Printing apparatus and print head heating method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11020965-B2
Application number	US-201916575172-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2019
Priority date	Sep 28, 2018
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

Ink in a print head is heated to a target temperature by driving heating elements included in a print head. After heating control is completed, operation that is performed using power stored in a power storage unit is started. The target temperature in the heating control is determined in such a manner that the temperature of the print head when the operation is started is a set temperature or higher.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing apparatus comprising;
a print head including an ink discharge port and a heating element for heating the print head to heat ink contained in the print head;
a power storage unit configured to store, in the power storage unit, electric charge supplied from an external power supply;
a power detection unit configured to detect power supplied from the external power supply;
a temperature detection unit configured to detect a temperature of the print head;
a heating control unit configured to control, as heating control, heating of the heating element to heat the print head by driving the heating element using electric charge stored in the power storage unit, based on a detection result by the temperature detection unit;
an execution unit configured to execute a predetermined operation using the print head and using electric charge stored in the power storage unit after the heating control is completed; and
a temperature determination unit configured to determine a target temperature in accordance with the supplied power detected by the power detection unit and with a set predetermined temperature,
wherein the target temperature is a temperature to which the heating element is driven to heat the print head in the heating control to bring the detected temperature of the print head to the set predetermined temperature or higher when the predetermined operation starts.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a time determination unit configured to determine an amount of time, starting from when the heating control is completed, for storing, in the power storage unit, electric charge to be used in the predetermined operation from the external power supply based on supplied power detected by the power detection unit,
wherein the temperature determination unit determines the target temperature based on the amount of time determined by the time determination unit.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a stored-power amount detection unit configured to detect an amount of power stored in the power storage unit,
wherein the time determination unit determines the amount of time based on the amount of stored power that has been detected by the stored-power amount detection unit.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the temperature determination unit determines the target temperature based on the amount of stored power detected by the stored-power amount detection unit.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a calculation unit configured to calculate an amount of power to be stored in the power storage unit when the heating control is completed,
wherein the temperature determination unit determines the target temperature as a first temperature,
wherein, based on the amount of stored power detected by the stored-power amount detection unit and on the supplied power detected by the power detection unit, the calculation unit calculates an amount of stored power remaining in the power storage unit after the heating control unit heats the print head to the first temperature,
wherein, based on the calculated amount of stored power when the heating control is completed and on the supplied power detected by the power detection unit, the time determination unit determines the amount of time, and
wherein, the temperature determination unit determines the first temperature as the target temperature in a case where a temperature, of the print head when the predetermined operation starts, obtained based on the amount of time determined by the time determination unit is the set predetermined temperature or higher, and the temperature determination unit determines a temperature higher than the first temperature as the target temperature in a case where the detected temperature of the print head is lower than the set predetermined temperature.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, when the predetermined temperature is set based on a maximum temperature of the print head and a temperature, higher than the predetermined temperature, has been found as the target temperature, the temperature determination unit determines the predetermined temperature as the target temperature.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the predetermined operation that is executed using electric charge stored in the power storage unit after the heating control is completed is an operation for discharging ink from the ink discharge port in the print head.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the heating control unit heats the print head while power is supplied from the external power supply to the power storage unit.

9. A method for a printing apparatus having a print head having an ink discharge port and a heating element for heating the print head to heat ink contained in the print head, the method comprising:
storing electric charge supplied from an external power supply;
detecting power supplied from the external power supply;
detecting a temperature of the print head;
controlling, as heating control, heating of the heating element to heat the print head by driving the heating element using electric charge, based on a result of detecting the temperature of the print head;
executing a predetermined operation using the print head and using stored electric charge after the heating control is completed; and
determining a target temperature in accordance with the detected supplied power and with a set predetermined temperature,
wherein the target temperature is a temperature to which the heating element is driven to heat the print head in the heating control to bring the detected temperature of the print head to the set predetermined temperature or higher when the predetermined operation starts.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising determining an amount of time, starting from when the heating control is completed, for storing, in the power storage unit, electric charge to be used in the predetermined operation from the external power supply based on detected supplied power,
wherein determining the target temperature is based on the determined amount of time.

11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising detecting an amount of stored power,
wherein determining the amount of time is based on the amount of stored power that has been detected.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein determining the target temperature is based on the detected amount of stored power.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to cause a computer to perform a method for a printing apparatus having a print head having an ink discharge port and a heating element for heating the print head to heat ink contained in the print head, the method comprising:
storing electric charge supplied from an external power supply;
detecting power supplied from the external power supply;
detecting a temperature of the print head;
controlling, as heating control, heating of the heating element to heat the print head by driving the heating element using stored electric charge, based on a result of detecting the temperature of the print head;
executing a predetermined operation using the print head and using stored electric charge after the heating control is completed; and
determining a target temperature in accordance with the detected supplied power and with a set predetermined temperature,
wherein the target temperature is a temperature to which the heating element is driven to heat the print head in the heating control to bring the detected temperature of the prin

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Kobayashi Daisuke
• Oonuki Kenichi
• Seki Satoshi
• Doi Tsukasa

Classifications

• B41J2/0458

  controlling heads based on heating elements forming bubbles · CPC title

• B41J2/04528

  aiming at warming up the head · CPC title

• B41J2/04563 Primary

  detecting head temperature; Ink temperature · CPC title

• B41J2/0457

  Power supply level being detected or varied · CPC title