Inkjet printing apparatus and method for controlling inkjet printing apparatus

1. An inkjet printing apparatus capable of performing a printing operation to eject ink from an ejection port provided for a print head to a print medium while covering the ejection port with a capping portion in a standby state in which the printing operation is not performed, the apparatus comprising:

a humidifying unit configured to perform a humidification operation to humidify a space formed between the capping portion and the print head in the standby state; and

a control unit configured to cause the humidifying unit to perform the humidification operation on the space in the standby state, wherein

the control unit causes the humidity unit to perform the humidification operation at first predetermined intervals or second predetermined intervals different from the first predetermined intervals, the predetermined intervals being set based on information of a duration in which the print head is separated from the capping portion, and stop the humidification operation after a common predetermined period of time has passed since the humidification operation is performed at the first predetermined intervals or the second predetermined intervals.

2. The inkjet printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets a number of times of performing the humidification operation until the humidification operation is stopped, based on at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of a time in which the print head is separated from the capping portion, humidity in the inkjet printing apparatus at the time when the space is formed by the capping portion and the print head, an amount of a liquid accumulated in the capping portion, a time in which the humidification operation is performed, and a duration of the standby state.

3. The inkjet printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the humidifying unit includes the print head for ejecting ink to the space.

4. The inkjet printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines the number of recovery ejections performed before the next printing operation based on an elapsed time from the time when the humidification operation is suspended in the standby state.

5. The inkjet printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets an interval between a recovery ejection and a humidification ejection performed before the next printing operation based on the cumulative number of humidification operations performed on the capping portion by the time the humidification operation in the standby state is suspended.

6. The inkjet printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit performs a recovery ejection to eject ink from the ejection port to refresh the ink in the print head immediately after the time when the space between the capping portion and the print head is formed, and performs the humidification operation after the recovery ejection.

7. The inkjet printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the humidification operation is a humidification ejection for humidifying the space by ejecting ink from the ejection port of the print head to the space.

8. The inkjet printing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the control unit allows changing respective ejection frequencies of the recovery ejection and the humidification ejection.

9. A method for controlling an inkjet printing apparatus capable of performing a printing operation to eject ink from an ejection port provided for a print head to a print medium while covering the ejection port with a capping portion in a standby state in which the printing operation is not performed, the method comprising:

a humidifying step of performing a humidification operation to humidify a space formed between the capping portion and the print head in the standby state;

a control step of controlling the humidification operation on the space in the standby state, wherein

the control step performs the humidification operation at first predetermined intervals or second predetermined interval different from the first predetermined intervals, the predetermined intervals being set based on information of a duration in which the print head is separated from the capping portion, and stops the humidification operation after a common predetermined period of time has passed since the humidification operation is performed at the first predetermined intervals or the second predetermined intervals.

10. The method for controlling an inkjet printing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the control step sets a number of times of performing the humidifying step based on at least one type of information selected from the group consisting of a time in which the print head is separated from the capping portion, humidity in the inkjet printing apparatus at the time when the space is formed by the capping portion and the print head, an amount of a liquid accumulated in the capping portion, a time in which the humidification operation is performed, and a duration of the standby state.

11. An inkjet printing apparatus capable of performing a printing operation to eject ink from an ejection port provided for a print head to a print medium while covering the ejection port with a capping portion in a standby state in which the printing operation is not performed, the apparatus comprising:

a humidifying unit configured to perform a humidification operation to humidify a space formed between the capping portion and the print head in the standby state; and

a control unit configured to cause the humidifying unit to perform the humidification operation on the space in the standby state, wherein

the control unit causes the humidity unit to perform the humidification operation at predetermined intervals, the predetermined intervals being set based on at least one type of information selected from humidity in the inkjet printing apparatus at a time when the space is formed by the capping portion and the print head, an amount of a liquid accumulated in the capping portion, a duration in which the humidification operation have been performed, and a duration of the standby state, and stops the humidification operation at a predetermined timing after performing the humidification operation multiple times.