Inkjet recording apparatus

• US 8,979,228 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2010
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lanzatech NZ Incorporated (LanzaTech Global, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Inc.
• Inventors: Nishi, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Mruk, Geoffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Richmond, Scott A
• Application Number:
  US13/497,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20120182337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,652 Days
• Field of Search: 347/41, 347/54, 347/55, 347/47, 347/102, 347/5, 347 9- 14, 347/74, 347/76
• US Class Current: 347/9
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00214 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00216 using infrared [IR] radiation or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/095 electric field-control type
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/145 Arrangement thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2128 by means of energy modulation control methods or devices therefor, e.g. driver circuits or control circuits B41J2/04501
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/2132 Print quality control characterised by dot disposition, e.g. for reducing white stripes or banding methods for local corrections by dot omission, image edge enhancement, or multi-pass mask selection G06K15/102; colour conversion H04N1/40
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2002/14459 Matrix arrangement of the pressure chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns

Abstract

Provided is an inkjet recording apparatus capable of recording a high quality image without limiting the kinds of ink or recording media, including an inkjet head having a plurality of nozzles to eject ink droplets, wherein the ink droplets ejected from the plurality of the nozzles is charged by applying voltage between the inkjet head and the recording medium, and land on the recoding medium so as to record the image on the recording medium, wherein after a first ink droplet lands on the recording medium, a second ink droplet lands on the recording medium so as to overlap with the first ink droplet before discharging of the first ink droplet is completed.

Claims

1. An inkjet image forming apparatus for recording an image on a recording medium, the inkjet image forming apparatus comprising an inkjet head comprising a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles and configured to eject ink as ink droplets so as to record the image on the recording medium:

a conveyance section configured to convey a recording medium, wherein the conveyance section is grounded;

a control section configured to apply a predetermined voltage between the nozzle plate and the conveyance section so as to charge each ink droplet in a same polarity;

wherein the control section is configured to control the inkjet head to eject a first ink droplet and a second ink droplet after a predetermined time such that the first ink droplet lands on the recording medium, the second ink droplet lands on the recording medium so that the second ink droplet partially overlaps with the first ink droplet, and the second ink droplet lands on the recording medium before electrical discharging of the first ink droplet is completed.

2. The ink jet image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein a time period from landing of the first ink droplet and to landing of the second ink droplet is not more than 20 m sec.

3. The ink jet image forming apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of the nozzles are arranged so that distances among ink ejection ports of the nozzles are not less than 170 μ

m.

4. The ink jet image forming apparatus of claim 1, comprising a radiation device to radiate heat or light to the ink droplets landed on the recording medium, wherein the ink is cured by radiating the heat or the light from the radiation device.

5. A method of recording an image on a recording medium using an inkjet image forming apparatus comprising an inkjet head with a nozzle plate having a plurality of nozzles, the method comprising:

applying a voltage between the inkjet head and a conveyance section for conveying the recording medium, wherein the conveyance section is grounded;

conveying the recording medium at a predetermined speed;

ejecting a first ink droplet from a first nozzle of the plurality of nozzles;

after a predetermined amount of time, ejecting a second ink droplet from a second nozzle of the plurality of nozzles;

wherein the second nozzle is displaced from the first nozzle in a conveyance direction, and the first nozzle and the second nozzle overlap in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction; and

wherein after the first ink droplet lands on the recording medium, the second ink droplet lands on the recording medium so that the second ink droplet overlaps with the first ink droplet and the second ink droplet lands on the recording medium before electrical discharging of the first ink droplet is completed.