Ink jet printer
A printer includes a main power supply switch to drive a controller, and a sub-power supply switch to enable printing on a recording medium. The controller includes a memory that stores a turn-on frequency of turning on of the sub-power supply per a unit time in a predetermined period of a predetermined first duration, a calculator that calculates a sum of the turn-on frequency in a predetermined second duration for each of predetermined second durations starting at different start times, in the predetermined period, a specifier that specifies, as a specified start time, a start time of the predetermined second duration for which the sum calculated by the calculator is at a maximum, and a cleaner that performs a cleaning operation of discharging ink from at least the nozzles at the specified start time.
1. An ink jet printer comprising:
an ink head including a plurality of nozzles from which ink is discharged onto a recording medium and a nozzle surface in which the plurality of nozzles are provided;
a controller that controls discharge of ink from the plurality of nozzles;
a main power supply that drives the controller; and
a sub-power supply that enables printing on the recording medium by the ink head; wherein
the controller includes:
a memory that stores a turn-on frequency of turning on of the sub-power supply per a unit time in a predetermined period of a predetermined first duration;
a calculator that calculates a sum of the turn-on frequency in a predetermined second duration for each of a plurality of predetermined second durations starting at different start times in the predetermined period;
a specifier that specifies, as a specified start time, a start time of the predetermined second duration for which the sum calculated by the calculator is at maximum; and
a cleaner that performs a cleaning operation of discharging ink from at least the plurality of nozzles at the specified start time specified by the specifier.
2. The ink jet printer according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where there are a plurality of predetermined second durations for which the sum calculated by the calculator is at a maximum, the specifier specifies, as the specified start time, the start time of the predetermined second duration starting at the earliest start time among the plurality of predetermined second durations.
3. The ink jet printer according to claim 1 , wherein in a case where there are a plurality of predetermined second durations for which the sum calculated by the calculator is at a maximum, the specifier specifies, as the specified start time, the start time of the predetermined second duration including a maximum value of the turn-on frequency among the plurality of predetermined second durations.
4. The ink jet printer according to claim 1 , wherein in the predetermined period, in a case where the sub-power supply is turned on before the specified start time and a period from turning on of the sub-power supply to the specified start time is shorter than the predetermined second duration, the cleaner does not perform the cleaning operation at the specified start time.
5. The ink jet printer according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a cap detachably attached to the ink head such that while the cap is attached to the ink head, the cap covers the nozzle surface and defines a hermetic space with the nozzle surface; and
a suction pump that is controlled by the controller and sucks fluid remaining in the hermetic space; wherein
the cleaning operation includes a suction operation of sucking fluid remaining in the hermetic space by the suction pump and discharging ink from the plurality of nozzles.
6. The ink jet printer according to claim 5 , further comprising a wiper that is controlled by the controller and wipes the nozzle surface; wherein
the cleaning operation includes a wiping operation of wiping the nozzle surface by the wiper after the suction operation.