JP7208001B2 - RECORDING DEVICE, CONTROL METHOD FOR RECORDING DEVICE, AND PROGRAM - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a recording device, a recording device control method, and a program.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an inkjet recording apparatus is provided with a capping mechanism that seals the nozzles of a recording head with a cap to prevent ejection failure due to ink thickening. Abnormal termination recovery control is known in which, if the print head is not capped when the power is turned on, suction by a pump or preliminary ejection into the cap is performed to recover from ejection failure of the nozzles. As the time left in the cap open state (so-called cap open time) increases, the viscosity of the ink increases, and the suction amount and preliminary ejection amount required for nozzle recovery tend to increase.

By the way, some ink jet recording apparatuses of recent years do not have a clock element (RTC, RealTimeClock) for the purpose of cost reduction. In such a recording device, since the elapsed time while the power is off cannot be known, when time information is received from an external device (personal computer, network server, etc.) connected to the recording device, cap opening is performed based on the time information. Performs time management such as calculating time. For example, time information is attached to a recording command sent from a personal computer to a recording device. It is also possible to acquire time information by accessing a network server after the recording apparatus is powered on.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200000 describes an abnormal end in which, if the cap is open when the power is turned on, the cap open time is calculated based on time information received from an external device connected to the printing apparatus, and a recovery operation is performed according to the cap open time. Discloses recovery controls.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-230646

However, in the abnormal termination recovery control described in Patent Document 1, since the recovery operation is performed after the time is acquired by receiving the recording command, the waiting time until the actual start of recording is longer than necessary, making the user wait. There was a problem that

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to reduce the waiting time before recording in abnormal termination recovery control.

The present invention provides a recording head having an ejection port surface on which ejection ports for ejecting ink are arranged, and a cap capable of transitioning between a capped state in which the ejection port surface is capped and a cap open state in which the ejection port surface is not capped. recovery means for recovering the performance of the recording head; acquisition means for acquiring time information transmitted from a connected external device; A recording apparatus comprising: calculation means for calculating an open time; and recovery control means for controlling the recovery means when the cap is in the open state when the power of the apparatus is turned on, wherein the recovery control means receives the time information. The recovery means is caused to perform a first recovery operation before obtaining the time information, and the recovery means is caused to perform a second recovery operation different from the first recovery operation based on the cap open time after the time information is obtained. This recording apparatus is characterized by controlling whether or not to allow printing.

According to the present invention, it is possible to shorten the waiting time before recording in abnormal termination recovery control.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of an inkjet recording apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an ink tank and a printhead according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an ink flow path portion according to the first embodiment; It is a schematic diagram of a nozzle row according to the first embodiment. 4 is a schematic diagram enlarging a part of the nozzle row according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a suction pump according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration related to control of the inkjet printing apparatus according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing steps of a recovery operation according to the first embodiment; 4 is a table showing priorities and suction parameters for various types of abnormal termination recovery according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a negative pressure profile for abnormal termination recovery according to the first embodiment; 4 is a flowchart of a soft power ON process according to the first embodiment; 5 is a flowchart showing a pre-recording recovery process according to the first embodiment; It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of cap open time. 4 is a flowchart of time determination processing according to the first embodiment; 10 is a flow chart showing a pre-recording recovery process according to the prior art; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram comparing a negative pressure profile of the prior art and a negative pressure profile of the first embodiment; 9 is a flowchart of a soft power ON process according to the second embodiment; 9 is a flowchart showing a pre-recording recovery process according to the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a table showing priorities and suction parameters for various types of recovery control according to the second embodiment; FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a negative pressure profile for abnormal termination recovery according to the second embodiment; 9 is a flowchart of recovery mode selection processing according to the second embodiment; 9 is a flowchart of timer recovery flag determination processing according to the second embodiment; 9 is a flowchart of tank replacement recovery flag determination processing according to the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart of dot count recovery flag determination processing according to the second embodiment; 10 is a flowchart of abnormal termination recovery flag determination processing according to the second embodiment; 9 is a flowchart of a cap open time calculation process according to the second embodiment; 10 is a flow chart showing steps of recovery operation according to the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a table showing priority levels and prefire parameters for various types of abnormal termination recovery according to the third embodiment; FIG.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below. However, the contents described below are not intended to limit the present invention. Also, not all combinations of features described below are essential for solving the problems of the present invention.

[First embodiment]
<Structure of Inkjet Recording Apparatus>
The structure of an inkjet recording apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as "recording apparatus") according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. A recording head 102 (see FIG. 2) that ejects ink droplets is mounted on the carriage 6 . The recording head 102 has a recording unit having a plurality of nozzles for ejecting liquid such as ink as droplets, and is also called a liquid ejection head. The recording head 102 constitutes a recording head cartridge 100 together with an ink tank portion for holding ink to be supplied to each nozzle. Further, the recording head 102 is provided with a connector for transmitting and receiving a signal (referred to as a driving signal) for driving the recording unit, and the carriage 6 transmits the driving signal and the like to the recording head 102 via the connector. A connector holder is provided for

The carriage 6 is guided and supported by a guide shaft 9 and is capable of reciprocating along the direction in which the guide shaft 9 extends. The movement of the carriage 6 is performed by transmitting the driving force generated by the main scanning motor 11 through the driving mechanism such as the motor pulley 12, the driven pulley 18, and the timing belt 10, and the position and the amount of movement of the carriage 6 are different. controlled. The direction in which the guide shaft 9 extends is defined as the "main scanning direction", and the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the guide shaft 9 extends, that is, the direction in which the recording medium is conveyed is defined as the "sub-scanning direction".

The recording medium 14 is stacked on the auto sheet feeder 15 before the start of recording. When recording is started, the paper feed motor 13 is driven, and the driving force generated by the paper feed motor 13 is transmitted to the pickup roller 16 via gears. As a result, the pickup roller 16 rotates, and the recording medium 14 is separated sheet by sheet from the auto sheet feeder 15 and fed into the recording apparatus. The fed recording medium 14 is conveyed along the sub-scanning direction by the rotation of the conveying roller 8 . The conveying roller 8 rotates as a rotational force generated by the conveying motor 24 is transmitted through gears. Further, the conveying roller 8 and the driven roller 7 are connected by the belt member 22 , and the driven roller 7 rotates as the conveying roller 8 rotates. The rotation amount and rotation speed of the conveying roller 8 are detected by checking the position of slits cut in the code wheel 23 attached to the conveying roller 8 by a rotation angle sensor (not shown). The conveying roller 8 is controlled by feeding back information on the rotation amount and the rotational speed of the conveying roller 8 to the control driver of the conveying motor 24 .

When the recording medium 14 is conveyed between the conveying roller 8 and the driven roller 7 , it is supported by the platen 19 arranged at a position facing the ejection port surface of the recording head 102 . When the print medium 14 passes under the ejection port surface, the print head 102 ejects ink onto the print medium 14 in accordance with a signal (referred to as a print signal) that controls ejection and non-ejection of ink. The pinch roller 17 and the spur roller 21 are auxiliary rollers for increasing the holding force of the recording medium 14 .

A cap 26 for capping the nozzles is brought into contact with the nozzles to prevent drying of the nozzles during non-printing. The cap 26 allows the print head 102 to transition between a capped state in which the ejection port surface is capped and a cap open state in which the ejection port surface is not capped. The suction pump 25 is a pump for generating a negative pressure necessary to suck the ink inside the nozzles via a cap 26 that abuts on the nozzles. The above is the content of the structure of the recording apparatus according to the present embodiment.

<Structure of recording head, etc.>
The ink tank and print head according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. The printhead 102 is equipped with ink tanks 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d that store ink. The printhead 102 and these ink tanks constitute a printhead cartridge 100. FIG. The printing apparatus according to the present embodiment is equipped with independent ink tanks for cyan, magenta, yellow, and black in order to enable photographic-like high-quality color printing. In this specification, cyan is represented by C, magenta by M, yellow by Y, and black by Bk.

The ink tank 101a stores C ink, the ink tank 101b stores M ink, the ink tank 101c stores Y ink, and the ink tank 101d stores Bk ink. These ink tanks are detachable from the printhead 102, respectively. Although cyan, magenta, yellow, and black are used in this embodiment, the present invention can also be applied to cases where these four color inks are not used. For example, it is possible to use inks of three or less colors out of these four colors, or to use inks other than these four colors. Alternatively, any one of these four colors and another ink may be used. Other inks are, for example, gray ink, pigment black ink, light cyan ink, and the like.

3 to 5 are diagrams for explaining in detail the print head shown in FIG. 2. FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing ink flow paths in the print head 102. As shown in FIG. As described above, in this embodiment, the four colors of ink, C, M, Y, and Bk, are used, and the print head 102 has flow paths corresponding to each of the four colors of ink. In the case shown in FIG. 3, the filter portion 103a, the ink flow path portion 104a, and the ink common liquid chamber 105a correspond to C ink. The filter portion 103b, the ink channel portion 104b, and the ink common liquid chamber 105b correspond to M ink. The filter portion 103c, the ink channel portion 104c, and the ink common liquid chamber 105c correspond to Y ink. The filter portion 103d, the ink flow path portion 104d, and the ink common liquid chamber 105d correspond to Bk ink. In the following description, when the elements are not distinguished by color, they are expressed as "filter section 103" or the like with the suffixes of the reference numerals omitted.

In the filter section 103 , a metal filter is thermally welded to the recording head 102 . The filter portion 103 is a connection portion with the ink tank 101, and has a function of generating a capillary force for introducing ink from the ink tank 101 and a function of preventing dust from entering from the outside. In addition, an ink channel portion 104 is provided for guiding ink from the filter portion 103 to the nozzles, and the ink channel portion 104 communicates with the ink common liquid chamber 105 . The ink common liquid chamber 105 is configured to be tilted in the direction in which the nozzles are formed in order to remove bubbles.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a nozzle row, and more specifically, a perspective view of the nozzle row viewed from the ink flow path portion side. For each color of ink, the common ink chamber 105 (see FIG. 5) is provided with a nozzle row 106A in which first nozzles are arranged and second nozzles with a nozzle diameter smaller than that of the first nozzles. A nozzle row 106B is formed. In this embodiment, a nozzle capable of ejecting 5 pl droplets is employed as the first nozzle, and a nozzle capable of ejecting 2 pl droplets is employed as the second nozzle. Therefore, the first nozzle is called a 5pl nozzle, the nozzle row 106A is called a 5pl nozzle row, the second nozzle is called a 2pl nozzle, and the nozzle row 106B is called a 2pl nozzle. The diameter of the 5-pl nozzle is about 16.4 μm, and the diameter of the 2-pl nozzle is about 9.2 μm. In the case of FIG. 4, from the left, 5pl nozzle array and 2pl nozzle array for C ink, 5pl nozzle array and 2pl nozzle array for M ink, 5pl nozzle array and 2pl nozzle array for Y ink, and 5pl nozzle array for Bk ink. and 2pl nozzle rows are arranged.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram in which a part of FIG. 4 is enlarged. The recording head 102 includes an ink common liquid chamber 105, a nozzle row 106A, a nozzle row 106B, a 5-pl nozzle ejection port 107A, a 2-pl nozzle ejection port 107B, and a bubbling chamber 108 for each color of ink. A section 109 is provided. The common ink chamber 105 is shared by the nozzles of the nozzle row 106A and the nozzles of the nozzle row 106B. The introduction part 109 guides the ink from the ink common liquid chamber 105 to the bubbling chamber 108 .

The print head 102 of this embodiment is an inkjet print head that ejects ink using thermal energy, and includes a plurality of electrothermal transducers for generating thermal energy. More specifically, thermal energy is generated by a pulse signal applied to the electrothermal converter, film boiling is caused inside the ink liquid by this thermal energy, and the bubbling pressure of the film boiling is used to eject the ink from the ejection port. and record it. The above is the content of the structure of the recording head and the like according to the present embodiment.

<About the suction pump>
The suction pump according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. In the suction pump 25, a shaft 604 on which rollers 605 are arranged rotates in the direction of the arrow. As the shaft 604 rotates, the rollers 605 also rotate, and as shown in FIG. 6, the portion of the tube 606 held by the rollers 605 and the guide 603 is sequentially pressed, and a pressure reduction degree difference occurs in the tube. As a result, the print head 102 is depressurized through the cap 26 . Ink can be sucked from the nozzles by generating such a negative pressure. Ink suction is controlled based on the number of rotations, rotation speed, etc. of the roller 605 defined in advance. For example, the amount of ink sucked is controlled based on the number of rotations of the roller 605, and the suction pump 25 stops after being driven according to a predetermined number of rotations. After the suction pump 25 is stopped, the inside of the cap 26 is released to the atmosphere by moving the cap 26 away from the ejection port surface of the print head 102 to open the cap. The cap 26 is provided with an air release valve 601 capable of opening the interior to the atmosphere. It is also possible to open the inside to the atmosphere by opening. The above is the content of the suction pump according to the present embodiment.

<Hardware Configuration Related to Recording Device Control>
A hardware configuration related to control of the printing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

The ROM 4001 stores a program for controlling the printing apparatus (such a program is called a control program) executed by the control circuit 4000 and each set value for control. The RAM 4002 stores print data, control commands, control variables in each control, etc., as well as expands the control program upon execution. The timer circuit 4003 is a circuit capable of acquiring current time information or a circuit capable of measuring elapsed time. Note that the timer circuit 4003 may be configured to include both of these circuits. The non-volatile memory 4004 is storage means capable of storing parameters stored when the power is turned on even when the power of the main body of the recording apparatus is turned off. In this embodiment, time information is written and read from the nonvolatile memory 4004 as a starting point for calculating the elapsed time.

The control circuit 4000 is composed of a CPU and the like, and executes a control program. Note that the control circuit 4000 may directly read and execute a control program stored in the ROM 4001 . Alternatively, a control program stored in the ROM 4001 may be developed in the RAM 4002 and the control circuit 4000 may execute the developed program. The sequence of this embodiment described below is part of the sequence executed by executing the control program.

The external connection circuit 4005 is an interface for wired or wireless communication between the main body of the printing apparatus and an external host device. be. Image data to be printed is input to the printing apparatus from the outside via the external connection circuit 4005 . Also, the current time may be input to the recording device via the external connection circuit 4005 .

The control circuit 4000 develops the received image data in the RAM 4002 . Further, the control circuit 4000 controls driving of the printhead unit 4007 via the printhead unit drive circuit 4006 based on the data stored in the RAM 4002 . Along with this, the drive of the carriage motor 4011 is controlled via the carriage motor drive circuit 4010 . As a result of such control by the control circuit 4000, ink is ejected to a desired position on the print medium, and one print scan is executed. After one print scan, the control circuit 4000 controls driving of the paper feed motor 4013 via the paper feed motor drive circuit 4012 to convey the print medium by a desired amount.

As suction recovery in the sequence of the present invention, the control circuit 4000 controls driving of the purge motor 4009 via the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to suck a desired amount of ink from the print head. Also, in the ink ejection to the cap 26, the control circuit 4000 controls the driving of the recording head unit 4007 via the recording head unit driving circuit 4006, thereby discharging a desired amount of ink. The above is the content of the hardware configuration related to the control of the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

<Regarding the recovery process>
The recording apparatus performs a performance recovery operation of the recording head by suction recovery control for the purpose of removing air bubbles in the recording head, discharging fixed ink, and filling ink. Situations that require recovery action include: For example, if the cap is left open after an abnormal termination, if the ink tank is replaced, if a certain period of time has passed since the previous recovery operation, it indicates the amount of ink droplets required for the printing operation after the previous recovery operation. For example, when the number of dots is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. In such a situation, a flag indicating that recovery operation is required (such a flag is called a recovery flag) is set and stored in nonvolatile memory 4004 (see FIG. 7). Based on this recovery flag, a recovery operation is performed at a predetermined timing. The steps of the recovery operation according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

When the recovery operation is started, first, in step S800, the control circuit 4000 sets the parameter (assumed to be K) indicating the number of repetitions of suction to K=1. In the following description, "step S~" is simply abbreviated as "S~".

In S801, the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to move the cap 26, thereby capping the ejection port surface of the print head 102 and bringing the cap closed state. By this step, the cap 26 is pressed against the printhead 102, and the cap 26 and the ejection port surface of the printhead 102 are brought into close contact.

In S802, the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 and closes the atmosphere release valve 601. FIG. This step isolates the recording head 102 from the atmosphere.

At S<b>803 , the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to start driving the suction pump 25 . As a result of this step, the pressure inside the cap 26 becomes a negative pressure, so ink is drawn from the recording head 102 through the cap 26, and the drawn ink is guided to the waste ink absorbing means.

After driving the suction pump 25 at a predetermined number of revolutions, the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to stop driving the suction pump 25 in S804. By this step, ink suction from the print head 102 is completed.

At S<b>805 , the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to open the air relief valve 601 . As a result of this step, the inside of the cap 26 communicates with the atmosphere, and as a result, the ejection opening surface of the print head 102 is exposed to the atmosphere. In this embodiment, opening the air release valve 601 opens the ejection port surface to the atmosphere without separating the cap 26 from the print head 102 . The discharge port surface may be exposed to the atmosphere by separating from the .

At S<b>806 , the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to start driving the suction pump 25 . By this step, idle suction is started. The idle suction is suction performed while the inside of the cap 26 is in communication with the atmosphere, and is performed for the purpose of sucking and discharging the ink remaining in the cap 26 .

After driving the suction pump 25 at a predetermined number of revolutions, the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to stop driving the suction pump 25 in S807. This step ends the idle suction.

In S808, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the number of suction repetitions has reached a predetermined number, in other words, whether K=K _th is satisfied. where K _th is a predetermined threshold. If the determination result of this step is true, the suction is terminated and the process proceeds to S810. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process proceeds to S809.

In S809, the control circuit 4000 increments the value of K. After that, the process returns to S802, and the suction in S803 to S807 is repeated.

At S<b>810 , the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to close the air release valve 601 .

In step S811, the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to move the cap 26 away from the ejection port surface of the print head 102 to open the cap. This step separates the cap 26 that is in close contact with the printhead 102 from the printhead 102 .

In S812, the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to move the blade wiper to wipe the discharge port surface.

In S813, the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to perform preliminary ejection for ejecting the mixed ink pushed into the ejection port by the wiping in S812. Such ink ejection that does not contribute to printing is called preliminary ejection. In this embodiment, preliminary ejection is performed on the cap 26 . The above is the content of the process of the recovery operation according to the present embodiment.

<Specific contents of abnormal termination recovery>
Specific contents of recovery from abnormal termination according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. Normally, the printing apparatus is turned off while the ejection port surface of the print head 102 is capped with the cap 26 so that the ejection port surface does not dry out. Abnormal termination means that the recording head 102 is in a cap open state in which the cap 26 is not capped when the recording apparatus is soft-powered on. Note that soft power ON indicates that the recording apparatus enters a recordable state by pressing the power button while the external power supply is energized. Conversely, when the power button is pressed while the recording apparatus is energized with the external power supply, the state where recording is disabled is referred to as soft power OFF. On the other hand, the state in which the recording apparatus is energized with the external power supply is referred to as hard power ON, and the state in which the external power supply is disconnected is referred to as hard power OFF.

FIG. 9 is a table showing priority levels and parameters related to suction (referred to as suction parameters) for various types of recovery from abnormal termination according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, in this embodiment, three types of modes for recovery from abnormal termination are provided. The number of repetitions K _th is set to 3 times. Further, in the abnormal termination recovery F2, the same values as the abnormal termination recovery F3 are adopted for the pump driving amount and the driving speed, but the number of repetitions _Kth is two. Further, in the abnormal termination recovery F1, the same values as in the abnormal termination recovery F3 are used for the pump driving amount and the driving speed, but the repetition number _Kth is set to one. As shown in the table, the suction time required for recovery is long and the suction amount is large in the order of abnormal termination recovery F3>abnormal termination recovery F2>abnormal termination recovery F1. Furthermore, the relationship of the ink suction amount is: abnormal termination recovery F3=abnormal termination recovery F2+abnormal termination recovery F1. In this embodiment, the performance of the print head 102 is maintained by selectively using these recovery operations. That is, by performing the abnormal termination recovery F2 and the abnormal termination recovery F1 once each, it is possible to obtain a recovery effect equivalent to the recovery effect of performing the abnormal termination recovery F3 once.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a negative pressure profile for abnormal termination recovery according to the present embodiment. The negative pressure waveform has one mountain shape in the abnormal termination recovery F1, two mountain shapes in the abnormal termination recovery F2, and three mountain shapes in the abnormal termination recovery F3. Regarding the pump driving time during recovery from abnormal termination, the recovery from abnormal termination F1 is shorter than the recovery from abnormal termination F2, and the recovery from abnormal termination F2 is shorter than the recovery from abnormal termination F3. The above is the specific content of the abnormal termination recovery according to the present embodiment.

<Regarding the soft power ON process>
The soft power ON process according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. The soft power ON process is a process for enabling the recording apparatus to accept user's operations. In other words, when a recording device that is not connected to an external power source is connected to an external power source such as an outlet and energized (hard power is turned on), and then a specific power button of the recording device is pressed (turned on). to start.

In S1100, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the cap of the printhead 102 is open. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S1101. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the soft power ON process is terminated.

In S1101, the control circuit 4000 sets a flag indicating whether or not an abnormal termination has occurred (an abnormal termination flag) to a value indicating abnormal termination, that is, ON.

At S1102, control circuit 4000 performs a mechanical initialization operation. Specifically, the control circuit 4000 controls the carriage motor drive circuit 4010 to return the carriage 6 to a predetermined position, and controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to return the recovery mechanism to its normal state.

In S1103, the control circuit 4000 performs abnormal termination recovery F1.

In S1104, the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to move the cap 26 to cap the ejection opening surface of the print head 102 and bring the cap closed state.

As described above, in this embodiment, the abnormal termination recovery F1 is performed prior to the subsequent recording operation and the like in the soft power ON process after the abnormal termination. The above is the content of the soft power ON process according to the present embodiment.

<Regarding the recovery process before recording>
A recovery process (pre-recording recovery process) performed before a recording operation according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 12 . FIG. 12 is a flowchart of a recording process accompanied by a pre-recording recovery process according to this embodiment.

In S1200, control circuit 4000 acquires the time by receiving a recording command transmitted from an external device.

In S1201, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the abnormal termination flag is set, that is, whether the value of the abnormal termination flag is ON. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S1202. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process proceeds to S1206.

In S1202, control circuit 4000 calculates the cap open time using the following equation (1).

As described above, the cap is closed after the recovery from abnormal termination F1 in the soft power ON process is performed (S1103→S1104), so the elapsed time after the cap is closed is subtracted to calculate the accurate cap open time. Details of calculation of the cap open time in this step will be described later (see FIG. 13).

In S1203, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the cap open time calculated in S1202 is less than a predetermined threshold. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S1205. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false (in other words, if the predetermined time or more has passed), the process proceeds to S1204. Any value such as one day may be adopted as the predetermined threshold used in this step.

At S1204, the control circuit 4000 performs abnormal termination recovery F2.

In S1205, the control circuit 4000 sets the abnormal termination flag to a value indicating that the process has not terminated abnormally, that is, to OFF.

At S1206, the control circuit 4000 executes time determination processing. Details of the time determination process will be described later (see FIG. 14).

In S1207, the control circuit 4000 performs a recording operation.

As described above, in the pre-printing recovery process according to the present embodiment, the cap open time is calculated based on the acquired time, and if the calculated cap open time is less than the threshold value, the pre-printing recovery operation is not performed. On the other hand, when the calculated cap open time is equal to or greater than the threshold, abnormal termination recovery F2 is performed before recording. The above is the content of the pre-recording recovery process according to the present embodiment.

<Calculation of cap open time>
Equation (1) used for calculating the cap open time according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 13 .

Referring to the right side of Equation (1), the elapsed time from the final action time to the current time (that is, the elapsed time from the last action time) is calculated by subtracting the final action time from the current time. Specifically, based on the current time acquired by the time acquisition means when the recording command is received and the final operation time stored in the storage means, by subtracting the final operation time from the current time, Elapsed time is calculated.

Further, the elapsed time after the abnormal termination recovery F1 is completed is calculated by subtracting the elapsed time from the power ON until the abnormal termination recovery F1 is completed from the elapsed time after the power is turned ON. Specifically, by subtracting the elapsed time from power ON to the completion of abnormal termination recovery F1 measured by the time measuring means from the elapsed time after power ON measured by the time measuring means, the abnormal termination recovery F1 completion is calculated. Elapsed time is calculated.

Finally, the cap open time is calculated by subtracting the elapsed time after completion of recovery from abnormal termination F1 from the elapsed time from the final operation time.

In this embodiment, a case is shown in which the elapsed time from the last operation time is adopted as the cap open time. However, the cap open time is not limited to this, and the cap open time may be the elapsed time from the final cap open time, the elapsed time from the final printing time, the elapsed time from the final preliminary ejection time, or the elapsed time from the final suction time. Time, etc. may be adopted.

Also, in this embodiment, a case is shown in which the timing for acquiring the time is when the recording command is received. However, the timing for acquiring the time is not limited to this, and is when communication is established between the server and the recording device via the wireless LAN, or when communication is established between the printer driver installed in the PC and the recording device. is established.

Further, in the present embodiment, the recovery before recording is triggered by receiving a recording command, but may be recovered by communication with the server as a trigger. The above is the content of the calculation of the cap open time according to the present embodiment.

<About time confirmation processing>
The time determination process according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 14 .

In S1400, control circuit 4000 determines whether the time fixed flag is set, that is, whether the value of the time fixed flag is ON. Here, it is determined whether or not the time has already been determined on the recording device side. If the determination result of this step is true, the time determination process is terminated. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process proceeds to S1401.

In S1401, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the time has been acquired. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S1402. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process proceeds to S1403.

In S1402, the control circuit 4000 adjusts the time of the printing apparatus (printer time) to match the acquired time.

At S1403, the control circuit 4000 adjusts the printer time to match the final recovery time.

In S1404, the control circuit 4000 sets the time determination flag to a value indicating that the time has been determined, that is, to ON. The above is the content of the time determination process according to the present embodiment.

<About the effect of this embodiment>
The effect of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. FIG. FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing a pre-recording recovery process according to the prior art. Comparing the present embodiment (see FIG. 12) with the conventional technology (see FIG. 15), the abnormal termination recovery F1 is performed when the calculated cap open time is less than a predetermined threshold (YES in S1503→S1504). Therefore, the conventional technology is different from the present embodiment. Further, when the calculated cap open time is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the conventional technology differs from the present embodiment in that the recovery operation is performed by the abnormal termination recovery F3 instead of the abnormal termination recovery F2 (NO in S1503→S1505). .

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing a comparison between the negative pressure profile of the prior art and the negative pressure profile of the present embodiment. First, the case where the cap open time is less than a predetermined threshold value (for example, one day) will be described. In the conventional control, the abnormal termination recovery F1 is performed after receiving the recording command, and the recovery occurs before the start of recording, resulting in a waiting time. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the abnormal termination recovery F1 is performed in advance in the soft power ON process, thereby eliminating the waiting time before the start of recording.

Next, a case where the cap open time is equal to or longer than a predetermined threshold value (for example, one day) will be described. In the conventional control, the abnormal end recovery F3 is executed after receiving the recording command, and the waiting time is generated by the recovery before the start of recording. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the abnormal termination recovery F1 is performed prior to the soft power ON process. As a result, as for the recovery before the start of recording, only the abnormal termination recovery F2, which has a shorter drive time than the abnormal termination recovery F3, is required, so the waiting time before recording can be shortened compared to the conventional case.

As described above, in the abnormal termination recovery of the present embodiment, the minimum required recovery operation is performed in advance before obtaining the time, and the necessary recovery operation is additionally performed according to the cap open time after obtaining the time. As a result, it is possible to shorten the waiting time until the start of recording, thereby improving the user's convenience.

[Second embodiment]
In the first embodiment, the form in which the recovery operation after abnormal termination is divided and implemented has been described. However, it is also possible to perform the recovery operation after the abnormal termination without dividing. That is, if a specific condition is satisfied, the recovery operation after abnormal termination may be performed collectively instead of dividedly. In this embodiment, a mode is shown in which recovery operations after abnormal termination are collectively performed. In the following, differences from the above-described embodiments will be mainly described, and descriptions of the same contents as those of the above-described embodiments will be omitted as appropriate.

<Regarding the soft power ON process>
The soft power ON process according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG.

In S1700, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the cap of the printhead 102 is open. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S1701. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false (that is, if the cap is closed), the printing apparatus is considered to have ended normally, and the soft power ON process ends without performing the recovery operation.

In step S1701, the control circuit 4000 sets the value of the abnormal end flag to ON.

In S1702, the control circuit 4000 sets a flag indicating whether or not the abnormal termination recovery F1 has been performed (referred to as an F1 performed flag) to a value indicating that it has not been performed, that is, OFF.

At S1703, the control circuit 4000 performs a mechanical initialization operation. Specifically, the control circuit 4000 controls the carriage motor drive circuit 4010 to return the carriage to a predetermined position, and controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to return the recovery mechanism to its normal state.

In S1704, the control circuit 4000 determines whether an error has occurred in the printing apparatus main body. If the determination result of this step is true, the soft power ON process is terminated. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process proceeds to S1705. A case where an error occurs in the main body of the printing apparatus is, for example, a case where an error occurs when the waste ink tank is full. In such a case, if the recovery operation is performed, the waste ink may leak from the waste ink tank. Therefore, the partial recovery (abnormal end recovery F1) in the soft power ON process is not performed, and the batch recovery is performed at the timing before printing. implement. In addition, even when an ink remaining amount error occurs due to insufficient ink in the ink tank, air bubbles may enter the head when the recovery operation is performed. Therefore, the partial recovery (abnormal termination recovery F1) is not performed in the soft power ON process, and the collective recovery is performed at the timing before recording.

In S1705, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the function for automatically turning on the power (automatic power-on function) is valid and whether the job has been submitted. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S1706. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the soft power ON process is terminated. The automatic power ON function is a function for starting a soft power ON process triggered by the reception of a recording command even when the recording apparatus is in a soft power OFF state. Therefore, if the determination result of this step is true, the time has already been acquired from an external device or the like. Therefore, in this case, the partial recovery in the soft power ON step, that is, the abnormal termination recovery F1 is not performed, and the collective recovery is performed at the timing before recording.

In S1706, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the job has been received. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S1707. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the soft power ON process is terminated. If the determination result of this step is true, that is, if the recording command is received during the mechanical initialization operation in S1703, the time has already been acquired. Therefore, in this case, the partial recovery in the soft power ON step, that is, the abnormal termination recovery F1 is not performed, and the collective recovery is performed at the timing before recording.

In S1707, the control circuit 4000 performs processing for selecting a recovery mode (referred to as recovery mode selection processing). Details of the recovery mode selection process will be described later (see FIG. 21).

In S1708, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the recovery mode selected in S1707 is abnormal termination recovery F3. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S1709. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process proceeds to S1711.

First, the case where abnormal termination recovery F3 is selected (YES in S1708) will be described. In this case, in S1709, the control circuit 4000 performs abnormal termination recovery F1 as recovery operation. Next, in S1710, the control circuit 4000 sets ON the value of the F1 performed flag indicating that the abnormal termination recovery F1 has been performed. After that, in S1715, the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to move the cap 26, thereby capping the ejection opening surface of the print head 102 and bringing the cap closed state. As described above, in the soft power ON process, if the recovery mode selected in S1707 is the abnormal termination recovery F3 (YES in S1708), the abnormal termination recovery operation is divided, the abnormal termination recovery F3 is not performed, and the abnormal termination recovery is performed. F1 is performed first. After that, in the recovery process before recording, which will be described later, the abnormal termination recovery F2 is performed as an abnormal termination recovery operation. This shortens the recovery time when the soft power is turned on.

Next, the case where the abnormal termination recovery F3 is not selected (NO in S1708) will be described. In this case, in S1711, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the recovery mode selected in S1707 is abnormal termination recovery F1. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S1712. A case where this condition is met is a case where the hard power is not turned off at the time of abnormal termination and the time has already been obtained. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the soft power ON process is terminated. As described above, in this embodiment, when neither the abnormal termination recovery F1 nor the abnormal termination recovery F3 is selected, the abnormal termination recovery F1 is not performed in the soft power ON process. That is, when it is necessary to implement recovery control other than recovery from abnormal termination, recovery from abnormal termination is collectively implemented at the timing before recording (not divided).

If YES in S1711, in S1712, the control circuit 4000 performs abnormal termination recovery F1. Next, at S1713, the control circuit 4000 performs time determination processing. Next, in S1714, the control circuit 4000 sets the value of the abnormal end flag to OFF. After that, in S1715, the control circuit 4000 caps the ejection opening surface of the print head 102 with the cap 26 to shift to the cap closed state. Thus, in the soft power ON process, when the selected recovery mode is the abnormal termination recovery F1, the abnormal termination recovery is completed only by the abnormal termination recovery F1 in the soft power ON process, and the recovery before recording is not additionally performed. . The above is the content of the soft power ON process according to the present embodiment.

<Regarding the recovery process before recording>
The pre-recording recovery process according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 18 is a flowchart of a recording process accompanied by a pre-recording recovery process according to this embodiment.

At S1800, control circuit 4000 receives a recording command.

In S1801, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the time has been set. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S1802. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process proceeds to S1804.

If it is determined in S1801 that the time has been set (YES in S1801), the control circuit 4000 performs recovery mode selection processing in S1802. Details of the recovery mode selection process will be described later (see FIG. 21).

In S1803, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the recovery mode has been selected. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S1806. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process advances to S1813 to perform the recording operation without performing the recovery operation.

If it is determined in S1801 that the time has not been determined (NO in S1801), the control circuit 4000 performs recovery mode selection processing in S1804.

In S1805, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the recovery mode has been selected. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S1806. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process proceeds to S1811.

If it is determined in S1803 or S1805 that the recovery mode is selected, in S1806 the control circuit 4000 performs the recovery operation in the selected recovery mode. That is, when abnormal termination recovery F3 is selected in S1707, abnormal termination recovery F2 is performed in S1806 as an abnormal termination recovery operation divided in the soft power ON step. As a result, the abnormal termination recovery F1 performed in S1709 and the abnormal termination recovery F2 performed in S1806 are added together, resulting in the same performance maintenance effect as when the abnormal termination recovery F3 is performed.

After S1806, in S1807, the control circuit 4000 updates the final recovery time, and in S1808, the control circuit 4000 executes time confirmation processing. Next, in S1809, the control circuit 4000 sets the values of the all-mode recovery flag, the F1 completed flag, and the abnormal end flag to OFF. Next, in S1810, the control circuit 4000 resets the time during which the tank is not attached (tank unattached time) and the dot count, and proceeds to S1813.

If it is determined in S1805 that the recovery mode has not been selected, then in S1811 the control circuit 4000 performs time determination processing. After S1811, in S1812, the control circuit 4000 sets the values of the F1 executed flag and the abnormal end flag to OFF, and proceeds to S1813.

Finally, at S1813, the control circuit 4000 performs the recording operation. The above is the content of the pre-recording recovery process according to the present embodiment.

<About various recovery controls>
In the first embodiment, for each of the abnormal termination recoveries F1 to F3, the pump drive amount for each suction is the same, but the number of times of suction differs. However, the present invention is not limited to such a case, and any suction parameter may be set. In this embodiment, for various types of recovery control, the number of times of suction is the same, but the pump drive amount for each suction is different.

FIG. 19 is a table showing priorities and suction parameters for various types of recovery control according to this embodiment. As shown in the figure, in the abnormal termination recovery F3, the pump drive amount in one suction is set to 14400. Further, in the abnormal termination recovery F2, the pump driving amount for one suction is set to 9600, and in the abnormal termination recovery F1, the pump driving amount for one suction is set to 4800. The same values for the pump driving speed and the number of repetitions are adopted for each of the abnormal termination recovery F1 to F3. On the other hand, regarding the priority, the higher the suction amount, the higher the priority. As a result, for example, when both the recovery flag for abnormal termination recovery F3 and the recovery flag for tank exchange recovery D are set, F3, which has a large suction amount and a high priority, is set as the recovery mode value.

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of a negative pressure profile for abnormal termination recovery according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 20, regarding the pump driving time during recovery from abnormal termination, recovery from abnormal termination F1 is shorter than recovery from abnormal termination F2, and recovery from abnormal termination F2 is shorter than recovery from abnormal termination F3. The above is the content of various recovery controls according to the present embodiment.

<Regarding recovery mode selection processing>
The recovery mode selection process according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 21 to 25. FIG. At S2100, control circuit 4000 performs timer recovery flag determination processing (FIG. 22). At S2101, the control circuit 4000 executes the tank replacement flag determination process (FIG. 23). At S2102, the control circuit 4000 performs dot count recovery flag determination processing (FIG. 24). At S2103, the control circuit 4000 performs the abnormal termination recovery flag determination process (FIG. 25). At S2104, control circuit 4000 selects the recovery mode according to the priority, and ends the recovery mode selection process. The details of each process of S2100 to S2103 will be described later.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart of timer recovery flag determination processing (S2100 in FIG. 21).

In the timer recovery flag determination process, first, in S2200, control circuit 4000 determines whether the time is fixed. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S2202. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process proceeds to S2201.

In S2201, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the time has been acquired. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S2202. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the timer recovery flag determination process is terminated.

In S2202, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the elapsed time since the previous recovery operation is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S2203. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the value of the flag (L flag) indicating whether to implement the timer recovery L is set to a value indicating the implementation, that is, the timer recovery flag is set to ON. End the determination process. Any value (for example, 30 days) may be adopted as the predetermined threshold used in this step.

In S2203, the control circuit 4000 sets the value of the L flag to ON, and terminates the timer recovery flag determination processing.

FIG. 23 is a flow chart of the tank replacement recovery flag determination process (S2101 in FIG. 21).

In the tank replacement recovery flag determination process, first, in S2300, it is determined whether or not the ink tank has been attached or detached by the user. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S2301. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the value of the flag (referred to as the D flag) indicating whether or not the tank replacement recovery D is to be performed is set to a value indicating the implementation, that is, the tank is replaced without being set to ON. Terminate the recovery flag determination process.

In S2301, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the time from when the user removes the ink tank to when the ink tank is attached (the ink tank unattached time) is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S2302. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the tank replacement recovery flag determination process is terminated without setting the value of the D flag to ON. Any value (for example, 10 minutes) may be adopted as the predetermined threshold used in this step.

At S2302, the control circuit 4000 sets the value of the D flag to ON, and terminates the tank replacement recovery flag determination process.

FIG. 24 is a flowchart of the dot count recovery flag determination process (S2102 in FIG. 21).

In S2400, the control circuit 4000 acquires the count value (so-called dot number) of ink droplets ejected so far from each nozzle row of each color, which is stored in the nonvolatile memory 4004 (see FIG. 7). In the present embodiment, the number of dots for the cyan 5pl nozzle row, Dcount(5pl)_c, the dot number for the magenta 5pl nozzle row, Dcount(5pl)_m, and the dot number for the yellow 5pl nozzle row, Dcount(5pl) Get _y and Dcount(2pl)_c, the number of dots for the cyan 2pl nozzle row; Dcount(2pl)_m, the number of dots for the magenta 2pl nozzle row; and Dcount(2pl)_y, the number of dots for the yellow 2pl nozzle row. do.

In S2401, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the sum of the number of dots in the cyan 5pl nozzle row and the number of dots in the cyan 2pl nozzle row is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S2404. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process proceeds to S2402. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the predetermined threshold used in this step is set to 5.0×10 ⁸ .

In S2402, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the sum of the dot count of the magenta 5pl nozzle row and the dot count of the magenta 2pl nozzle row is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S2404. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process proceeds to S2403. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the predetermined threshold used in this step is set to 5.0×10 ⁸ .

In S2403, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the sum of the number of dots in the yellow 5pl nozzle row and the number of dots in the yellow 2pl nozzle row is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S2404. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the value of the flag (assumed to be the A flag) indicating whether or not to perform dot count recovery A is set to a value indicating the implementation, that is, the dot count is performed without setting to ON. Terminate the recovery flag determination process. Incidentally, in this embodiment, the predetermined threshold used in this step is set to 5.0×10 ⁸ .

If YES in S2401, YES in S2402, or YES in S2403, in S2404, the control circuit 4000 sets the value of the A flag to ON, and ends the dot count recovery flag determination process. Note that the count value of the number of dots is reset when the recovery operation is performed, and then the counting of the number of dots is restarted.

FIG. 25 is a flowchart of the abnormal termination recovery flag determination process (S2103 in FIG. 21).

In S2500, control circuit 4000 determines whether the abnormal termination flag is set, that is, whether the value of the abnormal termination flag is ON. If the determination result of this step is true, the process advances to S2501. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the abnormal termination recovery flag determination process is terminated without setting the abnormal termination recovery flag.

In S2501, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the F1 performed flag is set, that is, whether the value of the F1 performed flag is ON. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S2502. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process proceeds to S2506.

First, the case where the F1 execution completion flag is set (YES in S2501) will be described. In this case, in S2502, the control circuit 4000 determines whether at least one of the time has been acquired and the time is fixed. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S2503. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, that is, if the time has not been obtained and the time has not been determined, the process proceeds to S2505.

At S2503, the control circuit 4000 calculates the cap open time. Details of this step will be described later with reference to FIG.

In S2504, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the cap open time calculated in S2503 is less than a predetermined threshold. If the determination result of this step is true, the abnormal termination recovery flag determination process is terminated without setting the abnormal termination recovery flag. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process advances to S2505. Any value (for example, 1 day) can be adopted as the predetermined threshold used in this step.

In S2505, the control circuit 4000 sets the value of the flag (assumed to be the F2 flag) indicating whether or not to implement the abnormal termination recovery F2 to a value indicating execution, that is, ON, and terminates the abnormal termination recovery flag determination process. do.

Next, the case where the F1 executed flag is not set (NO in S2501) will be described. In this case, in S2506, the control circuit 4000 determines whether at least one of the time has been acquired and the time is fixed. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S2507. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, that is, if the time has not been acquired and the time has not been determined, the process proceeds to S2510.

At S2507, the control circuit 4000 calculates the cap open time. Details of this step will be described later with reference to FIG.

In S2508, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the cap open time calculated in S2507 is less than a predetermined threshold. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S2509. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process proceeds to S2510. Any value (for example, 1 day) can be adopted as the predetermined threshold used in this step.

In S2509, the control circuit 4000 sets the value of the flag (assumed to be the F1 flag) indicating whether or not to implement the abnormal termination recovery F1 to a value indicating execution, that is, ON, and terminates the abnormal termination recovery flag determination process. do.

In S2510, the control circuit 4000 sets the value of the flag (assumed to be the F3 flag) indicating whether or not to implement the abnormal termination recovery F3 to a value indicating the execution, that is, ON, and terminates the abnormal termination recovery flag determination process. do. The above is the content of the recovery mode selection process according to the present embodiment.

<Regarding the Cap Open Time Calculation Process>
The cap open time calculation process according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 26 .

In S2600, control circuit 4000 determines whether the F1 performed flag is set, that is, whether the value of the F1 performed flag is ON. If the determination result of this step is true, the process advances to S2601. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process proceeds to S2603.

In S2601, the control circuit 4000 determines whether the time has not yet been determined. If the determination result of this step is true, the process proceeds to S2602. On the other hand, if the determination result of this step is false, the process proceeds to S2603.

At S2602, the control circuit 4000 calculates the cap open time using the above equation (1). Since this step is the same as S1202 of the first embodiment, the description is omitted (see FIG. 13).

At S2603, the control circuit 4000 calculates the cap open time using the following equation (2).

The above is the content of the cap open time calculation process according to the present embodiment.

[Third Embodiment]
In the above-described embodiment, recovery from abnormal termination is a suction operation using a pump, but recovery from abnormal suction is not limited to this. In this embodiment, a preliminary ejection operation for ejecting ink from the nozzles of the print head is performed as recovery from abnormal termination.

<Regarding the recovery process>
The steps of the recovery operation according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 27 .

In S2700, the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to move the cap 26, thereby capping the ejection opening surface of the print head 102 and bringing the cap closed state. By this step, the cap 26 is pressed against the printhead 102, and the cap 26 and the ejection port surface of the printhead 102 are brought into close contact.

At S 2701 , the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to open the atmosphere relief valve 601 . Through this step, the recording head 102 and the atmosphere are brought into communication.

At S2702, the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to start driving the suction pump 25, thereby starting dry suction.

In S2703, the control circuit 4000 controls the print head unit drive circuit 4006 to start preliminary ejection.

When preliminary ejection for a predetermined number of shots is completed, in S2704 the control circuit 4000 controls the print head unit driving circuit 4006 to end preliminary ejection.

At S2705, the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to stop driving the suction pump 25, thereby stopping dry suction. Incidentally, the amount of pump drive during idle suction is set according to the number of preliminary ejections.

At S 2706 , the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to close the air release valve 601 .

In step S2707, the control circuit 4000 controls the purge motor drive circuit 4008 to move the cap 26 away from the ejection port surface of the print head 102 to open the cap. In this step, the cap 26 pressed and in close contact with the recording head 102 is separated from the recording head 102 .

The above is the content of the process of the recovery operation according to the present embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, a configuration is shown in which preliminary ejection and idle suction are performed at the same time, but it is also possible to configure only preliminary ejection without performing idle suction.

FIG. 28 is a table showing priority levels and parameters related to preliminary ejection (referred to as preliminary ejection parameters) for various types of recovery from abnormal termination according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 28, in the abnormal termination recovery F3, the number of ejection shots for each nozzle row is set to 10,000, and the driving amount of idle suction is set to 4,000. In the abnormal termination recovery F2, the number of ejections for each nozzle row is set to 7500 and the driving amount of idle suction is set to 3000. In the abnormal termination recovery F1, the ejection number of each nozzle row is set to 2500 and the driving amount of idle suction is set to is set to 1000. Since the recovery time becomes shorter as the number of shots in the preliminary ejection decreases, the recovery time of the abnormal termination recovery F1 is shorter than the recovery time of the abnormal termination recovery F2, and the recovery time of the abnormal termination recovery F2 is longer than the recovery time of the abnormal termination recovery F3. Shorten.

[Other embodiments]
The present invention supplies a program that implements one or more functions of the above-described embodiments to a system or device via a network or a storage medium, and one or more processors in the computer of the system or device reads and executes the program. It can also be realized by processing to It can also be implemented by a circuit (for example, ASIC) that implements one or more functions.

25 suction pump 26 cap 102 recording head 4000 control circuit

Claims (20)

a recording head having an ejection port surface on which ejection ports for ejecting ink are arranged;
a cap that can transition between a capping state that caps the ejection port surface and a cap open state that does not cap the ejection port surface;
recovery means for recovering the performance of the recording head;
Acquisition means for acquiring time information transmitted from a connected external device;
calculating means for calculating a cap open time during which the cap is not capping the discharge port surface based on the time information;
a recovery control means for controlling the recovery means when the cap is in the open state when the power of the apparatus is turned on,
The recovery control means causes the recovery means to perform a first recovery operation before acquiring the time information, and causes the recovery means to perform the first recovery operation based on the cap open time after acquiring the time information. A recording apparatus characterized by controlling whether or not a second recovery operation different from the operation is to be executed. 2. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising first determination means for determining whether said cap is open when said power is turned on. 3. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said acquisition means acquires time information included in data transmitted from said external device. further comprising second determination means for determining whether the cap open time calculated by the calculation means is less than a predetermined threshold;
The recovery control means prevents execution of the second recovery operation when the judgment result of the second judgment means is true, and causes the second recovery operation to be executed when the judgment result is false. 4. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3. further comprising storage means for storing the last operation time of the recording device;
The calculating means calculates the cap open time based on the current time indicated by the time information, the last operation time, and the elapsed time after the completion of the first recovery operation. Item 5. The recording apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 4. The elapsed time after the completion of the first recovery operation is the first elapsed time from the time when the power is turned on to the current time, and the second time from the time when the power is turned on to the time when the first recovery operation is completed. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the time is calculated by subtracting two elapsed times. further comprising suction means connected to the cap and capable of sucking ink;
7. The first recovery operation and the second recovery operation are suction operations for sucking ink from the recording head by the suction means in the capped state. The recording device described in . 8. A recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said first recovery operation has a shorter suction time due to said suction operation than said second recovery operation. 9. A recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said first recovery operation has a smaller amount of suction due to said suction operation than said second recovery operation. 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first recovery operation and the second recovery operation are preliminary ejection operations for ejecting ink that does not contribute to printing from the ejection openings. recording device. 11. A printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said first recovery operation has a shorter preliminary ejection operation time than said second recovery operation. 12. A printing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the first recovery operation uses a smaller amount of ink to be ejected by the preliminary ejection operation than the second recovery operation. When a predetermined condition is satisfied, the recovery control means does not perform the first recovery operation before acquiring the time information, and instructs the recovery means to perform the first recovery operation and the recovery operation after receiving the recording command. 13. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein a second recovery operation is performed. 14. A recording apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said predetermined condition is that said time information is obtained by said obtaining means when said power source is turned on. 14. A recording apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said predetermined condition is that a predetermined time or more has elapsed since the previous recovery operation. The apparatus further comprises an ink tank that is detachable from the apparatus and holds ink to be supplied to the recording head, and the predetermined condition is that the time during which the ink tank is not mounted is a threshold value or more. 14. The recording apparatus according to claim 13. 14. A printing apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising dot counting means for counting the number of dots ejected from said print head, wherein said predetermined condition is that said number of dots is equal to or greater than a threshold. 14. A recording apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said predetermined condition is that an error has occurred that makes it impossible to implement a recovery operation. a recording head having an ejection port surface on which ejection ports for ejecting ink are arranged;
a cap that can transition between a capping state that caps the ejection port surface and a cap open state that does not cap the ejection port surface;
A control method for a printing apparatus comprising recovery means for recovering the performance of the printing head,
an acquisition step of acquiring time information transmitted from the connected external device;
a calculation step of calculating a cap open time during which the cap is not capping the discharge port surface based on the time information;
a recovery control step of controlling the recovery means when the cap is in the open state when the device is powered on;
In the recovery control step, the recovery means is caused to perform a first recovery operation before acquiring the time information, and after the time information is acquired, the recovery means is caused to perform the first recovery based on the cap open time. A control method characterized by controlling whether or not a second recovery operation different from the operation is to be executed. A program for causing a computer to perform the method according to claim 19.

Images