Controlling nozzles in a print head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10384445-B2
Application number	US-201816002127-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2018
Priority date	Mar 30, 2015
Publication date	Aug 20, 2019
Grant date	Aug 20, 2019

Abstract

In some examples, a printing system comprises a controller to determine, during a print operation, first status information that relates to a condition of a first nozzle set of the print head, and second status information that relates to a condition of a second nozzle set of the print head. In response to determining from the first status information that a number of malfunctioning nozzles in the first nozzle set does not exceed a first threshold value and determining from the second status information that a number of redundant nozzles in the second nozzle set exceeds a second threshold value, the controller is to cause the second nozzle set including the redundant nozzles of the print head to be operated in place of the first nozzle set to continue the print operation. In response to determining from the first status information that that the number of malfunctioning nozzles in the first nozzle set exceeds the first threshold value, the controller is to interrupt the print operation and instructing a maintenance operation on the print head.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing system comprising:
a print head coupling to receive a print head; and
a controller to:
determine, during a print operation, first status information that relates to a condition of a first nozzle set of the print head, and second status information that relates to a condition of a second nozzle set of the print head;
in response to determining from the first status information that a number of malfunctioning nozzles in the first nozzle set does not exceed a first threshold value and determining from the second status information that a number of redundant nozzles in the second nozzle set exceeds a second threshold value, cause the second nozzle set including the redundant nozzles of the print head to be operated in place of the first nozzle set to continue the print operation; and
in response to determining from the first status information that that the number of malfunctioning nozzles in the first nozzle set exceeds the first threshold value, interrupt the print operation and instructing a maintenance operation on the print head.

2. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is to compare the first status information to a plurality of ranges indicative of different nozzle operation states.

3. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is to:
responsive to the first status information indicating that the first nozzle set is able to perform the print operation with a print quality metric that is above a quality threshold, continue the print operation without instructing the maintenance operation on the print head or causing the second nozzle set of the print head to be operated in place of the first nozzle set.

4. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the first status information is performed repeatedly during the print operation.

5. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the print head comprises a plurality of nozzles having respective piezo-electric actuators, and the first and second nozzle sets comprises subsets of the plurality of nozzles.

6. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the first status information is based on information obtained during a previous print operation.

7. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is to:
interrupt the print operation in response to determining from the first status information that the number of malfunctioning nozzles in the first nozzle set does not exceed the first threshold value and determining from the second status information that the number of redundant nozzles in the second nozzle set does not exceed the second threshold value.

8. The printing system of claim 7 , wherein causing the second nozzle set to be operated in place of the first nozzle set allows the print operation to continue without interruption.

9. The printing system of claim 7 , wherein the determining of the number of malfunctioning nozzles in the first nozzle set and the determining of the number of redundant nozzles in the second nozzle set are performed in a first time period, and the causing of the second nozzle set to be operated in place of the first nozzle set or the interrupting of the print operation is performed in a second time period after the first time period.

10. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is to detect a malfunctioning nozzle in the first nozzle set by:
printing, using the first nozzle set, a calibration pattern onto a print medium;
receiving information acquired by a sensor of the printed calibration pattern; and
identifying, based on the received information acquired by the sensor, a nozzle in the first nozzle set as malfunctioning in response to detecting absence of a mark corresponding to the nozzle.

11. The printing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a processor and a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable on the processor to perform the determining, the causing, and the interrupting.

12. A printing system comprising:
a print head coupling arranged to receive a print head;
a processor; and
a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions executable on the processor to:
receive first status information relating to a condition of a first nozzle set of the print head following a first period of a print operation, and receive and second status information that relates to a condition of a second nozzle set of the print head; and
compare the first status information to a plurality of ranges indicative of different nozzle operation states;
in response to determining from the first status information that a number of malfunctioning nozzles in the first nozzle set does not exceed a first threshold value and determining from the second status information that a number of redundant nozzles in the second nozzle set exceeds a second threshold value, cause the second nozzle set including the redundant nozzles of the print head to be operated in place of the first nozzle set to continue the print operation; and
in response to determining from the first status information that that the number of malfunctioning nozzles in the first nozzle set exceeds the first threshold value, interrupt the print operation and instructing a maintenance operation on the print head.

13. The printing system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions are executable on the processor to:
responsive to the first status information indicating that the first nozzle set is without malfunctioning nozzles, continue the print operation on the printing system without instructing the second nozzle et to be operated in place of the first nozzle set and without instructing the maintenance operation on the print head.

14. The printing system of claim 12 , wherein the first status information relates to a health condition of the nozzles in the first nozzle set.

15. The printing system of claim 12 , wherein receiving the first status information and receiving the second status information are performed repeatedly during the print operation.

16. The printing system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions are executable on the processor to:
interrupt the print operation in response to determining from the first status information that the number of malfunctioning nozzles in the first nozzle set does not exceed the first threshold value and determining from the second status information that the number of redundant nozzles in the second nozzle set does not exceed the second threshold value.

17. The printing system of claim 16 , wherein causing the second nozzle set to be operated in place of the first nozzle set allows the print operation to continue without interruption.

18. The printing system of claim 16 , wherein the determining of the number of malfunctioning nozzles in the first nozzle set and the determining of the number of redundant nozzles in the second nozzle set are performed in a first time period, and the causing of the second nozzle set to be operated in place of the first nozzle set or the interrupting of the print operation is performed in a second time period after the first time period.

19. The printing system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions are executable on the processor to detect a malfunctioning nozzle in the first nozzle set by:
printing, using the first nozzle set, a calibration pattern onto a print medium;
receiving information acquired by a sensor of the printed calibration pattern; and
identifying, based on the received information acquired by the sensor, a nozzle in the first nozzle set as malfunctioning in response to detecting abs

Assignees

• Hp Scitex Ltd

Inventors

• Isal Cortes Marc
• Shemesh Yair
• Perets Oren

Classifications

• B41J2/04586

  controlling heads of a type not covered by groups B41J2/04575 - B41J2/04585, or of an undefined type · CPC title

• 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

• B41J2002/16573

  Cleaning process logic, e.g. for determining type or order of cleaning processes · CPC title

• B41J2/16579

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

• B41J2/165 Primary

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