Image formation device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10723136-B2
Application number	US-201715716808-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2017
Priority date	Mar 31, 2017
Publication date	Jul 28, 2020
Grant date	Jul 28, 2020

Abstract

An image formation device includes a plurality of nozzles, a processor which forms an image on the basis of print data, and a memory which stores computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform processes including, performing first ejection control which ejects a first amount of the ink at a timing of one of a forward path and a return path in the main scan direction, when printing is performed by a multi-pass method in which each of pixel arrays is printed by a plurality of main scans and, in each of the plurality of main scans, the ink is ejected onto the same pixel array from the respectively different nozzles, and performing second ejection control configured to eject a second amount of the ink at a timing different from the previous timing of the ejection of the ink, the second amount being smaller than the first amount.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image formation device comprising:
a first head provided with a plurality of first nozzles arranged in a sub scanning direction, the first nozzle being capable of ejecting a first ink used for a background;
a second head provided with a plurality of second nozzles arranged in a sub scanning direction, the second nozzle being capable of ejecting a second ink of a different color from the first ink upon the ejected first ink;
a carriage conveyed in a main scan direction orthogonal to the sub scanning direction and mounted with the first head and the second head, the second head being arranged in the sub scanning direction with respect to the first head on the carriage;
a processor; and
a memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
perform a first ejection control configured to eject a first amount of the second ink from the second nozzles of the second head at a timing of one of a forward path and a return path in the main scan direction of the carriage, while printing is performed by a multi-pass method in which each of pixel arrays is printed by a plurality of main scans of the carriage and, in each of the plurality of main scans, the first ink is ejected onto the same pixel array from respectively different first nozzles of the first head, and
perform a second ejection control configured to eject a second amount of the second ink from the second nozzles of the second head at a timing different from the previous timing of the ejection of the second ink, the second amount of the second ink being smaller than the first amount of the second ink, while the printing is performed by the multi-pass method in which the first ink is ejected from the respectively different first nozzles of the first head.

2. The image formation device according to claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
perform a determination control configured to determine whether to print the first ink using the multi-pass method, on the basis of a print data, and
cause the first amount of the second ink to be ejected at the timing of one of the forward path and the return path in the main scan direction when it is determined that the first ink is to be printed by the multi-pass method, in the first ejection control.

3. The image formation device according to claim 2 , wherein the memory further stores computer-readable instruction, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
determine, in the determination control, whether to print the first ink using the multi-pass method, by determining whether a command to print the first ink using the multi-pass method is included in the print data.

4. The image formation device according to claim 1 , wherein the second amount is zero.

5. The image formation device according to claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
perform the first ejection control and second ejection control on the basis of a mask percentage, which is a ratio at which pixels of the pixel array are printed.

6. The image formation device according to claim 1 , wherein the memory further stores computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
cause, in the first ejection control and the second ejection control, printing to be performed such that a sum of a first mask percentage and a second mask percentage is one hundred percent and the second mask percentage is smaller than the first mask percentage, the first mask percentage being a percentage at which the pixels of the pixel array are printed by the first amount of the second ink, and the second mask percentage being a percentage at which the pixels of the pixel array are printed by the second amount of the second ink.

7. The image formation device according to claim 6 , wherein the memory further stores computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
cause, in the first ejection control and the second ejection control, printing to be performed such that the first mask percentage is one hundred percent and the second mask percentage is zero percent.

8. The image formation device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a head provided with the plurality of nozzles arranged in the sub scan direction, wherein the memory further stores computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
form an image, by relatively moving the head in the main scan direction with respect to the print medium and causing the first ink and the second ink to be ejected, and relatively moving the head in the sub scan direction with respect to the print medium, on the basis of a print data.

9. The image formation device according to claim 1 , wherein the first ink is white ink; and
the second ink is a color ink.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Kayanaka Yoshihisa
• Mizuno Naoki

Classifications

• B41J19/147

  Colour shift prevention · CPC title

• B41J2/2132

  Print quality control characterised by dot disposition, e.g. for reducing white stripes or banding (methods for local corrections by dot omission, image edge enhancement, or multi-pass mask selection G06K15/102; colour conversion H04N1/40) · CPC title

• B41J2/04581

  controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements · CPC title

• B41J2/2117 Primary

  Ejecting white liquids · CPC title

• G06K15/105

  Multipass or interlaced printing · CPC title