JP6006704B2 - Ink jet recording apparatus and control method of ink jet recording apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink jet recording apparatus that records an image using a recording head capable of ejecting ink and a method for controlling the ink jet recording apparatus.

  An ink jet recording apparatus records an image on a recording medium by ejecting ink as a recording agent from a plurality of ejection openings formed in a recording head. In a recording head used in this ink jet recording apparatus, an ejection energy generating element such as an electrothermal conversion element or an electromechanical conversion element is disposed as a discharge energy generating element in a liquid path communicating with each discharge port. A device that discharges ink in a liquid path from a discharge port is known. Some inks used for recording use water as a solvent. When exposed to air, the solvent water evaporates, resulting in an increase in viscosity (thickening). If the ink in the recording head is thickened, the ink ejection during the recording operation becomes unstable and the image quality is deteriorated. For this reason, in the current ink jet recording apparatus, prior to image recording, an ink discharging process is performed to discharge from the recording head ink with thickened ink or dust mixed therein.

  In addition, the inkjet recording apparatus covers (caps) the ejection port surface on which the ejection port of the recording head is formed as a configuration that suppresses thickening of the ink in the recording head during ejection standby without performing a recording operation. A capping member is provided. However, the capping member is often shared as an ink receiving member that receives the thickened ink discharged from the recording head due to restrictions on the main body size of the ink jet recording apparatus. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a capacity for receiving the discharged ink in the capping member, and when the recording head is capped, a predetermined shielding that is shielded from outside air is provided between the ejection port surface of the recording head and the capping member. A space will be formed. For this reason, even after the cap is capped, the ejection port comes into contact with the air in the shielding space, and the ink near the ejection port may be thickened. Further, depending on the sealing property of the capping member, after the recording head is capped, the water may gradually evaporate out of the capping member over time, which causes the viscosity to increase.

  In order to alleviate the thickening of the ink after capping as described above, Patent Document 1 discloses that the humidity in the capping member is regularly predicted by providing a humidity sensor in the recording apparatus main body and the recording head. A technique is disclosed in which a number of discharges corresponding to the above are performed in the capping member.

JP 2004-181844 A

  However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the ejection is continued according to the humidity, the amount of ink to be discarded increases.

An object of the present invention is to provide an ink jet recording apparatus and method capable of efficiently humidifying the inside of a cap and maintaining the discharge performance of the recording head in a standby state in which the discharge port of the recording head is covered with a cap member.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration.
That is, according to the present invention, it is possible to perform a recording operation of ejecting ink from an ejection port provided in a recording head to a recording medium, and to cover the ejection port with a capping member in a standby state where the recording operation is not performed. In the ink jet recording apparatus, a humidifying unit that performs a humidifying operation to humidify a space formed between the capping member and the recording head in the standby state, and the recording head is separated from the capping member. Based on at least one of the waiting time, the humidity inside the ink jet recording apparatus, the amount of liquid accumulated in the capping member, the time for performing the humidifying operation, and the duration of the standby state. together to execute the humidifying operation in the humidifying means in a predetermined interval and the number of times that is set, the predetermined pre-Symbol humidifying operation And having a control means for executing frequency stops the humidifying operation in a predetermined time, the.

According to the present invention, in the standby state in which the ejection port of the recording head is covered with the cap member, it is possible to efficiently humidify the inside of the cap and appropriately maintain the environmental humidity of the recording head.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an embodiment of an ink jet recording apparatus according to the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the control system in this embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows schematic structure of the ink supply system in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the shielding space formed of a capping member and a discharge port surface. It is a flowchart of the control operation implemented by the control system in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the table which converts the influence of cap open time into the coefficient with respect to a preliminary discharge amount. It is a figure which shows the table which converts the influence of accumulation discharge amount into the coefficient with respect to humidification discharge amount. It is a figure which shows the table which converted the influence of atmospheric temperature / humidity into the coefficient with respect to humidification discharge amount. It is a figure which shows the calculation formula for determining the space | interval of recovery discharge after capping and humidification discharge in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the type | formula which calculates | requires the number of recovery discharges before the next recording operation with respect to the discharge continuation time at the time of standby. It is a figure which shows the type | formula which calculates | requires the number of recovery discharges before the next recording operation with respect to the discharge stop time at the time of standby. It is a figure which shows each required discharge amount when not implementing humidification discharge.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an ink jet recording apparatus of the present invention. In the recording apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, a label sheet 101 in which a plurality of labels are temporarily attached to a strip-like long mount and wound in a roll shape is used as a recording medium. The label sheet 101 is conveyed at a constant speed in a direction (conveyance direction) indicated by an arrow A by a conveyance roller 102 that is rotated by the driving force of the conveyance motor 103. When each label temporarily attached to the transported label paper 101 passes under the recording head 105, ink is ejected from the ejection ports of the plurality of nozzles of the recording head 105 arranged to face the transport path of the label paper 101. The ink is discharged and an image is recorded on each label of the label paper 101. The ink ejection operation (recording operation) from the recording head to each label is performed based on the detection of the leading end of each label by the label sensor 104. In other words, the label sensor 104 is arranged at a predetermined detection position upstream of the recording head 105 in the conveyance path, and when the leading edge of the label is detected by the label sensor, when the label reaches a predetermined recording position thereafter. Ink is ejected from the ejection port to record an image.

  In this embodiment, a plurality of recording heads 105K, 105C, 105M, and 105Y are arranged along the transport direction above the transport path as the recording head 105 that ejects ink onto the label. Here, the recording heads 105K, 105C, 105M, and 105Y are recording heads for ejecting black, cyan, magenta, and yellow inks, respectively, and can record color images using these inks. . The recording head 105 is a long line head having a recording width corresponding to the maximum width of the label paper 101, and a plurality of discharge ports capable of discharging ink are arranged on the lower surface (discharge port surface) thereof. . The arrangement direction of the plurality of ejection ports on the ejection port surface of each recording head is a direction intersecting with the label transport direction A (in this example, a direction orthogonal). In the following description, the portion indicating the discharge port and the liquid path communicating with the discharge port is also referred to as a nozzle.

  In the liquid passages provided corresponding to the respective discharge ports of the recording head, the ink supplied from the ink tank 106 is discharged from the discharge ports, which are openings formed at the tip of the liquid passage. An energy generating element is arranged. Examples of the discharge energy generating element include an electrothermal conversion element (heater) and a piezoelectric element (piezo). In a recording head using a heater, the ink in the nozzle is foamed by the heat generated by the heater, and the ink is ejected from the ejection port by the pressure during the foaming.

  An ink tank 106 (106K, 106C, 106M, 106Y) that supplies ink to the recording head 105 (105K, 105C, 105M, 105Y) is provided above the recording apparatus 100. In addition, a capping mechanism 107 having a capping member that can cover the discharge port of each print head 105 and the discharge port surface on which the discharge port is formed in a state where it is shielded from outside air is provided below the print head 105. Is provided. The recording head 105 and the capping mechanism 107 are relatively movable in the left-right direction in FIG. The capping mechanism 107 covers the discharge port surface of the recording head 106, prevents dust from adhering to the discharge port surface and the discharge port, prevents the discharge port surface and the discharge port from being damaged, and blocks them from the outside air. As a result, the thickening and solidification of the ink in the recording head 105 is suppressed. Further, the capping mechanism 107 discharges ink mixed with thickened ink or dust existing in the discharge port or the liquid path of the recording head 105 in order to maintain a good discharge state of the recording head 105. Used for recovery operation. As the recovery operation, there is recovery discharge in which the discharge energy generating element is driven to discharge the ink in the vicinity of the liquid path and the discharge port in a standby state where the capping member of the capping mechanism 107 covers the discharge port surface of the recording head. Further, the recovery operation includes suction recovery in which ink in the recording head 105 is sucked into the capping member of the capping mechanism 107 from the discharge port, and additional discharge from the nozzle into the capping member by pressurizing the ink in the recording head 105. There is pressure recovery.

  Further, an external computer (host device) 108 is connected to the recording apparatus 100, and an image can be recorded based on the recording data input from the computer 108.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system of the recording apparatus 100 of FIG. The control system of the recording apparatus 100 is configured around a CPU 201 as a central processing unit that controls the entire apparatus. That is, the CPU 201 executes a program stored in the program ROM 202 and controls operations of each unit of the recording apparatus 100 described later. The recording data transmitted from the computer apparatus 108 is received by the interface controller 203 of the recording apparatus 100. Commands that specify the number, type, size, and the like of labels as recording media are also input to the CPU 201 via the interface controller 203 and analyzed there. In addition to analyzing these commands, the CPU 201 executes arithmetic processing for controlling the entire recording apparatus 100 such as reception of recording data, recording operation, and handling of the recording medium. The program executed by the CPU 201 includes a program corresponding to the procedure shown in the flowchart of FIG. A work RAM 204 is used as a working memory for the CPU 201. The EEPROM 205 is a rewritable nonvolatile memory. In the EEPROM 205, the recording apparatus 100 includes the time when the previous recovery operation was performed, the distance between the plurality of recording heads, and correction values for performing fine adjustment (vertical registration) of the recording position in the transport direction. Is stored with the parameters specific to it.

A control operation by the control system configured as described above will be described.
After analyzing the received command, the CPU 201 develops a bitmap of the recording data for each color component of the recording data in the image memory 206. The CPU 201 also has a capping motor 209 for driving the capping mechanism 107 via an input / output circuit (I / O) 207 and a motor driving unit 208, and a head motor 210 for moving the recording head 105 in the vertical direction. The blade motor 218 for operating the blade 109 is controlled. The recording head 105 is moved by the head motor 210 to a capping position (standby position) where the discharge port surface is in close contact with the capping member, a recording position for recording an image, and a retreat position spaced upward from the capping member. It is possible.

  When recording an image, the conveyance roller 102 is driven by the conveyance motor 103 to convey the label paper 101 at a constant speed. The label sensor 104 detects the leading edge of the label in order to determine the image recording timing for each label of the label paper 101 conveyed at this constant speed. A detection signal of the label sensor 104 is input via an input / output circuit (I / O) 211. The CPU 201 sequentially reads out recording data for each color from the image memory 206 in synchronization with a signal output from the encoder 110 as the label paper 101 is conveyed by the conveyance motor 103. Further, the CPU 201 transfers the read recording data to the corresponding recording head 105 via the recording head control circuit 212. Accordingly, the recording head 105 ejects ink based on the recording data and records an image on the label. A roll motor 111 is used when rewinding the label paper.

  Pump motors 213 for driving pumps to be described later are controlled via an input / output circuit (I / O) 207 and a motor drive unit 208, respectively. The operation panel 214 is connected via an input / output circuit (I / O) 215. The ambient temperature and humidity of the recording apparatus 100 are detected by the temperature / humidity sensor 216, and the detection signal is A / D converted by the A / D converter 217 and then input to the CPU 201. The CPU 201 is connected to the valve 304, the valve 305, the valve 307, and the valve 308 and controls them.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing one of the ink flow path systems provided for each of the four color inks in the recording apparatus 100. In the present embodiment, the ink tank 106 is connected to the recording head 105 by a connecting member 301. The recording head 105 is connected to a buffer tank 303 via a tube 302, and a valve 304 for opening and closing the flow path inside the tube 302 is connected to the middle of the tube 302. In the capping mechanism 107, when the recording head 105 is capped by the capping member 107a, a shielding space CS as shown in FIG. 4 is formed by the capping member 107a and the discharge port surface 105a of the recording head 105. The capping member 107a is connected to an atmospheric communication valve 305 for switching communication / blocking between the capping member 107a and the atmosphere in order to adjust the internal pressure of the shielding space CS. The capping member 107a of the capping mechanism 107 communicates with the buffer tank 303 through a tube 306, and a valve 307 for opening and closing the flow path inside the tube 306 is connected to the capping mechanism 107a. A valve 308 that adjusts the internal pressure of the buffer tank 303 is connected to the buffer tank 303, and is connected to the waste ink tank 310 via a tube 309. A tube pump 311 is connected to the middle of the tube 309. A liquid level sensor 312 for detecting the liquid level of the ink is installed in the recording head 105. The ink tank 106 is configured to generate a negative pressure by urging the ink bag in the direction of spreading the spring.

  When the recording head 105 is filled with ink, the valves 307 and 308 are closed, the valve 304 is opened, the pump motor 213 is driven to operate the tube pump 311, and the internal pressure of the recording head 105 is set to the ink tank 106. Lower than the internal pressure. As a result, ink is filled into the recording head 105 via the connection member 301.

  When ink in the recording head 105 is consumed by the recording operation, the internal pressure of the recording head 105 decreases. When the internal pressure of the recording head 105 falls below the internal pressure of the ink tank 106, ink is supplied from the ink tank 106 through the connecting member 301 into the recording head 105. The ink channel system shown in FIG. 3 can basically be formed for each of the four types of ink. However, in the case of this embodiment, the flow path from the atmosphere communication valve 308 and the buffer tank 303 to the waste ink tank 310 is a common part in each ink flow path system. Each valve is opened and closed by a solenoid (not shown) or the like.

  Recovery operations performed in the present embodiment include the above-described recovery discharge, suction recovery, and wipe recovery in which dust and ink adhering to the discharge port surface of the recording head 105 are wiped by a wiping blade. There are also cases in which the combination is implemented.

  When carrying out suction recovery, first, the capping member 107a is brought into close contact with the ejection port surface 105a of the recording head 105 so as to be in the capping state, and the tube pump is moved in a direction to reduce the internal pressure of the buffer tank 303 with all valves closed. 311 is operated. Thereafter, when the pressure in the buffer tank 303 becomes a predetermined pressure lower than the internal pressure of the recording head 105, the valve 307 is opened. As a result, the shielding space CS formed between the cap member and the ejection port surface 105a of the recording head 105 communicates with the buffer tank 308, and the ink in the buffer tank 308 enters the cap member 107a by the low pressure of the shielding space CS. The ink that is sucked and thickened in the liquid passage or the ink mixed with dust is discharged to the cap member 107. Thereby, the ink in the recording head 105 is replaced with fresh ink suitable for ejection, and a good ejection state can be obtained.

  Wipe recovery is performed by wiping the ink adhering to the ejection port surface 105a of the recording head 105 by the above-described suction recovery operation or the like with the blade 109 that reciprocates while contacting the ejection port surface 105a by the blade motor 218. After the wipe is recovered, ink is discharged to the capping member 105a, and the ink meniscus at the discharge port is adjusted. When the cumulative amount of ink ejected to the capping member 107a reaches a predetermined amount, the ejection port surface 105a of the recording head 105 is separated from the capping member 107a, the valve 304 and the valve 308 are closed, and the valve 307 is opened. In this state, the tube pump 311 is operated. As a result, the ink accumulated in the capping member 105 a is discarded into the waste ink tank 310.

  Next, the operation procedure from immediately after the capping operation to the recording operation through the humidifying discharge as the humidifying operation performed at the standby time of the recording operation and the recovery discharge performed before the recording operation is shown in the flowchart of FIG. This will be described with reference to the control parameter table of FIG. The control parameter tables shown in FIGS. 6 to 11 are stored in the storage means of the control system shown in FIG. 2, such as the program ROM 202.

  In a standby state where no recording operation is performed, the recording head 105 is capped by the capping member 107 a of the capping mechanism 107. This capping is performed when the previous recording operation is completed (S1). When capping is performed, the CPU 201 acquires the cumulative ejection number of ink droplets (accumulated number of ejection operations) corresponding to the amount of ink accumulated in the capping member 107a, and the ambient temperature of the recording apparatus detected by the temperature / humidity sensor 216. Humidity is acquired (S2, S3). In addition, the CPU 201 obtains a coefficient corresponding to the time during which capping is not performed during the previous recording operation (cap open time) from the table shown in FIG. Further, the CPU 201 acquires a temperature / humidity coefficient corresponding to the detected temperature / humidity based on the table shown in FIG. 8, and determines an ejection condition related to an ink ejection operation performed in the capping state after capping based on the temperature / humidity coefficient. (S4). The discharge operation performed in the capped state after capping includes recovery discharge performed immediately after capping to refresh the ink existing in the nozzle at the time of capping, and humidified discharge performed in the recording standby state after recovery discharge. There is. Accordingly, in S4, the number of recovery discharges performed immediately after capping and the interval of humidification discharge performed in the recording standby state are determined as discharge conditions, and recovery discharge and humidification discharge are executed according to the determined discharge conditions (S5, S6). .

  The cumulative number of ejections (see FIG. 7) corresponding to the amount of ink accumulated in the capping member 107a, the non-capping time (see FIG. 6), and the ambient temperature and humidity (see FIG. 8) of the printing apparatus are capping. This affects the humidity in the capping member 107a immediately after. Therefore, for example, when the capping time is long and the ambient temperature and humidity are low, it is determined that the humidity in the capping mechanism 107 is low. In this case, the humidity in the capping mechanism 107 can be appropriately maintained by increasing the recovery discharge amount immediately after capping and narrowing the time interval (humidification execution interval) for performing humidification discharge in the recording standby state. The recovery discharge also has a role as humidification discharge (a role of humidifying the shielding space CS). Conversely, when the time period during which capping is not performed is short and the ambient temperature and humidity are high, the recovery discharge amount and the humidification discharge amount immediately after capping are reduced, and the humidification discharge execution interval is widened. Thereby, in the capping state, an appropriate amount of ink without excess or deficiency can be applied to the capping member 107a, and the atmospheric humidity of the recording head can be kept appropriate. Thus, in the present embodiment, the recording head functions as a humidifying means for maintaining the humidity of the shielded space CS formed by the capping member 107a and the ejection port surface 105a of the recording head 105.

  The recovery discharge amount (number of discharges) and the humidification discharge amount (the number of humidification discharges) can be controlled by changing the respective discharge frequencies, and the recovery discharge operation time and the humidification discharge operation time can be changed. Can also be controlled. That is, when the discharge amount is increased, the discharge frequency may be increased or the discharge time may be increased. Further, it is possible to control by changing both the discharge frequency and the operation time. The accumulated discharge amount (accumulated number of discharges) is reset by discarding the ink accumulated in the capping member 107a to the waste ink tank 310 by the tube pump.

In the present embodiment, ink that is performed in the capped state after capping is calculated based on the calculation formula (Equation 1) of the discharge setting table shown in FIG. 9 using the temperature and humidity coefficient shown in FIG. 8 and the cumulative discharge coefficient shown in FIG. The number of discharges (discharge after capping) Na is determined. That is,
Na = temperature / humidity coefficient (N) × cumulative discharge coefficient (e1) × 1 shot (formula 1)
Is required. This equation 1 is applied when N> 10. When N = 10, Na = 0 is set regardless of the cumulative number of preliminary ejections.

Assuming that the discharge conditions after capping are an atmospheric temperature of 23 degrees and an atmospheric humidity of 20%, the temperature / humidity coefficient N obtained from the table shown in FIG. When the cumulative number of ejections is 4000, the cumulative ejection coefficient (e1) obtained from the table shown in FIG. Therefore, the cumulative discharge number Na set under this discharge condition is
Na = 90 × 0.5 × 1 shot = 45 shots.

Further, the time interval (humidification execution interval) for performing humidification discharge in the standby state uses the temperature / humidity coefficient shown in FIG. 8 and the cumulative discharge coefficient shown in FIG. Set based on equation 2). That is, the humidification interval T is
T = 720 / {(temperature / humidity coefficient (N) −10) × cumulative discharge coefficient (e1)} × 1 second (formula 2)
Is required. Note that Equation 2 in FIG. 9 is applied when the condition of N> 10 is satisfied.

Therefore, the humidification interval T set under the above discharge conditions is
T = 720 / {(90-10) × 0.5} × 1 second = 18 seconds. In the present embodiment, humidified discharge is performed by performing one discharge (ink discharge) from each nozzle of the recording head 105 at a time. Then, one discharge (one humidification discharge) from each nozzle is performed at intervals of T. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of humidification discharges per time may be set to 2 or more depending on the apparatus (for example, depending on the volume of the capping member 107a). Good.

  Referring to FIG. 5 again, when a recording command is received during standby discharge (S7), the CPU 201 refers to the table shown in FIG. 10 and refers to the duration of the humidifying discharge operation performed in the standby state (continuation of standby discharge). The number of recovery discharges to be performed immediately before the printing operation corresponding to (time) is determined (S8). The CPU 201 executes the recording operation after performing the determined number of recovery discharges (S9). As shown in FIG. 10, in this embodiment, when the standby discharge duration is short, the number of recovery discharges to be performed immediately before the printing operation is large, and when the standby discharge duration is long, immediately before the printing operation. The number of recovery discharges to be carried out is reduced. As a result, in this embodiment, even when the interval between the previous and subsequent recording operations (recording interval) is short, the atmospheric humidity in the shielded space CS in the standby state can be maintained appropriately, and the solvent in the ink in the nozzles of the recording head 107 can be maintained. It is possible to suppress the evaporation (thickening of ink). For this reason, as shown in FIG. 12B, it is possible to efficiently refresh the ink in the nozzles while suppressing the ink discharge amount in the recovery discharge performed immediately before recording. That is, it is possible to keep the ink in the nozzles of the recording head in a state suitable for recording while suppressing the ink consumption and the running cost.

  On the other hand, in the method in which only the recovery ejection is performed on the capping member 107a immediately before the recording operation, the humidity in the shielded space CS does not sufficiently increase. To refresh the ink in the nozzles, FIG. As shown, it is necessary to eject a large amount of ink during recovery ejection. As is apparent from a comparison between FIG. 12B and FIG. 12B, in this embodiment, the amount of ink to be performed in the capping member 107a in the standby state is the same as that in the conventional method of FIG. It can be seen that there is a significant decrease compared to that.

  Further, when it is determined in S7 of FIG. 5 that there is no recording command and it is determined that a predetermined time (3 minutes in the present embodiment) has elapsed since the capping was performed, that is, the above-described standby discharge duration time is a predetermined time. When it is determined that the pressure has reached (predetermined timing) (S11), the humidification discharge is stopped (S12). This is because when the standby discharge continuation time reaches a predetermined time, the humidity in the capping member 107a increases and the evaporation rate from the discharge port decreases, so that further continuation becomes less effective. Yes, humidification discharge is stopped to avoid excessive ink discharge. At the time of receiving the next print command (S13), the CPU 201 refers to the table shown in FIG. 11 and determines the recovery discharge to be performed before the next recording in accordance with the time during which the humidification discharge during the standby is stopped. The amount is determined (S14), and recovery discharge is performed according to the determination (S15). By doing so, even when the recording standby time becomes long, the cut-off space CS can be efficiently humidified while suppressing the amount of ink discharged to the capping member 107a to an appropriate amount, and accompanying the consumption of ink. Running costs can be reduced. Note that the humidification discharge interval is the time in which the recording head 105 is separated from the capping member 107a and the atmosphere in the recording apparatus 100 when the shielding space is formed by the capping member 107a and the recording head 105. The interval for performing the humidifying operation is set based on at least one of the information such as the temperature and humidity, the amount of liquid accumulated in the capping member 107a, the time for performing the humidifying operation, and the duration of the standby state. Also good.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention also applies to an inkjet recording system including a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, and a printer), and an apparatus (for example, a copying machine and a facsimile device) including a single device. Can be applied. The present invention can be configured as a recording system including an inkjet recording apparatus that uses a plurality of recording heads that can eject different inks, and a host apparatus that can supply image data to the recording apparatus.

  Further, a program code of software that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments may be stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program code stored in the storage medium is supplied to the recording system or recording apparatus, and the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the recording system or recording apparatus reads and executes the program code stored in the storage medium. can do. The object of the present invention can also be achieved by such a configuration. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention. When the present invention is applied to such a storage medium, the program code corresponding to the flowchart described above is stored in the storage medium.

As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD-R, BD-R, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card, A ROM or the like can be used. The computer can realize the functions of the above-described embodiments by executing the read program code. Furthermore, based on the instruction of the program code, an OS (operating system) running on the computer performs part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above-described embodiments can be realized by the processing. .
Information such as a program code read from the storage medium may be read into a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. In that case, the CPU of the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual information processing based on the instruction of the read program code, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are performed by the processing. It can also be realized.

  In addition, the present invention is not limited to the full-line type recording apparatus as in the above-described embodiment, and is a so-called serial type recording apparatus that performs a recording operation by scanning the recording head in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the recording medium. Is also applicable.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the recording head is used as the humidifying unit is illustrated. However, the humidifying unit of the present invention is not limited to this, and in a standby state, liquid from a liquid applying unit other than the recording head is discharged from the recording head. You may make it humidify the inside of a capping member by putting in the shielding space formed between the exit surface and the capping member.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Inkjet recording apparatus 105 Recording head 106 Ink tank 107 Capping mechanism 107a Capping member 108 Computer apparatus (host apparatus)
201 CPU
202 ROM
204 RAM
216 Temperature and humidity sensor

Claims (8)

An ink jet recording apparatus that performs a recording operation of ejecting ink from a discharge port provided in a recording head to a recording medium and that can cover the discharge port with a capping member in a standby state in which the recording operation is not performed. And
Humidifying means for performing a humidifying operation for humidifying a space formed between the capping member and the recording head in the standby state;
The time during which the recording head is separated from the capping member, the humidity inside the ink jet recording apparatus, the amount of liquid accumulated in the capping member, the time for performing the humidifying operation, and the standby state and duration, with executing the humidifying operation in the humidifying means in a predetermined interval and the number of times that is set based on at least one of the previous SL humidifying operation performs the predetermined number of times said at predetermined time Control means for stopping the humidifying operation;
An ink jet recording apparatus comprising: The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the humidifying unit applies a liquid to the space. Said humidifying means is an ink jet recording apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is constituted by the recording head for ejecting ink in the space. Wherein the control means, the time elapsed from the time when the humidifier operation is stopped in the standby state, claims 1 and determines the number of ejected recovery discharge to be carried out immediately before the next recording operation of the 3 The ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims. The control means performs a recovery discharge for discharging ink from the discharge port to refresh the ink of the recording head immediately after the space is formed by the capping member and the recording head, and the recovery discharge an ink jet recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 which comprises carrying out the humidifying operation after. The humidifying operation, the discharge port of the recording head according to any one of the claims 1, characterized in that a humidifying discharge performing humidification of the space by discharging ink into the space 5 Inkjet recording device. The inkjet recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is capable of changing a discharge frequency of the humidified discharge. Control method for an ink jet recording apparatus capable of performing a recording operation of ejecting ink from a discharge port provided in a recording head to a recording medium and covering the discharge port with a capping member in a standby state where the recording operation is not performed Because
A humidifying step of performing a humidifying operation to humidify a space formed between the capping member and the recording head in the standby state;
The time during which the recording head is separated from the capping member, the humidity inside the ink jet recording apparatus, the amount of liquid accumulated in the capping member, the time for performing the humidifying operation, and the standby state The humidifying means performs the humidifying operation at a predetermined interval and number of times set based on at least one of the duration time and stops the humidifying operation after the predetermined number of times of performing the humidifying operation. A humidification process;
A control method for an ink jet recording apparatus.

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