IP Library Granted Patent US 8,382,226
Granted Patent B2
US 8,382,226 · App. 12/839,514 · Granted Feb 26, 2013

Image forming system

Inventor: Kenichi Satake (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: Kyocera Mita Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,382,226
App. No.
12/839,514
Granted
Feb 26, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

An image forming system configured to eject ink onto a sheet conveyed in a first direction including a first head including a plurality of first ejection ports configured to eject the ink; a second head including a plurality of second ejection ports configured to eject the ink; an input part configured to be input ejection port information on the plurality of first ejection ports and the plurality of second ejection ports; and a controller configured to control ejection of the ink from the first ejection ports and the second ejection ports based on the ejection port information.

Claims (62)

1. An image forming system configured to eject ink onto a sheet conveyed in a first direction comprising:

a first head including a plurality of first ejection ports configured to eject the ink;

a second head including a plurality of second ejection ports configured to eject the ink and an end part overlapping with the first head;

an input part to which ejection port information on the plurality of first ejection ports and the plurality of second ejection ports is input; and

a controller configured to control ejection of the ink from the first ejection ports and the second ejection ports based on the ejection port information, wherein

the first head includes an end part overlapping with the second head,

the plurality of first ejection ports and the plurality of second ejection ports are aligned in a second direction intersecting with the first direction,

the second head in a shifted position in the first direction with respect to the first head is shifted in the second direction with respect to the first head so as to form an overlapped area in which a first printing area defined by the plurality of first ejection ports and a second printing area defined by the plurality of second ejection ports overlap with each other in the second direction,

the plurality of first ejection ports include a first reference ejection port defining an edge of the overlapped area,

the plurality of second ejection ports include a second reference ejection port defining an edge of the overlapped area, the second reference election port being closest to the end part of the second head among the plurality of second ejection ports,

the first reference election port is positioned closest to the second reference ejection port among the plurality of first election ports,

the ejection port information includes information for defining a first ejection port between the first reference ejection port and the end part of the first head as inactive ejection port that does not eject the ink, and

the controller selectively switches between ejection of the ink from the first reference ejection port and ejection of the ink from the second reference ejection port and causes the ink to be ejected from the plurality of first ejection ports excluding the first ejection port defined as the inactive ejection port.

2. An image forming system configured to eject ink onto a sheet conveyed in a first direction, comprising:

a first head including a plurality of first ejection ports configured to eject the ink;

a second head including a plurality of second ejection ports configured to eject the ink, the second head including an end part overlapping with the first head;

an input part to which ejection port information on the plurality of first election ports and the plurality of second ejection ports is input; and

a controller configured to control ejection of the ink from the first ejection ports and the second ejection ports based on the ejection port information, wherein:

the first head includes an end part overlapping with the second head,

the plurality of first ejection ports and the plurality of second ejection ports are aligned in a second direction intersecting with the first direction,

the second head in a shifted position in the first direction with respect to the first head is shifted in the second direction with respect to the first head so as to form an overlapped area in which a first printing area defined by the plurality of first ejection ports and a second printing area defined by the plurality of second ejection ports overlap with each other in the second direction,

the plurality of first ejection ports include a first reference ejection port defining an edge of the overlapped area, the first reference ejection port being closest to the end part of the first head in the plurality of first ejection ports,

the plurality of second ejection ports include a second reference ejection port defining an edge of the overlapped area, the second reference ejection port being positioned closest to the first reference ejection port among the plurality of second ejection ports,

the ejection port information includes information for defining a second ejection port between the second reference ejection port and the end part of the second head as an inactive ejection port that does not eject the ink, and

the controller selectively switches between ejection of the ink from the first reference ejection port and ejection of the ink from the second reference ejection port and causes the ink to be ejected from the plurality of second ejection ports excluding the second ejection port defined as the inactive ejection port.

3. An image forming system configured to eject ink onto a sheet conveyed in a first direction, comprising:

a first head including a plurality of first ejection ports configured to eject the ink;

a second head including a plurality of second ejection ports configured to eject the ink;

an input part to which ejection port information on the plurality of first ejection ports and the plurality of second ejection ports is input; and

a controller configured to control ejection of the ink from the first ejection ports and the second ejection ports based on the ejection port information, wherein:

the plurality of first ejection ports and the plurality of second ejection ports are aligned in a second direction intersecting with the first direction,

the second head in a shifted position in the first direction with respect to the first head is shifted in the second direction with respect to the first head so as to form an overlapped area in which a first printing area defined by the plurality of first ejection ports and a second printing area defined by the plurality of second ejection ports overlap with each other in the second direction,

the plurality of first ejection ports include a first reference ejection port defining an edge of the overlapped area,

the plurality of second ejection ports include a second reference ejection port defining an edge of the overlapped area,

the ejection port information includes information on the first reference ejection port and the second reference ejection port,

a first sub-line including aligned dots formed by the ink ejected from each of the plurality of first ejection ports is formed every time the ink is ejected from the plurality of first ejection ports,

a second sub-line including aligned dots formed by the ink ejected from each of the plurality of second ejection ports is formed on the sheet every time the ink is ejected from the plurality of second ejection ports,

the controller selectively switches between ejection of the ink from the first reference ejection port and ejection of the ink from the second reference ejection port and controls the ejection of the ink from the plurality of first ejection ports and the ejection of the ink from the plurality of second ejection ports in accordance with a conveyance of the sheet so as to form a main line in which the first sub-line and the second sub-line are arrayed in one row in the second direction, and

the main line includes a first main line with a first dot formed by the ink ejected from the first reference ejection port and a second main line with a second dot formed by the ink ejected from the second reference ejection port,

the first main line excludes the second dot,

the second main line excludes the first dot, and

the controller controls the ejection of the ink such that the first main line and the second main line are arranged alternately in the first direction.

4. An image forming system configured to eject ink onto a sheet conveyed in a first direction comprising:

a first head including a plurality of first ejection ports configured to eject the ink;

a second head including a plurality of second ejection ports configured to eject the ink;

an input part to which ejection port information on the plurality of first ejection ports and the plurality of second ejection ports is input; and

a controller configured to control ejection of the ink from the first ejection ports and the second ejection ports based on the ejection port information, wherein:

the plurality of first ejection ports and the plurality of second ejection ports are aligned in a second direction intersecting with the first direction,

the second head in a shifted position in the first direction with respect to the first head is shifted in the second direction with respect to the first head so as to form an overlapped area in which a first printing area defined by the plurality of first ejection ports and a second printing area defined by the plurality of second ejection ports overlap with each other in the second direction,

the plurality of first ejection ports include a first reference ejection port defining an edge of the overlapped area,

the plurality of second ejection ports include a second reference ejection port defining an edge of the overlapped area,

the ejection port information includes information on the first reference ejection port and the second reference ejection port,

the input part is configured to receive an input of test image information for forming a test image on the sheet, and

the controller selectively switches between ejection of the ink from the first reference ejection port and ejection of the ink from the second reference ejection port and controls the ejection of the ink based on the test image information, such that one of the first printing area and the second printing area is formed on the sheet and thereafter another printing area is formed in a position shifted in the first direction in relation to the former printing area.

5. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first ejection ports is arranged along a straight line extending in the second direction.

6. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second ejection ports is arranged along a straight line extending in the second direction.

7. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of first ejection ports is arranged in a manner of a cross stitch along the second direction.

8. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second ejection ports is arranged in a manner of a cross stitch along the second direction.

9. The image forming system according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage configured to store the ejection port information.

10. The image forming system according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a conveying part configured to convey the sheet in the first direction, wherein

the controller shifts a timing of the ejection of the ink from the plurality of first ejection ports with respect to a timing of the ejection of the ink from the plurality of second ejection ports in accordance with a distance in the first direction between the plurality of first ejection ports and the plurality of second ejection ports as well as a speed of conveying the sheet conveyed by the conveying part.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 18, 2012
From: KYOCERA MITA CORPORATION
To: KYOCERA DOCUMENT SOLUTIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 028230/0345 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 20, 2010
From: SATAKE, KENICHI
To: KYOCERA MITA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 024711/0665 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2009-174576 · Jul 27, 2009 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20110018923A1 · Jan 27, 2011