Claims
- 1. A recording apparatus for performing recording on a recording medium with an ink jet recording head for discharging ink, said apparatus comprising:
- a cap for covering a face of said recording head, said face of said head being formed with discharging orifices for jetting said ink therefrom;
- a stepping motor rotatable according to a supplied exciting phase for driving a carriage carrying said recording head;
- detecting means for detecting reaching of a predetermined position by said carriage driven with rotation of said stepping motor;
- memory means for storing as a reference exciting phase, a phase with which said stepping motor is excited when a detection signal is provided from said detecting means, every time a recording period starts;
- position recognition means for recognizing a position of said carriage, said position recognition means being operable in a first mode for recognizing a position of said carriage through comparison of the exciting phase of said stepping motor and the reference exciting phase stored in said memory means and a second mode for recognizing a position of said carriage not on a basis of said stored reference exciting phase but on a basis of the detection signal; and
- control means for causing said position recognition means to operate in the first mode during the recording period, and causing said position recognition means to operate in the second mode in a case when said recording head is covered by said cap after the recording period.
- 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said memory means stores as the reference exciting phase the exciting phase of said stepping motor when the detection signal is provided right before a start of recording.
- 3. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising data supply means for supplying recording data to said recording head.
- 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said control means causes said position recognition means to operate in the second mode and recognize the position of said carriage not on the basis of the stored reference exciting phase when said recording data supplied from said data supply means is data indicative of an end of recording.
- 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said control means causes said position recognition means to operate in the first mode and recognize the position of said carriage on the basis of the stored reference exciting phase when no said recording data is supplied for a predetermined period of time from said data supply means.
- 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said data supply means includes a keyboard for inputting the recording data.
- 7. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said control means causes said position recognition means to operate in the second mode and recognize the position of said carriage not on a basis of the stored reference exciting phase when no recording data is supplied for a predetermined period of time from said data supply means.
- 8. The recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the recording period starts when said data supply means supplies data indicating a start of recording, and ends when said data supply means supplies data indicating an end of recording.
- 9. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording apparatus comprises a portable word processor having a keyboard for inputting data and a display screen.
- 10. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cap includes an absorber for absorbing said ink.
- 11. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cap is provided at a position outside a recording zone.
- 12. The recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined position associated with said detecting means is located between the position of said cap and the recording zone.
- 13. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means comprises a home position sensor for indicating in terms of a voltage level the reaching of the predetermined position by said carriage.
- 14. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording head includes a plurality of said discharging orifices for jetting said ink therefrom and heat energy generating means provided for each of said discharging orifices for producing a thermal state change of said ink to cause the ink to be jetted from said discharging orifices and thus form flying drops of ink according to the state change.
- 15. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means causes said position recognition means to operate in the second mode in a case when said recording head is covered by said cap during the recording period.
- 16. A recording method for performing recording on a recording medium with an ink jet recording head for discharging ink, said method comprising the steps of:
- detecting reaching of a predetermined position by a carriage moved with rotation of a stepping motor according to a supplied exciting phase and providing a detection signal;
- storing in a memory means as a reference exciting phase, a phase with which the stepping motor is excited when the detection signal is provided, every time a recording period starts;
- determining a position of the carriage, said position determining step being executed in one of a first mode in which a position of the carriage is determined through comparison of the exciting phase of the stepping motor and the reference exciting phase stored in the memory means and a second mode in which a position of the carriage is determined not on a basis of the stored reference exciting phase but on a basis of the detection signal;
- performing recording on a basis of the position of the carriage determined in the first mode; and
- capping the recording head on a basis of the position of the carriage determined in the second mode after the recording period.
- 17. The recording method according to claim 16, wherein in said storing step the memory means stores as the reference exciting phase the exciting phase of the stepping motor when the detection signal is provided right before a start of recording.
- 18. The recording method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of supplying recording data to the recording head.
- 19. The recording method according to claim 18, wherein said position determining step is executed in the second mode and determines the position of the carriage not on the basis of the stored reference exciting phase when said recording data supplied in said data supply step is data indicative of an end of recording.
- 20. The recording method according to claim 18, wherein said position determining step is executed in the first mode and determines the position of the carriage on the basis of the stored reference exciting phase when no said recording data is supplied for a predetermined period of time in said data supply step.
- 21. The recording method according to claim 18, wherein in said data supply step a keyboard is used for inputting the recording data.
- 22. The recording method according to claim 18, wherein said position determining step is executed in the second mode and determines the position of the carriage not on a basis of the stored reference exciting phase when no said recording data is supplied for a predetermined period of time in said data supply step.
- 23. The recording method according to claim 18, wherein the recording period starts when said data supply means supplies data indicating a start of recording, and ends when said data supply means supplies data indicating an end of recording.
- 24. The recording method according to claim 16, wherein said recording method is usable in a portable word processor having a keyboard for inputting data and a display screen.
- 25. The recording method according to claim 16, wherein a cap used in said capping step includes an absorber for absorbing said ink.
- 26. The recording method according to claim 16, wherein a cap used in said capping step is provided at a position outside a recording zone.
- 27. The recording method according to claim 26, wherein the predetermined position associated with said detecting step is located between the position of the cap and the recording zone.
- 28. The recording method according to claim 16, wherein in said detecting step a home position sensor is used for indicating in terms of a voltage level the reaching of the predetermined position by the carriage.
- 29. The recording method according to claim 16, wherein the recording head includes a plurality of discharging orifices for jetting said ink therefrom and heat energy generating means provided for each of said discharging orifices for producing a thermal state change of said ink to cause the ink to be jetted from the discharging orifices and thus form flying drops of said ink according to the state change.
- 30. The recording method according to claim 16, wherein in said capping step the recording head is capped on a basis of the position of the carriage determined in the second mode during the recording period.
Priority Claims (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2-031706 |
Feb 1990 |
JPX |
|
2-039512 |
Feb 1990 |
JPX |
|
2-192678 |
Jul 1990 |
JPX |
|
2-192680 |
Jul 1990 |
JPX |
|
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/653,492 filed Feb. 11, 1991, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (17)
Foreign Referenced Citations (7)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0313204 |
Apr 1989 |
EPX |
3633239 |
Apr 1987 |
DEX |
3723954 |
Apr 1988 |
DEX |
3835066 |
Apr 1989 |
DEX |
59-123670 |
Jul 1984 |
JPX |
59-138461 |
Aug 1984 |
JPX |
2211330 |
Jun 1989 |
GBX |
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
653492 |
Feb 1991 |
|