Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Naomi Oshio

Osamu Iwasaki

Yoshinori Nakagawa

Naoji Otsuka

Atsuhiko Masuyama

Kiichiro Takahashi

Minoru Teshigawara

Tetsuya Edamura

Satoshi Seki

Hitoshi Sugimoto

Atsuhiko Musuyama

Naoiji Otsuka

The present invention provides a liquid application device and an ink jet recording apparatus each capable of reducing deterioration in application quality due to an increase in the number of times of use of a roller, thereby improving durability. The present invention includes an application roller which applies liquid to an application medium, and a liquid retention member which retains the liquid in a liquid retention space formed by making the application roller be in contact with the retention member. With this structure, a pool of the liquid is formed, with rotation of the application roller, in an area upstream of a contact area, in a rotational direction, between the application member and the retention member at a side where a surface of the application member enters the contact area therebetween.

Liquid application device and ink jet recording apparatus

The present invention provides an inkjet recording apparatus and a recording apparatus capable of reducing wear of a roller for application, even if liquid (for example, application liquid) is insufficient in a case where liquid is applied to recording media. In an embodiment of the present invention, in a case where it is determined that the application liquid is sufficient in a storage tank, the application liquid is filled in a liquid retention space, the application liquid is applied to the recording medium, and thus recording is performed. In a case where it is determined that the liquid application is insufficient in the storage tank, recording with application is prohibited.

The present invention provides a liquid application device, an inkjet recording apparatus and a recording apparatus, which are capable of performing an adequate application initial operation according to the length of waiting time and power-off time, as well as a method of controlling the liquid application device. In the present invention, information on an end time of the previous processing for collecting liquid is read from a nonvolatile memory, current time information indicating the current time is obtained, and information on a lapse of time from the end time of the previous collection to a start time of the current application. Thereafter, the number of preliminary rotations R of an application roller is decided based on the information on the lapse of time with reference to a look-up table. Sequentially, the application roller is rotated by the decided number of preliminary rotations R to perform preprocessing operation.

Liquid application device, inkjet recording apparatus, and method of controlling liquid application device

For a serial color ink jet printing apparatus that forms an image using a symmetric printing head that ejects large dots and small dots, the configuration of a printing head is provided for suppressing, to the extent possible, a cyclic fluctuation in the main scanning direction. According to the present invention, individual nozzle arrays are arranged so that two nozzle arrays, i.e., a cyan nozzle array cand a magenta nozzle array m, that are located nearer each other, form dots on adjacent scan lines. With this arrangement, a high quality image, having neither an uneven density nor an uneven color, can be formed when a printing head is inclined, or when a cyclic shift in printing positions occurs, depending on the position of the main scanning direction.

Printing apparatus

A liquid application device capable of applying liquid to different size medium includes a transfer device for transferring the medium, a regulating member for regulating a transferring position of the transferred medium, and a liquid applicator including an application member for applying liquid to the medium transferred by the transfer means and a retention member for retaining the liquid in a liquid retention space which is formed by causing the retention member to abut on the application member. In addition, a storage device stores the liquid, a supply channel supplies the liquid in the storage device to the liquid retention space, a collection channel collects the liquid in the liquid retention space into the storage device, and a supply port is formed in the retention member and is connected to the supply channel. Also, a collection port is formed in the retention member and is connected to the collection channel, and a pump generates a flow of liquid in a liquid channel. The supply port is arranged at a position that is closer to the regulating member than the collection port.

Liquid application device and inkjet recording apparatus

A liquid application device includes a rotating unit for rotating an application member to apply liquid to a medium in contact with the application member, a liquid application unit including the application member, and a retention member for retaining liquid in a sealed liquid retention space formed to be in contact with the application member. The liquid application unit applies the liquid retained in the liquid retention space to the medium via the application member by rotating the application member. In addition, a control unit controls the rotating unit, wherein the control unit controls, after receiving information of instruction on applying liquid to the medium, the rotating unit to rotate, before the application member contacts the medium, the application member so that the rotating unit performs a preliminary rotation that forms a pool of the liquid in an area. The area is upstream, in a rotational direction, of a contact area between the retention member and the application member at a side where a surface of the application member enters a contact area with the retention member, and the area is downstream, in the rotational direction, of a contact area between the medium and the application member when transferring the medium.

An applying amount to an applying medium is controlled in a liquid applying apparatus. Specifically, before driving a pump, a circulation speed decision processing (S3) is carried out. According to this decided speed, a speed of the circulation flow generated in a liquid holding space is controlled in a pump operating process (S4). This controls a pressure in the liquid holding space. As a result, a state of flow of the applying liquid at a contact member of a liquid holding member in contact with the applying roller is changed, and an amount of the applying liquid adhering to an applying roller and going out of the contact portion is controlled. This can control the amount of the applying liquid to be applied to the applying medium.

Liquid applying apparatus and ink-jet printing apparatus

A liquid application device and an inkjet recording apparatus are capable of reducing nonuniformity in application of liquid onto a recording medium, and thereby forming high-quality images on a steady basis. In the present invention, information indicating the lapse of time after the previous circulation operation is obtained. Subsequently, based on the obtained information indicating the lapse of time, a preliminary circulation sequence is determined. Finally, the preliminary circulation sequence is performed based on the determined preliminary circulation sequence.

A present invention reduces the generation of periodic uneven print density in the image in a main scanning direction. The present invention focuses attention on a fact that, when a printing head including a plurality of nozzle arrays for ejecting different inks is used to print an image and when the same pixel is printed by a combination of nozzle arrays in which an interval in the main scanning direction is relatively short, the displacement of ink impact positions is smaller when compared to a case where the same pixel is printed by a combination of nozzle arrays in which an interval in the main scanning direction is relatively long. Thus, a dot arrangement pattern allocated to the pixel data is selected so that the same pixel is printed by a combination of nozzle arrays in which an interval in the main scanning direction is relatively short.

Data processing apparatus, data processing method, ink jet printing apparatus, and ink jet printing method

The present invention provides a liquid application device and an inkjet recording apparatus, which are capable of supplying liquid to a liquid room with the power consumption and/or the noise which are reduced. A pump is driven to fill a liquid retention space S with an application liquid. When the filling has been completed, the pump is stopped. Subsequently, the application liquid is applied to an application medium which has been transferred. At this time, a count in a RAM is increased. Thereafter, the determination as to whether or not the application can be carried out is made on the basis of the count and the prescribed application-performable number of sheets stored in a ROM. If it is determined that the application cannot be carried out, the filling of the application liquid is performed. If it is determined that the application can be carried out, next application is performed.

In a liquid application device and an inkjet recording apparatus, even if the number of liquid storage units is increased, the number of parts can be reduced, and cost reduction and miniaturization can be realized. The liquid application device includes a buffer tank storing application liquid to be supplied to a space-creating base. Additionally, the device includes an exchange tank storing application liquid to be refilled in the buffer tank. Moreover, the device includes first and second channels linking the buffer tank and the space-creating base, a pump arranged in the second channel, and a third channel linking a T-shaped channel and an exchange tank. Furthermore, the device includes a first valve which switches shutoff and link between first and second tubes, and a third valve which switches shutoff and link between third and fourth tubes.

When it is determined that an end process flag is not stored in memory, there is a possibility that the recovery operation was not executed normally and the viscosity increased or fixed coating liquid exist in a liquid holding member and liquid flow paths. Therefore, a filling operation for generating stronger fluidization than a normal filling operation is carried out as a filling operation also acting as a restoration operation. That is, a pump is operated at a predetermined rotating speed for a specified time, which is longer than the specified time for the normal filling operation. By this, the viscosity increased coating liquid existing in the liquid holding space and the respective liquid flow paths is re-fluidized to an extent that will not interfere with circulation, and normal filling of the coating liquid is carried out.

A liquid holding member abuts against an applying surface (outer surface) of an applying member which applies an applying liquid to an applying medium, and a liquid holding space for holding the applying liquid is formed between the applying member and the liquid holding member. By rotating the applying member, the applying liquid held in the liquid holding space is affixed to the outer surface of the applying member while being restricted to the abutting member, and the applying liquid is applied to the medium. In this event, the abutting position of the applying member and the liquid holding member differs between after applying operation completion and before applying operation starting. Thus, distortion generated at the abutting position of the applying surface of the applying member and the liquid holding member can be reduced.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Naomi Oshio