Liquid discharging device, control apparatus for liquid discharging device, and method of controlling liquid discharging device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10065413-B2
Application number	US-201615372582-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2016
Priority date	Dec 9, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

A liquid discharging device detects, among a plurality of nozzles of a liquid discharging head, a normal-discharging nozzle and a false-discharging nozzle, selects whether to recover discharging performance of the false-discharging nozzle by a cleaner or to compensate deterioration in an image caused by the false-discharging nozzle by a compensator using the normal-discharging nozzle according to the detected number of consecutive false-discharging nozzles, and performs operation according to the selection.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid discharging device comprising:
plural liquid discharging heads, each provided with a plurality of nozzles;
a discharge detector to detect, among the plurality of nozzles of the liquid discharging heads, a normal-discharging nozzle and a false-discharging nozzle;
a cleaner to recover discharging performance of the false-discharging nozzle;
a compensator to compensate deterioration in an image caused by the false-discharging nozzle using the normal-discharging nozzle; and
a selector to select, for each liquid discharging head, whether to use the cleaner based on whether a pre-stored combination of false-discharging nozzles of two or more liquid discharging heads has been detected by the discharge detector.

2. The liquid discharging device according to claim 1 , wherein the discharge detector determines whether each nozzle of the liquid discharging head is the normal-discharging nozzle or the false-discharging nozzle using input data for liquid discharge.

3. The liquid discharging device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory to store false-discharging nozzle information for identifying which nozzle of which liquid discharging head is the false-discharging nozzle, and adjacent nozzle information for identifying an adjacent nozzle for an operating mode under which liquid is discharged from a liquid discharging head, wherein
the selector identifies the pre-stored combination of false-discharging nozzles according to the false-discharging nozzle information and the adjacent nozzle information.

4. The liquid discharging device according to claim 1 , wherein the compensator compensates deterioration in an image by forming an image on a pixel near a pixel corresponding to the false-discharging nozzle using the normal-discharging nozzle.

5. The liquid discharging device according to claim 1 , wherein the selector determines to use the cleaner for a respective liquid discharging head when the discharge detector detects the pre-stored combination of false-discharging nozzles.

6. The liquid discharging device according to claim 1 , wherein, after using the cleaner for all liquid discharging heads for which use of the cleaner is selected by the selector, the compensator is used to compensate for remaining deterioration in the image.

7. A control apparatus that controls a liquid discharging device including plural liquid discharging heads, the control apparatus comprising a controller configured to:
obtain, from the liquid discharging device, information on detection of a normal-discharging nozzle and a false-discharging nozzle of each respective liquid discharging head;
select, for each respective liquid discharging head, whether to instruct the liquid discharging device to recover discharging performance of the respective liquid discharging head based on whether a pre-stored combination of false-discharging nozzles of two or more liquid discharging heads is provided by the information on detection; and
control the liquid discharging device to perform operation according to the selection.

8. The control apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the controller instructs the liquid discharging device to recover discharging performance of the respective liquid discharging head when the liquid discharging device detects that a number of consecutive false-discharging nozzles has reached a predetermined number.

9. A liquid discharge system comprising:
the control apparatus of claim 7 ; and
the liquid discharging device.

10. A method of controlling a liquid discharging device including plural liquid discharging heads, the method comprising:
detecting, among a plurality of nozzles of each respective liquid discharging head, a normal-discharging nozzle and a false-discharging nozzle using a discharge detector;
selecting, for each respective liquid discharging head, whether to recover discharging performance of the respective liquid discharging head by a cleaner based on whether a pre-stored combination of false-discharging nozzles of two or more liquid discharging heads is detected in the detection; and
controlling the liquid discharging device to perform operation according to the selection.

Assignees

• Yokoyama Ryoh
• Nemoto Yoshimi
• Taguma Kenichi
• Ueda Tetsuto
• Toda Naohiro
• Takagi Yasunobu
• Ueda Shotaro
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yokoyama Ryoh
• Nemoto Yoshimi
• Taguma Kenichi
• Ueda Tetsuto
• Toda Naohiro
• Takagi Yasunobu
• Ueda Shotaro

Classifications

• B41J2/2139

  Compensation for malfunctioning nozzles creating dot place or dot size errors (generating single droplets or particles on demand by pressure, e.g. electromechanical transducers B41J2/045) · CPC title

• B41J2/01 Primary

  Ink jet · CPC title

• B41J2/16579

  Detection means therefor, e.g. for nozzle clogging · CPC title

• B41J2/16517 Primary

  Cleaning of print head nozzles (B41J2/16505, B41J2/1707 take precedence) · CPC title

• B41J2/165

  Prevention {or detection} of nozzle clogging, e.g. cleaning, capping or moistening for nozzles · CPC title