Patent Grant
7467838
This invention relates to imaging devices that control ink jets for the ejection of ink onto an imaging member, and, more particularly, to imaging systems in which mechanical subsystems interact with an imaging member.
Solid ink or phase change ink printers conventionally receive ink in a solid form, either as pellets or as ink sticks. The solid ink pellets or ink sticks are placed in a feed chute and a feed mechanism delivers the solid ink to a heater assembly. Solid ink sticks are either gravity fed or urged by a spring through the feed chute toward a heater plate in the heater assembly. The heater plate melts the solid ink impinging on the plate into a liquid that is delivered to a print head for jetting onto a recording medium. U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,402 for a Solid Ink Feed System, issued Mar. 31, 1998 to Rousseau et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,861,903 for an Ink Feed System, issued Jan. 19, 1999 to Crawford et al. describe exemplary systems for delivering solid ink sticks into a phase change ink printer.
In known printing systems having an intermediate imaging member, such as ink printing systems, the print process includes an imaging phase, a transfer phase, and an overhead phase. In offset ink printing systems, the imaging phase is the portion of the print process in which the ink is expelled through the piezoelectric elements comprising the print head in an image pattern onto the image drum or other intermediate imaging member. The transfer or transfix phase is the portion of the print process in which the ink image on the image drum is transferred to the recording media. The overhead phase is the portion of the print process after the imaging phase in which the operation of the intermediate imaging member and the transfer roller are synchronized in preparation for the transfer of the image from the image drum or intermediate imaging member. The overhead phase may sometimes include the portion of the print process after the imaging phase in which the imaging member is synchronized in preparation for the next imaging phase. In some printers any of these three phases may overlap one another in real time.
Many of the imaging systems that implement the current process described above provide a print head controller with a reflex clock to control registration of the ink image on a media sheet or offset print member. The reflex clock times the firing of the print head jets in accordance with timing signals generated from a position based measurement of the imaging surface. This is typically done with a rotary encoder or the like. Imperfections in offset member runout, encoder alignment, and other known eccentricities, cause cyclic errors in the encoder position signal that result in registration position errors. To address these position errors, techniques have been developed for print head controllers to learn the cyclic errors and incorporate an offset signal to compensate for these cyclic errors. Systems that implement these compensation techniques are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,922 to Knierim and U.S. Pat. No. 6,215,199 to Markham.
While these known compensation systems are useful for cyclic errors, other types of errors may be introduced into the imaging system that affect the registration accuracy. Some of these errors include physical disturbances that arise from the interaction of components in the imaging device. For example, a number of mechanical subsystems interact with a print drum in some printing processes. These mechanical subsystems include a transfer subsystem, a release agent subsystem, and a wiper blade. The transfer subsystem includes a transfer roller that is moved into engagement with the print drum to form a nip through which a sheet of media is pressed to transfer the image from the print drum to the media sheet. The impact of the transfer roller on the print drum, the application of pressure against the print drum, and the release of that pressure, may cause a disturbance, which results in a registration error. Likewise, the movement of a release agent applicator into and out of engagement with the print drum may also result in registration errors. As these errors arise from the physical disturbance of the print drum from subsystem interactions rather than eccentricities in the manufacture of the print head and related components, the above-identified compensation systems cannot make the required adjustments for correcting these errors.
A method for controlling an image generating head compensates for mechanical disturbances that occur during a print process. The method includes generating signals for coordinating movement of components with a rotating image receiver in a printer, generating data identifying a process disturbance arising from interaction of the rotating image receiver with the components and an expected time for the process disturbance, generating a process disturbance compensation signal that corresponds to the process disturbance identification and timing data; and adjusting an image generating head actuation signal with the process disturbance compensation signal.
An apparatus that implements such a method may be used in an imaging device to control an image generating head to compensate for mechanical disturbances occurring during a print process. The apparatus includes a printer controller for generating signals to coordinate movement of components with a rotating image receiver in a printer and for generating data identifying a process disturbance arising from interaction of the rotating image receiver with the components and an expected time for the process disturbance, a process disturbance compensator for generating a process disturbance compensation signal that corresponds to the process disturbance identification and timing data, and an image generating head controller for adjusting an image generating head actuation signal with the process disturbance compensation signal.
The foregoing aspects and other features of an ink printer implementing a forward direction printing process are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
A perspective view of an ink printer 10 is provided. The ink printer 10 compensates for some physical disturbances that may occur during a printing process. The reader should understand that the embodiment discussed herein may be implemented in many alternate forms and variations. The ink printer 10 of
In the particular printer shown in
A color printer typically uses four colors of ink (yellow, cyan, magenta, and black). Ink sticks 30 of each color are delivered through a corresponding feed channel 28A-D. The operator of the printer exercises care to avoid inserting ink sticks of one color into a feed channel for a different color. Ink sticks may be so saturated with color dye that it may be difficult for a printer user to tell by color alone which color is which. Cyan, magenta, and black ink sticks, in particular, can be difficult to distinguish visually based on color appearance. The key plate 26 has keyed openings 24A, 24B, 24C, 24D to aid the printer user in ensuring that only ink sticks of the proper color are inserted into each feed channel. Each keyed opening 24A, 24B, 24C, 24D of the key plate has a unique shape. The ink sticks 30 of the color for a particular feed channel have a shape corresponding to the shape of the keyed opening. The keyed openings and corresponding ink stick shapes exclude from each ink feed channel ink sticks of all colors except the ink sticks of the proper color for that feed channel.
As shown in
The print head 50 may be an array ink jet print head that is mounted to the printer frame so the print head is able to translate across the imaging member 52. The mounting of the print head to the printer frame does not enable movement of the print head in any other direction. In a color printer, the print head 50 includes an array of yellow ink jets, an array of cyan ink jets, an array of magenta ink jets, and an array of black ink jets. Rotation of the imaging member 52 enables the peripheral surface of the member 52 to be scanned sequentially by the yellow, cyan, magenta, and black ink jet arrays in the print head 50. This rotation of the imaging member 52 enables the print head to generate rows and columns of pixels for an image on the member 52. Multiple revolutions of the imaging member 52 may be required for generation of a complete image on the member 52.
The operations of the ink printer 10 are controlled by the electronics module 44. The electronics module 44 includes a power supply 80, a main board 84 with a controller, memory, and interface components (not shown), a hard drive 88, a power control board 90, and a configuration card 94. The power supply 80 generates various power levels for the various components and subsystems of the ink printer 10. The power control board 90 regulates these power levels. The configuration card contains data in nonvolatile memory that defines the various operating parameters and configurations for the components and subsystems of the ink printer 10. The hard drive stores data used for operating the ink printer and software modules that may be loaded and executed in the memory on the main card 84. The main board 84 includes the controller that operates the ink printer 10 in accordance with the operating program executing in the memory of the main board 84. The controller receives signals from the various components and subsystems of the ink printer 10 through interface components on the main board 84. The controller also generates control signals that are delivered to the components and subsystems through the interface components. These control signals, for example, drive the piezoelectric elements to expel ink from the ink jet arrays in the print head 50 to form an image on the imaging member 52 as the member rotates past the print head.
In an improved imaging device, the print head controller compensates for physical disturbance of the intermediate imaging member 52. The compensation occurs in synchronization with mechanical disturbances that are anticipated during a revolution of the imaging member 52. These mechanical disturbances include engagement/disengagement of the member 52 with the transfer roller during the transferring phase as well as the engagement/disengagement of the drum maintenance subsystem 54 and the wiper subassembly 60 with the imaging member 52.
In
While the system described above is illustrated with a rotating print drum, the reader should understand that other rotating image receivers and image generating heads are contemplated for use with the process disturbance compensator described more fully below. For example, the rotating image receiver may be a rotating belt that receives ink ejected by the print head. Image generating heads for other rotating offset members that receive an ink image may be adjusted using the process compensator described more fully below. Additionally, the process and system described below may be used with electrophotography. For example, the rotating image receiver may be a rotating photoreceptor member and the process disturbance compensation signal may be used to adjust the control of an imaging generating head, such as a LED bar or a raster output scanner (ROS) to compensate for mechanical disturbances from components engaging the photoreceptor member.
An apparatus that compensates for the mechanical disturbances caused by subsystems interacting with the imaging drum 52 is shown in
Because some physical disturbances in an imaging system are not cyclic with the imaging drum, but, instead occur at known instances within the printing process for an image, an offset compensator of the type described above is unable to compensate for these disturbances. To compensate for these types of disturbances, the apparatus 100 includes a process disturbance compensator 114 that is coupled to the printer controller 118. The printer controller 118 operates in a known manner to synchronize the operation of the sub-assemblies in the imaging device to generate ink images on the imaging drum 52 and transfer those images to a sheet of recording media that is output by the imaging device. The printer controller 118, therefore, generates the signals that coordinate the translation of rollers and the actuation of servos to perform a printing cycle. Such actions include, for example, movement of the transfer roller, movement of the release agent applicator, and movement of an imaging drum wiper. Consequently, the printer controller 118 generates data identifying the type of mechanical disturbance arising from one of these actions and the expected time for the disturbance.
These disturbance identifying data are received by the process disturbance compensator 114. In response to these data, the process disturbance compensator 114 generates a process disturbance compensation signal. This signal is provided to the print head controller 104, which adds the process disturbance compensation signal to the timing signal received from the position encoder 110. Thus, the resulting signal compensates for the eccentricities of the drum and the mechanical disturbances arising from the movement of printer components during a print process.
The process disturbance compensator may be implemented as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). Alternatively, a microcontroller having associated memory and programmed instructions may be used to provide the process disturbance compensator. The programmed instructions of an ASIC or controller enable the processor in such a circuit to respond to the data generated by a printer controller regarding the type of mechanical disturbance that is expected to occur during a print process. The printer controller generates these data with reference to the control signals it generates to move components, such as a transfer roller, release agent applicator, and the like, into and out of engagement with the rotating drum in an imaging device. The processor uses the data to generate a process compensation signal. The signal may be generated with data obtained from a lookup table uses the disturbance identification data or it may use other known devices or circuits to generate a pulse of an appropriate width and magnitude. The identified time may be used by the processor to coordinate delivery of the compensation signal to the print head controller. In another embodiment, the process compensation signal may be a data stream that identifies a time for adjustment as well as magnitude and duration of the adjustment. The print head controller, implemented by a programmed controller or ASIC, may use these data in a similar manner to adjust the print head actuation signals it generates.
Each known mechanical disturbance that may arise during a print process has a corresponding process disturbance offset that is stored in the process disturbance compensator 114. These mechanical disturbance offsets are used to generate the process disturbance compensation signal. These offsets may be empirically determined and stored in the compensator 114. Alternatively, an imaging device may measure mechanical disturbances during a calibration or setup process and store the measured values as mechanical disturbance offsets for the corresponding mechanical disturbances. These offsets may then be used for generation of the process disturbance compensation signal.
The measurements of the mechanical disturbances may be made with an optical sensor or other known pixel registration sensor. The printer controller receives the image data and measures a shift in image registration caused by the mechanical disturbance. The measured shift may be stored in the process disturbance compensator for generation of the process disturbance compensation signal. For example, a known test image may be generated using no process disturbance compensation and the shift in the registration of the pixels in the resulting image caused by the mechanical disturbances may then be measured. Measurement of the displacement of the pixels at the time of a disturbance from the position where they should have landed provides an indication of the time at which the print head elements should be fired for proper placement of the pixels. A measurement for each type of disturbance is required. Preferably, multiple measurements are made and an average of the measurements computed for a more accurate determination of a compensation offset. Disturbances that occur simultaneously or that overlap with other disturbances are measured as they occur. This approach avoids the need to isolate disturbances, measure each one, and then add them as vectors to compute a composite offset.
The timing of the process compensation signal described above adequately compensates for mechanical disturbances provide adjustment of the print head actuation signal is not so large that the adjustment is detectable by the human eye, and the disturbances are relatively slow compared to the print head firing that they can be tracked within the resolution of the position encoding signal. In response to identification data for a mechanical disturbance that occurs too rapidly or without sufficient precision to synchronize with the print head actuation signal, the process disturbance compensator 114 may generate a series of process compensation signals that adjust the generation of the print head actuation signal so a whole image offset splits the difference for an offset that would otherwise be visually detectable. The offset signals in this series that are generated for the duration of the disturbance adjust the print head actuation signal in a direction that is opposite the direction of the identified disturbance. Following the disturbance, the remaining offset signals in the series gradually reduce this difference until it reaches zero. An example of this operation is shown in
The apparatus described with reference to
As noted above, the method implemented by the apparatus may determine that the identified mechanical disturbance occurs between two sequential print head actuation signals. In response, the process may generate a series of process disturbance offset signals that adjust the generation of the print head actuation signal so a whole image splits the difference for an offset that would otherwise be visually detectable. The offset signals in this series, which are generated for the duration of the disturbance, adjust the print head actuation signal in a direction that is opposite the direction of the identified disturbance. Following the disturbance, the remaining offset signals in the series gradually reduce this difference until it reaches zero. The process may count a time period that corresponds to the duration of the identified mechanical disturbance. Upon the expiration of this time period, offset signals corresponding to the identified disturbance are no longer provided.
The mechanical disturbance offsets may be empirically derived from measurements taken for a printer during its operation. The offsets are timing values that are used by the print head controller 104 to advance or retard the delivery of a print head actuation signal to the print head 50. These timing values are correlated to the type of mechanical disturbance and the uncompensated misalignment measured during printer testing.
Those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous modifications can be made to the specific implementations described above. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the mechanical disturbance compensation may be adapted for other printers using an intermediate imaging member, or for printers and other imaging devices that eject ink directly onto media sheets. Therefore, the following claims are not to be limited to the specific embodiments illustrated and described above. The claims, as originally presented and as they may be amended, encompass variations, alternatives, modifications, improvements, equivalents, and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein, including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated, and that, for example, may arise from applicants/patentees and others.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6013998 | Spurr et al. | Jan 2000 | A |
| 6076922 | Knierim | Jun 2000 | A |
| 6215119 | Markham et al. | Apr 2001 | B1 |
| 6893174 | Askren et al. | May 2005 | B2 |
| 6910752 | Shoji | Jun 2005 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080088661 A1 | Apr 2008 | US |
