Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Ejector mechanism
Reexamination Certificate
1995-09-05
2001-07-24
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Ejector mechanism
C347S015000, C347S043000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06264305
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART
The present invention relates to a recording head, a recording apparatus using the recording head, and a recording method using the same, more particularly to a recording head, a recording head using the same and a recording method using the same for ink jet recording.
Ink jet recording is used for a printer, copying machine or the like because it is advantageous in the low noise, low running cost, easiness of downsizing and color printing. Particularly, many types of color recording machines have been put into practice.
In the color recording apparatus of this type, it is necessary to use a recording sheet exclusively for the recording in order to provide high quality. On the other hand, by the improvement of the ink, an apparatus usable with plain paper has been put into practice. However, the image quality thereof is still low.
More particularly, when a full-color image is to be formed on plain paper a quick-dry ink exhibiting high seeping speed into plain paper is used. Therefore, a high quality image can be produced without smear between colors. However, in the case of a line image such as characters, results in feathering occurs along the fibers of the paper, thus deteriorating the image quality. Particularly, the feathering is conspicuous in the case of black letter, with the result of less sharp image, and therefore, the quality is relatively poor.
In order to provide a high quality image without feathering and with high density of black portion, it is desirable that the ink relatively slow in the seeping into the plain paper is ejected to the paper to a certain extent. However, in this case, the smear between the black ink and the color ink results in the boundary between the black image and the color image portions with the result of remarkable deterioration of the quality.
In order to improve these problems, it has been proposed and put into practice that a heater is provided in a recording apparatus to promote ink drying to provide a color image without the smearing between colors. However, this increases the cost and the size of the apparatus.
Thus, an ink jet recording apparatus which can provide high density of the black image on the plain paper, which can provide sharp black image without feathering and which does not produce ink smear between the black image and the color image and between the color images, has not been accomplished with low cost and high practicability.
However, the demand for the high quality of the image and the demand for the tone reproducibility, are increased.
In order to meet the demand, it has been proposed that a plurality of recording heads ejecting the same color ink droplets with different density is provided to produce low density ink is used for the light and intermediate tone levels, and that a high density ink is used from the intermediate to the dark portions.
This method requires increase of the number of recording heads and the number of ink cartridges with the result of bulky apparatus. When the use is made with ink having different densities for the respective colors, there arises a difficult problem of non-uniformity in the recorded image attributable to the order of the different color and different density inks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a recording head, a recording apparatus using the same and a recording method, with which high density sharp images can be provided without feathering on plain paper, thus permitting formation of high quality color image with high tone gradation and without smearing between colors.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording head for ejecting ink to effect recording on a recording material, comprising: a first group of ejection outlets, arranged in a first direction, for ejecting record improving liquid for improving record property on the recording material; a second group of ejection outlets arranged in the first direction, for ejecting ink having a first density; a third group of ejection outlets, arranged in the first direction, for ejecting ink having a second density which is lower than the first density; wherein the first, second and third groups are arranged in a second direction which is different from the first direction.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording apparatus comprising: a recording head for ejecting ink to effect recording on a recording material, the recording head including a first group of ejection outlets, arranged in a first direction, for ejecting record improving liquid for improving record property on the recording material; a second group of ejection outlets, arranged in the first direction, for ejecting ink having a first density; a third group of ejection outlets, arranged in the first direction, for ejecting ink having a second density which is lower than the first density; wherein the first, second and third groups are arranged in a second direction which is different from the first direction; input means for inputting image information from an outside; comparing means for comparing a density of the image information with a predetermined level; ink ejection control means for ejecting ink onto the recording material in accordance with an output of the comparing means, by the second group when the density level of the image information exceeds the predetermined level, and by the third group when the density level of the image information is lower than the predetermined level; and record improving liquid ejection control means, responsive to the image information, for ejecting the record improving liquid by the first ejection group to a position where the liquid is mixed on the recording material with the ink ejected by the second ejection group or the third ejection group.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a recording method comprising: providing a recording head for ejecting ink to effect recording on a recording material, the recording head including a first group of ejection outlets, arranged in a first direction, for ejecting record improving liquid for improving record property on the recording material; a second group of ejection outlets, arranged in the first direction, for ejecting ink having a first density; a third group of ejection outlets, arranged in the first direction, for ejecting ink having a second density which is lower than the first density; wherein the first, second and third groups are arranged in a second direction which is different from the first direction; inputting image information from an outside; comparing a density of the image information with a predetermined level; ejecting, in accordance with the image information, record improving liquid onto the recording material at a position to be mixed with ink; ejecting ink onto the recording material in accordance with a result of the comparing step, by the second group when the density level of the image information exceeds the predetermined level; ejecting ink onto the recording material ir accordance with a result of the comparing step, by the third group when the density level of the image information is lower than the predetermined level; and record improving liquid ejection control means, responsive to the image information, for ejecting the record improving liquid by the first ejection group to a position where the liquid is mixed on the recording material with the ink ejected by the second ejection group or the third ejection group.
Thus, the level of density indicated by color image information externally supplied is compared with a predetermined level. When the recording is effected while ejecting the ink from the recording head onto the recording material, a first group of nozzles for ejecting recording improving liquid containing a material capable of making the coloring material in the ink insoluble or coagulated, is ejected onto the recording material. In accordance with the results of comparison, if the density level of the color image
Gotoh Fumihiro
Inui Toshiharu
Kurabayashi Yutaka
Moriyama Jiro
Sugimoto Hitoshi
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Le N.
Nguyen Lamson D.
LandOfFree
Recording method and apparatus using recording head ejecting... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Recording method and apparatus using recording head ejecting..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Recording method and apparatus using recording head ejecting... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2566356