IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,444,241
Granted Patent B2
US 8,444,241 · App. 12/770,817 · Granted May 21, 2013

Inkjet printer

Inventors: Ryo Terakado (Ibaraki-ken, JP); Masato Hirai (Ibaraki-ken, JP)
Assignee: Riso Kagaku Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,444,241
App. No.
12/770,817
Granted
May 21, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A print head includes an ink chamber for storing ink therein, an ink propelling mechanism for propelling ink out of the ink chamber, and a temperature sensor for measuring an ink temperature in the ink chamber, an ink circulation route has a route including the ink chamber, and a print controller works at least along deactivation of an energy saving mode or upon power-on, in response to the temperature sensor having a measure of ink temperature lower than a prescribed value, for a pre-treatment to have the ink propelling mechanism make ink vibrating actions within degrees not to cause ink to be propelled out of the ink chamber, until the ink temperature becomes the prescribed value or more.

Claims (38)

1. An inkjet printer comprising:

a print head configured with an ink chamber to store ink therein;

an ink propelling mechanism to propel ink out of the ink chamber;

a temperature sensor to measure an ink temperature in the ink chamber;

an ink circulation route configured with a route including the ink chamber;

a power controller configured to enter an energy saving mode which interrupts a circulation of ink and a temperature control of ink upon a waiting period exceeding a prescribed interval of time; and

a print controller configured to deactivate the energy saving mode in response to the temperature sensor having a measure of ink temperature lower than a prescribed value, for a pre-treatment to have the ink propelling mechanism make ink vibrating actions within degrees not to cause ink to be propelled out of the ink chamber, until the ink temperature reaches or exceeds the prescribed value.

2. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising

an ink quantity analyzer configured to analyze a quantity of ink necessitated for a printing of an input print data, wherein

the print controller is adapted to have the ink quantity analyzer determine whether or not the printing is possible by a quantity of ink in the ink chamber, and if a determination is made that printing is possible with the quantity of ink in the chamber, to proceed for the pre-treatment to have the ink propelling mechanism make ink vibrating actions within degrees not to cause ink to be propelled out of the ink chamber, without circulation of ink in the ink circulation route, until the ink temperature reaches or exceeds the prescribed value.

3. The inkjet printer according to claim 2 , wherein

the print controller is adapted to work with received print jobs to proceed past the pre-treatment to implement the print jobs with a priority to a print job including print data for the printing the ink quantity analyzer has determined as being possible by the quantity of ink in the ink chamber.

4. The inkjet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an ink quantity analyzer configured to analyze a quantity of ink necessitated for a printing of an input print data, wherein

the ink circulation route comprises a bypass circulation route configured to bypass the print head, and

the print controller is adapted to have the ink quantity analyzer determine whether or not the printing is possible by a quantity of ink in the ink chamber, if a determination is made that printing is possible with the quantity of ink in the chamber,

to proceed for circulation of ink through the bypass circulation route, and

to have the ink propelling mechanism make ink vibrating actions within degrees not to cause ink to be propelled out of the ink chamber, until the ink temperature becomes the prescribed value or more.

5. The inkjet printer according to claim 4 , wherein

the print controller is adapted to work with received print jobs to proceed past the pre-treatment to implement the print jobs with a priority to a print job including print data for the printing the ink quantity analyzer has determined as being possible by the quantity of ink in the ink chamber.

6. An inkjet printer comprising:

a print head configured with an ink chamber to store ink therein;

an ink propelling mechanism to propel ink out of the ink chamber;

a temperature sensor to measure an ink temperature in the ink chamber;

an ink circulation route configured with a route including the ink chamber;

an ink quantity analyzer configured to analyze a quantity of ink necessitated for a printing of an input print data;

a power controller configured to enter an energy saving mode which interrupts a circulation of ink and a temperature control of ink upon a waiting period exceeding a prescribed interval of time; and

a print controller configured to deactivate the energy saving mode in response to the ink quantity analyzer having analyzed an ink quantity as a prescribed value or less, for a pre-treatment to heat ink up to an applicable ink temperature as a measure of ink temperature at the temperature sensor.

7. The inkjet printer according to claim 6 , wherein

the ink circulation route comprises an intra-ink-circulation-route ink heater configured to heat ink in the ink circulation route, and

a bypass circulation route configured to bypass the print head, and the print controller is adapted to work at least along deactivation of the energy saving mode or upon power-on, in response to the ink quantity analyzer having analyzed an ink quantity as the prescribed value or less, to proceed for circulation of ink through the bypass circulation route, and use of the intra-ink-circulation-route ink heater for the pre-treatment to heat ink in the bypass circulation route up to the applicable ink temperature.

8. The inkjet printer according to claim 6 , wherein

the print controller is adapted to proceed for the pre-treatment to heat ink, without circulation of ink in the ink circulation route, up to the applicable ink temperature as a measure of ink temperature at the temperature sensor.

9. The inkjet printer according to claim 6 , wherein

the ink quantity analyzer is adapted to have information of print job pertaining to the print data as a basis to analyze a total dot number per one recording sheet, a print ratio, a recording sheet number, and a print set number commensurately with a recording sheet size,

for calculation of an ink quantity per one dot times the total dot number per one recording sheet times the print ratio times the recording sheet number times the print set number to determine the quantity of ink necessitated for the printing of the print data.

10. The inkjet printer according to claim 6 , wherein

the print controller is adapted to work with received print jobs to proceed past the pre-treatment to implement the print jobs with a priority to a print job including print data for the printing the ink quantity analyzer has determined as being possible by a quantity of ink in the ink chamber.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 30, 2010
From: TERAKADO, RYO; HIRAI, MASATO
To: RISO KAGAKU CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024318/0068 →
Priority Claims (3)
JP P2009-112947 · May 7, 2009 · national
JP P2009-146270 · Jun 19, 2009 · national
JP P2010-078489 · Mar 30, 2010 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20100283808A1 · Nov 11, 2010