Printing apparatus and control method and program thereof

• US 9,090,059 B1
• Filed: 03/02/2015
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Sayama, Tomohiro, Matsuyama, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Lam
• Application Number:
  US14/635,019
• Time in Patent Office: 148 Days
• Field of Search: 347/5, 347/9, 347/10, 347/16, 347/19, 347/70
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04551 using several operating modes
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04581 controlling heads based on piezoelectric elements
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/04588 using a specific waveform

Abstract

A printing apparatus includes a piezoelectric element; a cavity whose internal volume is increased or decreased by displacement of the piezoelectric element; a nozzle connected to the cavity and ejecting the ink as ink droplets onto a print medium by increasing or decreasing of the internal volume of the cavity; a printing mode receiver receiving selection of at least one photographic paper printing mode for printing onto photographic paper and at least two plain paper printing modes for printing onto plain paper from among printing modes; and a control unit controlling a meniscus position in the nozzle to be separated further from an orifice surface of the nozzle when the selection of one plain paper printing mode from among the at least two plain paper printing modes is received by the printing mode receiver than when the selection of the photographic paper printing mode is received.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus comprising:

a piezoelectric element configured to be displaced in response to voltage of a drive signal;

a cavity in which ink is filled, and whose internal volume is increased or decreased by displacement of the piezoelectric element;

a nozzle connected to the cavity and configured to eject the ink as ink droplets onto a print medium by increasing or decreasing of the internal volume of the cavity;

a printing mode receiver configured to receive selection of at least one photographic paper printing mode for printing onto photographic paper and at least two plain paper printing modes for printing onto plain paper from among printing modes; and

a control unit configured to control a meniscus position in the nozzle to be separated further from an orifice surface of the nozzle when the selection of one plain paper printing mode from among the at least two plain paper printing modes is received by the printing mode receiver than when the selection of the photographic paper printing mode is received.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when printing is executed in a plurality of passes in the plain paper printing modes, the control unit is configured to control the meniscus position of the nozzle in an initial pass to be separated further from the orifice surface of the nozzle than the meniscus position of the nozzle in a final pass.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit has a printing mode that executes printing in a plurality of passes exists, and that controls the meniscus position of the nozzle in a final pass to be separated further from the orifice surface of the nozzle than the meniscus position of the nozzle in an initial pass.

4. A control method of a printing apparatus that includes

a piezoelectric element configured to be displaced in response to voltage of a drive signal,

a cavity in which a liquid is filled, and whose internal volume is increased or decreased by displacement of the piezoelectric element, and

a nozzle connected to the cavity and configured to eject ink as ink droplets onto a print medium by increasing and decreasing the internal volume of the cavity, the control method comprising:

receiving selection of at least one photographic paper printing mode for printing onto photographic paper and at least two plain paper printing modes for printing onto plain paper from among printing modes; and

controlling a meniscus position in the nozzle to be separated further from an orifice surface of the nozzle when the selection of one plain paper printing mode from among the at least two plain paper printing modes is received than when the selection of the photographic paper printing mode is received.

5. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program causing a computer connected to the printing apparatus that includes

a piezoelectric element configured to be displaced in response to voltage of a drive signal,

a cavity in which a liquid is filled, and whose internal volume is increased or decreased by displacement of the piezoelectric element, and

a nozzle connected to the cavity and configured to eject the liquid as ink droplets onto a print medium by increasing or decreasing the internal volume of the cavity, to act as

a printing mode receiver configured to receive selection of at least one photographic paper printing mode for printing onto photographic paper and at least two plain paper printing modes for printing onto plain paper from among printing modes;

and

a control unit configured to control a meniscus position in the nozzle to be separated further from an orifice surface of the nozzle when the selection of one plain paper printing mode from among the at least two plain paper printing modes is received by the printing mode receiver than when the selection of the photographic paper printing mode is received.