IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,022,505
Granted Patent B2
US 9,022,505 · App. 13/966,525 · Granted May 5, 2015

Printing apparatus and printing method

Inventors: Masami Ogura (Tokyo-to, JP); Naoki Sudo (Shiojiri, JP)
Assignee: Seiko Corporation
B41J2/21B41J2/2107
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,022,505
App. No.
13/966,525
Granted
May 5, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a printing method using a printing apparatus. The printing apparatus includes a head that has a nozzle array, in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting a black pigment ink is arranged, and a nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting a color ink is arranged. The printing method includes: a step of acquiring image data of an image to be printed on a medium; a step of ejecting the black pigment ink onto the medium on the basis of the image data; and a step of ejecting the color ink onto the medium on the basis of the image data. A supply capability of the pigment ink supply section is higher than a supply capability of the color ink supply section.

Claims (64)

1. A printing apparatus in which a pigment ink supplier for supplying a black pigment ink and a color ink supplier for supplying a color ink can be separately mounted, the printing apparatus comprising:

a head that has a black ink nozzle array, in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting the black pigment ink is arranged, and a color ink nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting the color ink is arranged;

a pigment ink supply section that supplies the black pigment ink, which is supplied from the pigment ink supplier, to the black ink nozzle array; and

a color ink supply section that supplies the color ink, which is supplied from the color ink supplier, to the color ink nozzle array,

wherein a supply capability, defined as the volume of ink supply over a unit of time, of the pigment ink supply section is higher than a supply capability of the color ink supply section.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein a dye ink supplier for supplying a black dye ink can be further mounted,

wherein the head has a black dye ink nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting the black dye ink is arranged, and

wherein a dye ink supply section for supplying the black dye ink, which is supplied from the dye ink supplier, to the black dye ink nozzle array is provided.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein the number of the pigment ink supply sections is larger than the number of the dye ink supply sections.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3 ,

wherein the head ejects the color ink by an ejection capability which is equal to or less than the supply capability of the color ink supply section, and

wherein the head ejects the black pigment ink by an ejection capability which is equal to or less than the supply capability of the pigment ink supply section and which is greater than a supply capability of the dye ink supply section.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein a diameter of the pigment ink supply section is larger than a diameter of the dye ink supply section.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein the color ink nozzle array for ejecting the color ink is provided between one nozzle array for ejecting the black pigment ink and one nozzle array for ejecting the black dye ink in a main scanning direction.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 ,

wherein a control section causes the head to eject inks onto a medium, on the basis of print data and a certain mode among a plurality of modes including a first mode for ejecting the black pigment ink and a second mode for ejecting the black dye ink,

wherein the second mode is a mode for ejecting the black dye ink by an ejection capability which is equal to or less than the supply capability of the dye ink supply section, and

wherein the first mode is a mode for ejecting the black pigment ink by an ejection capability which is equal to or less than the supply capability of the pigment ink supply section and which is greater than a supply capability of the dye ink supply section.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 7 ,

wherein a speed of relative movement in a main scanning direction in the first mode is higher than a speed of relative movement in the main scanning direction in the second mode.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the number of the pigment ink supply sections is larger than the number of the color ink supply sections.

10. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein a diameter of the pigment ink supply section is larger than a diameter of the color ink supply section.

11. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the head has a plurality of nozzle arrays for ejecting the black pigment ink, and

wherein the plurality of nozzle arrays for ejecting the black pigment ink ejects the black pigment ink which is supplied from the single pigment ink supplier.

12. A printing apparatus in which a pigment ink supplier for supplying a black pigment ink and a dye ink supplier for supplying a black dye ink can be separately mounted, the printing apparatus comprising:

a head that has a black pigment ink nozzle array, in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting the black pigment ink is arranged, and a black dye ink nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting the black dye ink is arranged;

a pigment ink supply section that supplies the black pigment ink, which is supplied from the pigment ink supplier, to the black pigment ink nozzle array; and

a dye ink supply section that supplies the black dye ink, which is supplied from the dye ink supplier, to the black dye ink nozzle array,

wherein a supply capability, defined as the volume of ink supply over a unit of time, of the pigment ink supply section is higher than a supply capability of the dye ink supply section.

13. The printing apparatus according to claim 12 ,

wherein the head has a plurality of nozzle arrays for ejecting the black pigment ink, and

wherein the plurality of nozzle arrays for ejecting the black pigment ink ejects the black pigment ink which is supplied from the single pigment ink supplier.

14. The printing apparatus according to claim 12 ,

wherein the number of the pigment ink supply sections is larger than the number of the dye ink supply sections.

15. The printing apparatus according to claim 12 ,

wherein a diameter of the pigment ink supply section is larger than a diameter of the dye ink supply section.

16. The printing apparatus according to claim 12 ,

wherein a control section causes the head to eject inks onto a medium, on the basis of print data and a certain mode among a plurality of modes including a first mode for ejecting the black pigment ink and a second mode for ejecting the black dye ink,

wherein the second mode is a mode for ejecting the black dye ink by an ejection capability which is equal to or less than the supply capability of the dye ink supply section, and

wherein the first mode is a mode for ejecting the black pigment ink by an ejection capability which is equal to or less than the supply capability of the pigment ink supply section and which is greater than a supply capability of the dye ink supply section.

17. The printing apparatus according to claim 16 ,

wherein a speed of relative movement in a main scanning direction in the first mode is higher than a speed of relative movement in the main scanning direction in the second mode.

18. The printing apparatus according to claim 12 ,

wherein a color ink supplier for supplying a color ink can be further mounted,

wherein the head has a color ink nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting the color ink is arranged, and

wherein a color ink supply section for supplying the color ink, which is supplied from the color ink supplier, to the color ink nozzle array is provided.

19. The printing apparatus according to claim 18 ,

wherein the color ink nozzle array for ejecting the color ink is provided between one nozzle array for ejecting the black pigment ink and one nozzle array for ejecting the black dye ink in a main scanning direction.

20. A printing apparatus in which a first ink supplier for supplying a first ink and a second ink supplier for supplying a second ink can be separately mounted, the printing apparatus comprising:

a head that has a first nozzle array, in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting the first ink is arranged, and a second nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles for ejecting the second ink is arranged;

a first ink supply section that supplies the first ink, which is supplied from the first ink supplier, to the first nozzle array;

a second ink supply section that supplies the second ink, which is supplied from the second ink supplier, to the second nozzle array;

a scanning section that performs relative movement between the head and the medium in a main scanning direction which is orthogonal to a direction of the nozzle array; and

a control section that causes the scanning section to perform the relative movement between the head and the medium in the main scanning direction, the control section causing the head to eject inks onto a medium on the basis of print data and a certain mode among a plurality of modes including a first mode for ejecting the first ink and a second mode for ejecting the second ink,

wherein a supply capability, defined as the volume of ink supply over a unit of time, of the first ink supply section is higher than a supply capability of the second ink supply section,

wherein the second mode is a mode for ejecting the second ink by an ejection capability which is equal to or less than the supply capability of the second ink supply section, and

wherein the first mode is a mode for ejecting the first ink by an ejection capability which is equal to or less than the supply capability of the first ink supply section and which is greater than a supply capability of the second ink supply section.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 14, 2013
From: OGURA, MASAMI; SUDO, NAOKI
To: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 031008/0826 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2012-182990 · Aug 22, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140055516A1 · Feb 27, 2014