Patent Grant
11794495
The present invention relates to an inkjet printing apparatus and a printing method that perform printing by ejecting ink to a print medium, particularly to an inkjet printing apparatus and a printing method that perform multipass printing in which an image is completed by performing multiple print convenience operations on a unit region.
PTL 1 discloses a full-line inkjet printing apparatus that conveys a print medium with a conveyor belt. In the inkjet printing apparatus of PTL 1, a print head ejects ink while being moved in a nozzle arrangement direction every time a conveyance direction of the print medium is switched to mitigate a decrease in image quality caused by deviation of ink landing positions and the like. Although the inkjet printing apparatus of PTL 1 has a configuration in which the conveyor belt conveys the print medium, a configuration in which two roller members of a conveyance roller and a pinch roller pinch the print medium and convey the print medium by being rotated is also generally used. In the case where the conveyance roller conveys the print medium, the conveyance roller is generally arranged close to a print unit to improve conveyance accuracy.
However, in a printing method in which printing is performed with the conveyance roller reciprocally conveying the print medium, the pinch roller and a region of the print medium to which the ink is applied sometimes come into contact with each other during the reciprocal conveyance operation of the print medium performed in the image formation. If the pinch roller and the region to which the ink is applied come into contact with each other, friction force between the pinch roller and the print medium changes and a conveyance error of the print medium may occur in some cases. If the conveyance error occurs, ink landing positions deviate from proper landing positions and this causes degradation of images such as characters and lines.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a full-line inkjet printing apparatus and a printing method that can suppress occurrence of image degradation in the case where a conveyance roller conveys a print medium and multipass printing is performed.
To this end, an inkjet printing apparatus of the present invention is an inkjet printing apparatus including: a conveyance unit that conveys a print medium in a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction by rotating paired conveyance rollers configured to pinch the print medium; a print head that is provided downstream of the paired conveyance rollers in the first direction and that prints an image by ejecting ink to the print medium conveyed by the conveyance unit; and a control unit that controls the conveyance unit and the print head to print an image in a unit region of the print medium by alternately performing a first print conveyance operation and a second print conveyance operation, the first print conveyance operation being an operation of causing the conveyance unit to convey the print medium in the first direction while causing the print head to eject the ink to the unit region according to print data, the second print conveyance operation being an operation of causing the conveyance unit to convey the print medium in the second direction while causing the print head to eject the ink to the unit region according to the print data, and the control unit controls the conveyance unit such that the unit region subjected to printing by the print head is moved within such a range that the unit region is located downstream of the paired conveyance rollers in the first direction.
The present invention can provide an inkjet printing apparatus and a printing method that can suppress occurrence of image degradation.
Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.
A first embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings.
The printing apparatus 1 includes a print unit 3 and the print unit 3 includes a print head 2 that handles various ink colors. The print head 2 forms an image on the print medium by ejecting inks to the print medium according to print data. In the embodiment, the print unit 3 includes the print head 2 that handles inks of four colors of cyan (C), magenta (M), yellow (Y), and black (K). Note that the number of arranged print heads 2 and the number of colors of inks used in printing are not limited to those in the embodiment. The print head 2 is held in a head holder 5 and the head holder 5 is provided with a mechanism that moves the head holder 5 up and down in the Z direction along a head holder operation shaft 13 to allow changing of a distance between the print head 2 and the print medium 4.
Moreover, the head holder 5 is provided with a mechanism that moves the head holder 5 in the Y direction intersecting (orthogonal to in the embodiment) the conveyance direction of the print medium 4. The printing apparatus 1 includes a cleaning unit 6 at a position facing the print head 2 of the print unit 3, the cleaning unit 6 configured to clean a nozzle surface of the print head 2 provided with multiple nozzles with a wiper blade 43. The cleaning unit 6 includes the wiper blade 43 and a wiper holder 44 including the wiper blade 43 and is configured to be moved by a drive motor (not illustrated) along the nozzle surface of the print head 2, in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction. Furthermore, the printing apparatus 1 includes a not-illustrated cutter unit that cuts the print medium 4 and a not-illustrated sheet discharge basket that receives the print medium 4 subjected to printing, downstream of the print unit 3 in the X direction, along a conveyance route of the print medium 4.
An extending direction of the nozzle rows 42, that is the Y direction in which the nozzles capable of ejecting the inks are arranged is a direction intersecting (orthogonal to in the embodiment) the conveyance direction of the print medium 4 that is the X direction. The print head 2 includes a base substrate 40 and the base substrate 40 is provided with a nozzle chip 41. The nozzle chip 41 is a nozzle substrate in which the ejection energy generation elements corresponding to the nozzles forming the nozzle rows 42 are buried, and includes the nozzle surface in which the multiple nozzles are formed. In the embodiment, four nozzle rows 42 are arranged to correspond to the inks of four colors.
The wiper holder 44 provided in the cleaning unit 6 and including the wiper blade 43 is reciprocated in the Y direction by a drive belt 46 while being guided by a shaft 45. Moving the wiper holder 44 causes the wiper blade 43 to wipe the nozzle surface of the print head 2 and removes the inks and dust attaching to the nozzle surface.
In the print head 2 illustrated in
The image processing unit 509 performs predetermined image processing on inputted color image data to be printed. Specifically, for example, the image processing unit 509 executes data conversion for mapping color gamut, reproduced by the inputted image data of color components of R, G, and B, to color gamut to be reproduced by the printing apparatus 1. Moreover, the image processing unit 509 performs processing of obtaining pieces of color separation data (pieces of density data for the respective components of C, M, Y, and K) corresponding to a combination of inks used to reproduce the color indicated by each piece of converted data, based on the converted data, and performs gray-scale conversion on the pieces of color separation data separated by color.
The binarization circuit 508 performs halftone processing or the like on the multi-level density image data converted by the image processing unit 509 and converts it to binary data (bit map data). The drive circuit 507 causes the inks to be ejected from the nozzles of the print head 2 according to the binary data obtained by the binarization circuit 508 and the like.
In the embodiment, a print region subjected to printing in the execution of the five-pass printing is always located on the print head side (right side in the drawing) of the pinch roller 10, and is not conveyed beyond the pinch roller 10 (from the right side of the pinch roller 10 to the left side thereof in the drawing). Specifically, the print region is moved within such a range that it is located downstream of the pinch roller 10 in the conveyance direction (forward direction). The printing can be thereby completed while avoiding contact between the pinch roller 10 and the print region to which the inks are applied. The inkjet printing apparatus that can suppress occurrence of image degradation while suppressing occurrence of conveyance error can be thus achieved. The printing method of the embodiment is described below.
First, in a first print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed in a first unit region of the print medium while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the forward direction by a conveyance amount (also referred to as unit conveyance amount) a. Next, in a second print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed in a superimposed manner in the first unit region subjected to printing in the first print conveyance operation while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the return direction by the conveyance amount α. Thereafter, in a third print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the forward direction by a conveyance amount 2α. In this case, a third print operation is performed in the first unit region from the leading edge portion to the conveyance amount α and a first print operation is performed in a second unit region from the conveyance amount α to the conveyance amount 2α.
In a fourth print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the return direction by the conveyance amount 2α. In this case, a second print operation is performed in the second unit region from a print start position to the conveyance amount α and a fourth print operation is performed in the first unit region from the conveyance amount α to the conveyance amount 2α. In a fifth print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the forward direction by a conveyance amount 3α. In this case, a fifth print operation is performed in the first unit region from a print start position being the leading edge portion to the conveyance amount α, a third print operation is performed in the second unit region from the conveyance amount α to the conveyance amount 2α, and a first print operation is performed in a third unit region from the conveyance amount 2α to the conveyance amount 3α. At this moment, the fifth print operation is completed and the image is completed in the first unit region from the leading edge portion to the conveyance amount α.
In a sixth print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the return direction by the conveyance amount 2α. In this case, a second print operation is performed in the third unit region from a print start position to the conveyance amount α and a fourth print operation is performed in the second unit region from the conveyance amount α to the conveyance amount 2α. In a seventh print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the forward direction by the conveyance amount 3α. In this case, a fifth print operation is performed in the second unit region from a print start position to the conveyance amount α, a third print operation is performed in the third unit region from the conveyance amount α to the conveyance amount 2α, and a first print operation is performed in a fourth unit region from the conveyance amount 2α to the conveyance amount 3α. At this moment, the fifth print operation is completed and the image is completed in the first and second unit regions from the leading edge portion to the conveyance amount 2a.
In an eighth print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the return direction by the conveyance amount 2α. In this case, a second print operation is performed in the fourth unit region from a print start position to the conveyance amount α and a fourth print operation is performed in the third unit region from the conveyance amount α to the conveyance amount 2α. In a ninth print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the forward direction by the conveyance amount 3α. In this case, a fifth print operation is performed in the third unit region from a print start position to the conveyance amount α, a third print operation is performed in the fourth unit region from the conveyance amount α to the conveyance amount 2α, and a first print operation is performed in a fifth unit region from the conveyance amount 2α to the conveyance amount 3α. At this moment, the fifth print operation is completed and the image is completed in the first to third unit regions from the leading edge portion to the conveyance amount 3α. Repeating the aforementioned print operation enables image formation by five-pass printing while avoiding contact between the print region and the pinch roller 10.
It can be found that, in the five-pass printing in the embodiment, the print operation is performed such that a region in which printing is being performed is conveyed from the print head 2 toward the pinch roller 10 by the conveyance amount 2α at a maximum. In the embodiment, the conveyance amount α is controlled such that a relationship of distance P>distance Q is established, where the distance P is the distance between the print head 2 and the pinch roller 10 in a route through which the print medium is conveyed and the distance Q is the maximum conveyance amount 2α in the return route.
The embodiment is carried out in setting in which the distance P between the print head 2 and the pinch roller 10 is 65 mm and the distance Q being the maximum conveyance amount in the return route is 60 mm. Specifically, the conveyance amount a is 30 mm and, in the fifth pass and beyond, the print operation is performed while the print medium 4 is conveyed by 90 mm in the forward route and by 60 mm in the return route.
As described above, setting the maximum conveyance amount 2α in the return route smaller than the distance P between the conveyance roller 7 and the print head 2 allows the print medium 4 to be conveyed while avoiding contact between the pinch roller 10 and the print region in which the printing is being performed or completed on the print medium. This can suppress occurrence of variation in conveyance amount, that is conveyance error caused by the contact between the pinch roller 10 and a mid-printing or printing completed portion.
A second embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings. Note that a basic configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment and characteristic configurations are thus described below.
In the first embodiment, the printing apparatus that performs the print control of the five-pass printing is described. The printing apparatus of the embodiment can perform print control of seven-pass printing in addition to the five-pass printing. A printing method in the printing apparatus of the embodiment is described below.
First, in a first print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed in a first unit region of the print medium while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the forward direction by a conveyance amount M. Next, in a second print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed in a superimposed manner in the first unit region subjected to printing in the first print conveyance operation while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the return direction by the conveyance amount M. Thereafter, in a third print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the forward direction by a conveyance amount 2M. In this case, the third print operation is performed in the first unit region from a print start position being the leading edge portion to the conveyance amount M and the first print operation is performed in a second unit region from the conveyance amount M to the conveyance amount 2M.
In a fourth print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the return direction by the conveyance amount 2M. In this case, a second print operation is performed in the second unit region from a print start position to the conveyance amount M and a fourth print operation is performed in the first unit region from the conveyance amount M to the conveyance amount 2M. In a fifth print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the forward direction by a conveyance amount 3M. In this case, a fifth print operation is performed in the first unit region from a print start position being the leading edge portion to the conveyance amount M, a third print operation is performed in the second unit region from the conveyance amount M to the conveyance amount 2M, and a first print operation is performed in a third unit region from the conveyance amount 2M to the conveyance amount 3M.
In a sixth print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the return direction by the conveyance amount 3M. In this case, a second print operation is performed in the third unit region from a print start position to the conveyance amount M, a fourth print operation is performed in the second unit region from the conveyance amount M to the conveyance amount 2M, and a sixth print operation is performed in the first unit region from the conveyance amount 2M to the conveyance amount 3M. In a seventh print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the forward direction by a conveyance amount 4M. In this case, a seventh print operation is performed in the first unit region from a print start position being the leading edge portion to the conveyance amount M and a fifth print operation is performed in the second unit region from the conveyance amount M to the conveyance amount 2M. Moreover, a third print operation is performed in the third unit region from the conveyance amount 2M to the conveyance amount 3M and a first print operation is performed in a fourth unit region from the conveyance amount 3M to the conveyance amount 4M. At this moment, the seventh print operation is completed and the image is completed in a section from the leading edge portion to the conveyance amount M.
In an eighth print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the return direction by the conveyance amount 3M. In this case, a second print operation is performed in the fourth unit region from a print start position to the conveyance amount M, a fourth print operation is performed in the third unit region from the conveyance amount M to the conveyance amount 2M, and a sixth print operation is performed in the second unit region from the conveyance amount 2M to the conveyance amount 3M. In a ninth print conveyance operation, the print operation is performed while the print medium 4 is conveyed in the forward direction by the conveyance amount 4M. In this case, a seventh print operation is performed in the second unit region from a print start position to the conveyance amount M and a fifth print operation is performed in the third unit region from the conveyance amount M to the conveyance amount 2M. Moreover, a third print operation is performed in the fourth unit region from the conveyance amount 2M to the conveyance amount 3M and a first print operation is performed in a fifth unit region from the conveyance amount 3M to the conveyance amount 4M. At this moment, the seventh print operation is completed and the image is completed in a section from the leading edge portion to the conveyance amount 2M.
Repeating the print operation while conveying the print medium 4 by the conveyance amount 4M in the forward route and conveying the print medium 4 by the conveyance amount 3M in the return route as described above in the seventh print conveyance operation and beyond enables image formation by seven-pass printing while avoiding contact between the print region and the pinch roller 10. In the seven-pass printing, distance Q2=conveyance amount 3M, where the distance Q2 is the maximum conveyance amount in the return route, and it is only necessary to set M to such a magnitude that distance P>distance Q2=3M is established. This embodiment is carried out in setting in which the conveyance amount M is 20 mm. In other words, the distance Q2 is 60 mm.
In this case, the larger the unit conveyance amount is, the better the so-called throughput is, provided that the number of passes is the same, the throughput being time required to complete a printed image. In the embodiment, the unit conveyance amount in one print conveyance operation is the conveyance amount L in the five-pass mode and is the conveyance amount M in the seven-pass mode. In order to improve the throughput, the conveyance amount control is preferably performed such that the unit conveyance amount is set as large as possible within a range in which the maximum conveyance amount in the return route does not exceed the distance P in both of the five-pass mode and the seven-pass mode. In the embodiment, the maximum conveyance amount in the return route is 60 mm in both of the five-pass mode and the seven-pass mode. Accordingly, the unit conveyance amount L in the five-pass mode is 30 mm and the unit conveyance amount M in the seven-pass mode is 20 mm. In other words, it can be found that a relationship of conveyance amount L>conveyance amount M is established.
In the case where multiple print modes varying in the number of passes are provided as described above, a unit conveyance amount in a print mode of a larger number of passes is set as large as possible within a range not exceeding a unit conveyance amount in a print mode of a smaller number of passes. This can achieve print control that suppresses a decrease in throughput while reducing conveyance error factors.
Although the printing apparatus having the five-pass mode and the seven-pass mode is described in the embodiment, the same applies to printing methods of other numbers of passes. For example, a unit conveyance amount in a print mode of nine-pass printing is smaller than the unit conveyance amount in the seven-pass mode. Moreover, the maximum number of unit regions subjected to printing in one print conveyance operation in the return route in the nine-pass mode is larger than that in the seven-pass mode.
A third embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings. Note that a basic configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment and characteristic configurations are thus described below.
Accordingly, in the embodiment, the print mode A is regarded as a draft mode. The print mode A is a configuration with lower conveyance accuracy than the print mode B but is effective in a situation where a high throughput is desired over print accuracy. Moreover, for example, the ink application amount onto the print medium may be reduced in the print mode A. In this case, although the pinch roller 10 comes into contact with the mid-printing or printing completed region, since the ink application amount is small, the degree of conveyance error can be made close to that in the print mode B.
Although description is given of the example in which the unit conveyance amount varies between the printing methods of the same number of passes for the two print modes of the print mode A and the print mode B in the embodiment, the numbers of passes in the respective printing methods do not have to be the same. The configuration may be such that conveyance control in which the pinch roller does not come into contact with the mid-printing or printing completed portion is performed in one of printing methods varying in the number of passes and conveyance control in which the pinch roller comes into contact with the mid-printing or printing completed portion is performed in the other one of printing methods.
A fourth embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings. Note that a basic configuration of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment and characteristic configurations are thus described below.
In the print mode A in the third embodiment described above, the pinch roller 10 comes into contact with the mid-printing portion or printing completed portion. In the case where the pinch roller 10 comes into contact with a wet print medium surface as described above, the surface of the print medium deforms and this deformation is resultantly recognized as unevenness in some cases. In this specification, a negative effect on an image caused by such contact between the print medium and the pinch roller 10 is referred to as conveyance mark unevenness.
A degree of obviousness of the conveyance mark unevenness varies depending on the type of print medium and the like. For example, in glossy paper and a film-based print medium that have relatively smooth surfaces, deformation that occurs with conveyance involving contact with the pinch roller 10 (hereinafter, also referred to as nip conveyance) is large and the conveyance mark unevenness tends to be obvious. Meanwhile, in ordinary paper and coated paper having surfaces in which relatively large protrusions and recesses are formed, the deformation that occurs with the nip conveyance is small and the conveyance mark unevenness tends to be less obvious. In view of this, in the embodiment, an appropriate print mode is selected from the print mode A and the print mode B depending on the type of print medium.
As illustrated in
Meanwhile, the print mode is set to the print mode B involving no nip conveyance for the glossy paper, semi-glossy paper, art paper, and a film in the embodiment. Although surfaces of the glossy paper, the semi-glossy paper, and the film are smooth, these materials swell or soften by absorbing the ink and become more likely to be affected by external force. Specifically, a region for which the nip conveyance is performed deforms and the conveyance mark unevenness is likely to become obvious in this region. The art paper is relatively thick and has a surface with large protrusions and recesses. However, in the case where the nip conveyance is performed with the ink absorbed in the art paper, the protrusions and recesses deform by pressure contact with the nip portion and the conveyance mark unevenness is likely to become obvious. Accordingly, in the case where the print medium is the glossy paper, the semi-glossy paper, the art paper, or the film, reduction of the conveyance mark unevenness is given higher priority than high-speed output and the print mode is set to the print mode B involving no nip conveyance.
As described above, in the embodiment, the print mode in which the conveyance distance is large and the image output involves the nip conveyance and the print mode in which the conveyance distance is small and the image printing involves no nip conveyance are prepared for the full-line inkjet printing apparatus. Then, one of these print modes is appropriately selected and set depending on the type of print medium. This enables output of a high-quality image independent of the type of print medium.
Although the print mode is set depending on the type of print medium, that is the material of print medium in the aforementioned section, the obviousness of the conveyance mark unevenness varies depending on various elements other than the material of print medium.
The print mode A and the print mode A′ have a commonality that they both involve the nip conveyance. However, in the print mode A′ in which the conveyance amount is large, the conveyance mark unevenness is more likely to be obvious than in the print mode A and the throughput is improved from that in the print mode A by a degree corresponding to an increase in the distance of nip conveyance. Accordingly, in the modified example, the print mode is set to the print mode A′ for the ordinary paper that has higher surface roughness than the coated paper and in which the conveyance mark unevenness is less likely to be obvious than in the coated paper, and the throughput is improved from that of the coated paper.
Note that the print mode is set to the print mode B involving no nip conveyance for the glossy paper, the semi-glossy paper, and the film with relatively low surface roughness.
In
The transfer amount can be measured by using Bristow's method described in “test method of liquid absorbability of paper and paperboard” in paper and pulp test method No. 51 of JAPAN TAPPI. The method of measuring the ink transfer amount is briefly described below. First, a certain amount of ink is poured into a holding container including an opening slit of a predetermined size. The ink in the container is brought into contact with a strip-shaped print medium wound around a disc through the slit and the disc is rotated with the holding container fixed. Next, the area (length) of an ink band transferred onto the print medium is measured and the transfer amount (ml/m2) per unit area is calculated from the area of the ink band. The transfer amount (ml/m2) indicates a volume of ink absorbed by the print medium in predetermined time and the predetermined time is defined as transfer time. The transfer time (millisecond{circumflex over ( )}½) corresponds to the contact time between the slit and the print medium and is converted by using the speed of the disc and the width of the opening slit.
In
A high-quality image can be stably outputted by appropriately setting the print mode to the print mode in which the image output involves the nip conveyance and the print mode in which the image printing involves no nip conveyance, depending on various elements of the print medium as described above.
In the print medium, the larger the ink application amount is, the higher the possibility of deformation of the print medium surface or transfer of ink to the conveyance mechanism due to the nip conveyance is. Accordingly, in the embodiment, the print mode is set depending on the ink application amount to the print medium, that is based on print data and an image to be printed.
In the embodiment, in the case where the ink application amount is less than 30%, the CPU 501 sets the print mode to the print mode A′. In the case where the ink application amount is 30% or more and is less than 90%, the CPU 501 sets the print mode to the print mode A. In the case where the ink application amount is 90% or more, the CPU 501 sets the print mode to the print mode B.
As described above, in the embodiment, in the case of printing an image in which the ink application amount is small and the conveyance mark unevenness is less likely to be obvious on the coated paper, the length of the unit region is set to a large value to improve the throughput. Meanwhile, in the case of printing an image in which the ink application amount is large and the conveyance mark unevenness is likely to be obvious on the same coated paper, the length of the unit region is set to a small value to avoid involvement of the nip conveyance.
Although the printing ratio to the pixel regions in the entire page is described as the ink application amount in
Furthermore, the print mode described in
Moreover, in the case where there are unit regions in which the ink application amount is 0%, the CPU 501 may skip the print conveyance step for these unit regions and convey the print medium to a unit region in which the ink application amount is not 0% in one operation. Specifically, conveyance of performing plain conveyance in unit regions in which the ink application amount is 0% and performing print conveyance in a unit region in which the ink application amount is not 0% in one operation is referred to as collective conveyance.
Although the case where printing is performed in the same print mode (print mode A) for the first and second unit regions and the sixth unit regions and beyond is described in
Moreover, the collective conveyance as described above is not limited to this embodiment. Also in the case where the print mode is set based on the print medium as in the fourth embodiment, it is possible to skip the print conveyance operations for regions in which the ink application amount is 0% and convey the print medium to the next unit region in which the ink application amount is not 0% in one operation, as long as the regions in which the ink application amount is 0% can be detected.
As described above, in the embodiment, the print mode in which the image output involves the nip conveyance and the print mode in which the image printing involves no nip conveyance is appropriately set depending on the ink application amount on the print medium. This enables output of a high-quality image independent of image data.
The degree of obviousness of the conveyance mark unevenness sometimes depends on various conditions other than the characteristics of the print medium described in the fourth embodiment and the ink application amount described in the fifth embodiment.
The embodiments and modified examples described above may be combined. For example, as a combined mode of the fourth embodiment and the fifth embodiment, the CPU 501 can set the print mode based on the type of print medium and the ink application amount. Moreover,
Moreover, the types of print modes are not limited to the three types described in the aforementioned embodiments. Multiple print modes obtained by further varying the unit region length in each of the modes involving the nip conveyance and the mode involving no nip conveyance may be prepared.
Moreover, multiple print modes varying in the number of passes may be prepared. For example, in the fourth embodiment, the configuration may be such that the multipass printing of five passes illustrated in
Embodiment(s) of the present disclosure can also be realized by a computer of a system or apparatus that reads out and executes computer executable instructions (e.g., one or more programs) recorded on a storage medium (which may also be referred to more fully as a ‘non-transitory computer-readable storage medium’) to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or that includes one or more circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuit (ASIC)) for performing the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s), and by a method performed by the computer of the system or apparatus by, for example, reading out and executing the computer executable instructions from the storage medium to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s) and/or controlling the one or more circuits to perform the functions of one or more of the above-described embodiment(s). The computer may comprise one or more processors (e.g., central processing unit (CPU), micro processing unit (MPU)) and may include a network of separate computers or separate processors to read out and execute the computer executable instructions. The computer executable instructions may be provided to the computer, for example, from a network or the storage medium. The storage medium may include, for example, one or more of a hard disk, a random-access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a storage of distributed computing systems, an optical disk (such as a compact disc (CD), digital versatile disc (DVD), or Blu-ray Disc (BD)™), a flash memory device, a memory card, and the like.
While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures and functions.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-104719 | Jun 2019 | JP | national |
| 2019-117137 | Jun 2019 | JP | national |
This application is a Continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2020/020223, filed May 22, 2020, which claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Applications No. 2019-104719, filed Jun. 4, 2019, and No. 2019-117137, filed Jun. 25, 2019, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20220080747 A1 | Mar 2022 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/JP2020/020223 | May 2020 | US |
| Child | 17536186 | US |
