defective ink meniscus of the nozzle. It has not been possible to determine whether or not there is an ink color mixture that affects the print quality.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a recording apparatus that ejects ink from a plurality of nozzles to a recording medium to form dots on the recording medium. Is to provide a technique capable of monitoring and managing the state of each nozzle and the ink discharge state of each nozzle without actually observing.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus for forming dots on a recording medium by ejecting ink from a plurality of nozzles onto the recording medium, wherein the ink is ejected from the plurality of nozzles to the recording medium A test pattern forming means for forming a test pattern by forming a plurality of test dots respectively corresponding to the nozzles on the recording medium; a detecting means for detecting the state of each test dot; and the detecting means. Detection data storage means for storing a plurality of detected detection data, and each of the nozzles formed on the recording medium by ejecting ink from the plurality of nozzles to the recording medium at a predetermined time. A plurality of reference data storage means for previously storing a plurality of corresponding reference test dot states as a plurality of reference data; And determining means for comparing each of a plurality of reference data and determining at least one of the state of each nozzle and the ink discharge state of each nozzle based on the comparison result. is there.

  Thus, the determination unit compares the plurality of detection data with the plurality of reference data, and determines at least one of the state of each nozzle and the ink discharge state of each nozzle based on the comparison result. The user can monitor and manage the state of each nozzle and the ink discharge state of each nozzle without actually observing.

  In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the detection means is configured to detect the density of each test dot, and the reference data storage means determines the density of the plurality of reference test dots. It is configured to store in advance as a plurality of reference data.

  Thereby, the detection means detects the density of each test dot, and the reference data storage means stores in advance the densities of a plurality of reference test dots as a plurality of reference data. That is, the determination unit compares the density of each test dot with the density of each reference test dot, and determines at least one of the state of each nozzle and the ink discharge state of each nozzle based on the comparison result. . Therefore, it is possible to realize a recording apparatus that can monitor and manage the individual state of each nozzle and the ink discharge state of each nozzle without the user actually observing.

  According to a third aspect, in the first aspect, the determination unit is configured to determine a degree of nozzle clogging for each of the nozzles based on the comparison result.

  Thereby, the determination means determines the degree of nozzle clogging for each nozzle based on the comparison result. According to the present invention, the user can identify whether each nozzle is clogged without actually observing. It can be performed.

  According to a fourth aspect, in the first aspect, the determination unit is configured to determine a degree of bending of the ink ejected from each of the nozzles based on the comparison result. Is.

  Thus, the determination means determines the degree of bending of the ink ejected from each nozzle based on the comparison result. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is determined whether or not there is an ink flight bending in each nozzle. be able to.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the determination unit is configured such that at least two colors of ink are ejected from a plurality of nozzles onto the recording medium to form dots on the recording medium. However, the present invention is characterized in that the mixed color state of the ink is determined in each of the nozzles based on the comparison result.

  Accordingly, the determination unit determines the color mixture state of the ink of each nozzle based on the comparison result. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to identify whether there is a color mixture of the ink of each nozzle. it can.

  A sixth invention is characterized in that in the first invention, a notification means for notifying the determination result determined by the determination means is provided.

  Thereby, the notification means notifies the determination result determined by the determination means, so that the user can know the determination result. Therefore, the user can determine whether to perform the cleaning process on the nozzle based on the determination result.

  A seventh invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, a cleaning means is provided for performing a cleaning process on the nozzle based on the determination result determined by the determination means.

  Accordingly, the cleaning unit performs the cleaning process on the nozzle based on the determination result determined by the determination unit, and thus the user needs to perform a predetermined operation on the recording apparatus in order to perform the cleaning process on the nozzle. There is no.

  According to the first aspect, the determination unit compares the plurality of detection data with the plurality of reference data, and based on the comparison result, at least one of the state of each nozzle and the ink discharge state of each nozzle. Therefore, it is possible to monitor and manage the individual state of each nozzle and the ink discharge state of each nozzle without actually observing the image. Therefore, according to the present invention, the print quality can be monitored and managed.

  According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the notification means notifies the determination result determined by the determination means, so that the user can know the determination result, and therefore the user can identify the nozzle based on the determination result. It is possible to determine whether to perform the cleaning process. Therefore, the convenience of this recording apparatus can be improved.

  According to the seventh aspect, since the cleaning unit performs the cleaning process on the nozzle based on the determination result determined by the determination unit, the user performs the cleaning process on the nozzle with respect to the recording apparatus. There is no need to perform a predetermined operation. Therefore, the convenience of this recording apparatus can be improved.

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

[overall structure]
As shown in FIG. 1, an ink jet printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a reception block A that performs image data acquisition and order information acquisition to perform necessary correction processing, and communication from the reception block A. And a print block B that prints image data transmitted via the cable 1 on the print paper P based on the order information.

[Reception block]
The reception block A is provided at an intermediate position in the vertical direction of the frame 5, a reception device 6 provided at the top of the wagon frame 5, a liquid crystal display 8 whose display screen is constituted by the touch panel 7, and the frame 5. And a flatbed scanner FS. The display 8 displays menus such as “form test pattern”, “execute cleaning”, and “do not perform cleaning”. Then, a predetermined signal (a predetermined signal will be described later) is transmitted from the reception block A to the print block B by pressing each of the menus with a finger. On the front surface of the accepting device 6, a semiconductor drive 9 for reading image data stored in a recording medium Ms composed of a flash memory, and image data stored in a disk-type recording medium Md such as a CD-R or DVD. And a disk drive 10 for reading the data.

  The flat bed scanner FS includes a main body portion 11 having a scanning table 13 made of transparent glass and a scanning head 14 disposed below the scanning table 13, and a platen cover 12 attached to the main body portion 11 so as to be freely opened and closed. And. The scanning head 14 includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements (for example, a CCD or the like) disposed in the main scanning direction and a light source, and is placed on the scanning table 13 by moving in the sub scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction. The image of the scanned object is captured as image data that is color-separated into three primary colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue).

[Print Block]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the print block B stores the casing 15, the two magazine housing units Ba and Ba, the print unit Bb that records an image on the print paper P, and the ink. And an ink reservoir Bc. On the upper surface of the housing 15, a sorting unit 17 that receives the small-size print paper P that is fed by the lateral feed belt 16 and a rack plate 18 that receives the large-size print paper P are disposed.

  The magazine housing portion Ba includes a drawer 20 that slides as the front wall body 15A of the housing 15 slides, and accommodates the roll-shaped print paper P held by the paper magazine 21 in the drawer 20. It is configured as follows. The width of the print paper P stored in the lower magazine storage portion Ba is larger than that of the print paper P stored in the upper magazine storage portion Ba (see FIG. 2).

  The print unit Bb is housed in the housing 15 and sprays ink onto the print paper P to form an image on the print paper P, and performs a head cleaning process on the print head H. And a cleaning unit (not shown). The print head H includes three heads having a plurality of nozzles formed on the nozzle surface facing the printed paper P to be conveyed and printed, and each head moves while moving in the main scanning direction X (see FIG. 6). An image is formed by ejecting ink from each of the nozzles to the print paper P to form a dot on the print paper P. The nozzle surfaces of these heads extend in the sub-scanning direction Y (see FIG. 6) and are yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), black (K), red (R), violet (V). In addition, a plurality of nozzle rows are formed, each ejecting seven colors of clear (CL, transparent) ink.

  As a feature of the present invention, the print head H has a rectangular shape corresponding to each nozzle on the print paper P by spraying ink onto the print paper P from each nozzle of each head while moving in the main scanning direction X. By forming the test dots, a test pattern (test chart, check pattern) gathered for each color test dot of each head can be formed (see FIG. 3). Each of these test dots has such a size that its density can be detected by a density sensor 35 described later. The test pattern is formed by performing block printing on the print paper P while shifting the printing coordinates for each nozzle of each head. The print head H is provided with a reflection type density sensor 35 that measures and detects the ink density (print image density) of each test dot of the test pattern. The density sensor 35 is attached to the downstream side surface portion (see FIGS. 4 and 6) of the print head H so as to extend in the main scanning direction X, and main scanning is performed as the print head H moves in the main scanning direction X. The ink density of each test dot is detected by reading the test pattern for each predetermined XY coordinate (block) while moving in the direction X. That is, each of these predetermined XY coordinates corresponds to each test dot. The detection means according to the present invention corresponds to the density sensor 35.

  The ink reservoir Bc includes seven ink cartridges 23,... That are detachably accommodated in the housing 15 and have different hues. These ink cartridges 23 can be replaced with new ink cartridges 23 by being inserted and removed. These ink cartridges 23 are filled with yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), black (K), red (R), violet (V) and clear (CL, transparent) inks, respectively. ing.

[Paper transport mechanism]
As shown in FIG. 4, the paper transport mechanism includes a supply unit U1, a print unit U2, a loop forming unit U3, a cutter unit U4, a reversing unit U5, and a discharge unit U6. When an image is printed on the print paper P, the print paper P stored in one of the two magazine storage portions Ba and Ba is supplied to the print unit Bb by the supply unit U1. Then, an image is printed by the print head H while the supplied print paper P is conveyed by the print unit U2, and then the printed print paper P is sent from the loop forming unit U3 to the cutter unit U4 and cut into a print size. After that, the sheet is fed to the lateral feed belt 16 or the rack plate 18 by the reversing unit U5 and the discharge unit U6.

  More specifically, the supply unit U1 includes a support roller 25 that applies a rotational force to the print paper P accommodated in the paper magazine 21, and a pressure-bonding type for transporting the print paper P from the paper magazine 21 to the print unit U2. A supply roller 26 and a guide member (not shown) for guiding the print paper P conveyed by the supply roller 26 and supplying it to the print unit U2 are provided. The support roller 25 and the supply roller 26 are driven by an electric motor for supply and conveyance.

  The print unit U2 includes a guide rail 28 that guides the print head H in the main scanning direction X, a drive belt 30 that is wound around a pulley 29 and reciprocates along the guide rail 28, and a print paper P. A paper holding portion D that holds the print head H at a position where printing can be performed; and pressure-bonding type print transport rollers 31 disposed on the upstream side and the downstream side of the paper holding portion D. Yes. The paper holding unit D includes a guide plate 32 having a plurality of holes formed in the thickness direction, and a fan 34 provided in the housing 33 and applying a negative pressure to the print paper P through the holes of the guide plate 32. It has. As shown in FIG. 5, when printing is performed on the print paper P, an image is printed in the areas G,... A cutting mark m is formed in

  As shown in FIG. 4, the loop forming unit U <b> 3 includes a guide plate 36 disposed on the downstream side of the downstream print transport roller 31 and a pressure-bonding type for transporting the print paper P guided by the guide plate 36. Intermediate roller 37. The guide plate 36 is configured to be switchable between a horizontal posture extending substantially in the horizontal direction (two-dot chain line in FIG. 4) and an open posture extending in the vertical direction (solid line in FIG. 4). When printing a long print paper P, the front end of the print paper P is transferred to the intermediate roller 37 via the horizontal guide plate 36, and then the conveyance of the print paper P by the intermediate roller 37 is stopped. Then, the guide plate 36 is switched from the horizontal position to the open position, and the print paper P is suspended to form a loop.

  The cutter unit U4 includes a fixed blade 39, a movable blade 40, a reflective cut position sensor 41 that detects a cutting mark m (see FIG. 5), and a pressure-bonding-type feed roller 42 that feeds the print paper P. It has. When cutting, the cutting operation is performed based on the detection result of the cut position sensor 41.

  The reversing unit U5 includes a pressure-reversal reversing roller 43 that crimps the print paper P, a conveyance drive mechanism (not shown) that rotates the reversing roller 43 forward and backward, and the reversing roller 43 around the axis of the roller 43. And a reversing mechanism (not shown) that rotates 90 degrees. In the reversing unit U5, the print paper P fed from the front end side by the cutter unit U4 is rotated forward so that the rear end thereof reaches the position of the reversing roller 43, and then the arrow in FIG. As shown, the reversing unit U5 is rotated 90 degrees around the axis, and then the reversing roller 43 is rotated in the reverse direction to feed the print paper P from its rear end to the discharge unit U6.

  The discharge unit U6 includes a plurality of crimp-type discharge rollers 44 for conveying the print paper P, and the print paper P conveyed by the discharge rollers 44,. And a path switching mechanism (not shown) for feeding to one of them.

[Ink supply system]
As shown in FIG. 6, the ink supply system of the printing apparatus supplies the ink of the ink cartridge 23 to the sub tank 52 through the electromagnetic valve 50V and the supply pipe 51, and the ink in the sub tank 52 through the flexible pipe 53. In this way, the print head H is fed out. Thus, in the ink supply system, the ink of the ink cartridge 23 is stored in the sub tank 52, so that the ink cartridge 23 can be replaced without interrupting printing. In FIG. 6, only one ink supply system is shown, but in reality, seven ink supply systems are formed corresponding to seven types of inks having different hues.

  The ink cartridge 23 is configured by storing an ink tank 23T formed in a bag shape using a flexible material and a bag-shaped airbag 23B that is inflated when air is supplied in a resin case. . The ink cartridge 23 further includes an air pressurization unit 56 that supplies pressurized air to the airbag 23B via the air supply path 55, and a pressure adjustment valve 57 that adjusts the air pressure supplied to the airbag 23B. ing. The sub tank 52 is formed in a bag shape using a flexible material such as a resin sheet. In the vicinity of the subtank 52, an electric switch type subtank sensor S for obtaining the ink remaining amount based on the expansion amount of the subtank 52 is provided. The ink reservoir Bc is provided with a detachable sensor 58 that determines whether or not the ink cartridge 23 is present in the ink reservoir Bc.

[Control system]
The control system of the printing apparatus is configured as shown in FIG. That is, the receiving device 6 of the receiving block A includes a microprocessor (hereinafter referred to as a CPU), a touch panel 7, a display 8, a semiconductor drive 9, a disk drive 10, and a semiconductor memory RAM connected to the CPU via a data bus. / ROM, hard disk HD, and communication interface 61. The accepting device 6 further includes an operation system 62, an image processing system 63, and a printer driver 64, which are configured by software so as to realize processing in the CPU. The accepting device 6 constitutes an input / output system for receiving information from the flatbed scanner FS, and further constitutes a signal system for transmitting / receiving information to / from the print block B via the communication interface 61.

  The print block B includes a microprocessor (hereinafter referred to as a CPU), a conveyance control unit 66, a head control unit 67, a semiconductor memory RAM / ROM, a sub tank sensor S, and a cut position sensor connected to the CPU via a data bus. 41, an attachment / detachment sensor 58, and a communication interface 68. The print block B further includes a print control unit 69, an ink remaining amount acquisition unit 70, a supply control unit 71, and a notification unit 72 that are configured by software so as to implement processing in the CPU.

  The conveyance control unit 66 is for controlling each of the units U1, U2, U3, U4, U5, U6 of the paper conveyance mechanism. The head controller 67 is for controlling the print head H. The print control means 69 is for performing control when printing an image on the print paper P based on the image data sent from the receiving block A. The ink remaining amount acquisition means 70 is for performing control when acquiring the ink remaining amount of the ink cartridge 23 based on the number of actuations of the electromagnetic valve 50V. The supply control means 71 is for performing control when the ink of the ink cartridge 23 is supplied to the sub tank S based on the detection signal from the sub tank sensor S. The notification means 72 is for displaying the remaining amount of ink in the ink cartridge 23 on the display 8 of the reception block A to notify the user.

  As a feature of the present invention, the print block B further includes the density sensor 35 and the nozzle management controller 73. This nozzle management control unit 73 is for controlling test pattern formation processing, test pattern determination processing, and head cleaning processing (details of these processing will be described later). The nozzle management control unit 73 has a test pattern control unit for operating the print head H so as to form a test pattern on the print paper P when receiving a test pattern formation signal from the receiving block A, and each nozzle. A reference data memory that stores in advance the reference ink density of a plurality of corresponding reference test dots as reference data, and a detection data memory that stores and manages the ink density of each test dot detected by the density sensor 35 as detection data, respectively. A determination unit for comparing the plurality of reference data and the plurality of detection data with each other and determining the state of each nozzle and the ink ejection state of each nozzle with high accuracy based on the comparison result, and the determination result Is displayed on the display 8 of the reception block A to notify the user, and the reception block A And a cleaning control unit for operating the cleaning section when receiving the Luo cleaning execution signal.

  The plurality of reference ink densities are determined by causing ink to be ejected from the nozzles to the print paper P when the printing apparatus (print head H) is operating normally before the printing apparatus is shipped. It is obtained in advance by forming reference test dots corresponding to the respective nozzles on P, and measuring and detecting the ink densities of these reference test dots. The determination unit determines the state of each nozzle and the ink discharge state of each nozzle based on the amount of change of each detection data with respect to each reference data. Specifically, the determination unit determines that the nozzle is clogged when the detected ink density is lower than the reference ink density by a predetermined value or more. In addition, when the detected ink density is partially darker or lighter than the reference ink density, the determination unit indicates that the state of the ink meniscus at the tip of the nozzle is bad and the ink discharged from the nozzle Judge that there is a flight curve. Furthermore, when the detected ink density is higher than the reference ink density by a predetermined value or when the detected ink density is more uneven than the reference ink density, the determination unit determines that there is a color mixture of ink at the nozzle. . This color mixture is caused by, for example, adhering to the nozzle surface a mist-like ink having a color different from that of the ink ejected from the nozzle. The test pattern forming unit according to the present invention corresponds to the print head H and the test pattern control unit, the detection data storage unit corresponds to the detection data memory, the reference data storage unit corresponds to the reference data memory, and the determination unit includes Corresponding to the determination unit, the notification means corresponds to the notification unit.

-Printer operation-
Hereinafter, the operation of the printing apparatus during the test pattern formation process, the test pattern determination process, and the head cleaning process will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  First, when the user presses “form test pattern” on the display 8 with a finger, a test pattern formation signal is transmitted from the reception block A to the print block B, and a test pattern formation process or the like is started. First, in step S1, the sensitivity of the density sensor 35 and the like is calibrated. Next, in step S2, it is determined whether or not the calibration of the sensitivity of the density sensor 35 or the like has been completed normally. When the determination result of step S2 is YES, the process proceeds to step S3, while when the determination result of step S2 is NO, the step ends. In step S3, a test pattern (check pattern) is printed on the print paper P by ejecting ink from each nozzle while scanning the print head H, and then the ink of each test dot is scanned by scanning the print head H. The respective densities are detected, and then the detected ink densities are stored as detection data. In step S4, the plurality of detection data and the plurality of reference data are respectively compared. In step S5, based on the comparison result in step S4, it is determined whether or not each nozzle is clogged (specifically, whether or not there are white dots in the test pattern), and ink in each nozzle. The presence / absence of flying bend and the presence / absence of ink color mixture in each nozzle are determined. When the determination result of step S5 is YES, that is, when at least one nozzle is clogged and there is an ink flight curve or ink color mixture, the process proceeds to step S6, whereas when the determination result of step S5 is NO, the step ends. To do. In step S6, a message “Do you want to clean?” Is displayed on the display 8 to notify the user. Then, when the user presses “execute cleaning” on the display 8 with a finger, a cleaning execution signal is transmitted from the reception block A to the print block B, and the process proceeds to step S7, while the user executes “cleaning” on the display 8 When “NO” is pressed with a finger, a cleaning non-execution signal is transmitted from the receiving block A to the printing block B, and the step is completed. In step S7, a cleaning process is performed on each nozzle of each head of the print head H. Then, it returns to step S1.

-Effect-
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the nozzle management control unit 73 compares the plurality of detection data with the plurality of reference data, and based on the comparison result, the state of each nozzle and the ink of each nozzle. Since the ejection state is determined, the state of each nozzle and the ink ejection state of each nozzle can be monitored and managed without the user actually observing. Therefore, the print quality can be monitored and managed.

  Conventionally, when detecting a test pattern by, for example, a sensor, it is necessary to increase the area of the test pattern or to provide a top / bottom margin on the printed paper P in order to reduce the influence of the peripheral light amount. A large amount of ink and print paper P is consumed. Here, according to the present embodiment, it is not necessary to consider the influence of the peripheral light amount. Therefore, the area of the test pattern can be reduced, and there is no need to provide a top / bottom margin on the printed paper P. Therefore, the consumption of ink and print paper P can be reduced.

  The density sensor 35 detects the ink density of each test dot, and the reference data memory stores the reference ink densities of a plurality of reference test dots in advance as a plurality of reference data. That is, the nozzle management control unit 73 compares the ink density of each test dot with the reference ink density of each reference test dot, and based on the comparison result, the state of each nozzle and the ink discharge state of each nozzle. Determine. Therefore, it is possible to realize a printing apparatus that can monitor and manage the individual state of each nozzle and the ink discharge state of each nozzle without actually being visually observed by the user.

  Further, since the nozzle management control unit 73 determines the degree of nozzle clogging of each nozzle based on the comparison result, according to the present embodiment, whether each nozzle is clogged without actually being visually observed by the user. Whether or not can be identified.

  In addition, since the nozzle management control unit 73 determines the degree of bending of the ink ejected from each nozzle based on the comparison result, according to the present embodiment, whether or not there is ink flying bending in each nozzle. Can be determined.

  In addition, since the nozzle management control unit 73 determines the color mixture state of each nozzle based on the comparison result, according to the present embodiment, identification of whether or not there is a color mixture of ink in each nozzle. It can be performed.

  Further, since the nozzle management control unit 73 displays the determination result determined by the nozzle management control unit 73 on the display 8 of the reception block A and notifies it, the user can know the determination result. Therefore, the user can determine whether to perform the cleaning process on the nozzle based on the determination result. Therefore, the convenience of the printing apparatus can be improved.

(Other embodiments)
In the present embodiment, the head cleaning process is performed on the print head H when the user presses “execute cleaning” on the display 8 with a finger, but the nozzle management control unit 73 determines in step S5. When the result is YES, the head cleaning process may be automatically performed. In this case, the user does not need to perform the predetermined operation on the receiving block A to perform the cleaning process. Therefore, the convenience of the printing apparatus can be improved. The cleaning unit according to the present invention corresponds to a cleaning unit and a cleaning control unit.

  Further, in this embodiment, when the determination result in step S5 is YES, that is, when there is at least one defective nozzle, the display 8 is displayed to notify the user that “Do you want to clean?”. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and when the number of defective nozzles is extremely small, that fact need not be displayed on the display 8.

  In this embodiment, the nozzle management control unit 73 controls the test pattern formation process, the test pattern determination process, and the head cleaning process. However, instead of the nozzle management control unit 73, the CPU of the print block B or the like is used. Of course, these processes may be controlled. Further, a plurality of reference data and a plurality of detection data are stored in the reference data memory and the detection data memory, respectively, but the semiconductor memory RAM / ROM of the print block B is used instead of the reference data memory and the detection data memory. Of course, the data may be stored.

  In this embodiment, the nozzle management control unit 73 determines the state of each nozzle and the ink discharge state of each nozzle. The nozzle management control unit 73 determines the state of each nozzle and the ink discharge state of each nozzle. It may be configured to determine at least one of the above.

  The present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the spirit or main features thereof.

  As described above, the above-described embodiment is merely an example in all respects and should not be interpreted in a limited manner. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and is not restricted by the text of the specification. Further, all modifications and changes belonging to the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

  As described above, the present invention is useful for a recording apparatus that ejects ink from a plurality of nozzles onto a recording medium to form dots on the recording medium.

1 is a perspective view showing an entire printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of a print block. It is a figure which shows the test pattern on a print paper. It is a figure which shows the conveyance system of the print paper of a print block. It is a figure which shows the image printed on the print paper, and the cutting | disconnection mark. It is a schematic diagram which shows an ink supply system. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a control system of the print system. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation process of the printing apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

35 Concentration sensor (detection means)
73 Nozzle management unit (test pattern forming means, detection data storage means, reference data storage means, determination means, notification means)
A Reception block B Print block Bb Print section (cleaning means)
H Print head (Test pattern forming means)
P Print paper

Claims (7)

A recording apparatus that ejects ink from a plurality of nozzles to a recording medium to form dots on the recording medium,
Test pattern forming means for forming a test pattern by ejecting ink from the plurality of nozzles onto a recording medium to form a plurality of test dots respectively corresponding to the nozzles on the recording medium;
Detection means for detecting the state of each of the test dots,
Detection data storage means for storing a plurality of detection data detected by the detection means;
The state of a plurality of reference test dots corresponding to each of the nozzles formed on the recording medium by ejecting ink from the plurality of nozzles to the recording medium at a predetermined time as a plurality of reference data in advance. Reference data storage means for storing;
And a determination unit that compares the plurality of detection data with the plurality of reference data, and determines at least one of the state of each nozzle and the ink discharge state of each nozzle based on the comparison result. A recording apparatus. The recording apparatus according to claim 1,
The detection means is configured to detect the density of each test dot,
The recording apparatus, wherein the reference data storage means is configured to previously store the densities of the plurality of reference test dots as a plurality of reference data. The recording apparatus according to claim 1,
The determination unit is configured to determine a degree of nozzle clogging for each of the nozzles based on the comparison result. The recording apparatus according to claim 1,
The recording apparatus, wherein the determination unit is configured to determine the degree of bending of the ink ejected from each of the nozzles based on the comparison result. The recording apparatus according to claim 1,
It is configured to eject at least two colors of ink from a plurality of nozzles to a recording medium to form dots on the recording medium,
The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to determine a color mixture state of each of the nozzles based on the comparison result. The recording apparatus according to claim 1,
A recording apparatus comprising: a notification unit configured to notify a determination result determined by the determination unit. The recording apparatus according to claim 1,
A recording apparatus comprising: a cleaning unit that performs a cleaning process on the nozzle based on a determination result determined by the determination unit.